Students meet for Leadership Class one period per week for each of the four years of high school. That time is divided into the following categories: Project Days (Project Management); Book Discussion; Guest Speakers; Field Day team meetings (run by student team leaders); Training Days; and Senior Project presentations.
Student Government
Student Government opportunities are available to high school students. Elections are held and students who are elected by their peers serve their fellow students within their respective offices. This is one of many ways in which CCS students learn leadership skills and responsibility.
Projects
At the beginning of the year, students can choose from a variety of established projects or can submit a plan for a new project: Established project options include Food Days, High School Sweatshirts, Yearbook, Spirit Week, Community Service, Senior Banquet, Candy Grams, Recycling, Pro Life events, etc. One teacher advises and supervises each project.
Project members will:
Create a resume
Participate in a group interview by teacher advisors
Recruit help for their team
Create a task map / project management plan
Organize processes and tasks digitally
Learn to work collaboratively
Create a budget
Market to students via fliers etc.
Produce an “after action” report at the end of the year
Equipping
Cornerstone students do several things to help equip them to live out their faith outside the classroom and are required to submit a minimum of ten hours per school year. Sources include chapel speakers, guest speakers in leadership, outside seminars etc. Additionally, in each of the four years students read, respond to questions, and participate in group discussions for the book that year: The books read cover time management, digital responsibility, spiritual leadership, and financial planning and literacy. The books are: 12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You; Spiritual Leadership; Know Yourself, Know your Money; What’s Best Next–How the Gospel Transforms the Way You Get Things Done.
Senior Projects
As high school students near the end of their high school career, there are many questions looming: What do they want to study in college? What do they want to do after college? Is college the best option for them? What is the best way to achieve their goal? The senior project allows Cornerstone seniors to make use of what they have learned in leadership class but in a context that more directly benefits their own personal plans.
- It helps define their gifts, talents, calling, and college and career choices.
- It gives a jump start on exploring college and career options based on their talents,
interests, and skills. - It helps hold them to set goals and approach their college and career choices in a strategic
manner. - It enables them to add their Senior Project accomplishments to their college and job
applications and resume. - It puts them in contact with people who have experience in the field they are
considering. This networking can be an invaluable way to learn more about their field of
interest and the best path to take for their major and career. - Students make a Power Point presentation to the entire high school leadership class,
inspiring younger students to think about their own goals.
Yearbook
Yearbook at Cornerstone is a year-long, student-led project wherein they receive hands-on experience planning and producing the school’s annual yearbook. The goal is to deliver an affordable, high quality yearbook that represents the entire school. Student leaders work with a staff advisor to select their team, plan the theme and design, and layout the page templates. These students learn to plan a long term project while also managing their team members weekly. They prepare their team members by training them in basic camera handling and shooting, in photo critique and editing, and in a graphic design program. Members take pictures around the school every week and at school functions to document the year. They work in teams to develop specific yearbook pages assigned to them. This requires selecting the best pictures to produce eye-catching pages. They also use their writing skills to create copy that succinctly summarizes the page’s subject matter.
