Dane Gibson
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Dec 01/99) - Range Lake North students are taking charge of their lives and building the skills necessary to lead others.

The school offers a mandatory Exploratory Class to students in grades 5 through 8. The course offers many choices, and teaching leadership skills in a fun and supportive environment is one of them.

The leadership section of the class culminated in the first ever Range Lake North Student Leadership Retreat.

Teacher/organizer Adam Bunin said more than 30 students, along with a leadership panel consisting of six community leaders, spent Nov. 17 at the Trappers Lake Retreat Facility.

"I'm very pleased with how the retreat went and I'm very pleased with how the students are responding (to our leadership programs)," said Bunin.

"We're seeing positive role models developing. The students are taking on supervisory roles and they're organizing events for the school."

Student council president Tanya Lemieux said she attended team building activities, workshops and leadership panel presentations at the retreat.

"I learned what a real leader is and what you have to do to become a good leader," said Lemieux.

"A student leader would be someone who is responsible and organized. It's someone who doesn't control people but works with them."

As a result of the retreat, Lemieux is already planning to do more volunteer work within the community. She is going to start by playing the flute for seniors at Aven Manor.

Range Lake North principal Mike MacDonald was on the leadership panel, along with others such as Yk deputy fire Chief Mike Lowing and RCMP school liaison officer, Const. Denise Potvin.

"The effects of the student leadership program is it provides students with the opportunity to develop their own leadership skills," said MacDonald.

"Secondly, the younger students see our older youth in leadership roles, and that has a very positive impact. It also speaks very well for our school when students take it upon themselves to convey to the public what type of learning goes on here."