Womack Tours Bentonville's Jones Elementary

BENTONVILLE -- A school emphasizing leadership skills got a visit Friday from one of the region's most prominent leaders.

District 3 Rep. Steve Womack, R-Rogers, was impressed by the students he met during his visit to Mary Mae Jones Elementary -- so impressed, he said he thought they could teach his colleagues a few things.

"I think I can take you guys to Washington and fix the country," he said.

Womack was there to observe the school's Leader in Me program that helps develop leadership as well as confidence, responsibility, accountability and teamwork among students. The program is based on the book "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen Covey and is used in more than 1,500 schools worldwide.

Students throughout the school are assigned various responsibilities.

"Our goal is to give every student a leadership role, because they're all leaders," said Ashley Williams, principal.

A group of Student Council members met Womack at the main office and led him on a tour of the school. Superintendent Michael Poore, School Board President Wendi Cheatham and former state legislator Tim Summers also joined the tour.

They started in the media center, where Womack and the students paged through a copy of "The Seven Habits of Happy Kids" by Sean Covey. From there the group traveled from one classroom to another visiting teachers and other students.

At one point, Womack ran into two students who help run the intraschool mail system, which has its headquarters in fourth-grade teacher Jamie Carman's classroom. Students collect, sort and deliver about 200 pieces of mail per week.

"What if it snows? Do I still get my mail?" Womack asked.

Womack, standing in a second-floor hallway, told students he regularly receives mail from constituents at his office. Not all of it is pleasant, but everyone who writes to him gets a reply. That's one way of showing people respect, he said.

Womack later danced with some students at the front of a second-grade classroom. He joked with a student about the boy's Dallas Cowboys shirt, then offered him encouraging words about the progress he was making in class.

Womack and the Student Council members ate lunch together in the media center, where they chatted about several topics.

Arianna Dotson, a fourth-grader and daughter of state Rep. Jim Dotson, posed some questions that got Womack talking politics.

"It was pretty cool," Arianna said. "I enjoyed asking him questions. I just wanted to get his point of view."

One of Dotson's questions had to do with the national debt. Womack explained the country had racked up millions of dollars in debt in just the two hours they had spent together, a debt that would be handed down to their children and grandchildren.

Earlier in the day, Womack pointed out a sign on the wall that stated, "Leading by example" and asked students to remember that sign. At the end of their visit, he presented the students a coin inscribed with his motto, "Lead by example. Lead from the front."

"I believe leaders should always be out front. If you're out front, you're going to affect the timing and direction of the organization," he told students.

Womack has spent this week in Northwest Arkansas during what's called a district work period. His district includes Benton and Washington counties. He will return to Washington on Sunday.

Colette Tesoro, a fourth-grader and one of Womack's tour guides, said it was interesting to hear Womack's take on government and some U.S. issues.

"It was such an honor to meet him," Colette said.

Colette, the school's spelling bee champion, is regularly engaged in leadership activities at the school. She even leads school assemblies.

That's just one example of how the school encourages students to take leadership roles, Williams said.

"We as adults step back, help them understand the seven habits and let them take on responsibilities," Williams said.

This is the second year the school's been a Leader in Me school. The program has led to increased attendance and academic performance and a decrease in discipline issues, Williams said.

After three years in the program, the school can apply for "Lighthouse" status, which is based on the results a school achieves and its impact on students, staff and the greater community. There are 72 Lighthouse schools worldwide.