Saxe Gotha Elementary Named Lighthouse School

Representatives from the FranklinCovey The Leader in Me program presented Saxe Gotha Elementary School, a Title I school with 686 students, with its Lighthouse School status award Friday through a video message from FranklinCovey and the presentation of a Lighthouse Banner.

Saxe Gotha administrators, staff, parents and the community began working toward Lighthouse recognition three years ago. In order to achieve this goal, they had to put a Lighthouse team in place, create a leadership environment, teach and reinforce the 7 Habits, work together collaboratively, have students in meaningful leadership roles, involve parents, create and hold leadership events, use student data through data notebooks and other leadership tools, and show measurable results.

Staff and students at Saxe Gotha gathered in the cafeteria under the false belief that they were celebrating the school’s 20th anniversary and its recent receipt of a South Carolina Department of Education Palmetto Silver Award. Although they did just that, they also learned the good news.

There are currently about 40 schools worldwide who have received Lighthouse Status including schools in Canada, Indonesia and the United States. We believe that Saxe Gotha Elementary becomes the 41st.

Only three schools in South Carolina currently have Lighthouse Status (Myrtle Beach Elementary, Myrtle Beach Primary, Summerville Elementary).

As part of The Leader in Me Lighthouse School’s three-year long process of self-evaluation and implementation of the leadership model with students, staff, parents and community, members of a Lighthouse Review team spent the day at Saxe Gotha Elementary on Tuesday, March 26. On that day, they met with and interviewed parents, students and staff, toured the school, visited classrooms and reviewed data with students.

Saxe Gotha Elementary has 686 students in prekindergarten through grade 5. About 64 percent of the students receive free or reduced price meals. The school is located at 100 Williamson Court in Lexington, SC 29073.

Submitted by Lexington One.