Woodmore Elementary principal and teacher highlight student leadership work at board meeting

Dionne Upton, principal at Woodmore Elementary School, told the Hamilton County School Board that her school has launched a student leadership initiative intended to give young children more opportunities to be seen and heard.

"My name is Dionne Upton, and I am the principal at Woodmore Elementary School," Upton said as she introduced third-grade lead teacher Elena Carlson, who described the program. Carlson told the board, "This year has felt heavy," adding that many students arrive at school with emotional burdens and that the leadership group helps them develop skills and resilience. Carlson quoted students’ own descriptions of leadership — including a focus on respect, responsibility and being heard — and said the program connects classroom learning to real-world examples through community role models.

Upton said the initiative invites local leaders to model leadership for students and cited a recent visit from a city council member as an example. The principal said the program aims to teach students that leadership is not something they wait for but something they step into, and that giving students responsibility and a voice produces observable growth.

The presentation was made during the meeting’s opening segment; the board thanked the school team for their work and welcomed Woodmore Elementary to the session.