Miss Mississippi encourages Redwood Elementary students

Published 9:45 am Monday, November 14, 2016

The students of Redwood Elementary got a visit from Mississippi royalty Thursday morning.

Miss Mississippi Laura Lee Lewis was the guest speaker at the school’s monthly leadership assembly.

Lewis encouraged the children to be superheroes in their own lives by teaching them an acronym to remember — Honor Excel Reach Overcome.

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Honor adults to show respect.

“That means to obey. These people around the room are here to help you and make sure you do your best,” Lewis said. “So we’re going to ‘H’ honor our teachers. We’re also going to honor our parents.”

Excel through trying.

“That means to do your best,” Lewis said. “I want you to work so hard to do your best.”

Reach for the sky to accomplish dreams.

“I want you reach for good grades. I want you to reach for good behavior, and I want you to reach for good choices,” Lewis said.

Overcome negativity by others to succeed.

“This is the most important letter in hero,” Lewis said. “If you honor these teachers in this room, if you honor your parents, if you excel and do your best and work hard, and if you reach for you dreams and reach for success and reach to do your best, then you can overcome anyone who tells you, you can’t,” Lewis said.

The school has student-led leadership assemblies each month as a part of the Leader in Me program the district is implementing into the schools. The program teaches children responsibility and leadership skills to make the student more successful in the classroom and in life.

“We recognize student leaders for the month and we have a guest speaker,” teacher Margie Heltzel said.

During the assemblies some students and teachers are honored for their hard work or recognized for awards they have earned. A guest speaker will also address to the children and judge the spirit stick contest picking out the loudest cheering grade and classroom.

“When we are leaders we celebrate our victories,” counselor Leslie Mobley said.