Nearly 100 eighth graders from across Littleton Public Schools gathered at Twain for a day devoted to leadership, teamwork, and community building during this year’s Middle School Leadership Conference. Students from Newton, Goddard, Littleton Preparatory, Options, Euclid, and Powell middle schools came together to sharpen skills that will help them become confident, compassionate leaders as they transition into high school.
“The purpose of this conference for eighth graders [is] to prepare our future leaders for high school, teaching them skills such as communication, flexibility, and leadership,” said Magnus Miller, Heritage High School senior and Event Chair. “In addition, we tried to foster a sense of community throughout LPS, utilizing different strategies and icebreakers to get participants talking to each other and sharing valuable input. Finally, we wanted to give middle schoolers the opportunity to advocate for their student voice to the Board.” LPS has hosted some form of a middle school leadership conference for more than 20 years.
This event was inspired by a similar opportunity held at the high school level called Squad School, where students from all four LPS high schools meet to discuss successes and challenges. “We have found this experience so consequential that we thought we should relay this same opportunity to the middle schools, feeling that they also have valuable input to give,” Magnus explained.
The day began with energetic icebreakers designed to get students moving, laughing, and connecting with peers from other schools. Participants then rotated through three interactive workshops, each centered on a leadership theme: gratitude, flexibility, and communication. Each workshop was led by high school student leaders and student government members.
After lunch, students engaged in roundtable discussions with district leaders, Board of Education members, and community partners, offering middle schoolers a chance to share their perspectives and ideas directly with decision-makers.
For Heritage High School social studies teacher, Kristi Brethauer, one of the most rewarding moments came when a parent shared how their son couldn’t stop talking about the experience. “This really stuck out to me because eight grade boys are infamous for sharing as little as possible, so the idea that our conference was able to bring him so much excitement and confidence is what it's all about.”
