Leadership Lessons
At the LifeTown Shoppes, a lesson in leadership might begin with helping a child choose groceries or exchange money at the bank. For Morristown Beard School’s eighth graders, those everyday interactions became an opportunity to discover what it means to take responsibility for someone else’s experience.
On Friday, October 16, the class stepped into the roles of shopkeepers, helping visiting students from area schools practice everyday skills. With leadership as their grade’s theme for the year, the morning gave them a chance to put their classroom discussions into action.
“Volunteering at LifeTown is an opportunity for our students to live it instead of merely learning about it,” said Joe Lodato, the school’s eighth grade history teacher and a member of its community service and engagement committee. “It’s an opportunity for our students to help other people but also to learn about themselves as leaders.”
For Carys, an eighth grade student with an interest in medicine, an assignment at the doctor’s office offered a particularly welcome connection.
“I’ve always liked medicine and working with kids,” she said. “It really feels good to help the community and give back to them. Everyone feels welcomed here and connected.”
The students’ involvement had begun well before they entered the Shoppes. Ahead of the visit, the class organized a school book drive, collecting more than 400 books for LifeTown’s Words Bookstore Shoppe. These efforts will give visiting children more stories to discover as they explore the shelves.
The connection between the school and LifeTown began with Mara Simon, a Friendship Circle board member and volunteer whose twin sons attend Morristown Beard. Familiar with the experience LifeTown offers, she saw an opportunity to bring the two communities together.
On the day of the visit, she watched the students settle into their responsibilities following a training session. At ShopRite, they helped children make choices. At the salon, they helped make each visitor feel special.
“The kids really shined,” Simon said. “They stepped up, displaying empathy and acceptance.”
These interactions are central to the Shoppes experience. Visiting school children have opportunities to practice skills at their own pace, with volunteers providing support along the way. For the eighth graders, that meant paying attention to the child in front of them and finding ways to help.
The class also participated in the Do Happy Art Project, painting rocks with encouraging messages. Later placed in the first rock garden at Ryan’s Field, the rocks left another reminder of their visit.
The books will remain on the shelves, and the painted rocks will greet visitors outdoors. For Carys, the morning also sparked a wish to return.
“This is the place I would love to be every single day volunteering,” she said.
