Navigating the sixth-grade transition through youth leadership

Brittany Kinney talks to her students about their shared interests during a teambuilding activity.

Between classes, the hallways of Lake Stevens Middle School turn into a noisy orchestra.

Voices blur into a continuous hum, punctuated by the sharp squeak of rubber soles on linoleum and the rhythmic, cricket-like zipping of dozens of backpacks. But today is Friday, and a new sound cuts through the hallway chatter like a jolt of electricity. The soundtrack from “A Goofy Movie” blasts outside Brittany Kinney’s door, serving as a homing beacon for her second-period sixth-graders. They know her unwritten rule: Every passing period gets a song on Music Friday, and fun is guaranteed.

Once inside, the energy settles into purpose. These sixth-graders aren't just here to earn a grade in Leadership, they're navigating one of the biggest transitions in K-12 education. Leaving the comfort of having a single elementary teacher for the fast-paced world of seven different periods and fresh social dynamics can feel overwhelming. But here, and in a twin classroom run by Rachel Roosma at North Lake Middle School, sixth-graders are getting a blueprint for success. Even better? As they figure out how to make friends and find their own footing, they’re learning how to pull the rest of the student body up right alongside them.

Students are all smiles as they work together to discover their shared passions and build towers of index cards.

"You have to learn what different teachers expect from you. So that is a whole new realm and it's helping build life skills."

Brittany Kinney

“I think for all students, it's very nerve wracking at the beginning, going from one teacher all day long since kindergarten, and then now all of a sudden you are in seven different classes,” Kinney said. “You have all these different teachers. You have to learn what different teachers expect from you. So that is a whole new realm and it's helping build life skills. For Leadership, we get to really focus on practicing those skills.”

Over the course of the school year, the students in Kinney’s classroom will learn how to build foundational leadership skills like accountability, responsibility, ownership, determination and collaboration. These teaching moments get very real, very fast when students are handed a stack of index cards and 10 minutes to build a skyscraper.

Divided into small teams of three or four, Kinney’s class put their newly introduced skills to the test. First, groups had to discover what their shared interests are, each one earning them an additional index card. Then came the real challenge: using only the cards they earned to build the tallest tower possible.

Students in Kinney’s class look to other groups for inspiration as they try to build the tallest possible tower with index cards.

As the timer ticked down, students put determination and adaptability on full display. When one group’s tower suddenly collapsed, they didn't throw in the towel—they immediately started rebuilding. Other teams pivoted their strategy mid-game, cutting precise slits to interlock cards or carefully balancing them like playing cards after getting inspiration from neighboring designs.

"We got to know each other better, which helped us work together better."Maddie

The post-challenge reflection forced students to take ownership of their team dynamics, tackling tough questions about efficiency and communication. As one student, Harper, pointed out regarding her group’s main hurdle: "Some of us weren't listening to other people's ideas." When groups slowed down to listen to each other, the results spoke for themselves. For Maddie and her teammates, success came from learning how to communicate. “We got to know each other better, which helped us work together better,” she shared, proving that real teamwork starts with connection. It's a breakthrough moment happening in real time and mirrors what's unfolding just a few miles away.

Rachel Roosma calls on her students to share their goals for the school year.

Across town, in Roosma’s sixth-grade Leadership class, students are learning the same skills in a different way. While Kinney’s class tackled paper towers, Roosma’s class is laying its groundwork through personal reflection and intentional habits. During a recent lesson, students gathered in small groups to develop personal SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound) goals for the school year, sharing their growth targets and offering each other real-time feedback. Roosma moved between small groups to offer one-on-one coaching and encourage authentic self-expression.

That individual coaching paid off when a student opened up about trying to hide his Russian accent by speaking in a monotone voice. Roosma quickly stepped in, letting him know that his heritage belongs in the classroom and shouldn't be hidden. Another student immediately chimed in, telling him she loved his accent and wanted to hear his enthusiasm. It provided a vivid glimpse of the inclusive environment both teachers and their students are working to create.

"Leadership isn't always front and center, but it's also the background."

Rachel Roosma

Students bounce ideas off each other while developing personal goals for themselves.

"I want them to understand and know that as a leader, it's not just standing in front of an assembly of people, but it's the character traits that you develop as you grow in this position as a leader,” Roosma said. “Leadership isn't always front and center, but it's also the background."

These daily, foundational moments are steps toward a much larger vision for her students.

“I want them to be changemakers,” Roosma added. “I want them to see things in this world and think ‘I don't have to take a backseat, I can actually be an active participant in this.’ I want them to see what is happening in Lake Stevens and think ‘I can make an impact on this.’”

Whether building card towers at Lake Stevens Middle School or setting personal goals at North Lake Middle School, these young leaders are learning that stepping up isn't about being the loudest voice in the room. It's about lifting others up along the way.

Happiness is abundant in Roosma’s class as her students share their goals for the school year with each other.

As the dismissal bell rings back in Kinney's classroom, she calls out the first half of a refrain that doubles as the core philosophy for both classes: "Good people—"

”—are good to people,” her class echoes in unison.

Moments later, the soundtrack from “Moana” spills into the hallway. Packed up and ready for third period, the sixth-graders stream back out into the crowd, carrying a harmonious sense of purpose out to the rest of the school.

One student is working on what smaller steps she can take to achieve her overarching goal.