The Power of Teamwork

Most people have heard the acronym for TEAM,
Together Everyone Achieves More.

PMS Student Council Members

I was struck by the overwhelming truth of this statement as I enjoyed the Pleasantdale Middle School spring pep assembly this past Tuesday.  Under the leadership of Mrs. Driscoll, the PMS Student Council worked hard to make our "American Ninja Warrior" themed pep assembly a wonderful celebration of our students who have participated/are participating in springtime sports, clubs, and performing arts.  While it is wonderful to celebrate individual accomplishments, there is something extra exciting about celebrating the success and growth that results from the time and effort spent learning to work together as a team.

8th Grade Girls Volleyball

Scholastic Bowl Team

PMS puts on The Lion King

In my blog post last week, I explained the five components of Social Emotional Learning (SEL). These five components of self-management, self-awareness, responsible decision-making, relationship skills, and social awareness play an integral part in the team building process, whether it is a group of students working together to put on our school musical The Lion King, the members of the Scholastic Bowl team working together to combine their knowledge in the most powerful way possible, or the athletes on the volleyball/soccer/softball team working together to strategize and outmaneuver their opponents.  Everyone has different strengths, and when students work to compliment each other's strengths, the sum of their efforts is certainly greater than one person working alone.  Lessons in problem-solving and communication must occur throughout the process.  In addition, learning how to acknowledge and appreciate the unique contributions of others makes for a more rewarding celebration as teams achieve success.

For us as adults, there are frequently opportunities at work, within a family setting, and socially to engage in teamwork.  I encourage you to share stories of these opportunities with your children to help them understand how many of the lessons they are learning about teamwork will remain valuable as they grow older.  As Hellen Keller reminds us, "Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much."  Thank you all for teaming up with us to help our children learn how valuable teamwork can be!