Gentry Junior School’s Lady Leaders proudly display their shirts. Faculty and staff members Patrick Dwyer, Nyree Hodge, Dianah Hicks, Marilyn Harris, Shelli Edwards, Angie Putnam, Kathy Holland, Nicole Blakeslee, Cristina Lawson, Saundra Christopher, Cheri Oehler, Shay Montgomery, Terria Montgomery, Cathy Johnson, Tara Fountain and David Yepez also support the group.
Gentry student Kaysie Rome (middle), a member of Lady Leaders, is encouraged to always be strong by Gentry teachers Selvira Rahanovic (left) and Dianah Sosa (right).
Gentry Lady Leaders Marley Perry (bottom middle) and Kaysie Rome (top middle) take a selfie with Gentry faculty members Kathy Holland (bottom left),
principal; Cristina Lawson (top left), campus academic specialist); Nicole Blakeslee (top right), counselor; and Saundra Christopher, assistant principal.
Gentry Lady Leaders Group Provides Support
By: Susan Passmore
Recognizing that young girls often face difficult decisions and are affected by social pressure from many sources, Gentry Junior School recently organized the Lady Leaders. Lady Leaders is a group designed to support young girls to become positive role models at school as well as in their community.
Following meetings with staff about their concerns of social pressure girls often face, Gentry principal Kathy Holland was pleased that her vision of many years finally came to light with the help of Shaye Montgomery and Nyree Hodge, Communities In Schools site coordinators.
“Our principal and teachers recommended students from all three grade levels to participate in the group so that we could make sure students were not overlooked. Sixty-eight young ladies are involved in Lady Leaders,” Montgomery said.
Once a month, these young ladies are provided with lessons and activities from a relationship training Montgomery attended to arm them with tools to make positive decisions and to encourage them to have the strength to stand up against negative forces. In support of the Lady Leaders, Gentry staff members wear red hats and red clothing. The girls wear purple shirts, bearing the motto, “You Are Stronger Than You Think,” provided by CenterPoint Energy, Gentry’s Partner In Education through the Baytown Chamber of Commerce.
At the end of the year, the Lady Leaders will participate in an etiquette seminar.
“I have worked to start this initiative for several years, and I finally found a team that would take it and run with it. We are excited to grow the program and, hopefully, spread it to other junior school campuses,” Holland said.