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            ATTLEBORO – Eighteen sixth-grade, seventh-grade and eighth-grade students at Dayspring Christian Academy of Attleboro recently attended a daylong Middle School Leadership Conference hosted by the Association of Christian Schools International in Alston, N.H.

Seven boys represented Dayspring Christian Academy of Attleboro recently during the 2009 Middle School Leadership Conference sponsored by the Association of Christian Schools International in Alton, N.H. Shown here, from left, are: 1^st row, Gian Amico, Cherubin Manokaran and Josiah Boirard; and 2^nd row, Jacob Clark, Brandon Clark, Austin Lynch and Robert Rodrigues. (Photo courtesy of Dayspring Christian Academy)

Accompanied by Robert Lavallee, DCA’s Spiritual Advisor, the 18 DCA students – all either members of the school’s Student Government or chapter of the National Junior Honor Society – exchanged ideas with their peers and engaged in workshops designed to enhance young people’s leadership qualities. A total of 10 ACSI affiliate schools in New England sent representatives to the conference.

            “It was a great experience for our students,” Lavallee said. “They learned how to function as leaders, how to develop character and how to improve their team-building skills.”

Eleven girls represented Dayspring Christian Academy of Attleboro recently during the 2009 Middle School Leadership Conference sponsored by the Association of Christian Schools International in Alton, N.H. Shown here, from left, are: 1^st row, Jordan Breen, Julia Aguiar, Olivia Phillips, Cassidy Theroux and Natalie Sorial; and 2^nd row, Nicole Fontaine, Marissa Machado, Kearsten Lambert, Susan Udall, Tamara Russell and Tiffany Tong. (Photo courtesy of Dayspring Christian Academy)

DCA students participated in three primary programs – conflict resolution (including role-playing), team-building activities (incorporating the concepts of wisdom and leadership) and school planning project (during which they conceived an Honor Code Covenant for DCA).

            The DCA students attending the conference included eighth-graders Brandon Clark, Susan Udall, Kearsten Lambert, Tamara Russell and Robert Rodrigues; seventh-graders Josiah Boirard, Cherubin Manokoran, Nicole Fontaine, Marissa Machado, Natalie Sorial, Tiffany Tong and Austin Lynch, ; and sixth-graders Jacob Clark, Olivia Phillips, Cassidy Theroux, Julia Aguiar, Jordan Breen and Gian Amico.         

            “It was a long day for us, but a good one nevertheless,” Lavallee said. “We left our school at 5:30 a.m. for the trip to New Hampshire and did not return home until 6:30 p.m. It was the first year our school has attended the conference and we plan on making it an annual event.”

            Further information about Dayspring Christian Academy is available by contacting the school at 508-761-5552, or accessing its Web site at www.dayspringag.org.