On Wednesday, April 9, the gymnasium at School No. 6 transformed into a stage of positivity, purpose, and pure fun as the high-energy team from Lead U delivered two unforgettable assemblies aimed at empowering students with kindness, confidence, and critical life skills.
𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗔𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗹𝘆
With upbeat music pumping, students clapping in rhythm, and team chants echoing off the walls, this wasn't your typical school assembly. 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐔 — 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥-𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤, 𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰.
"Clock's ticking, sir!" the presenters shouted — and the kids shouted it right back, their eyes wide, their minds focused. They were ready.
𝐀 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦
Leading the charge was Connor Effenberger, a former teacher and now Program Manager for Lead U. But Connor wasn't alone. He was joined by a trio of energetic, playful, and wildly theatrical sidekicks, each bringing their comedic flair and charisma to the performance. Together, the team acted out emotional scenarios, danced through lessons, and pulled students into scenes that felt like part Broadway, part classroom, and all heart.
And it wasn't just the students who got in on the fun — even the teachers were recruited into the action, jumping into segments with over-the-top poses, silly challenges, and bursts of spontaneous dance, all to the absolute delight of their students who cheered, clapped, and laughed at seeing their favorite grownups let loose.
𝐀 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐃𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞
"Lead U started nearly ten years ago with a simple mission — to help students become better people," said Effenberger. "We focus on social-emotional learning, conflict resolution, and kindness. For our younger students, that means learning how to regulate their big emotions. For older students, it's about learning how to resolve conflict and when to ask for help."
𝐋𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐄𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐲
The morning kicked off with an assembly for kindergarten through second-grade students, focusing on “big feelings” — like happy, sad, mad, and excited — and how to handle them. Through imaginative breathing exercises, call-and-response games, theatrical role plays, and team-building activities, students were taught that it's okay to feel big things — and that they have the power within themselves to calm down, show empathy, and spread kindness.
They even got to shout out their classmates for acts of kindness, reinforcing the message that you are not alone — and that support, friendship, and care are always close by.
𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐭, 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠
Then came the upper grades. Third through fifth graders engaged in conversations about conflict resolution — how to solve problems independently and when it's time to reach out to a trusted adult. The Lead U team didn’t just discuss it — they performed it. Whether mimicking awkward social interactions, dancing through challenging moments, or hilariously acting out what not to do, the team turned every moment into an opportunity for students to laugh, reflect, and learn.
𝐅𝐮𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐈𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭
At the heart of Lead U’s philosophy is this simple truth: learning is most effective when students are having fun. "You've got to give them a little sugar to help the medicine go down," said Effenberger with a grin. And with that, students were up on their feet again, giggling through games, dancing in their seats, and unknowingly internalizing lifelong lessons.
𝐀 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐭-𝐖𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞
According to Ryan M. Devaney, Supervisor of Student Services, the assemblies are part of Linden Public Schools’ district-wide anti-bullying initiative, a proactive approach to shaping a more compassionate and emotionally intelligent student body. In fact, the Lead U team isn’t done yet.
"Next up, they’ll bring the same energy and insight to School No. 9 on Tuesday, April 15, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.," Devaney shared. "It’s all part of our effort to give students the tools they need to build stronger relationships, resolve conflicts peacefully, and treat one another with kindness."
𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝
From deep belly laughs to deep breaths, from student leaders to dancing teachers, Lead U’s assemblies at School No. 6 celebrated voice, agency, and emotional growth. The message was loud and clear: even the youngest learners can be leaders — of their emotions, choices, and futures.
𝐘𝐄𝐒?
𝐘𝐄𝐒!
𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐩.