Education is a top priority in Vicksburg. This was made evident this week as Vicksburg played host for the second consecutive year to a Leader in Me symposium.

Lonnie Moore, consultant and speaker for the Leader in Me company Franklin Covey, said the success of the Warren County School District has put a lot of eyes on the area, making it a good location to host a symposium.

This year’s event brought teachers, administrators and business leaders from seven states to Vicksburg.

Based on Stephen Covey’s, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” Leader in Me is a model that encourages leadership and life skills to students, and it creates a culture of student empowerment based on the idea that every child can be a leader in action.

Those attending the symposium visited area elementary schools, where Leader in Me models are being implemented.

Students welcomed attendees and gave them tours of their classrooms to show how the habits are used daily.

Also on Friday, Vicksburg Catholic School students were given the opportunity to watch history as Donald J. Trump was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States.

VCS students have followed the entire election cycle closely from the first days of school through Election Day, and they have delved into learning about the candidates and held a mock election to voice their opinion.

“This is the culmination of that process,” government teacher Maggie Nasiff said.

In addition to watching the inauguration on the big screen, students also did activities, which included learning inauguration trivia and reading the oath of office.

During the transition periods between speeches and events, students also discussed the significance of what was happening.

More positives in Vicksburg this week:

• Jennifer Cain, a teacher and Warren Central High School alum, spearheaded getting donations for the Flowers family after they lost their home in a fire last week. Cain’s efforts of paying it forward were in response to when WCHS helped her family after a fire took her family’s home her senior year in 1999.