April 13, 2026
DIAMOND BAR, CA - On April 1, Evergreen Elementary hosted its Leader in Me Leadership Day, a special event highlighting how students are building essential leadership skills and growing into confident leaders. At Evergreen, Leader in Me is a school-wide framework based on Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, designed to teach leadership and life skills to students.
As guests arrived on campus, the Diamond Bar High School Band welcomed them with a special performance in the Quad. The program opened with acknowledgements from Evergreen’s Elementary Learning Specialists, Sarah Lee and Megan Brown. Fifth-grade students Queena Chen and Fares Beltram served as enthusiastic emcees, bringing joy and energy to the celebration. Reflecting on the school’s commitment, Principal Dr. Gabriel Cardenas shared, “Leader in Me is not just a program here at Evergreen Elementary - it’s the foundation that we build everything upon. We believe deeply that every single student who walks through our doors has the genius inside them. Our job is to discover it, nurture it, and support it.”
Evergreen’s School Supervisors, known on campus as the Dream Team, spoke about finding their voice and the impact of everyday actions. They reminded guests that “Leadership isn’t just about your title, it’s about your actions.” A highlight of the event was the Kindergarten performance of the Habit Song, featuring students dressed as the 8 Habits.
Visitors then rotated through classrooms, engaging with students from various grade levels for a firsthand look at leadership in action. Following classroom visits, guests explored the Action Team Displays, where students showcased their leadership teams through creative trifold presentations. Evergreen currently has nine Student Action Teams, a first-grade Student Action Team, a staff Lighthouse Team, and more than thirty staff members serving as facilitators.
The event concluded with students sharing their academic and leadership goals from their Leadership Notebooks. Overall, it was an inspiring celebration of leadership and learning at Evergreen!
About Walnut Valley Unified School District
Walnut Valley Unified School District (WVUSD) schools have earned recognition for academic excellence from both the California State Department of Education and the United States Department of Education. Many WVUSD schools have been recognized as National Blue Ribbon, California Gold Ribbon, and California Distinguished Schools. Several WVUSD schools were featured in U.S. News & World Report’s 2025/2026 Best School Rankings. To learn more about WVUSD, please visit WVUSD.org. Connect with WVUSD on Instagram, Facebook, and X.
Contact
Michelle Figueroa, Public Information Specialist
Office: 909-595-1261, Ext. 31204
Photos Shown:
- Evergreen student leaders stand at the school entrance, welcoming guests to Leadership Day.
- Principal Dr. Gabriel Cardenas poses with the Evergreen Eagle mascot.
- The Diamond Bar High School Band performs in the Quad as guests arrive.
- Kindergarten students perform the Habit Song on stage.
- Fifth-grade students Queena Chen and Fares Beltram pose beside the “Leaders” podium.
- Two student leaders wearing vests hold up signs during classroom rotations.
- Three students stand beside a poster board displaying their classroom work.
- Three students pose next to their Action Team Display trifold.
- A student presents their academic and leadership goals from their Leadership Notebook to attendees.