The 7 Habits Tree |
The train welcomes you into Rainbow Station |
Have you filled a bucket? |
Years ago, when Rainbow Station CEO Gail Johnson learned about The Leader in Me, she began talking about leadership strategies for her pre-schoolers. Some people thought that the children were too young to learn leadership. Rainbow Station went ahead anyway. In 2010, the Rainbow Station staff was trained in the 7 Habits. Since then leadership is integrated into the language and practices of every classroom from the babies through the after school care students.
Classroom Board |
In the baby and toddler room, children learn baby signs to express themselves. Teachers are especially attuned to observe children to determine the children's goals. Erin gave the example of her own two year acting frustrated whenever they went out to play at school. The teachers identified that he really wanted to ride a bike. They took a photograph of the bike and let him focus on it in the classroom. Eventually he was making progress toward getting on the bike and began peddling before he would developmentally be expected to do so.
The classrooms were brightly decorated. Each preschool teacher selects a new book each year to use as a theme to decorate their room, The bulletin boards were beautiful and included classroom leadership roles and data toward goals.
Pre-school classroom leaders |
Rainbow Station now has several Leader in Me Schools in Virginia and several more starting in other states. There is a new preschool beginning in China and one in Indonesia. Each school will make The Leader in Me a part of the way they relate to students.
Another unique part of Rainbow Station is "The Get Well Place" where pre-school and school age sick children can stay while their parents continue to go to work. From my years as a working mom, I know the stress involved when a child is sick. The center is staffed with a nurse and maintains a 3 to 1 child ratio.
For school-age children, 5 to 14, The Village at Rainbow Station provides after school experiences. The Village has the facade of a beautiful town square and was modeled on the idea that "It takes a village to raise a child." Each group of children in the Village program write their own mission statements as part of The Leader in Me plan.
The Village for After School Activities |
Rainbow Station welcomes guests to their Leadership Day. It is well worth the trip to see this unique school.
http://www.rainbowstation.org/three-chopt/curriculum/leadership/
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