Seventh graders from SAD 58 (Stratton, Strong, Kingfield and Phillips) completed a remarkable three-day program at The Leadership School at Kieve on Damariscotta Lake in Nobleboro. Students and staff learned through hands-on activities and open classroom discussions revolving around group dynamics, conflict resolution, communication skills and making healthy decisions in the face of various school and peer pressures.
SAD 58 students and teachers remarked on how well The Leadership School at Kieve strengthened the group’s dynamic. Since SAD 58 students came to Kieve from four different schools, many didn’t yet know each other. But through Kieve’s experiential approach, students began forming positive relationships. Bonnie Kinney, grades 5-8 special education teacher at Phillips, describes what she observed. “I noticed last night that one of my students who is usually the wallflower, was sitting with three girls from different schools and they were talking and laughing. She usually doesn’t interact with girls in her class, but here she is making friends and socializing.”
Not only did SAD 58 teachers value watching these new relationships form, but students also reported appreciating the opportunity to connect with one another. Strong seventh grader Reilly Romanoski said, “The thing I enjoyed the most about Kieve was getting to know great people and knowing I can trust them. I also gained a lot of confidence.” Lexi Bullen from Stratton agreed, “The Leadership School was very fun. I learned that trust is one of the most important qualities in a friendship and I also learned about the different ways in which you can build trust in a friendship.” These students will be going to high school together so developing healthy relationships early on is crucial.
Kieve staff work hard to create a learning environment where students feel comfortable through establishing strong norms around respect and cooperation. SAD 58 staff described how impressed they were Kieve’s staff. “I went to a workshop on communication with JC, a Kieve teacher. It was perfect—a great balance of movement, thinking, reflection, humor and fun. It had all the elements of a great lesson. There was vocabulary in there too—JC taught them the word ‘passive.’ Many didn’t know the word beforehand but once JC explained it to them, they were able to chime in with examples of passive behavior,” explained Phillips’ Kinney. SAD 58 Superintendant Quenten Clark said, “Kieve understands the middle school mind—they keep them moving. Things flow at the right speed so kids don’t get bored. Kieve is well organized—they have obviously done this before. I’m really impressed with the Leadership School program and its staff.”
The Leadership School is looking forward to the SAD 58’s eighth graders’ five-day program at the end of the month. The program is geared to help create better citizens, healthier communities and to provide students with the tools necessary to stay on track with high school completion despite potential peer pressure.
Kieve’s Leadership School residential program operates during the traditional school year. Half of the cost for students to attend a program typically comes from fundraising at the school, parents, and community level. However, in the case of SAD 58, the town of Carabasset Valley generously funds the trip to Kieve. Without their support, this group of students would not be able to have this pinnacle experience.
Kieve-Wavus Education, Inc. subsidizes the other half of program costs in excess of $750,000 annually. For schools that are unable to attend residential programs on the Nobleboro campus, outreach programs are offered which allow The Leadership School to travel throughout New England, bringing tailor-made programming and curriculum to students in their home school environment.
Other programs offered by Kieve-Wavus Education, Inc. include Kieve Camp for Boys and Wavus Camp for Girls, which serve youth from Maine and around the world; Kieve-West, a co-ed wilderness program in Colorado; an Alumni and Family Camp; and a 9/11 Family Camp for families from New York and Washington, D.C. who were affected by the 9/11 tragedy. In addition, Kieve-Wavus Education, Inc. operates The Kennedy Learning Center on the Nobleboro campus, which serves as a private retreat and conference center for adult teambuilding programs.
For more information about The Leadership School call (207) 563-6212, email leadershipschool@kieve.org, or visit the website at www.theleadershipschool.org
