Kindergarten Ambassadors: Young Leaders in the Eton Community

Kindergarten Ambassadors: Young Leaders in the Eton Community

by Susan Baccellieri and Angela Kim

Pre-elementary and Lower Elementary Lead Teachers

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? An astronaut? A zookeeper? A ballerina? A teacher? The President? How about a ballerina astronaut? The imagination of a child can lead them in so many directions based on what inspires them. The children at Eton School are forging their own path, pushing through barriers, tackling challenges, and taking the first steps toward becoming whoever they want to be. What makes them confident enough to begin the journey? It starts with a moment.

“Oh no!” A box drops and items scatter all over the floor. Some students walk over to help pick everything up.

“Ouch!” A ball veers off course and hits a child on the arm. The closest children check on her to make sure she’s okay.

“You hold that end, and I’ll hold this one.” Two students work together to carry a long bead chain to a rug.

“I have something I would like to discuss with the group,” says a student who speaks up during a class meeting.

Each of these moments demonstrates Eton students being compassionate and supportive leaders in their school community.

As Eton’s Kindergarten students move through the three-year cycle, these moments of kindness help them develop into caretakers of their community. Their actions help them build trust in themselves and in their peers within the classroom environment, and this is the first step toward leadership. The Kindergarten students exhibit confidence when they speak up during group activities and discussions. They model courage when they seek out new challenges. They undertake special responsibilities to help their teachers. They develop a strong sense of self as classroom leaders.

The Kindergarten Ambassador Program was initiated to give Kindergarten students an opportunity to use their leadership qualities to impact the larger Eton School community. These students have embraced the expectation of being leaders; they are role models of what characterizes an honorable and respectful Eton student.

The Kindergarten students have become mentors to their peers, planning lessons about how to clean up outside toys and providing Birthday and Earth Day packets for the other classrooms. As Ambassadors, they collaborated to sponsor a Pet Food Drive at the Pre-elementary level.

They have also done Ambassador work with students from other grade levels at Eton. They worked with Lower Elementary students to clean up the outdoor learning environment last fall. In the winter, many Ambassadors confidently presented oral stories to their older library partners. With Lower Elementary students, they created Valentines to share with residents at a local senior housing center. These projects and activities nurture their global awareness and encourage the sharing of joy, beauty, and reverence for life. They also cultivate a sense of responsibility and foster positive group behavior; all of these are objectives of our Mission Statement.

The Kindergarten Ambassador Program was initiated to give Kindergarten students an opportunity to use their leadership qualities to impact the larger Eton School community

Throughout the school year, the Ambassadors have been partnering with various Lower Elementary, Upper Elementary and Middle School classes for learning activities. Mr. Glatt, the Upper Elementary and Middle School STEAM instructor, invited the Kindergarten students to be a part of a video presentation on the weather.

Ms. Farmer’s students in Room 1 invited the Ambassadors to work with them in measuring the flight paths of paper airplanes.

The Middle School students combined with a group of Ambassadors to do a flag ceremony in preparation for the Cultural Fair. Another group of Ambassadors worked with Ms. Kim’s students in Room 3 to measure planetary distances. These experiences of collaboration and cooperative learning support our vision of developing leaders who make a difference.

As they leave the Ambassador program and transition into the Lower Elementary program, their responsibilities and leadership expand. They grow as positive role models, enhance their presentation skills, and lead research groups. The students develop their voices and use them to speak up for themselves and others.

Through the Ambassador program, Eton’s youngest learners become empowered to take on roles that further their growth as leaders of a community. As quoted by John F. Kennedy, “Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” •