How Rundle Academy Builds Great Leaders from Day 1

Leadership development at Rundle Academy begins on the first day of school.

You see it as our returning students excitedly welcome their new schoolmates into the fold, as they instinctively stop to help a new friend find where they need to go, and as they volunteer first to share about themselves in class.

For a student new to Rundle Academy, this changes everything.
“When they see the way the school operates – with kindness, confidence, and inclusivity – it sends a message that this is a safe place and they really matter here,” says Lauren Thompson, Assistant Principal at Rundle Academy.

Anna R. remembers her first day of school in Grade 7.

“Because everyone has a learning disability and everyone is similar in that way, you don’t feel like an outsider; it immediately felt like a community,” says Anna, now in her final year of high school. “Very quickly I felt integrated and welcomed into the school.”

She says that despite coming to Rundle Academy nervous, those nerves dissipated that first day as she experienced firsthand the school environment that is created to allow students to thrive.

“You can’t teach leadership skills to a student who feels invisible or misunderstood in the classroom. When they feel not only understood, but appreciated and valued for who they are, their whole perspective shifts,” says Lauren. “They realize they have what it takes to take risks, find their voice, and step up in ways that matter to them.”

The Leadership Journey

Leadership is a journey that students go on, no matter the age or stage they join the Academy community.

Oftentimes, even as young as Grade 4, it begins with self-leadership and self-advocacy. Many students arrive carrying past academic setbacks, and are supported in discovering that their diagnosis doesn’t make them any less capable.

Students quickly uncover their individual strengths, how their learning disability impacts their brain, and how to advocate for themselves. More than that, they find confidence to speak up in class, step forward in assembly, and volunteer for new experiences.

“When you put a student with a learning disability in an environment that meets them where they are and believes in them, you get to watch them change right before your eyes,” says Lauren. “Our school allows them to uncover the learner, the artist, the athlete, the leader within themselves.”

As the year progresses, leadership opportunities abound. Grade 6 student Wes M. says that he learned early on in his time at Rundle that “everyone can be leaders in different ways” through informal moments.

“If someone needs help, you help them. If your teacher asks you something, you listen. If you can do something to make someone happier, you do it,” says Wes.

“If I’ve learned something in math, my teacher will sometimes ask, ‘Would you be okay helping this person?’ I think that’s really cool because getting to learn how to help people is especially what leadership is about,” adds Grade 9 student Bryce S.

This is where the Rundle difference has the biggest impact.

“Small classes and a tight-knit community aren’t just a benefit, they are a necessity that allow our teachers to truly know each child,” says Lauren. “We get to help build a custom leadership path for every single student from Grade 4 all the way through graduation and beyond.”

Through co-curriculars like Student Council, students across all grades have formal opportunities to play a positive role in the cross-grade experience for their schoolmates. Within every club and council, too, students often age into leadership positions where their experience is valued and they can mentor younger students.

“Last year I got chosen for a leadership conference with schools from across Canada. We were all learning from each other and how to be better leaders in our school,” says Grade 9 student Rhys S. “I learned how to be a better leader; how to focus on people, make sure they feel important and cared about. I’m now trying to set a good example for the younger kids to show them what it means to be a good person at Rundle.”

“Rundle really sets you up to have those cross-grade, cross-divisional experiences through our whole-school rallies and our house teams. It just sets you up to get to interact with a lot of the kids outside of your grade, and I really enjoy now getting to hopefully be seen as a role model for them,” says Anna, who has been active on Student Council for five years and was just elected one of two Head Prefects for the 206-27 school year. “I enjoy getting to help people and meet people. I feel like Rundle has given me lots of experience to grow and find myself as a leader.”

Skills Beyond School

Including the phrase “preparing students for an ever-changing world” in our mission statement is our commitment to soft skill building.

“Excellence at Rundle is not only about what students learn, but also who they become through the process,” says Nicole Jordan, Head of Academics. “Leadership development is woven into our students’ daily experiences. The skills they will need to thrive in the world, including emotional intelligence, adaptability, communication, and empathy, are the same skills we intentionally foster at Rundle every day.”

As part of the work Nicole does overseeing the entire student experience at Rundle – Kindergarten to Grade 12; Academy, College, Studio; academic, co-curricular, and character – she ensures that the way the curriculum is delivered builds more than just knowledge; it builds good humans.

“At Rundle, every part of the student experience is connected. Leadership and character development are intentionally woven into our academic and co-curricular programs,” Nicole says. “This is especially important for our students with learning disabilities, many of whom come to us needing to rethink what they have come to believe about themselves and their potential. Helping them build confidence, recognize their strengths, and see what is possible is a meaningful part of their journey at Rundle.”

The journey that starts with a warm welcome on Day 1 doesn’t end at graduation – it becomes a way of being for our Rundle students.

“I remember exactly how I felt on my first day. I didn’t feel like a stranger. I walked into my class and my teacher already knew who I was and my classmates immediately made me feel comfortable,” Anna recalls. “I know what it’s like starting at this school nervous, before meeting students and teachers who care and want to make a difference. It makes you comfortable to do the same.”