Academics
Signature Programs

Elmore Leadership

Elmore Leadership

 The school-wide Elmore Leadership Program develops students into civic-minded citizens who will become tomorrow’s leaders, practicing our Country School core values of kindness, respect, and responsibility.
Assessments, self-reflection, and feedback are important components of the leadership learning process, taking place year by year in an atmosphere that allows for mistakes, growth, and resilience.

Through a carefully crafted series of activities, programs, and experiences, our students are taught strong motivational and analytical skills. All students, from PreSchool-Grade 8, learn the power of teamwork, collaboration, empathetic listening, and appreciative inquiry by taking turns leading and letting others lead, in order to maximize the talents and backgrounds of all members of a team.

Older and younger students are paired together for peer-to-peer experiences that include Reading Buddies, cross grade level activities, and other opportunities for leadership growth and development. The Elmore Leadership Program culminates in the Capstone Independent Study Project in Grade 8, launching our young leaders on to secondary school.

Our program recognizes that at each grade level, students will develop leadership skills in different ways and at different times. Through our five-year continuum of school-wide yearly themes (Cooperation, Assertion, Responsibility, Empathy, and Self Control*), a young student might begin as a silent leader, setting examples for others, but then become more outspoken in a later grade once confident in their leadership ability.

* Principles and Practices of Responsive Classroom. Center for Responsive Schools, Inc. 2015. Web. 13 October 2015.

List of 2 items.

  • Making a Difference

    At The Country School, our students learn that they can make a difference in the world. Pulitzer-Prize winning leadership scholar James MacGregor Burns wrote, "The call for leaders is one of the keynotes of our time." Through our focused curriculum and a community and culture that support their efforts, Country School students are well-equipped to answer that call.

  • Learning from Others

    Because children learn by example, we invite outside speakers to campus to speak with our students about their own leadership experiences. Students are able to ask questions, learn about real-world experiences, and grapple with some of the big issues they may face in the future.
The Elmore Leadership Initiative is named for longtime Country School trustee Robert W. Elmore, an educator, lawyer, and organizational development consultant who modeled a form of leadership based on listening, teamwork, and appreciative inquiry. When Mr. Elmore passed away in 2009, a committee was formed to honor his legacy and create a framework for teaching students the leadership skills he embraced and exhibited in his daily life. The Elmore Leadership Program grew from those discussions.
341 Opening Hill Road, Madison, CT 06443
P. 203-421-3113  |  F. 203-421-4390  |  Health Office F. 860-469-2550
Founded in 1955, The Country School is a coeducational, independent school serving students in PreSchool-Grade 8. The Country School is committed to active, hands-on learning and a vigorous curriculum that engages the whole child.