RDS Middle School students learn important lessons about leadership and peer relations throughout the year during guided advisory discussions and activities, but learning about leadership took centerstage this week as Redwood Day hosted the East Bay Independent Schools Association's Student Government Roundtable. For the second year in a row, more than 50 student leaders and their faculty advisors flocked to RDS from eleven of our peer schools to take part in workshops about effective student leadership and to brainstorm and swap ideas among student councils. Head-Royce, St. Paul's, Windrush, Ecole Bilingue de Berkeley, Montessori Family, Saklan Valley, Black Pine Circle, Bentley, Julia Morgan School for Girls, Prospect Sierra, and The Berkeley School all sent delegates to participate in the half day of interactive workshops and learning groups.

The morning began with RDS Head of School Mike Riera ignoring students -- on purpose! -- as part of his presentation on effective, engaged listening and the importance of transcending initial judgments in becoming effective leaders. Conversations buzzed between students who had only just met each other and pencils scratched busily across notebook pages as participants made quick journal entries to reflect on the experience of being truly heard -- or truly overlooked! Faculty advisors paired off and participated in the exercises as well, modeling the importance of ongoing learning and personal growth for their students. Break-out sessions followed with Head-Royce's Willie Adams shepherding students through "Working with School Administration to Accomplish Goals," Windrush's Kevin Jacobson teaching "Event-Planning 101," and our own Warren Sepkowitz guiding students through deep introspective work about leadership styles.

"We were so excited for our kids to meet student leaders from other schools and to participate in the workshops," says RDS student council faculty advisor Lisa Horner. "Sharing ideas and brainstorming about how to bring new ideas about student leadership back to take root at RDS was the best part of the day --  the moment when they shifted from workshop participants to active instigators and real leaders. They have tremendous energy, and it multiplied threefold from the experience of sharing ideas and insights and working with people who were new to them."