The Friday Finish - Creative Leadership Ed - Students, Staff Return for Hearing Health - " someone who brought positivity"
- Tim Crawford
- 13 minutes ago
- 4 min read
August 22, 2025
Creative Learning for Leadership Begins First Week
Even with the summer heat packing a punch this week, Red Bird Christian School has been nothing short of amazing! Our students have been diving headfirst into creativity and learning. Mrs. Melanie Adams’ E-STEAM print shop has been bustling with young designers crafting unique shirts. Meanwhile in the elementary STEAM special class, patterns and sequencing took center stage—and the students got rhythmical about it with desk drumming fun!
Meanwhile, Ms. Emily Napier’s Social Studies classes ventured into the past in the most exciting way. These budding historians tackled a “Think Like a Historian Escape Room,” decoding clues, analyzing evidence, and piecing together historical puzzles to earn their breakout moment. Not only did they crush teamwork and critical thinking, but they also discovered how thrilling history can truly be!
In the Civil Air Patrol, our cadets poured their hearts and creativity into designing powerful leadership collages. Each piece reflected the qualities and role models that inspire them to lead with purpose and integrity. As examples of leadership, students highlighted the resilience of Native Americans, the strength of the Appalachian Mountains, the courage of American heroes, and the dedication of the Civil Air Patrol. Others drew inspiration from quotes by Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr., weaving their words of wisdom into their designs. No two collages were alike, but each one reminded us that leadership isn’t just something to study—it’s something we create with vision, passion, and a piece of ourselves.
The youngest members of our Red Bird family began their first week at Early Childhood Development (ECD) Preschool! Mrs. Amy Collett, Mrs. Kendra Bowling and Mrs. Kaley Caldwell welcomed 15 new and returning kiddos on Monday, August 18th, and their days have been full of excitement and learning. From establishing daily routines to creative learning with play stations, these little ones are off to such a strong start. And the Cozy Caterpillar Room? It’s already a favorite spot—a bright, calm haven where energy meets balance.
At Red Bird, whether you’re taking your first steps into routine or your first steps into leadership, every moment is a step toward something greater. We're so proud of each and every one of our students—big and small—for making this week a step forward in creativity, growth, and greatness!
Former Students, Staff Return for Hearing Health Clinic
By early afternoon, 30 people had come to Red Bird Mission Community Outreach today for a humanitarian hearing health clinic. The audiologists from the Happy Hearing Clinic in Winchester, Kentucky, and Southeast Kentucky Audiology in Corbin volunteered their time and travel to perform free screening and assistance. They came initially as student audiologists but are now giving back as professional audiologists to help those with hearing issues that couldn’t afford the services.
Jeannie Lawson, a member of the Red Bird Mission Board of Directors, learned last week in the quarterly board meeting that Tracy Nolan, Community Outreach Director, needed help with the free clinic. Tracy, thankful that Jeannie stepped up to volunteer, said,
“Helping me today freed me up. We gave out wheelchairs, shower chairs, canes, walkers, food. We've signed about five up for mental health counseling today. A bunch of them went on out to the farmer's market. Yeah, that's what extra help affords me.”
Jeannie first came to Red Bird Mission in 1977 remembering vividly, “It was the day Elvis died!” Jeannie’s servant heart led to many positions at Red Bird in her early years. She started out as an assistant dorm parent for freshman girls, crafting rugs with community ladies, supervised the hot lunch program at the school, worked with Elderly Ministries at the Senior Center, and came back to take over the bookmobile program when Esther Lawson was diagnosed with breast cancer.
She said,
“I raised two kids on that bookmobile. They went right with me. One was two weeks old. I loved it! It was a wonderful job!”
When asked what she thought about today’s free humanitarian hearing health clinic, Jeannie said,
“Oh, this is great! But to see how far these ladies [audiologists] come to do this, and then how far the people come to receive this. We have two ladies that live almost in Jellico, Tennessee. I asked people how they found out, and it was by word of mouth.”
“I want to be remembered as someone who brought positive energy”
Household routines are taking shape this week as Red Bird Christian School students settled into the first full week of classes on the Queendale Campus. Some Red Bird graduates of the Class of 2025 are also settling into college or job training for a new phase of education and independent living that holds promise for brighter futures and a better world. Alumni and friends of Red Bird School can take pride in preparing students for over 100 years to be learned leaders impacting thousands of communities.
Red Bird Christian School faculty and staff are not resting on the accomplishments of the past but have jumped enthusiastically into the new school year to do their best to continue the legacy of preparing students for promising careers that bring about good to our society. The current student body has as much potential to be world changers as any group of Red Bird Cardinals over the past 104 years.
Financial support from supporters living far from eastern Kentucky as well as those able to give locally has been essential to provide a school that prepares students for careers and life. Administrators and alumni launched the online campaign this week to sustain the 2025-26 school year for current RBCS students, and the mail campaign will go out next week. The success of the financial campaign determines the success of our students. They need you to give and invite others to join you to help our students bring positivity and hope wherever they go.
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