Country Elementary’s P2 Assembly: Be a Lighthouse
This winter, Country Elementary in Pinckney, Michigan held its first-ever Lighthouse Assembly, a school-wide celebration that brought together students, staff, and a gym full of glow sticks to reinforce a powerful message: every student has the ability to be a guiding light for the people around them.
The assembly was the culmination of weeks of intentional work grounded in The Positivity Project (P2) and its Other People Mindset.
Setting the Stage with Country Elementary’s House System
Country Elementary, part of Pinckney Community Schools, serves students in preschool through second grade. The school has a house system where students belong to “ships” led by “captains” (their teachers), earn “pearls” for demonstrating character, and gather regularly for Matey Meetings to build community and reinforce shared values.
When Principal Kathleen Krill and her team began looking for a way to mark the midpoint of the school year, they found inspiration in P2’s Lighthouse Assembly resources.
“We have long wanted to have a mid-year assembly,” Krill shared. “The P2 team shared the Lighthouse Assembly on their website, which intrigued us because we give out a lighthouse award at the end of the school year for students who are a guiding light within our school.”
The concept was a natural fit. The PBIS team decided to use the assembly not only as a standalone celebration, but as the launch of an ongoing tradition, spotlighting students each month during Matey Meetings who embody the Other People Mindset in their daily actions.
Glow Sticks, Darkness, and a Lesson That Clicked
The assembly opened as each student received a glow stick from their ship captain. The gym lights went down. Students were given one minute to try to sort themselves by color in the dark, without cracking their glow sticks. It was, predictably, a challenge. Then came the countdown: “Three, two, one. Crack your glow stick.”
Students instantly found one another, grouping by the glow of their sticks. The metaphor landed without anyone having to explain it: when we share our light, we help others find their way.
“Light is very important because it helps us see, stay safe, and to grow,” social worker Lisa Dover told the students during the assembly. “People can be lights too. When we are kind, helpful, and caring, we help others feel happy and safe. A smile, a kind word, or helping someone who needs it is a way we can shine.”
Spotlighting Students Who Shine
With the metaphor established, the assembly shifted to the Lighthouse Spotlight Awards. Ship Captains and adults across the building (Latchkey, custodial staff, teachers, etc.) nominated students who had consistently demonstrated the Other People Mindset throughout the first half of the school year. Country Elementary’s PBIS team then collaborated to create the assembly and select the students to spotlight: students who support others when they struggle, stay present and give others their attention, and understand that their words and actions affect others.
P2 in the Fabric of Country Elementary
P2 is woven into everything the school does. Each day begins with an announcement about the character strength of the week, followed by a P2 lesson in every classroom. Each week ends with a ship celebration for the crew that earned the most pearls. The school recently introduced “golden pearls” for students who demonstrate the P2 character strength of the week in action.
“Common language and weekly focus allow all staff and students to speak about values,” Krill explained. “Students use the words frequently and identify traits in classmates. All students in the building are using common language. They know the language of expectations in our building: kinder than necessary, dependable, and show integrity.”
That shared language has translated into real, observable changes in student behavior and school culture. Older students now support younger students. Students spontaneously celebrate when a peer earns a pearl. At last year’s Pirate Regatta and again at the Lighthouse Assembly, students broke into chants of their ship names and performed motions they had created together — a sense of belonging so strong it has become part of the school’s identity.
“We are continually amazed at the students’ ability to take the message and language presented in our Matey Meetings, P2 lessons, and school-wide expectations and apply them to themselves, their peers, and situations at school,” Krill said. “We believe that repeating what we hope to see and teaching students explicitly what a character trait looks like in action translates into students embracing and embodying them.”
The Lighthouse Challenge
The assembly closed with a challenge from Country Elementary’s student first mates, who read a waterfall-style declaration to their peers:
A lighthouse is a person who believes other people matter. Stays present and gives others their attention. Knows their words and actions affect others. Supports others when they struggle. Cheers for other people’s successes. Sees the strength in others. And is a guiding light to others.
Then came the question that every student carried back to their classroom: How will you be a lighthouse at Country Elementary?
One pearl, one character strength, one glow stick at a time, these students are learning that being a light is a choice every person can make, every single day.
Country Elementary is a P2 Partner School in Pinckney, Michigan, serving students in preschool through second grade as part of Pinckney Community Schools. To learn more about how The Positivity Project can support your school’s character education and culture-building efforts, visit posproject.org.