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Harvard Business Review: What is our purpose?

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Harvard Business Review: What is our purpose?

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Outdoor learning can refresh instructional practices and bolster student engagement in both rural and urban schools.

Outdoor classrooms brought me hope this year-hope that for many of us was very difficult to find. As a first-grade teacher who lives in a rural community, I've seen firsthand how transformative teaching in the outdoors can be: It can help build community and breathe new life into instruction, all while keeping teachers and students safe.

The school where I teach serves 125 students in grades K-6. Before Covid-19 struck, outdoor learning in my classroom was confined to a few walks outdoors to visit the local pond and the stream running in the woods behind our school. Now, it's not only an integrated part of our day but also the most engaging part of our instruction-and I'll continue to rely on it after the pandemic is over. Here's the path I took to making outdoor learning a key and permanent component of my teaching.

Tapping Communities

When schools were forced into ongoing remote learning, I joined Inside-Outside: Nature-Based Educators, where I found lots of examples of teachers and students working together outside, especially in response to the pandemic. There I learned about curriculum resources available to teachers, examples of what outdoor classrooms could look like, and support networks that teachers could access to make outdoor learning happen at their school. Once I understood what was possible, I reached out to other teachers, administrators, and the parent-teacher organization at my school, hoping we too could make this happen for our students.

We started by identifying spaces on our campus that seemed the most practical and usable for outdoor classroom learning; it already had resources that we could build upon, like a circle of large stones on the playground that defined a space and just needed some stumps for extra seating and a whiteboard to transform it into a classroom. Then, on a community work day, teachers, parents, grandparents, our current and former principals, and community members all showed up to help. There were outdoor adventure experts, carpenters, landscapers, and determined 4-year-olds wanting to roll tree stumps, nail plywood, level whiteboards, secure tarps, rake mulch, and clear trails through the woods.

By the end of a single day, we had six outdoor classrooms ready to go. Just as important, this shared effort of working together to create beautiful, safe spaces for our children to learn made us feel hopeful and purposeful during a very challenging time.

Connecting Learning to the Outdoors

Outdoor learning helps students get much-needed time away from screens and gives them a healthy dose of fresh air. When we are outdoors, the school feels like the setting of a storybook, and each time we take to the woods, it feels like starting an epic adventure. That spirit motivates my students to learn and explore, and primes them for lessons that are rooted in what surrounds us.

For example, instead of writing indoors, the kids have been taking their nature journals outside to write about what they see, think, and wonder about there. This past winter, my class completed a unit on tree identification, studying the features of the trees that surround us on our playground and writing about them. Then we labeled them to create our own arboretum. Some days our read-alouds take place under the same canopy of tall pine trees that we studied.

In math, first graders learn to count in groups of 10s. For one activity, I sent my students running into the woods to collect 100 sticks in about 10 minutes. Partners worked together to accurately count and record the 10 bundles (with 10 sticks in each) that they created.

Now that spring has arrived and the vernal pool near our school is alive with sounds of creatures stirring, there have been lots of opportunities for scientific exploration. Frog eggs floating in the water and salamanders hiding under rocks are now part of our everyday discoveries. My first graders explore the pool, stream, and pond with pails and magnifying glasses in hand. They're curious and engaged in their learning. Science is no longer an indoor project.

Urban Outdoor Classrooms

While it might be more natural to build outdoor classrooms in rural areas, it's possible to envision and create outdoor spaces in urban areas, where existing infrastructure can be transformed into outdoor learning spaces to meet the needs of a school. Explore neighborhood parks as a class or construct garden beds on school grounds to grow vegetables and flowers. There are many examples of urban schools that have transformed their schoolyards to create inviting outdoor spaces for children to learn. Start small by bringing your class outdoors to do a read-aloud in the fresh air, or take a walk around the neighborhood to see what signs of nature you can discover using all your senses. Assess the spaces around your school, and talk to community members about how they might be transformed into greener spaces.

At my school, the surprises continue as we discover new ways to bring the curriculum outdoors. Every season brings new lesson material, whether that's flowers growing in the greenhouse or the trees turning green in front of our eyes. It was all there before-I'd just never realized how much the outdoors could inspire students in their learning. As one of my students recently told me, "Sometimes you need to look for beautiful things in the most bizarre places." I am so grateful that I looked outside.

For me, teaching outdoors will be an ongoing process in which I explore and develop new strategies along the way. I'm learning by keeping an eye on what other schools around the country are experimenting with and by taking classes to learn from other outdoor educators, as well as reading books about successful classrooms that are making learning happen outdoors.

Outdoor education isn't often required in the curriculum, but it can still be integrated, no matter the circumstances-and I've seen firsthand how much joy it can bring to students.

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Outdoor learning can refresh instructional practices and bolster student engagement in both rural and urban schools. Outdoor classrooms brought me hope this year-hope that for many of us was very difficult to find.

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Harvard Business Review: Organizational Values

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Harvard Business Review: Organizational Values

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It’s Time to Take a Fresh Look at Your Company’s Values.pdf

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Learn how to develop effective vision and mission statements to effectively communicate the work of your organization or effort.

Creating your organization's vision and mission statements are the first two steps in the VMOSA action planning process. Developing a vision and mission statement is crucial to the success of community initiatives. These statements explain your group's aspirations in a concise manner, help your organization focus on what is really important, and provide a basis for developing other aspects of your strategic plan. This section provides a guide for developing and implementing your organization's vision and mission statements.

What is a vision statement?

Your vision is your dream. It's what your organization believes are the ideal conditions for your community; that is, how things would look if the issue important to you were completely, perfectly addressed. It might be a world without war, or a community in which all people are treated as equals, regardless of gender or racial background.

Whatever your organization's dream is, it may be well articulated by one or more vision statements, which are short phrases or sentences that convey your community's hopes for the future. By developing a vision statement or statements, your organization clarifies the beliefs and governing principles of your organization, first for yourselves, and then for the greater community.

There are certain characteristics that most vision statements have in common. In general, vision statements should be:

Understood and shared by members of the community

Broad enough to include a diverse variety of local perspectives

Inspiring and uplifting to everyone involved in your effort

Easy to communicate - for example, they are generally short enough to fit on a T-shirt

Here are some examples of vision statements that meet the above criteria:

A community where all individuals and families achieve their human potential.

CALCASA envisions a world free from sexual violence.

A future where tobacco is a thing of the past. (Truth Initiative)

A world without Alzheimer's Disease. (Alzheimer's Association)

The United States is a humane community in which all animals are treated with respect and kindness. (ASPCA)

A world where everyone has a decent place to live. (Habitat for Humanity)

What is a mission statement?

The next step of the action planning process is to ground your vision in practical terms. This is where developing a mission statement comes in. An organization's mission statement describes what the group is going to do and why it's going to do that. An example is "Promoting care and caring at the end of life through coalitions and advocacy."

Mission statements are similar to vision statements, in that they, too, look at the big picture. However, they're more concrete, and they are definitely more "action-oriented" than vision statements. Your vision statement should inspire people to dream; your mission statement should inspire them to action.

The mission statement might refer to a problem, such as an inadequate housing, or a goal, such as providing universal access to health care. And, while they don't go into a lot of detail, they hint - very broadly - at how your organization might fix these problems or reach these goals. Some general guiding principles about mission statements are that they are:

Concise. While not as short as vision statements, mission statements generally still get their point across in one sentence.

Outcome-oriented. Mission statements explain the fundamental outcomes your organization is working to achieve.

Inclusive. While mission statements do make statements about your group's key goals, it's very important that they do so very broadly. Good mission statements are not limiting in the strategies or sectors of the community that may become involved in the project.

The following examples should help you understand what we mean by effective mission statements.

Promoting community health and development by connecting people, ideas and resources. (Community Tool Box)

The California Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CALCASA) provides leadership, vision and resources to rape crisis centers, individuals and other entities committed to ending sexual violence.

Our mission is to eliminate Alzheimer's disease through the advancement of research; to provide and enhance care and support for all affected; and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. (Alzheimer's Association)

The mission of the ASPCA, as stated by Henry Bergh in 1866, is "to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States".

Seeking to put God's love into action, Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities and hope.

Why should you create vision and mission statements?

Why is it important that your organization develops vision and mission statements like those above? First of all, these statements can help your organization focus on what is really important. Although your organization knows what you are trying to do to improve your community, it's easy to lose sight of this when dealing with day-to-day organizational hassles. Your vision and mission statements remind members what is important.

Second, your vision and mission statements give other individuals and organizations a snapshot view of what your group is and what it wants to accomplish. When your vision and mission statements are easily visible (for example, if they are on the letterhead of your stationery), people learn about your organization without having to work hard for the information. Then, those with common interests can take the time necessary to learn more. This efficiency is very helpful when you are recruiting other people and organizations to join your effort.

Finally, vision and mission statements focus members on their common purpose . Not only do the statements themselves serve as a constant reminder of what is important to your organization, the process of developing them allows people to see the organization as "theirs". Creating these statements builds motivation as members will believe in something more completely if they had a hand in developing it.

Having a clear and compelling vision statement has other advantages, such as:

Drawing people to common work

Giving hope for a better future

Inspiring community members to realize their dreams through positive, effective action

Providing a basis for developing the other aspects of your action planning process: your mission, objectives, strategies, and action plans

Having a clear and compelling mission statement also has more advantages, such as:

Converting the broad dreams of your vision into more specific, action-oriented terms

Explaining your goals to interested parties in a clear and concise manner

Enhancing your organization's image as being competent and professional, thus reassuring funding sources that their investment was (or would be!) a smart choice

How do you create vision and mission statements?

Now having a better understanding of vision and mission statements, your organization has the tools to develop your unique statements. If your group has already developed vision and mission statements, you might wish to look at them in light of the criteria we discussed above. If members of your organization feel your current statements could be improved, this process can be easily used to modify them. Let's begin.

Learn what is important to people in your community

As developing your vision and mission statements is the first step in creating your action plan, it is especially important that these first steps are well grounded in community beliefs and values. Awareness of the important issues in your community is critical for the development of a strong, effective, and enduring action group.

Therefore, one of the first steps you should take when developing the vision and mission of your organization is to define the issue(s) that matter most to people in your community. How do you go about doing so?

There are many different ways you can gather this information, including:
Conducting "public forums" or "listening sessions" with members of the community to gather ideas, thoughts, and opinions about how they would like to see the community transformed.
In public forums or listening sessions, people gather from throughout the community to talk about what is important to them. These meetings are usually led by facilitators, who guide a discussion of what people perceive to be the community's strengths and problems, and what people wish the community was like. Someone typically records these meetings, and a transcript of what is said provides a basis for subsequent planning.
Holding focus groups with the people interested in addressing the issue(s), including community leaders, people most affected by the issues, businesses, church leaders, teachers, etc.
Focus groups are similar to public forums and listening sessions, but they are smaller and more intimate. Generally speaking, they are comprised of small groups of people with similar backgrounds, so they will feel comfortable talking openly about what concerns them. For example, the group members are generally about the same age, are of the same ethnic group, or have another common identity and/or experience. Focus groups function like public forums, and also use facilitators and recorders to focus and document discussion.

Your organization may hold focus groups with several different groups of people to get the most holistic view of the issue at hand. For example, if your organization is involved in child health, you might have one focus group with health care providers, another with parents or children, and still another with teachers. Once you have a rough mission statement, you might again hold a focus group for feedback.
Obtaining interviews with people in leadership and service positions, including such individuals as local politicians, school administrators, hospital and social service agency staff, about what problems or needs they believe exist in your community.
Often, these individuals will have both facts and experiences to back up their perspectives. If so, this data can be used later if and when you apply for funding, or when you request community support to address the issues. More information on this topic can be found in Chapter 3, Section 12: Conducting Interviews.

It's important to realize that these different ways of gathering information from your community are not mutually exclusive. In fact, if you have the resources, it is recommended to do all of the above: to have some time for the community at large to respond, then spend more time in focus groups with the people you believe might contribute greatly to (or be most affected by) some of the issues brought up in the public forum. And finally, some one-on-one time with community leaders can strengthen your knowledge and purpose; remember, there are community members who have been wrestling with the same issues you are now looking at for a long time. Take advantage of that experience so you don't waste time on something that's already been done.

Decide what to ask

No matter if you are talking to one person or a crowd, your purpose is the same: to learn what matters in your community. Here's a list of questions you might use to focus your discussions with community members. These questions may be used for individual interviews, focus groups, public forums, or in any other way you choose to gather information.

What is your dream/vision for our community?

What would you like to see change?

What kind of community (or program, policy, school, neighborhood, etc.) do we want to create?

What do you see as the community's (or school's, neighborhood's, etc.) major issues or problems?

What do you see as the community's major strengths and assets?

What do you think should be the purpose of this organization (or effort)?

Why should these issues be addressed?

What would success look like?

When your organization is gathering input, the facilitator should encourage everyone to share their most idealistic, hopeful, and positive ideas. Don't worry right now about what's practical and what's not - this can be narrowed down later. Encourage everyone to be bold and participate, and to remember that you are trying to articulate a vision of a better community.

Decide on the general focus of your organization

Once members of your organization have heard what the community has to say, it's time to decide the general focus of your organization or initiative. First of all, what topic is most important to your organization and your community? For example, will you tackle urban development or public health issues? Racism or economic opportunity?

A second question to answer is at what level will your organization work. Will your organization begin only in one school, or in one neighborhood, or in your city? Or will your initiative's focus be broader, working on a state, national, or even international level?

These are questions for which there are no easy answers. Your organization will need to consider lessons learned from the community and decide through thoughtful discussion the best direction for your organization. We suggest you open this discussion up to everyone in your organization to obtain the best results.

However, if your organization is receiving grant money or major funding from a particular agency, the grant maker may specify what the general goal of your group should be. For example, if your group accepts a grant to reduce child hunger, at least part of its mission will be devoted to this purpose. Even in these circumstances, however, the community should determine the ultimate vision and mission that will best advance what matters to local people.

Develop your vision and mission statements

Now that your organization has a clearer understanding of what the group will do and why, you are in a prime position to develop the statements that will capture your ideas.

As you are looking at potential statements, remember to keep them broad and enduring. Vision and mission statements wide in scope allow for a sense of continuity with a community's history, traditions, and broad purposes. Additionally, vision and mission statements that are built to last will guide efforts both today and tomorrow.
Vision Statements
First of all, remind members of your organization that it often takes several vision statements to fully capture the dreams of those involved in a community improvement effort. You don't need - or even want - just one "perfect" phrase. Encourage people to suggest all of their ideas and write them down, possibly on poster paper at the front of the room, so people can be further inspired by the ideas of others. As you do this, remind the group of:

What you have learned from your discussions with community members

What your organization has decided will be your focus

What you learned about vision statements at the beginning of this section

If you have a hard time getting started, you might wish to check out some of the vision statements in this section's Examples. You might ask yourself how well they meet the above suggestions.

After you have brainstormed a list of suggestions, your group can discuss critically the different ideas. Oftentimes, some of the vision statements will jump out at you - someone will suggest it, and people will just instantly think, "That's it!"

If it's more complicated than that, you should ask yourselves the following questions:

Will it draw people to common work?

Does it give hope for a better future?

Will it inspire community members to realize their dreams through positive, effective action?

Does it provide a basis for developing the other aspects of your action planning process?

A final caution: try not to get caught up in having a certain number of vision statements for your organization. Whether you ultimately end up with two vision statements or ten, what is most important is that the statements together provide a holistic view of your organization's vision.
Mission Statements
The process of writing your mission statement is similar to developing your vision statements. The same brainstorming process can help you develop possibilities for your mission statement. Remember, though, that unlike vision statements, you will want to develop a single mission statement for your work. After brainstorming possible statements, you will want to answer questions for each one:

Does it describe what your organization will do and why it will do it?

Is it concise (one sentence)?

Is it outcome oriented?

Is it inclusive of the goals and people who may become involved in the organization?

Together, your organization can decide on a statement that best meets these criteria.

Obtain consensus on your vision and mission statements

Once members of your organization have developed your vision and mission statements, your next step might be to learn what other community members think of them before you use the statements regularly.

To do this, you could talk to the same community leaders or focus group members you spoke to originally. First of all, this can help you ensure that they don't find the statements offensive in any way. For example, an initiative that wants to include young men more fully in its teen pregnancy prevention project might have "Young men in Asheville are the best informed" as one of their vision statements. But taken out of context, some people community members might believe this statement means young men are given better information or education than young women, thus offending another group of people.

Second, you will want to ensure that community members agree that the statements together capture the spirit of what they believe and desire. Your organization might find it has omitted something very important by mistake.

Decide how you will use your vision and mission statements

Finally, it's important to remember that while developing the statements is a huge step for your organization worth celebration, there is more work to be done. Next, you have to decide how to use these statements. Otherwise, all of your hard work would lead to nothing. The point is to get the message across.

There are many ways in which your organization may choose to spread its vision and mission statements. To name just a few examples, you might:

Add them to your letterhead or stationery

Use them on your website

Give away T-shirts, or bookmarks, or other small gifts with them

Add them to your press kit

Use them when you give interviews

Display them on the cover of your annual report

...and so on. Again, this is a step that will use all of your creativity.

In Summary

Developing effective vision and mission statements are two of the most important tasks your organization will tackle because almost everything else you do is affected by these statements. We hope that this section has allowed you to feel more confident in your group's ability to create successful and inspiring vision and mission statements. Remember, think broadly and boldly! Good luck!

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Section 2. Proclaiming Your Dream: Developing Vision and Mission Statements

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Learn how to develop effective vision and mission statements to effectively communicate the work of your organization or effort.

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Study re: Nature-based outdoor classrooms

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Study re: Nature-based outdoor classrooms

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The Wauwatosa School District has completed construction on two of its elementary schools.

The work - at Lincoln and Underwood elementary schools - is part of a $124.9 referendum voters approved in November 2018.

The referendum allowed the district to replace its four elementary schools built in the early 1900s and to address prioritized needs at all of its schools in the areas of building maintenance and HVAC systems improvements, and upgrades to safety and security, accessibility, classrooms and technical education labs.

The project called for Lincoln and Wilson elementary schools to be a combination of new construction and renovations of historic portions of the buildings. McKinley and Underwood elementary schools would be replaced with new construction.

Wauwatosa School District communications coordinator Sarah Frittitta said the district gathered input on design from community members and families via neighborhood meetings per school. The district also gathered input from individuals online. An internal team consisting of principals from each elementary school and district administrators worked with architects and designers from Plunkett Raysich Architects and served as liaisons to share information and collect feedback from staff.

Frittitta said each of the four elementary schools will generally have the same number and type of rooms and spaces.

"However, the unique characteristics of each site and neighborhood shaped the arrangement of those spaces, ultimately resulting in four unique schools based on one common vision," said Frittitta.

Frittitta said a few notable features that can be seen "in action" at Lincoln and Underwood elementary schools include secure entrances, fully accessible playgrounds, a rooftop garden and elevators to increase accessibility.

At Lincoln Elementary, some 100-year-old wooden doors were repurposed to display inspirational messages. Another unique feature at Lincoln: a metal beam above the cafeteria, signed by students and staff before its installation. At Underwood, the updated gym includes a rock-climbing wall.

Both Lincoln and Underwood elementary schools are being used by students currently. They are not in use on days students are learning virtually from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Construction is still in progress at both McKinley and Wilson/WSTEM elementary schools, and is scheduled for completion in summer 2021. Capital improvements to Eisenhower Elementary, Montessori School (K-8) and Longfellow Middle School are also scheduled for completion in summer 2021.

Capital improvements to Washington, Jefferson and Madison elementary schools and Whitman Middle School were completed this summer, and capital improvements to Roosevelt Elementary and Wauwatosa East and West high schools were completed in summer 2019.

All referendum projects are on track to be completed by fall 2021.
Contact Alec Johnson at (262) 875-9469 or alec.johnson@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @AlecJohnson12.

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Construction is finished on two Wauwatosa school buildings that were part of the district's $124.9 million referendum

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The Wauwatosa School District has completed construction on two of its elementary schools. The work - at Lincoln and Underwood elementary schools - is part of a $124.9 referendum voters approved in November 2018.

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Take Indoor Learning Outdoors

​Now more than ever, there is a need for outdoor learning environments that provide plenty of space between students as communities safely get back to learning in-person. With our innovative equipment and design expertise we can create a functional outdoor space that will serve both as an innovative outdoor classroom and an interactive learning area.

Outdoor Classroom Design Concepts

We've created some sample outdoor classroom concepts that are not only a good option to explore during this global COVID-19 pandemic, but they are a great way for school campuses to expand their learning space for use well into the future.

Consider with or without shade

Consider with or without shade

Portable design offers a hook for students to hang their backpack and shelf to store classroom materials.

Outdoor Learning Environment Examples

In addition to a traditional classroom layout, outdoor classrooms encourage exploration but provide more structure and connect what children learn inside to what they explore outside. Gardens, musical instruments, stage and performance areas, art areas, outdoor fitness and more give your child the opportunity to engage in fun, hands-on activities while discovering specific areas of learning. The New York Times' recently reported how schools across American are moving classrooms outdoors.

Below are a few examples of outdoor learning areas we've designed.

Equipment for Outdoor Learning Designs

By utilizing playground equipment elements, you can reinvent your traditional indoor classrooms and bring them outdoors! Outdoor classrooms will allow you to create more space to spread out for students, create variation in your teaching forms, provide a much needed mask break and provide children the opportunity to experience the benefits of outdoor learning.

SkyWays® shade structures are available in a variety of heights, lengths, and coverage areas to fit any space and budget, to create a comfortable and safe learning environment.

Available in metallic silver only or choose your ProShield® color. Personalize to your school with an optional custom logo or artwork.

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Outdoor Classrooms - Expanding Classroom Space Outdoors - Landscape Structures

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Skip to main content Take Indoor Learning Outdoors ​Now more than ever, there is a need for outdoor learning environments that provide plenty of space between students as communities safely get back to learning in-person. With our innovative equipment and design expertise we can create a functional outdoor space that will serve both as an innovative outdoor classroom and an interactive learning area.

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Heathfield Primary School is located in Ayr, Scotland, United Kingdom, and designed by Holmes Miller Architect. It is 2010 project in 4183-meter square of an area. The modern and also contemporary architectural can be seen in this school building with a simple form. It delivers elegant, crisp, and clean lines to compliment the original Victorian school.

Route

Holmes Miller Architect creates a new a pedestrian landscaped route at this awesome school. This route will give an easy access to the playground areas and also arrive at the new feature entrance concourse. The route design is the part of a positive civic presence of secure and welcoming design.

Design

The design of Heathfield Primary School is about creating a relationship for the resulting palette of the materials, volumes, and the original school building. It shows the aspiration with the simple brick element that abutting the building form.

Material

The architects choose some appropriate materials for this school project. The new building is designed with the red brick volume and light color stone string courses, window decorations, and also the stone clad projecting bays. The key to this success design is about keeping the materials and selecting the location of use carefully.

Highlights

The project highlights of Heathfield Primary School includes the new double gym hall, new dining room, an open plan flexible learning resource area with the IT facilities, a new staff accommodation, and also some upgrades to the finishes and the fabric.

Interior

Besides the best materials, this school is also designed with some different colors which are interesting to be seen by both adults and kids. One side wall in the dining room area is painted with orange and white color. The floor is a combination of dark and light blue tiles.

Facade

The brick facade offers an awesome architectural concept for this school building. The lines of the clipped roof and the deep brick soffits can keep the simple design of the building form. The main entrance is designed with a large oversailing brick corner feature to emphasize experience from it.

Via holmesmiller

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Heathfield Primary School: Contemporary School Building with Red Brick Volume

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The brick facade offers an awesome architectural concept for this school building. The lines of the clipped roof and the deep brick soffits can keep the simple design of the building form. The main entrance is designed with a large oversailing brick corner feature to emphasize experience from it.

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www.dodgeland.k12.wi.us needs to review the security of your connection before proceeding.

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To maximize learning in a welcoming atmosphere, we ensure private & public school architecture is focused on both student and teacher needs.

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Strategic Plan - Forward95 - Lake Zurich Community Unit School District 95

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Strategic Plan - Forward95 - Lake Zurich Community Unit School District 95

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On February 11, 2019, the Board of Education approved the 2019-2024 Strategic Plan. The plan is the result of extensive community engagement, and the thoughtful work over several months of the strategic planning team, approximately 40 stakeholders who reviewed data and community input.
View Summary of Plan

Empower all learners to:

to reach their highest potential
their passions and interests
their pathway to success
with each other, the community, and the world

District 34 will be an inclusive, equitable school system that provides comprehensive, authentic learning experiences to develop the whole child.

Growth & Aspirations: We are forward-focused on the academic and social-emotional growth of students and the professional growth of staff, and on creating the best future for our community.

Diversity, Inclusion & Equity: We embrace and welcome the differences of each member of our community and provide equitable resources to meet the needs of all learners.

Relationships & Respect: We build collaborative, respectful relationships through trust, open communication, and shared responsibility and accountability.

Stewardship: We are diligent stewards of our resources.

Student Success & Well-Being: Provide a comprehensive education that supports deep learning and social-emotional growth.

Educator Growth & Support: Attract, retain, and support quality, collaborative staff who demonstrate content expertise and provide consistent, impactful instruction.

Parent & Community Partnerships:Build strong partnerships with families and the community to create a system of care, support, and extended learning opportunities for students.

Resource Stewardship: Demonstrate effective and responsible use of resources.

Action Plan teams for each goal area work develop objectives, tactics and measures of success, and align them with the strategies of the plan. Annual updates are provided to the community.

June 2022: Progress of the Strategic Plan

May 2021: Progress of the Strategic Plan (with COVID-19 Impact)

February 2020: Progress of the Strategic Plan

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Strategic Plan - Glenview School District 34

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On February 11, 2019, the Board of Education approved the 2019-2024 Strategic Plan. The plan is the result of extensive community engagement, and the thoughtful work over several months of the strategic planning team, approximately 40 stakeholders who reviewed data and community input.

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22-23 Elmbrook MIDDLE SCHOOL Course Guide FINAL.pdf

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The Middle School elective program encourages students to pursue interests and passions beyond the core curriculum.

Students are required to take either electives or performing arts ensembles every trimester. The elective descriptions that follow are a broad sampling of courses offered in the last few years. Not all courses run each trimester.

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Middle School Electives | Winchester Thurston School

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The Middle School elective program encourages students to pursue interests and passions beyond the core curriculum. Students are required to take either electives or performing arts ensembles every trimester. The elective descriptions that follow are a broad sampling of courses offered in the last few years. Not all courses run each trimester.

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Where STEM Curriculum Meets Career Readiness | PLTW

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Get access to PreK-12 STEM curriculum to transform your classroom, prepare your students for their career, and earn in-demand teaching credentials.

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OUR VISION

Summit School District prepares caring, courageous, community-minded people who create a better world.

OUR MISSION

Summit School District creates a safe learning community in which each and every person belongs, grows and thrives.

OUR CORE VALUES

Summit School District Values...

1. Equity

2. Collaboration

3. Curiosity

4. Innovation

Download Strategic Plan (English)

DOWNLOAD strategic plan (Spanish)

Areas of Focus

COURAGEOUS
Take informed risks‚ persevere through challenges‚ and advocate for the needs of themselves and others

CURIOUS
Ask questions‚ think critically‚ and solve problems using a variety of strategies

GLOBALLY AWARE
Participate in local and global communities‚ embrace different cultures‚ welcome the perspectives of others‚ and communicate effectively across lines of difference

GROWTH ORIENTED
Remain flexible and open to possibilities‚ adapt in changing circumstances‚ and pursue passions

PREPARED
Are academically prepared‚ socially and emotionally intelligent‚ and financially ready

Strategic Plan Milestones: Year One

Academic & Personal Success

Click on each team to see the milestones.

Designed equitable staffing model focused on programmatic and instructional improvement

Began designing and implementing improved professional development model focused on sustainable and systemic outcomes

Integrated IB Learner Profile and Approaches to Learning into SED Framework for rollout year

Gathered stakeholder input about communication in order to design/redesign effective communication mediums and strategies for diverse stakeholder groups

Broad range of participants (students, parents, community members) engaged in the development of community recommendations to begin pathway work in year 2.

Clear next steps that will focus on the following:

2022/2023 Graduation Guidelines Committee (Review and Revise)

Continuum of Learning - Alignment to graduate profile

Communication and Support

Student voices provided an incredible panel that highlighted the various opportunities that exist for SSD students. Student voice and choice is imperative for the growth and development of pathways

Finalized SSD's social and emotional development framework: We Belong.

Trained the EC team on each We Belong pillar (Environments, Relationships & Skills).

Aligned We Belong Skills, IB learner profile, and Graduate Profile

Identified and piloted an elementary screener (xSEL labs)

Equity
Successes as of May 9

Representative Taskforce meetings, feedback, recommendations

Implementation Team work

Drafted Vision, Mission, Definition, Inquiry Questions (Tool)

Equity employment Interview questions

Recruitment/Retention plan draft

ECT Equity Trainings

ECT deconstruct Equity Policy

Expected successes June 30

Mission, Vision, Definition, Inquiry Questions finalized

Final Draft of Ungendered Restroom/Locker room policy ready for BOE action

Draft of 2022-2023 overall plan (Task Force Recommendations, PD plan, dress code policy)

Family & Community Partnerships
Successes as of May 9

Gave voice to some community stakeholders, but not all participated

Identified community-perceived gaps with family engagement, communication and ongoing input

Developed recommendations for key funding neutral priorities

Expected successes June 30

Strategic Plan Task Force Updates

Task Force Committees & Chairpersons:

Academic & Student Success: Mary Kay Dore
Equity Seeking Systems Tony Byrd
Family & Community Partnerships: Andrea Ridder & Kathy Gallego

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OUR VISION Summit School District prepares caring, courageous, community-minded people who create a better world. OUR MISSION Summit School District creates a safe learning community in which each and every person belongs, grows and thrives. OUR CORE VALUES Summit School District Values...

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Strategic Plan - Mequon-Thiensville School District

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Our strategic plan, which is updated every three to five years, is a critical tool in guiding our district's mission, vision, and strategic direction, unifying efforts across our organization. We launched a comprehensive strategic planning process in fall 2017 with an end goal to establish our 2018-2021 strategic plan.

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Bay Head Elementary School is located in Bay Head, NJ.

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DISTRICT MISSION

The Mission of The Central High School District of Westosha, a community of learners, is to ensure all students acquire the knowledge, skills, and character to thrive as contributing members of a global society through a quality, caring staff; a challenging, relevant curriculum; and diverse opportunities to achieve personal success.

VISION AND VALUES
Our Beliefs
We believe that....

Every individual is unique and has equal worth

People are responsible for their choices and actions

Honesty is essential in building trusting relationships

The capacity to learn is limitless

Best effort and positive attitude are necessary to perform to the fullest extent of one's ability

High expectations yield higher results

Lifelong learning is essential to thrive in a changing world

Everyone has a responsibility to contribute to the well-being of others

Family, school, and community share the responsibility for the development and nurturing of children

Continuous improvement and competition are driving forces toward excellence

Positive moral character is necessary for a society to thrive

Quality education is an invaluable investment in the future

Our Strategies
We will develop a comprehensive plan to address space and technology needs to support expanding student and adult curricular and co-curricular programs.
We will improve internal and external communication in order to develop stronger partnerships with all members of our learning community to best achieve our mission and objects. As a learning community, we will identify, model, integrate, and assess the character traits that we value.

We will:

Assess and refine our curriculum to integrate such complex skills as: critical thinking, problem solving, application of technology, collaboration and creativity.

Expand our career pathways.

Provide the guidance and support necessary for students to design and implement individual career.

Our Objectives
1. Each student will develop and implement an individual career plan to prepare for a successful transition to further education and/or a meaningful career.
2. All students will demonstrate proficiency in such complex skills as:

Critical Thinking

Problem Solving

Application of Technology

Collaboration

Creativity

3. All students will consistently demonstrate the character traits defined by our learning community.
4. One hundred percent of students in each class will graduate.
Our Parameters
1. First and foremost, all decisions made will be in the best interest of students.
2. We will always provide safe, supportive environments conducive to learning.
3. We will not tolerate behavior which is demeaning or disrespectful to any individual or group.
4. No new program or service will be accepted unless: it is consistent with the strategic plan, the benefits exceed the cost, and provisions are made for professional development and program evaluation.
5. No program or service will be retained unless it makes an optimal contribution to the mission, and benefits continue to justify the cost.

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central high school district of westosha

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Mission Vision Values - Central High School District of Westosha

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The Mission of The Central High School District of Westosha, a community of learners, is to ensure all students acquire the knowledge, skills, and character to thrive as contributing members of a global society through a quality, caring staff; a challenging, relevant curriculum; and diverse opportunities to achieve personal success.

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The Gilbert School 2019 Promotional Video

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Springfield Middle School Promotional Video