In order to
contribute to the success of the
·
provide a nurturing environment for students to build a
strong sense of self, community, and responsibility as they transition from
childhood to adolescence
·
provide an educational program that challenges and
supports all students based on their developmental, academic, and personal
needs
·
help students develop interpersonal skills and respect
for the uniqueness of one another
·
help students develop the learning and thinking skills
necessary to become life-long learners
Background
Our Vision Statement is the culmination of a year-long effort by
both Van Antwerp and
Empower each individual to make responsible choices, meet
challenges, achieve personal success, and contribute to a global society.
The Middle School Vision Statement was originally developed by a
team of middle school staff, students, and parents. The first round of feedback
was sought at the end of the 2006 school year from faculty and staff. Each word
and phrase was carefully considered and debated at the monthly SDM committee
meetings.
As we ended 2006 and entered 2007, a draft version was formalized.
The draft was then presented to three audiences:
·
teachers
and staff at both schools during faculty meetings;
·
students
in small group discussions (moderated by an SDM committee member), and with
·
parents in PTO meeting presentations, in written form within
letters to parents and via survey on the Iroquois and Van Antwerp PTO websites.
Thoughtful feedback was obtained from all three groups and
enthusiastically discussed by the team. The Middle Schools’ Shared Decision
Making Team would like to thanks the faculty, students, and parents from both
schools for their interest and input in this project.
This Vision can now be used to share our goals for the schools with
others, and as a basis for strategic planning and decision making.