The Strategic Plan for Belmont Day School

Mission Excellence Community Strength The Strategic Plan for BELMONT DAY SCHOOL

Mission Statement Inspire and challenge.

MISSION

BELMONT DAY SCHOOL

At Belmont Day School, we foster intellectual curiosity, honor differences, and empower meaningful contribution with excellence, respect, honesty, responsibility, caring, and joy.

Our Vision for the Future An intentional pre-k to grade eight program, explicitly articulated to fulfill our stated mission > Guided by balanced perspectives on whole-child development > Incorporating ongoing innovation and improvement > Well understood by all members of the community > Delivered by highly trained, excellent faculty > Meeting the needs of all Belmont Day School students > Providing a clearly differentiated experience vs. public and peer schools A vibrant, diverse community where all feel supported, embraced, and engaged Strong financial footing that allows us to continue to invest in our “assets� > Faculty and staff, students, and infrastructure

BELMONT DAY SCHOOL

Our Priorities for the Future MISSION Inspire and challenge.

EXCELLENCE

One program, one philosophy that ensures we fulfill our mission for each and every student

COMMUNITY

Continued investment in the community to intentionally serve today's families

STRENGTH

Financial strength to deliver our mission and ensure a margin of safety against a potential economic downturn

Excellence Explicitly define a pre-k to grade eight program that fulfills Belmont Day School's mission; communicate it with all stakeholders > Establish scope and sequence for three prongs of our mission: foster intellectual curiosity, honor differences, and empower meaningful contribution > Continue focus on the whole child—ensuring a balance of academics, athletics, visual and performing arts, and social-emotional development > Explore the structure of the school-week schedule and the prospect of full-day Fridays to achieve program objectives Implement the defined program vision, incorporating ongoing innovation and improvement > Evaluate current program efforts against program vision; identify and address gaps > Ensure the program is clearly understood by faculty and families alike Articulate and demonstrate “excellence� as a core value at Belmont Day > Review and align appropriate benchmarks and metrics of student progress > Articulate grade-level progress, goals, and outcomes from one grade to the next > Make student progress transparent with families through clear and consistent communication Support faculty excellence throughout the pre-k to grade eight Belmont Day School experience > Fully implement the teacher evaluation program (GOAL) to support professional growth for all faculty > Direct professional development to support program priorities > Expand the Associate Teaching Program > Establish and implement metrics for faculty diversity, equity, and inclusion

EXCELL

LENCE

COMMU

Community Better understand the changing Belmont Day School

community

> Document, understand, and regularly communicate the changing Belmont Day School community profile > Evaluate the results of the community survey (students, parents, faculty) about the sense of belonging

Enhance efforts to build connections across the school community > Increase access and build relationships for families within and across grade levels > Ensure seamless integration of new students and families at all entry points > Equip faculty, students, and families with the skills necessary to foster an inclusive, diverse, and equitable community Implement best practices in communication with families > Evaluate the format and frequency of communications to be the most efficient and effective

> Ensure that communications tie activities to the overall program and the pre-k to grade eight journey

> Set clear communication expectations with both families and faculty Evaluate and implement programming beyond the school day to ensure alignment with the Belmont Day School program and fit with family needs > Review Early Bird offerings and cost structure > Review After School offerings and cost structure > Review Enrichment programming offerings and cost structure

UNITY

Redesign the lower school enrollment strategy to achieve enrollment growth targets > Reevaluate market patterns relative to 2015 “Q Work� and Q1 enrollment bands

> Make programming adjustments and building enhancements to accommodate change Further strengthen the balance sheet > Consider use of endowment to pay down debt Launch a capital campaign in 2021; this will shift to 2022 Utilize the 10-year financial model to inform financial sustainability > Evaluate financial aid targets relative to both enrollment needs and financial constraints

> Assess annual fund needs to support the budget; develop a strategy to achieve the goal Actively pursue ancillary programming revenue opportunities that are mission consistent

STRENGTH

Financial Strength

Proposed Outcome Measures The following priorities and outcome measures were determined and voted on by the board of trustees in January 2020, before the pandemic forced the school to pivot to more immediate needs. Excellence, community, and strength—the hallmarks of Belmont Day—have been on clear display since, though perhaps not in the same way or along the same timeline as we had designed for the strategic plan. The originally approved outcome metrics have been annotated where the pandemic has impacted the school's careful and thoughtful planning and implementation schedule.

EXCELLENCE > Publish all phases of a comprehensive pre-k to grade eight mission-aligned scope and sequence by FY22—phase 1 by September 2021: mathematics, arts, world language, athletics, health and wellness; phase 2 by September 2022: science, language arts, social studies, technology and innovation, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and social-emotional learning

> Student performance benchmarks, metrics, and communication standards are in place by FY22

> Metrics for diversity, equity, and inclusion implemented by FY21; this will shift to FY22

> All faculty will actively participate in GOAL by FY24 COMMUNITY > Family satisfaction: trailing 3-year average of NPS > 65 by FY21; current satisfaction metrics are safety, health, and well-being > Family participation: increased participation in school programs and events > Family support: 100% participation in the annual fund by FY24 > Alumni engagement: 12% participation through giving or event participation from alumni and past families by FY24 FINANCIAL STRENGTH > Full enrollment of 315 by FY24 > Achieve campaign goal by FY24; this will shift to FY25 > Annual fund contribution to operating budget: > 6% by FY24, > 7% by FY27

An elementary & middle school | pre-k to grade 8 617-484-3078 | www.belmontday.org 55 Day School Lane | Belmont, MA 02478