Plotting a Course for the Future: A Strategic Vision for Dutchess Day School
Adopted by the Board of Trustees 2024
In an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect: Students are encouraged to take intellectual, athletic, and artistic risks and to develop independence, confidence, and imagination. Students share their talents through collaboration and through service to the school, the community, and the larger world.
Our vision is to be a community where children flourish in learning, develop in character, and find purpose and meaning in their connection to people and place.
Our strategy advances this bold vision for Dutchess Day School, inspiring every member of our community to contribute to a legacy of educational excellence and collective success.
WeWillForgeaCommunityofBelonging:
➢ By building an ever-more inclusive environment in which diversity is not only welcomed but celebrated, creating a community rich in culture, thought, and perspective.
WeWillCultivateCompassionateLeaders:
➢ By embedding social-emotional learning deeply within our curriculum, nurturing hearts and minds, to develop the empathy and ethical understanding required of tomorrow's leaders.
WeWillServeandConnect:
➢ By enhancing our service learning programs, connecting every student with opportunities to make meaningful impacts, and fostering a lifelong passion for community engagement.
WeWillCommunicatewithHeart:
➢ By evolving our communication methods, in which every member of our community feels heard, valued, and deeply connected to our shared mission.
WeWillEmbraceOurEnvironment:
➢ By harnessing the rich natural and cultural resources surrounding Dutchess Day School, integrating site-based education into our curriculum to provide immersive, real-world learning experiences that connect our students deeply with the environment and community around them.
WeWillSettheBarHigher:
➢ By challenging our students with a rigorous and enriching curriculum that invites them to stretch their limits and surpass their expectations.
➢ By developing the critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills essential for success in a rapidly evolving world.
WeWillChampionOurEducators:
➢ By attracting, developing, and retaining the finest educators by recognizing their value and providing them with the resources and support necessary to thrive professionally and personally.
WeWillHonorOurRootsWhileBuildingforTomorrow:
➢ By upgrading our historic campus, making it an exceptional educational facility that respects our past and prepares us for a future filled with promise.
WeWillCultivateLifelongConnections:
➢ By engaging our alumni, parents, and friends, in an enduring partnership that strengthens our school and enriches our broader community.
WeWillSecureOurFinancialFuture:
➢ By resourcing our vision, enhancing our financial strategies, ensuring Dutchess Day School's mission is sustained through careful stewardship and visionary fundraising.
WeWillGrowOurEndowment:
➢ By clearly communicating our values, vision, and educational initiatives we will ensure our investments support Dutchess Day for the generations that follow.
Honest:
➢ Truthful and transparent in all interactions, both in word and action.
Responsible:
➢ Accounts for one's actions and decisions and takes responsibility for the consequences that arise from them.
Respectful:
➢ Treats others with dignity and compassion while valuing their opinions and perspectives.
Fair:
➢ Acts with impartiality and treats all individuals equitably and justly.
➢ Applies the tenets of sportsmanship and fair play to all endeavors
Curious:
➢ Possesses a natural curiosity and a desire to learn.
➢ Asks questions, seeks answers, and explores new ideas.
Broad-minded:
➢ Considers different points of view and revises their own beliefs and opinions as they encounter new information and unexpected challenges.
➢ Understands that meaningful learning includes wellness of mind and body
Determined:
➢ Purposeful, persistent, and willing to work through complex and difficult challenges to achieve their goals.
Innovative:
➢ Thinks differently and cultivates innovative perspectives, outside of those traditionally accepted
Participates:
➢ Actively listens to others, genuinely hearing their perspectives.
➢ Communicates perspectives with tact and respect for others' opinions
Ethical:
➢ Considers the interests and the well-being of the community, nation, and the world.
Steward:
➢ Committed to social justice, equity, and sustainability.
➢ Takes action to effect constructive, and respectful change.
Analytical:
➢ Distills information, evaluates arguments, and makes informed decisions.
➢ Identifies assumptions, biases, and fallacies in arguments.
Collaborative:
➢ Encourages the sharing of ideas and opinions.
➢ Actively contributes to finding common ground and solutions.
Communicative:
➢ Effectively expresses their ideas clearly and succinctly, listens actively to others, and asks clarifying questions.
Disciplined:
➢ Exhibits restraint in the face of distraction
➢ Effectively prioritizes needs and responsibilities over desires
➢ Mindful of time and other resource constraints, exhibiting balance in the fulfillment of responsibilities.
