LJCDS Strategic Plan

2020

V I S I ON

Strategic Imperatives for La Jolla Country Day School

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Developing the scholar, artist and athlete of character for nearly a century.

H I S T O RY

La Jolla Country Day School traces its beginnings to The Balmer School, founded in 1926 by Louise C. Balmer. A small cottage on Coast Boulevard served as the schoolhouse for the four children who attended the primary school that first year. They learned about reading, writing and arithmetic in an atmosphere where individualized attention was valued.

As families throughout La Jolla heard about Mrs. Balmer’s work, the Balmer School expanded, eventually holding kindergarten through fifth grade classes in what is now the La Jolla Historical Society building on Prospect Street.

Nearly three decades later, Mrs. Balmer and a group of dedicated parents saw the need for an independent day school which would include Middle and Upper School classes as well. The school now known as La Jolla Country Day School received its charter in 1955 and moved to its current location in 1961.

The campus has changed since the first class of seniors graduated in 1964.

Where there once stood only the administration building and the Lower and Middle School classrooms, the continuing generosity of dedicated Country Day parents has enabled the school to fund the building of an Upper School campus, a library, an outdoor amphitheater, a double gymnasium, a state-ofthe-art theater, tennis courts, a fine arts building, computer and science labs and additional playing fields. Students from communities all over San Diego County now make up the Nursery through 12th grade population of Country Day, where a sound liberal arts background and strong college preparation and counseling programs are hallmarks.

C O M M I T M E N T T O C H A R AC T E R

At Country Day, as we prepare our students for a lifetime of personal growth, social responsibility and intellectual exploration, we regard the development of good character to be as important as the development of one’s academic, athletic or artistic ability. The moral and ethical tone of the school is maintained by a commitment to the Six Pillars of Character: Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring and Citizenship.

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T H E S T R AT E G I C P L A N

Greetings to the La Jolla Country Day School family! On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I am delighted to introduce you to the Strategic Plan that will guide Country Day for the coming three to five years.

It is the obligation of a school community to respond to society’s changes in ways that both protect our students and prepare them for new ways of thinking, interacting, communicating and solving the new problems they will face.

A strategic plan is a way for members of the school community to collaborate on a shared vision for the future. This is demanding work.

In a way, we are asking ourselves to envision that which is unknowable.

Yet that is exactly the challenge that a courageous and forward-thinking community undertakes in a strategic plan. That is what you will see unfold on the following pages.

The world at large and the world of education are changing with greater velocity than imagined even by the futurists of a mere 20 years ago. It is the obligation of a school community to respond to society’s changes in ways that both protect our students and prepare them for new ways of thinking, interacting, communicating and solving the new problems they will face.

At the same time, we must be guardians of the school as a safe haven for our students and nourish their spirit and character, preserve our commitment to relationship-building and assure that our strategic plan is in keeping with the history, culture and traditions that are uniquely ours and that we cherish.

In essence, we must take care to safeguard the qualities that have wellserved Country Day until now while assuring that tomorrow’s students will be as well prepared for the world they will face as today’s students are for theirs.

Manish Parikh, President B OA R D O F T RUS T E E S

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MISSION

La Jolla Country Day School prepares individuals for a lifetime of intellectual exploration, personal growth and social responsibility.

C O R E VA L U E S A N D V I S I O N

Teachers who hold high expectations for all and find fulfillment in their work are the greatest resource we have to call upon in educating our students.

Preparing students for a lifetime of productive and gratifying endeavors requires that we agree on and demonstrate our core values in the daily life of the school. Character develops in students who learn to think for themselves through a balance of scholarly enterprise and active participation in the arts and athletics. Teachers who hold high expectations for all and find fulfillment in their work are the greatest resource we have to call upon in educating our students. Diversity of thought, background, experience and personality contribute to a community where each can learn from all.

In a better world, tomorrow’s leaders will succeed through integrity, adaptability, perseverance, hard work and the capacity to manage complexity. Global awareness, social responsibility and environmental stewardship will be central to the agenda of the future.

To engage students in their own development, Country Day will be innovative in the realm of educational programs, the latest technologies and methodologies and in designing physical spaces that will support the acquisition of 21st-century skills.

The focus of this plan on continuous curriculum review, content acquisition, social consciousness, social responsibility and 21st century skills demonstrates our commitment to student readiness for college, career and life. We pay active attention to student well-being and a strong character-education program. The Country Day community will demonstrate both a financial commitment to the school and an awareness of the needs of the world at large.  

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G OA L S

1 . C U R R IC U LU M We will boldly navigate the big shifts in education and embrace the future.

2 . S T U DE N T W E L L - B E I NG We will nurture a school environment that inspires students to thrive academically, artistically, athletically and emotionally toward the goal of graduating young men and women of character.

3 . C OM M U N ICAT I ONS We will demonstrate the school’s value and build its reputation at the same time we assure connectedness and transparency within the school community.

4 . S E RV IC E We will help our students transform the world through a dedication to service and social responsibility that will extend beyond Country Day. 5 . PH I LA N T H R OPY We will construct an ethos of philanthropy that transcends one’s time at school.

6 . OPE R AT I ONS We will position Country Day as a leader among independent schools through best practices in governance, business and finance, the use of technology and facilities that respond to our students’ learning needs.

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CURRICULUM

GOAL 1

We will boldly navigate the big shifts in education and embrace the future.

R AT I O N A L E

In recent years, dynamic new technologies in the realms of social media and global interconnectedness have transformed how we interact with one another and how we conduct school. The velocity of change leaves us breathless. Schools are historically behind the curve, with instructional methods and technologies that were designed in another era, and content that lags the pace of discovery. A strategic plan that positions Country Day to provide our students with the skills, knowledge and tools to succeed must address ways to keep faculty excited and forward-thinking about their work, give students opportunities to stretch themselves in recognition of their varying starting points and immerse all constituents in an ethos of exploration and innovation.

I N I T I AT I V E S

• Seek and implement the optimal balance between tradition and innovation, between classical and progressive approaches to education.

• Explore new ways to provide for each student individually. Extending the curriculum for those students ready to advance and make the curriculum accessible to those students who do best with support.

• Research best practices as part of ongoing self-assessment.

• Teach 21st-century skills (critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, communication, character and cross-cultural competency) and content.

• Advance the profession of teaching using rich new technologies and methodologies, with school leaders focusing less on managing a single area of responsibility and more on developing the capacity of faculty in an ongoing process.

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STUDENT WELL-BEING

GOAL 2

We will nurture a school environment that inspires students to thrive academically, artistically, athletically and emotionally toward the goal of graduating young men and women of character.

R AT I O N A L E

Students succeed when they believe they are in a safe, nurturing environment that promotes well-being. Successful students have a solid understanding of both themselves and their relationships with others. With academics, arts and athletics solidly in place, character is the overarching core value upon which our mission is based.

I N I T I AT I V E S

• Examine the requirements for physical, social and emotional well-being in a school environment; minimize or eliminate obstacles that arise.

• Provide life skills that enable students to lead well-balanced lives in complex and dynamic educational and professional environments and personal relationships.

• Maintain our culture of community that embraces each child’s uniqueness as part of a cohesive, caring, interrelated whole, in the face of the isolation and anonymity that can arise from the expanded use of electronic communication and games.

• Expand and integrate a thoughtful PK-12 character-based curriculum that promotes social and emotional well-being.

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COMMUNICATION

GOAL 3

We will demonstrate the school’s value and build its reputation at the same time we assure connectedness and transparency within the school community.

R AT I O N A L E

La Jolla Country Day School occupies a prestigious and prominent position in the greater San Diego region, growing out of a commitment to excellence at the highest levels of academic, athletic and artistic achievement. We must establish and maintain meaningful, consistent, transparent two-way communication with our past, current and prospective families to reinforce our accomplishments and our value. A life-long partnership among our various constituent groups is an essential investment in the success of our students.

People communicate differently now from how they did in the past. No longer is a letter of inquiry or request for an application sent by postal mail. Rather, prospective families and employees search the internet for schools that may match their needs. Internal record-keeping and ways of communicating are similarly transformed. While it may be hard to imagine how technology will affect our future, it is clear that Country Day must be current with change as it occurs.

I N I T I AT I V E S

• Design a comprehensive and coordinated communications and marketing plan that focuses on building strong relationships.

• Craft a social media strategy that sustains a positive and values-driven narrative about the school. Articulate the deeper meaning of “scholar, artist and athlete of character.”

• Evaluate and continuously improve the media through which the school intersects with the outside world: our website, Facebook, print materials, advertising.

• Document, exhibit and follow student and teacher success. Invest in promoting faculty and staff talents in local, regional and national educational communities, thus enhancing and expanding the reputation of Country Day. • Assure that all constituent groups are well informed and have a voice in the future of Country Day. 15

SERVICE

GOAL 4

We will help our students transform the world through a dedication to service and social responsibility that will extend beyond Country Day. R AT I O N A L E

Empathy, a key component of emotional intelligence, will be further developed in students at La Jolla Country Day School. As boundaries broaden and the concept of community expands beyond our doors, locale and nation, social responsibility is an inclusive mission imperative for students and their families. Students must have the opportunity to experience the value in making positive contributions to their school and community.

I N I T I AT I V E S

• Showcase and share stories in local and national media from our partner service organizations, which highlight the service accomplishments of Country Day students.

• Mobilize the energy, initiative and compassion of our students, from lower school through graduation, as they work on real-world challenges through service.

• Connect service and learning through a program that is age-appropriate and coordinated across divisions.

• Seek options that include families and alumni in-service opportunities.

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PHILANTHROPY

GOAL 5

We will construct an ethos of philanthropy that transcends one’s time at the school.

R AT I O N A L E

Nurturing a culture of generosity among all La Jolla Country Day stakeholders strengthens our community and expands the traditional ideas of charity to a philosophy rooted in collective social responsibility. Caring for one another and for our school is a mission imperative for students and adults alike and is vital for our long-term financial sustainability. An ethos of philanthropy is essential to our school’s legacy.

I N I T I AT I V E S

Educate • Define a unifying philanthropic philosophy to be shared and supported throughout the entire community.

Cultivate • Embrace a big shift to involve and engage all Country Day constituencies in creating and fostering relationships that support our ethos of philanthropy.

Steward • Construct a stewardship plan that inspires, celebrates and recognizes sustainable fundraising efforts.

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OPERATIONS

GOAL 6

We will position Country Day as a leader among independent schools through best practices in governance, business and finance, technology and facilities that respond to our students’ learning needs.

R AT I O N A L E

The health of a complex community requires a sound infrastructure.

The Board of Trustees is the ultimate protector of the institution and guardian of the school’s mission. Continuously reviewing and applying best practices in governance is the most effective means for the Board to fulfill its fiduciary responsibilities. Additionally, maintaining a financially sustainable business model is a fundamental Board duty. Studying significant economic changes and trends enables us to respond quickly and effectively to accommodate the impact of changes in a fiscally healthy way.

As the way we live our personal lives has changed in response to the information revolution, also changed is how we conduct school. No more are the “open classroom” and “lecture hall” considered the only physical spaces for learning. Now, flexibility and diversity best meet instructional needs. The Country Day of the future will incorporate maker spaces, collaborative work areas, large- and small-group discussion opportunities, places where students can work comfortably with tablets, laptops and even print versions of books! The school of the future will see methodologies that are flipped. Facilities that keep up with such innovation will respond best to students’ needs in a world of continuous change.

I N I T I AT I V E S

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Track and evaluate key economic indicators and recalibrate practices in the context of their implications for the five areas of sustainability: financial, environmental, demographic, programmatic and global.

Protect against enterprise risk and other financial obstacles so we can provide the best possible education for our students. continued...

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• Assure that the budget process facilitates achievement of the school’s goals through appropriate communication, coordination, planning and accountability.

• Commit to a regular program of Trustee recruitment, education, goal setting and evaluation.

• Develop effective communications to and from the Board that generate well informed decisions that instill confidence in the school and its leaders.

• Establish a culture of ongoing planning for changes in technology through research, short- and long-term budgeting and a Technology Plan.

• Review and reconceive usage of current facilities to respond to changes in the educational landscape.

• Develop long-range facilities plans that will enable maximum efficiency, productivity, innovation and educational excellence.

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9490 GENESEE AVENUE LA JOLLA CA 92037-1399 858.453.3440 LJCDS.ORG