Learning to live well, with others and for others, in a just community.
Meadowridge School acknowledges it is located on the ancestral, unceded territory of the Katzie, the Kwantlen, and the Stó:lō First Nations. We value the opportunity to learn, live, play, and share educational experiences on this traditional land. Meadowridge School is committed to building strong meaningful relationships and positive partnerships with all the traditional keepers and stewards of this land.
Contents
Message from our Head of School and Board Chair Page 4
Our Mission, Vision, and Values Page 6
Strategic Planning Process Page 10
Our Foundational Elements Page 12
Our Strategic Initiatives Page 14
1) Diversity & Inclusivity
2) Environmental Stewardship & Regeneration
3) Retention & Recruitment
4) Our Campus Master Plan
5) Financial Stability, Sustainability & Predictability
Our School is headed in a well-supported, impactful, and mission-aligned direction.
Our Vision, Our Plan, Our Future: Meadowridge School Strategic Plan 2023 to 2028 sets the direction for the next five years of our School.
The Plan incorporates the collective voices of our students, parents, teachers, staff, leadership team, and Board, for whom it was ultimately created for – Our Meadowridge Community, while we learn to live well, with others and for others, in a just community.
MEADOWRIDGE SCHOOL STRATEGIC PLAN 3
From the Head of School & Board Chair
To our Meadowridge Community,
Meadowridge cares for many futures – the future of our students, teachers, staff, parents, families, our School, and world. It’s a pleasure to share with you Our Vision, Our Plan, Our Future: Meadowridge School Strategic Plan for 2023 to 2028, which reflects the collaborative efforts of so many people. From your input as a student, parent, alumni, faculty, staff, an administrative leader, Board Member, or friend of the School, these next chapters of our future were charted with your guidance.
This process has reaffirmed that Meadowridge is headed in a well-supported, impactful, and mission-aligned direction. Our Strategic Plan builds on the strengths of our School and outlines initiatives that will enhance our offerings and further our Mission and our Vision, upheld by our Values which serve as a guiding compass. We will continue to deliver outstanding teaching and learning experiences so that when our students graduate, they are equipped to not only meet the future, but also to create it.
After carefully examining who we are and what we value, we set out to determine the most important and relevant areas to improve and develop. With an understanding that our priority is to stay mission-focused and committed to academic excellence, we identified five strategic initiatives we will engage in for our School’s next chapter, allowing us to embrace new challenges, opportunities, and possibilities thoughtfully and critically.
We are excited about the work that lies ahead and look forward to working as a community to achieve our goals. Thank you for your ongoing support and dedication to Meadowridge. Together, we will continue to grow and thrive.
Appreciatively,
Lance Leger Chair, Board of Governors
Scott Banack Head of School
As we embark on this journey, we will remain focused on the core elements that are fundamental to our success: Our People and Community, Our Programs and Academics, Our Environment and Facilities, and Our Leadership and Governance, and we will move forward with actions and decisions informed by our key values: Compassion, Connections, Collaboration, and Integrity.
MEADOWRIDGE SCHOOL STRATEGIC PLAN 5
Our Mission
Learning to live well, with others and for others, in a just community.
Our Mission is a unique one – a moral calling that guides everything we do at the School.
The Mission is ingrained in the way we work, the way decisions are made, and the way we plan for our future. In short, Our Mission and Vision define who we are, what we experience, where we grow, and how we learn.
"Living our Mission statement from a young age is what makes Meadowridge such a unique place to be educated; no matter what age, gender, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, or ethnicity you are, the School’s compassionate environment will make you feel accepted."
ISABELLA Z., GRADE 12 STUDENT
6 OUR VISION, OUR PLAN, OUR FUTURE VISION, PLAN, OUR FUTURE
Our Vision
People are drawn to our school from around the world. In the spirit of active collaboration with teachers, peers, and our community, we learn how to care for ourselves and for others.
Knowing that change is the only certainty, we engage with challenging and complex questions effectively and creatively. Through outstanding teaching, programs, and facilities, Meadowridge develops in us the confidence not only to meet the future, but also to create it.
MEADOWRIDGE SCHOOL STRATEGIC PLAN 7
Striving to live our Mission has created a culture that is guided by our Values and shaped through shared experiences. At Meadowridge, we value –
Our Values Compassion
We inform our actions and decisions with care and kindness.
We celebrate commonalities and appreciate our differences.
We respect, accept, and include all people and cultures. We strive to further a regenerative relationship with the land.
We explore the multiple paths toward a common goal. We honour differing perspectives that permit informed decisions.
Connections Collaboration Integrity
We build trust through honest and transparent communication.
We allow what is right to determine our course of action.
8 OUR VISION, OUR PLAN, OUR FUTURE
Strategic Planning Process
Our community shared. We listened. The next five years are mapped out to encapsulate the multiple points of view that make up our vibrant Meadowridge Community.
The feedback from our Board, leadership team, teachers, staff, students, parents, and alumni, captures our shared understanding of what makes Meadowridge an outstanding school and outlines our ambitious goals and aspirations for our school’s future.
Through a collaborative planning process with our community, we collected a broad range of input through meetings, interviews, and surveys, which included three external accreditation and evaluations (International Baccalaureate (IB), Canadian Accredited Independent Schools (CAIS), and BC Ministry of Education).
Strategic Planning Process Timeline
November 2021
May 2022
September 2021
PROJECT INITIATION
Self-study process begins
Fall 2022
DISCOVER & RESEARCH
Gather internal and external feedback from our community
EXTERNAL ACCREDITATION
Accreditation assessment by CAIS Peer Review Team
Summer 2022
EXTERNAL REPORT REVIEW
Review of the CAIS and IB reports
PLANNING
Board and leadership team consultations
Spring 2022
MISSION & VISION REVIEW
Internal assessment of alignment with Mission and Vision
November 2022
EXTERNAL CONSULTANT
Focus groups and community feedback sessions led by John Littleford & Associates
September 2023 onwards
IMPLEMENTATION
Celebrate successes, recalibrate as needed, and monitor and report on progress
Winter 2022 CONSIDERATIONS
Define our strategic initiatives for the next five years
June 2023
FINALIZATION
Circulation with the larger community
March 2023
FORMALIZATION
Formal documentation of the Strategic Plan
10 OUR VISION, OUR PLAN, OUR FUTURE
15 Strategic Planning by the Numbers
100% Community Feedback Sessions
Community Represented Board, staff, faculty, parents, students, and alumni
17
13 Hours spent on Stakeholder Engagement
Focus Groups
Overview of our Foundational Elements
Knowing that change is the only certainty, we thoughtfully engage with new challenges, opportunities, and possibilities, so that we may both meet and create the future.
The key foundational elements of our School upon which we build our strategic initiatives are:
Our People & Community
Our School is comprised of people who care – where individuals are noticed and known. We learn with others to create a compassionate, caring, and welcoming community.
Our Environment & Facilities
Our purpose-built facilities, and thoughtful relationship with the land, provide opportunities for diverse experiences and enriched teaching, and learning.
Our Programs & Academics
We are an enriched learning community that strives to engage the head (intellectual), heart (emotional), and hands (physical), to provide a balanced, rigorous, and meaningful experience.
Our Leadership & Governance
Governed by a strategic and mission-driven Board, our leaders use collaborative and informed decision-making processes that promote agency and reflective practices.
12 OUR VISION, OUR PLAN, OUR FUTURE
Strategic Initiatives
With our foundation understood, we are motivated and focused on advancing and improving, over the next five years, in the following areas:
1 Diversity & Inclusivity
2 Environmental Stewardship & Regeneration
3
Retention & Recruitment
4 Our Campus Master Plan
5 Financial Stability, Sustainability & Predictability
1Diversity & Inclusivity
The school community is made up of an eclectic group of individuals, and each one of us brings distinct experiences, cultural values, knowledge, viewpoints, and abilities. Meadowridge shows why we should cherish diversity in our communities. Together, we will continue to learn with open minds, open hearts, and open hands about the multiple perspectives of our community and its members.
Our practices and programs will directly connect our Mission with our support of diversity and inclusivity. We will investigate, plan, and implement programs and initiatives that increase awareness and understanding for our students, staff, and community.
KEY ACTIONS
Design and develop programs that support the inclusion of Meadowridge learners
Evaluate current departmental policies and practices to further support inclusion
Establish a Diversity, Equity, Inclusivity, Justice, and Belonging (DEIJB) group to guide the School in its understanding and approach to diversity and inclusivity
Reduce financial barriers by providing increased financial assistance and student scholarships
14 OUR VISION, OUR PLAN, OUR FUTURE
Meadowridge has helped shape me, get me to where I am today, and encouraged me to be a global citizen and lifelong learner. It really is a second home; it’s a nurturing environment and one that challenges you. As a Meadowridge Lifer, I have nothing but gratitude for my time here.
MEHAR K. ’14, ALUMNI
2Environmental Stewardship & Regeneration
Our students are taught from a young age to care for one another and for our environment. We will continue to provide meaningful outdoor experiences that inspire our students to become advocates and stewards of the land by building an appreciation and a deep connection to our natural environment.
We will model regenerative sustainability and connect with the natural world by building capacity and enhancing our programs, further developing our institutional practices, and actively connecting with the broader community.
KEY ACTIONS
Build a continuum of learning and action that reflects a regenerative relationship with the land
Create policies and procedures that guide operational practices to model regenerative sustainability
Engage the community to advocate for a thriving future
Our community is embarking on a journey to put the future of life at the heart of everything we do by connecting to the land, understanding the interdependence of systems, and living an ethic of reciprocity.
JAMES WILLMS, DIRECTOR OF ENVIRONMENT AND RISK
MEADOWRIDGE SCHOOL STRATEGIC PLAN 17
3Retention & Recruitment
Our School attracts and retains exceptional school teachers, skilled administrative staff, and dedicated employees who wholeheartedly commit to excellence in every aspect of their work.
We will continue to engage faculty and staff who are qualified, skilled, highly motivated, and committed to our Mission and Vision. Our staff will feel connected to our community and know that their work is both meaningful and valued.
KEY ACTIONS
Develop a comprehensive and competitive employee compensation plan
Continue to recruit and retain highly skilled and diverse staff members
From the first day I started working at Meadowridge School, I felt like I was part of a family. The teachers and staff are always working to support one another, and I appreciate the opportunity to work as a team.
MEGAN BAKER, ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER
18 OUR VISION, OUR PLAN, OUR FUTURE
4 Our Campus Master Plan
At Meadowridge, we believe in the development of the intellectual, social, physical, and emotional lives of our students. We will continue to develop our campus with consideration for every facet of learning. The construction plans for our six new purpose-built spaces create the opportunity to consciously shape learner experiences on campus.
We will expand our world-class facility and develop our campus to both support our robust and comprehensive academic program and provide a safe, nurturing environment for our diverse community.
KEY ACTIONS
Complete phase one – the Burke Hall and Business Administration Centre – and open it to our community
Complete designs for additional phases of the Campus Master Plan
Begin construction of additional phases
LIU & XU FAMILY,
MEADOWRIDGE SCHOOL STRATEGIC PLAN 21
It’s very meaningful for us to gradually build healthy learning environments for children. Little by little, improvements will help build a better and brighter future. Every child is the hope of each family and the future of our society.
PARENTS AND DONORS
5Financial Stability, Sustainability & Predictability
We will ensure our community is provided with clear, concise, and timely information about the financial health of our School.
Through responsible financial practices, we will remain stable and predictable, allowing for the delivery and growth of our programs, facilities, and resources.
KEY ACTIONS
Maintain our Strategic Financial Plan to support programming and strategic initiatives
Grow the School Endowment to support financial assistance and the Meadowridge Scholarship Program Foster a culture of philanthropy and increase charitable giving amongst all community stakeholders
I have been at this school for over 15 years and have always felt supported – through difficult times, and through some of my proudest moments. I am grateful for the environment we have all created together and I am excited for what the future holds for us as a community and in continuing our stability and growth.
TINA LEE, BOARD TREASURER, ALUMNI PARENT, AND GRADE 9 PARENT
22 OUR VISION, OUR PLAN, OUR FUTURE
Meadowridge & Community Support
CONTRIBUTORS
Board of Governors
Leadership Team
Faculty and Staff
PARTNERS
Parents Students Alumni
John Littleford & Associates
Q UESTIONS AND FEEDBACK
info@meadowridge.bc.ca
meadowridge.bc.ca/ourfuture
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