MHS Strategic Design 2018

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When our last strategic plan reached its end date in 2015, we knew it was time to formulate a new vision and goals for the future of Miss Hall’s School.

We did not want a cookie-cutter or formulaic outcome, therefore, we needed a dynamic process that would involve the entire community in bold and creative thinking. The goal was to develop a plan that articulated a compelling vision for the School’s future and actively engaged faculty and staff, school leadership, and the wider school community in its design.

FROM DAY ONE, THE STRATEGIC DESIGN PROCESS WAS MISSION-CENTERED, INCLUSIVE, COLLABORATIVE, AND ITERATIVE— AND DISTINCTLY MISS HALL’S. Our work—assisted by Stephanie Rogen and Chan Hardwick of Greenwich Leadership Partners—began by affirming our mission and values, which still resonate with alumnae and students and tie back to our founding by Mira Hall in 1898. We assembled a Strategic Design Team of faculty, staff, and students who represented a mix of departments and backgrounds and included people who had not previously served on an MHS committee or in a formal leadership role. The Strategic Design Team was charged with “workshopping” key issues, challenges, and questions with colleagues and classmates; facilitating design sessions; drafting and revising language; and acting as ambassadors for the completed design.

Students were involved early in the process, with three juniors as members of the Strategic Design Team. The Miss Hall’s Leadership Team and Board of Trustees were involved with each stage and decision in the design, always making sure that the process was rooted in the daily experiences and aspirations of the faculty and students. Unanimously approved by the faculty and staff in June and, in July, by the Trustees, the design provides a bold, creative, and ambitious blueprint for the years to come.

The resulting strategic design features several components, including a strategic vision and priorities, strategic goals, and strategies by which to achieve those goals. One of the most compelling parts of the document is “The MHS Graduate.” This key element grew out of almost twenty years of school-wide research and writing about girls’ leadership and associated competencies and behaviors. The inclusion of the Miss Hall’s core competencies of vision, voice, interpersonal efficacy, and gumption honors the work of the Girls’ Leadership Project Working Group and signifies a recommitment to engage the entire school in this work.

I am thrilled with this strategic design, as it sets a mandate for Miss Hall’s to make bold choices and take innovative steps to ensure that we achieve our vision.

THIS “REIMAGINING” WILL REQUIRE ACTION, COMMITMENT, AND INCLUSIVENESS. Just as students and faculty were active in developing the design, they will also be crucial to its implementation. And, just as the design process was iterative, so, too, will the plan’s implementation evolve and shift as we progress. I invite you to read this document and find the places that excite you, resonate with you, and speak to you most loudly. I look forward to hearing your reactions and engaging you in this process.

Sincerely,

Julia Heaton, Head of School January 2017

STRATEGIC VISION Guided by mission and sharpened by daily practice, Miss Hall’s School continuously reimagines girl-centered education to foster a pioneering intellectual spirit and an authentic engagement of students and adults.

To achieve our vision, we will pursue four areas of strategic priority:

I. INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS that emphasize intellectual pursuit, development of our core competencies, and personalized, experiential learning tailored to girls

II. INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY that values diversity as essential to learning and problem solving, as a means to discovery and personal growth, and as a context for cultivating empathy and cultural competency

III. COMMITMENT TO ENGAGEMENT, SERVICE, AND LEADERSHIP that strengthens connections between the School and our local and global communities and provides opportunities for students to discover passions and have influence

IV. CULTURE OF ADAPTABILITY, COLLABORATION, AND EXCELLENCE that enables the School to address challenges, maximize opportunities for growth, and remain nimble in a changing educational landscape

MISSION Miss Hall’s School inspires and encourages each girl to pursue the highest standards of learning and character; to contribute boldly and creatively to the common good; and to seek a purposeful life based on honor, respect, growth, and personal authenticity.

CORE VALUES HONOR: The concept of personal honor is an enduring and immutable standard by which we tell others how we want to be measured. Once developed, personal honor is the benchmark by which to judge all our actions.

RESPECT: Respect for others begins with respect for self. Respect for others extends beyond tolerance to include active concern for and service to others.

GROWTH: We value challenge in a nurturing environment. We also value curiosity, clear thinking, and academic accomplishment.

We encourage the development of resilience, determination, and self-confidence for a lifetime of learning in a world of constant change.

AUTHENTICITY: At MHS we are committed to helping each girl to develop, test, comprehend, and act from her own spirit, core values, abilities, expertise, and judgment.

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INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS Goal: Transformative Academic Program Our academic program intentionally builds the intellect, skills, and mindset that empower young women to contribute boldly and creatively to an evolving global society, while preparing them to pursue higher levels of education and lifelong learning. We will design and deliver challenging, personalized, and meaningful learning experiences in alignment with the outcomes that define our core competencies.

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INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY Goal: Inclusive Boarding and Day School Our close-knit and diverse community is the ideal environment for learning. We respect and honor the varied backgrounds and perspectives in our community as we continue to cultivate personal growth, wellness, and cultural competency.

Goal: Joyful and Connected Student Experience Our students cite enduring friendships and the joy of community as core experiences. Instilling joy and promoting lifelong friendships inspire students to contribute boldly and creatively to the school community and beyond. We commit to sustaining the “magic of Miss Hall’s” and ensuring that the School continues to cultivate happy, connected, and empowered students.

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COMMITMENT TO ENGAGEMENT, SERVICE, AND LEADERSHIP Goal: Serve and Contribute to the Common Good In keeping with our mission, Miss Hall’s School is committed to fostering opportunities for service, activism, and community engagement. We will strengthen connections between the School and our local and global communities by sharing and expanding our expertise as leaders in girl-centered education.

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CULTURE OF ADAPTABILITY, COLLABORATION, AND EXCELLENCE Goal: Professional Growth and Collaboration Our strength as a school depends on the talent, commitment, and alignment to mission of every Miss Hall’s School faculty and staff member.

We will develop practices and programs that strengthen collaboration, build clear pathways to professional growth and leadership, and inform the practice of educating girls.

Goal: Flexible and Sustainable Organization In order to achieve the bold vision and important goals of this strategic design, there must be continued planning and strong investment in people, programs, and innovation. We will deepen our understanding of the educational landscape and refine our strategies in order to ensure institutional sustainability and relevance.

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GRADUATE The Miss Hall’s School graduate is a thinker, a creator, and a contributor to the common good. She is a global citizen, a self-aware, resilient, and courageous participant in a multicultural society. Empowered by skills and knowledge, the Miss Hall’s School graduate is able to solve problems with intellect and creativity while embracing a spirit of exploration and curiosity. Through her words and actions, and aligned with her core values, she is prepared to navigate varied contexts with the fluency, generosity of spirit, and wisdom to lead a purposeful life.

Guided by the mission and core values of Miss Hall’s School, our graduates will demonstrate the following core competencies:

VISION is the willingness to dream, imagine possibilities, conceive bold and ambitious goals, and set a course to achieve them. Young women with vision nurture curiosity, innovate, recognize opportunities, and act as allies for others.

VOICE is the power to articulate ideas with authenticity and confidence.

Young women with voice present themselves with integrity, communicate effectively, confidently advocate and negotiate, and demonstrate and command respect.

INTERPERSONAL EFFICACY is the intersection of empathy, self-awareness, and cultural competency. Young women with interpersonal efficacy navigate diverse contexts with ease while maintaining consistency of character and building strong relationships and networks.

GUMPTION is the strength of mind and character to seek out challenges and grow from failure. Young women with gumption take calculated risks to create change, practice self-reflection, and distinguish the pursuit of one’s best self from the pressure for perfection.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

MISS HALL’S SCHOOL LEADERSHIP TEAM

Stacey Sotirhos ’89, President Alice Butler Burnham ’65, Vice President Jane Joukowsky P’13, Vice President Christopher Pope P’07, Vice President Scott Quigg P’14, Treasurer Cornelia Cabot Whiting ’89, Clerk Nancy Gustafson Ault ’73 Martha D. Bullock ’81 Susan Rowland Chollet ’62 Anne Peterson Conolly ’70 Barbara J. Cooperman ’73 Katie Grace Deane ’05 Alisha Arnold Foster ’78 Caroline Rutter Frazer ’64 Carolyn A. Green ’74 Rebecca Hajjar ’89 Laura H. Harris ’74 Herbert “Pete” Jaques, Jr. Stephanie Lawlor Kadnar ’90 Stacy Kirk ’90 Joy Kiser GP’14 Charles Platt P’04 Jonathan H. Poorvu P’15 Jennifer Perkins Speers ’71 Suzanne Wilson ’64 Amy Church Wood ’89 Edith Stetson Yovu ’67

Julia Heaton, Head of School Suzanne Baumgarten P’13,’16, Director of Finance & Operations Julie Bradley, Director of Admission & Financial Aid Elizabeth F. Cleary, Dean of Academics & Faculty Christie Higuera, Dean of Students Diane Wortis, Director of Development & Alumnae Relations

© Copyright 2018 Miss Hall’s School.

All rights reserved.

STRATEGIC DESIGN TEAM Julia Heaton, Head of School Alison Basdekis, Director of Horizons Kurt Boluch, Chemistry Teacher Simone Brown, Class of 2017 Liza Burbank, History Teacher and Academic Support Specialist Rebecca Cook-Dubin, Phoebe Goodhue Milliken ’37 English Department Chair Jeffrey Crosier P’17, Facilities Services Coordinator Cissie Jiang, Class of 2017 Sarah Nix, Latin Teacher Jacquline Rich, Class of 2017 Matthew Rutledge P’08,’11, History Department Chair David Smith P’20, Communications Manager Sarah Virden, Director of College Counseling

THIS IS A DIFFERENT KIND OF STRATEGIC PLAN. IT URGES BOLD CHOICES AND INNOVATIVE STEPS. IT DEMANDS AS MUCH IMAGINATION AS IT DOES ACTION. AND IT INSISTS ON THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF EVERY COMMUNITY MEMBER. IT IS ONLY THE BEGINNING.

m i s s h a l l ’s s c h o o l 492 Holmes Road Pittsfield, MA 01201 misshalls.org