A Message from the Head of School A Great Faculty and Staff Drives a Great Strategic Plan The excitement that surrounded the 2010-11 school year was in part due to the 225th anniversary of Moorestown Friends and the many festive celebrations that accompanied that milestone. Another key component was the successful progress of fundraising efforts to begin conversion of the former South Annex on the Greenleaf property into a fine classroom building. The entire school celebrated a memorable Construction Kickoff on the Greenleaf campus in early May. Yet another energizing aspect of the 2010-11 school year was the collective effort of hundreds of MFS community members to develop a new and bold Strategic Plan. Over 1,000 people completed Strategic Plan surveys, and over 100 people participated in various working groups. The Strategic Plan Committee consisted of 20 MFS community members (see right). You will read elsewhere in this issue about the six areas of focus: 21st Century Skills, the Quaker Dimension, Diversity and Community, Technology and Communications, Fiscal Integrity, and Innovative & Extracurricular Programs. Together, the goals established for 2015 are well-defined and institutionally invigorating. Interestingly, the single most important element in the successful implementation of the Plan is not directly mentioned in the document itself. That’s because it is simply a given in all we do at MFS: retain and attract the very finest faculty, staff, and students. We agree with Jim Collins, the author of Good to Great, that well-articulated, broadly shared plans are essential. But even more important is the quality of the people who carry out the plan. A mediocre plan with terrific people can produce satisfactory results. A terrific plan with mediocre people yields nothing but disappointment. We are indeed fortunate at Moorestown Friends School to have “Great Kids” and “Great Teachers” working with capable staff, talented administrators, and dedicated trustees to provide an extraordinary learning and growing experience for every one of our 700+ students. The admissions and hiring processes are critical to this outcome, as are the support and development we provide for all of our students, faculty, and staff. From this effort, we achieve the outcomes needed to ensure the strength of MFS now and in the future.
The 2011 Strategic Plan Committee Co-Clerks Barbara Caldwell Naoji Moriuchi ’94 Members Andy Ananthakrishnan Dave Baiada ’95 Sandy Hoeppner Brown Deborah Bruvik Haley Coles Driscoll ’86 Meridee Duddleston Bill Guthe Mindy Holman Brian Howard Steve Kolaris Dorothy Lopez Nick Smith Ashlynne Thomson Emily Traver Larry Van Meter ’68
Warm Regards,
Karen Washington Steve Zakroff Stephanie Zarus
Larry Van Meter ’68 Head of School
Stephen G. DiCicco, Consultant