Meaningful Learning for Life
Letter from Head & Chair
On behalf of the Board, Senior Leadership and Staff, we are thrilled to share Meaningful Learning for Life. This plan is based on the collective input and shared aspirations of the entire RDS Community. This input was gathered through stakeholder consultations over the last six months, led by our partner Future Design School. Thank you to the students, families, staff and Board of Directors for their candid and constructive participation in this process.
This plan intentionally builds on the strengths of RDS, while also clearly describing how we will meet future challenges and opportunities head on. The core of RDS, reflected in our mission, “RDS develops and inspires the authentic character and potential of each child”, remains unchanged. We are unwavering in our commitment to be an educational community of inspired learners and leaders, and know that meaningful relationships are at the centre of effective teaching and learning. This plan reflects this priority as we ensure we are thoroughly preparing our students for high school and to adapt confidently and engage responsibly in our changing world.
The Goals in this plan reflect the areas of school life that we believe will be most impactful on student growth, development and learning. Collectively, they will also help advance our school. The engine room of RDS is our talented, passionate and dedicated staff who nurture students and share their love for learning with them each day. This plan ensures they will be supported to grow and develop professionally as they broaden their skills and knowledge in order to better serve our students today, and in their future.
We are excited about the future of our School and are proud to share this plan with you. It is an exciting time to be part of the RDS community.
John Reid Head of School
Cathy Simpson (Clare ‘13 & Mitchell ‘18) Chair, Board of Directors
Our Vision
To be an educational community of inspired learners and leaders prepared to adapt confidently and engage responsibly in our changing world.
Our Mission
RDS inspires and develops the authentic character and potential of each child.
Our Values
• Integrity
• Respect
• Diligence
• Involvement
What Our Community Says
We are incredibly proud that our strategic plan reflects the authentic voice of our community. We were thrilled to have close to a 100% participation rate in our consultation process which included students, staff and parents. We want to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone for taking the time to share their experience through surveys, interviews and focus groups. The most special aspect of RDS is our incredible community and we are committed to continuing to work tirelessly on your behalf. Thank you also to the Future Design School (FDS) team who were our partners and facilitated this strategic planning process.
• 93% of parents would recommend RDS to friends and family.
• 94% of parents feel the communications from their child’s teachers are clear, coherent and timely.
• 90% of parents feel that teachers have their child’s best interests at heart.
• 95% of teachers feel confident in facilitating effective personalized learning in their classroom.
• 91% of teachers feel a sense of team with their peers.
• 86% of all students have a sense of pride in being part of The Rosedale Day School community.
Community Consultation Timeline
JULY 2021
Existing Data Review
Future Design School reviewed all existing data from all areas of the school including: enrollment, advancement, pedagogy and assessment.
AUGUST 2021
Board Visioning
Our Board, along with the Strategic Planning Committee, engaged in a series of workshops to provide insight on successes, challenges and opportunities.
OCTOBER 2021
Insight Review & Analysis
The Board and Strategic Planning Committee reviewed the insights provided by the broader school community and worked on actioning feedback into the strategic plan.
SEPTEMBER 2021
Community Consultation
A deep community consultation was held that included one on one interviews with the FDS team, anonymous surveys, focus groups and generated incredible feedback from students, parents, teachers and staff.
NOVEMBER 2021
Aspirations & Goal Setting
The Board and Strategic Planning Committee provided their aspirations for the school and feedback on higher level goals for the next 5 years at RDS.
OCTOBER 2021
Future of Education Review
The Board and Strategic Planning Committee engaged in reviewing trends and best practices emerging from leading schools (both K-12 and Higher Education) globally. The team worked to align strategic priorities with the shifting needs of shifting trends and post secondary admissions.
NOVEMBER 2021
Strategic Plan Development
The strategic plan was drafted by Future Design School and the Strategic Planning Committee. Internal stakeholders at the school were invited to provide feedback.
DECEMBER 2021
Strategic Priorities Review & Iteration
The Board provided feedback and approval on the external facing strategic plan.
JANUARY 2022
Operational Plan Development
The Strategic Planning Committee worked with Future Design School to build a robust operational plan to underpin the actions necessary to achieve the strategic plan.
Goal:
A Personalized & Meaningful Learning Experience
We will:
• Support educators in delivering student-centred, personalized and deep learning experiences to help students build the work ethic, confidence and skills they need to investigate and identify their personal sense of purpose.
• Ensure RDS provides students with meaningful assessment and feedback that allows them to learn who they are as individuals and how they can be successful in high school and beyond.
• Continue to leverage inquiry/project-based learning and design thinking principles to provide opportunities for students to experience productive failure in order to develop greater resilience, learn to iterate and strengthen their self sufficiency.
• Create a student success centre to provide individualized support to students through socialemotional and academic counselling, high school preparation, as well as supporting students with a range of learning styles and individual learning profiles.
• Be seen as a leader in developing future ready skills, global competencies and providing character education to ensure our students are well prepared for an ever changing world.
• Create greater opportunities for experiential learning where students are given opportunities to see how what they are learning in the classroom applies to the real world.
• Develop partnerships with external organizations like Round Square and/or the UNESCO Schools Network to connect RDS students with their peers from across the world, to support the development of global competencies, character education and experiential learning.
• Encourage students to become engaged citizens who aspire to make a positive difference in the world leveraging their unique gifts and ambitions.
A personalized learning environment focused on thoroughly preparing students for the future. We will deeply engage our students in meaningful learning experiences where they consciously develop future proof skills and build character.
A connected & caring community where everyone is seen, heard and cared for. We are known for being diverse, equitable and inclusive and also for fostering the wellbeing of our students and staff.
A Caring & Inclusive Community Goal:
We will:
• Become a transformative institution whose school and classroom practices are guided by anti-racism and antidiscrimination education in order to best support the needs and lived experiences of all RDS Community members.
• Continue to cultivate and honour transparency, feedback and open communication for students, staff, parents and our community.
• Reinforce the partnership between RDS and our parents by restarting our Parents’ Guild to act as a volunteer hub for the school.
• Build on our culture of wellness forall members of the RDS Community. Further develop our approach to Social-Emotional Learning as an integral part of programming and curriculum at RDS.
• Explore and foster meaningful relationships with Indigenous communities to demonstrate our continued commitment to reconciliation and develop mutual respect and understanding.
• Develop a parent education series that supports our belief in the importance of a strong partnership between school and home.
Goal:
A Place Based & Future Proof Mindset
We will:
• Strengthen and leverage existing relationships and explore new opportunities to enhance realworld learning opportunities for our students.
• Recruit, retain and develop talented, passionate and forward-thinking staff.
• Clearly define our brand and purposefully share our powerful stories about teaching and learning with our past, present and future communities.
• Achieve a mature culture of philanthropy.
• Build financial resilience to ensure RDS continues to thrive and is ready to serve future generations of Gryphons.
• Strengthen alumni connections and increase their engagement with current students.
• Remain a leader within the independent school market by championing positive change, and consciously bringing growing trends in education into RDS’ practice.
• Ensure marketing and communications highlights the rationale behind these trends and makes meaningful connections between a child’s learning journey and the future of work.
We can leverage our unique location and access to unparalleled amenities to provide exceptional place based learning while ensuring a strong and secured future for RDS.
