Strategic Plan | Beyond 2015
True North Inspiring students to reach for their goals through individualization and passionbased, enriched learning opportunities.
East
West
Expanding students’ roles in the world community, their commitment to diversity and development of cross-cultural and global competencies.
Focusing on the “Whole Child” through the Essential Curriculum, and building “social and emotional” skills.
South Encompassing the core elements of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) and Project-Based Learning across the all-school curriculum. Rocky Hill School | Strategic Plan | Beyond 2015 | 2
Small School, Big Opportunities Following the Strategic Plan of 2012-2015, Rocky Hill School is enhancing and evolving its rigorous collegepreparatory curriculum with additional academic offerings; specialization and differentiation; multi-language studies; and personalized, student-created content. In its next phase, the Strategic Plan focuses on three major initiatives—the Essential Curriculum; Global Education, Diversity, and Partnerships; and the principles of a STEAM-inspired and Project-Based Learning curriculum—which have as their foundation, the main goals for the School moving forward. Our Purpose Rocky Hill School intentionally aligns its brand with its defining value statements: the Mission and Core Values of the School, its principles and practices, and its global vision for 21st century learning. Our Promise The School is committed to a continuous plan of “ever-greening”—building on the foundations of the 2012-2015 Plan, and providing direction in all areas of the School. Just as we focus on the “whole child”, we also focus on the whole enterprise that is Rocky Hill School. Our Heritage As we continue to uncover and discover layers of history, traditions, achievements, and innovations, we will combine the distinctive characteristics of the past and protect them as they become part of the present and future of the School.
Evolving the Plan “Revolutions start with a few people who think differently, a few people who are willing to experiment, to try new things. But then, those people share their ideas. It is only when a group of people unite around an idea that movements gain strength.� John E. Chubb, President, National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS)
Thinking Outside The evolution of the Rocky Hill Strategic Plan focuses on priorities and ideas in response to the following question: How do we, as stewards of the institution, design and actualize a competitive advantage? By becoming adaptable and nimble. We gain a competitive advantage as we guide students to develop organizational skills that foster change and transformation. In an era of unpredictability, Rocky Hill School sees changes and opportunities and responds to them by embracing the challenges rapidly, often, and with confidence. A guiding set of principles, ethics, and practices supports expanded program opportunities, cross-curricular experiential learning, and global thinking in a creative, energetic, and stimulating environment.
True North “The great pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do.” John Maeda, keynote speaker, NAIS Annual Conference: Design the Revolution, Boston 2015
Charting Your Course Faculty and students venture into unexplored territory, disrupt predictable thinking, take risks, and shift their thinking—leading them to be bold and adventurous. Together they will: • Seek their “true north” and find their individual purpose • Exercise the power of choice from a harmonious blend of curricular and co-curricular selections • Foster an environment of excitement, curiosity, creativity, and achievement surrounding individual interests and talents • Follow a passion, hone skills and unique talents through inter-disciplinary learning, independent studies, and mentorships • Empower peers and colleagues by providing personalized activities and differentiated forms of assessment • Exploit digital and social media to connect students and faculty with likeminded individuals both at home and across the globe • Promote collaborative learning networks among fellow students and faculty, because passion is infectious • Discover and share opportunities for teaching and learning that influence the whole Rocky Hill School community
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West “By shifting the focus of experience onto that of “the other,” we create for ourselves a truer sense of self-knowledge, and we create for others the chances to grow and prosper through our own empathetic action.” Matt Gnolfo, Director of Diversity, Rocky Hill School
The Essential Curriculum Educating the “whole child” is the core of the Essential Curriculum, the process through which children acquire and apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. Through the Responsive Classroom® (Lower School), Developmental Designs® (Middle School), the Advisory Program (Upper School), the all-school Diversity Program, Community Service, and Service Learning, students • Engage in social and emotional learning within the layers of the traditional curriculum • Promote and model equity, inclusivity, and activism • Partner with others to promote self-management and foster mindfulness throughout the School • Develop a deep sense of purpose and resilience • Contribute to and foster a culture of continuous reflection and evaluation, innovation, and improvement • Continue to build a community of loyal families and alums who contribute to the growth and innovative development of their school
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East For our schools to become more culturally diverse—and more critically—for our schools to create climates of inclusion that allow all students and adults to thrive—they need visionary leadership, leadership rooted in a clear-eyed acknowledgment that doing things the way they always have been done—is myopic and antithetical to the goals and values we espouse. Doreen Oleson, 2015 NAIS Diversity Leadership Award Recipient, Head of School at Saint Mark’s School (CA)
Global Education, Diversity, and Cross-Cultural Competencies At Rocky Hill School, students expand their role in the world community, while committing to diversity, and developing cross-cultural and global competencies. The School will •
Prepare students to live and participate meaningfully as citizens of a diverse global community
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Enhance the international student experience for all students
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Establish objectives for a fully implemented global curriculum in all divisions
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Set criteria for global partnerships: instill the value of reciprocity; ensure clarity of purpose
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Provide opportunities for leadership, entrepreneurship, and social philanthropy
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Establish and support a wider net of global partnerships, expand the internationalization of Rocky Hill School, and position the School as a global educator
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South “Nothing is more generative and adaptive than nature, so let’s look to nature for assistance as we design our world.” Neri Oxman, Professor and Research Group Director, MIT Media Lab
STEAM and Project-Based Learning Through the incorporation of the principles of STEAM and ProjectBased Learning, and in partnership with local organizations and universities, Rocky Hill School will continue to leverage its capital and human resources to maximize collaborative teaching and learning opportunities. These are fostered by means of small class size, low student-teacher ratio, Harkness student-centered discussion, and a truly synchronized and individuated curriculum. We will •
Further expand the sciences, with an emphasis on the waterfront (the Bay, shoreline, and surrounding habitat) through the convergence of nature and education
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Promote and foster research and conservation partnerships
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Infuse technologies, blending with the environmental curriculum, expanding robotics and Maker labs, growing the Professional Learning Community, and enabling adaptive, personalized learning
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Nurture and develop all forms of artistic expression: expand all programs in the visual and performing arts, and engage members of the Rocky Hill community
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Develop interdisciplinary learning activities to promote the central role of the sciences and mathematics across all divisions
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Seek sustainable solutions to human challenges with the shared goal of creating products, processes, and policies to improve the quality of life Rocky Hill School | Strategic Plan | Beyond 2015 | 9
Mapping the Future Leveraging Our Assets - Making the Most of Who We Are The School will focus on its core mission and carefully channel its resources to maintain, enhance, and expand existing facilities and program. As we look to enhance our financial and human resources, we will remain committed to our brand and be dedicated to: •
Serving the needs and passions of each of our students
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Investing in our administrators, faculty, and staff, our most valuable resources
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Developing our Strategic Financial Plan, thinking beyond the “Here and Now”
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Preparing our students to serve as impassioned, global citizens in a world of challenge and opportunity
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Assessing our all-school facilities and revising our master plans accordingly
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Focusing on the growth of our endowment
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Thinking and acting decisively around alternative revenues
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Evaluating and communicating the progress of our key initiatives to all school and community constituents
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Strengthening our position as the best small country day school in Rhode Island
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Strategic Plan Committee 2015 Belinda Snyman, Director of Strategic Planning Peter Branch, Head of School Edwin J. Santos, Board of Trustees President (ex officio) Donald McCaughey, Trustee Mary Grant, Trustee Joan Osowa, Trustee Theresa Conroy, Middle School Faculty Beth DeGerlia, Director of Development Matt Gnolfo, Director of Diversity Peter Hanney, Director of Communications and Marketing