Rundle College Society 2017-2022 Strat Plan

STRATEGIC PLAN 2017-2022

OUR MISSION

To create a nurturing, engaging environment that provides an enriched, personalized education, preparing students for an ever-changing world.

OUR VISION

To develop inspired minds and unparalleled character.

OUR VALUES

Together: Be Kind, Be Curious, Be Well

STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS & REFRESH Jason Rogers assumed the role of Headmaster of Rundle College Society in the fall of 2014. He began to shepherd Rundle through a self-inquiry process through which strategic planning would be articulated.

With the foundation set, Rundle initiated the strategic planning process in March 2015. This work included interviewing 12 staff and exploring their views on Rundle’s legacy, the demands of a modern education, innovation potential, current strengths and improvement opportunities, and focus areas for the coming five years. These discussions culminated in an intensive workshop tasked with defining strategic tensions and possible initiatives moving forward.

By February 2016, Rundle had developed a vision and values statement that reflected the ethos of the school.

In the fall of 2016, Rundle created seven focus groups to drive the exploration of core values. The objective was to discover how Rundle embodies its core values inside and outside the classroom and to identify initiatives that would enable Rundle to continue to realize, and move beyond, the vision of its extraordinary founders.

The entire strategic planning process was one of deep reflection, ceaseless exploration, and intense discourse. At the beginning of January 2017, Rundle completed its strategy to achieve the school’s goals and aspirations for the next five years. The resulting Strategic Plan is supported across the Rundle community with keen enthusiasm.

New Headmaster

Strategy Initiation Work

Confirmation of Mission, Vision, Values

Strategy Development Sessions

Completion of 5-year Strategic Plan

September 2014

March-September 2015

February 2016

October-December 2016

January-March 2017

WHO WE ARE Rundle is an independent, university preparatory, co-educational day school program that uses a research-driven pedagogy of mentorship and guidance to cultivate well-rounded, future-ready, global-minded graduates. From Kindergarten through Grade 12, the school develops students who are confident learners, critical thinkers and global citizens.

Unique among independent schools in Canada, Rundle delivers parallel College and Academy programs on two separate campuses. The College program serves the needs of the general population of learners and the Academy program meets the needs of students who have a diagnosed learning disability.

At Rundle, students become leaders, scholars, scientists, artists, musicians, athletes, humanitarians and philanthropist by discovering their passions and potential across a broad and comprehensive range of opportunities. In a safe and nurturing environment, Rundle students thrive. They aim for high academic goals and their achievement is fortified with a multitude of cocurricular and character building programs.

1985

1500+

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1

Founding Year

Student to Faculty Ratio

Alumni

Focus: Each Student

We must always ask ourselves: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Whom do we serve?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; To me, the answer is simple: our students.

Jason B. Rogers

OUR OBJECTIVES

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Our Fabric

Experience Rundle

Happy To be Here

Rundle 365

The Ascent

Rundle will provide an authentic learning experience to all students while staying true to the timehonoured traditions of the school.

Rundle will guide students in discovering their passions and pursuing excellence by creating an environment that enables them to engage in academics and activities that shape character positively.

Rundle will support students, parents and staff holistically in mind, body, and heart. The school will be mindful of the need for balance, wellness and the importance of building positive and enduring relationships.

Rundle will expand its offerings of impactful learning experiences in and out of the classroom. The school will fully leverage facilities on both campuses throughout the entire calendar year.

Rundle believes leadership is a fundamental 21stcentury skill. The school will nurture the key competencies that will enable future leaders developed at Rundle to contribute meaningfully to society.

1 OUR FABRIC Strategic Objective

Rundle will provide an authentic learning experience to all students while staying true to the time-honoured traditions of the school.

Background

Rundle’s educational philosophy is inspired as much by our founders as the modern day tools and techniques used to deliver the curriculum. The school was founded on the principle of helping students to achieve their best. With this in mind, Rundle will continue to build pride in and a stronger understanding of the history of the school.

We will weave Rundle’s traditions into the fabric of everything we do, and incorporate the school’s values into a well-rounded picture of success for each student.

Over the next five years, Rundle will:

• refocus attention from the Honour Roll to a more comprehensive ‘Headmaster’s List’ that celebrates students’ achievements in academics and beyond; • standardize House Team names across schools to reflect Rundle founders and encourage continuity in team membership from Kindergarten to Grade 12; and, • create a ‘Patent Wall’ to recognize and celebrate the many accolades of Rundle staff members.

There is more pride in taking a student from 50 to 70 than from 90 to 95. Dr. R.C. Conklin, Founder Are we getting too big? Dr. W.J. Collett, Founder The purpose of Rundle College is to help students to become good citizens and noble human beings of fine character.

Dr. Robert E. Evans, Former Chair of the Board

2 EXPERIENCE RUNDLE Strategic Objective

Rundle will guide students in discovering their passions and pursuing excellence by creating an environment that enables them to engage in academics and activities that shape character positively.

Background

We aspire to make a lasting impact on the lives of our students. Our teachers inspire students, enabling them to be the best they can be, and guide students in developing into kind, generous and compassionate citizens. Framed by a liberal arts focus and design-thinking approach, Rundle accommodates diverse learning needs and delivers a program that encourages curiosity and empowers students to become critical thinkers and innovative problem solvers.

By maintaining small class sizes, we focus on building enduring relationships throughout the Rundle community, ultimately preparing students to successfully navigate the challenges of an increasingly complex world. We strive to provide students with what they require to become accomplished lifelong learners.

Since completing the exceptional leading-edge Rundle College campus, we will shift our focus to revitalizing the Rundle Academy campus. We will start by digging in to explore the needs of students and faculty at Rundle Academy, and will work towards best fulfilling those needs.

Make your grades impressive, but make them the least impressive thing about you.

Over the next five years, Rundle will:

• define and articulate our differentiation and value proposition in the independent school market within the city of Calgary; • invest in exploring options for revitalizing the Rundle Academy campus using a design-thinking approach; • create rich, enhanced opportunities for students to complete passion projects; • entrench a Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM) mindset and provide abundant activities for students to bridge their academics with real-world problem solving; • openly communicate with parents to continue building dynamic and trusting relationships between teachers and parents; and, • promote building of the Rundle Endowment Fund to create a sustainable source of financial aid for Rundle families.

3 HAPPY TO BE HERE Strategic Objective

Rundle will support students, parents and staff holistically in mind, body, and heart. The school will be mindful of the need for balance, wellness and the importance of building positive and enduring relationships.

Background

Rundle is a healthy community where people support one another, success is celebrated, and an active lifestyle is encouraged. We are invested in the well-being of students and dedicated to equipping every student with the tools to balance enriched academics with robust cocurricular activities. Our nurturing relationship with students begins in the classroom and extends well beyond their time at Rundle as we look to strengthen our connections with all alumni.

Rundle encourages staff to lead purposeful lives and we must heavily invest in professional development and growth opportunities throughout our community. Simultaneously, it is critical that we continue to provide supports to enable staff to achieve balance. Professional and personal wellness contributes to a sense of purpose and happiness in the lives of staff and is a key priority for Rundle.

Over the next five years, Rundle will: • • • • •

continue to build upon student and staff wellness through the ‘Healthy Mind Platter’ framework; explore the role of grit and resilience in how students succeed at school, at home and in the future; develop the Alumni Mentorship program to inspire students in their journey to find their passions; build strong relationships with the alumni community through a ‘Rundle Pride from 5 to 95’ campaign; establish scheduled time and program content for all homeroom teachers to effectively act as mentors and coaches; and, • implement a nutrition program by providing healthy food options across all campuses.

4 RUNDLE 365 Strategic Objective

Rundle will expand its offerings of impactful learning experiences in and out of the classroom. The school will fully leverage our facilities on both campuses throughout the entire calendar year.

Background

How people learn - not only during the school years but throughout their lifetimes - is rapidly changing. Because of Rundleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s continued excellence in education, we believe in expanding the current opportunities for student self-discovery and for being inquisitive. Early in their school lives, students must feel empowered to take the lead, seek out answers and learn the core skills necessary to become lifetime learners. Rundle encourages students to take their learning to new levels and in new directions, and will offer courses and cocurricular activities for all grades that extend beyond the conventional curriculum and beyond the regular school year.

By providing additional and enhanced learning opportunities, students will have the unique ability to explore subjects that ignite their passions. Rundle will open its doors to year-round programs for students, including enriched learning during the summer months.

Over the next five years, Rundle will:

• provide access to modern and diverse learning opportunities such as Global Online Academy to encourage deeper student-directed learning; • enable on-demand access to course content through our Learning Management System so that students can access course materials and resources effortlessly; • establish before- and after-school care programs for Rundle students in Kindergarten through Grade 6; • create Junior Cobras / Junior Rockies camps to introduce Rundle’s youngest athletes to team and individual sports; and, • extend learning opportunities through mind-and-body camps offered outside the regular school day.

5 THE ASCENT Strategic Objective

Rundle believes leadership is a fundamental 21st-century skill. The school will nurture the key competencies that will enable future leaders developed at Rundle to contribute meaningfully to society.

Background

We believe that leadership is a transcendent skill that both opens doors and enables individuals to make meaningful contributions across the socio-economic spectrum. Rundle is committed to developing students in ways that enable them to become leaders in their areas of interest. We will build upon our strong character-development program to incorporate Leadership as a foundational pillar. Rundle aims to have emerging student leaders understand leadership styles, develop and practice skills, and reflect on progress with a coach.

At the same time, Rundle will provide parallel leadership development opportunities for faculty and staff. We believe building capacity across the organization will strengthen the overall Rundle experience, thereby attracting and retaining an outstanding team of inspiring educators and passionate professionals.

Over the next five years, Rundle will:

• offer The Ascent – Distinction in Leadership Program for students and staff. This program will enable participants to explore and develop their own style of leadership and communication, which is so important to lead effectively; • continue the ongoing focus of its learning service programs and formalize its volunteering processes to include standardized requirements across all schools; and, • review its practices in recruitment and retention of faculty and staff and explore strategies to ensure Rundle maintains a reputation as a workplace of choice.

Rundle Inspires Leaders

MEASURING IMPACT & PROGRESS OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN Recognizing the educational landscape is constantly evolving, Rundle will continue to challenge and advance its strategy. We believe a strategic plan is dynamic by nature, and that we must continually reflect on the current articulation of the strategy. Our ongoing guiding question is clear: Are Rundle’s programs delivering in practice the results we envisioned.

Rundle has developed a process to regularly revisit and refresh its strategy, questioning what is still applicable and what requires renewal, and assessing whether Rundle is achieving its overarching goals. Rundle’s leadership will engage in an annual strategic review to reflect on the strategic plan and identify areas that require updating.

Rundle will measure its impact on the entire teaching and learning community through: • parent, student, alumni, and faculty and staff surveys; • focus groups of engaged stakeholders; and, • Rundle Happiness Quotient feedback from faculty and staff.

STRATEGIC PLAN 2017-2022

RUNDLE COLLEGE SOCIETY 7379 17th Avenue SW Calgary, Alberta T3H 3W5 403-291-3866 www.rundle.ab.ca