Mission Enhancement Committee Update

Inspired by San Domenico’s ongoing work to update the School’s mission and vision statements, Dr. Brooke Jackson ’73 contacted us and reflected on her relationship with SD. “I worked in the admissions o ce for two years back in the mid-’90s,” she wrote, “and am proud that I was instrumental in formulating the ’Study, Reflect, Act’ language that became a part of San Domenico’s printed material. I arrived at that, by the way, because I sat down with Sister Gervaise and asked her to tell me about the core Dominican values that guided her in her lifelong vocation, and it was a powerful conversation.”

Jackson’s experience is much the same as our current process and insights. Since receiving the spring 2021 California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS) Accreditation report and recommendation to “consolidate its vision and progress in the process of drafting a new mission statement that will succinctly and clearly identify the unique significance and purpose of San Domenico School to its current and prospective community, in language that reflects San Domenico’s enduring values, current identity, and the way it meets the needs of the students it serves,” the MEC has been gathering input from our extensive and diverse community. Thank you for your continued input in this process!

When we first embarked on this project, we gathered results in a survey shared with more than 8,400 alumni, current and former Trustees, Dominican Sisters of San Rafael, current students, parents, and guardians, faculty and sta , and extended friends of the School. With this community feedback in hand, we then held small group listening sessions throughout last spring and this fall. Our most recent meetings included in-person events with Sisters who have been involved with the School, the current Board of Trustees, and alumni from the classes of 1948 through 2015. Amid disparate ages and backgrounds, common language and themes have emerged, reflecting how much you care about your School and what makes a San Domenico education unique.

We acknowledge the power of words and how their meaning evolves over time, even as values endure. We remember that a vision statement articulates a future state that an organization aspires to achieve and that a mission statement describes an organization’s fundamental, unique purpose.

With all of the input and feedback you have shared, the MEC and Board of Trustees will now engage in an iterative writing process to express our updated vision and mission statements. It will most certainly be a robust and engaging undertaking. You can expect to hear from us in the spring of 2023.

Thank you to all of our community members who have shared your perspectives, and to all who are contributing to this important work.

SAN DOMENICO MISSION ENHANCEMENT COMMITTEE 2022-23

Kali Baird

Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Liz Brown, Parent ’26

Sr. Cyndie Cammack, OP Committee Chair

Shelley Flint, Director of Sustainability

Jamie Ginsberg, Parent ’24

Richard Goldman, Board Chair and Parent ’22

Mirza Khan

Director of Philosophy, Ethics, and World Religions

Sarah Lee ’07

Sr. Susannah Malarkey, OP ’48

LeaAnne Parlette

Director of Lower and Middle School

Sandy Pfa

Parent ’28

Kimberly Pinkson

Director of Strategic Initiatives

Kate Reeser

Assistant Head of School for Academics; Director of Upper School

Laura Revenko ’85

Carrie Robley

Assistant Head of School for Student Life

Cecily Stock ’77

Head of School

Kathleen Toney

Trustee and Parent ’91, ’02

Cleary Vaughan-Lee

Parent ’23

Nick Vidinsky

Director of Marketing and Communications

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Sister Cyndie Cammack, OP, Mission Enhancement Committee Chair; Kimberly Pinkson, Director of Strategic Initiatives

From the Desk of Athletic Director Mark Churchill

There is a di erent vibe on campus these days as the San Domenico Panthers have been making huge strides in Athletics. This fall was no exception, with multiple teams achieving new milestones in league competition, including a league title in Flag Football and a trip to the NCS Division VI Championship Game for Women’s Volleyball. Four individual Panther athletes were recognized with BCL West All League selections in Cross Country and Volleyball.

The brand-new Sister Gervaise Valpey Aquatic Complex hosted the inaugural season for our Men’s and Women’s Water Polo teams, while student support is at an all-time high in the gym and on the fields, as fans have turned our Panther Cookouts into a lively new tradition in school spirit.

Come join us!

Mark Churchill, Athletic Director