Seven Arrows Elementary Strategic Plan

Seven Arrows STRATEGIC PLAN

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Mission

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Process

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Philosophy

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Student Outcomes

11 Curriculum

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Our Core Values

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Enduring Institution

13 Community

Faculty Excellence

15 Thank You

Mission

Seven Arrows Elementary inspires passion for discovery, academic excellence, and a commitment to both the local and global community.

We are dedicated to the holistic development of hardworking, confident, creative, prepared and ethical young people in an intimate setting. We celebrate each child’s innate abilities while helping them realize their full potential.

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MISSION

Philosophy THE CHILD

THE CLASSROOM

THE WORLD

THE SEVEN ARROWS STUDENT

The spark of discovery comes from within. Our profoundly strong teacher to student ratio allows us to engage every student, honoring the rich diversity of learning styles, strengths and interests. We are dedicated to the whole child, mindfully nurturing their sense of character, confidence, creativity, and curiosity. Every student is seen, heard and challenged. We meet your child where they are. We honor them, celebrate them, and foster in them a lasting love of learning.

Seven Arrows meets each child’s enthusiasm for discovery with a cuttingedge academic program. Our evolving curriculum offers rigorous traditional academic exploration, while also paying close attention to the latest educational research. We do not depend on a “learn by lecture,” “one-size-fitsall” program. We champion a dynamic classroom, alive with experiential learning and individualized attention. We are committed to a thorough exploration of the sciences, while remaining dedicated to the arts and languages. We empower each student with the foundation and knowledge to both thrive in the present and embrace future opportunities.

Our confident, life-long learners also develop a sense of community. They belong to a diverse, multicultural family of mindful children, engaged teachers, and involved parents. Seven Arrows students celebrate this school community, while also embracing a connection to our greater city, country and world.

We instill tools for conflict resolution. Our curriculum integrates multicultural traditions and celebrations to strengthen our bond with all humanity. Our students lead ethical leadership projects designed to better our world, locally and globally. We celebrate diversity, inclusion, and social responsibility. We strive to instill a respect for our Earth. Seven Arrows endeavors to create ethical, energized citizens, prepared to contribute to their immediate community and beyond.

A Seven Arrows graduate is a creative, compassionate, ethical, self-confident thinker and leader, whose talents, gifts and interests have been honored by both the school and an involved, supportive community of families.

PHILOSOPHY

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SEVEN ARROWS

STRATEGIC PLANNING

Our Seven Core Values Our Strategic Planning Process In 2018, leadership at Seven Arrows began the process of looking forward five to seven years. They recognized that the entrepreneurial success of the school over its first 20 years was largely centered around the outsized contributions of a select few individuals.

In order for the school to continue its success, it needed to formally establish its values, outcomes and philosophies that can help guide it for the next twenty years.

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CITIZENSHIP

EMPATHY

INTEGRITY

RESPECT

We believe in pursuing the common good and being active, ethical contributors to our local and global communities.

We believe in showing kindness, accepting our differences, and considering the feelings of others. We believe in the power of forgiveness and love.

We believe in being honest, loyal and ethical. We endeavor to be trustworthy and stay true to our word.

We believe in respecting ourselves, others, and the environment. We believe in fairness and justice. We embrace diversity.

RESPONSIBILITY

PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE

GRATITUDE

We believe in self-control, and in being prepared, attentive and accountable.

We believe in challenging ourselves, striving to reach our fullest potential in academics, the arts, sports, and in our daily lives. We believe in effort, dedication, perseverance and courage in our own selffulfillment and contribution to their community.

We believe in active apprecition for all the good in our lives and the world. We pay it forward.

SEVEN CORE VALUES

To start the process of asking itself, “What do we want Seven Arrows to be over the next 20 years?”, the school had to establish a clear picture as to what it is today. To accomplish that objective, the school hired an east coast based education expert, GLP, to craft and administer surveys and interviews to the school stakeholders.

That stakeholder group included faculty, parents, students, alumni, middle school admissions directors, and pre-school directors. Detailed interviews were conducted with the preschool directors (the “input”) and middle school admissions directors (the “output”) to glean as much candid feedback as possible. The Strategic Planning Committee analyzed the data with help from GLP and presented the findings to the faculty, the Board of Trustees and the parent community at large.

Using that information, the Strategic Planning Committee constructed a framework for the Strategic Pillars of the school that provide a foundation for the next twenty years, irrespective of circumstances internal and external to the Seven Arrows community.

The committee, in conjunction with the administration, assigned two leaders for each Strategic Pillar. Those leaders were also assigned teams comprised of parents, administration and faculty to discuss each one. The leaders subsequently reported on their discussions to the broader Strategic Planning Committee. A key part of this process was to evaluate and memorialize the mission and core philosophy of the school in relation to the strengths and goals of the school today and looking forward.

The feedback from the Strategic Pillar discussions was consolidated into a framework of guiding questions.

These Guiding Questions will provide a strategic compass to the school leadership and the community at large as the school evolves over the next twenty years. Each year, using this plan as a guide, the Administration and Board of Trustees will work to identify tasks and annual projects that address these questions and help Seven Arrows advance its mission. The Board will be updated throughout the year on the progress of these tasks.

PROCESS

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SEVEN ARROWS

STRATEGIC PLANNING

Strategic Pillar 1: Student Outcomes GUIDING QUESTIONS

BACKGROUND & RATIONALE

How do we create curious, lifelong learners that have confidence and a strong sense of self?

Seven Arrows believes that a core outcome for elementary school students is to develop a love of learning. Seven Arrows provides an education that emphasizes critical thinking in our students, along with an emphasis on the core values necessary for the students to grow into tomorrow’s leaders.

How do we properly balance social, emotional growth with academic rigor to create students who are prepared for their next challenge beyond Seven Arrows?

How do we provide a foundation to ensure that our students are and will be net contributors to their communities?

The Seven Arrows experience produces students that have the following core competencies:

Creator

Collaborator

Communicator

Constructor of Knowledge

Computational Thinker

Contributor

Conscious Learner

Critical Thinker

Seven Arrows students distinguish themselves via academic achievement, but also through confidence in themselves and in their outlook. They should be able to adapt to and excel in both new and familiar contexts.

In order to develop into global leaders, Seven Arrows students should demonstrate media literacy, possess a growth mindset, and be service-oriented. Whether a task involves skills, concepts, or critical thinking, we prepare our students with the tools they need to achieve excellence no matter the context.

2019-2020 ACTION PLAN Identify annual goals and benchmarks for CONTRIBUTOR and CRITICAL THINKER core competencies. Answer the question: are we succeeding in these two areas?

Team: Maria Arellano, Ani Dillon, Sara Kaviar, Margarita Pagliai.

Get parent feedback on progress reports and begin the process of aligning progress reports to core competencies.

Our students graduate as high achieving, confident, caring, young people with a desire to make their community and the world at large a better place. Seven Arrows consistently reflects on and refines the programs that have been the most beneficial in producing Seven Arrows graduates with the aforementioned characteristics. We create tools to measure our student outcomes against benchmarks and adjust our programs accordingly to the needs of future generations.

Team: Sara Kaviar, Anjini Desai, Lindsay Collins and Shawna Wilson.

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STRATEGIC PILLAR 1

STUDENT OUTCOMES

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SEVEN ARROWS

STRATEGIC PLANNING

Strategic Pillar 2: Enduring Institution GUIDING QUESTIONS How does Seven Arrows perpetuate its first 20 years of entrepreneurial spirit, innovation, values, and energy for the next twenty years beyond the current administration? How does it institutionalize the essence of what makes Seven Arrows differentiated, authentic, and uncompromising in its quest for excellence?

How does Seven Arrows remain stable while nimble enough to evolve as society’s demands of students change? How will it evolve while maintaining its value proposition to enable each child to reach his/her human potential?

BACKGROUND & RATIONALE How does Seven Arrows use its small community size as an advantage while overcoming the inherent disadvantages of its size, such as financial resources and real estate options?

Given the growing economic disparity between the community and the faculty/ admin, how does Seven Arrows continue to attract the best and brightest people that believe in its mission and values?

2019-2020 ACTION PLAN Establish endowment as permanent capital for the school.

Team: Jamie Siminoff, Marc Merrill, Steve Henning, Margarita Pagliai.

Having an enduring mission and values system is the foundation to an enduring institution. The school confronts challenges, both in and out of its control – in order to endure, it requires a strong value system and ample financial resources. The core foundation for Seven Arrows for the next 20 years includes its unapologetic and relentless commitment to excellence, focus on the student, ability to make the right decision (despite pressure from different stakeholders), and its intimate community. Our size and ability to provide differentiated learning experiences are core to that mission and school value system.

We must use that trait as a strength and build the resources, plant, and organization around that concept.

While succession planning, organizational structure, and financial resources are important checklist items for this strategic pillar, these items will only provide short term benefits if we do not have all stakeholders and processes – parents, administration, faculty, admissions, etc. – operating with the same moral compass and system of values.

Get parent feedback on progress reports and begin the process of establishing norms, processes, and a culture of recognition for financial supporters of the school (including the Impact Report).

Team: Brett Wyard, Peter Morrison, Michael Kaplan, Jane Rose.

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STRATEGIC PILLAR 2

ENDURING INSTITUTION

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SEVEN ARROWS

STRATEGIC PLANNING

Strategic Pillar 3: Faculty Excellence GUIDING QUESTIONS

BACKGROUND & RATIONALE

How do we continue to create an environment of professional growth and innovation to ensure that Seven Arrows has best in class faculty?

Creating a top-notch faculty is a cornerstone to achieving our student outcome and curriculum goals. The faculty team needs to be experts in delivering the current pedagogy and modeling a love of learning for the students.

Faculty, administration and staff will be aligned to provide the best possible learning environment for the students.

How do we continue to foster a strong culture and community among the faculty to ensure continuity and consistency in the team?

2019-2020 ACTION PLAN Create feedback loop and process for teacher input into professional development.

Team: Sara Kaviar, Maria Arellano, and Harry Salamandra.

Create a communication strategy for the community around teacher attrition.

Team: Harry Salamandra, Dalit Toledano, and Annaka Harris.

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To achieve these goals, Seven Arrows must continue to provide professional growth opportunities for all faculty to benchmark what current best practices are for their grade level and/or specific subject area. In addition to providing these opportunities, a feedback loop between faculty and administration must be strong and consistent to ensure that the school is continuously striving for excellence across every subject matter. Finally, the on-boarding and training of new faculty must be structured and consistent (with a mentorship component for continued guidance & support) to optimize their success and ensure implementation of Seven Arrows’ curriculum.

STRATEGIC PILLAR 3

FACULTY EXCELLENCE

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SEVEN ARROWS

STRATEGIC PLANNING

Strategic Pillar 4: Curriculum GUIDING QUESTIONS

BACKGROUND & RATIONALE

How do we continue to evolve and enhance the integrated experiential learning curriculum to produce students that achieve in the Seven Arrows core competencies:

Integrated experiential learning (“IEL”) is core to the Seven Arrows curriculum.

The curriculum deliberately crafts learning experiences and instruction that allows students to make connections across skills, habits, passions, knowledge, and community both inside and outside of the school environment.

– creator – collaborator – communicator – constructor of knowledge – computational thinker – contributor – conscious learner – critical thinker How do we continue to design curriculums within our core principles above that enable the students to tackle the global challenges that they will face in their lifetime?

How do we continue to ensure that our curriculum prepares students for the rigorous academic and non-academic challenges of and transition to middle school?

The curriculum provides highly differentiated learning experiences in which students develop their knowledge, skills and understanding across multiple subject areas and new contexts. Students use skills and knowledge from different sources and experiences, develop perspective by understanding diverse points of view, make connections between past knowledge and new situations, and apply social/emotional “life skills” to learning and doing.

2019-2020 ACTION PLAN

With IEL as a core attribute to the Seven Arrows curriculum, the pedagogy provides a foundation for the students our to excel in a variety of academically rigorous environments, which enables them to use critical thinking skills and holistic viewpoints to solve age appropriate, complex problems. The curriculum provides a structured and academically challenging framework, while remaining nimble enough in order to adjust to new challenges and problems that our students will face such as climate change and artificial intelligence.

Seven Arrows believes that technology can enhance the learning experience, but it cannot replace the benefits of human interaction in the education process. Seven Arrows aims to employ best practices for the use of technology – hardware and software – but its curriculum remains rooted in the human experience.

Identify key research organizations and individuals to influence Seven Arrows Elementary Curriculum.

Team: Maria Arellano, Ani Dillon, and Margarita Pagliai.

Establish feedback loop from key middle school teachers and students to identify strengths and weaknesses in Seven Arrows Curriculum.

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Team: Darren Nakasuji, Jill Koplin, Brett Wyard.

STRATEGIC PILLAR 4

CURRICULUM

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SEVEN ARROWS

STRATEGIC PLANNING

Strategic Pillar 5: Community DEFINING QUESTIONS

BACKGROUND & RATIONALE

How does Seven Arrows foster a positive relationship with all key stakeholders that support the vision, mission and values of the school?

Maintaining a strong sense of community is imperative to the school’s accomplishing its goals. The combination of curriculum and size of the school creates the need for all stakeholders to contribute their unique strengths and resources to the school. With a community full of diverse interests, thoughts and backgrounds, the collective power of the contributions will empower the students to achieve the school core competencies.

– Across stakeholder groups — teachers to parents, students to alumni, etc.?

–Within stakeholder groups — parents to parents, teachers to teachers, etc.?

How does Seven Arrows celebrate diversity and inclusivity while maintaining a core sense of belonging for everybody?

2019-2020 ACTION PLAN Create community education plan around diversity.

Team: Maria Arellano, Fiona Farrahi, Jill Koplin, Kim Blish-Ewen.

Create calendar and process for more “marquee” school events, similar to Adam Grant in 2019.

Team: Fiona Farrahi, Annaka Harris, Chip Robertson, Margarita Pagliai.

Establish Sister School.

Team: Heather Morris, Peter Morrison, Amy Eldon Turteltaub.

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STRATEGIC PILLAR 5

COMMUNITY

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Thank you.

SEVEN ARROWS

STRATEGIC PLANNING

STRATEGIC PILLAR 1: STUDENT OUTCOMES

STRATEGIC PILLAR 2: ENDURING INSTITUTION

STRATEGIC PILLAR 3: FACULTY EXCELLENCE

STRATEGIC PILLAR 4: CURRICULUM

Continue to identify and benchmark success across eight competiencies throughout each student journey

Articulation of values and priorities that must be exhibited in every stakeholder

Develop relationship and align with cutting edge education research organizations to continue evolving the Seven Arrows philosophy

Interview alumni from 7th grade to college to understand greatest strengths and weaknesses both academically and social/emotionally

Continue to innovate on the curriculum journey for the eight competencies

Create hiring guidelines to maintain value system of school

Continue through folio to build trust with teachers to ensure they are receptive to feedback and performance evaluations

Succession planning Endowment creation Real estate solutions for teachers/faculty Master plan for physical plant Long term planning for permanent Real Estate Solutions

– Building on best practices at aspirational peer schools such as Windward and CEE – Evaluations are not “gotcha moments” –– they are how we all make Seven Arrows a growing, thriving, and better community – Continue through folio protocol for teacher observation Develop culture and teamwork in the faculty/admin

Evaluate board to ensure it is high value add with excellent relations within it and with the Head of School

STRATEGIC PILLAR 5: COMMUNITY Continue to create progress reports for both teachers and students based on the eight core competencies

Continue to attend professional development programs to adopt best practices into the Seven Arrows curriculum framework

Refer to the work being done

by CAIS to understand the role standardized testing plays within the eight core competencies and middle school outcomes

Continue to attend conferences and peer schools to craft bestin-class content regarding climate change education

Develop strategic plan for technology that provides a guide for changes over the next 5-8 years

Research with middle schools to discover strengths and weaknesses of SAE students and develop gap analysis

Create a plan and calendar of events that are core to the school values that bring the community together while including those outside the community. The Adam Grant event should be the template Forge a closer relationship with neighborhood schools (Village, Corpus Christi, Pali Elementary) to actively collaborate on local issues and have students intermix Establish an official sister school that creates opportunities to expose students to issues and people outside of the westside “bubble”

Create a calendar of events for new parents to integrate into the community Develop clear communications plan and expectations between school and parents Develop social calendar for teacher social events Define Festival Calendar with clear goals (curriculum, community, etc) for each one Define Kuyam in community and articulate role in education and community development

Create PTA program that enforces parent volunteer requirements

Continue via folio to develop professional growth process for teachers Develop a consortium of local schools to solve community issues

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APPENDIX

BRAINSTORMS FOR ANNUAL PROJECTS

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