The Seven Hills School Strategic Destinations
WHOLE CHILD WHOLE COMMUNITY
The Seven Hills School is a learning community whose mission is to develop the intellect, engage the spirit, and foster respect for, and responsibility to, our world.
Whole Child, Whole Community
T
he Seven Hills School opened its doors in 1962 with an innovative vision—to create a different kind of learning experience for children. The result was a focus on the whole child by pairing educational
excellence with character building, and combining mastery of content with the skills and attitudes necessary to be a confident contributor to the school community and the wider world. We are a community that joyfully inspires a love of learning, instills an appreciation for nature and the environment, fosters respect for service and celebrates inclusivity. In the spirit of continuous improvement and as our 60th anniversary draws near, we are launching an updated strategic plan that preserves the time-honored traditions that make Seven Hills the remarkable school it is today. Our Whole Child, Whole Community approach prioritizes all aspects of our students’ learning experience and Seven Hills’ long-term sustainability by building upon the groundwork laid in previous strategic plans and serving as our guide as we move confidently into our future. Consider this a roadmap to our 60th year and beyond. We look forward to embarking on this exciting journey with the entire Seven Hills community— past, present and future.
Kathleen McNamara H E AD OF SCHOOL
What Guides Us Seven Beliefs for Seven Hills
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Every student deserves A WHOLE CHILD EDUCATION that balances academic excellence with social and emotional development. 2
LEARNING IS JOYFUL. Through an integrated and experiential
program, students are taught compassion, agency and collaboration. 3
PASSIONATE AND CREATIVE FACULTY challenge,
nurture and inspire each child. 4
Our VIBRANT COMMUNITY is connected by more than five decades of service and lifelong learning. 5
Our commitment to DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION fosters cultural competency and global understanding. 6
Our BEAUTIFUL, NATURAL CAMPUS provides unique opportunities for student engagement, innovation and wonder. 7
EFFECTIVE STEWARDSHIP of our financial, physical and
philanthropic resources is a SHARED RESPONSIBILITY.
The Seven Hills School Strategic Destinations
Destination: Develop the Intellect Promoting Exemplary Learning and Teaching
A
lifelong love of learning starts with a well-rounded, whole child approach to education. Through cross-disciplinary studies, inquiry-based learning and
teamwork that spans grades and subjects, our students develop crucial skills including collaboration, agency, leadership and problem-solving. A passionate group of educators, our teachers serve as role models who challenge our students academically while teaching them the social skills needed to thrive in an increasingly diverse, complex and rapidly changing world.
OUR ROADMAP Commit to a dynamic curriculum review cycle, which assesses academic, social-emotional and co-curricular learning Expand our commitment to STEAM curriculum, incorporating life and natural science as well as technical science, utilizing our own natural campus as an outdoor laboratory Design a comprehensive digital and information literacy program, including coding classes, digital citizenship, research skills and parent education Create an increasingly diverse, equitable and inclusive community of students, teachers and families providing all students the necessary educational advantage to succeed in a global world Adopt the exemplary teaching model—a growth-oriented faculty evaluation model that highlights innovation, collaborative teams across grades and subjects and opportunities to learn and lead
“ To excel, we must prepare our students for their future, not our past.” DANIEL P I N K , BEST- S E L L I N G AU T H O R O F A W H OLE NEW MIND
Destination: Engage the Spirit Developing the Whole Child
E
ngaging the spirit means prioritizing each student’s well-being and connectedness as well as developing essential interpersonal skills, including resilience, agency,
adaptability and mindfulness. We educate and graduate lifelong learners who are engaged members of our community through a robust program that offers opportunities for experiential education, service learning and international exchange. A commitment to diversity and inclusion builds empathy and creates cultural competency skills that allow our graduates to thrive as global citizens in a diverse world.
OUR ROADMAP Participate in Harvard University’s Caring Schools Initiative promoting kindness and empathy to build ever stronger learning communities Launch a community lunch program that includes a communal dining experience to enhance nutrition, learning and connection Support each student through personal learning profiles tracked over time through newly created care teams supported by a permanent counselor position Deepen cultural competency through teacher professional development, parent education and student programming Expand opportunities for student voice and choice, in which students’ inquiries and interests drive their learning, service and leadership
“ Let’s make sure we are valuing caring and kindness as much as we are valuing achievement and happiness.” R I C HARD W E I SSBO U R D, S E NI O R L E C T U R E R, H ARVARD G RADUAT E S CH O O L O F E DU CAT IO N
Destination: Foster Respect for, and Responsibility to, Our World Ensuring Financial and Environmental Sustainability
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s a community, we are responsible for modeling the active stewardship of our school and the surrounding environment. We are committed to securing our long-
term financial sustainability through sound fiscal management of the resources necessary to advance our mission, program and facilities. We will continue to ensure our beautiful, natural campus not only meets the needs of 21st century learners, but also serves as the “third teacher,” designed to encourage stewardship, mutual respect and appreciation for the environment.
OUR ROADMAP Invest in student learning, gathering and performance spaces— both new and re-imagined—through strategic campus master planning and a bold fundraising initiative Design an updated tuition assistance model reflective of the school’s mission and values Create opportunities for enhanced diversity and optimized student-teacher ratios by expanding Middle School enrollment and engaging in community partnerships Grow our endowment to support strategic priorities and reduce our reliance on tuition increases, while exploring partnerships and alternative revenue opportunities Explore possibilities for our Early Childhood Education (ECE) program to reach into the local community for teacher training and professional development partnerships with local colleges and schools of education Build stronger connections with parents, alumni, alumni parents and the broader East Bay community as we approach the school’s 60th anniversary
“ If we want people to leave things better than they found them, we must begin with our youngest learners.” L I ND EN VA N W ERT, FAC U LT Y ME MB E R S I N CE 1975
Our Whole Child, Whole Community approach takes every Seven Hills student on a journey that is studentcentered, guided by faculty who instill a love of learning, a growth mindset and the skills to navigate our diverse and complex world, all in a culture of inclusivity and community. Our commitment to a healthy balance between academic strength and social-emotional learning ensures that students graduate from Seven Hills as well-rounded individuals prepared to take the next step in their educational journey. This strategic plan is an ambitious roadmap for The Seven Hills School. It will drive our efforts to enhance our program and remain at the forefront of educating the whole child, while holding fast to the values that have kept us strong for nearly 60 years.
Our destinations are in sight. We look forward to building our future together.
THE SEVEN HILLS SCHOOL Board of Trustees Jamil Akoni Pat Blake Annette O’Donnell-Butner Paul Deeringer Candace Fleming Laura Furstenthal John Gingrich Khira Griscavage Julie Gutzwiller Sameer Hilal Matt Janopaul Alexandra Lee Mackenzie Lesher Patrick Lin Rob Little Matt Macomber Gina Morris Ronke Olatunji Seiyonne Suriyakumar ’02 Lisa Barnett Sween Kirsten Young Administrative Leadership Team Michael Chamberlain Scott Espinosa-Brown Susanne Goldman Kathleen McNamara Rhys Miller Dan Rogoff Katherine Stahl Amy Walters
975 North San Carlos Drive Walnut Creek, CA 94598 sevenhillsschool.org