SAC Strat Plan

The goal of the St. Andrew’s College Strategic Plan is to seek excellence and to propel the School toward becoming the most forwardthinking independent school in Canada.

MISSION STATEMENT Dedicated to the development of the complete man, the well-rounded citizen.

Foundational Pillars of St. Andrew’s College

boys boarding brotherhood tradition

St. Andrew’s is committed to its Mission, Vision, Values, and Foundational Principles.

It also desires to push into new areas of evidence-based innovation that will prepare and support students in their quest to become remarkable young men.

vision St. Andrew’s College will develop passionate young men who share in our collective commitment to holistic education and authentic learning. We believe in teaching our boys to see themselves as connected to their communities and the larger world, and we will help them to find meaning in their lives such that they will become role models and inspirational leaders. In a world of unprecedented societal challenge and change, our boys will have the tools to thrive.

values ACCOUNTABILITY RESPECT

COURAGE EMPATHY

INTEGRITY

CREATIVITY

RESILIENCE

STRATEGIC VISION

TACTICS

We continue to affirm the primacy of teaching and learning at St. Andrew’s College, with a focus on pursuing a more constructivist pedagogy and developing innovative curriculum which reflects the specific needs of boys today and in the future.

Professional Development and Pedagogical Considerations

GOALS

Teaching and learning at SAC should focus on: • ‘making learning visible’ and establishing a culture of visible learning within the School;

Our objective is to ensure our instructional practice provides our boys with authentic learning opportunities which will help them to make meaning, connect with others, and pursue their passions.

Further, we believe curricular orientations at St. Andrew’s College are both transactional and transformational.

• appropriate inquiry-driven lessons;

Our position is that while there will always be a place for traditional models of teaching and learning, we will seek to create more opportunities for teachers to develop experiential, interdisciplinary, and inquirybased approaches within the context of best practices identified in educational literature. Constructivist approaches such as these provide our boys with opportunities to connect with each other, gain a greater contextual understanding of their place in the world, and grow their vision of themselves. We seek to find a balance between helping boys increase their knowledge and developing in them competencies and skills that are transferable in any context.

• faculty and student understandings of gender, sexuality, race, and the relationship between these identity markers;

Finally, we believe that education is as much about character as it is about content. It is our belief that a holistic approach to teaching and learning will lead our boys to an understanding of the interconnectivity of all things, thereby ensuring compassion and empathy are the long-term underlying motivators in their life choices.

• appropriate interdisciplinary opportunities; • appropriate experiential opportunities both within and outside of the classroom; • appropriate metacognitive strategies in the classroom;

• the integration of leading-edge technology in curriculum delivery; • the integration of activities which promote resilience; • the integration of Andrean values into the classroom environment and beyond; and • the integration of the arts throughout the curriculum.

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Provide Professional Development that facilitates: • a support of teaching excellence which reflects a constructivist approach to teaching and learning as well as the development of rich assessment tools; and • a focus on aligning success criteria with learning outcomes.

Refocus on assessment and evaluation with an eye toward integrating the Ministry of Education vision that observations, conversations, and products will be used to evaluate student learning.

Ensure the report process reflects a commitment to learning; redefine the learning skills in the context of school-wide expectations for learning.

Curricular Initiatives Explicitly embed the themes of compassion and empathy into our programs such that they become motivators in our boys’ life choices.

Implement a curriculum both within and outside of the academic program which helps boys understand constructions of masculinities for the purpose of providing awareness and opportunities to address the various healthy and honourable ways to be a man in contemporary society.

Implement a cross-curricular public speaking and reading program which ensures that eloquence is fostered and reinforces the primacy of both the spoken and written word.

Borrowing from key partnerships with community workplaces, places of higher learning, the Old Boy network, our Parents Guild, and social service organizations, provide our boys with authentic opportunities to learn about the world and workplace beyond the gates.

Programmatic and Systemic School-Wide Changes Develop an academic yearly schedule and a daily timetable which: • places the primacy of learning as the guiding principle; • aligns the schedule and timetable with wellness initiatives; • considers an extension to the school year to ensure adequate curricular and Professional Development time is available; • ensures departments and groups connected through learning are given opportunity to meet regularly; • refocuses on grade-specific meetings and ensures grade coordinators are pursuing systemic grade-specific academic matters; and • safeguards co-curricular leadership opportunities within the schedule such as councils and clubs so that students can pursue their interests.

Examine the depth and breadth of all co-curricular programs, specifically the arts in embodying the values we are pursuing in our mission, and how to best integrate these activities into the St. Andrew’s schedule.

Investigate the feasibility of a program which allows for boys to pursue their unique passions through a three-year enrichment program (five-year Upper School); provide specific programming which complements this initiative, including considerations for cooperative or community involvement opportunities.

Re-evaluate the categories and requirements for the Andrean Diploma with Honours to ensure alignment with the arts and co-curricular strands. continued...

Space and Learning Ensure classroom fixtures and layout aligns with constructivist approaches to teaching and learning, and the need to make learning visible.

Ensure classroom spaces reflect the need for boys to be active; provide fitness initiatives that work in concert with teaching and learning objectives.

Parent and Community Education Provide regular opportunities to inform parents about and provide a rationale for our approach to teaching and learning.

Leverage community publications such as The Andrean, A Look Ahead, Old Boys News, and Andrean Community News to inform our community about our evolving academic program and promote our specialized academic offerings.

Personnel Hire transformational teachers who demonstrate subject and curricular expertise, have proven awareness of pedagogy, experience in the arts and athletics, and a willingness to participate in the full life of the College, including the promotion of our values, and support of our pastoral care and wellness initiatives.

Explore the feasibility and potential effectiveness of recruiting subject specialists as coverage teachers to protect faculty meeting and planning time.

STRATEGIC VISION St. Andrew’s is committed to supporting wellness for all students and ensuring proactive education on mental, physical, emotional, and social health. We will continue to create global citizens focused on 21st century skills and community service. A culture of happiness, support, and positivity is critical to school and life success.

We encourage healthy living habits through a focus on physical health and wellness, and encourage the discovery of personal values and meaning through connections to self and others.

GOALS Our objective is to integrate all wellness services and further develop the School’s “circle of care,” in order to best serve our students in all their needs.

Whether within or beyond our gates, we will continue to instil in our students the value of our own community and develop an appreciation and sense of personal responsibility to communities around the world. As part of that process, we look to reconceptualize our Chapel program in order to create a greater awareness in our students of spirituality and broader societal responsibility.

We will develop and deliver a “life skills” curriculum that represents those elements of a well-rounded education we believe are critical for students and their future. Furthermore, we want to ensure that the experiences of all our students, both day and boarding, are valued and treated equally.

TACTICS Create a “student centre” by re-purposing existing space in order to support overall wellness and community spirit: counselling, life skills education, citizenship, wellness, and student support services. Students could receive health and counselling services and athletic therapy, in addition to providing common areas for mindfulness.

Increase our support for mental health and counselling services to ensure proactive education for students and also mental health case management.

Clearly identify the role Chapel and spirituality play in the life of students. With an eye on tradition, create a Chapel and pastoral care program relevant to boys and their needs. Chapel will focus on school values, an awareness of social justice, character, citizenship, improving the world, inspiration, resiliency, and perseverance through intentionality. Chapel will be a space to address religion, spirituality, and mindfulness and increase the connections within our community.

Rejuvenate Day House spirit and examine how day students identify with their peers in the house. Day Houses and Day House spirit to receive an injection of energy, planning, programming, and possibly physical space.

Through our non-academic co-curricular engagements with students, create a complete checklist of those skills considered invaluable for students to embody upon graduation. We will address and define the value of completeness and well-roundedness of life at SAC. Develop a programmatic and systematic approach to educating our boys on appropriate, positive, and healthy relationships with young women. This should include both personal and electronic communications.

STRATEGIC VISION St. Andrew’s will develop and enhance networking and mentoring opportunities for all Andreans within and beyond the gates to increase the number of Andreans with lifelong connections to the College. We will continue to promote the Andrean spirit and nurture a culture of philanthropy to ensure the long-term financial sustainability of SAC.

GOALS In order to foster the mentality of being an “Andrean for Life,” we will develop, emphasize, and expand our lifelong relationships with all Andreans around the world.

Through our philanthropic efforts, we will ensure the School has the best facilities and programs that support the mission. We will endeavour to grow endowed funds to provide financial aid to help admit mission-appropriate students to the College and to provide unrestricted support to school operations.

TACTICS Enrich mentorship and life skills opportunities between current students and Old Boys through university counselling, career days, entrepreneurship fairs, and community service; and further develop relationships between Upper and Middle School students.

Investigate a post-graduate program for current students to work in co-op placement with Old Boys, and/or other members of our broader SAC community.

This would include the development of workplace “soft skills.”

Expand the pairing of boarding students with day families for weekend visits to enhance the Family Mentorship program.

Increase connections between Old Boys around the world through engagement on Switchboard, an online network for Old Boys. Investigate adding all Andreans to the network.

Add 25th and 40th year Old Boy annual reunions.

Develop Lunch & Learn sessions for Old Boys to connect face-to-face in a professional setting. Sessions will feature Old Boys, in different professions, at their office.

Enhance programming for alumni parents, including a committee, to keep these constituents engaged in the life of the School.

Determine feasibility, and develop and execute appeals for priority capital and programmatic initiatives, specifically related to boarding, renovations to McLaughlin Hall, and the execution of Health and Wellness initiatives.

Increase the number of sons of Old Boys at SAC to 5% of the student body. Award Old Boy bursaries as a financial incentive, and prioritize the long-term growth of the endowed Old Boy Bursary fund.

Develop a new family endowed bursary program, an endowed unrestricted fund, and an annual non-endowed scholarship program with challenge matching funds from donors, the financial aid budget, and/or board restricted endowed funds. Ensure that at least 25% of the student population receives financial assistance.

Promote planned giving for the long-term growth of endowed funds.

STRATEGIC VISION The School will examine its priorities with regard to new facilities and renovations and develop a long-term strategy to address the highest priorities.

The School endeavours to ensure that its financial management processes and protocols are among the most advanced in the country and that cash reserves are maintained at a level to ensure that a short-term challenge can be managed effectively.

GOALS We will facilitate the long-term financial stability of the School by maintaining cash reserves and building unrestricted endowment funds as a fundamental principle of our fiduciary responsibilities.

We endeavour to prioritize facilities’ improvements and identify other operational cost requirements that emerge from the implementation of the Strategic Plan, and incorporate approved projects into the operational and capital budgets of the School.

Consideration will be given to the long-term purpose and value of facilities space, both renovations and re-organization, keeping in mind the principles of long life, loose fit, low energy.

TACTICS Work with the architects and consultants in finalizing the design for science classrooms and McLaughlin Hall renovations.

Consider options for the re-purposing and renovating of existing space that may be under-utilized, and that might facilitate the creation of a student-centred approach to health and wellness.

Focus on delivering the best boarding program in the country. This includes the continued development and expansion of the SAC Transition UP and Andrean Residential Experience programs. Explore the possibility of adding up to 20 boarding students to increase the School population to 650 students.

Finalize a Residential Facilities Master Plan in order to identify and prioritize projects to improve residential living in the boarding houses.

Determine the long-term value proposition for 15900 Yonge Street.

Incorporate any changes relating to program delivery and operational expenses resulting from Strategic Plan initiatives into the operational budget of the School, and prepare a new five-year Strategic Financial Plan.

Re-establish and maintain a financial reserve fund that equates to 15% of the School’s total operating budget (approximately $5M).

Determine any and all alternative revenue streams that could positively impact the future of the School.

Investigate further school development and expansion opportunities, including the possible opening of a separate campus for a girls’ school.

Campus illustrations by Steve McDonald ’88

15800 Yonge Street Aurora, ON L4G 3H7 Canada

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