ST. JAMES ACADEMY HIGH SCHOOL
STRATEGIC PLAN
2022 2024
ST. JAMES ACADEMY STRATEGIC PLAN We opened the doors of St. James Academy in August of 2005 with an established mission of passing on the Catholic faith to the next generation while creating disciples for Jesus. Sixteen years later, that Mission has remained the foundation of all we do at St. James Academy. With that foundation, St. James Academy has grown into a leader in Catholic education through excellent academics, elite athletics and activities, and a culture that thrives through our community system and formation of young people. In the spring of 2020, the St. James Academy Board of Trustees and Administration began the process of creating a three-year Strategic Plan. The goal was to create imperatives that would establish a working road map for St. James Academy as we move into the future. Those imperatives are detailed in this document and will be continually updated with the Board of Trustees as we progress through the goals established. We found the Strategic Plan process to be very informative for our school. Planning is vital to the future success of St. James Academy. Once we began the Strategic Plan process, we realized rather quickly that facility needs on our campus were a high priority. We decided at that time that an all-encompassing campus Master Plan was important to our strategic planning. We hired the architecture firm Gould Evans to lead us through the master planning process. It was an exercise in dreaming about the next 30 years of our campus. The Master Plan will be revealed to our community later this spring as we continue to work with Gould Evans on the final product. If we want to pass on the Catholic faith to the next generation, we have to do it together. We want to intentionally engage parents as the first formators of their children. We want to provide the facilities and programming that allow students to know Truth, choose Good, and live virtuously in the service of others in new and meaningful ways. We want to create new avenues for the amazing teachers in this building to connect with their students, partner with parents, and share their expertise and passion. The future at St. James is bright. We look forward to meeting that future together. Andy Tylicki President
Kathy Rasmussen Board Chair
ST. JAMES ACADEMY STRATEGIC PLAN
MISSION St. James Academy exists to pass on the Catholic faith to the next generation. The community is rooted in the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church and is dedicated to developing the minds and hearts of young people to know Truth, choose Good and live virtuously in the service of others.
VALUE STATEMENTS PRAYER AND SACRAMENTS
We value a life rooted in prayer and the sacraments. We have established a tradition of living the sacramental life on a daily basis as a means to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
TRUTH
We value a rigorous, well-rounded academic education rooted in the liberal arts and Catholic intellectual tradition, balanced with modern innovation, that leads to a discovery of Truth.
RELATIONSHIPS
We value a tradition of cultivating relationships through community and prayer. We intentionally create bonds with our students, staff, and families, united with Jesus and the Magisterium of His universal Church.
LEADERSHIP
We value preparing our students to share the light of Christ in the world by following God’s plan for each one of us. They learn and practice the skills to be leaders in their families, parishes, communities, fields of study, and workforce, within whatever vocation God calls them.
2022-2024 VISION STATEMENT St. James Academy will be the leading Catholic high school where students learn to live the Faith, to pursue Truth through the liberal arts combined with modern innovation, and to find a relationship with God, each other, and the adults who love them.
ST. JAMES ACADEMY STRATEGIC PLAN
IMPLEMENT INNOVATION INITIATIVE Plan and implement the SJA Innovation Initiative (PHASE 1 - Rhetoric and Media Arts/Computer Science, and Campus Ministry. PHASE 2 - Spark Center for Academics/Science Lab Updates) 1. Rhetoric and Media Arts: assemble a teaching team; form vision and goals; write curriculum scope and sequence; plan facilities. (Summer 2022) 2. Campus Ministry: update campus ministry vision; plan new campus ministry center centrally located near the chapel. (Summer 2022) 3. Computer Science: evaluate and rewrite curriculum scope and sequence; plan facilities. (Summer 2022) 4. Spark Center for Academics: research, plan, and implement proof-of-concept program; record data for impact reporting; plan eventual expansion and new facilities. 5. Science Lab Updates: shuffle and redistribute current science storage and office spaces to create proof-of-concept lab space; research and design new Science Lab spaces.
DEVELOP AND RETAIN FACULTY Create a plan to make the St. James staff a “destination job” for teachers, and create leadership opportunities for teachers to build their own and colleague’s instructional capacity. 1. Create a plan to add more faculty/staff members to increase opportunities for adding electives and decrease the load of non-teaching duties on our teachers. 2. Move from Department Chair model to “Team Lead” model for faculty leadership. 3. Implement summer development and training plan for Team Leads.
ST. JAMES ACADEMY STRATEGIC PLAN
EASE ACCESS AND OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND Increase the feasibility of attending and support while at St. James for families and students from all socio-economic situations, racial and ethnic backgrounds, and student learning abilities. 1. Create a visual environment that reflects the universality of the Catholic Church and helps communicate that families of all backgrounds have a place at our school and in the Church. 2. Create a plan for educating our students and families on different cultures, as well as a deeper understanding of the sin of racism. 3. Develop a strategic partnership with a local Catholic parish and school to increase opportunities for families of diverse socioeconomic and racial/ethnic backgrounds to attend St. James Academy. 4. Continue to add supports for students of all abilities through the implementation of a Freshmen Seminar, Sophomore Seminar, Spark Center for Academics, and full MTSS framework.
ST. JAMES ACADEMY STRATEGIC PLAN
INCREASE COURSE OFFERINGS Increase course offerings for students in order to deepen the intellectual life at St. James, create more options for students in pursuing their interests, and opening up new avenues and methods for learning. 1. Survey students and parents regarding new course interests. 2. Complete Academic Vision Days for each department to gather and compile faculty input. 3. Create a 3-5 year forecast of new courses and resources needed. 4. Revisit Departmental Visions annually.
We will never deviate from our commitment to faith and community, but we also know that the academics in our building are very strong and about to get stronger. I firmly believe the initiatives in this Strategic Plan will make us a national leader in Catholic school academics. These imperatives are going to help us carve out a path for a truly excellent education that is rooted in the liberal arts tradition, innovative in the ways it responds to the modern world, and thoroughly Catholic in its vision and implementation. Dr. Shane Rapp, Principal
ST. JAMES ACADEMY STRATEGIC PLAN
MASTER PLANNING AND PREP WORK Complete Master Planning and prep work for a future financial feasibility. 1. Create a comprehensive 30-year master facilities plan which will provide guidance for future buildings AND interior alterations of current buildings. 2. Develop a Financial Impact Plan (including debt retirement, endowment, campus facilities) to align with timing of onboarding new/renovated facilities.
PARENT AND FAMILY ENGAGEMENT Further engage parents intentionally in the education and formation of their children, and provide meaningful opportunities for all family members to contribute to and engage with St. James Academy. 1. Implement the “Essential Questions” annual conversations with parents, students, and House mentors. 2. Create a formal plan for parent retreats and/or faith formation groups and liturgical opportunities. 3. Host an informational session for parents once each semester that is part of an intentional four-year parent “curriculum”. 4. Integrate younger siblings, grandparents, and alumni into future community event plans.
ST. JAMES ACADEMY STRATEGIC PLAN
STRATEGIC PLAN TASK FORCE Madelyn (Buckner) Campbell ‘11 Jenn Godar Helen Harrelson Amber Hellwig Fr. Michael Hermes Teresa Kempf Marty Krebs Wendy Leon-Ryan Mike Mahoney Debbie Nearmyer Shane Rapp Kathy Rasmussen Sam Rockford Terry Sexton Steve Smith Andy Tylicki Fr. Scott Walisch Zena Weist
BOARD OF TRUSTEES Kathy Rasmussen, Chair Mike Mahoney, Vice Chair Teresa Kempf, Finance Chair Vince Cascone, Archdiocese Superintendent Andy Tylicki, President of St. James Academy Fr. Michael Hermes Kevin Kelly Marty Krebs Terry Sexton Steve Smith Fr. Scott Wallisch Zena Weist
ST. JAMES ACADEMY STRATEGIC PLAN