Planning with vision
The Country Day School ONE OF THE LEADING INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS IN CANADA
Our Vision The Country Day School is committed to offering a superior educational experience that is sensitive to the needs of each student, enables learning and equips students for life.
PLANNING WITH Vision When the plan flows from the vision, every decision will be purposeful, and every dollar will be well spent. With vision, there is focus and direction.
In January of 2011, The Country Day School’s Board of Directors initiated a strategic planning process that would shape the School’s future. The resulting plan stems from consultations with faculty, staff and Board members, a review of the expiring planning document and an extensive constituent survey. The process was guided by consultants from Independent School Management, a highly-regarded company with over 35 years of experience in the industry. In the fall of 2011, with valuable input from the new Head of School, the Board reviewed and amended the draft strategic plan. In November, the results of the 2010-11 Parent Survey were shared with the community as a precursor to unveiling the new plan. The strategic plan crafted during the process delineates the financial, structural and programmatic elements needed to provide the strongest possible platform in support of The Country Day School’s vision and guiding principles. The highlights of the plan follow.
Nurture academic excellence Build sound and honourable character Raise social and global awareness Advocate fitness for life Employ talented people
THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE The overarching theme of the plan that emerged from the strategic planning process was an emphasis on further enhancing the student experience, a theme that is perfectly aligned with the School’s student-centred vision. The five areas of strategic focus that make up the core of the plan are closely tied to the School’s guiding principles, and just as we are guided by all principles simultaneously, the plan will unfold in a balanced, holistic manner.
IDENTITY
TALENT
Developing our identity will strengthen the student experience. We will make use of research, ingenuity and sound leadership to identify our institution as an innovative, 21st Century school. We will determine which aspects of our academic and co-curricular programs we will remain steadfast about and what aspects will require change. We will be analytical, introspective and articulate about who we are to provide our students with an enriching, altering and inspiring experience. We will:
Investing in our talent will strengthen the student experience. Concerted, strategic investments in our teachers will correlate to enhanced academic, athletic, artistic and personal experiences for our students. Through advanced professional development, effective leadership and exposure to the latest research and innovation in teaching, our talent will develop and our students will thrive. We will:
• Develop and craft a revised mission statement • Maintain balanced programs • Research and promote leading pedagogical practices • Frame and better articulate our approach to academics • Cultivate initiatives in the areas of outdoor education and character development
• Build on solid foundations in professional development • Re-establish the position: Director of Academics, Middle and Senior Schools • Develop leaders in the areas of character and environmental education
PROMOTE community involvement DEVELOP the finest campus resources
COMMUNITY
CAMPUS
Strengthening community ties will strengthen the student experience. Through new programs and practices, we will strengthen community ties, commitment and spirit at the School. A positive, collaborative, supportive and engaged community will benefit our students, past, present and future. We will make use of all modes of communication to build awareness within and to showcase our community externally. We will also be open, effective and transparent in communicating with the community. We will:
Establishing a master campus plan will strengthen the student experience. We will actively engage with the community to develop a comprehensive, enduring master campus plan. It will reflect the needs of current students in the areas of program, safety, community and well-being, while thoughtfully projecting future needs. The master campus plan will reflect a commitment to students’ relationships with each other, with nature and with technology. We will:
• Strengthen relationships with the parent and alumni communities • Communicate the CDS experience to internal and external markets effectively • Promote a supportive governance environment
• Support the CDS student experience through a continued commitment to state of-the-art facility development • Design and carry out a master campus plan that aligns program priorities with a phased facility renewal • Examine and prepare for the urban development in our immediate environs
CREATE a place where all are welcome
SUSTAINABILITY
OUR NEXT STEPS
Protecting our future will strengthen the student experience. Sustainable schools are those which attract and retain a diverse population of mission-appropriate students, demonstrate fiscal responsibility, and improve accessibility and quality by building their endowment funds. Endowments provide meaningful support by: diversifying the student population; adding a humanizing touch by extending support to families who have had their circumstances change mid-way through the educational experience; and by helping to fund programs that would otherwise be unaffordable such as hosting visiting experts in academic, artistic and athletic disciplines. A sustainable school is also relevant to the alumni experience, for the reputation of an institution is connected with an individual for a lifetime. We will:
Our next steps will be made with as much care as those that carried us to this point in our history. To guide successful implementation, many of the key elements of the plan call for further enquiry, research and analysis. Since one of the most meaningful and apparent aspects of the CDS experience is the spirit of community, in keeping with this tradition, CDS constituents of every variety will be afforded the opportunity for further input as we carry out the strategic plan.
• Continue exercising sound, sage and prudent financial management • Bolster efforts in the areas of admissions, marketing and advancement • Leverage the School’s endowment fund
Since our plan so closely adheres to our vision and guiding principles, we are confident that we are on the right course. We invite you to follow our progress at www.cds.on.ca/future.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2011-2012 Dimitris Polygenis, Chair Stacie Stanton, Past Chair Gus Arrigo Bruce Campbell Warren Cantor Leslie Ewing Connie Ganzhorn Marin Guy Paul Jewer Brent King Susan McVey Kurt Mull David Myers Michael Neylan Tracey Riley Paul Wolfe Julien Di Ciano, Alumni President (ex-officio) Cheryl Lewandowski, Association President (ex-officio) John Liggett, Head of School
Our Vision The Country Day School is committed to offering a superior educational experience that is sensitive to the needs of each student, enables learning and equips students for life.
Our Guiding Principles Nurture academic excellence Build sound and honourable character Raise social and global awareness Advocate fitness for life Employ talented people Promote community involvement Create a place where all are welcome Develop the finest campus resources
The Country Day School
13415 Dufferin Street, King, Ontario, Canada L7B 1K5 www.cds.on.ca The Countr y Day School ( JK-12) is a co-ed, non-de nominational, unive rsity-prepa rator y school.