DEEPLY
At the Core
A Conversation With Four Community Members Who Led Deeply Rooted to Completion
Where did the plan start?
CHRIS: It started with affirming who we are. Even before we dug into the plan, we simplified our school mission, crafted a vision statement, and documented a set of core principles.
SUBA: We started from a place of wanting to be a leader—in our own way. We want to continue the work that makes Peck a leader in K-8 education and character development—and do it at an even higher level.
ANDY: I think of it as rooting our community. It’s getting to the core of Peck, staying true to our marriage of character education and academics, and moving forward with intention and integrity.
What’s exciting to you about the plan?
BEN: I’m a big believer in character formation— and the plan commits to it in new ways. Kindness, integrity, empathy, respect, building relationships, the consideration of others: to me, those things are what school—and life—is all about.
CHRIS: New research in child development—and our own experience—is telling us that students in their seventh and eighth grade years need a stronger sense of independence. The plan asks us to re-think our approach to those years.
ANDY: It’s hard to choose! I’ll say that when we held focus groups with parents, they emphasized the importance of community: How can we strengthen our community in ways that benefit everyone? The plan has good answers to that question.
SUBA: To me, the beauty of the plan—and the school—is that everything works together. Our three pillars—learning, character, and community—are most effective when they’re fully integrated.
What’s the one thing you want people to know about the plan?
ANDY: We want our students to be good, grounded people who think creatively, lead with compassion, and reach out to others. From that foundation, the plan asks: How does a great school keep getting better?
BEN: The plan is an example of “cathedral thinking.” Cathedrals took a hundred years to build—and they were meant to last thousands of years. We’re building the future of Peck on principles that have stood the test of time.
CHRIS: And we want to put our principles into action. The plan says: Character is more than an ethos; it’s a call to action. Let’s create a program that helps every member of our community build character—and apply it in and out of school.
SUBA: This is Peck looking forward. Think of how education has changed in the last five or ten years. We want Peck to be a leader in the things that last—and in areas that are still coming into focus. I want our kids to be successful at whatever comes next.
We are excited to officially
launch our new Strategic Plan, Deeply Rooted.
This plan was intentionally crafted during a robust yearlong process which included participation from all constituent groups. Coming on the heels of a global pandemic, this process offered us a chance to reflect on how we have grown as a school, and also how we can recommit to our areas of strength.
This plan truly speaks to the core of The Peck School. In Peck’s 130-year history, one thing has remained central: character education. Deeply Rooted is designed to build on this core strength. Our community survey illuminated that our character education program and our focus on values remains a primary reason parents choose to enroll their children at Peck, and a main area of deep satisfaction. This strategic plan directs our focus on deepening this commitment to character building as foundational for learning and success in life.
In this brochure you can hear from several integral members of the Strategic Planning Design Team on how this plan developed and how it deepens and extends the best of Peck. Additionally, you can preview our three areas of strategic focus. We then invite you to learn more online at peckdeeplyrooted.org.
Participants
BEN ROGERS, Co-Chair, Strategic Planning Committee, Trustee, Current Parent
CHRIS WEAVER, Co-Chair, Strategic Planning Committee, Director of Curriculum and Faculty Development, Past Parent
ANDY DELINSKY, Head of School, Current Parent
SUBA SHAH, Former President, Board of Trustees, Current Parent
LEARNING
OUR GOAL: Enhance a learning culture that integrates academic excellence, character development, and student ownership.
WE WILL
• Develop a portrait of a Peck graduate and align curricula, pedagogy, assessment, and culture to desired skills and outcomes.
• Prioritize student-centered learning and experiences to foster agency, engagement, and real-world connections.
• Elevate the seventh- and eighth-grade student experience for greater engagement, independence, and student agency.
• Use expertise in child developmental stages to better structure the student experience.
• Articulate our criteria for excellence in teaching; continue to celebrate and showcase teaching excellence.
• Invest in our faculty and staff growth and development to align core competencies with our mission and vision.
• Leverage exercise and daily movement as a key component to enhance learning and wellbeing.
CHARACTER
OUR GOAL: Expand our expertise and impact in K-8 character education.
WE WILL
• Study and gain community expertise in K–8 child development to create the conditions needed to best foster a community of character.
• Integrate service into the core academic experience as a tool for character development and community responsibility.
• Design curricula and programs to foster belonging and personal development, such as conflict resolution, ethics, civil discourse, environmental stewardship, and student mental and physical health and wellness.
• Use athletics and other team-building opportunities to reinforce character formation.
• Build partnerships with aligned character-based programs and organizations.
• Anchor Peck’s traditions in our core principles to ensure belonging and character development.
• Consider creating a Character Lab to both lead and showcase our character education program.
COMMUNITY
OUR GOAL: Strengthen a culture of belonging for all community members: past, current, and future.
WE WILL
• Strengthen our community through a focus on belonging, inclusion, and equity.
• Reimagine how we attract, recruit, and retain a diverse, best-inclass faculty and staff.
• Find solutions to attract and retain a diverse student and parent body to strengthen a community of mission-aligned families.
• Be leaders in how we build meaningful relationships with parents as partners in their child’s academic success and character development.
• Strengthen our relationship with alumni to forge lasting connections with the school.
• Build community partnerships locally and globally that create authentic contexts for service, learning, and impact.
• Explore opportunities to ensure that the school’s financial model remains sustainable now and into the future.
• Consider opportunities for philanthropic support of our mission, vision, and strategy.
• Examine Board structures to ensure that the board remains agile in supporting strategic opportunities.
• Optimize current and build new opportunities to create genuine schoolwide community and pride.
“There’s a reason why we call elementary and middle school ‘the formative years.’ This is the time when children are imagining who they want to be, and are soaking up the world around them. As an educator, I can think of nothing better than to offer students a world where curiosity and integrity exist hand-in-hand—where we can nurture both minds and hearts to reach their most beautiful potentials. Our strategic plan honors this concept, and crystallizes our mission to provide an excellent educational experience that is grounded in community values.”
— FACULTY MEMBER