Visitation Academy's Strategic Plan

STRATEGIC PLAN 2017

DISCOVER YOUR GIFTS LIVE YOUR SPIRIT

MISSION STATEMENT

Visitation Academy is a community that exists to educate

children and young women and to receive and share Jesus as Mary did in her visitation to Elizabeth.

In an environment that values excellence in scholarship, spirituality, leadership, and service, this Visitation Community encourages students to develop their unique gifts.

As students learn to live Jesus with gentleness, humility, joy, and freedom, they are prepared to continue to grow and to respond to others, the Church and the global community.

PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

The ideals embodied in the six Goals of the Visitation Philosophy of Education, as set forth in Educating the Mind and Heart in the Visitation Tradition, will inform and guide the school’s continued growth and development.

Goal One: “Visitation schools foster a personal friendship with God which leads to a faith-filled vision of life.”

Goal Two : “Visitation schools integrate a strong academic course of studies with a Salesian spiritual dimension.”

Goal Three : “Visitation schools build faith communities which call their members to understand the value of diversity and to respect the dignity of each person.”

Goal Four : “Visitation schools promote the development of liberty of spirit which empowers students to make life-giving choices.”

Goal Five : “Visitation schools embrace and model gospel values of peace and justice in order to be catalysts for positive change.”

Goal Six : “Visitation schools encourage an awareness of and care for the gifts of God’s creating hand.”

Dear Visitation School and Community members:

What sets Visitation Academy apart? Is it that we have the only all-girls program for Grades 1-12 in the region? That we have a Montessori early childhood program as well? True, but what really makes the Visitation experience exceptional is our Catholic and Salesian spirituality and the associated ethos that permeates the building. The Sisters have done a magnificent job of inculcating these values and virtues into the very lifeblood of the school. Ultimately, in preparing our students for life beyond Viz, we know that these virtues which are embedded in our students’ character are key to their future success and happiness.

As we created this Strategic Plan, our focus has been on the stunning commonality between the teachings of Saints Francis de Sales and Jane de Chantal and current research about the cognitive development of children and adolescents; we find our ancient truths speak of the same virtues and personal qualities that we find in current research about what works best in education. The vision of this Plan then is to hold to both ancient truth and modern research: preparation for lives of promise and impact by walking a Salesian path in a technological world.

The diagram to the left illustrates how all of the various parts of the Strategic Plan fit together into the larger whole.

Starting at the top, it is our Catholic faith and Salesian values that serve as the umbrella spanning over all else. The middle of the diagram focuses on what happens daily at Viz, particularly in our classrooms. We are actively moving to a model of instruction that emphasizes skills – creativity, critical thinking, communication, and collaboration – in addition to more traditional content-based knowledge. While the latter is still vitally important, Viz is moving in sync with much of the rest of our economy and society by emphasizing new interdisciplinary fields such as STEM, robotics, and entrepreneurship along with traditional academic disciplines.

Continually improving our craft of teaching for the benefit of our students is our foremost goal. We are moving away from the traditional, teacher-driven model of instruction to a more student-focused, creative, and problem-solving model that transforms and energizes the classroom experience. Learning doesn’t take place only in the classroom; increasing the availability of real-world experiences for our students - such as internships, shadowing, and career mentoring - is a top priority.

Continuing around the outer ring of the diagram, "Enrich Educational Spaces" focuses on enhancing our classrooms to create an environment most conducive to active, engaged learning. Although some of this will be driven by an architectural study of the entire campus, a good deal is already underway as we renovate classrooms and move into areas of the Monastery that the Sisters have most generously given to the Academy.

Working to spread the good word about the excellent education that Visitation provides is the focus of "Celebrate Viz's Unique Identity." The Board of Trustees has already engaged a marketing firm so this work is well underway. The final section is largely the work of the Board as they study how best to ensure Visitation’s financial sustainability for the next 184 years.

Thank you to the many members from all facets of our community who contributed to the formation of this Strategic Plan by serving on the Strategic Planning Task Force, participating in focus group conversations, or completing surveys. Your deep love and admiration for Visitation Academy was evident throughout this process. We look forward to our continued collaboration as we move ahead during this exciting time.

With gratitude,

Dan Hildebrand Joe McKee Interim Head of School Chair, Board of Trustees

Adapted from the Center for Curriculum Redesign

Brad Pittenger Lisa Baudendistal-Suntrup Board of Trustees, Long-Range Planning Co-Chair Board of Trustees, Long-Range Planning Co-Chair

EMBRACE AN INCLUSIVE CATHOLIC SALESIAN COMMUNITY

ACTION STEPS: • Foster a school environment which recognizes and embraces that our Catholic, Salesian roots are inclusive and universal; persons of all faith traditions are welcome and appreciated.

• Promote a collaborative community among all constituent groups that will assist and support the school in achieving its goals and objectives.

“Visitation schools build faith communities which call their members to understand the value of diversity and to respect the dignity of each person.”

Goal Three, Educating the Mind and Heart

PREPARE STUDENTS FOR LIFE

ACTION STEPS: • Enrich character development through spiritual formation and Salesian values.

• Explore methods of fostering meaningful relationships between faculty and students so as to guide and assist students in developing their unique gifts.

• Enhance the learning environment so as to promote student health and well-being.

“Visitation schools integrate a strong academic course of studies with a Salesian spiritual dimension.”

Goal Two, Educating the Mind and Heart

“Visitation schools promote the development of liberty of spirit which empowers students to make life-giving choices.”

Goal Four, Educating the Mind and Heart

“Visitation schools embrace and model gospel values of peace and justice in order to be catalysts for positive change.”

Goal Five, Educating the Mind and Heart

• Balance emphasis on content knowledge with a similar focus on skills; move from a traditional, teacher-driven model of education to a more student-focused, creative, problem-solving based model so as to prepare our students for careers of the future.

• Incorporate the latest neurological and educational research into the classroom in order to fully engage students in learning; increase real-world experiences to prepare students for modern life.

ENRICH

EDUCATIONAL SPACES

ACTION STEPS: • Engage an architect to conduct a plan-

ning study and create a long-term master plan to revitalize teaching areas to better allow for innovative delivery of instruction.

• Create more open, collaborative, comfortable, and flexible learning spaces to accommodate the varied learning styles of our students.

“Visitation schools encourage an awareness of and care for the gifts of God’s creating hand.”

Goal Six, Educating the Mind and Heart

CELEBRATE VIZ'S UNIQUE IDENTITY

“Visitation schools foster a personal friendship with God which leads to a faith-filled vision of life.”

Goal One, Educating the Mind and Heart

ACTION STEPS: • Promote a common understanding of the values infused in Visitation’s educational program by the Salesian charism.

• Accentuate our unique all-girls academic and social environment in Grades 1 through 12 and our co-educational Montessori early childhood program.

• Engage a marketing and communications firm to develop a cohesive, consistent brand that reflects our strengths and overall excellence as an educational institution.

ENHANCE

FINANCIAL STRENGTH AND SUSTAINABILITY

ACTION STEPS: • Enhance the enrollment management program to continually attract new students and retain current students.

• Increase the financial aid endowment funds to ensure tuition and other resources are available for all mission-appropriate students.

• Increase the general endowment to ensure long-term sustainability.

• Develop a short- and long-term comprehensive fundraising plan to support the initiatives outlined in this Strategic Plan.

• Continue to maintain good financial stewardship of the school’s resources.

"Lead those in your care with a kind and understanding heart."

- St. Jane de Chantal

CATHOLIC | INDEPENDENT COED MONTESSORI TODDLER-K | ALL-GIRLS 1-12