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2005- 2010 LONG-RANGE PLAN

September 2005

Dear Members of the Waimea Country School ‘Ohana,

We are pleased to present you with a copy of Waimea Country School’s Long-Range Plan, the product of many hours of work by students, teachers, parents, alumni, Board members and community friends.  We are very proud of our achievement, and we’re committed to putting the Plan to good use.

The Long-Range Plan is our roadmap for the next five years.  It is designed to focus our attention on seven key areas within the School, each of which has specific goals, objectives, and timelines.  We’ve already used the Plan to map our curriculum, to improve our governance structure, and to make external communications more effective.  We’re pleased that the Plan is both practical and enjoyable to use.

First and foremost, the Long-Range Plan is a values-driven document.  Ultimately, everything we do at School reflects judgments of value, from curricular decisions, to instructional choices, to clothing and grooming policies, to admissions policies, and to the administration of our financial aid program.  Our Long-Range Plan acknowledges this and places the School’s three core values, Child-Centered Learning, Inclusion, and Respect, at its heart.  With a values-driven Plan as our guide, we’re on a path that affirms our learning program, encourages us to work together for a common purpose, and ensures that our effort is relevant and timely.

Please join us!  It’s a pleasure to share our commitment on behalf of the School we love.

Aloha nui,

Richard Terminello      Frank Hustace      Jennifer Grace
President                 Headmaster          President
   Board of Trustees                               Parent Association

 

1) SCHOOL GOVERNANCE

Purpose

Always true to the mission of the School and to principles of effective governance, the Board of Directors of Waimea Country School maintains continuity and financial viability, provides oversight in the operation of the School, and serves as a bridge to our Island community.

Goals and Objectives

Goal 1:  Assure the school’s current and future financial strength.

Refine the committee structure of the Board of Directors so that all the School’s financial responsibilities are addressed and met, including development of an annual budget, an annual audit of financial statements, on-going fund raising activities, and initiatives to stimulate investment and endowment growth.

Objective 1.1 

 

 

 

Review and evaluate the administrative structure of the School to assure sufficient allocation of resources for the continuing financial stability of the School.

Objective 1.2 

 

 

Refine internal accounting practices and reporting procedures and methodologies to assure consistency, clarity, and legal compliance of all policies and initiatives of the Board of Directors.

Objective 1.3 

 

 

Goal 2:  Recruit and orient new members to the Board of Directors to provide continuity, consistent with Principles of Good Practice for effective governance.

Provide a program of continuing education for current members of the Board of Directors, using resources to include the National Association of Independent Schools Trustee Handbook and Principles of Good Practice.

Objective 2.1 

 

 

Develop a plan to recruit new members to assure a diverse, talented Board of Directors to meet the needs and goals of both the Board and the School.

Objective 2.2 

 

 

Develop an orientation plan for new directors, including a Board of Directors manual.

Objective 2.3  

 

Develop a plan and timetable to review the Board’s and the School’s by-laws, policies, practices, and procedures.

Objective 2.4 

 

 

Adopt Waimea Country School Principles of Good Practice for Effective Governance.

Objective 2.5 

 

Goal 3:  Assure transparency of the responsibilities of the Board of Directors and communicate regularly and effectively with Waimea Country School’s internal and external constituencies.

Develop and disseminate an annual report and other communications to the School’s internal and external constituencies as needed.

Objective 3.1  

 

Make minutes of all meetings of the Board of Directors and financial statements available to interested parties.

Objective 3.2  

 

Increase opportunities for community contact with the Board of Directors, including invitations to social events, meetings, open houses, and student activities.

Objective 3.3  

 

 

2) OUR COMMUNITY

Purpose

We work together to ensure that Waimea Country School’s community relationships remain vibrant so that our learning program is relevant to community needs.

Goals and Objectives

Goal 1:  Serve our community by sharing Waimea Country School’s knowledge and resources.

Provide enrichment opportunities for our students that are also available to the entire community, including a Summer enrichment program and Winter/Spring Break programs.

Objective 1.1 

 

 

Offer parenting programs and workshops to the community.

Objective 1.2 

 

Develop an orientation plan for new directors, including a Board of Directors manual.

Objective 1.3  

 

Initiate collaboration with other educational organizations and programs through luncheons, administrator meetings, educational exchanges and sports events between respective students, teachers, and staff members. Develop a plan and timetable to review the Board’s and the School’s by-laws, policies, practices, and procedures.

Objective 1.4 

 

 

 

Participate in public community-based organization meetings both to represent Waimea Country School’s core educational values to the broader community and so as to deepen our understanding and appreciation of community needs.

Objective 1.5 

 

 

 

Goal 2: Honor and utilize our community’s individual, organizational and natural resources.

Nurture and develop a network of esteemed community members who will share their knowledge and experience with the Waimea Country School ‘Ohana.

Objective 2.1 

 

 

Nurture and develop connections with organizations, both public and private, to enhance our understanding of our individual and collective roles and relationships within the community.

Objective 2.2 

 

 

Incorporate into the learning program experiential educational interactions with the many significant cultural and natural resources of our Island communities.

Objective 2.3 

 

 

Goal 3: Strive to understand and meet the educational needs of our evolving community through expression of our core values.

Conduct regular assessments and climate surveys of parental needs, perceptions and satisfaction regarding Waimea Country School’s direction and performance.

Objective 3.1 

 

 

Develop and implement procedures for gathering student perceptions concerning their learning experiences.

Objective 3.2 

 

 

Develop and promote understanding of our local community’s changing educational needs by establishing memberships in organizations, subscribing to publications, and participating in community meetings and events.

Objective 3.3  

 

 

3) OUR STUDENTS

Purpose

We work together to assure that the well-being of our students drives the philosophy, programs and practice of Waimea Country School.

Goals and Objectives

Goal 1:  Include students and families that are best served by Waimea Country School’s child-centered learning program.

Plan and implement public outreach events designed to attract students and families best served by Waimea Country School who reflect the diverse learning strengths and styles of our Island community.

Objective 1.1 

 

 

 

Develop an assessment protocol for admissions that coordinates student placement within our multiage learning structure.

 Objective 1.2 

 

 

Form an admissions committee to evaluate our outreach effort and assessment protocols periodically to assure that our goal of inclusion is reflected in the diversity of our student body, to the best of our abilities.

  Objective 1.3  

 

 

Goal 2:  Attract and nurture a student body that reflects the rich cultural diversity that is representative of our Island community.

Plan and implement public outreach events designed to attract students and families best served by Waimea Country School who reflect the cultural diversity of our Island community.

Objective 2.1 

 

 

Support the image and reputation of Waimea Country School through an effective and consistent public relations effort.

Objective 2.2 

 

 

Goal 3:  Create and sustain a child-centered curriculum and learning environment.

Communicate our long-term commitment to every child and family within our Waimea Country School ‘Ohana through the development of learning continua from entry level to graduation.

Objective 3.1 

 

 

 

Create an on-going assessment protocol to ensure student readiness and level placement from year-to-year.

Objective 3.2 

 

 

Assure that all Waimea Country School children are known, acknowledged, supported and encouraged as individuals by all staff members both in and beyond their classroom experiences.

Objective 3.3 

 

 

4) STAFF DEVELOPMENT

Purpose

The School’s administration recruits, nurtures and retains an outstanding faculty and staff for Waimea Country School, and provides them with professional growth opportunities to assure their skills remain requisite to deliver a consistently excellent instructional program.

Goals and Objectives

Goal 1:  Recruit, hire, and retain excellent, professionally acknowledged, and well-credentialed faculty and staff.

Develop a hiring policy with specific sequential procedures.

Objective 1.1 

 

Identify venues and procedures for advertising job openings; improve the School’s web site with on-line job application capability; and promote Waimea Country School’s visibility at State-wide and regional independent school job fairs.

Objective 1.2 

 

 

Determine and pursue individual and institutional professional association memberships and affiliations that could enhance Waimea Country School’s ability to recruit top applicants.

Objective 1.3  

 

 

Develop a mentoring program to support teachers as they refine and increase their skills in order to meet the instructional goals of the School.

Objective 1.4 

 

 

Research, develop, and implement a plan for regionally competitive salary and benefits, starting with data compiled by the Hawai‘i Association of Independent Schools, so that we may adequately compensate and assure retention of our outstanding teachers.

Objective 1.5 

 

 

 

Develop a process and timetable for budget development to support staff recruitment and retention.

Objective 1.6 

 

Goal 2:  Provide training in research-based, best educational practices professional development, consistent with the School's core values and mission,
in order to deliver a consistently excellent instructional program to all students.

Make available to the faculty and staff literature on research-based best educational practices.

Objective 2.1 

 

Develop written policies regarding staff development, shared learning, and moving theory into practice.

Objective 2.2 

 

Develop written policies for equitable learning opportunities and funding for faculty and staff.

Objective 2.3  

 

Develop an assessment instrument to evaluate the outcomes of professional development.

Objective 2.4

 

Goal 3:   Develop the full faculty’s utilization of and benefits from individual staff development.

Create forums for faculty discourse and interchange of learning opportunities.

Objective 3.1 

 

Focus on opportunities for group development in areas of joint problem-solving and decision-making.

Objective 3.2 

 

Plan for sharing of individual goals, development of group goals, evaluation of all goals, including cyclical goals for the next year.

Objective 3.3  

 

Develop an approach and ultimately a plan for communicating with the Waimea Country School ‘Ohana regarding staff professional development.

Objective 3.4 

 

 

Develop a parent education program utilizing the increasing skills of the staff to enhance parenting and greater understanding of childhood learning experiences.

Objective 3.5 

 

 

5)  CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT

Purpose

We work together to define and refine our K-8 curriculum so that it is consistent with the School’s core values and mission to support and meet the needs of the whole child, every child.

Goals and Objectives

Goal 1:  Create a developmentally-appropriate, integrated K-8 curriculum that will lead students to build a progressive continuum of skills in harmony with the mission of the School.

Provide funding for year-long and summer faculty curriculum development.

Objective 1.1 

 

Create a schedule for developing and publishing a scope and sequence in each content area.

Objective 1.2 

 

Create and publish skills-based expectations for students in each content area at each level of learning.

Objective 1.3    

 

Goal 2:   Develop a plan for authentic assessment of student learning.

Provide the resources - time and funding – to create the plan and tools for authentic assessment.

Objective 2.1 

 

Create a schedule for this work.

Objective 2.2    

Goal 3:   Develop a plan for creating and obtaining resources and materials to carry out all aspects of Staff Development and Curriculum Development in support of the total instructional program of the School.

Create forums for faculty to discuss and give input to annual budget allocations regarding staff and curriculum development.

Objective 3.1 

 

Create a plan to support and increase the faculty’s knowledge of recent trends and developments in education, by providing access to new publications and instructional materials.

Objective 3.2 

 

 

Develop the ability to evaluate the effectiveness of instructional resources and materials to support attainment of all Curriculum Development objectives.

Objective 3.3    

 

 

6) OUR FACILITIES

Purpose

We work together to provide, maintain and enhance our physical plant and equipment consistent with the mission of Waimea Country School, emphasizing a child-centered, culturally diverse, multiage learning environment.

Goals and Objectives

Goal 1:   Maintain and enhance facilities and equipment in order to create a safe and healthy environment that is conducive to the School’s educational needs and goals.

Provide quality custodial services to maintain the School’s cleanliness.

Objective 1.1 

 

Maintain classrooms, common areas, grounds, and out buildings in good repair.

Objective 1.2 

 

Provide desks, tables, materials, and other equipment to support a flexible learning environment that is sensitive to child growth and development, multiage needs, and diverse teaching and learning styles.

Objective 1.3  

 

 

Assess the School’s facility needs with input from the entire faculty and staff and relate to budget development

Objective 1.4 

 

Goal 2:   Develop the space sufficient to support the total program.

Construct a deck on the School’s main building with sinks and doors to each classroom.  Funding for this project will be achieved through a combination of surplus revenue, capital budget, grants and gifts.

Objective 2.1 

 

 

Provide additional space for Level 5 by renting and equipping the residence next to the existing School facility, financed through combination funding, as above.

Objective 2.2 

 

 

Obtain and install a large bell, accessible to children, to be used as a call to the School’s ‘Ohana to come together, and as a sound and symbol of the School to the community.

Objective 2.3    

 

 

Goal 3:   Assure a permanent site and facility, affirming that this is the home campus of Waimea Country School.

Explore present and emerging options to acquire a practical and beautiful campus site.

Objective 3.1 

 

Explore present and emerging funding sources to finance the purchase of a campus site for a permanent facility.

Objective 3.2

 

Draft an annual report for all internal and external constituencies that describes progress toward acquiring a campus site for a permanent facility.

Objective 3.3  

 

 

Make and implement a decision for acquiring a campus site for a permanent facility.

Objective 3.4

 

7)  MARKETING AND OUTREACH

Purpose

We work together to establish regular, meaningful communication with external constituencies about our unique K-8 program in order to gain a range of supports that can assure the School’s continuing viability as a learning organization.

Goals and Objectives

Goal 1:  Effectively communicate the unique characteristics of our K-8 learning program; and

Goal 2:  Maintain a stable student population.

Host regular Open Houses for teachers, parents and students.

Objective 1.1 

 

Create and disseminate brochures for all stakeholders, including prospective parents, business leaders and community friends.

Objective 1.2 

 

Participate in community events.

Objective 1.3  

Create opportunities for community involvement with our School and students, including service projects.

Objective 1.4 

 

Create and maintain a web site that effectively communicates with external constituencies.

Objective 1.5 

 

Submit regular feature articles and press releases in the local media, including newspapers and radio.

Objective 1.6    

 

Goal 3:  Attract resources to assure the ongoing viability of our outstanding and distinctive learning program.

Draft and disseminate an annual business report to internal and external constituents about the state of the School.  The report is a progress report consisting of an annotated financial statement that is brief, accurate and embellished with narrative detail.

Objective 3.1 

 

 

Enhance the School’s administrative structure so that adequate resources are drawn to the School.

Objective 3.2

 

Conduct and sustain a variety of fundraising initiatives, including an annual campaign, to assist in providing for the continuing financial health of the School, for funding student financial aid and special programs, and for the creation and enhancement of the School’s endowment.

Objective 3.3

 

 

 

Publish the Waimea Country School Strategic Plan and distribute to the School’s internal and external constituencies.

Objective 3.4