STRATEGIC VISION

Westerly School will ensure that we communicate and live our mission, educational philosophy, and core values.

Rationales:

• To meet the needs of the whole child and develop their full and unique potential
• To communicate our institutional identity and practices to both internal and external stakeholders
• To more effectively recruit and retain mission appropriate families and highly qualified faculty/staff
• To provide a consistent, cohesive and challenging educational program
• To affirm that creative expression is essential to whole child education
• To ensure the Westerly community acts as ambassadors for the unique mission of our school 

Action Steps:

• Explore and implement best practices for inquiry-based learning and whole child education
• Communicate frequently and intentionally how Westerly School lives its mission, core values and educational philosophy
• Connect all initiatives, events, and programs to Westerly’s mission and core values 
   

Progress as of June 2022:

• Have completed year-long professional development with faculty surrounding best practices for Inclusion and Belonging Self-Reflection and Practices in Teaching & Learning
• Have continued to connect and communicate all practices during COVID to mission and core values. Specifically: maintaining campus access throughout COVID beginning in 7/20, maintaining ALL co-curricular programming and increasing SEL programming
• Formalizing Student & Family Ambassador programs to communicate Westerly’s mission and programs to prospective families and the community

Westerly School will deliver an inquiry-based, globally relevant curriculum that develops critical-thinkers, innovators, and leaders.

Rationales:

• To ensure delivery of curriculum is consistent and aligned with research and contemporary best practices for whole child education 
• To inspire students to embrace growth mindset as a key factor in developing their full and unique potential 
• To create meaningful opportunities for service learning and character development

Action Steps:

• Create and support mission-driven academic and co-curricular programs 
• Assess and strengthen differentiation within the curriculum 
• Continue to implement RULER and grow its practice and impact 
• Develop and implement a school-wide Service Learning program 
• Identify and support program and staffing needs 
• Continue to document, evaluate, and update curricular alignment across grade levels and subjects 
• Increase middle school enrollment to add a second section per grade level

Progress as of June 2022:

• Have conducted curricular audits in Language Arts, Humanities, and Libraries to ensure diverse curriculum and text utilization that is culturally competent and represents multiple perspectives
  August 2022-June 2023 professional development and curriculum adoption and documentation of inquiry-based pedagogy and Social Studies Curriculum
  Have updated on-boarding process to support new faculty/staff
  Implemented collaborative hiring practices and committees which focuses on criteria including content expertise, adherence to DEI best practices, experience and connectivity with colleagues and students
  Returned to 8th Grade Service Learning Trip post-COVID
  Have added MS Theater as a class and production for 2022-23 school year
  Brought a school psychologist to Westerly beginning in 2022-23 school
  year

Westerly School will implement a comprehensive program and sustainable financial plan.

Rationales:

• To ensure the school’s financial independence, solvency, sustainability, and growth 
• To ensure that Westerly School remains financially accessible to current and prospective families 
• To support the enhancement of curricular and co-curricular programs 
• To sustain Westerly’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusivity

Action Steps:

• Ensure development initiatives adhere to current best practices and align with the vision of the Board and the Head of School 
• Research and assess tuition and financial assistance models 
• Continue to maintain a responsible debt management strategy 
• Explore and pursue alternative revenue streams and fundraising opportunities across stakeholder groups 
• Develop a robust and innovative admissions and marketing plan

Progress as of June 2022:

• FA continues to follow a sustainable model under 22%
• Committee has completed tuition modeling assessment
• Have begun research on partnering with Consultant to complete Financial, enrollment, and marketing Plans
• Have begun to explore refinance options and partnerships for the East West Bank mortgage
• As of 2021-22, exceeded Annual Fund projected budget
• Added a fund-an-item auction goal which raised $63,250 revenue toward Bizjack Arts Village Modernization
• Reviewing staffing needs to best support Advancement Initiatives including major giving, Annual Fund, Auction, donor cultivation

Westerly School will continue to recruit, support, and retain highly qualified, dedicated and diverse faculty and staff.

Rationales:

• To ensure continuity of teaching practices across grade-level and curriculum 
• To empower faculty/staff to advance their knowledge and practices 
• To attract and retain highly qualified educators who represent diverse backgrounds, experiences, identities, and perspectives 
• To build trust in our professional learning community 
• To prioritize faculty/staff morale and commitment to Westerly School

Action Steps:

• Formalize a clear and consistent hiring process 
• Assess faculty/staff compensation packages to ensure equity within Westerly’s employee base 
• Formalize a clear and reflective faculty and staff evaluation process 
• Provide ongoing and consistent professional development that focuses on Westerly’s initiatives and programs 
• Engage faculty in the life of the school beyond the classroom 
• Implement a faculty mentorship program

Progress as of June 2022:

• Have formalized, documented, and practiced a clear and consistent hiring process for all positions on campus including committee observation and interviews to include multiple perspectives and focus on DEI
• Have formalized, documented, and practiced a clear and consistent evaluation process for faculty evaluation including goal-setting, professional development, goal review, and recommendations for improvement.
• Professional Development required on all non-evaluation years

Westerly School will be an inclusive, diverse, stimulating, and connected community that values students, families, faculty, staff and the community at-large as partners in learning.

Rationales:

• To prepare Westerly students to be lifelong leaders, creators, and contributors 
• To demonstrate Westerly’s institutional commitment to inclusivity and diversity as essential to the best educational process 
• To ensure the Westerly community fosters a safe and supportive school climate that encourages students to be passionate, curious, and take risks 
• To expose students to learning opportunities through which they establish connections and real world experiences

Action Steps:

• Communicate the role of the Board of Trustees (BOT) to the community 
• Establish the Westerly Parent Association (WPA) as the principal pathway for parent engagement on campus 
• Establish processes to better engage Westerly alumni 
• Attract and enroll mission-appropriate students and families 
• Better engage the internal and external community with Westerly’s mission, practices, and impact 
• Connect Westerly students to service learning opportunities that involve community outreach and partnerships

Progress as of June 2022:

• Established a board-led Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force in Fall of 2020
• Ratified and have adopted Westerly’s first Statement on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
• Will be published on website, in all school materials, signatures on email address, and in every learning space on campus
• Have begun consistent communications including Wildcat Weekly and solicitation letters/notes to Alumni and Founding Families
• Planning Community Education Opportunities for internal and external (prospective) families for 2022-23 including: Independent School 101, the Social
• Emotional Lives of Children: What to expect and how to support
• Reviewing & Updating WPA Guidelines to ensure transparency and clear expectations/communications including WPA Board transition, voting processes, and financial obligations
  Have created Room Parent Handbook to support Room Parents’ productive communications and class leadership
   

Westerly School will develop and maintain the Westerly campus facilities to meet the growing needs of our community and students.

Rationales:

• To support the educational program
• Provide a stimulating and inspirational physical learning environment to support student engagement

Action Steps:

• Conduct a campus space utilization study and needs assessment 
• Explore/develop opportunities for improvement of existing facilities 
• Evaluate campus master plan with an eye toward identifying sites for further campus development

Progress as of June 2022:

• Returned to campus design and traditional usage post-COVID
• Completed campus maintenance audit and established priorities
• Have nearly completed the updated Westerly Reading & Research Center (which was paused during COVID)
• Beginning Bizjack Arts Village Modernization