Values

What do we want/value at Seton?
 Setting priorities on 8/16/2010. Here are the results of our discussion on what we value and want to focus on for the coming 2010-2011 school year.


 * attendance/employability
 * dress code/modeling professionalism
 * make/keep Seton a place that kids want to be
 * establish a clear school culture
 * participation-->ownership
 * preparation for citizenship and life after Seton
 * accountability/transparency
 * relationship-building
 * contracts with students, teachers, and parent
 * students should be heard, seen, and have voice.
 * cross-curricular collaboration
 * building relationships with idea
 * encouraging students to make personal deposits

=Mission and Vision Crafting = <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> We need to author a vision for our school and a mission for our efforts in education. It would be a good idea to start thinking about the kinds of words we want to "try on" for a mission and vision. It will take time and intention to put something together we all contribute to and promise to work under. Here are a few examples I pulled from various states:

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> Missions & Visions

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Royal Palm Charter VISION/MISSION/BELIEF STATEMENTS (Florida) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> Royal Palm is a community in which students are personly responsible for their actions and an environment in which children are motivated and love to learn. Our misssion is to create a charter school, which will encompass current educational philosophies through an innovative curriculum that will be academically rigorous and allow individual students to excel.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Charlotte Community Charter MISSION STATEMENT (N Carolina) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Community Charter School is a non traditional arts integrated school whose classroom is the community. We are a committed partnership of families, teachers, and community resources who work together to develop independent learners and thinkers. At Community Charter School every child’s individuality is respected and nurtured.”

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">University of Texas Charter, Pathfinders (Texas) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Pathfinder Campus will encourage and enable students to become competent, contributing members of society equipped with the reading, writing, and math skills necessary for success in a rapidly changing world. The Pathfinder campus is supported by a committed group of volunteers that work with the students during and after school.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Springstead High School (Florida) Vision <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Advancing Excellence. Building Community. Choosing Responsibility. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Mission: SHS promotes an educational environment where students are: challenged, successful, inspired.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Northside Urban Pathways Charter MISSION AND VISION (Pennsylvania) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">MISSION: Helping every child find a pathway to a successful adult life in the city and beyond. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">VISION: Our Vision has been achieved when: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">All students who come to NUP graduate from NUP. Our graduates all receive college acceptances along with the financial help and scholarship aid to take advantage of these <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">acceptances. All students are successful in whatever post-secondary choice they make.

=<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">"Good" Teaching? =

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">What is a "good" teacher and why does that adjective cause us trouble? In order to answer this question, we have to frame a clear purpose for the role of a teacher in our school and community setting. Here is one interesting thought from Meyer and Rust's book on teacher research :

"We hold inquiry to be axiomatic to good teaching. Good teachers, like skilled actors, are constantly monitoring their audience, noting what brings attention, working to engage participants, and thinking ahead to create seamless transitions. **but good teaching goes beyond stagecraft and moment-to-moment shifts in action and voice that will keep the audience alert. Good teaching is __//Research//__.**"

Notes from 10/5/2010 Meeting

Vision Crafting Language (Where we WANT to be)

-Team building skills -attitude awareness -maximizing the value of diversity -making self-actualization a reality -maximizing growth and potential -students have the ability to reinvent themselves -no victimization -Montessori model -populatuion demographics match the community -leverage positive commuinity attributes -leading model for educational reform -part of a larger group, connection with the Center & all stakeholders,

unique blend of public and non-profit community service. Hybrid School Model. -students are present in the moment, ready to learn "carpe diem" -connection to the arts -service to the community -use of intersessions (home & away) to take closer look at specific areas of

interest -mindful of the world we live in, balance service skills w/ academic skills

Mission Crafting Language (Where we are NOW, why are we here, what principles guide our work? what are

the opportunities that exist which we are here to address? how are we going

to address those needs?)

-strong sense of culture and caring with hope for success -working to establish a positive environment for learning, need to sustain -making multiple avenues to success visible -breaking cycles of fear and loss -reducing deficits in learning ability, ALL kids have deficits -rebranding from "alternative" education to Montessori -the message of our school carries far through our stakeholders, replicates

quickly -challenges that lead to learning goals in each class, built on intrinsic

value -value transparency, outward-->in, classroom learning is visible to

stakeholders -