01/14/2012

Public invited to community forums as schools revise statements of vision, mission and values

School Superintendent Meredith Nadeau will host two community forums to gather ideas about the mission, vision and values statements for Cape Elizabeth schools.

Forums will be held at the Pond Cove/Middle School cafetorium:

• Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012 - 7 p.m.
• Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012 - 10 a.m.

The schools are seeking input from a wide range of stakeholders about their hopes and dreams for student outcomes, expectations for the schools' work and perspectives on the schools' strengths, challenges and opportunities, Nadeau said in a press release.

At the School Board's meeting Jan. 10, 2012, Nadeau said work on revising the current statements of mission, vision and values began last month with a systemwide meeting of faculty. Later this month Nadeau will have opportunities to meet with students, and will meet with parents and the community at large at the community forums.

Vision is defined as what success looks like;
Mission as the (school) district’s role in and responsibility for achieving that vision; and
Values as beliefs that translate into best practices.

"Our target date is to try to bring a revised vision and mission statement back to the board for the March meeting," Nadeau said. "We'll see how that goes. It's not a simple process," she said.

School Board members are expected to review and refine ideas from staff, students, parents and the community at their annual retreat, scheduled for Feb. 3. Throughout the process, volunteers with communication, data compilation and writing backgrounds will also work to bring the ideas into statements of vision, mission and values.

For more information or to volunteer, please contact the superintendent's office, 207-799-2217.

School Board Chair Mary Townsend encouraged fellow board members to also attend the community forums. "It should be an interesting opportunity to hear what our community thinks about where our schools should be and what it values. I'll look forward to attending at least one of those," Townsend said.

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Current Mission, Vision and Beliefs

adopted 2001

Our Mission
Our mission is to ensure that all of our students develop the knowledge, skills, behaviors, and attitudes to become successful individuals and citizens.

Our Vision
Cape Elizabeth Schools will be one of the top public school systems in the U.S. having created a dynamic organization which inspires an enthusiastic, innovative and collaborative environment that results in a high level of learning and achievement for all.

Our Beliefs
About Students and Learning, we believe that:

All students can learn
All students should be challenged and supported in their learning
All students have abilities and talents that are worthy of being recognized and developed
All students benefit when they are held to clear and appropriate expectations
As educators, we will connect with the strengths and passion for learning of each student by providing a meaningful and engaging education
Education must prepare students to become competent individuals and productive citizens

About Teachers and Teaching, we believe that:

Teachers need time for collaboration, reflection and professional development on a regular, consistent basis
Teachers need to understand and address the different learning styles of their students
Our community expects, values and supports excellence in teaching

About schools as Learning Communities, we believe that:

Students and staff have the right to a safe, respectful, and challenging environment conducive to learning
Education is a shared responsibility among students, teachers, staff, parents, and the community
A wide range of learning opportunities must be provided in order for our students and staff to be successful
The quality of relationships directly impacts learning and achievement