Devon Prep Strategic Plan by Devon Preparatory School

E DUCAT I O N F O R L I F E

PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE: DEVON PREP STRATEGIC PLAN

2015,

Board of Trustees MR. EDWARD MOONEY SR. Chairman Emeritus, Retired CEO, Monsey Bakor Corp., Alumni Parent MR. JOHN H. ANSLEY, JR. ’64 Trustee Emeritus President, John H. Ansley Studios, Inc. REV. FRANCISCO AISA, SCH.P. Headmaster, Teacher, Devon Preparatory School MR. RJ BANNISTER, ’86 Director, Metro NY Executive Compensation Leader, Willis Tower Watson MR. THOMAS BRADLEY Associate Vice President, Campus Apartments REV. JOHN G. CALLAN, SCH.P. ’75 Piarist Father, Teacher, Cardinal Gibbons High School MR. NICHOLAS C. CIOCCA ’93, CPA Stephano Slack CPAs

MR. BRIAN D. CROWE ’81 Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Devon Preparatory School; Vice President, Exelon Corporation MR. HARRY J. DIDONATO ’83 Partner, MacElree Harvey Ltd., Alumni Parent MR. JOHN DUFFY III Counsel, White and Williams, University Lecturer, Saint Joseph’s University MR. MICHAEL L. KIMMEL ’90 Principal – Corporate Legal Services, Vanguard Group VERY REV. FERNANDO NEGRO, SCH.P. Provincial, USA-PR Congregation of the Piarist Fathers MR. BRIAN M. OLINGER ’95 Board of Trustees Secretary, Devon Preparatory School; Project Manager, Vanguard MR. MALCOLM T. PHELAN ’08 Account Executive, Dropbox

REV. JAMES J. SHEA, SCH.P. ’66 Headmaster Emeritus, Teacher, Devon Preparatory School

Devon Preparatory School Administrative Team REV. FRANCISCO AISA, SCH.P. Headmaster MR. MARK A. AQUILANTE, ’94 Director of Academic Affairs MR. J. JOSEPH DONAHUE, ’66 Director of Institutional Affairs MRS. JENNIFER GREGORY Director of Administrative Affairs MR. PATRICK C. KANE Director of External Operations MR. BARRY BRAZUNAS Head of Middle School

E DU C ATION F OR LIFE

Devon Prep is at the Core of the Piarist Mission

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THE MISSION OF • • •

DEVON PREP Devon Prep is a private, Catholic, college prep school, grades six to twelve, focused on the holistic education of young men for life. The mission of the Piarist order is the holistic education of youth. Founded with the motto “Pietas et Litterae”, meaning “Piety and Learning”, the order continues to evolve at and with Devon Prep. Devon Prep serves as an important priority to enabling the Piarist mission of preparing young men for the rigors of 21st Century life by modeling, in word and deed, the Piarist values of charity, humility, patience, respect, and simplicity.

D EVON PR E P I DE NTIT Y

evon Preparatory School is singularly focused on preparing young men not just for college, but for the entirety of their lives. By operating our school at the speed, intensity, and standards of real life, our young men are wellpositioned to succeed and be leaders for their lives and callings beyond Devon Prep. We educate and inspire our students by holding them accountable to the highest academic and moral standards. Through the support of the entire Devon Prep community, students learn how to demand high standards from themselves. At the same time, we understand the stresses a rigorous environment can create for our young men. The Devon Prep community is committed to the emotional well-being of our students. Through the teaching of coping skills, stress management, and creating a trusting environment where students can share concerns, students learn how to navigate the challenges of life in a constructive, healthy way.

Academics, athletics, and extra-curricular activities serve to: Challenge students in a nurturing way to step outside their comfort zones, learn more about themselves, and their capabilities. •••••••••• Create an environment where students demand of themselves high expectations and standards. •••••••••• Develop an intellectual curiosity of the world and have a strong moral and ethical compass to both anchor and guide them.

K E Y P R IN C IP L E S

The Key Principles that Fulfill the Devon Prep Identity: Our Catholic, Piarist-centered tradition ensures the highest priority is educating the total young man (intellectually, spiritually, physically, and emotionally). •••••••••• Devon Prep’s intimate, but diverse, student body population is a strength and an advantage. Faculty and staff get to know each student on an individual level, the school can make adjustments and adaptations more quickly than larger, slower institutions, and we can foster a deeper sense of school community. •••••••••• Devon Prep is a rigorous, world class academic institution. Our key differentiator is our focus on offering the highest quality education through a challenging, cutting edge curriculum taught by a well-credentialed faculty with a deep personal alignment to Devon Prep’s mission. We teach faculty and students to focus on the learning process, not just the outcomes. By focusing on the learning process, students increase attention, develop critical thinking skills, and practice true learning. •••••••••• Athletics and extra-curricular activities serve to supplement and complement academic learning by building a well-rounded person. •••••••••• We will use tools and technology to enable students and faculty access to the best learning and teaching vehicles. Tools and technology will be evaluated to ensure they serve our learning process and not replace the process.

S TR ATE GIC GO ALS

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STRENGTHEN THE • • •

ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE While Devon Prep makes a priority to stay anchored to and consistent with our core values and mission, we must also be flexible to stay relevant with the needs of our students today. To ensure Devon Prep offers the most relevant and diverse curriculum, we want to do the following: 1. Differentiate and expand curriculum offerings that address the needs and interests of our diverse and talented student body. 2. Improve our Computer Science curriculum offerings with a focus on programming and graphic design. 3. Institute a qualification policy for students to gain entry into Advanced Placement courses. 4. Offer our faculty more quality In-Service Programs that will help ensure our students’ academic preparedness. 5. Create a fair, but rigorous, faculty evaluation process to promote accountability and a commitment to excellence.

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IMPLEMENT AN ENHANCED STUDENT • • •

LIFE EXPERIENCE

We want an engaged and energized student body with a focus on guidance, spirituality, and school pride. We want to achieve this goal through: 1. Implementing an Advisory and Guidance program which assists our students with navigating their academic, social, and spiritual lives. 2. Offering more group social interaction opportunities during and after the school day to promote emotional well-being, camaraderie, and pride. 3. Re-designing the service program to align with the Piarist values of charity, humility, patience, respect, and simplicity. 4. Strengthening our Calasactian identity by participating in activities promoted by the Piarist USA-PR Province.

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ENSURE A DYNAMIC AND DIVERSE • • •

STUDENT BODY

Devon Prep wants to ensure we are drawing from a large body of students who can enrich the entire community with different perspectives and experiences. To promote the growth and expansion of our student body, we want to: 1. Implement a three-year strategy to raise and maintain enrollment at 300 students. 2. Create coordinated and unified marketing and communication efforts throughout the Devon Prep community and external community with a specific focus on the holistic education of our young men for life. 3. Strengthen marketing to a wider family demographic through stronger, more targeted campaigns. 4. Develop long-term relationships with other Piarist schools internationally and explore an Exchange and International Program that would bring more students to Devon Prep.

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INCREASE THE SIZE AND INFLUENCE OF • • •

EXTERNAL OPERATIONS The Office of External Operations has an opportunity to work as one to promote Devon Prep to the entire community. To maximize the Office’s impact, we will: 1. Create coordinated and unified marketing and communication efforts throughout the Devon Prep community and external community with a specific focus on the holistic education of our young men for life. 2. Cultivate interaction with current students and parents and increase the engagements with our Alumni community. 3. Expand the Devon Prep Fund (formerly the Annual Fund) to reach $1 million. Achieve this expansion with clear, tangible initiatives and more ways for the community to give to our school. 4. Establish a Financial Aid Fund and increase our scholarship offerings to create long-term stability.

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UPDATE AND EXPAND • • •

OUR CAMPUS

We want Devon Prep to have a first-class campus with facilities and amenities conducive to the all-around educational development needs of our students. We will achieve this in the following ways: 1. Complete the current Capital Campaign by refurbishing the 1960’s wing of Devon Prep, move the middle school to the building, re-locate the administrative offices to Calasanctius Hall and upgrade the baseball field for better play and include stadium style seating. 2. Upgrade Devon Prep’s IT network with state of the art technology that will be used for academic and administrative needs. 3. Introduce and consistently evaluate a schoolwide Campus Master Plan for campus growth. Some initial initiatives include:

i. ii. iii. iv. v.

Design and build a Center for the Arts that includes a 300-person auditorium for performing arts, and additional classrooms and space for student clubs and activities. Build a quality Physical Fitness Center for the physical training needs of the entire Devon Prep community. The center will include team rooms and restrooms. Establish a campus Events Room which would provide students with additional meeting space during free periods, and dining space during lunch. We would also use this location for high-end Development programs and Alumni reunion gatherings. Incorporate a new Piarist Father’s Residence separate from functions of the school that will be the heart of the Province in America. Constructions of Tennis Courts for the Tennis team and also to incorporate into the Physical Education curriculum and for neighborhood use.

4. Openly evaluate opportunities for land expansion to increase the footprint of our campus.

E D U C AT I O N F O R L I F E 363 North Valley Forge Road, Devon, PA 19333