Strategic Plan 2018-2023

Our Future Our Community

THE ELISABETH MORROW SCHOOL

Strategic Plan 2018–2023

Mission

The Elisabeth Morrow School’s shared purpose is to provide exemplary academics and character development in a diverse and inclusive child-centered community, inspiring students to become curious scholars, ethical leaders, and global citizens.

Core Values

In a child-centered environment, EMS cares deeply about…

• Academic Excellence • Character Development • Community • Diversity and Inclusion • Passion for Learning

Vision Statement

In 2023, EMS is the premier N-8 institution graduating learners who are creative, empathetic, and inspired to reach their highest potential.

Letter from the Board President

When Elisabeth Morrow and Connie Chilton founded our beloved school, their intention was to blend the best of the old and the best of the new and create an education for children unlike anything our community had ever seen.

Elisabeth and Connie were innovative women who believed in the value of early childhood education to shape students’ lives forever. From humble beginnings, they built an institution that has for generations provided its students with the tools, character, and habits of mind to achieve personal success, and make a great impact on the world around them.

EMS kicked off its latest strategic planning process in the fall of 2017, with the goal of examining our mission and core values, and creating a five-year plan which would provide a roadmap for even greater success in the future. Being a school that is both child-centered and community-oriented, we gathered all the stakeholders around the table in an open and inclusive process. This approach allowed us to engage the community, gain greater clarity on the school’s strengths and challenges, and, with a shared vision, collectively build a proactive plan to shape the future of the school. We were fortunate to engage in this reflection from a position of strength, with a solid brand and financial position.

Working over the course of a year with Christina Drouin of the Center for Strategic Planning to facilitate the process, our Board created a new mission statement and, with our community developed core values, a new vision and complementary goals, all of which you will see in the pages of this publication.

We believe that in our rapidly evolving world today, where aligned values are not always evident, an Elisabeth Morrow education has never been more needed. In order to deliver upon the promises we make to our students and their families, we must hone our vision so that we continue to be a lodestar of education like our founders imagined, creating a transformative experience for students and empowering them to impact the world. That our vision today is aspirational is exactly the point: stretching beyond what is expected, just as Elisabeth and Connie did in the 1930s, will yield dividends we can scarcely imagine right now. I invite you to join us on this exciting journey as we work to create a brighter future for our school and community.

Warm regards, Hanita Walia Board President

EMS Strategic Plan Core Drivers

Exemplary Academic Program

Sustainable Future

Transformative Student Experience

Engaged Community

EMS will prioritize these strategic drivers when allocating resources to ensure continued fulfillment of our mission.

Developed from internal and external research, these drivers were used to inspire the school’s vision statement and the goals of our Strategic Plan.

Exemplary Academic Program Building a Foundation of Academic Excellence in a Dynamic Learning Environment GOAL: EMS is the premier innovative space for empowering empathetic learners and leaders to pursue academic excellence through a growth mindset in a safe and secure environment.

Through an exceptional curricular and co-curricular program, EMS will inspire creative problem solving, design thinking and critical thinking throughout its community of learners. Our students will have the tools, technology, and space, as well as the guidance of cohesive and impactful faculty and staff, to become curious scholars, ethical leaders and global citizens.

Transformative Student Experience Focusing on a Solid Foundation for Character and Healthy Growth and Development GOAL: EMS is a comprehensive and balanced whole child learning environment.

Intentionally engaging in practices that meet the needs of all of our students, EMS will deliver a transformative, fulfilling, and well-rounded student experience. We will increase opportunities to make learning joyful, inspiring and purposeful, while engaging our community in supporting student health and wellness and cultivating a commitment to environmental stewardship.

Engaged Community Building Authentic Relationships in a Diverse and Inclusive Community GOAL: EMS is a fully supportive community that prioritizes understanding of identity, authentic inclusion, and empathy.

While broadening and deepening school diversity, EMS will build connections and empathy within our community — locally and globally — based on the 4 C’s and our school’s core values.

Through increasing inclusion and equity throughout the community, we will foster an environment that empowers students to make well-informed, purposeful choices.

Sustainable Future Stewarding, Developing, and Managing Assets: Human, Financial, Physical, and Brand GOAL: EMS is a recognized brand leader in N-8 education with a superior physical plant, human and financial resources.

While developing and implementing programs that ensure a financially sustainable future, EMS will continue to attract, develop and retain exceptional faculty and staff; ensure our learning environments complement the quality of our programs; promote EMS as an educational leader; and inspire lifetime connections of students, teachers, staff, parents and alumni to EMS and to each other.

The Elisabeth Morrow School 435 Lydecker Street Englewood, NJ 07631

Strategic Planning Steering Committee Joseph (J) Agresta ’78 P’18 ’24, Second Vice President, Board of Trustees Gregory Amerkanian P’15 ’17 ’27, First Vice President, Board of Trustees Paul Baly P’20 ’24 ’26, Middle School Head Beth Brennan, Lower School Head Aaron Cooper P’20 ’22, Head of School Robin Robison Dillard P’20, Trustee Catherine Ferreira P ’21 ’23, Secretary, Parents Association Amelia Gold P’15 ’17 ’22 ’24, Arts Department Chair Richard Han P’18 ’19 ’24 Kathie Kamiel P’22 ’24, Secretary, Board of Trustees Laura Khutorsky P’16 ’22, Associate Director of Admissions Gil Mandelzis P’14 ’19 ’19, Trustee Jamil Myrie P’20 Rurik Nackerud, Lower School Faculty Stephanie Nebel, Ph.D., Middle School Faculty Dana Ranawat, Ph.D., P’22 ’24, Trustee Phoebe Search P’25 ’25, Middle School Faculty Clare Sheridan P’15 ’18, Trustee Hanita Walia P’16 ’22, President, Board of Trustees Melanie Weinraub P’21 ’24, President, Parents Association

THE ELISABETH MORROW SCHOOL

Strategic Plan 2018–2023