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Leading on Home Ground
a strategic plan for holderness school
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Why This Plan Matters It’s a relatively simple vision statement: Holderness School will redefine leadership and intellectual development, preparing all for their journeys in a changing world. Of course Holderness cares about leadership and the intellect. Doesn’t everyone? Look more closely. Look at the word “all” —it means humankind. Look at the word “journey”—it means for a lifetime. Look at “redefine”—it means that Holderness is committing to training leaders with the skills that are the most appropriate and enduring for a fast-changing world. It is a vision that will challenge us greatly. To realize it we must live our values in ways that are measurable and effective beyond our own classrooms, residence halls, and zip codes. We must question assumptions and be courageous about change. It is a vision of leadership that is dynamic—it is not just a title. It is not about leadership given by birthright, test score, or personality type; it is a quality that we continuously work to develop. In fact, to do this, we must prioritize it at every level. All of us—students, staff, faculty, and administrators—have to be willing to grow as leaders both individually and as an organization. This priority is time-honored. Holderness was started for young men who could not otherwise afford such an education—for kids who, by definition, were not first in line, and who would work right alongside the adults for the betterment of the school. And the school continued through good years and lean years because this community had the ability to adapt and grow through
financial hardship, wartime, peacetime, and cultural change with humility, perseverance, grace, and a willingness to learn. That’s leadership. What’s new is that this particular kind of leadership—the collaborative, nimble, dynamic kind—is what the st century needs right now. Gone are the days when the line was straight and someone was at the front. Gone are the days when learning meant assimilating information, in a certain order, while seated at a desk until finished. Here now are the days of algorithmic thinking, of the power of collaborative minds, of many-layered, diverse experiences. Genre, subject, and cultural lines overlap now. Start-ups fail and start up again; knowledge gained and experiences are what matter. Specialization, that byproduct of the monotonous production line, has given way to flexibility, collaboration, and innovation. The world has changed. Holderness School has what it takes.
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Pro Deo et Genere Humano: For God and Humankind vision Holderness School will redefine leadership and intellectual development, preparing all for their journeys in a changing world.
mission Holderness School fosters equally in each student the resources of the mind, body, and spirit in the creation of a caring community, inspiring all to work for the betterment of humankind and God’s creation.
core values r Community: We cultivate the bonds that unite us and the role that those relationships play in elevating learning and how we live. r Character: We believe that growth is rooted in initiative, dependability, and fairness and in a person’s readiness to embrace new
challenges. r Curiosity: We match academic rigor with a commitment to inquiry as a means of forging a life-long pursuit of learning.
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Celebrations Our commitment to being a self-reflective community drives a steady cycle of planning resulting in thoughtful, sustainable, significant change. Each milestone that is attained builds confidence and momentum for the challenges ahead. Here are a few of the successes of the last decade about which we are grateful and inspired: from the strategic plan r Aimed for the million/year mark for the Holderness Fund r Sought to bring faculty compensation in line with peer schools (abops) r Significantly increased our tiaa-cref offerings to all employees r Elevated our director of diversity position to an administrative level r Planned for and completed the Weld Hall renovation r Sought and acted on a student-driven request for improved math and science curriculum r Began the process of establishing the Montessori pre-school to support faculty families r Obtained a grant and began the research to develop a senior capstone project
from the strategic plan r Reached million for the fy Holderness Fund r Completed the Montessori pre-school r Prioritized sustainability planning r Proposed adding a non-Western language to our curriculum r Weathered the financial crisis of – without eliminating employees or programs
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Celebrations (continued) r Piloted Senior Thesis, including developing a four-year curriculum to support it r Moved to create the infrastructure and resources for the / balanced lifestyle concept, including placing seven additional faculty in residences with students r Set a goal to recruit a student body that is international to foster cultural diversity r Increased involvement in our Chapel Program through vestry and other service projects
from the strategic plan update r Realized the vision of / through both new construction and renovation; built Pichette and Woodward Faculty dormitories and renovated Rathbun and Hoit r Established Senior Thesis as a full-participation program that includes research, experiential, and presentation components r Implemented our Chinese language program r Began regular and systematic operations audits and reviews r Committed to piloting a stem course and supporting new Green Team initiatives r Laid the ground work for our biomass woodchip heating system
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The – Holderness School Strategic Plan What follows are the four primary goals, twelve objectives, and a selection of the twenty-four action items that support the goals and objectives.
. build a dynamic community New financial, personal, and environmental realities require new ways of thinking and acting to keep our core values vital and relevant; we recognize the paradox that sustainability is only attained through forward movement. r Balanced Lifestyle: We will revitalize our operations and work processes, our health and wellness opportunities, our schedule and calendars, and our collaborative
practices with the goal of creating a balanced, healthy, and productive lifestyle. r Environmental Sustainability: We will set and meet curricular goals and environmental impact standards that reflect both our commitment to our local ecosystem
and our role as citizens of an interdependent biosphere. r Financial Sustainability: Holderness will continue to build upon its reputation of careful financial stewardship of resources and build new opportunities for
increased sources of revenue, operating effectiveness, and sound management of school assets with an eye towards improving our appeal in an increasingly challenging independent school market.
priorities r Implement an expert Time and Motion Audit. r Create and implement a financial plan to achieve our strategic initiatives.
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The – Holderness School Strategic Plan (continued) . educate for the emerging world We need curricula, facilities, and faculty equipped to prepare our students for the emerging challenges of their lifetimes. r Learning Differently: We will develop new programs that reflect st century realities and support them with innovative, collaborative new facilities, partnerships,
and classroom design. r Professional Development: We will honor the creativity and commitment of our faculty and staff by investing in the tools and education they need to become
innovative and visionary leaders in their professions. r Coaching the Whole Athlete: We will leverage the best research, techniques, and tools to support and develop multi-sport athletes at every level.
priorities r Design program priorities, begin fundraising, and organize resources to build a science facility based on principles of innovation, flexibility and creativity. r Implement, support, and celebrate creative and innovative pedagogy enabled by a consistent and powerful technology platform/framework. r Develop a multi-sport full-participation athletic performance program.
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The – Holderness School Strategic Plan (continued) . deepen our connections Charity begins at home. We aspire to be continuously critically reflective about our relationships with each other. r For God and Humankind: We will design a chapel program and facility that instills an understanding and appreciation of the spiritual disciplines needed to
navigate a complex, global, and ethically challenging world. r Leadership and Character: We will build a campus-wide leadership and character development program focused on the growth and success of every community
member. r Respectful Engagement: We will develop and strengthen the practices needed to continuously and deliberately build a respectful, safe, and diverse community.
priorities r Create a four-year student-centered program focused on leadership and character development.
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The – Holderness School Strategic Plan (continued) . connect holderness to the world It is imperative to educate contributing global citizens and to foster the connections, understanding, and sense of responsibility that will be required to achieve this goal. r Global Education and Outreach: We will integrate concepts of social justice, specifically notions of empathy and fairness, throughout our curricula, seeking to
promote an understanding of how to learn and lead in a complex, inter-connected world, and to educate our students toward a richer humanity. r Our Network: We will strengthen and extend our connections to our global Holderness family and seek opportunities to benefit from their diverse knowledge
and experience. r Our Message: We will tell the story of Holderness to a broader audience, seeking to recruit strong new community members, as well as to share our philosophies
and practices for the good of humankind.
priorities r Develop a global citizenship certificate.
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Our Process | – strategic planning committee: Jim Hamblin Gary Spiess Gay Bird Nigel Furlonge Randy Dales Chris Carney John Lin Kelsey Berry Carol Dopp
Tobi Pfenninger Duane Ford Kathy Weymouth Rick Eccleston Maggie Mumford Chris Day Phil Peck Jory Macomber Courtney Williamson
Tyler Lewis Stephen Solberg Peter Hendel Robert Caldwell Andy Herring Peter Durnan Courtney Williamson John Bird Will Northrop
strategic planning steering committee: Phil Peck John Bird Courtney Williamson Gary Spiess Steve Solberg
Andy Herring Robert Caldwell Tobi Pfenninger Jory Macomber Jim Hamblin
method:
preliminary results:
r Three day-long retreats
r Four goals, objectives,
r
r r
r
r
r r
with the Strategic Planning Committee: September ; April ; June Monthly Strategic Planning Committee meetings + conference calls surveys filled out: alumni, parents, peer schools, education experts, students, and faculty Bi-monthly email reports to Strategic Planning Committee and Board Board Report on Plan: June , ; Executive Committee Report on Plan: September , A new Vision Revitalized Mission and Values
A leading on home ground | a strategic plan for holderness school
action items r Six action item “drilldowns” prepared this fall; committee captains named
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