2 0 2 2 – 2 0 2 7 S T R AT E G I C P L A N
CHANGE MAKERS AND PROBLEM SOLVERS
CONTENTS 02
MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD CHAIR
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MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL
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MISSION, VISION, VALUES, AND PORTRAIT OF THE GRADUATE
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INITIATIVES AND GOALS
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ROADMAP TO THE FUTURE
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MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD CHAIR Students, parents, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends of Pomfret School play a key role in our mission to empower students to pursue lives of meaning and purpose. In authoring this plan, we sought to honor and include the many voices and perspectives represented in our diverse community. The writings of our founder William Peck reminded us to be bold, and to never stop innovating. The voices of our leadership team and faculty reminded us to be intentional, and to always put students first. Over a two-year planning process, members of Pomfret’s senior leadership team held retreats, assembled working groups, and facilitated
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plenary discussions. Slowly but surely, and with involvement of the board, common threads began to emerge — around the need for an integrated model of education, around the desire for a culture of belonging, and around the importance of stewardship and sustainability. A good strategic plan gives everyone something to aim at. In doing so, it becomes a roadmap to the future. In this strategic plan, you will find much that is new, but also much that is familiar. We are not starting from scratch, after all. Under Head of School Tim Richards’ leadership, Pomfret has experienced transformative change. The next phase in this vital work will be to build on that crucial foundation. At Pomfret, we embrace the idea that education must evolve, and we are dedicated to preparing the next generation of Griffins with the character, knowledge, and skills they will need to thrive. As we move forward, I hope you will join us.
JUSTIN KLEIN ’65 Chair, Board of Trustees
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CHANGE MAKERS AND PROBLEM SOLVERS
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MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL What went into authoring this strategic plan? As a leading institution of secondary education, we began by asking “What is our responsibility for addressing the key issues facing our students and our world?” This plan allows us to look deeply and critically at those challenges, and to meet them head-on. Change Makers and Problem Solvers is a plan designed to push the boundaries of what a boarding school education can and should be. It balances the innovative and aspirational with the pragmatic realities facing independent schools. Of equal importance, it is a document built to address the pressing needs of our students, right here, right now. Over the next five years, it will challenge us to stretch and grow in ways that, even now, I suspect we do not — and perhaps cannot — fully comprehend.
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In our 2013 strategic plan, The Pomfret Purpose, I wrote, “If the next generation is to flourish in a changing world, we must prepare them wisely, differently, and well.” I believed that then, and I believe it now. Too often, the problems we face can feel intractable, the magnitude of the change overwhelming. But I have always been, and always will be, an abiding optimist. That’s why I became a teacher. I take as an article of faith that tomorrow will be better than today, that one small group of people — or one small school, for that matter — really can make a difference. And so we will. With audacity and courage. With planning and strategy. With all of you.
TIM RICHARDS Head of School
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MISSION
SCHOOL 6
Pomfret School empowers students to pursue lives of purpose and meaning.
STRATEGIC
VISION
To inspire the next generation of change makers and problem solvers.
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STATEMENT
VALUES 8
COMMUNITY We care for ourselves, the people around us, and the community in which we live. We come together to better address challenges and learn from each other. We champion diversity, equity, and inclusion, seeking to understand and be understood.
GROWTH We thrive on creativity, innovation, and change. We inspire others with our engagement, determination, and optimism. We take calculated risks and rebound from failure with renewed energy.
INTEGRITY We treat people with respect and compassion. We speak and act with sincerity, honesty, and civility. We dare to hold ourselves and others accountable to the values of Pomfret School.
Communicates purposefully Navigates challenges strategically Creates authentically Leads and collaborates with humility Cultivates habits of wellbeing
PORTRAIT OF THE
Engages inclusively with the community
GRADUATE
Learns with curiosity and integrity
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1 INITIATIVE ONE
INTEGRATED EDUCATIONAL MODEL 12
A school powered by students. Through this initiative, we will bring a visionary program into even sharper focus. GOAL 1 PROGRAMMATIC ALIGNMENT
Increase coherence across academic, co-curricular, and extra-curricular programs.
GOAL 2 CURRICULAR DEVELOPMENT
Forge new pathways to connect student learning with real world experiences and challenges.
GOAL 3 STUDENT AGENCY
Amplify student voice and choice in and beyond the classroom.
GOAL 4 MASTERY TRANSCRIPT
Launch a mastery-based approach to assessment, reporting, and transcript design.
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2 INITIATIVE TWO
COMMUNITY AND BELONGING 14
Be together, not the same. Through this initiative, we will create a place where students truly belong. GOAL 1 DIVERSITY AND REPRESENTATION Build a diverse campus community that reflects the world in which we live.
GOAL 2 EQUITY AND INCLUSION
Give all students equitable access to the opportunities we offer and the resources they need to thrive.
GOAL 3 FINANCIAL SUPPORT
Reduce barriers that limit financial aid recipients’ participation in the Pomfret Experience.
GOAL 4 FACILITIES AND RESOURCES
Update our physical plant, technology, and infrastructure to better serve people with disabilities.
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3 INITIATIVE THREE
STEWARDSHIP AND SUSTAINABILITY 16
It’s about putting more in than you are taking out. Through this initiative, we will ensure our school stands the test of time. GOAL 1 ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT
Capitalize on emerging and research-informed practices in admissions and retention.
GOAL 2 PHILANTHROPIC ACHIEVEMENT
Launch the School’s most ambitious campaign, honor giving, and strengthen our community’s culture of philanthropy.
GOAL 3 FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Model excellence in matters of fiscal management, asset preservation, and investment.
GOAL 4 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
Reduce the environmental impact of campus operations through behavior change, conservation, and sustainable practices.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Change Makers and Problems Solvers was authored by our trustees, administrators, faculty, and staff. In particular, we thank the following individuals for their time, energy, expertise, and work during this process. 18
BOARD OF TRUSTEES Justin Klein ’65 — Chair Monique Miles ’95 — Vice Chair Lindsay Paul — Treasurer Stephanie Schuetz ’00 — Secretary Tiffany Ding Will Eglin Trina Gary Brendon Giblin ’95 Molly Hanson ’00 Becky Henry Lisa Kaneb ’86 Jay Luchs ’91 Scott Maker ’76 Michael Marrus
Greg Melville ’68 Nick Mettler ’95 Bob Mullarkey ’79 Dave Murray ’97 Dena Cocozza O’Hara Bob Olmsted ’59 Esezele Payne ’00 Grace Peng Christina Murphy Pisa Laura Pierce ’03 Jud Reis ’60 Arnoldo Wald Kate Wilson Buzz Yudell ’65 Sarah Howie ’09 – Ex Officio Trustee Toyin Moses ’98 – Ad Hoc Trustee Jim Seymour ’65 – Ad Hoc Trustee Etienne Vazquez ’04 – Ad Hoc Trustee
LEADERSHIP Tim Richards — Head of School Don Gibbs — Assistant Head of School Susan Mantilla-Goin — Dean of Enrollment Management Will Mitchell ’84 — Director of Advancement Ed Griffin — Chief Financial Officer Gwyneth Connell — Director of the Grauer Family Institute Cory McCarter — Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Garry Dow — Director of Strategic Marketing and Communications Martha Horst — Dean of Faculty
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© JANUARY 2022
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398 Pomfret Street PO Box 128 Pomfret, CT 06258-0128
“
Change Makers and Problem Solvers is a plan designed to push the boundaries of what a boarding school education can and should be.
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— TIM RICHARDS
Head of School