Strategic Plan 2016

St. David’s School Strategic Plan – 2016 St. David’s School 2016 Strategic Plan

The Mission, the Mandate and the Means to Move Ahead

St. David’s School 3400 White Oak Road Raleigh, NC 27609 919-782-3331 www.sdsw.org

FAITH VIRTUE KNOWLEDGE

St. David’s School

Strategic Plan

Thank you for taking the time to learn more about the future of St. David’s School.

Here, we outline the strategic plan for the continued growth and development of St. David’s. With solid support and participation from our faculty and administration, the Board of Trustees has engaged members of our community in articulating the priorities and values that will guide us as we chart an ambitious course for the school’s future.

Realizing that any meaningful strategic plan merits — in fact, demands — ongoing assessment and adjustment, our purpose in preparing this document is to set forth the trajectory that will enable St. David’s to: • Build on the school’s myriad strengths, • Address aspects of the school that are ripe for enhancement, and • Adhere faithfully to our core mission and convictions.

We aim to position St. David’s School at the forefront of national efforts in what is widely known as STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) education. Through programmatic emphases, we are creating outlets of exploration for our students in the broad areas of design, entrepreneurship and innovation. We plan to add more. Now in its third year, our one-to-one iPad initiative is enabling us to leverage the power of information technology to augment time-honored teaching and communications practices. We will further improve students’ academic experience and achievements by adopting new, leading-edge applications and approaches as appropriate methodologies and concepts emerge.

While we will continually adapt our curriculum and programs to incorporate advancements in modern knowledge and technology, we recognize that an intentionally Christian-influenced course of study must also maintain a secure foothold in the wisdom of the past. Faith and virtues are unchanging values. In all we do, we will hold fast to these foundational principles.

Careful stewardship of our personnel, facilities and financial resources – the “Three Pillars of Excellence” – is fundamental to successful fulfillment of our strategic plan. We intend to create a Master Teacher Endowment that will provide the means to attract and retain outstanding faculty. We plan to improve our physical plant with new construction that expands and upgrades our academic buildings, and augments our sports facilities with enhanced infrastructure.

Our spirit of continuous improvement and collaboration will go a long way towards helping St. David’s School seize the multitude of opportunities before us. We seek God’s direction and provision for this special community of learning. As we do, please know that we greatly appreciate your interest, involvement and support.

Blessings,

Joe Knott Chairman, Board of Trustees

Kevin J. Lockerbie Headmaster

1

St. David’s School

Strategic Plan

Thank you for taking the time to learn more about the future of St. David’s School.

Here, we outline the strategic plan for the continued growth and development of St. David’s. With solid support and participation from our faculty and administration, the Board of Trustees has engaged members of our community in articulating the priorities and values that will guide us as we chart an ambitious course for the school’s future.

Realizing that any meaningful strategic plan merits — in fact, demands — ongoing assessment and adjustment, our purpose in preparing this document is to set forth the trajectory that will enable St. David’s to: • Build on the school’s myriad strengths, • Address aspects of the school that are ripe for enhancement, and • Adhere faithfully to our core mission and convictions.

We aim to position St. David’s School at the forefront of national efforts in what is widely known as STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) education. Through programmatic emphases, we are creating outlets of exploration for our students in the broad areas of design, entrepreneurship and innovation. We plan to add more. Now in its third year, our one-to-one iPad initiative is enabling us to leverage the power of information technology to augment time-honored teaching and communications practices. We will further improve students’ academic experience and achievements by adopting new, leading-edge applications and approaches as appropriate methodologies and concepts emerge.

While we will continually adapt our curriculum and programs to incorporate advancements in modern knowledge and technology, we recognize that an intentionally Christian-influenced course of study must also maintain a secure foothold in the wisdom of the past. Faith and virtues are unchanging values. In all we do, we will hold fast to these foundational principles.

Careful stewardship of our personnel, facilities and financial resources – the “Three Pillars of Excellence” – is fundamental to successful fulfillment of our strategic plan. We intend to create a Master Teacher Endowment that will provide the means to attract and retain outstanding faculty. We plan to improve our physical plant with new construction that expands and upgrades our academic buildings, and augments our sports facilities with enhanced infrastructure.

Our spirit of continuous improvement and collaboration will go a long way towards helping St. David’s School seize the multitude of opportunities before us. We seek God’s direction and provision for this special community of learning. As we do, please know that we greatly appreciate your interest, involvement and support.

Blessings,

Joe Knott Chairman, Board of Trustees

Kevin J. Lockerbie Headmaster

1

Our Mission St. David’s School is an independent school in the Episcopal school tradition that prepares young men and women for college and life by challenging them to excel in the vital areas of faith, virtue, and knowledge.

Who We Are An academically rigorous college preparatory school, St. David’s serves students in grades pre-K through 12. We believe that each student is blessed with a unique array of Godgiven gifts and talents. We also hold that faith in the one triune God, virtuous attitudes and behavior, and sound knowledge and wisdom form a lasting foundation for ongoing personal and spiritual growth.

An unambiguous faith defines us.

We strive for excellence in all our endeavors; however, our fundamental Christian faith defines the heart and soul of our school. Intentional integration of biblical principles inside and outside the classroom is a clear distinctive for St. David’s.

Abundant outlets for spiritual formation, prayer and worship tightly bind together our community.

Our emphasis on virtue manifests our faith.

Honesty, integrity, perseverance, compassion, self-discipline, respect…all are hallmarks of character that we require of our faculty and staff. We make a concerted effort to instill in our students these and other exemplary personal qualities. We contend that cultivating virtuous traits in our students is as essential to preparing them for college and life as helping them to develop the intellectual agility and skills they will need to achieve and sustain individual, academic and professional success.

2

Our spirited pursuit of knowledge inspires a life-long love of learning.

Members of St. David’s faculty go well beyond challenging our students to acquire and apply academic knowledge. Employing creative teaching techniques, and motivating them with encouragement, our teachers inspire our students not just to learn, but also to love learning.

Students build proficiencies that will hold them in good stead throughout their lives: the ability to assimilate and analyze complex concepts, to think creatively and critically, and to express themselves cogently and clearly in both the written and spoken word.

St. David’s readily assumes an active role in forging the Triangle’s future.

As a nationally competitive college preparatory school located in North Carolina’s capital city, Raleigh, we believe St. David’s has an important role to play in helping to shape and strengthen our surrounding community. Our values and priorities drive us to educate young men and women of excellent character, who are service- and civicminded, who contribute their resources and talents to others, who will ultimately compete effectively in the work force and continually seek to make a significant, positive difference in the world.

3

Our Mission St. David’s School is an independent school in the Episcopal school tradition that prepares young men and women for college and life by challenging them to excel in the vital areas of faith, virtue, and knowledge.

Who We Are An academically rigorous college preparatory school, St. David’s serves students in grades pre-K through 12. We believe that each student is blessed with a unique array of Godgiven gifts and talents. We also hold that faith in the one triune God, virtuous attitudes and behavior, and sound knowledge and wisdom form a lasting foundation for ongoing personal and spiritual growth.

An unambiguous faith defines us.

We strive for excellence in all our endeavors; however, our fundamental Christian faith defines the heart and soul of our school. Intentional integration of biblical principles inside and outside the classroom is a clear distinctive for St. David’s.

Abundant outlets for spiritual formation, prayer and worship tightly bind together our community.

Our emphasis on virtue manifests our faith.

Honesty, integrity, perseverance, compassion, self-discipline, respect…all are hallmarks of character that we require of our faculty and staff. We make a concerted effort to instill in our students these and other exemplary personal qualities. We contend that cultivating virtuous traits in our students is as essential to preparing them for college and life as helping them to develop the intellectual agility and skills they will need to achieve and sustain individual, academic and professional success.

2

Our spirited pursuit of knowledge inspires a life-long love of learning.

Members of St. David’s faculty go well beyond challenging our students to acquire and apply academic knowledge. Employing creative teaching techniques, and motivating them with encouragement, our teachers inspire our students not just to learn, but also to love learning.

Students build proficiencies that will hold them in good stead throughout their lives: the ability to assimilate and analyze complex concepts, to think creatively and critically, and to express themselves cogently and clearly in both the written and spoken word.

St. David’s readily assumes an active role in forging the Triangle’s future.

As a nationally competitive college preparatory school located in North Carolina’s capital city, Raleigh, we believe St. David’s has an important role to play in helping to shape and strengthen our surrounding community. Our values and priorities drive us to educate young men and women of excellent character, who are service- and civicminded, who contribute their resources and talents to others, who will ultimately compete effectively in the work force and continually seek to make a significant, positive difference in the world.

3

Mandate: Where We Are Going In defining our strategic plan, our overarching goal has been to strengthen aspects of the school that will enable St. David’s to stake our claim as one of the finest college preparatory schools in the country. To achieve this goal, we intend to: • Form and fund a Master Teacher Endowment, • Further integrate biblical principles and real-world challenges into our curriculum, • Transform targeted facilities on our main campus, • Expand and enhance the infrastructure at our satellite athletic complex, and • Improve security measures at both locations.

Forming and funding a Master Teacher Endowment will enable the school to attract and retain outstanding faculty.

No aspect of our strategic plan takes precedence over the goal of attracting and retaining teachers of the highest caliber and character, which is why forming and generously funding a Master Teacher Endowment is a top priority for St. David’s School.

We look to bring to our school teachers who are exceptionally knowledgeable and passionate about their subjects, who also have the ability to inspire and engage students of different aptitudes and levels of interest by adapting their approach to meet each one’s unique personality and needs.

We will conduct a national search to fill each open position. We will support our faculty with ongoing assessment and other means of identifying and achieving their potential. We will afford our teachers with ample opportunities for professional development, such as academic conferences and international teaching fellowships and grants.

Proceeds from the Master Teacher Endowment will help make these important undertakings possible.

By further integrating biblical principles into our curriculum, and amplifying traditional academics with other avenues for learning, we will hone St. David’s most compelling distinctive.

Our academic rigor and flourishing enrichment programs -- in combination with our purposeful, perceptible Christian ethos -- are linked together, our school’s most compelling distinctive.

Our curriculum is tangible evidence of that quality. We will continue to modify our curriculum to capitalize on developments

4

in technology and respond to changes in our community and society. At the same time, at every academic level, in every discipline, we will maintain a deliberate focus on how most effectively to weave biblical principles into our course content and presentation. We will not attempt to indoctrinate our students with rigid dogma. Rather, we will teach them to articulate and substantiate their own positions and points of view.

To augment traditional academics, we will expand our Innovation Warriors program: a complement to classroom instruction that is designed to ignite creativity and entrepreneurship through students’ hands-on involvement in real-world projects and internships. This inventive program includes both requisite and elective elements. Active participation in Innovation Warriors will distinguish St. David’s students from others, giving them invaluable experience and problem-solving skills as they progress toward college and their careers.

5

Mandate: Where We Are Going In defining our strategic plan, our overarching goal has been to strengthen aspects of the school that will enable St. David’s to stake our claim as one of the finest college preparatory schools in the country. To achieve this goal, we intend to: • Form and fund a Master Teacher Endowment, • Further integrate biblical principles and real-world challenges into our curriculum, • Transform targeted facilities on our main campus, • Expand and enhance the infrastructure at our satellite athletic complex, and • Improve security measures at both locations.

Forming and funding a Master Teacher Endowment will enable the school to attract and retain outstanding faculty.

No aspect of our strategic plan takes precedence over the goal of attracting and retaining teachers of the highest caliber and character, which is why forming and generously funding a Master Teacher Endowment is a top priority for St. David’s School.

We look to bring to our school teachers who are exceptionally knowledgeable and passionate about their subjects, who also have the ability to inspire and engage students of different aptitudes and levels of interest by adapting their approach to meet each one’s unique personality and needs.

We will conduct a national search to fill each open position. We will support our faculty with ongoing assessment and other means of identifying and achieving their potential. We will afford our teachers with ample opportunities for professional development, such as academic conferences and international teaching fellowships and grants.

Proceeds from the Master Teacher Endowment will help make these important undertakings possible.

By further integrating biblical principles into our curriculum, and amplifying traditional academics with other avenues for learning, we will hone St. David’s most compelling distinctive.

Our academic rigor and flourishing enrichment programs -- in combination with our purposeful, perceptible Christian ethos -- are linked together, our school’s most compelling distinctive.

Our curriculum is tangible evidence of that quality. We will continue to modify our curriculum to capitalize on developments

4

in technology and respond to changes in our community and society. At the same time, at every academic level, in every discipline, we will maintain a deliberate focus on how most effectively to weave biblical principles into our course content and presentation. We will not attempt to indoctrinate our students with rigid dogma. Rather, we will teach them to articulate and substantiate their own positions and points of view.

To augment traditional academics, we will expand our Innovation Warriors program: a complement to classroom instruction that is designed to ignite creativity and entrepreneurship through students’ hands-on involvement in real-world projects and internships. This inventive program includes both requisite and elective elements. Active participation in Innovation Warriors will distinguish St. David’s students from others, giving them invaluable experience and problem-solving skills as they progress toward college and their careers.

5

Through our Senior Seminar, Chaplain’s Speaker Series, and other special exhibits and events, we will continue to expose our students to thought-provoking ideas and recognized leaders in business, government, education and the arts.

In addition, we will offer our students rich opportunities for national and international travel: to New York City, Washington, DC, and Gettysburg, PA, for example, to take in the history and aura of sites that draw visitors to the United States from all over the world; to Guatemala to participate in the school’s annual mission trip; to France, Italy, Great Britain and Ethiopia to deepen students’ appreciation for other cultures and languages; to Greece and Turkey to share in the capstone experience of their senior year.

To accommodate recent and projected growth, we will transform our Lower and Middle School buildings.

defray ongoing maintenance costs by attracting local partners to make use of and share expenses associated with our upgraded athletic facilities.

In recent years, we have dramatically altered the landscape of our 17-acre main campus, adding superb classroom space, a new gym, a professional-caliber performing arts center, a multipurpose dining hall, spacious indoor and outdoor commons areas, faculty and staff offices and much-needed parking.

The primary target for the next phase of improvements on our main campus is St. David’s Lower School, followed closely by the Middle and Upper Schools. By constructing expanded, flexible classroom space before taking down aging buildings, we will be able to transition from older to new instructional facilities with minimal disruption to the daily life of the school.

We have already enhanced our food service capabilities. In the fall of 2015, our new partner, SAGE Dining Services, began preparing and serving complete, delicious, nutritious meals for students and faculty each day.

6

No priority is more important than the safety of our school community.

We will reduce our need to lease offsite sports facilities by expanding and enhancing the infrastructure at our satellite athletic complex.

The safety of our students, families, personnel and visitors is of paramount importance, and therefore another of our top priorities. Detailed policies and procedures, surveillance equipment and other security measures are already in place at both St. David’s locations. We meticulously maintain all of our security systems and equipment, and we contract with an outside agency to monitor both sites.

Our 30-acre satellite athletic compound has enabled St. David’s to accommodate interscholastic sports competition, such as soccer, lacrosse and cross country. Our aim is to add additional infrastructure for baseball, tennis, and other sports, as well as restrooms and concessions in the near future. In doing so, we will substantially reduce our need to lease sports facilities at other locations. We hope also to help

We will continue to review our crisis plan and run drills of our safety measures on a regular basis, and we will modify facets of our program that require enhancement. We also intend to install security gates at our main campus. As we construct and renovate our academic and athletic facilities, we will add new safety policies, procedures, equipment and systems as needed.

7

Through our Senior Seminar, Chaplain’s Speaker Series, and other special exhibits and events, we will continue to expose our students to thought-provoking ideas and recognized leaders in business, government, education and the arts.

In addition, we will offer our students rich opportunities for national and international travel: to New York City, Washington, DC, and Gettysburg, PA, for example, to take in the history and aura of sites that draw visitors to the United States from all over the world; to Guatemala to participate in the school’s annual mission trip; to France, Italy, Great Britain and Ethiopia to deepen students’ appreciation for other cultures and languages; to Greece and Turkey to share in the capstone experience of their senior year.

To accommodate recent and projected growth, we will transform our Lower and Middle School buildings.

defray ongoing maintenance costs by attracting local partners to make use of and share expenses associated with our upgraded athletic facilities.

In recent years, we have dramatically altered the landscape of our 17-acre main campus, adding superb classroom space, a new gym, a professional-caliber performing arts center, a multipurpose dining hall, spacious indoor and outdoor commons areas, faculty and staff offices and much-needed parking.

The primary target for the next phase of improvements on our main campus is St. David’s Lower School, followed closely by the Middle and Upper Schools. By constructing expanded, flexible classroom space before taking down aging buildings, we will be able to transition from older to new instructional facilities with minimal disruption to the daily life of the school.

We have already enhanced our food service capabilities. In the fall of 2015, our new partner, SAGE Dining Services, began preparing and serving complete, delicious, nutritious meals for students and faculty each day.

6

No priority is more important than the safety of our school community.

We will reduce our need to lease offsite sports facilities by expanding and enhancing the infrastructure at our satellite athletic complex.

The safety of our students, families, personnel and visitors is of paramount importance, and therefore another of our top priorities. Detailed policies and procedures, surveillance equipment and other security measures are already in place at both St. David’s locations. We meticulously maintain all of our security systems and equipment, and we contract with an outside agency to monitor both sites.

Our 30-acre satellite athletic compound has enabled St. David’s to accommodate interscholastic sports competition, such as soccer, lacrosse and cross country. Our aim is to add additional infrastructure for baseball, tennis, and other sports, as well as restrooms and concessions in the near future. In doing so, we will substantially reduce our need to lease sports facilities at other locations. We hope also to help

We will continue to review our crisis plan and run drills of our safety measures on a regular basis, and we will modify facets of our program that require enhancement. We also intend to install security gates at our main campus. As we construct and renovate our academic and athletic facilities, we will add new safety policies, procedures, equipment and systems as needed.

7

How We Are Going to Get There Our mission and mandate are clear. Our strategy is well defined. Now, St. David’s requires the material means to move ahead. We must: • Maintain and motivate the continued, visionary leadership and support of our Board of Trustees, • Engage all of our constituents in the school’s vigorous efforts to advance, including current families, alumni families (previous parents and grandparents, along with graduates of the school), faculty and staff, local officials, friends and other supporters, • Continue drawing on the expertise of architects, engineers and other outside experts to help us plot the steps we should to take to bring our intentions to fruition, • Communicate to our constituents and the public at large our goals and requirements for the resources needed to meet our objectives, and • Raise the funds we need to finance the ambitious initiatives outlined in our strategic plan.

Successfully addressing all our priorities will require extensive resources beyond the school’s operating budget and annual gifts. It is therefore of critical importance that we map out a carefully crafted course for securing the resources we need. We will:

Maintain a steady hold on our finances.

The school’s financial stability is an important consideration for current and prospective contributors.

Members of the St. David’s Board and administrative leadership team—specifically, our headmaster and assistant head of finance and operations —bear responsibility for ensuring that we meet our fiduciary obligations. We have worked hard to put the school on solid financial footing. We will maintain our strong fiscal position.

Pay down the debt associated with recent improvements to our physical plant.

St. David’s has been blessed with the considerable benefits associated with a $12 million tax-exempt bond that the school initially secured in 2008, and refinanced at even more competitive rates in 2014.

Funds made available through the bond will continue to enable the school to make additional vast improvements to our physical plant.

Current St. David’s students and families and recent graduates are the chief beneficiaries of our expenditures. Future members of our school community will reap the rewards of our capital investments. We must repay the bond. We will raise the funds to do so.

Stimulate a greater level of participation in the school’s fundraising efforts.

In addition to assurances that our school is on solid financial footing, prospective contributors seek evidence that a significant majority of our constituency supports St. David’s with gifts of any size — that, of those we ask, most if not all give some measure of support to the school.

8

Participation in our annual giving campaign, which is an important gauge, has increased from 50 to more than 80 percent in the last five years. We will work diligently to improve that percentage by educating our constituents and continuing graciously to request their voluntary gift support.

Reinvigorate our capital campaign.

Smart financing mechanisms have been fruitful financial instruments for the school, and the level of participation in our annual fund drive is on the rise; however, we need far greater funding to finance our planned capital and endowment investments.

Through pledges to our ongoing capital campaign, we have secured a total of $8 million in gifts to the school. Our goal is to raise an additional $15 million in the next five years. To meet that target, we will introduce a multifaceted communications program aimed at inspiring and motivating members of our current constituency and attracting others to get involved in and grant support to the school.

Move ahead with firm faith that, as He has in the past, God will direct our paths.

A diverse array of knowledgeable, talented individuals has put a tremendous amount of time, planning and prayer into etching out the strategic plan for St. David’s School. We have unwavering confidence that God intends for us to fulfill our bold ambitions for the future, and that He will provide the means for the school to do so.

Please let us know how St. David’s School can impact you, your family and our surrounding community for good. Please also inquire about our school. Please get involved. Please join us as we move ahead.

Onward and upward!

9

How We Are Going to Get There Our mission and mandate are clear. Our strategy is well defined. Now, St. David’s requires the material means to move ahead. We must: • Maintain and motivate the continued, visionary leadership and support of our Board of Trustees, • Engage all of our constituents in the school’s vigorous efforts to advance, including current families, alumni families (previous parents and grandparents, along with graduates of the school), faculty and staff, local officials, friends and other supporters, • Continue drawing on the expertise of architects, engineers and other outside experts to help us plot the steps we should to take to bring our intentions to fruition, • Communicate to our constituents and the public at large our goals and requirements for the resources needed to meet our objectives, and • Raise the funds we need to finance the ambitious initiatives outlined in our strategic plan.

Successfully addressing all our priorities will require extensive resources beyond the school’s operating budget and annual gifts. It is therefore of critical importance that we map out a carefully crafted course for securing the resources we need. We will:

Maintain a steady hold on our finances.

The school’s financial stability is an important consideration for current and prospective contributors.

Members of the St. David’s Board and administrative leadership team—specifically, our headmaster and assistant head of finance and operations —bear responsibility for ensuring that we meet our fiduciary obligations. We have worked hard to put the school on solid financial footing. We will maintain our strong fiscal position.

Pay down the debt associated with recent improvements to our physical plant.

St. David’s has been blessed with the considerable benefits associated with a $12 million tax-exempt bond that the school initially secured in 2008, and refinanced at even more competitive rates in 2014.

Funds made available through the bond will continue to enable the school to make additional vast improvements to our physical plant.

Current St. David’s students and families and recent graduates are the chief beneficiaries of our expenditures. Future members of our school community will reap the rewards of our capital investments. We must repay the bond. We will raise the funds to do so.

Stimulate a greater level of participation in the school’s fundraising efforts.

In addition to assurances that our school is on solid financial footing, prospective contributors seek evidence that a significant majority of our constituency supports St. David’s with gifts of any size — that, of those we ask, most if not all give some measure of support to the school.

8

Participation in our annual giving campaign, which is an important gauge, has increased from 50 to more than 80 percent in the last five years. We will work diligently to improve that percentage by educating our constituents and continuing graciously to request their voluntary gift support.

Reinvigorate our capital campaign.

Smart financing mechanisms have been fruitful financial instruments for the school, and the level of participation in our annual fund drive is on the rise; however, we need far greater funding to finance our planned capital and endowment investments.

Through pledges to our ongoing capital campaign, we have secured a total of $8 million in gifts to the school. Our goal is to raise an additional $15 million in the next five years. To meet that target, we will introduce a multifaceted communications program aimed at inspiring and motivating members of our current constituency and attracting others to get involved in and grant support to the school.

Move ahead with firm faith that, as He has in the past, God will direct our paths.

A diverse array of knowledgeable, talented individuals has put a tremendous amount of time, planning and prayer into etching out the strategic plan for St. David’s School. We have unwavering confidence that God intends for us to fulfill our bold ambitions for the future, and that He will provide the means for the school to do so.

Please let us know how St. David’s School can impact you, your family and our surrounding community for good. Please also inquire about our school. Please get involved. Please join us as we move ahead.

Onward and upward!

9

St. David’s School Strategic Plan – 2016 St. David’s School 2016 Strategic Plan

The Mission, the Mandate and the Means to Move Ahead

St. David’s School 3400 White Oak Road Raleigh, NC 27609 919-782-3331 www.sdsw.org

FAITH VIRTUE KNOWLEDGE