Getting to Know Stratford School
Stratford History Stratford School was founded in 1999 by Sherry Adams and Joe Wagner, when it opened its first campus in Danville, CA, with only four classrooms and a small, dedicated team of educators. Word spread quickly, and the school was soon full. The following year, Stratford added a second campus in Sherry Adams Sunnyvale, CA, which also filled quickly. Founder After numerous requests from parents, Stratford has continued to open new campuses throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. Each year, Stratford continues to support more students and families, to enhance its academic programs, and to explore new opportunities that will allow the Stratford community to grow and thrive. Growth plans include bringing Stratford’s vision of academic excellence to more communities in the San Francisco Bay Area, Southern California, and beyond. We are committed to offering a challenging curriculum that is focused on core subjects, creating a safe and nurturing school environment, and motivating students through high expectations in a collaborative and fun learning environment. Our steadfast commitment to this vision continues to guide us in our growth each year. Stratford School, where tradition meets 21st Century learning.TM
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Our Purpose At Stratford School, we understand that every child has his or her own interests and passions, and contributes in his or her own way. Our purpose statement, “Connecting students to their unique futures,� speaks to this commitment. Our motto, Summa Spes, Summa Res (Highest Hopes, Highest Things) embraces our spirit of an uplifting education. We know that each child has a unique set of skills, passions, and dreams. We encourage our students to pursue their curiosities and we are committed to supporting them in achieving those dreams.
Expected School-wide Learning Results (ESLRs) H.E.A.R.T. Stratford students graduate with an unparalleled academic education infused with a true appreciation of the arts. As part of our WASC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges) accreditation, students who graduate from Stratford School will have the skills to be Health conscious individuals, Educated achievers, Articulate students, Responsible citizens, and Technology literate learners.
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The Stratford School curriculum focuses on core subjects and the development of 21st Century learning skills to prepare students for success in high school, college, and as future citizens.
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Our Spirit + Values R.E.A.C.H. Respect: We value our employees, students, parents, and community. Respect and integrity are cornerstones of our character building and commitment to one another. Being a good neighbor builds strong community partnerships with our school.
Excellence: We foster educational excellence and citizenship in our students through outstanding teaching and a customer service culture.
Always Improving: We are passionate about learning at all levels. Our commitment to feedback and constant improvement is essential to our future success. We hire employees with the same willingness to evolve.
Collaborative Culture: Teamwork is our focus and every role is interconnected and valued. We aim to create a school with open doors and joyful warmth, where everyone is seen and heard. Our culture of connectivity promotes social intelligence, cultural sensitivity, and community. Joyful people create better educational outcomes.
High Expectations: By empowering extraordinary teachers with a rigorous curriculum that blends tradition with 21st Century learning, Stratford School achieves academic excellence. We encourage children’s natural curiosity to reach for things they don’t yet understand, and unleash their courage to grasp opportunities others don’t yet see.
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A Balanced Approach to Learning With a combination of rich content knowledge (traditional 3R’s) and 21st Century skills (future work and life skills), the Stratford STEAM curriculum (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) delivers academic rigor, critical and analytical skills, innovation, and fine arts. To tap the inquisitive and curious nature of each child, careful consideration is placed on providing a combination of both teacher-led and student-led learning activities. Our curriculum is specific, scoped, and sequenced to provide the foundation for high academic standards with an infusion of fine arts, physical fitness, foreign language, drama, music, character education, and 21st Century skills.
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Providing an Uplifting Education A preschooler wonders why dinosaurs disappeared… …while a scientist develops a theory about climate change. A third-grader asks why onions make you cry… …while an engineer imagines windshield wipers that work like eyelids. An eighth-grader reimagines a journey from the pages of Homer… …while a world leader finds a path for peace. What innovators and children have in common is that they’re both exceptionally good at asking questions. Asking questions is instinctive to children; the world is endlessly fascinating to them. That’s how students arrive at Stratford, and that’s how they should remain. Our role as educators is to build on what comes naturally to them, to fuel the curiosity that will carry them through life.
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L At Stratford, we teach children to think critically and work collaboratively, to solve problems creatively and to persevere when success doesn’t come easily. We develop these skills across disciplines while forging deep connections between students and faculty. Our culture of connectivity promotes social intelligence, cultural sensitivity, and community. We cultivate connections where students are heard and seen, and where parents feel their children are understood. We teach this way so that students don’t simply advance from one grade, or one subject, or one skill set to the next. We teach this way so they are uplifted at every stage, so they learn with purpose and brim with confidence. Our responsibility as educators is to encourage children’s natural curiosity to reach for things they don’t yet understand, and unleash their courage to grasp opportunities others don’t yet see. This, we believe, is most predictive of their future success.
The curiosity to reach. The courage to grasp.
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The curiosity to reach. The courage to grasp.
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