the white mountain school in 2021
Our Vision for the Future
momentum
Moving forward with strength, confidence and purpose...
At White Mountain, we are charting a bold vision for our future: to be the best small boarding school in the country. Our students engage fully—in the classroom, on the playing fields and trails, and in the community. Our graduates go out into the world with a deep curiosity, the courage to stand up and act, and the compassion to use their curiosity and courage in service of the greater good. They are thoughtful leaders, responsible stewards and bold change-makers. We are poised to fully realize this vision because of the strength of our current position, the confidence we have in our programs and our deep sense of purpose.
a bold vision strength
purpose
Our strength is our people: remarkable students and teachers. Our profile in the boarding school world is on the rise. Our admission demand is at an all-time high, and our acceptance rate is increasingly competitive. Over the past few years, we have filled the School to capacity with talented students. In addition, our fundraising is growing dramatically as parents and alumnae/i see the School as worthy of their investment.
Throughout the history of St. Mary’s and White Mountain, our purpose has remained the same: to help students grow in mind, body and soul so they are prepared and inspired to step into the world and make a difference. There is no nobler work.
confidence We are confident in our program. We know the job of a great boarding school is to help students develop intellectual excellence and the tools and inclination to make a difference in the world. Our academic focus on studentdriven inquiry centers on the development of intellectual curiosity. It is grounded in the best research on learning and teaching and aligns with research on success at college and beyond.
as we look to the future, we see a wealth of opportunity. To achieve our vision, we have reviewed the state of the School today and analyzed how we will build on our momentum to move forward. Our vision focuses on three areas: Intellectual Excellence Vibrant Community Life n Sustainable Operating Budget n n
intellectual
excellence
a leader in education Our Vision: to be recognized as a leader in education—serving students as they develop into truly independent learners WMS Today
Moving Forward
The research is clear: Academic success in college depends on the development of research skills, critical thinking skills and communication skills. Our curricular focus on student-driven inquiry targets those skills. Student-driven inquiry engages students in asking their own questions and exploring them with rigor and creativity. Our approach also aligns with current research on cognitive science and motivation: Students learn best when pursuing answers to questions they truly hold and are most engaged when given some autonomy in their studies. White Mountain students develop the skills and habits they need to flourish in college and beyond.
Program: The broader educational community
recognizes our leadership, and students and families see it as a major benefit for their education. Moving forward, we must strengthen our work in this area by enhancing our LASR program (semester-long independent research projects), embedding student-driven inquiry seamlessly throughout the student experience, providing more project funding, and engaging in external conversations to spread the word and continue to learn from other experts. People: Teachers are central to our academic
vision, and we are committed to recruiting and
supporting outstanding teachers. As we move forward, we will expect and support professional growth—the clearest predictor of great teaching —and improve our faculty compensation. We will ensure that no teacher chooses to leave White Mountain for another school because of salary or housing. Place: Architecture matters. To best deliver on our educational promise and support studentdriven inquiry, we are planning several phases of renovations to academic spaces. We will create modern classrooms, an inspiring chapel for gathering as a community, and a revitalized library to serve as a hub of inquiry.
vibrant
community life
an inspiring place Our Vision: to nurture courage and compassion throughout our community, preparing and inspiring students to serve the greater good
WMS Today Our School is blessed with a vibrant community. This is, and has been for many years, a community where students grow in mind, body and soul— the quintessential boarding school ideal. Visitors note the kindness with which students treat one another, the exceptional diversity of the student body, and the remarkable warmth throughout the community. Our community is based on an ethos of engagement: Everyone matters. Everyone makes a difference.
Moving Forward Program: Over the next five years, we will strengthen our student life and leadership programs to ensure that all students have opportunities for growth in courage and compassion. Additionally, we will continue our focus on sports and afternoon
activities that help students pursue excellence, develop confidence and strengthen connections with one another and the natural world. People: We will maintain our remarkable
student diversity. To best support our students, we will increase faculty diversity. Place: Community life depends not just on people and programs but also on place. We will ensure that our facilities best support our vibrant community. Our academic and chapel renovations will provide vital spaces for gathering—in large and small groups— to build community. Additionally, we will build a new dorm near Burroughs, Carter and Hill House to complete a residential quad, a centralized living space to support our student community.
sustainable
OPERATING BUDGET
a secure future Our Vision: to secure our future by increasing revenue for a mission-sustaining operating budget
wms today Our School is in its strongest financial position in decades. We are at capacity with boarding and day students, and tuition income and annual giving are both at all-time highs. We have balanced the budget the past five years, while also renovating several facilities and constructing the Catherine Houghton Arts Center, a net-zero energy building recently recognized by the Boston Society of Architects for excellence in educational facilities.
Moving Forward While we’ve balanced our budget in recent years, our analysis indicates that we need to increase revenue in order to have a long-term, mission-sustaining budget. For example, we
need to allocate increased funding for student research projects, facilities reserves and faculty compensation. Increasing funding for student research supports the college-level inquiry our students pursue. Increasing our facilities reserve fund will allow us to renew, repair and maintain our facilities so that they will support our program for decades to come. Increasing faculty compensation (i.e., higher salaries and improved housing) will help ensure that we can recruit and support the finest boarding school faculty. Our students deserve nothing less. To fund those expenditures, we will increase revenue in three areas: annual giving, tuition income (the new dorm will increase our boarding capacity by about 10 students) and endowment income.
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our vision for the future Our Vision for the Future: to be the best small boarding school in the country To be recognized as a leader in education— serving students as they develop into truly independent learners
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To nurture courage and compassion throughout our community, preparing and inspiring students to serve the greater good
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To secure our future by increasing revenue for a mission-sustaining operating budget
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the white mountain school 371 West Farm Road Bethlehem, NH 03574
Our Mission: We are a school of inquiry and engagement. Grounded in our Episcopal heritage, we prepare and inspire students to lead lives of curiosity, courage and compassion.
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