Horace Mann - Winter 2012 - (Page 9)

celebrating 125 years: preparing great and giving lives Horace Mann School’s “Strategic Thinking” Document focuses on continuing commitment to diversity in curriculum and community, STEM education, and enhancing physical facilities “Horace Mann School is united by a common set of values, a dedicated faculty and staff, and a constant effort to improve its policies and practices in the interests of our students. As we reach our 125th anniversary, Horace Mann School seeks to strengthen its foundations while looking to innovations that will continue to make the school a model for the future. Our success derives from consistency and innovation, the value of tradition, and the excitement of the new. Strategic Thinking in these important areas supports Horace Mann School’s continuing commitment to excellence.” – Horace mann School Strategic Thinking document, 2012 and Beyond his winter members of the Horace Mann School community are reviewing a document titled “Strategic Thinking, 2012 and Beyond.” The “Strategic Thinking” document is a fitting tribute to Horace Mann and its past, present, and future, as the entire HM community observes the school’s 125th anniversary. In a letter introducing the brochure Dr. Kelly, together with Horace Mann School Board of Trustees Chair Steve Friedman ’72, invited all members of the Horace Mann School community “to join the HM faculty, Board of Trustees and Administrative Council in a process of strategic thinking about the future… Our strategic thinking represents a creative process, not a finished product,” they wrote. “Thinking about the decade ahead we have articulated some far-reaching goals, concerning our continuing commitment to diversity within our curriculum and community, our focus on essential STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education, and our physical space. Each has numerous possibilities for realization. Far from being a static list of tasks, this document represents a framework for collaborative thinking that will grow and change as circumstances require. In short, it is a document that will help us to provide the best education for our children in the 21st century.” The Strategic Thinking document was developed by Dr. Kelly, in conversation with HM’s Division Heads, department chairs, faculty, and other members of the community. It represents the culmination of several years of thorough examination of the academic, co-curricular and community life of Horace Mann School by all faculty members, as T well as by groups of students, alumni, parents and trustees, generated during a careful self-study process. This process included strategic planning sessions Dr. Kelly organized during his second year as Head of School, when faculty, staff members, and administrators from all Divisions, as well as alumni, trustees and students gathered “Under the Tent”— literally—to exchange thoughts about Horace Mann. Another catalyst for generating ideas was the comprehensive self-evaluation the HM community engaged in during the two-year New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS) reaccreditation process. Dr. Kelly noted that the thoughts expressed in the document were inspired by Horace Mann’s successful NYSAIS reaccreditation and the constructive comments of the NYSAIS Visiting Committee. The document was developed “mindful of the school’s Core Values” that guide all that Horace Mann School does. The Core Values address: The Life of the Mind; Mature Behavior; Mutual Respect; A Secure and Healthful Environment; and a Balance between Individual Achievement and a Caring Community. Each of these Core Values is applied in service to Horace Mann School’s ultimate mission of preparing “a diverse community of students to lead great and giving lives.” “As we embark on the exciting process of strategic thinking for the coming years, we look to our community for constructive responses to creative initiatives, and support for the traditional value of high educational attainment,” Dr. Kelly added. “We ask you to continue to learn and grow with us as we prepare our wonderful school for a bright future.” The entire Strategic Thinking brochure can be seen onHorace mann magazine Winter 2012 9

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Horace Mann - Winter 2012

Horace Mann - Winter 2012
Contents
Letters
Greetings from Dr. Tom Kelly
Greetings from Melissa Parento ’90
Horace Mann School’s 125th Anniversary Observances Begin
Strategic Thinking
New Initiatives in Institutional Research and Admissions
HM's New Director of College Counseling
Timothy HO and Monica Merlo are 2011 Tina and Dave Bellet Teaching Excellence Award Winners
Langfan Oratorical Contest, 2011
Horace Mann School Graduates 178 in June, 2011
Alumni Council Corner
Bookshelf
Class Notes
Memorials
Philanthropy and You

Horace Mann - Winter 2012