Guilford Central School: Vision, Mission, Values Proceedings
February 21, 2008, 5:30 – 7:00
Present: Joan Barradale, Mary Sargent, Kerri Beebe, Jody Hauser, Jason Touchette, Margaret Dale Barrand, Susan Hessey, Adelaide Minott, John Gagnon, Brian Remer, Karen Duggan, Arthur Pettee, Kevin Freitas, Katie Buckley. Those present identified themselves as Parents (4), Community Members (3), Teachers (2), Faculty (3), Board Members (2).
Goal: The purpose of the meeting was to identify and share common perceptions of Guilford Central School. Brian Remer acted as facilitator. He began by outlining the plan for several meetings that would be open to anyone who wishes to attend. Today we began with this group of people who have a known interest. The intention is that each person present will invite at least two other people to attend. This is intended to take advantage of the power of personal invitations to insure ever-widening participation.
The group participated in two activities to begin the conversations about the school’s vision, mission, and values. In the first activity, people were asked to identify what makes Guilford Central School great writing each idea on a separate card. People then moved around the room, talking to other people, reading their cards, and trading for ones they liked better. Later, people formed groups and selected the three best ideas from their cards and made a poster to represent those ideas.
Group One – Their poster shows a web of connections radiating from the school, people standing around a heart, and several very different looking people. (See Feb 21 Image One) Their cards were:
- Great community links: to the Historical Society, the Grange, Guilford Library, etc.
- A caring and committed staff
- Small size that we all know each other and students retain their individuality
Group Two – Their poster shows trees, a pond, and a cow, a close, happy family, individuals with differently shaped heads, and the contrast between a big and small school. (See Feb 21 Image Two) They did not narrow their cards to just three but some representative cards are:
- It is a beautiful setting to just be
- Country setting for school location allows wonderful outside activities (Elf, sports, etc.)
- Small enough population to be like one big family
- We are part of the greater community and there is a comfort level between school and community members that I believe is above the norm
- Parents are willing to volunteer time, money, and energy
- The community has a very strong sense of ownership of the school.
Group Three – Their poster shows a person working happily at a desk, an aerial view of the school with a full parking lot, and an arm reaching outward. (See Feb 21 Image Three) Their cards were:
- The staff is committed and hard working
- The school has a strong place in the community
- Outreach by school to larger community (e.g. working with Historical Society, etc.)
Common themes included Guilford’s small size, willingness to value individual differences in learning, the importance of connections to the community and other community organizations, the rural setting, and the dedicated and experienced staff.
The second activity invited participants to share their hopes for the school over the next few years. Each person chose a card that had an image that represented one of their hopes. Here is what people identified:
Person |
Picture |
Ideas |
Adelaide |
Ballot Box |
Town Meeting Day would become a state holiday so everyone can vote on important town and school issues. |
Jody |
Bee Pollinating Flowers |
She loves the size of the school and would love to see even more melding and mixing of the students so parents can know many students in all grade levels; more a sense of community. |
Mary |
Globe |
Peace in the world which would mean more money available to meet children’s needs. |
Arthur |
Cornucopia |
More money available from the Federal government. Schools operating without monetary constraints. |
Kerri |
Sun |
A focus on the individuality of students in spite of the state standards especially in light of the different ways of thinking and processing children have. |
Susan |
Painted Turtle |
Interdisciplinary instruction |
Katie |
Message in a Bottle |
That our ideas today not become a message afloat aimlessly but that we have better communication between the school, parents, and community; that people come to school events. |
John |
Indian Silhouette with Eagle and Stars |
That this process brings us to a common purpose and we can soar to new heights. We are on a cusp and we can do great things! |
Karen |
Wagon Wheel |
That things roll along and move smoothly; that we don’t have to worry from year to year whether we’ll have a librarian or a sports program; that our decisions become conscious ones. |
Adelaide |
Rainbow |
That there will be a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow – which means a lot of work at the state level. |
Margaret Dale |
Moon |
She has just been teaching her students that the moon is round whether you can see it all or not. She hopes we can continue to trust that we are all “round” and whole even if we can’t see all of where someone is coming from. |
Jason |
Butterfly and Flower |
This reminded him of children playing and that we should make decision based upon what’s best for children not just how much things cost. |
Kevin |
Owl |
Wisdom. Through our collective wisdom we can accomplish all this and more. |
Joan |
Lighthouse |
Guidance to make our best decisions |
General themes people saw in these hopes included:
- External constraints are felt and are at odds with what we hold closest.
- Support for the school should be decided based upon students’ needs.
- Children should have exposure to diverse places, experiences, languages, cultures, etc. and that this is a responsibility of the school.
Kerri expressed a need for an after school program for preschool children. Jason said he also has heard of this need. Arthur and Kevin mentioned that this is being looked into.
Next Meeting: March 6, 2008 from 6:30 to 8:00
We will review the accomplishments of this meeting and spend time refining and articulating our vision for the school. Snacks will be provided. Please invite two friends so we can expand our dialogue!
Image One
Image Two
Image Three
