Lead in the Light

Unify Imagine Inspire Welcome Color Reference PMS 2461 PMS 2010C PMS 2167 PMS 5405 PMS 5753 HEX # 259490 HEX # FFAD00 HEX # 506D85 Hex # 5E6738 LeadPMS 7427 PMS 1595 inPMS 520 the Light Hex # 971B2F Hex # D86018 Hex # 642F6C empowering students to let their lives speak strategic action plan Unify Imagine Inspire Welcome Color Reference It is time for Sidwell Friends to lead in the Light. PMS 2461 PMS 2010C PMS 2167 PMS 5405 PMS 5753 HEX # 259490 HEX # FFAD00 HEX # 506D85 Hex # 5E6738 In 1883, a 24-year-old Latin teacher came to Washington, DC Today, our students face a world that has changed to open the city’s first Quaker school. His first year yielded significantly since the time of Thomas Sidwell. The modest success with seven matriculated students, but thanks opportunities and challenges of the 21st century have PMS 7427 PMS 1595 PMS 520 to his persistence and belief that theHex # 971B2Fnation’sHex # capitalD86018 Hex needed # 642F6C unfolded at a dizzying pace. Technology has an evolving a Friends school, he founded one designed to develop the impact on our consciousness; climate change weighs hearts and minds of the city’s youngest residents. heavily on our minds; hatred and misunderstanding threaten opportunities for peace; and global politics have A gifted educator, Thomas Sidwell understood how to inspire deep learning: hire imaginative teachers to motivate become increasingly complicated. students to think critically and creatively; establish an ethical framework “to let the Light shine from all;” and Today, the School poses these fundamental queries: assemble talented students in a beloved community. • What is the role of a Friends school at this moment? • How do we best prepare our students to see their Since its founding, Mr. Sidwell’s school has become inner Light and act upon truth? a beacon of education in the District and a leading • How do we inspire students to become ethical independent school in the country. He could not leaders who promote democratic values? have known how far our students would go in future years. Alumni have become stewards of democracy in Developed in response to these broad queries, our journalism, media, and the nonprofit and legal sectors; strategic plan outlines the steps we will take to address leaders and organizers in politics and social movements; both opportunities and challenges. With the additions of the Upton Street and 3939 Wisconsin Avenue spirited artists, teachers, and provocateurs who ignite properties—a once-in-a-lifetime chance to reshape our DC intellectual engagement and discourse; entrepreneurs campus—we will reenvision a unified school community and innovators in finance, science, and technology; and recenter our school on what matters most. athletic champions, collegiate and professional; models of academic integrity; and pioneers in research. They have Taken together, the goals laid forth in this booklet will recited poetry at a presidential inauguration; received ensure not simply educational excellence, but also, with MacArthur and Guggenheim grants; garnered Academy, meaningful philanthropic partnership and community Grammy, Emmy, and Tony Awards; and earned Nobel and support, a model of financial strength for years to come. Pulitzer Prizes and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Eluceat Omnibus Lux: Whether they are cultural icons or everyday heroes, our alumni let their lives speak with service and significance. Let the Light Shine from All Unify Imagine Inspire Welcome We will unify our campus to connect our whole community, so that students, preK to 12, find joy in friendship, inspiration from different perspectives, and the Light within Color Reference Unify Our Campus each other. How and where we buildPMS 2461 our beloved communityPMS 2010C matters. PMS 2167 PMS 5405 PMS 5753 From the youngest studentHEX # 259490 to the most experiencedHEX # FFAD00 HEX # 506D85We will: Hex # 5E6738 teacher, our culture of learning is built one child, one • Plan a capital campaign to fund the addition and relationship at a time. Children are maturing into adults renovation of the Upton Street property so that the new under the pressure of perceived societal norms and Upper School and all-School library open cultural expectations—allPMS 7427 rapidly compoundedPMS 1595 PMS by 520 the Hex # 971B2F Hex # D86018 Hex # 642F6C in September 2024. pace of technology. It has grown vitally important for us to examine the quality of our relationships and get back to • Create welcoming spaces that enhance learning, foster connecting on a human level. positive relationships, and strengthen our role as a national leader in environmental sustainability. Although the School has educated primary grade students • Deliberately assess the relationship between learning since its beginning, the Lower School campus has been and architecture in order to design spaces that located in Maryland for the past 55 years. The recent positively affect and influence our daily outlook on additions of the Upton Street and 3939 Wisconsin Avenue learning. properties present an opportunity to locate all three divisions on one campus, thereby bringing the benefits • Create programs and events that strengthen a culture of of a more cohesive preK-12 education that many in our collaboration and community across divisions so that all community have experienced or heard about elsewhere. students, faculty, and staff feel they belong. Proximity strengthens relationships. Strong relationships Promote and support health and wellness through undeniably provide a foundation for meaningful learning. • age-appropriate programs to encourage students to lead Surrounding all students—younger and older from thoughtful, centered, and balanced lives. different backgrounds—with equally enthusiastic peers • Strengthen bonds with our extended community by will motivate every student to give their best effort. The engaging the imagination and hearts of alumni, parents, love of discovery deepens when we learn from those we and friends. admire. Connecting our community promises to promote more cross-divisional faculty collaboration and a sense of • Recognize the accomplishments of students, faculty, common purpose with shared resources. In the long run, staff, and alumni, as well as acts of generosity, in this move will strengthen the School’s financial position. manners consistent with Quaker values. Unify Imagine Inspire Welcome We will recruit and retain motivated faculty and staff, and empower them to explore the best models of teaching and learning, so they Color Reference can inspire the next generation of students. Imagine the Future of PMS 2461 LearningPMS 2010C PMS 2167 PMS 5405 PMS 5753 HEX # 259490 HEX # FFAD00 HEX # 506D85 Hex # 5E6738 Teachers inspire students best when they themselves We will: are inspired. When teachers who are lifelong learners • Create a center for teaching and learning to enhance empower students to “live more fully in Truth,” they a culture of caring, collaboration, creativity, and risk- PMS 7427 PMS 1595 PMS 520 demonstrateHex # 971B2F Hex respect # D86018 in Hexa way# 642F6C that can shape and taking among faculty to elevate student learning and change lives. engagement. At Sidwell Friends, teaching and learning are inextricably • Create professional development programs and linked. When teachers and coaches embolden students evaluation protocols to address all facets of faculty work, to pursue their purpose, they unlock our students’ including areas of equity, justice, and Quaker education, potential and awaken their minds and spirits. There is and to stimulate meaningful growth and career no limit to how much good teachers can inspire and satisfaction that will enable the School to continue transform students. retaining outstanding faculty. • Reimagine how we allocate time by revising schedules Sometimes, living in the truth calls teachers to reflect to be more responsive to student needs and to provide critically on their craft and, in Sidwell’s words, “discard programmatic flexibility. methods and customs good enough in their day but not adapted to present needs.” Because our faculty are • Partner with universities and institutes to promote called to help students grapple with challenges, solve innovation, research, and interdisciplinary learning. problems, and face moral dilemmas, we look to provide Raise endowment funds to support excellence in them with resources to strengthen a culture of caring • teaching and strengthen the employee compensation and intellectual inquiry. package, including salaries, to enable faculty and staff to live more comfortably in a costly metropolitan area. To do this work well, we must attract diverse, creative, and engaged teachers who are committed to Quaker • Design a dynamic recruitment plan to attract and retain principles. We seek to retain talented professionals who highly skilled and motivated faculty and staff who have the motivation and skills to inspire confidence and reflect the diversity of our student body. to elicit the goodness and talents of each child. Unify Imagine Inspire Welcome We will inspire our students to examine what defines leadership based on our Quaker values, so that they can become ethical leaders who care about the greater good. Color Reference Inspire Ethical PMS 2461 PMS 2010C PMS 2167 PMS 5405 PMS 5753 We will: HEX # 259490 HEX # FFAD00 HEX # 506D85 Hex # 5E6738 Leadership • Establish a center for ethical leadership, inquiry, and action, a signature program to help faculty and students frame and explore ethics in the Quaker

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