letter from the head of school
Who We Are Dear Friends,
W Mo Copeland, Head of School OES Identity Statement
OUR OREGON HOME MATTERS: Perched on the Pacific Rim, nestled between the ocean and the moun- tains, bordered by both natural wetlands and urban development, we nurture intrinsic curiosity about complex environments and people of diverse backgrounds, creating inten- tional connections and collaborative, sustainable solutions.
OUR EPISCOPAL TRADITION MATTERS: Rooted in a rhythm of gathering and reflection, we educate toward a larger purpose—toward inclusion and respect, understanding and compassion, service and social justice, toward meaning and commit- ment beyond ourselves.
OUR SCHOOL PHILOSOPHY MATTERS: Grounded in the belief that the advancement of knowledge flows from open and rigorous inquiry, we cultivate the life of the mind and the whole person by connecting ques- tions with exploration and discovery, theories with scrutiny, expression with art, and self with subject.
ell over a year ago, during my initial meetings with the Administrative Team, we studied the thorough and comprehensive Strategic Plan developed over the previous year
and made a decision: We would focus on three key initiatives. It took us over a year to complete that work, but we have fully launched each of those key initiatives and are reaching the goals of a very ambitious plan. One of those goals was to build a comprehensive Master Plan. This work
was completed almost a year ago, and since then we have been focused on how to make the plan a reality. We are working on a building plan as the first step in achieving the Master Plan, and the board has taken full ownership of this work. You will hear more in the coming year, as we stage our first project that will allow this plan to become a reality. Our second goal was to build systems that would allow us to truly
coordinate our curriculum PreK-12. Our goal is to have a thoughtful, connected, and comprehensive curricular plan that is built with and on the passions and strengths of our teachers. The challenge here was to find a way to do the curricular work with the teachers, and with the right framework and the right leadership. We have found the right solution. The Essential Competencies—I explore, I create, I connect, I commit—are our framework. Equally important, John Holloran, who is a revered teacher and colleague, has begun the rewarding and challenging work of connecting with teachers in order to frame and articulate our curricular goals. We have the right person leading this work: John is experienced in curriculum development and in building conceptual frameworks, he is a natural consensus builder, and he is an incredibly creative thinker. He already sees new ways of connecting curriculum through projects across the grades, including service learning and research. And finally, we have completed the most challenging piece of our work,
which was to articulate our identity as a school and a community in a compelling and coherent way. This work was ably managed by Board member Mark Kemball, whose team landed with the OES Identity Statement (see sidebar at left), which will become part of our statement of who we are along with the OES Mission and Vision (bottom, facing page). These projects are all successfully launched, as per our plan from two
summers ago. They are also projects that will be ongoing: new teachers, new technology, and new research will continue to compel us to evolve our curriculum; and the Master Plan will require at least a decade to complete. We do have a clear articulation, however, of who we are, and this will frame all of our future projects as we continue to grow and change as a school.
2 OES MAGAZINE WINTER 2013 2
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