A "Retreat" to Go Forward

A few weeks back, the Board of Trustees along with members of Joe’s Administration met for an off-site planning retreat. It was the second such gathering in two years when we came together for a full day to discuss the development of the school’s Strategic Plan. In 2011, we were armed with a Parent Survey, a Strategic Plan that was concluding, and a myriad of ideas about where the school should place priorities. That meeting was the first step in creating our current plan.

Two years later, and one year after the current plan was launched, the group met again to discuss key parts of the plans objectives. In particular, discussion focused on the Facilities and Finance sections of the Five year plan. As Board Chair, I believe it is important for the community to know that the Board and Administration are working to make sure that The Woods will continue to fulfill its mission, without interruption, where we have been since 1977. Our Strategic Plan is about “growing” The Woods well into the future.

Then

Now

Additionally, the Board and Administration are aware of the financial demands placed on families in these often uncertain, if not difficult, economic times. We are also aware that our families want The Woods to be positioned to periodically evaluate, change or add programs in order to fine tune and advance its educational offerings. Often there are costs involved with those programs in the form of materials, staff, training, etc. Finding the appropriate balance between these two sets of issues is a key focus of the Board. 

With that in mind the Finance Committee developed a Five Year Financial model to aid in the budgeting for new and recurring initiatives. The objective is to provide predictable financial planning for the education portion of our families' budgets. This is a highly iterative process between Administration, Board Committees, Director of Finance, and the Finance Committee. It means setting priorities and creating stretch goals for success. It is Strategic Planning at the financial level and hopefully the result is a consistent, high quality education product at predictable, market pricing. We will use this model as the Administration forms its budget for future years and continually revise it as long range objectives come more clearly in focus. 

-Doug Cooper, Chair of the Board of Trustees

Spring is in the Air- Growth Happens

We are in the home stretch of the school year. Every school in America is putting the finishing touches on their school year. It seems like it is always a mad rush to the finish line. Yet, for us, it is just the beginning of the work we have set forth in our strategic plan. The close of a school year is always a time to celebrate the work that has been done and we have much to shout about as it relates to our strategic plan in year one:

• Our iPad pilot program has been a great success with our 8th graders. Students and teachers have reported a more "connected" learning environment, improved organization and greater access to information, not to mention the side benefit of "lighter backpacks". Our soon-to-be graduates could see the importance of this technology interaction in their visits to prospective high schools.  With this in mind we are expanding the program to include grades 6-8. Professional development and expanded learning continues as we combine the best of face time with teachers and a tool to enhance learning. This move clearly ties back to our Educational Experience goal to grow our use of classroom technology to prepare our children for the present and future. [Educational Experience, Goal #2, Classroom Technology to prepare our children for the present and future]
• The more coordinated effort and expanded opportunities in the after school programming has led to our highest participation numbers to date. Stay tuned for more offerings coming this fall. Imagination Stage, a leader in the area of creativity, will be launching a program in conjunction with The Woods in the fall after school. Publicly partnering with great organizations in the county and expanding our after school offerings tie back to goals in the Educational Experience and Public Private Partnership sections of the plan. [Educational Experience, Goal #5, Rising Enrollment/After School Opportunities and Public Private Partnerships, Goal #2, Become an increasingly important organization in the county]
• Our marketing efforts have led to a more streamlined communication process, upgrades to our publications and a soon to be launched marketing campaign. Getting The Woods name out there more has been a priority. We are starting to see an "uptick" in applications and over 80% of the families accepted to The Woods this year are coming. This is a great yield for us and aligns with our Advancement goals to grow our applicant pool and marketing efforts. [Mission and Identity, Goal #3, Work with all marketing efforts to see our Mission is being communicated]
• This year saw us maximize space in two strategic areas. The art room renovation, complete with outdoor classroom patio, has been a tremendous addition to our program. It is truly a beautifully used space. The kitchen upgrades have made this space much more functional as well, benefiting our cooking Owls, our new lunch provider and after school classes. Maximizing and enhancing the use of our existing space is a key area of focus in the Facilities section. [Facilities, Goal #3, Maximize and enhance use of our existing space]
• Last, but not least, our new mission statement is being infused into the life of the school. We are in the process of creating a new Profile of a Woods Academy Graduate, which will be presented at graduation this year. This profile is a direct link back to our mission and a vision for our children to carry forward. Leading a life of significance goes beyond the years here at the Woods. The Mission and Identity goals focus on incorporating the new mission statement into all elements of the school community and illustrate the outcomes we expect of our students. [Mission and Identity, Goals #1 and #2, Incorporate Mission Statement into all elements of the Strategic Plan and Create the profile of a Woods graduate that illustrates the outcomes we expect of our students]

The work that has begun with our strategic plan lays the foundation for our future. As the tree on the cover of our strategic plan brochure illustrates, our plan is about growth. Growth of children. Growth of faculty. Growth of a community. Growth that calls us to lead lives of significance.

Did You Know?

It has been about two months since our last post. Anyone who has been in my office (not everyone who comes to my office is in trouble- most are not) has seen my white board with all the items we have “going on” as it relates to our strategic plan. The fun has just begun as we now live and do the work of the plan, thinking strategically and being nimble along the way. Much of the work is happening before your eyes, but, Did you know?

• Two faculty committees have been formed to examine and plan for growth with Professional Development and Compensation and Benefits. Both committees will meet throughout the winter and spring to gather data and make recommendations to stay on the front end of the curve as it relates to these two vital areas.
• All after school activities have been streamlined to provide greater consistency and an expanded offering of classes. The classes are filling up.
• The Woods has a brand and we just completed a marketing/messaging study. Thanks to the feedback of many alums, parents, faculty and board members for their input into this process. We are working on our marketing plan and our Message Map will be a key component as we advance our visibility in the area.
• The Montessori Program and Extended Care, together, have been to Montessori training sessions to better align both programs.
• The Board and Business Office are working with a 5 year financial model that will manage tuition increases responsibly, purposely fund student-centered programs and faculty growth and seek additional revenue through a variety of opportunities like expanded camps and leasing of space.
• The second grade is adding robotics to its curriculum as we further promote STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) learning and the 5^th grade is taking an Investment Class to learn and then apply their knowledge of investing to their lives and a diversified stock portfolio. We definitely have future engineers and investors at The Woods.

These are just a few snapshots of the great work that ties back to our plan to “grow” The Woods and promote a life of significance for our children. Check back for more in the coming months or stop by school to see the work happening daily.