File:  AD - EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY AND SCHOOL DISTRICT MISSION

Vision

Summit School District students, staff and community members work together in an atmosphere of care and respect to offer each student an array of educational programs designed to foster his/her unique academic, vocational, and personal strengths.Our aim is to develop internationally minded peole who help to create a better world.

Mission Statement

In a safe environment, we will do whatever it takes for the academic and character success of every student to develop as a lifelong learner and responsible citizen.  In order to accomplish this, we will engage every student every day in intellectually challenging and meaningful learning to give all students the resources necessary to prepare them to achieve their greatest potential and to meet the expectations of the future.

We Hold Ourselves Accountable For These Values And Attitudes:

Appreciation - appreciating the wonder and beauty of the world and its people

Commitment - being committed to learning, persevering, and showing self-discipline and responsibility

Confidence - feeling confident in the ability to learn, having the courage to take risks, applying what has been learned, and making appropriate decisions and choices

Cooperation - cooperating, collaborating, and leading or following as the situation demands

Creativity - being creative and imaginative in our thinking and our approach to problems and dilemmas

Curiosity - being curious about the nature of learning and of the world, its people and cultures

Empathy - imaginatively projecting ourselves into another's situation in order to understand his/her thoughts, reasoning, and emotions

Enthusiasm - enjoying learning and demonstrating a sense of humor

Independence - thinking and acting independently, making our own judgments based upon reasoned principles and being able to defend their judgments

Integrity - having integrity and a firm sense of fairness and honesty

Respect - respecting ourselves, others, and the world around us

Tolerance - feeling sensitivity toward differences and diversity in the world and being responsive to the needs of others

When we are successful in achieving our mission, vision, and goal and hold ourselves accountable to our values and attitudes, we would expect our students to demonstrate these outcomes.

Summit School District will strive to develop learners who are:

Inquirers - they develop their natural curiosity.  They acquire the skills necessary to conduct inquiry and research and show independence in learning.  They actively enjoy learning and this love of learning will be sustained throughout their lives.

Knowledgeable - they explore concepts, ideas and issues that have local and global significance. In so doing, they acquire in-depth knowledge and develop understanding across a broad and balanced range of disciplines.

Thinkers - they exercise initiative in applying thinking skills critically and creatively to recognize and approach complex problems, and make reasoned, ethical decisions.

Communicators - they understand and express ideas and information confidently and creatively in more than one language and in a variety of modes of communication.  They work effectively and willingly in collaboration with others.

Principled - they act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness, justice and respect for the dignity of the individual, groups and communities.  They take responsibility for their own actions and the consequences that accompany them.

Open-minded - they understand and appreciate their own cultures and personal histories, and are open to the perspectives, values and traditions of other individuals and communities.  They are accustomed to seeking and evaluating a range of points of view, and are willing to grow from the experience.

Caring - they show empathy, compassion and respect towards the needs and feelings of others.  They have a personal commitment to service, and act to make a positive difference to the lives of others and to the environment.

Risk-takers - they approach unfamiliar situations and uncertainty with courage and forethought, and have the independence of spirit to explore new roles, ideas and strategies.  They are brave and articulate in defending their beliefs.

Balanced - they understand the importance of intellectual, physical and emotional balance to achieve personal well-being for themselves and others.

Reflective - they give thoughtful consideration to their own learning and experience.  They are able to assess and understand their strengths and limitations in order to support their learning and personal development.

Adopted: Second Vote, August 23, 2000

Revised: August 27, 2003

Revised: December 13, 2006

LEGAL REFS.:  C.R.S. 22-32-109.1 (Safe schools plan)

CROSS REFS.:  ADD, Safe Schools<

GA, Personnel Goals/Priority Objectives

IA, Instructional Goals and Learning Objectives

JA, Student Policies Goals

KA, School-Community Relations Beliefs/Goals