- This We Believe, the National Middle School Association
When Martha Shepardson-Killam first came to Stoneleigh-Burnham School, she talked to every single employee of the school as well as a wide cross-section of students, parents, and alumnae. From these conversations, she crafted a vision for the school which took the existing mission statement as a foundation and set a course for the future. As part of this vision, she wrote "Moreover, our highly professional faculty, staff, and administrators are creating a learning community based on current research about ways in which young women learn and develop." As we discussed and developed the principles and objectives of the new middle school program, we turned to two main sources for guidance - the National Middle School Association, whose extensive review of existing research had recently led to a third revision of their position paper This We Believe, and the work of noted psychologist JoAnn Deak, who has focused so effectively on learning how girls can best be nurtured, challenged and supported as they grow into young woman. As parents learned in February on Family Visiting Day, we do view these principles as a living document which helps guide our decisions and shape our program.
We view these introductions to the weekly newsletter as part of the process of sharing our vision with the greater middle school community here at SBS, of explaining why we believe each of these principles is important and how we are working to implement them in our school. Some of them have also proved to be useful beyond our community - for example, my friend Ernie wrote this week to say he would be using them in upcoming curriculum meetings as his school critically examines their own middle school program. As we learn more and more about how people learn - and our knowledge of the human brain and its development has increased exponentially over the past 10 years - all responsible and responsive schools will need to regularly re-examine their practices in light of this new knowledge. This, too, is part of Stoneleigh-Burnham's vision: "We will ensure that our teachers remain current in both educational theory and practice so that they can prepare our young women for advanced study." Here, the ultimate focus remains on the girls that make up the heart and soul of Stoneleigh-Burnham. Perhaps all good schools base decisions ultimately on the one simple question: "What is best for the students"? It is in the answers to that question, as supported by research, that a vision for the school emerges. The more this vision is seen and understood by the entire community, the more it is used to guide decisions, the more the students benefit.