MISSION STATEMENT & VISION Shearer
Shearer Elementary School is a place of hope and learning. Embracing diversity, we are a team working toward a common goal with the belief that every child will learn and achieve. Together we prepare self motivated lifelong learners who achieve success as students and members of the larger community. No mention of technology. It gets a mention here in the school profile on the home page. SCHOOL PROFILE Shearer Elementary School is part of the Napa Valley Unified School District, located in Napa, California. Shearer is a Kindergarten through 5th grade school with a rich multicultural population. Shearer has an abundance of unique programs and activities to meet the needs of its diverse student body.We have enhanced our educational programs by offering Enrichment classes in performing arts, science, technology, and physical education; taught by specialists in these subject areas. All enrichment teachers instruct students in programs that develop skills from the enrichment classes while re-enforcing concepts learned in the regular classroom programs.Our Teachers strive to bring out the best in our students by meeting in their grade level teams to work on curriculum, instruction, as well as, assessment cycles. Our teachers work together to plan the best possible lessons for students. It is mentioned as an enrichment class, as if it is something outside of the homeroom classroom and not integrated into the students' curriculum areas. I then went to the district website and that was more promising. I suppose I would align our school mission statement with theirs although it would require teacher input as we are all at different levels in our Digital Literacy and we should not promote a falsehood. In blue is where technology is mentioned. Of course, technology is mentioned throughout the website, but I just pulled out a few ideas. District Mission Statement: 21st Century Learning Our mission is to transform lives by instilling 21st Century skills and to inspire lifelong learning. We believe it is imperative that we make learning relevant to the real world in order that our students can thrive in the work force, contribute to their communities and become respected members of society. NVUSD IS A STUDENT-CENTERED, 21ST CENTURY SCHOOL DISTRICT The old classroom model – teacher-centered, one-way, one-size-fits-all – makes no sense to young people who have grown up in a digital world. Instruction must enable students to take ownership of their own learning, use technology to enhance learning, and ensure that student are active participants and ENGAGED in personalized educational experiences. The vision for district transformation has resulted in:
Our new Shearer Elementary Mission Statement might now be: Shearer Elementary School is a place of hope and learning. Embracing diversity, we are a team working toward a common goal with the belief that every child will learn and achieve. Together we prepare self-motivated lifelong learners who achieve success as students and members of the larger community. Students will engage in technology-infused learning experiences driven by rigorous inquiry that will prepared them for the 21st-century. Each teacher is committed to ensuring that through technology and the instruction of the 4 C's; Critical Thinking, Collaboration, Creativity, and Citizenship, that students are active participants in personalized educational experiences. This new mission statement aligns with our goals as a school and a district. It is a bit wordy and if I had to be honest, I am not sure if it aligns with everyone's thinking at my school site. Our technology has been used mainly for tests and reading or math programs that make learning engaging, but are not inquiry based or project making. In creating the goal, or stating it, I think it can help us to get closer to achieving it. Clearly it is where we are heading, but it would be a stretch to say that we are there now. As far as how this newly formed mission statement interfaces with my Capstone, I see this in the integration of technology and the addressing of the 4 C's (I know that NVUSD has 6 but I think they create redundancy and confusion, so I intentionally leave out the other 2). My Capstone is about preparing the mind for learning and I see this in the "students are active participants in personalized educational experiences" -this can be their responsiveness to the mindfulness practices. Also, "technology-infused learning experiences"-where my Capstone brings in the mindfulness digital apps. And further, "the instruction of the 4 C's; Critical Thinking, Collaboration, Creativity, and Citizenship," where the purpose of the mindfulness practice is to leverage meta-cognition and help students to explain rationales. This is an important piece of collaboration and critical thinking. Of course the social emotional aspects lend itself to Citizenship.
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