STRATEGIC PLAN

2016-2020

Dear Parents, Alumnae, and Friends,

I am pleased to share with you the 2016-20 Strategic

Plan for St. Teresa’s Academy. At STA we proudly follow

the example of our founders and sponsors, the Sisters of

St. Joseph of Carondelet. Like the sisters, we strive toward

excellence and trust God to guide us with the vision and the

courage to always move forward in the best interest of the

Academy.

St. Teresa’s empowers women to find and develop

their many strengths, as students today and as our leaders

tomorrow. The Academy is committed to excellence in

education for young women. We integrate crucial 21st

century learning skills into our college prep curriculum and

promote emotional health and wellness. We are rooted in

the Catholic faith and emphasize service and compassion

for those less fortunate. St. Teresa’s prepares our students to

be leaders who make a difference in our community and our world. We do all this in partnership with

you—our generous parents, loyal alums, and faithful friends.

This plan focuses on our priorities over the next four years. These areas were identified based

on collaboration among our board of directors and faculty, along with input from students and parents.

The Big Six include: Mission and Vision; Teaching and Assessing for Learning; Campus Preservation;

Governance, Leadership and Sustainability; Marketing and Public Relations; and Wellness and Security.

This is our road map for continued success in all areas at the Academy.

We consider it a privilege to carry on the mission of the Sisters of St. Joseph to educate the whole

student, both in mind and spirit. This strategic plan honors our founders, our alumnae, and our current

and future STA students--all women of great strength. Thank you for your support and prayers as we

move forward together.

Sincerely,

Nan Tiehen Bone, Class of 1969President

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

SIX BIG PRIORITIES

Mission and Vision

Teaching and Assessing for Learning

Campus Preservation

Governance, Leadership & Sustainability

Marketing and Public Relations

Wellness and Security

MISSION AND VISION

OBJECTIVE ACTION STEPSContinue the formation of faculty/staff/students around the charisms of the Sisters of St. Joseph.

Promote participation in the CSJA program to faculty/staff.

Increase opportunities for faculty/staff to visit the CSJ Mother House in St. Louis, MO.

Continue to evolve the summer SCJ Leadership Camp for juniors, including trips to the Mother House. (Impacts 20-24 rising juniors every summer.)

Offer more opportunities for faculty/staff to learn more about the CSJ’s charisms through events like Linger Over Breakfast or a CSJ informational night.

Promote awareness/nominations for the Mother Evelyn O’Neill Award.

Continue the Passing of the Legacy Ceremony at beginning of school year.

Continue to promote the CSJ charism of “serving the dear neighbor” in the classroom, extracurriculars, service projects, and school assemblies.

Collaborate with CSJ provincial leadership team as they make decisions on how best to support our school as they transition to a different kind of sponsorship.

Ongoing meetings with the Sisters of St. Joseph Leadership team and their educational institution leaders.

Integrate CSJ values and justice education through interdisciplinary opportunities both in and outside the classroom.

Explore adopting one theme/pillar value each year to narrow focus of CSJ values and justice education and infuse across multiple disciplines.

Develop Interim Week to explore justice issues and CSJ charisms.

Research best practices, including looking at other CSJ school models.

Collaborate with secondary schools to enhance and broaden relationships worldwide among the institutions founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph.

Build relationship with our sister school, Saint Joseph Joshi Gakuen in Tsu, Japan. A SJJG student will attend STA each year as part of an exchange program.

Coordinate with Rockhurst High School to connect with St. Joseph’s School in Le Puy, France (co-ed school), for a two-week student exchange during the school year.

Schedule an international exchange program with Academia Maria Reina of San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Alumnae trip to France as part of the Academy 150 anniversary celebration.

STA to host a CSJ/SSJ Student Leadership Conference. Attendees include one international and five US schools.

Continue to participate in annual CJS/SSJ Secondary Schools conference.

Pursue opportunities for local Kansas City, domestic, and international service at every grade level.

Establish service retreats at each grade level, 9-12.

Expand International service trips by offering Spring Break, summer, and Holy Week trips.

Continue to support Central America service trips to countries deemed safe for travel.

Explore service trips to Chicago and other affordable U.S. destinations.

Expand variety of service trips specifically for grades 9 & 10.

Explore service opportunities with Avila’s Campus Ministry & Kansas City Interfaith Youth Alliance (www.kciya.org)

Explore advisory-based service models.

MISSION AND VISION, CON’T

OBJECTIVE ACTION STEPSCultivate an inclusive, welcoming environment that reflects and respects the values of a diverse environment, including race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, faith, and culture within STA.

Continue admissions outreach efforts as a means to educate and attract diverse students.

Continue marketing efforts that visually reflect a desired, diverse population.

Continue to evaluate and strengthen the Kairos experience for greater inclusiveness.

Expand opportunities surrounding the Inclusion Project.

Continue teaching the World Faiths class, reflecting acceptance of all religions.

Explore opportunities with KCIYA workshops.

Support the 3 goals for inclusion and diversity at STA: student education and awareness; faculty training/education; and recruitment efforts toward a more diverse student body and faculty/staff.

Student education: Diversity panels held with student body.

Students and faculty members to attend KC First Global Student Fair and UMKC Women of Color Conference.

STA to reach out to diverse media outlets (KC Call, Dos Mundos, etc.)

Continue to increase awareness, acceptance, and integration of diversity in our community by inviting guests, speakers, and forums on our campus.

Continue to offer faculty and staff training in cultural competency, diversity, and inclusion.

Investigate and implement tools and resources that improve our diversity hiring practices.

Continue efforts to hire faculty/staff to reflect the diversity of our student. (Example: If 13% of our student body is diverse, 13% or our faculty will be diverse.)

Engage students in liturgy. Create an environment of engagement through training liturgical music ministers.

Explore additional ways to enhance worship and improve inclusiveness.

Create a prominent space for the Campus Ministry office and classroom.

New Goppert facility to include a space for a Campus Ministry office and classroom.

TEACHING AND ASSESSING FOR LEARNING

OBJECTIVE ACTION STEPSCreate STEAM studios that will provide students the opportunity to innovate new ideas and create products.

New facility planning in Academy 150 Capital Campaign.

Expand curriculum, shadowing experiences, and service in STEAM-related disciplines/subjects.

STEM Mentoring & Service Learning course

STEAM/STEM Certificate for graduation

STEAM Advisory Board

Design schedules for students and teachers that promote collaboration and development of cross-curricular projects/courses.

Tailor scheduling to meet needs of new course development and collaboration.

STEAM Director position created to assist with interdisciplinary course development.

Construct a learning commons that promotes collaboration, research, independent study, and peer- to-peer interactions.

New facility planning in Academy 150 Capital Campaign.

Schedule opportunities for teachers to shadow in businesses that reflect their curriculum.

Implement teacher job shadowing experiences and will follow up with reflection meetings.

Identify opportunities for unpaid summer internships for students in a profession of interest.

Use STEAM advisory board to help in this process.

Expand video conference courses at the junior/senior level as we broaden curriculum for students who are looking for specific courses not offered at the Academy.

Online Personal Finance for all STA junior and seniors as a graduation requirement.

Online courses through OSG (AP Macroeconomics, Marine Biology, Intro to Engineering, AP Computer Science).

Video conferencing courses through KU (Mandarin Chinese Levels 1-4).

Offer academic summer enrichment camps to middle school students in the STEAM fields, making them available to girls of all socio-economic backgrounds.

Market and promote campus to larger, more diverse audience.

Offer scholarships for summer enrichment camps.

Create a writing lab as a resource to support students with their writing skills across all disciplines.

Open a writing lab (StarWrite Center).

Hire a director and coordinator for the StarWrite Center.

Create a foreign language lab as a resource to support the community of language learners.

Evaluate space options for practicing conversational foreign language.

Continue to reevaluate space around teaching and learning.

Continue to integrate Active Learning Classrooms (ALC’s) with interactive technology.

Investigate the AP Capstone (AP Seminar & AP Research courses).

Apply for this AP program and seek approval by College Board.

Adjust curriculum and course alignment.

Expand opportunities for students to explore their global citizenship.

Act personally or corroboratively in creative and ethical ways to contribute to global improvements and then assess the impact of these actions.

Examine perspectives of other people and identify the influences of these perspectives on a global level.

Continue to develop more opportunities for students to travel globally to serve the dear neighbor.

Create “design thinking opportunities” to promote problem finding and problem solving.

Investigate the idea of an Interim Week that would provide opportunities for students and teachers to explore cross-curricular opportunities through project-based learning.

CAMPUS PRESERVATION

OBJECTIVE ACTION STEPSRecognize the importance that trees have played in the school’s history by creating an arboretum on campus.

Trim existing trees/shrubs on campus and remove dead or distressed trees.

Map all trees on Windmoor campus using Google mapping tool.

Label existing trees and shrubs.

Create a master plan for addition of new trees and shrubs meeting the standards of an arboretum.

Convert the school’s archives to a digital format to preserve the early history of the Sisters of St. Joseph and St. Teresa’s Academy.

Design a system to organize, catalog, and archive all historical documents, including photos, letters, ledgers, etc.

Continue to strive toward a campus that follows the charisms of the CSJ by “being in right relationship with the earth,” including energy efficient programs and opportunities (solar panels, geothermal wells), recycling, and future conservation measures.

Replace air conditioner in Donnelly with an energy efficient unit.

Replace all lights on campus with LED light bulbs.

Replace old boiler in Goppert with a smaller, energy efficient boilers.

Explore replacing the Goppert roof with possible energy efficient materials as well.

Note: Initiatives 3 & 4 are part of the Academy 150 Campaign.

GOVERNANCE, LEADERSHIP & SUSTAINABILITY

OBJECTIVE ACTION STEPSHire and retain faculty and staff who support the mission of the Sisters of St. Joseph and are best in class.

Ensure all new employees understand, support, and are motivated to carry out the mission of the Sisters.

Provide training to new hires on the mission and vision of the Sisters.

Ensure the school continues to follow the mission of the Sisters if they, in the future, relinquish active sponsorship.

Currently working with the CSJ’s as they transition out of active sponsorship over the next three to five years.

Continue to bring in speakers who support the mission of the Sisters.

Continue to keep salaries comparable to leading schools in the area, both public and private.

Use Blue Valley Schools as a barometer for determining STA salaries (meet 85%-90% of salaries).

Work toward a smooth transition as key staff positions become open.

Currently identifying and planning for transitions.

Build our financial reserves to provide a cushion for building-related emergencies as well as possible operating deficiencies.

Included within the Academy 150 Capital Campaign.

Re-evaluate business-related procedures and policies on a yearly basis.

Continue evaluating and updating, when necessary, all procedural and financial forms. (These updates will be reflected in the annual parent/teacher handbook.)

Establish a plan for the school’s long-term financial sustainability.

Create a five to ten year financial plan.

Pursue risk mitigation strategies.

Create endowment and financial benchmarks.

Develop universal compatible data tracking systems. Pursue a one-system solution for all departments.

MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS

OBJECTIVE ACTION STEPSFocus on branding to enhance recruitment and fundraising efforts. What the school represents and strives for should be well understood.

Continue to use the Strategic Communications Plan developed for the 150th Anniversary year as branding guidelines for future marketing efforts, including their recommendations for brand platform and key messages.

Generate positive, newsworthy stories to pitch to local media (print and broadcast) to showcase examples of STA culture: academic progressiveness, faith in action, service to the dear neighbor, new STEAM initiatives, all-girl advantages, and global education efforts.

Further utilize both existing and new social media platforms to further solidify the brand.

Create social media practicum course for a senior student that earns one-quarter academic credit toward Computer Science (e.g., journalism, digital illustration, photography, etc.). This course/student feeds social media efforts, knowledge, and ideas through the marketing/PR department, prior to posting.

• Select one student for trial-basis as designated social media student representative for practicum course.

• If successful, make practicum course official.• Student works with both marketing and development staffs to

determine media platforms and to create a social media calendar of posts for the school year.

• Graphic design teacher to oversee and monitor practicum.

WELLNESS AND SECURITY

OBJECTIVE ACTION STEPSPromote the safety and welfare of the St. Teresa’s community through additional security measures.

Conduct a systematic review of the crisis management plan on campus.

Formulate communications for student wellness curriculum initiatives.

Provide education for faculty, staff, and students regarding campus safety.

Seek balance in the lives of St. Teresa’s Academy community members by implementing educational initiatives that lead to a lifelong commitment to wellness.

Address reduction in stress and anxiety through specific initiatives.

Expand PE credit to non-STA sponsored activities.

Explore new technologies around health and wellness.

Pursue opportunities to promote prayerfulness and mindfulness.

ST. TERESA’S ACADEMY

MISSION

St. Teresa’s Academy is committed to the education of young women. We are a Catholic, independent, college preparatory high school sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. The Academy is rooted in Christian values and embraces a diverse student body. We promote excellence in education through a challenging curriculum, personal responsibility, and participation in extracurricular activities.

BOARD MEMBERSKevin ConnorEileen Drummond*Doug FielderSteve FletcherJeanne Janssen, CSJJim KissickMarilyn Lott CSJ, Provincial DirectorRose McLarney, CSJMarion Spence Pierson*Ann Tierney Prochnow*Kiran Chandra Ross*Holly Streeter-SchaeferEric VogelPete WalshMichelle WimesOwen Zidar *Alum

ADMINISTRATION

Nan Bone, PresidentBarbara McCormick, Academic Principal Liz Baker, Student Affairs Principal