Welcome to the Ross Beatty Junior/Senior High School Principal's Blog! It is my intention to update this weblog at least once a week on Fridays (after this week). The purpose of the blog is to give the educational community, and by that I mean students, parents, teachers, staff, business members, members of the district and anyone else interested in Ross Beatty Junior/Senior High School. 
Sometimes the post may be geared towards one group or another, but anyone and everyone can comment on what they read or even on the comments. However, in the interest of keeping this public conversation polite, no comments with foul or abusive language will be posted. In addition, although everyone is welcome and even encouraged to debate points and ideas, your name will have to be included if you wish to see what you wrote posted on the blog. That said, on to the...
Vision Statement
A vision statement is defined by Wikipedia as "suggest[ing] ways to identify and to move toward desired future states (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vision_statement)." It also "focuses on tomorrow; it is inspirational; it provides clear decision-making criteria; and it is timeless (strategis.ic.gc.ca/epic/internet/instco-levc.nsf/en/h_qw00037e.html)." Another description is "a statement giving a broad, aspirational image of the future that an organization is aiming to achieve (www.powerhomebiz.com/Glossary/glossary-T.htm)."
The vision statement for RBJSHS can be found just to your right as you pass through the main entrance foyer. It was written about two years ago by the teachers with input from the educational community and it reads as follows:
Ross Beatty Jr./Sr. High School Vision Statement
We believe that all students can learn and deserve the right to an excellent education. The school setting is clean, safe, supportive and inviting to all. Students are immersed in a culture of high expectations and given the opportunity to learn at their own pace. Students are provided with stated expectations, real-life applications, technology skills, and extended learning opportunities. Individuals are treated with respect, fairness and equality. Mistakes are inevitable, and students are encouraged to learn from them. Because of a rigorous curriculum, with content mastery as a goal, graduates leave Ross Beatty prepared to face real world demands. They are challenged to remain life-long learners, be productive citizens, and become responsible adults.
All adults in the community live by these core convictions and take ownership in student learning. They agree with and support the goals of the educational community, thus strengthening the school-community partnership. All adults are enthusiastic and positive. They inspire and challenge youth, give positive reinforcement, and provide opportunities to be responsible. They empower youth to succeed through real-life experiences, both in and out of school, and foster independence. All adults are patient, kind, caring, and respectful. They treat people fairly. They create an environment that is safe and nurturing, with room to fail and encouragement to endure and advance forward from that failure. They listen and respond supportively. All adults are trustworthy and honest, with strong personal integrity. They are positive role models who demonstrate accountability for their actions, communicate high standards and expectations, and prepare for all situations. All adults are approachable, open-minded, flexible and cooperative. They embrace change, understanding its importance in growing and learning. They work collaboratively for the good of all students. They understand and accommodate differences. Teachers abide by these conditions daily to provide an environment that is both purposeful and challenging, one that provides practical foundations for learning and lofty aspirations for growth. Parents live by these convictions daily to support, teach, and lead their children toward a successful, prosperous future. All adults are dedicated, possessing both a genuine love for learning and an earnest respect for our youth.
All students possess a positive attitude toward learning and enter school eager to be active participants in all aspects of their education. They respect both the ideal of education and the nuts and bolts of education: where and when they learn, who they learn from, who they learn with, and why they learn. They are cooperative and open to ideas, determined to try and to grow, and aware they will make mistakes but willing to learn from them and continue progressing forward. All students prepare effectively for each day’s demands, organizing well, remaining focused, and establishing working patterns for success. All students are responsible, understanding consequences of behaviors and demonstrating full accountability for their actions. All students understand that though school is the present, its purpose is to give them a future. Toward that end, all students identify goals and work toward them. They acquire the skills necessary to build a fulfilling life. They become proficient writers, speakers, communicators, dreamers, seekers, risk-takers, and thinkers. They learn to solve problems, make sound decisions, and manage time efficiently. All students capitalize on the resources available to them and the opportunities afforded to them. They become tech-savvy, computer wise, and media literate. All students explore the avenues education opens up to them and imagine the multiple possibilities for their futures. They take with them the ideal of education and keep it as a constant throughout their lives.
Ross Beatty Jr./Sr. High School Vision Statement
We believe that all students can learn and deserve the right to an excellent education. The school setting is clean, safe, supportive and inviting to all. Students are immersed in a culture of high expectations and given the opportunity to learn at their own pace. Students are provided with stated expectations, real-life applications, technology skills, and extended learning opportunities. Individuals are treated with respect, fairness and equality. Mistakes are inevitable, and students are encouraged to learn from them. Because of a rigorous curriculum, with content mastery as a goal, graduates leave Ross Beatty prepared to face real world demands. They are challenged to remain life-long learners, be productive citizens, and become responsible adults.
All adults in the community live by these core convictions and take ownership in student learning. They agree with and support the goals of the educational community, thus strengthening the school-community partnership. All adults are enthusiastic and positive. They inspire and challenge youth, give positive reinforcement, and provide opportunities to be responsible. They empower youth to succeed through real-life experiences, both in and out of school, and foster independence. All adults are patient, kind, caring, and respectful. They treat people fairly. They create an environment that is safe and nurturing, with room to fail and encouragement to endure and advance forward from that failure. They listen and respond supportively. All adults are trustworthy and honest, with strong personal integrity. They are positive role models who demonstrate accountability for their actions, communicate high standards and expectations, and prepare for all situations. All adults are approachable, open-minded, flexible and cooperative. They embrace change, understanding its importance in growing and learning. They work collaboratively for the good of all students. They understand and accommodate differences. Teachers abide by these conditions daily to provide an environment that is both purposeful and challenging, one that provides practical foundations for learning and lofty aspirations for growth. Parents live by these convictions daily to support, teach, and lead their children toward a successful, prosperous future. All adults are dedicated, possessing both a genuine love for learning and an earnest respect for our youth.
All students possess a positive attitude toward learning and enter school eager to be active participants in all aspects of their education. They respect both the ideal of education and the nuts and bolts of education: where and when they learn, who they learn from, who they learn with, and why they learn. They are cooperative and open to ideas, determined to try and to grow, and aware they will make mistakes but willing to learn from them and continue progressing forward. All students prepare effectively for each day’s demands, organizing well, remaining focused, and establishing working patterns for success. All students are responsible, understanding consequences of behaviors and demonstrating full accountability for their actions. All students understand that though school is the present, its purpose is to give them a future. Toward that end, all students identify goals and work toward them. They acquire the skills necessary to build a fulfilling life. They become proficient writers, speakers, communicators, dreamers, seekers, risk-takers, and thinkers. They learn to solve problems, make sound decisions, and manage time efficiently. All students capitalize on the resources available to them and the opportunities afforded to them. They become tech-savvy, computer wise, and media literate. All students explore the avenues education opens up to them and imagine the multiple possibilities for their futures. They take with them the ideal of education and keep it as a constant throughout their lives.
This statement easily meets the goals as defined at the beginning of this section. It is forward thinking, provides clear criteria, is timeless and is both inspirational and aspirational. In addition, it is comprehensive and complete. I am honored to associated with the group of individuals that was willing to put this much effort and time into what is obviously an integral part of what RBJSHS strives to be.
I too have a vision for Ross Beatty. Although my vision is not nearly as comprehensive as the one on our wall, it does not contradict it either. In fact, I believe that many parts of the school's vision is included in mine. My vision is this:
Ross Beatty Junior/Senior High School will provide a safe and supportive environment where the best education with the maximum number of high-quality and challenging options are available to ensure that every student, with the guidance of members of the educational community, is completely prepared for whatever opportunities come next.
This vision is part of who I am. It guides every decision I have the privilege of being involved in at Ross Beatty. It is the final filter I use after every other question has been answered and I hope that by sharing it we can gain better understanding of why things are done the way they are here.
An example of this process can be found in the decision this year to not offer both College English and AP Calculus for the 2007-2008 year. In the case of College English, it was offered this past year and, thanks to its teacher, Mrs. Sue Buck, was very successful. However, in the interest of opportunities, this next year we will be offering World Literature and AP English, both college credit courses, in their place. Next year we intend to again offer College English as a choice for our students.
AP Calculus is a little more complex. Although my vision is my final filter that I use before a decision can pass, there are other filters that come before it. One of those filters is the fiscal responsibility of any decision. Only 8 students signed up for AP Calculus this past year. With the current budget situation, it would be irresponsible to run any class that such a low number of students even plans to take. We are addressing this issue two ways. First, those students who desire to take Calculus for college credit will be able to do so at Southwestern Michigan College through dual-enrollment. The second was to offer a more advanced pre-calculus, for which forty students signed up to take, in the hopes that enough students (about 15 are needed to run a class, with an average of 25) will be interested so the class will run in the 2008-2009 school year.
(In an aside, it should be noted that although we did lose AP Calculus for this upcoming school year, we ran four college/advanced classes in the 2006-2007 year (Accounting, Computer Applications II, College English, and AP Calculus), and we will be running eight such classes on campus this year (AP English, World Literature, Physics B, Advanced Biology, Accounting, Computer Applications II, Horticulture and Animal Science) with more in years to come.)
An organization's vision statement is its conviction. It doesn't tell the reader what an organization is, but what it strives to become. It is what will happen in a perfect world. My vision for the school is less encompassing than the one the community came up with, but it does have the advantage of being completely internalized. As you think about this upcoming school year, take the time to read the school's vision statement again, and develop one for yourself out of it. Let it be your guide to the perfect school as we all strive for the best possible school Cassopolis can have.
In times of change, the learner inherits the earth, while the learned are beautifully prepared for a world that no longer exists. -Eric Hoffer
Next...A calander of events for the upcoming month, among other things.
I look forward to any comments or suggestions on this topic, any ideas for future postings, or just about anything else. Thanks for reading.
Tony Habra
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