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Head Lines
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Head Lines offers Dr. Michael E. Cooper's perspective on topics relevant to education and the Brewster community.
 Having 2020 Vision
October 2010
A few weeks ago it was 9/02/10, and many people made reference to the popular TV show, Beverly Hills 90210. As you are reading this, it is likely to have been 10/10/10, a day that many have chosen as a wedding day because of the rare combination of numbers. Our fascination, and some may say penchant, with dates and numbers has not escaped our attention at Brewster. In the most recent iteration of our emerging strategic plan, the foundation of what we hope to accomplish is routed in what we are calling our 2020 Vision.
For us this reference represents clarity and a keen sense of visual acuity of what we desire for our future. As the planning experts assert, a vision is an image or description of a desired future, something to which we can aspire, and to have a clear sense of purpose is important if we are to engage the interest and excitement of others. As we have honed our thinking about the school community we would like Brewster to become, we have set our sights high. Emerging from our strategic planning discussions is a vision that captures the high expectations that we have to help us chart a dynamic future for the school and for our students.
Our 2020 Vision: In a world where a broad and comprehensive education extends beyond the foundations of student achievement to include the skills necessary to navigate life, it is the vision of Brewster Academy to build upon its success with best practices, character education, and collaborative learning by becoming the recognized leader in customized and personalized learning that develops the affective and cognitive proficiencies students need to confront a multicultural, global future.
As you contemplate our vision and the notion of Brewster evolving to become a leader in personally developing the whole child, it may evoke thoughts about how that might be attained. Two things that standout in the vision relate to the Brewster program – one builds upon our success with the Brewster Model and the other takes our character education program and further defines how we can educate the whole student. With these developments of program, the foundation for our new strategic plan has emerged.
Previously in BrewsterConnections (summer 2009) we have reported on curriculum revisions with the introduction of project-based learning and the reasons why this is a natural evolution to the academic model introduced at Brewster in the 1990s. Building upon the successes in implementing these revisions in our 10th grade last year, we are bringing elements of the program to the 11th grade this academic year, with plans to have all four grades on board within the next two years. If early indications are any measure of success, we believe we have put together a curriculum that will best serve our students as we prepare them for their futures.
Another exciting focus of our vision and strategic plan is a component that will assist our students in their affective development by emphasizing their emotional literacy. Starting with a partnership with researchers at Yale University, we are beginning to implement an approach that is skills based and designed to help schools, and subsequently the members of the school community, to become more emotionally literate. As the Yale researchers quote Aristotle, “Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all” – we have long believed that the habits of heart are as important as the habits of mind. As a result, we began looking for an approach that would help us build upon our character education program to more intentionally include a way to help our students grow in their emotional competence. The approach is designed to address and strengthen the underlying emotional skills that cultivate well-being, improve academic and work performance, and lead to healthy social interactions. Our goal is to be responsive to research that shows that students who are emotionally literate tend to flourish.
In our research on this topic, we came across a number of studies that show the many ways in which individuals can benefit from social and emotional learning, not just in adolescence, but how the benefits carry over into adulthood. The process begins with our faculty and thus we will spend time this year training them in preparation for introducing the approach to students in the next academic year. You will hear more about this approach as the training progresses. We are energized about this undertaking and look forward to bringing these concepts into the fabric of life at Brewster to build upon what we already believe is a strong program aimed at maximizing student growth and potential.
Over the next few months we will bring further definition to our priorities and share those with you. We hope that you share in our excitement about how we can continue to position the school for the bright future ahead. I know that with your help we can accomplish great things and look forward to partnering with you as we navigate our future.
I hope that you are inspired by what you read in this issue of Connections. We cannot go it alone in implementing our vision for the future. As we refine what we will need to help us reach our vision, we know that it will take resources. While we can budget and prioritize for some of what we are trying to accomplish, we know to be successful that many of these enhancements will take the commitment and support of our extended school community. We know that we have, and continue to make, a difference in preparing Brewster students for their future. The skills that will help our students lead successful lives in 2020 are changing, and we are committed to remaining a leader in customized learning. We further believe that becoming a leader instills pride and a sense of purpose for everyone connected with the school, be it alumna/us, parent, or friend. We hope you share in that pride and look forward to hearing your thoughts.
Best regards,
Dr. Michael E. Cooper
Head of School
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