Mission Manifest
Strategic Plan for
Ethical Culture Fieldston School
2013–2018
Progressive Education at ECF
Ethical Culture Fieldston has strong and enduring roots in the progressive education movement. Our founder, the educational
reformer and ethical leader Felix Adler, opened the Workingman’s School in 1878 to create a more just educational system and to
transform educational practice from one marked by teacher-centered rote learning to one that was student-centered and experiential.
The school served immigrant and working-class students who until then did not have access to this type of education. Hands-on,
workshop-based learning was, and is, central to the ECF educational experience.
True to our roots, at ECF today we strive for a diverse community whose approach to teaching and learning is innovative,
creative, empathetic, joyful, rigorous, social, collaborative, interdisciplinary, and endeavors to point students outward toward
service and social justice. We strive for distinction in all that we do, from the highest-quality teaching to bringing out the
greatest potential in every student. We emphasize mastery of subjects and skills as developmentally appropriate across all
grade levels. At ECF we define excellence in process as well as product. Through a program that is demanding and thorough,
we encourage students to challenge themselves and others in original and innovative ways to reach their highest capacity in
mind, body, and spirit.
ECF is dedicated to:
• Inspiring a lifelong passion for learning and inquiry,
rather than mastery of content for its own sake
• Cultivating fluency in multiple cultural perspectives and
the courage to recognize the “other” in oneself
• Fostering experiential, experimental, and playful learning
at all stages of development
• Creating safe opportunities for open debate, critical
thinking, and multiple perspectives and voices
• Engaging the whole child in learning as a full self and as part
of a community, and enabling him or her to understand the
relevance of their learning to the world beyond the classroom
• Encouraging resiliency in the face of obstacles and errors,
nimble approaches to problem solving, and an appreciation
for humor and serendipity
• Developing in students the capacity for wonder,
self-expression, risk-taking, and self-awareness through
academic, ethical, artistic, and athletic pursuits
• Helping each student to achieve excellence according to
his or her potential in mind, body, and spirit
Introduction
P
ared to its bare essentials, this strategic plan is about two things: 1) making manifest, in the life of our
school, our founding mission; and 2) making intentional and visible our aim for the highest quality in
everything that we do. To that end, with this plan we set goals that will enable our school to epitomize an
innovative and inspirational 21st-century model of progressive education; to revitalize Felix Adler’s ethical
imperative; to ensure that this imperative lives visibly in all that we do; and to nurture and sustain our
resources, both human and material, toward these collective long-term aims.
This work requires looking inward and outward to the
community around us, both locally and globally. ECF has
always, since its founding, been rooted in the world beyond its
walls. Today, both literally and virtually, the opportunities for
such connection abound. The potential for paired learning and
service on a global scale has never been greater. The moment is
ripe for re-embracing Adler’s ideals and for breathing life into
them for a new generation.
This document is guided by our conviction that progressive
education at ECF is a robust expression of subject
mastery, critical thinking, creativity, ethical learning,
and multicultural humanism. In this plan we prioritize
enhancements to the science, math, writing, ethics, foreign
language, and multidisciplinary programs, as well as
preK–12 curricular connections. We focus on teaching and
administrative quality, and on professional development
for all adults employed by the school. We open the door to
rethinking our schedule, and to the possibilities for further
integrating technology into the curriculum. By reimagining
our libraries and science labs as hubs for experiential
learning, we commit to creating multimedia spaces necessary
for interactive learning in the 21st century. We recommit
to being an inclusive community, one that understands
and values the possibilities that diversity—in its multiple
manifestations—presents for teaching, learning, and being.
And we propose to deepen our commitment to financial aid,
to public purpose endeavors, and to being wise stewards of
all our resources, be they human, material, or natural.
In drafting this document, the Strategic Plan Steering
Committee[1] was guided in part by the findings of the
recently completed NYSAIS reaccreditation process,
and informed by broad and inclusive engagement events
with the ECF community. Since September 2012, more
than a thousand members of our community—including
faculty, administrators, staff, students, families, trustees,
[1] Appendix 1: Membership of the Strategic Plan Steering Committee
[2] Appendix 2: Calendar of 2012–2013 Strategic Planning Engagement Events
and alumni/ae—participated in the strategic planning
process. We provided a wide variety of ways to participate,
including community-wide surveys, Town Halls, focus
groups, subcommittee meetings, and a frequently
publicized mailbox dedicated to emails sent to the steering
committee.[2] True to the best of ECF tradition, this process
was inclusive, collaborative, and transparent. The steering
committee itself was comprised of faculty, administrators,
students, parents, alumni/ae, and trustees, and the co-chairs
of the strategic planning process were a tripartite group
including the Head of School, a senior faculty member, and
a former board chair.
Strategic documents and, by extension, an institution’s
priorities are notable not only for what they contain but also
for what they exclude. As you delve into this document, keep
in mind that there is an enormous amount of institutional
activity that is not explicitly discussed herein, but that
enables us to continually improve what we do and how
we do it. This important concurrent work throughout the
institution will bolster our ability to accomplish the goals set
forth within this document.
In the pages that follow you will find first a tightened version
of the ECF mission statement, followed by a brief discussion
of the overall vision and content of this strategic plan, and the
institutional beliefs that underlie what we do and why we do
it. The plan itself is divided into three overriding categories,
each of which includes specific goals and paths forward toward
implementation. On the inside cover of this document you
will find a definition of progressive education that was crafted
with the input of many members of our community, informed
by the teachings of our school’s founders, and brought to
life by longstanding master progressive teachers at ECF. Its
presence in this document is a reminder of what exactly we
mean by excellence, and what we aspire to achieve every day
for, and with, our students.
Strategic Plan 2013–2018
1
Our Mission
“ The ideal of the school is not the adaptation of the individual to
the existing social environment;
it is to develop individuals who are competent
to change their environment in greater conformity with moral ideals.
”
—Felix Adler, philosopher, humanist, and founder of Ethical Culture Fieldston School, 1902
With an enduring commitment to excellence in progressive education, we inspire a diverse and joyful community of passionate
learners, critical thinkers, and ethical individuals who aim to make the world more humane and just.
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Ethical Culture Fieldston School
Vision for the 2013–2018 Strategic Plan
With this strategic plan, ECF strives to:
Be the 21st-century progressive classroom
The preK–12 curriculum will be intellectually rich, joyful, innovative, interdisciplinary, experiential, rigorous, multicultural,
and child-centered. Teaching and learning will take place both inside and outside of traditional classrooms; New York City,
its environs, and the world around us will be our laboratories. Technology will be both accessible and flexible, allowing
students and faculty to engage with and contribute to important conversations on both local and global levels. We will live by
divisional course schedules that meet the needs of students, faculty, and staff.
Embrace the ethical imperative
Ethical being and learning will be prioritized in all academic and extracurricular student activities. Adult relationships
will be grounded in trust and collaboration. Our school community will reflect the rich and evolving diversity of the five
boroughs of New York City, and our surrounding community will experience ECF as a good neighbor. We will form
partnerships at home and abroad to enhance multicultural learning and service to others.
Nurture and sustain our resources
We will invest thoughtfully in our faculty and staff, in our buildings and grounds, in our use of technology, and in our
natural environment. We will maximize the potential of our two campuses in the service of progressive learning, both for
our own and for the greater community’s benefit. We will be advocates for environmental sustainability on our campuses
and in the world around us.
Strategic Plan 2013–2018
3
We Believe
…that knowledge and mastery of content are essential, and must be coupled with a lifelong passion
for learning and for nuanced understanding.
…that joy and play are key components of learning at all stages of development.
…that meaningful learning requires dedication, perseverance, and resilience in the face of challenges.
…that the best teaching should support, stimulate, and celebrate multiple intelligences and learning styles.
…that all members of our community should value and learn from “difference” in all its forms,
and always recognize the “other” in oneself.
…that the problems in today’s complex, global society will require nimble, inventive critical thinkers.
…that we have a moral obligation to leave the world better than we find it.
These beliefs underpin everything we do at ECF and guided this strategic process.
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Ethical Culture Fieldston School
Part
I: The 21st-Century Progressive Classroom
To epitomize an innovative and inspirational 21st-century model of progressive education.
Progressivism at our founding:
Felix Adler believed in deed over creed; in experiential, hands-on learning; in the classroom as laboratory, and the city as classroom;
in the importance of critical thinking and inquiry in addition to the acquisition of knowledge; in the value of the arts; in
learning by doing at every stage of development; in the engagement and collaboration of teachers and students in the creation
and innovation of a rich learning program.
“ …if a student wants to know how a suspension bridge works, a progressive teacher will suggest building one… ”
—Anonymous, time-honored Fieldston maxim
Progressivism now:
We recommend the following goals to ensure that our school exemplifies the best of progressive education in the 21st century, serving as a
national model and demonstrating our preeminence as a leader in this educational field and in an increasingly global, interconnected world.
Goal 1: Advance the practice of progressive education at ECF.
Path Forward
Design each division’s academic schedule to enhance
curricular integration and collaboration within and
between campuses; increase student and faculty reflection
and special project time; and create greater alignment
between the two lower divisions and the Upper and
Middle divisions. Demonstrate that schedules are ethical
documents, and ours must respond to the shared concern
among faculty, administrators, and students that the race to
do more can erode both quality of life and quality of work
product. Let our schedule and calendar highlight the fact
that innovation requires breathing space for collaboration
and rumination.
Provide long-term funding for existing successful interdisciplinary
efforts, as well as support for new interdisciplinary programs and
classes. Nurture interdisciplinary innovation with the following steps:
• Establish “(Ad)Venture Grants” and “Venture Grants” for
curriculum development within New York City and the
United States.
• Use “(Ad)Venture Grants” to pioneer global education
opportunities including language and service learning
programs abroad.
• Tap into existing ethics and service programs, such as the
Fieldston Enrichment Program (FEP), and link these to
curricular development.
Enhance
Review
the preK–12 writing program and reinstate the
Writing Center.
Sequence
and integrate the preK–12 math program.
Reinvigorate
the preK–12 foreign language program
per the recommendations of the Foreign Language
Task Force. Form partnerships at home and abroad
with schools, universities, and other educational and
nonprofit organizations to offer students local, global, and
multicultural learning experiences that complement their
foreign language studies at ECF.
Enrich
our academic programs with attention to the global
and multicultural dimensions of learning at all stages of
development, through foreign language study, travel programs,
and/or technology that enables worldwide partnerships.
ECF’s methods of student assessment and grading,
and discuss how our approach can better reflect progressive
pedagogy and more fully embrace the whole child as a learner.
Bring artists-in-residence and continue to emphasize the
importance of having professional artists from all disciplines
within our faculty.
Craft
a comprehensive academic technology plan that
is shaped and sustained by the school’s mission to provide
experiential child-centered learning that develops the
next generation of ethical leaders, and creates meaningful
connections both inside and outside of our school community.
Imagine
alternatives to the current programming offered to
second-semester seniors, and consider a formalized Form VI
capstone project initiative.
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Goal 2:Build on the success of the inaugural Progressive Teaching Institute (PTI), and expand the concept
to further advance ECF’s progressive mission both inside and outside of the ECF community.
Path Forward
Cultivate the gradual expansion of the PTI by continuing
to require all newly hired faculty members to participate in
its programs as part of their welcome to the school and initial
training, and by creating regular, year-round PTI-sponsored
professional development opportunities for continuing faculty.
Establish the PTI as the national destination of choice for
progressive pedagogical learning, and ensure that the ethical and
multicultural pillars of our mission are integral to its work.
Design a Diversity Training Program for all faculty
members, staff, and other members of the community that
is crafted in collaboration with the Director of Progressive
and Multicultural Education.
Develop
a Teaching Fellowship Program launched by the
PTI and focused on recruiting and training teachers at all
career stages who are committed to advancing progressive
practice and the ECF mission.
Goal 3:Develop pioneering science and math programs, and the laboratories to support them,
with the aim of inspiring students to tackle the major challenges in our world today.
Path Forward
Build
science facilities on the Fieldston Upper and Lower
campuses that provide students with cutting-edge laboratory
and workshop space; are welcoming to visiting scientists,
engineers, and scholars; and alleviate cramped space.
Invest
in the preK–12 science and math programs,
infusing them with new ideas, opportunities, and programs
that strengthen our students’ creativity and their ability to
innovate and solve problems. The programs should enable
original research, fuse practical invention with abstract
learning, encourage collaboration both online and offline,
and include courses in engineering, robotics, programming,
and entrepreneurship.
Goal 4:Create state-of-the-art, multimedia, aesthetically beautiful, and sustainable spaces on both the
Riverdale and Manhattan campuses that enhance interdisciplinary teaching and learning, and are
conducive to research and reflection, class instruction, socializing, and collaborative work both
across our divisions and outside of our school.
Path Forward
Commission a space utilization study for the Tate Library
that, when informed by the knowledge and expertise of our
librarians, brings the Tate into the 21st century, creating an
environment that is a hub for connectivity, collaboration, and
learning, both within our community and outside of it.
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Ethical Culture Fieldston School
Commission a space utilization study for the Ethical
Culture building that is informed by EC faculty and
administrators, and explores ways to enhance integrated and
experiential work across the grades and disciplines.
Part
II: The Ethical Imperative
To embrace the ethical imperative, infusing ethical being and learning into all aspects of school programming and operations.
Ethics at our founding:
Felix Adler believed in the innate potential for good in every human being; in our fundamental obligation to leave the world
better than we found it; in the importance of understanding and embracing “others” as essential to living fully as oneself; in the
value of access for all and the moral duty to serve; and in the imperative of always pointing one’s compass toward that which is
ethical and humane.
women who shall be thoroughly human
“ We aim to produce inmentheand
sense of being humane.
To be human means to respect humanity in every human being, regardless of
the differences of wealth, of social position, or race, or creed.
—Felix Adler, A New Departure in Education, 1926
”
Ethics now:
We recommend the following goals to fulfill Adler’s ethical mission at our school now and into the future:
Goal 1:Position the ethics curriculum at the core of the preK–12 academic experience.
Path Forward
Articulate
ECF’s vision of ethics for the 21st century in
a way that is grounded in both philosophical learning and in
service to the world, both of which are emblematic of Felix
Adler’s founding view. Sequence and enhance the existing
preK–12 ethics curriculum to advance this vision.
Develop
new (and expand existing) service learning
programs that allow students to engage in service that is
sustained over their years at ECF and is aligned with the
curriculum at each stage of development.
Create
special programs in each division, where appropriate,
such as a preK–12 project-based interdisciplinary January
session called the “Mission Term” or “Eagle Term,” an
“ethics retreat” for all students in entry-level grades, and a
“Form VI Capstone” program, that put into practice ECF’s
commitment to ethical learning as an essential component
of progressive education.
Goal 2:Increase access and inclusion for all forms of diversity across the constituencies comprising
the ECF community.
Path Forward
Strengthen both social and financial support for current
students on financial aid so that they and their families can
fully live the ECF experience.
Increase the endowment for financial aid, establishing
ECF as the leader in preserving affordability for all admitted
families from across the socioeconomic spectrum.
Move ECF forward in its efforts to reflect the diversity of
New York City by significantly increasing the racial and ethnic
diversity of all our constituencies. Support this goal by adjusting
admissions and hiring practices, and enhancing ongoing support
services and faculty/staff training in diversity and multicultural
education. Be guided by the understanding that building and
supporting a diverse student body, faculty, and staff is a hallmark
of educational excellence.
Implement
a school-wide all-inclusive tuition model that
is transparent and clearly communicated to families from the
outset of the admissions process and throughout students’
years at ECF.
Strategic Plan 2013–2018
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Goal 3:Cultivate a community of students and adults whose relationships with each other are grounded
in trust, collaboration, integrity, and good cheer.
Path Forward
Articulate
ECF’s commitment to academic honesty and
honorable behavior across the divisions.
Answer
Adler’s call for humane and civil behavior by
establishing a set of community norms that prioritize respect
for all voices and perspectives.
Create welcoming and comfortable spaces on each campus
for students, faculty, and staff to rest, socialize, and collaborate
with each other on a more regular and informal basis.
Build
cultural bridges among the divisions that provide
meaningful connections for faculty and for students of
different ages. Accomplish this through shared projects,
mentoring opportunities, and literal and figurative spaces for
informal interaction across the grade levels.
Goal 4:Emphasize and support ECF’s public purpose as a private school, creating greater opportunities for
lifelong learning, service, engagement, and activism across the constituencies.
Path Forward
Develop
a Public Purpose Initiative that allows faculty,
staff, parents, students, and alumni/ae to contribute their
time and talent to schools and nonprofit organizations in the
Bronx and Manhattan.
Create
ways to support young alumni/ae to accomplish our
mission after they graduate.
Continue to formalize the relationships built among
alumni/ae, parents, and current students, creating a robust
database of alumni/ae and parent-generated internship, career
counseling, and professional development opportunities for
current students and young alums.
Develop
an alternative Spring Break program for students
across the divisions interested in engaging in hands-on service,
as well as for Upper School students interested in externships
with nonprofit and social enterprise organizations.
Goal 5: Prioritize ECF’s approach to, and understanding of, environmental sustainability as an ethical imperative.
Path Forward
Empower
the environmental perspective at ECF through
the role of the “Green Dean,” who keeps the sustainability
perspective front of mind in school programming and
operations decisions. The Green Dean will also oversee
community-wide education and communication of
environmental sustainability issues.
Teach
that every member of our community must play a role
in the stewardship of our natural resources.
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Ethical Culture Fieldston School
Support curriculum development aimed at sustainability
issues, such as clean energy research.
Work
with our outside vendors (e.g., those companies that
serve our catering, security, energy, and office supply needs)
to ensure that our partnerships with them are, where possible,
true to ECF’s approach to sustainability.
Part III: Nurture and Sustain Our Resources
ECF is comprised of two campuses spanning 430,000 square feet in both Manhattan and the Bronx. We have four divisions
on these two campuses, employ 350 faculty and staff members, and educate nearly 1,700 students yearly. ECF is a strong yet
complex organization.
First and foremost, we must ensure that the school is safe and secure for all who learn, work, and visit our campuses. A comprehensive
review of our security protocols began in August 2012 and will be continually reviewed and optimized over the coming years.
We are also committed to making progress on increasing access for the disabled across our campuses, in concert with our
renovation projects.
The strategic goals proposed in Parts I and II of this plan require that:
• A mission-driven and talented faculty and staff be recruited, trained, and retained;
• Stewardship of our financial resources, physical plant, and natural environment is deliberate and aligned with the school’s mission;
• School governance is efficient, transparent, and representative; and,
• Communication to internal constituencies, and the public, about who we are, what we do, and why we do it, is clearly articulated.
Goal 1:Recruit, train, and retain a mission-driven and talented faculty and staff.
Follow
the recommended “Path Forward” regarding the
expansion of the Progressive Teaching Institute in Part I,
Goal 2 of the strategic plan.
Design
a comprehensive program to train newly hired
faculty, administrators, and support staff, and provide
ongoing education in progressivism, ethics, and diversity for
continuing staff.
Craft
retention incentives for faculty and staff, such as
professional development opportunities (e.g., attending
and presenting at conferences), travel (e.g., Venture and
“(Ad)venture” Grants), and sabbaticals.
Work in collaboration with the Faculty Interest Committee (FIC),
academic department chairs, and non-academic department
managers to craft methods of faculty, administrative, and
support staff evaluation that are reflective of best practices in
progressive education and are in the spirit of self-reflection
and improvement.
Goal 2:Invest in stewardship of our financial resources, physical plant, and natural environment that is
deliberate and aligned with the school’s mission.
Continue to support a strong institutional advancement
program, and to grow and strengthen the philanthropic
culture of the school community, to facilitate annual and
long-term capital giving for the endowment and for ECF’s
physical assets.
Commission a Master Plan for both the Manhattan and
Bronx campuses, including the athletic fields, and identify
external opportunities to house administrative and operations
offices, as well as on-campus opportunities to house the ECF
Archives, and public meeting spaces.
Launch a multiyear capital campaign to secure the financial
resources required to implement some of the strategic and
operational initiatives outlined in the strategic plan.
Follow
the recommended “Path Forward” regarding
environmental sustainability in Part II, Goal 5 of the
strategic plan.
Identify alternative revenue sources to fulfill the mission of
the school by restraining tuition increases.
Strategic Plan 2013–2018
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Goal 3: Implement a school governance structure that is efficient, transparent, and representative.
Continue to diversify the Board of Trustees, to the extent
that the Committee on Trustees has control, and encourage
the groups that appoint constituent representatives to the
Board (the Society, faculty, Alumni Volunteer Network, and
P&T) to make every effort to select from a strong and diverse
pool of candidates.
Continue to employ best practices in trustee governance
and provide the Board with ongoing training and education in
ethics, diversity, and progressive and multicultural education.
Improve the administrative and academic governance
structure, and strengthen the role of the Faculty Advisory
Group to the Head of School.
Goal 4:Articulate a communication plan for internal constituencies and the public.
Develop
an enhanced and customized approach to
communication that utilizes a newly launched web site,
cloud-based collaborative platforms, streaming video/audio,
social media, and automated form processing that provides
students, faculty, staff, families, and alumni/ae an increased
ability to draw information of personal interest.
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Ethical Culture Fieldston School
Strengthen communication channels between the school
and the community regarding ECF’s vision of, and approach
to, education. Ensure that throughout a family’s lifetime
within the school, beginning with the ECF admissions
process and continuing through the college application and
decision process, we articulate and apply our mission, values,
and beliefs.
Conclusion
No single plan can accomplish or even touch upon every strategic or operational need.
This one makes a vigorous attempt to bring our founding mission into bright focus for the future, reimagining progressive
education for generations that will face a complex, global, and interconnected world. This is a plan that speaks to powerful
ideals—but it is grounded in attainable, tangible steps that can and will be accomplished over the next five years at ECF.
With the involvement of our dedicated community of teachers, students, administrators, staff, families, trustees, and alumni/ae,
we will get there—and beyond.
The hardest work lies ahead of us. Together, as a community, we will work to implement the dreams set forth in these pages. We are
keenly aware that our chances of success lie in the degree to which we can harness the creative and passionate input of everyone in
our wide community. True collaboration—of thought and deed—will be essential. An implementation plan, with a recommended
timeline, will be crafted, and while some of the goals discussed in this document will require no new dollars at all, others will require
significant investment. To that end, a capital campaign will soon be underway to help bring these hopes to fruition.
Nearly 90 years ago our founder, Felix Adler, proposed “a new departure in education,” and on the front of the document in
which he outlined his hopes for a more innovative approach to education, he wrote the following:
“ ...I have wondered whether within our citizenry there may not be those
who kindle to the glow of this same ideal, and who would care to join me
in initiating an experiment of such inspiring and far-reaching significance.
”
Strategic Plan 2013–2018
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Appendix 1
Appendix 2
Membership of the Strategic Plan
Steering Committee
Calendar of 2012–2013 Strategic Planning Engagement Events
September 2012
January 2013
Damian Fernandez, Head of School
Bob Montera, Fieldston Upper faculty,
English and History
Tracy Chutorian Semler ’82, Trustee
September 5: Strategic Plan Steering Committee
Meeting, Fieldston.
September 12: Community Read Event,
Ethical Culture. All members of the ECF
community invited.
September 24: Board of Trustees Meeting, Ethical
Culture. All members of the Board invited.
Administrator
October 2012
January 9: Stewardship and Sustainability
Subcommittee Meeting, Fieldston. All ECF
faculty and staff members invited.
January 10: Academic Initiatives Subcommittee
Meeting, Fieldston. All ECF faculty and staff
members invited.
January 11: Strategic Plan Steering Committee
Meeting, Fieldston.
January 22: Ethical Being & Learning
Subcommittee Meeting, Fieldston. All ECF
faculty and staff members invited.
January 24: Community Subcommittee Meeting
for Faculty, Fieldston. All ECF faculty and staff
members invited.
January 24: Community Subcommittee Meeting
for Parents, Fieldston. All parent members of
the Diversity Committee and all ECF faculty
and staff members invited.
January 29: Public Purpose Subcommittee
Meeting, Fieldston. All ECF faculty and staff
members invited.
Co-Chairs
Erin Dillard, Director of Strategic Initiatives
Members
Anne Ackerley, Trustee and head of P&T
Barbara Bonilla, Fieldston Middle faculty,
Spanish, and Trustee
George Burns, Principal, Fieldston Lower
Paul Church, Fieldston Upper faculty,
Science, and Trustee
Rob Cousins, Principal, Ethical Culture
Laura Danforth, Principal, Fieldston Upper
Annie Fernandez, Form VI, Student
Government Co-President
Nina Freedman ’73, Honorary Trustee
Hazel Hunt, Fieldston Lower faculty,
5th Grade, and Trustee
Kevin Jacobson, Principal, Fieldston Middle
Jeanne Jang, Trustee
Paul Mason, Trustee
Whitney Namm Pollack, Director,
Institutional Advancement and Alumni
Carline Samson, Ethical Culture faculty,
1st Grade, and Trustee
Max Whittington-Cooper, Form VI,
Student Government Co-President
Ex Officio Members
Robert Pruzan ’81, Co-chair, Board of Trustees
Paul Schnell ’72, Co-chair, Board of Trustees
Throughout October: Lunch drop-in sessions
with Middle and Upper School students.
October 3: P&T Meeting, Fieldston. All members
of the P&T invited.
October 3: Fieldston Upper Faculty Meeting,
Fieldston. All members of the Fieldston Upper
faculty invited.
October 9: Strategic Plan Steering Committee
Meeting, Ethical Culture.
October 10: Faculty Advisory Group to the Head
of School Meeting, Fieldston. All members of
the FAG-HOS invited.
October 23: Student Input Session on Academic
Initiatives, Fieldston Upper School.
October 24: Alumni Volunteer Network Meeting,
Ethical Culture. All members of the alumni/ae
community invited.
October 25: Student Input Session on Sustainability
Initiatives, Fieldston Upper School.
October 26: Strategic Planning Town Hall,
Ethical Culture. All members of the ECF
community invited.
October 30: Fieldston Lower Faculty Meeting,
Fieldston. All members of the Fieldston Lower
faculty invited.
November 2012
Throughout November: Lunch drop-in sessions
with Middle and Upper School students.
November 1: Student Input Session on the Arts,
Fieldston Upper School.
November 2: Strategic Plan Meeting for NonTeaching Staff, Fieldston. All administrative
and support staff members invited.
November 6: Strategic Plan Meeting for
Non-Teaching Staff, Ethical Culture. All
administrative and support staff members invited.
November 12: Strategic Plan Steering Committee
Meeting, Ethical Culture.
December 2012
December 4: Strategic Planning Town Hall, Fieldston.
All members of the ECF community invited.
December 10: Strategic Plan Steering Committee
Meeting, Fieldston.
December 12: Fieldston Middle Faculty Meeting,
Middle School. All Middle School faculty and
selected Middle school students invited.
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Ethical Culture Fieldston School
February 2013
February 7: Public Purpose and Ethical Being &
Learning Subcommittees Meeting, Ethical Culture.
All ECF faculty and staff members invited.
February 12: Strategic Plan Steering Committee
Meeting, Ethical Culture.
March 2013
March 11: Strategic Plan Steering Committee
Meeting, Fieldston.
April 2013
April 8: Strategic Plan Steering Committee,
Ethical Culture.
April 22: Board of Trustees Meeting, Ethical
Culture. All Board members invited.
April 23: Strategic Planning Town Hall,
Ethical Culture. All members of the ECF
community invited.
April 25: Strategic Planning Town Hall, Fieldston.
All members of the ECF community invited.
May 2013
May 6: Alumni Volunteer Network Meeting, Offcampus. All members of the ECF alumni/ae
community invited.
May 13: Strategic Plan Steering Committee
Meeting, Fieldston.
May 20: Board of Trustees Meeting, 6th Floor Gym,
Ethical Culture. All Board members invited.
Working hand in hand, with the ideals of ECF itself as our laboratory and our workshop, we will get there.
Just ask the youngest among us—the lower school children—who spoke to our strategic planners about what
is possible when genuine collaboration takes place.
Here, in their own words, the children share their thoughts
on the value of working together to achieve a goal:
5th grade
“Working with others can make you look at another thought…working in a group brings fresh eyes…
it’s kind of like a puzzle, one person has one piece and another person has another, and you put it all together…
it’s good to hear everybody’s ideas.”
4th grade
“It helps communication…you learn other people’s opinions and see what others think about questions…
it increases courage, people work better with partners…you develop better friendships with new people…
it’s better if two minds work on the same thing.”
3rd grade
“You could learn more stuff because you learn how other people do stuff and teach them how you do stuff…
if you have a whole lot of people working together, you can come up with a big idea, put a lot of ideas together
and make something really big.”
2nd grade
“You can share things you find out…if something’s hard, you can work together to figure it out…
you get to understand a little better…it’s magic, it’s amazing.”
1st grade
“You get to know more people and they might help you more…you get it done better and faster…you might not
have the strength to do it alone, but if you add your friends, you can do it better.”
Kindergarten
“You get things done quicker…there are not as many mistakes…it’s fun and speedy…you get to work with people
you don’t usually play with.”
Pre-K
“If you’re doing hard work, when they help you, it’ll be better…you make friends…if a team of people make
a building together, it doesn’t fall down…you’re happy.”
Ethical Culture Fieldston School
33 Central Park West
New York, NY 10023-6001
CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED
Parents of alumni: If your children are no longer
living with you, please notify the alumni office
([email protected]) of their correct addresses.
Thank you.
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Strateg
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for Ethical Cultu
2013–2018