Sierra Elementary School

1. By 2017, the majority of students’ daily learning experiences will be inquiry- based and integrate technology.
2. All students will make growth toward their personal academic goals, ensuring their highest potential as assessed through multiple measures.
3. Through guided inquiry, students will find similarities between standards, aligned areas of study, and broader, intercultural connections, demonstrated continuously by knowledge, appreciation, and respect for other cultures.
4. Each year, all students will develop and confidently demonstrate character traits necessary to become contributing, responsible, and caring members of the community.
5. The number of students participating in enrichment programs will increase annually. 

Strategy 1:  We will foster student academic growth through authentic, differentiated, and guided inquiry-based learning experiences.

• Establish a collaborative support system for teachers by creating a school-wide, online “toolkit” to share ideas which enhance authentic, differentiated, inquiry-based learning.
• Establish a collaborative support system for teachers by providing 3-hours of teacher release
• time for additional collaboration with each IB unit of inquiry (6 per school year).
• Establish a collaborative support system for teachers by providing additional collaboration time built into each work week.
• Ensure engaging and stimulating learning experiences by providing internal opportunities for relevant professional development.
• Ensure engaging and stimulating learning experiences by providing external opportunities for relevant professional development.
• Integrate common core standards into working units of inquiry at each grade level.
  
   

Strategy 2:  We will engage and inspire each student to succeed at their highest potential by creating individualized learning goals in collaboration with students, staff and families.

• Facilitate more effective use of school community to support student achievement.
• Create school-wide guidelines that drive student-centered SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-bound ) goals.
• Develop a plan for implementation of student-led conferences.
  
   

Strategy 3:  We will provide a variety of opportunities in partnership with the community, to develop compassionate, understanding, and globally-aware students.

• Implement an ongoing communication plan to deliver information and enhance student, parent, teacher, and community involvement.
• Integrate engaging learning opportunities that supplement core instruction.

We Believe that:

• Every individual deserves opportunities to achieve his or her unique potential
• Every person deserves to be treated with dignity and respect
• Kindness and compassion are critical to positive relationships
• Physical and emotional safety is imperative to learning
• People have the freedom to make choices and the responsibility for those choices
• Conduct and interactions are best guided by truth, honesty and integrity
• Commitment to personal growth is vital for continuous success 
• Discovering one’s purpose and passion ignites personal growth
• Balance is essential to well-being
• Persistent optimism fosters open-minded attitudes and solutions
• Quality relies on the ongoing pursuit of excellence
• Cooperative community efforts create a higher quality of life
• Success is the only option

• We will base decisions on what is best  for students
• We will act with honesty, truth and integrity 
• We will treat all people with dignity and respect 
• We will not compromise our commitment to excellence in education
• We will improve or eliminate ineffective programs or performance
• We will not give up on any student