You’ve likely heard me talk about Destination 2026, the instructional blueprint for Mariemont City Schools. Back in 2013, a diverse group of administrators, teachers, staff and Board of Education members began the important work of laying out the shared goals and objectives of our district. Because of it, we all have a common vision of success and we understand what it will take to make our vision a reality.
This Destination 2026 strategic plan has guided all of the instructional programming decisions we have made, and will continue to make, as a district. I am proud of this vision and the way we continue to use it to navigate our path towards the future. And recently we have expanded on this strategic plan with a more day-to-day focus in the form of a simple, yet powerful aligned narrative: Work Smart. Create Experience. Embrace Growth.
I hope you have heard us use these phrases because this narrative is the framework for all that we do in our district. Every decision, every new program, every piece of technology – it all is designed to help us work smart, create experience or embrace growth.
I have been thinking about one of these phrases a lot lately in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and all of the changes that have come our way because of it. How, in the middle of these unprecedented and challenging times, can we continue to create experiences for our students?
Although we have been lucky enough to have our students in our classrooms for most of this school year (something not many school districts can say), it has looked very different. Students in straight rows, avoiding the close contact of collaboration and teamwork, puts a strain on the fun, engaging, hands-on learning we have come to know and love. But, we’ve made the best of a challenging situation and learning has continued.
Now, with the calendar flipped to a new year and a new semester, we look ahead with plans to not only continue making strides academically but to also protect and create as many of the experiences that we know are so important to our students.
In the coming weeks and months, you can expect to hear more about upcoming experiences for our kids. This will include the resurgence of our in-school Warriors BEyond programming with versions of elementary Explorations, junior high Expeditions, high school Intersession and sixth grade Camp Kern. You also can expect to see the elementary and junior high plays as well as the high school musical.
There will be other experiences as well, and while all of these events and programs will probably look a bit different than we are used to because of health safety protocols, our hope is to make this year as enjoyable as possible for our students, given the circumstances.
Our aligned narrative to “Create Experience” is still guiding our work as we move towards 2026 and BEyond. Our ability to do this is a huge testament to the fantastic teachers and staff we have in Mariemont City Schools. I cannot wait to see what experiences we can continue to create this school year!