Session #2 - Mission & Vision

Session #2 - Mission & Vision
December 15, 2025 | MJS Media Center, 6:30–8:30 PM

The Strategic Planning Committee held its second session on Monday, December 15, 2025. Facilitators Kaitlin Jones and Tim Casperson from TMI Education guided the committee through mission statement development and vision statement drafting.f

 

Work Groups

Committee members worked in five focus areas: Safety and Wellness, Teaching and Learning, Leadership and Governance, Community and Culture, and Finance and Facilities. Each group contributed to discussions and collaborative activities throughout the evening.

Mission Statement Development

The committee reviewed multiple draft mission statements and discussed what makes a mission effective. The group emphasized language that feels clear, memorable, and active. Short statements mattered. Strong verbs mattered. Participants repeatedly returned to ideas around community, purpose, integrity, compassion, curiosity, and preparation for an evolving world.

Small group discussions and whole group sharing highlighted several shared priorities:

Whole child focus. The mission should address character, life skills, and well-being alongside academics.

Strong partnerships. Language should reflect connections among students, families, staff, and the wider community.

Future facing. The statement should prepare students for an evolving world while staying grounded in district traditions.

Active voice. Participants favored language that inspires action rather than passive description.

Using a structured consensus process, the group narrowed the list through discussion and multi-voting. Rather than selecting a single draft unchanged, the committee began shaping a stronger shared direction by combining key phrases and ideas that resonated most widely. The phrase "learn with purpose, lead with integrity, live with compassion" emerged as a potential centerpiece.

On engaging families: "When you include families, inspire the kids, and empower the staff to teach, you make it full circle. Kids and families together create one circle of learning."

Vision Statement Activity

The session introduced the difference between values and vision. Values describe what the community believes. Vision describes what success looks like in practice and how progress can be observed and measured.

Each focus area group used Post-it notes to brainstorm individually, then worked together to consolidate ideas into 3-5 draft vision bullets. Groups reviewed each other's work through a gallery walk and provided feedback. This affinity activity helped identify common themes and early indicators of success.

On the whole child: "The common thread is they're talking about the whole student, not academics alone. Character and life skills matter too."

Data Preview

The committee previewed data sets available for future analysis across three categories: Student Learning (state testing and internal assessments), Stakeholder Perspectives (student, staff, parent, and community surveys), and School Process (curriculum, professional development, and budget). Committee members received data folders to review before the next session.

Next Session: January 7, 2026

The committee will reconvene to analyze student learning data, stakeholder feedback, and school processes. The group will compare current realities to the emerging vision, identify gaps and opportunities, and begin developing strategic goals.

The slide deck from Session Two is included below for those who would like to review the materials, discussion prompts, and activities used during the Mission and Vision workshop.

On purpose and student motivation: "That sense of purpose matters because with purpose comes motivation. If kids have a purpose and a clear understanding, then they can be motivated.