Strategic Plan Summary 2019-2022

Note: EMS will undergo an accreditation visit and review in the 2022-23 school year through the Virginia Association of Independent Schools. The school expects a new strategic plan to come out of that process; it will be shared in mid 2023 after the review.

Strategic Pathway 1: To strengthen school culture

Goal 1: To deepen understanding and integration of restorative practices (RP) as part of EMS’s faith formation program..

1. Identify two to four individuals who participate in external restorative practice training with EMS offering financial support to become certified in RP.
2. Create a task force to develop an EMS RP Framework and description of our restorative practices covering a range of topics from philosophy, establishing classroom culture, school culture, to resolving issues as they arise.
3. Provide a minimum of one RP professional development experience for all faculty/staff on an annual basis.

Goal 2: To articulate faith formation and its impact on EMS school culture.

1. To publish, as created by the Faith Formation Innovation Hub, our philosophy, program design, faith practices and traditions.

Goal 3: Establish stewardship awareness that integrates care for natural and financial resources into our school culture and programs.   

1. Make financial curricular resources available for teachers.
2. Install a solar array
3. Develop 1-2 initiatives to educate the broader community on energy consciousness.

Goal 4: Track and recognize ways faculty and students build relationships within the external community.

1. Increase Head of School presence in local churches with at least 12 church visits per year.
2. Encourage faculty, staff and students to present in public arenas every year.  

Goal 5: Establish a Racial Equity Group

1. Affect processes that will create more racial and cultural diversity in faculty and staff and in the student body.
2. Assess and adjust curriculum to  include perspectives and stories from people of color.

Strategic Pathway 2: To strengthen student learning and success opportunities

Goal 1: To grow in our professional capacity as educators.

1. Support and resource teachers by providing additional time for professional development equal to 8 early-release days per year (2 per quarter).
2. Collaborative Connections for each teacher every year.
3. Demonstration of instructional strategies that meet diverse learning needs of students.

Goal 2: To engage students through experiential learning with a vision of “every class, every day”; measured through administrative observations of student activity/engagement as classroom environments are observed.

Note: Experiential is measured when students are applying, analyzing, evaluating, creating, and/or understanding relevance.

1. To explore reducing teacher overlap between school divisions for the purpose of schedule flexibility and instructional expertise within each division.
2. Create scheduling structures allowing time and space for:
   • Schedule/Instructional flexibility
   • Experiential lessons
   • Instructional collaboration
   • Reflection on learning for faculty & students
3. Develop a vocational (employability) awareness program aimed at the school’s vision for ensuring every student belongs, thrives and lives God’s call.
4. Continued enrollment growth and development of the STEAM/Robotics program, spaces, and competitions.

Strategic Pathway 3: To achieve annual funding and campaign goals

Goal 1: To reach the $300,000 goal for VA Tax Credit contributions [for financial aid scholarships] for the 2019-2020 year and grow this support by $50,000 through the 2021-2022 school year.

1. Expand the number of people giving to VDOE’s EISTC program by 15 each year. 
2. Host an EISTC informational breakfast with student, donor, and tax advising presenters.
3. Mailing to all EMS donors living in Virginia with an appeal to consider a gift through the EISTC program.
4. Communicate the VDOE’s EISTCP program with parents 2 times per year.
5. Follow-up phone conversations and/or personal visits with 50 lead prospects for giving through this program with an appeal to multiply their gift using EISTC program.

Goal 2: To meet the $290,000 goal for 2nd Century Fund (Annual Fund & Christmas Fund Drive).

1. Develop a front-end giving campaign for faculty and staff. 
2. Encourage and grow EMS community participation in the Great Community Give.
3. Build a strong business/foundation engagement plan 
4. Leverage Christmas Fund Drive as a calendar year-end giving campaign and deepen students connections with donors and alumni. 
5. Use the annual Golf Tournament to increase engagement with alumni, supporters, and external community.
6. Implement the EMS Fall Auction for Fri. Nov 1 @ an off-campus venue cts)

Goal 3: To engage a quiet phase for the EMES Gathering Space.

1. Personally thank all $10,000 and greater contributors to Let The Children Come.
2. Steward major donors whose timing was not right for LTCC.

Goal 4: To identify and prioritize physical needs on the K-12 campus. 

1. Activate a governance structure to ensure the prioritization and resourcing of campus needs.
2. Categorize facility needs in terms of project type and resourcing plan
3. Board adoption of a timeline for financial management of past and 5-year campus priorities.

Goal 5: Develop an endowment solicitation program. 

1. Research other private school endowment efforts and custom design an annual program for EMS.
2. Consider bundling Class Endowment Funds for educational purposes.
3. Start and promote educational endowment funds with giving goals for the next 3 years.

Strategic Pathway 4: To expand enrollment interest and opportunity

Goal 1: Secure an applicant pool of 20 for kindergarten each year by the end of March

1. Host Elementary Open House(s) each year at varied times
2. Maximize celebration and exposure to new facility

Goal 2: Secure 20 applicants for sixth grade each year to fill class to capacity

1. Promote, plan and host two Student Visitation Days
2. Develop parent ambassadors to host two to four house parties and serve as admissions open houses hosts
3. Review and possibly reinstate the Partner Church Scholarship for middle school
4. Update the visitation day model
5. Develop and implement strategies to engage parents of prospective students (educational events, coffee hours, community events)

Goal 3: Secure 15 to 20 applicants for ninth grade each year to fill classes to capacity

1. Increased focus on outcomes (young alumni accomplishments, etc)  in messaging  
2. Promote, plan and host Student Visitation Days with publicity checklist
3. Develop parent ambassadors to host two to four house parties and help to host  admissions open houses
4. Update the visitation day model
5. Develop strategies to engage parents of prospective students (educational events, coffee hours, community events)

Goal 4: Develop a sustainable international student program and staffing model to meet our goal of enrolling 15 international students.

1. Discern viability of Dosan Dream School partnership
2. Develop a service plan and staffing model to support 15 international students. 

Goal 5: Evaluate our admissions and financial aid processes through a racial equity lens.

1. Remove language or cultural barriers in the application processes.
2. Assure equitable access to funds for people of color and those from a variety of cultural backgrounds