Strategic Plan and Campus Master Plan Update

On Friday, September 6, at the first Java Friday morning meeting, Andrew Barnett (husband of Tori ‘00, and parent of Turner '29, Charlie '31 and Sutton '32) asked if there was an update on the Master Plan and Strategic Plan. I gave the group an update and thought it would be a good idea to do the same in my weekly eNews article.

Our Strategic Goal #1 is to lead the region in academic excellence. The action items associated with this goal include enhancing and expanding our culture of health and wellness throughout our school community. One of the most important things we have done in this area was to hire another full-time school counselor. We now have Kristi Schofield, Todd Fletcher and Rikki Bischoff ’01 as support for our students. Their expertise and ability to connect with students has already had an impact on the well-being of all who utilize their services. 

Our own Associate Head of School and Chief Financial Officer Jennifer Wyly started a Wellness Wednesday for our employees. It is a weekly email that offers video help as well as advice from our healthcare company on ways we can all improve our fitness. We also offer our employees yoga lessons with Morgan Smith ’07 on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons and a Wednesday stretch and flexibility class with Jennifer. 

Another action item under this goal is to cultivate community partnerships and to also add an experiential learning component to our academic program. Brandy Nelson ’93 has partnered with organizations like Harbor Branch in our Environmental Science program. We are in talks to work with Beata Brewster (wife of Bill, and parent of Harry '32, Teddy '34 and Warren '36), the Executive Director at Float Hope (a local charity that seeks to expand access to learn-to-swim programs for children in our county), once the Becker Pool is completed. The mission of Float Hope fits nicely within our strategic plan goal of cultivating community partnerships within our local area.

Our Strategic Goal #2 is to inspire the next generation of scholarship. The action items associated with this goal include taking advantage of our unique location in Vero Beach to create a signature program. We have done this through our Environmental Science/Marine Biology program. This signature program will include added structures like a freshwater dock with space to hold classes, and a new pontoon boat, which has been purchased thanks to the help of the Board of Trustees and parents Yuliya and Robert Jaffe (daughters Alina '35 and Jazz '18). Another action item is to enhance our capacity to support students with varying learning styles. The Academic Learning Lab (A.L.L.), through a gift from the Corrigan-Goddard Foundation and continued support from others in our community, has allowed us to hire an outstanding group of professionals in the department. Their dedication to supporting students at Saint Edward’s is a model worth emulating in all schools.

Our Strategic Goal #3 is to reimagine our learning environment. One of the long-term action plans is to review and revise the school’s current Master Plan. This is a major initiative by the Board of Trustees and, as such, features a special committee that is being led by Anthony DeChellis ‘80. Our goal is to have the Master Plan finished by the end of the academic year.

As we move forward with these strategic goals, we remain committed to creating a nurturing and innovative environment that supports the well-being and academic success of all our students. Your continued support and engagement are crucial to achieving these objectives, and we are excited to share more progress with you in the coming months. Thank you for being an integral part of our journey as we work together to shape the future of Saint Edward's School.

I look forward to seeing you around campus!

Stuart