Mission

Our mission is to engage students, employees, and the community in a partnership to achieve excellence through learning! Northwestern Lehigh…Excellence through learning!
 * Current Mission statement:**

Just found this [|blog] on Mission Statements.....Very interesting!

Did you know that Wordle.net will create WORD ART? I created a Wordle of all of the words that the Mission statement group used. The words that appear larger are used more often. Maybe this will help in a direction for our Mission statement? "It is today we must create the world of the future." - Eleanor Roosevelt

__**January 25, 2012**__

A Mission statement describes who you are and what you do; however, more fundamentally, it defines the purpose of your organization as a whole. Unlike a Vision statement (which answers the question “What do we want for our future?”), a Mission statement addresses the question “Why do we exist?” When creating your Mission statement, it is helpful to begin your responses to that question with the infinitive “to” be followed by an action verb, such as “provide” or “foster.”
 * Directions:**

Criteria for an Effective Mission Statement include:
 * Short and sharply focused
 * Clear and easily understood
 * Defines why we do what we do
 * Defines why the organization exists
 * Sufficiently broad and general
 * Provides direction for doing the rights things
 * Inspires our commitment
 * Says what we want to be remembered

Mission statement examples: ...Inspire, Think, Learn, Grow... Together! “Educating for Success, Inspiring Excellence” Educating today’s learner … for tomorrow’s opportunities. Inspiring minds. Empowering dreams. ™ Provide a learning environment in which students become problem solvers, collaborators and critical thinkers. Empower students to maximize their individual potential and become lifelong learners and contributors to a global society. Partnership with our community, to achieve educational excellence and promote lifelong learning.

What is our purpose? Why do we exist? What do we want to be known for?
 * Brainstorm - Share ideas:**

engage relevant evolving rigorous inspiring preparing emulate challenge flourish excel thrive contribute compete forge success-academically, socially, economically, civically enjoyable fun encompassing value nurturing facilitate mentor promote empower our students to maximize....

children first encourage independence connecting with the future collaboration excellence engaging active learners critical thinkers

engage relevant evolving rigorous inspiring preparing problem solvers creativity embracing diversity instilling morals / values need tools to be productive develop leaders motivation

In our decisions, we must make sure students are first. Engaging motivated learners Learning achieve - develop potential accelerate students evolve as learners
 * Excellence through Collaboration
 * Students First

Describe the mission of the District and what defines the purpose of the organization:
 * Begin Drafting a Mission Statement based on the top 5-7 concepts above: **

Group 1 children first encourage independence connecting with the future collaboration excellence engaging active learners critical thinkers engage relevant evolving rigorous inspiring preparing problem solvers creativity embracing diversity instilling morals / values need tools to be productive develop leaders motivation In our decisions, we must make sure students are first. Engaging motivated learners Learning achieve - develop potential accelerate students evolve as learners
 * Excellence through Collaboration
 * Students First

Group 2 Consider a longer mission than just a "tag line" to have the mission and vision guide everything the district does. Discussion on whether stating students first is really appropriate in the mission statement. Does putting students first in the mission really represent the input of the community at large Students should be in the mission. Students 1st, their talent our treasure, engage, empower, excel.... Looking back, moving forward, linking learning to living Students 1st, student centered learning. Our students Students 1st, engaging the past, empowering the future.

Group 3: run with it defined personal looking back, moving forward, linking learning to living grasping think, speak, act grow your mind your talent, our treasure, excellence through learning cultivating harnessing defining ideas, developing excite, excel, exceed, engage strength flexible think it, plan it, reach for the future think, inspire, grow, excel, reach dream

__**Mission**__


 * __Mission - DRAFTS__**
 * Think - Inspire - Grow - Excel**
 * Engage - Empower - Excel - Together**
 * Students First - Engaging the past - Empowering the future**
 * Excellence through Collaboration**

media type="youtube" key="8-EpuP8p870" height="315" width="420" Video courtesy: Beyondthequote.com

__**February 21, 2012 in Preparation for February 29th meeting**__

Do any of these answer the questions...

- What is our purpose? - Why do we exist? -What do we want to be known for?

Using the words and phrases above, here are some additional possibilities:

1. Excite, engage and empower learners of today to excel as problem-solvers for our future!

2. Excite, engage, and empower learners of today to excel as problem-solvers of tomorrow!

3. Excellence through learning to empower students to think, create, and shape the future!

4. In partnership with the students, staff, and community it is our mission to ...... (add any set of words)

Please see the Wordle that was created using all of the words that we brainstormed above.

I like a combination of #2 & 4... to read as:

In partnership with the students, staff, and community it is our mission to excite, engage, and empower learners of today to excel as problem-solvers of tomorrow!

The only word that I am not thrilled with is problem-solvers. Although, as a mom I want my children to be problem solvers, I am not sure that is what of education is ALL about. Maybe we can find a better word there.

What about critical thinkers?


 * Phrasing ideas from February 29, 2012 Meeting **

The following phrases were discussed and debated at the meeting on February 29. We need to come to a consensus on what the mission should be for NWL.

There was significant discussion on including "students first or student focus" in the mission statement.

Excite, engage, empower.....the question is for what end?

Excite, engage, empower to achieve excellence through learning

We commit to excite, empower, and engage students to contribute to the global society.

Empower students by linking learning to living

Excite, engage, empower, one student at a time, linking learning to living Creating a vision for students…linking learning to living

In partnership with students, staff, and community, it is our mission to excite and empower students to excel in a global society.

NWL…Linking learning to living in a global society.

Excellence through learning….in partnership

Placing students first

Linking learning to living to embrace or contribute to the global society

To excel tomorrow….

//** March 22, 2012 **//

//** Please review the suggested mission statements below. Email wrightm@nwlehighsd.org with your support for one of the following 7 suggestions or with a new suggestion by March 25, 2012. Your input is critical to the development of this mission statement. **//


 * Ideas of team members since the meeting on February 29th **

1. **It is the mission of the Northwestern Lehigh School District to educate, challenge and inspire our students with a commitment to excellence through learning. Northwestern Lehigh...Excellence through learning!** Votes 1, (if want long one) 1, 1, 1,1, 1, 1, 1

//2. Educate, challenge, and inspire// all students to be successful in a globally changing world. Votes: 1, 1


 * //3.//** Educate, challenge, and inspire all children with a commitment to excellence in teaching and learning.

4. Educate, challenge and inspire all students to contribute and thrive as members of a global community. Votes: 1, 1

5. Educate, challenge, and inspire all children to achieve excellence through learning. Votes, 1, 1

6. **Excited students, Engaged learners, Empowered leaders** : Votes 1, 1, 1,

7. Educate, challenge and encourage all students to learn lifelong skills

And the winner is... **It is the mission of the Northwestern Lehigh School District to educate, challenge and inspire our students with a commitment to excellence through learning. Northwestern Lehigh...Excellence through learning!**