- Tim Breen, Ph.D., Head of School
We live in times of immediacy – when every decision seems to rise to the level of urgency, when immediate response is the expectation. Indeed, there are many significant challenges in front of us right now that require our immediate attention. And, this makes it even more difficult to step back, to reflect on the bigger picture. Yet, that step back, that reflection, is vital to charting a strong path forward. At Watershed, reflection is a part of every course and of every project. We build time for students and educators to pause, reflect, and plan into our program. That is one of our programmatic strengths.
As a whole school, we also recognize the importance of reflection and planning – it has been at the heart of our strategic visioning process. This process has taken place over the last few years and has included input and reflection from trustees, staff, students, current and past parents, and alumni. In the next few weeks, we'll be sharing our strategic vision in its entirety.
For now, I’d like to share the following section of Watershed’s strategic vision with you:
In these times of change and challenge, we must think big about education — we must reimagine what schools can be.
We envision…
students and educators making tangible contributions to the broader community,
graduates ready to engage as creative problem solvers for a better future, and
our school itself being a force for the common good in our community.
We are committed to working with others to build a future that is more just, more sustainable, and more compassionate. Now more than ever, our world needs this new vision of school. Watershed must lead the way.
This is a tall order, but one we can and must undertake.
How do we get there? By helping students develop the skills and habits of curious learners. By helping them develop empathy and care for one another, and more broadly for all. By giving them opportunities to actually make a contribution – perhaps helping another organization by researching, analyzing data, helping to address local challenges. This is about a better, more relevant, more enduring education. This is about engagement, about skill development, about learning, and about mental health. We know that students are more engaged when they know their work matters beyond the walls of the classroom. We know that the development of skills and understandings are more enduring when done in the context of relevant connections. And we know that actively making a difference in the world, in the lives of others, improves our mental health, and helps us build hope for the future.
I feel incredibly lucky to be part of a school community that is unafraid to take bold steps in education – steps that are well supported by research on learning and teaching, that truly prepare our students for the future, and that ensure that we are contributing to our greater community. We are proud to be leading the way as a research-based, future-focused, community-centered school.
