Our New Mission Statement

5/2/2025

I wrote in an earlier eNews that Saint Edward’s School was charged with exploring a new mission statement after our Florida Council of Independent Schools (FCIS) accreditation visit. The visiting team for FCIS mentioned that no one could recite Saint Edward's mission statement in all of their meetings across all of our constituencies. This information found its way into the final report as a major recommendation to undertake this year.

The Board has been heavily involved in the process since last spring. Ultimately, the decision was made to ask the Mission and Education Committee of the Board of Trustees to begin the process of evaluating the current mission statement while formulating potential draft mission statements for review.

Mr. Andrew Russell ‘97 chairs the Mission and Education Committee and led us through these efforts. There were two committees that were formed, totaling 22 people, which included the Mission and Education Committee and a committee of faculty/staff members. Each group was responsible for drafting mission statement examples for us to consider. From the 22 drafted mission statements, the two committees voted on their top four, which resulted in the 22 drafted statements being reduced to eight. A Word Bubble was formed using keywords from the top eight statements. Andrew asked us to form a smaller committee consisting of Wendy Porter (Board Chair), Ashley Shackelton (Trustee), Jennifer Wyly (Associate Head of School), Jack MacMullan (Associate Head of School) and myself. This smaller committee reviewed the drafted mission statements and had a very rich and productive conversation. Ultimately, the committee drafted a mission statement for the Board to consider.

The Board of Trustees, at their April 17, 2025 meeting, unanimously approved our new mission statement for Saint Edward’s. It reads:

To Inspire a Nurturing Community of Enthusiastic Learners, Critical Thinkers and Responsible Leaders.

The importance of our new mission statement lies in several key areas:

Clarifies Purpose and Direction: Our mission statement clearly defines our core purpose and why we exist, and it outlines our main goals. This gives our students, parents, faculty, staff and our community a shared understanding of what the Saint Edward’s values most.
Guides Decision-Making: It acts as a framework for making decisions, from setting curriculum priorities to choosing extracurricular activities, ensuring that all actions align with our values and long-term vision.
Inspires and Motivates: A strong mission statement can inspire staff, students and parents by connecting daily efforts to a bigger, meaningful purpose, fostering pride and commitment.
Builds Community and Identity: It helps create a sense of belonging and common identity among all stakeholders. People are more likely to feel connected to a school when they believe in its mission.
Accountability and Focus: A mission statement provides a standard against which the School can measure its success and growth. It helps keep efforts focused and prevents drifting away from core educational goals.
Attracts Families and Staff: For families selecting a school and educators choosing where to work, a clear mission can help them find a place that matches their values and educational philosophies.

In short, our new mission statement is more than just a few words; it is a tool that will shape culture, priorities and progress within our School.

I look forward to seeing you around campus!