Principals explore ways to implement district’s five-year strategic plan

Nov 9, 2021

During a Nov. 9 School Committee meeting, Wareham Public School administrators and educators outlined how the schools would be implementing the district’s five-year strategic plan.

The plan, titled “Our Future Begins Here,” sets overarching goals for the district over the next five years in areas including academics, social emotional learning, professional development, and college and career-focused learning.

Superintendent Dr. Kimberly Shaver-Hood explained the presentation as an “action plan,” of sorts. 

“It’s our roadmap, it is our game plan as we move the district forward,” Shaver-Hood said. 

At the heart of the plan is a vision statement promising to “provide opportunities for all to discover the greatest versions of themselves by acquiring knowledge, wisdom, and skills to explore, formulate, realize and reflect. We will think critically, communicate, and persevere. With tenacity and trust, we will continue to learn all that is essential to live our best lives and positively impact the community and the world.”

Principals Bethany Chandler (Decas Elementary School), Joan Seamans (Minot Forest Elementary School), Tracie Cote (Wareham Middle School) and Scott Palladino (Wareham High School) attended the School Committee meeting to share how the district’s priorities would be implemented across grade levels.

Prioritizing students’ “voice and choice” in their learning is among the district’s priorities. Chandler said that for elementary students the goal would be to “really give children the opportunity to express themselves” and understand why they are in school. At the high school, Palladino said students would have class and assessment options — and the district would also be piloting a personal project on a topic they’re interested in. 

Another district-wide goal is to expose students to a wide range of opportunities so they “will be prepared to make impactful life choices” about their lives, careers and educational futures. 

At the new Wareham Elementary School, Seamans said the district is developing a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) curriculum for kindergarten through fourth grade that will further this effort. At Wareham Middle School, there will be a “career and college exploration week” for every grade this March, Cote said.

Other district priorities include improving students’ social and emotional awareness, providing professional development opportunities and ensuring that technology is accessible so that students can use it to reach their individual goals.  

Assistant Superintendent Dr. Andrea Schwamb explained that the district will ensure it meets the goals set forth in the strategic plan by collecting a variety of data — standardized test data, survey data and more — throughout and at the end of each school year.