Our hope was to define the most fundamental ideas about who we are, what we value, and why we make any given decision at our school. It didn't take long at all for our teachers to lift up beliefs in relationships, student engagement, and teacher learning. As we discussed our beliefs, here's what we noticed...

·        We are intentional in our placement of each belief at the points of the triangle. The single most valuable resource to our students' learning are teachers who are dedicated to learning and implementing best practices.

·        Any true learning has both a social and academic aspect. Though the beliefs of relationships and student engagement can be considered separately in different contexts, student engagement pushes us to consider the way the concepts depend on one another.
 

·        These beliefs produce a sense of empowerment and ownership critical to all learning in our community. It is just as applicable to adult learning as student learning. If we are to grow together in a learning organization, then everyone has to be empowered in the process.