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New Garden Friends SchoolStrategic PlanOur Values in Action 2022 - 2025
New Garden Friends School was founded as a Quaker elementary school (K-6) in 1971 withthe goal of educating children from differing backgrounds together in a positive, affirming,and safe environment. Building upon its coveted tenets of simplicity, peace, integrity,community, equality, and stewardship, members of the New Garden Friends Schoolcommunity are encouraged to develop and seek their true potential through the practice ofpaying attention to the inner light in everyone. No matter how the world has changed sincethe school’s founding, the Quaker values consistently underpin its ethos.Today, New Garden Friends School is a diverse and inclusive preschool through 12th gradeeducational community rooted in an unwavering commitment to fostering a culture ofbelonging. Students are guided to appreciate the interdependence of community life andconsider how their attitudes, words, and actions affect others. At NGFS, students pursueintellectual growth within a culture of kindness. Serious scholarship is paired with the joyof inquiry and a commitment to listen deeply, communicate clearly, collaborate effectively,and think critically.While at heart New Garden Friends School has remained the same caring educationalcommunity for nearly 50 years, the future is one of opportunity to chart a course toward asustainable future with lasting impact. There is much to celebrate about a New GardenFriends School education, and the development of this actionable strategic plan requiresdeep focus and decisiveness to ensure that NGFS continues to live its Quaker values andprovide a best-in-class educational experience.Background1971 - 2021
The New Garden Friends School Board of Trustees is responsible for taking the long view and creating aschool for future generations. Thus, strategic planning - planning for the next 3-5 years in the life of theschool - is one of our most consequential responsibilities. It is an opportunity for the Board to work incollaboration with the school community to undertake a comprehensive review of who we are, why weexist, what we believe, and what we do. Strategic planning describes the current state of our school andidentifies the gaps between the state of the school today and what we want it to be. The plan identifies adirection then provides a framework for steering NGFS forward toward this vision. In 2021-2022, New Garden Friends School celebrated its 50th anniversary. Even as our communityreflected on and celebrated the first 50 years of NGFS, we were looking to the future. Throughout the 2021-2022 school year, we worked to create a strategic plan to guide and inspire our community with clarity andfocus into NGFS’ next chapter.The Board of Trustees undertook the planning process with a commitment to uphold and represent whatNew Garden Friends School stands for. That is, true to our mission, aligned with our values, and inclusiveof our community. Because collaborating with a shared purpose strengthens our community, the strategicplanning steering committee was intentionally constructed to include as many different perspectives fromour community as was feasible, and stakeholders throughout the community were invited to envision thefuture of NGFS.The strategic planning process was an opportunity to reflect and carefully examine lessons learned fromoperating an independent school during a critical time. It was a time when we learned what it is to educatechildren during a worldwide pandemic, and our country began to see its endemic and structural racism.We had an opportunity to discover what we learned from this time and apply those lessons towardthinking strategically and creatively about our school’s future.Thank you to everyone who offered their voices in support of this work. In doing so, you guided thestrategic planning teams in determining the commitments we have made and the priorities we have set toachieve them. Together we look forward to building an authentic, thriving New Garden Friends School intothe next 50 years and beyond. Cary BassettTrusteeClerk, Strategic Planning Steering CommitteeA School for Future Generations
The development of our new strategic plan was a time for painstaking reflection, carefulanalysis, and bold collaboration. As community members engaged in this year-longundertaking, they committed to viewing the challenges of today with a focus on the future.It wasn't an easy task, but persevering through discussions and deliberations of thestrategic planning process have opened up new, valued avenues of communication andbrought us to new vistas and perceptions. As one of our teachers said, this new plan is aspirational and inspirational. It is an adaptiveplan that is informed by both the lessons of the pandemic and the need to confrontsystemic racism and all that is required to realize the promise of inclusion and belonging. Immersing ourselves in strategic planning demands that we articulate what the worldneeds from our students. It is unequivocal that putting students first isn’t just the rightthing to do for our school’s future; putting our youth at the center of decision-making iswhat the world needs from us. Getting closer to our vision of a just and compassionateworld starts with how we treat each other and the care we take in determining how toprepare our students to take their next steps with all they will need to be successful.We are grateful for the work of the Board of Trustees, the Strategic Planning Committee,and the many community members who took the time to share their views. With theplanning done, we are excited to begin the work of bringing this plan to life!Kim Leipham FreedmanHead of SchoolA Vision Brought to Life
VISION MISSION VALUESOur Vision for the Future is…A Just and Compassionate World. Guided by Quaker values, New Garden Friends School is committed to being an inclusive educational community that honors and develops each person’s gifts.
Prioritize What Matters (Simplicity) Engage with Empathy and Purpose (Peace) Live with Integrity (Integrity) Include with Intention (Community) Stand Up for Justice (Equality) Take Care of the World (Stewardship)CORE VALUES
We commit to prioritizing what matters by assessing who we are, who we serve, what we do, and why. by clarifying and articulating what is required to serve the varied needs of our students. by engaging our community in conversation about the identity ofour school and cultivating a reputation that supports who we are and why it matters. by defining through community-wide communication what it means to be a Quaker school.
We commit to engaging with empathy and purposeby centering the well-being of our school community. by expanding support to equip and empower teachers to nurture the mental, social, and emotional health and well-being of their students and themselves. by fosting a teaching experience that encourages enthusiasmfor learning and collaboration with other educators. by equipping students to proactively care for their own wellness. by providing opportunities for group engagement and community-building experiences.
We commit to living with integrityby strengthening programming to encourage responsibility and personal accountability.by inspiring and supporting students in the development of critical thinking, intellectual curiosity, and personal accountability. by exploring and implementing new ways to manage issues ofinterpersonal behavior with consistency and empathy.by providing faculty and staff with ongoing opportunities for collaboration and reflection.
We commit to including with intentionby achieving the financial stability needed to sustain a thriving community. by maintaining focus on financial sustainability as a core principle in decision-making as we continue to invest in what matters. by implementing a comprehensive plan for achieving a lasting culture of philanthropy throughout our school community.
We commit to taking care of the world by stewarding our resources to nurture a sustainable future. by emphasizing curriculum inside and outside the classroom that inspires students to take an active role in shaping a sustainable future. by striving to align our resources, programs, and policies with best practices in environmental stewardship. by increasing service-learning opportunities for meaningfulengagement with the greater Greensboro community.
We commit to standing up for justice by deepening our commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusionand living our Quaker values. by attracting and retaining faculty, staff, students, and families who reflect the dynamic and diverse culture of our broader community. by implementing a model for continued school-wide growthin our diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice work. by evaluating our community experiences to ensure that opportunities for participation are both inclusive and accessible.
1128 New Garden Road 2015 Pleasant Ridge RoadGreensboro, NC 27410 ngfs.orgDeana AllmanDirector of CommunicationsCary BassettTrusteeClerk Strategic Planning Steering Committee Jim BassettPCA ClerkNeil BelenkyBoard of TrusteesAnyua ClarkUpper School ParentCatherine ClawsonUpper School FacultyDwon CliftonDirector of AthleticsAllie DaileyLower School ParentLauren DeanMiddle School Faculty, AlumnaKim FreedmanHead of SchoolHanna HobsonDirector of School AdministrationCarolyn HowesHead of Lower SchoolTanisha JonesHead of Middle School and Upper SchoolChristine LaweDirector of Literacy InstructionPattie MidgettDirector of Enrollment Management Nick PurringtonClerk of the Board of TrusteesJason RogheliaDirector of FinanceNeil SwensonLower School FacultyCeleste WilliamsTrusteeNew Garden Friends SchoolStrategic Plan Steering Committee