I am proud to share Gordon's revised mission statement, developed and written by a task force of faculty, trustees, parents and administrators over the course of two academic years and approved by the Board of Trustees in May. The mission was updated in response to the recommendations of the Association of Independent Schools of New England, made in 2007 as part of Gordon's reaccreditation process.
In a report that followed an in-depth study of the school, the Association's visiting committee applauded the work Gordon had done since 1995, when Gordon's mission was last revised. The committee then recommended that the mission be updated to more vividly describe the actual practice of the school. "Careful attention," the report continued, "needs to be paid to principles related to diversity and clearly incorporating them into the mission and core principles of the school."
The resulting mission reflects the aspirations of the school as well its one hundred years of history. Gordon's continued success requires that the school continually look ahead to new challenges, the ones that face the school as well as those that our graduates face. Like the previous mission statement, this revision includes a succinct mission and a set of guiding principles. This is followed by a section showing how Gordon's current commitments come from long-standing progressive intentions. Finally, a statement on inclusivity details the ways that "Gordon proudly honors each individual within its community."
In the culture of an institution, a mission statement serves as a touchstone, an ever present reminder of the passions and hopes of a community. I invite all members of the Gordon community to use this mission as such a reminder when they reflect on their involvement in the Gordon School. My hope is that we all see ourselves reflected in these words, and that we can find our role in "inspiring joyful learning, encouraging intellectual leadership, fostering an empathic spirit and stimulating a drive for positive societal impact."
Gordon's mission statement