Head of School Letter: Defining and Embracing the Mission of Shorecrest

The Mission of Shorecrest is our guiding light; it is the reason why Shorecrest exists. I talk a lot about our Mission and I often end up reciting the Mission Statement word for word. At our four recent Back to School Nights I did something different. I went through the Mission Statement and focused on what each of the four pillars of the Mission actually means, and defined them in a way that makes it possible to truly live our Mission.  

Shorecrest is a college preparatory school that educates a diverse community of students to become lifelong learners in the pursuit of personal and academic excellence, physical well-being, creative achievement and the development of a commitment to social responsibility.

Personal and academic excellence is our first pillar and it means seeking to be the best one can be, in whatever area is of personal importance to an individual, and striving to do the best one can do academically, to reach that highest tier of accomplishment, of academic excellence.  

Our second pillar is physical well-being. I define the pursuit of physical well-being as attending to the foundational aspects of the physical body, with a focus on adequate sleep, healthy nutrition and meaningful exercise, with the idea that this will also enhance our students’ mental health. 

The pursuit of creative achievement is our third pillar and it’s about the use of imagination and original ideas to solve problems and create something new. Our mission conveys that in a world full of AI, imagination and original ideas are even more important. 

And finally, the development of a commitment to social responsibility means finding ways to benefit the community of Shorecrest, the greater St. Petersburg area and to make a positive impact on the world around you. 

This Mission is our north star, and it's the shared purpose we have with all members of the community. What I like so much about our Mission is that it is about trying and pushing to get better. It places an emphasis on the 'pursuit' and 'development' of skills and dispositions, not just emphasizing the product but also the process. Our Mission is about encouraging our students' dedication and determination to achieve academic and personal goals. 

We also believe in the Core Values of Responsibility, Respect, Integrity, Knowledge and Compassion; the value of lifelong learning; and the importance of diversity and inclusion. And at a time when the word diversity can mean different things to people and can be polarizing, I affirm that at Shorecrest, diversity means that we celebrate the unique individual qualities that each community member brings to our school. 

We strive to be a welcoming and inclusive place. We are a safe place -  a safe place physically and a place with psychological safety. Our goal is to ensure a sense of belonging for all. We believe that the strength of our community is a product of having people with different talents and a variety of backgrounds coming together to work and learn from each other. Put simply, diversity and inclusion thrive at Shorecrest and we are proud to bring people together to create this kind of intentional community. 

One of the things that differentiates Shorecrest is that we have a Director of Diversity and Inclusion whose responsibilities include building this kind of intentional culture within our community. This fall, we are embarking on the search for the next Director of Diversity and Inclusion. We have engaged Greg Otis of HKS Advisory Services to conduct sessions where all Shorecrest community members will have the opportunity to offer their perspective on the intended skills and experience of the individual who will fill this important administrative role. 

Please join us at one of our open sessions to offer input and insight into what the School needs in this meaningful role. 

Sessions are open to all within each group (students, parents, faculty, etc). Any Shorecrest community members may attend the community engagement evenings on October 7 and 14. 

Please save the date and plan to attend! 

Tuesday, September 30
12:35-1:20pm      Lunch with Students
1:30-2:30pm        Parent Session 
3:15-4:15pm        Board of Trustees 

Thursday, October 2
3:30-4:30pm  Faculty Session

Options for Evenings for Community Engagement
Tuesday, October 7 & Tuesday, October 14
6-7:30pm  

All events will be held in the Ohana Community Room on the second floor of Charger Commons. 

All the best, 
Nancy