A Message from the Strategic Planning Co-chairs

Dear Haverford School Community,

It is our great privilege to have participated in this extensive collaboration of all aspects of the Haverford School community, culminating in the publication of this strategic plan. The Board of Trustees enthusiastically embraced the challenge set forth by Head of School Dr. John Nagl and Board Chairman Bill Yoh to identify and prioritize key strategic initiatives that could be implemented in the next five years and have an even longer impact to assure Haverford’s preeminence in preparing boys for life far into the future.

The Strategic Plan Task Force conducted and analyzed interviews, survey responses, conversations, meetings, and workshops with every aspect of the Haverford community. We attended independent school conferences and symposia, collaborated with and studied best practices of innovative employers, including Amazon, Box, and Dropbox, and consulted with education experts to understand the challenges Haverford and its peer schools face today and in the future.

The task force, in collaboration with the Board of Trustees, Haverford Leadership Council, and the entire faculty, engaged in a lengthy process of distilling and prioritizing key initiatives for School leadership to implement. Our objective is to fulfill our mission and vision and uphold our Principles of Community and Essential Qualities of a Haverford School Graduate, using them to continue the rich tradition of scholarship and community contribution that defines our alumni.

As we distilled all we had learned, we were inspired that a community as diverse as ours had such substantial consensus about the direction the School should take. We agreed on the three pillars: “Inspire 21st Century Teaching and Learning,” “Enhance and Embed Our Commitment to Character,” and “Expand and Ensure Our Future.” Throughout, we were always mindful of the immense responsibility entrusted to the School by the parents of our boys. We remain vigilant that our boys engage in an environment that prepares them to define and embody their best selves, now and in the future, with the knowledge, compassion, thoughtfulness, and intention to flourish in the world they will lead.

A list of “thank yous” for the people that have enabled this document would last far longer than the document itself — but we would be remiss if we did not commend and thank Bill Yoh and John Nagl for their leadership of the Board and our School, as well as all participants in the Strategic Plan Task Force, particularly working group co-chairs Jennifer Paradis Behle P’20 ’32 ’33, Mark Thorburn P’09, Randall Drain ’01, Jay Greytok ’83, P’15, Bart Smith ’95, P’28 ’30, and David Gold P’14, as well as all of the faculty and staff of The Haverford School who contributed their insights to the discussions and share ownership of and commitment to this plan. And thank you to each of you, with whom we share a love for this incredible institution and our desire to see it continue to thrive.

For the boys,