Students:
Delivering Academic Excellence through Rigorous, Balanced, & Child-Centered Learning
2025-2030: Students
Students are at the heart of all that we do at St. Luke’s School. Our mission serves children. We ignite their curiosity for the world and for learning, instill confidence to advocate for themselves and for others, and inspire their courage to lead in service to our community, world, and future. In order to live our mission each and every day, we need to ensure that we are delivering academic excellence through rigorous, balanced, and child-centered learning.
Students at St. Luke’s School will benefit from intentional investment in our academic program, ensuring that what we do inside and outside of our classrooms supports students for who they are today and who they will become in the future.
Strategic Priority 1
Assess and ensure developmentally appropriate and inclusive curricula across JK-8 that enable students to understand who they are as learners, think critically, have confidence, and excel.
Strategic Priority 2
Enrich curricular, co-curricular, and afterschool programming to enhance student collaboration, build leadership skills through service learning and civic engagement programs, and allow students to discover new interests and develop talents.
Strategic Priority 3
Strengthen communications about the JK-8 academic path, the journey of a St. Luke’s student, and individual student progress and needs to enhance transparency and deepen the school-family partnership.
Students and Belonging
At St Luke’s, belonging is an essential component of the student experience each and every day. In order for students to thrive academically, socially, emotionally, and physically, they need to feel that they belong. As we look to the future, we will ensure that our curriculum, co-curricular activities, afterschool programming, student support structures, and partnership with families prioritize anti-bias practices that deepen a sense of belonging and provide equitable access to what our students need to grow and experience meaningful success.
Our Goals:
Students 2026 - 2027
Building on the successes of Year 1, we will continue to invest in the student experience.
We will continue to dedicate resources to our Curriculum Review process, focusing on science/STEM in its first year, with additional time for past areas of concentration in mathematics and health, while undertaking pre-planning for the next subject-area review.
This year, we will conduct a beta test of MAP testing in math and literacy to expand our data on student learning. We will assess the utility of this test alongside other assessments. We will also develop ways to integrate student wellness data collected through surveys. To support the use of this data, we will enrich the professional staff learning, focusing on data-informed decision-making and shared practices of employing student-centered pedagogy.
The Director of Auxiliary Programs will continue to expand a range of extracurricular and afterschool programming to meet the diverse needs of our student population, with emphasis on enhancing the already robust afterschool music program. The Dean of Student Life and Divisional Leaders will also refine our JK-8 trip programming, with particular emphasis on sustainable partnerships, calendaring, and roles for chaperones, as well as deepen the curricular connections pre- and post-trips.
We will develop a plan to communicate curricular materials and student progress throughout the JK-8 experience, using digital tools to increase transparency, visibility, and access to the curriculum for students and families. Finally, we will continue to focus on clearly defining and communicating our family education and programming arc to ensure it fully supports the overall student journey.
Our Strategic Plan in Action: 2025-2026
Key accomplishments of the 2025-2026 school year are below. Click on the photos to read more about the:
• ongoing curriculum work in math in both divisions
• start of implementing science/STEM review suggestions
• enhancements to afterschool registration, using the platform Homeroom
• expansion of Upper School-focused afterschool programs
• launch of the two-week summer Discovery Workshop
• successful completion of the full calendar of overnight trips, Grades 4-8
• effective engagement of student voice during pre- and post- Grade 7 trip experiences
• deliberate process for collaborating with learning services in support of student success
• St. Luke’s School App
• Improvements made to parent education, especially regarding grade transition meetings, featuring student panels
The faculty are using Open Up Resources Math Curriculum in K-8 and are engaging in professional learning to deepen their math teaching practice. (Regular sustainable curriculum reviews)
The faculty are using Open Up Resources Math Curriculum in K-8 and are engaging in professional learning to deepen their math teaching practice. (Regular sustainable curriculum reviews)
The Science curriculum team met during a day-long retreat to begin work on making the Science/STEM student experience even more robust. (Regular sustainable curriculum reviews)
The Science curriculum team met during a day-long retreat to begin work on making the Science/STEM student experience even more robust. (Regular sustainable curriculum reviews)
Among many enhancements to the Afterschool Program, we partnered with Homeroom to ease the burden of registration, allowing parents to see all of their children’s afterschool activities, including sports, classes, and lessons. (Restructured extracurricular and auxiliary programming)
Among many enhancements to the Afterschool Program, we partnered with Homeroom to ease the burden of registration, allowing parents to see all of their children’s afterschool activities, including sports, classes, and lessons. (Restructured extracurricular and auxiliary programming)
Classes in the Afterschool Program are expanded in order to better meet the needs of older students, like learning to cook! (Restructured extracurricular and auxiliary programming)
Classes in the Afterschool Program are expanded in order to better meet the needs of older students, like learning to cook! (Restructured extracurricular and auxiliary programming)
This year we launched the June Discovery Workshop, which blended classroom learning, movement, and creative classes during the first two weeks of summer. (Restructured extracurricular and auxiliary programming)
This year we launched the June Discovery Workshop, which blended classroom learning, movement, and creative classes during the first two weeks of summer. (Restructured extracurricular and auxiliary programming)
To deepen students' understanding of and reflection on the Grade 7 trip to Arizona and Nevada to study indigenous culture and climate justice, Grade 7 students engaged in special week-long classes pre- and post- trip. (JK-8 trips programming integrated with curricula and civic engagement)
To deepen students' understanding of and reflection on the Grade 7 trip to Arizona and Nevada to study indigenous culture and climate justice, Grade 7 students engaged in special week-long classes pre- and post- trip. (JK-8 trips programming integrated with curricula and civic engagement)
As part of our Grade 4-8 Overnight Trip Program, Grade 5 students are able to explore the outdoors and see science in action. (JK-8 trips programming integrated with curricula and civic engagement)
As part of our Grade 4-8 Overnight Trip Program, Grade 5 students are able to explore the outdoors and see science in action. (JK-8 trips programming integrated with curricula and civic engagement)
Intentional time and professional learning for teachers with learning specialists to employ best practices in our work of supporting students and communicating progress. (Curricular materials and student progress regularly communicated)
Intentional time and professional learning for teachers with learning specialists to employ best practices in our work of supporting students and communicating progress. (Curricular materials and student progress regularly communicated)
St. Luke’s in the palm of your hand! Now families (and professional staff) can access calendars, directories, and other important information with a tap. (Technological tools implemented to increase transparency and access for families)
St. Luke’s in the palm of your hand! Now families (and professional staff) can access calendars, directories, and other important information with a tap. (Technological tools implemented to increase transparency and access for families)
Both Upper School and Lower School Divisions have intentionally planned for robust transition meetings, giving families a preview of the coming new year from both divisional leadership and the students themselves! (Clear arc for family education programming)
Both Upper School and Lower School Divisions have intentionally planned for robust transition meetings, giving families a preview of the coming new year from both divisional leadership and the students themselves! (Clear arc for family education programming)
A Look Ahead:
Students 2027 - 2030
2027 - 2028
This year will see the continued implementation of the recommendations from our science curriculum review, while we engage an educational partner to initiate the next major curriculum review, identified during the previous year. A major internal focus will be on refining our JK-8 social-emotional learning (SEL) program. This process will involve collecting and analyzing data, leading to a comprehensive plan to align our SEL program to enhance student well-being, belonging, and academic progression. Following the plan developed in 2026-2027, our teachers and Divisional Leaders will begin implementing the refined data-informed instruction and assessment practices in the classroom. This year will also mark the completion of our goal to develop a common understanding of student-centered teaching and learning practices.
Extracurricular and afterschool programming will continue to expand, offering new opportunities for students and refining based on feedback. The JK-8 trip programming will continue to evolve, actively being aligned with our curriculum and civic engagement opportunities. We will also chart a plan to fully integrate service learning across JK-8. We will begin implementing our plan to evaluate, revise, and communicate curricular materials and student progress, while continuing to apply our phased plan to deepen our use of technological tools for transparency and visibility for students and families. By the close of this year, our family education and programming in support of the student experience will be well on its way to becoming a known, sought-after, and regular part of the critical school-family partnership.
2028 - 2029
This year, the recommendations from the latest curriculum review will be implemented while pre-planning for the next subject-area review is underway. We will continue to refine our JK-8 social-emotional learning (SEL) program, implement consistent school-wide practices for assessment and the use of data-informed instruction, and embed student-centered pedagogical practices across all classrooms.
The review of the extracurricular and afterschool programs will be completed, resulting in a robust suite of experiences that meet the diverse needs of our students. Our JK-8 trip programming will also be fully integrated with the curriculum and explicitly tied to our institutional commitment to civic engagement. Concurrently, the comprehensive integration of service learning throughout the JK-8 experience will be well underway. Throughout this period, we will continue to regularly evaluate, revise, and communicate curricular materials and student progress, ensuring that our technological tools consistently support transparency, visibility, and access to the curriculum for both students and families.
2029 - 2030
In the final year of the strategic plan, we will continue implementing the recommendations from the latest curriculum review while preparing to initiate the next one. Having successfully aligned our social-emotional learning program across JK-8, we will consistently nurture student well-being, belonging, and academic progression through established practices. Furthermore, we will fully employ consistent assessment practices and data-informed instruction, with student-centered pedagogical practices firmly established as the core of classroom teaching and learning. The integration of service learning will be complete and active throughout the JK-8 experience. Finally, we will have established clear, effective routines for regularly evaluating, revising, and communicating curricular materials and student progress, solidifying a lasting framework for academic transparency and growth.
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