Developing Core Values that Resonate with Your School Community

Saint James was featured in the Southern Association of Independent School’s October e-newsletter, Signals. The article titled “Developing Core values that Resonate with Your School Community,” discusses the intentional extension of core values. We are so grateful to be featured in this national publication!

by: Amber Irizarry, SAIS Director of Brand and Communications

Independent school mission statements often stretch beyond student academic gains to focus on developing the whole child. Yet, shaping students’ character, while admirable, is difficult to measure.

Dr. Larry McLemore, head of school at the Saint James School in Montgomery, AL, considers, “How do you live out character? How do you develop it?” For Saint James, which serves students in Pre-K2 through grade 12, everything the school does stems from the mission and core values. By employing concrete activities that guide students in living out the school’s core values, Saint James is helping students build character to ultimately impact their school, their surrounding community, and the culture at large.

Crafting Core Values

Through its mission, Saint James has been committed to challenging and assisting students in realizing their individual potential and preparing them for lives of responsibility, service, and achievement. “You’re part of something positive at Saint James,” McLemore shares. “We care about you and your heart and focus on character over the relentless pursuit of achievement. While achievement is a part of the school’s culture, it’s not central to who we are as a school community. Rather, it’s an extension of the core values and is the result of consistent habits that are formed when the values are prioritized.”

Just how did Saint James craft authentic core values? Through an interactive process, they considered their mission and the elements unique to their school culture, then gained feedback from their stakeholders. By taking the long view, Saint James did not rush the process. In 2018, the school devoted a year to developing core values, following a theme of building a community of character to develop the whole child, inspired by articles written by David Brooks. 

The process of choosing and refining the core values involved the entire school community, seeking feedback from all constituents. An informal survey was distributed to faculty and staff, as well as middle and high school students asking several key questions: What do we want to see in our students? What values transcend academic achievement? What traits and principles do we value most? 

After collecting hundreds of responses, the results were distilled, revealing several common themes that have been refined into the school’s current values: character, commitment, courage, and community. These simple and succinct values help students connect the mission to their everyday choices. 

Notably, Saint James makes a concerted effort to continually revisit the values. Kate Bartlett, director of communications, marketing, and engagement, says, “We keep asking ourselves, are these values authentic, relevant, and lasting?”

Drafting core values and executing on them is not without its challenges. For Saint James School, such challenges included making the values concrete and putting them into practice. The school had to focus on messaging that would be relevant across all grades levels, from lower to upper school. They also had to prioritize allowing planning time for meeting with faculty and staff. Finally, follow-through is critical for success so that core values become woven into school culture, rather than a task to complete.

For schools seeking to begin the process of crafting core values, McLemore reminds school leaders to “start where you are. Don’t judge your school by another. Instead, be true to your community.” Creating core values and being intentional about focusing on them through service, curriculum, and programming is worth the effort. “Authentic core values that are lived out daily change the context of everything, strengthen your school community, and give students and faculty a clear sense of purpose,” attests McLemore.

Service as Extension of Core Values

A focus on service is an intentional extension of both the Saint James School’s mission and all four core values. To lay the groundwork and reinforce these values for middle and upper school students, the school hosts quarterly “Values Assemblies” focused on one of the four core values. McLemore shares, “The more students see the core values lived out in the day-to-day, the better it is for their well-being, helping them to reach their potential. There’s a focus on helping students become their best self.”

Trojan Character, Trojan Commitment, Trojan Courage, Trojan Community

Through diverse extracurricular activities, community service initiatives, and special interest clubs, Saint James encourages students to play a role in something greater than themselves and to discover a sense of confidence in their abilities. Further, the school emphasizes community engagement and promotes meaningful learning experiences for students while strengthening partnerships within the community. From the youngest learners in elementary school to high school seniors, students grow through giving, stewardship, and connection.

The Saint James mission and values are an integral part of the day-to-day life on campus. Bartlett says, “Our mission guides every decision we make, and classroom lessons and daily interactions help bring the core values to life for our students.”

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