Spicewood students are 'on the air'

Spicewood Elementary School (SES) students made an appearance on YouTube.com last week.

They took vision, mission, and motto statements and translated them into a video.

“We began the process by discussing and coming to a consensus on our core values as a campus,” said Sonya Smith, an SES instructional coach. “The staff discussed our campus needs and dreams for the future.”

They adopted the district motto, "Learners today...Leaders tomorrow...Mustangs Forever!", to emphasize unity with Marble Falls Independent School District (MFISD).

“We used a quality improvement tool from Langford Learning called 'P3T' to develop our campus vision and mission,” said Smith. “Our vision is where we want to go and what we desire to be as a campus: 'Spicewood Elementary has a daily commitment to inspire one another, nurture each other, and grow together.' Our mission specifies why we are here and why we do what we do every day: 'Spicewood Elementary will ignite the passion for learning in each student by developing skills needed to thrive in society'."

The statements already have begun to shape the campus and guide thinking and decision making, according to Smith.

“Each word was considered, and our entire staff is in unity about our vision, mission, and motto,” she said. “Since they were written in mid-April, these statements have been considered in hiring decisions and in evaluating our Campus Improvement Plan.”

Our principal, Susan Cox, and I facilitated the meeting to draft the statements,” said Smith. “Kindergarten, second, and fifth grade students are featured speaking in the video. The were so willing to help and learn.”

With the unveiling of the YouTube video, their work was revealed to parents and the community.

“The next step is to teach them and for the vision, mission, and motto to become a visible and daily part of our communication,” Smith explained.

See the big reveal online at http://bit.ly/1Z4I2ZX