Now in my first year as Board Chairperson, I have to note what a breath of fresh air the start of this school year has been!
From our hugely successful September community BBQ and with athletics and activities at full steam, our ASW community is thriving despite the difficulties associated with the continued renovation and construction - which is approaching completion.
Amid the busy and productive start of the school year, the Board has been working on our strategic priorities for the year. We begin each school year with a Fall Retreat, during which we set tangible and measurable goals for the year ahead. The Board Committees (Advancement, Executive, Finance, Governance, and Monitoring & Risk Management) include participants from the ASW staff and community and remain focused on this year’s goals, as adopted at our September Board meeting and listed below:
- Support the transition of leadership between Directors including strategies, operations, and communication.
- Re-engage with broader strategic work to reflect on guiding statements and consider how we operationalize our prior work.
- Enhance policy review and oversight, including the creation of “ends” policies, to guide the school’s strategic and operational activities towards defined, measurable impacts. (Sustainability, technology, student participation, etc.)
- Continue developing board communication through transparency and engagement by finding opportunities to listen and be involved both internally and externally to support the strategic development of school culture that improves trust and collaboration.
I would highlight that under the Master Facilities Plan, we have completed Phase 1, with occupancy recently confirmed by the relevant authorities. We are nearly done with Phase 2; one final phase remains and is on track for completion in the spring. As these phases are delivered, I believe it has become clear that the project has provided significant improvements and positions ASW well for the future.
The Board always welcomes dialogue and feedback from community members to help us achieve our goals. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me or any of our Board members for further information and opportunities to connect with these efforts. You can find more information on the Board and all Trustee profiles at:
Board of Trustees - American School of Warsaw (aswarsaw.org) - click on each picture to learn more and also on the board page in the parent portal -
https://my.aswkey.org/board-of-trustees
On behalf of the ASW Board of Trustees, I would like to thank each and every one of you for the important role you continue to play in our community. As the holidays begin, may we continue to be thankful for the diverse and supportive community we share, and may your holidays be times of meaningful celebration with loved ones. I look forward to our continued dialogue and collaboration to help make ASW the absolute best place for our children to learn, grow, and thrive.
Yours in excellence,
James Simmons
Chair, ASW Board of Trustees
