Manchester GATE School Mission/Vision Statement

Mission Statement:

Children are our most valuable resource. It is our objective to motivate and challenge these children to strive toward their full potential; therefore, we will develop the curriculum and an environment to meet the special needs of gifted and talented children’s social, emotional, intellectual and physical development.

Vision:

The vision and philosophy of Manchester GATE School can best be summarized through a series of statements that our staff and community are committed to. This vision and philospohy impacts the many relationships and interactions that make up the educational process of our school. We believe . . .

• Manchester GATE School should be a place where students are nurtured and encouraged to do their best and where staff are sensitive to their needs.
  
• In a structured environment that allows for flexibility without rigidity.
  
• That our students should participate in a rich, stimulating, challenging, and rigorous core and differentiated curriculum including its four components--depth, complexity, novelty, and acceleration.
  
• That the learning environment should reflect the accomplishments of our students and student work.
  
• Classroom management and organization should be conducive to learning.
  
• The learning environment at Manchester GATE School should feature the latest technological opportunities available for our students, including accessing and manipulating information through the use of computers, CD-ROM technology, the Internet, and other multi-media strategies.
  
• Students and staff should be physically and emotionally safe at school.
  
• All staff play a role in the safety and emotional health of the students.
  
• That a structured, nurturing, and healthy learning environment encourages parental participation, involvement and support. Parental support has always been essential to the success of Manchester GATE School. Their support and assistance at home, in the classroom and around school contributes greatly to the overall success of Manchester School.
  
• That instruction should emphasize real-life problem solving skills as well as application of acquired skills to meaningful problems. Instruction should feature a variety of resources.
  
• Instruction should be sequential, utilizing concrete, symbolic and abstract notions to help students understand concepts. Helping students to construct understanding and meaning should be the goal of all instruction.
  
• Instruction should be based on the cognitive, developmental abilities of our students.
  
• That our practices should motivate students to become involved in the learning process and thereby become responsible for their own learning.
  
• That elementary grade learners need cocurricular activities. They need to collaborate and work together--both in the classroom and outside of it.
  
• That they need to learn to develop responsibility and accept the consequences of their behavior.
  
• We believe that the academic program at Manchester GATE School should be comprehensive, balanced, stimulating, and multi-faceted for all learning styles and strengths.
  
• That our academic program should equip children with the skills necessary to survive, succeed and lead in the 21st century. We believe it should prepare them for and provide “real-life” experiences.
  
• That our learners at Manchester GATE School have a need to be in an appropriate academic setting for their abilities.
  
• That students should be able to communicate their learning to others.
  
• Assessment should involve a balance of methods or techniques, i.e. pictorial, hands-on, and written. As much as possible assessment should involve authentic activities and be on-going.