Mission Statement and Philosophy

OUR MISSION

It is the mission of Cedar Canyon Elementary School to be a clutch of cooperative, organized, persevering, respectful and responsible learners.

CEDAR CANYON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

PHILOSOPHY

The staff of Cedar Canyon Elementary School is dedicated to providing educational opportunities for all qualified residents within the boundaries of the Northwest Allen County Schools. Our purpose is to develop the whole individual (mentally, physically, emotionally, and socially) into a citizen who is able to contribute constructively to the society in which he/she lives.

Toward this end, we seek to provide a general education curriculum that will afford all students the essentials of good citizenship. This includes an ability to communicate responsibly an awareness of our cultural heritage, an appreciation of how diversity has shaped that heritage, and an understanding of the importance of respecting different viewpoints in a democracy.

Cedar Canyon is committed to meeting the educational and social needs of students from diverse backgrounds and multiple perspectives. Our community is composed of a changing mix of individuals with distinct learning needs and learning challenges. Our staff has a commitment to diversity that is inclusive of all students that enter our doors. We understand the obligation to see things from a variety of perspectives and our responsibility to all students regardless of the challenges. We believe that developing a learning community that demonstrates cultural competence includes building an awareness that is accepting and respectful of the differences all individuals bring to the learning community. We are aware that our changing demographic requires that we be aware of the needs of racial and linguistic minorities,

special education populations and those students coming to us from lower social economic status measured by students on free or reduced lunch. We are committed to the analysis of data across curricular areas related to improving all skills in applications across the curriculum for all students.

We also recognize that to be a contributing citizen in today s world, a person must be taught his/her responsibilities to his/her community. The importance of self-sacrifice, service to others, and deferred gratification in a democratic society cannot be understated and will be emphasized.

Furthermore, we feel that a person must understand his/her capabilities before he/she can assume his/her role in society. Therefore, we will strive to offer sufficient guidance so that the student is able to develop his/her individual talents, and make wise decisions concerning his/her future endeavors.

We believe the school should continuously evaluate itself and strive to update teaching techniques and curriculum to meet the individual needs of the student and our community. It shall be the responsibility of the professional staff to implement the Cedar Canyon Elementary School philosophy in each classroom, structuring each course around the needs of the student and community.