Home
Superintendent's Page
Admissions
Elementary Program
Secondary Program
Cochlear Implant Program
Student Affairs and Support Services
After School Program
Plant Operations
Activity Schedule
School Calendar
Residential Program
Jr. NAD
Homework Pages
School History
Sports
Events
Parent Center
Board/Parent Committee
Pupil Personnel Services
Culinary Training
Institute
Media Services
Captioned Media
Alumni Association
Employment
Board of Trustees
Community Support
Staff Directory
Mission Statement · Vision Statement · Belief Statement · Values Statement
Our Mission ·
Our Guiding Principals ·
Our Goals ·
Our Strategic Intent
Our Desired Position ·
Our Critical Success Factors ·
Our Priority Issues
MISSION STATEMENT
St. Mary's School for the Deaf will provide quality
educational programs for all of it's students.
Return to the top of the page
VISION STATEMENT
St. Mary's School for the Deaf will be one of the most outstanding educational programs, By way of quality and innovative programming, for students enrolled at the school.
Return to the top of the page
BELIEF STATEMENT
We Believe that all children can learn.
We believe all St. Mary's School for the Deaf students have a right
to
learn utilizing every accessible communication avenue.
We believe that all St. Mary's School for the Deaf students have a
right to a safe, healthy, and positive environment at the school.
Return to the top of the page
VALUES STATEMENT
St. Mary's School for the Deaf values intellectual and
creativity development for all of it's students
St. Mary's School for the Deaf values all educational programs and services.
St. Mary's School for the Deaf values accessibility to communication.
St. Mary's School for the Deaf values civility and respect between all individuals.
St. Mary's School for the Deaf values honesty, integrity and fairness.
St. Mary's School for the Deaf values collaboration.
St. Mary's School for the Deaf values diversity
St. Mary's School for the Deaf values accountability in all aspects of it's programs.
Return to the top of the page
Our Mission
St. Mary's School for the Deaf is an independent day and residential school that provides specialized services to students of all ages who are deaf, functionally deaf, hard-or-hearing, or who have a communication and/or physical challenge that would benefit from our unique educational approach. Services are provided in keeping with contemporary practice, designed around the individual needs of each student, and provided in partnership with school personnel, parents and the community.
Guiding Principles
- Peer socialization is integral to the successful education of deaf children and the maintenance of their self-esteem.
- Deaf and hearing impaired students should be prepared for success in both the hearing and deaf cultures. Some aspect of inclusion should be integrated into the educational process.
- Accessibility for the entire deaf community of WNY and students with other disabilities as well as faculty and staff ensures that nobody with a need for SMSD services is excluded from using the SMSD facilities.
- Education is a lifelong process, with different needs at different times of ones life.
- Cooperation and collaboration are a better use of resources than competition.
- All students have the right to learn and be respected in a positive school climate
Goals
- An educational services continuum will be welcomed to help ensure that all deaf individuals have the opportunity to be successful in achieving their personal goals.
- SMSD will attract new non- traditional student populations and serve the additional students in an effective, efficient and professional manner.
- SMSD will attract and retain increasing numbers of deaf students and serve the additional students in an effective, efficient and professional manner.
- SMSD will have the financial resources to invest in new initiatives and maximize existing initiatives.
- SMSD will attract as teachers and staff the most qualified individuals capable of providing students with the best possible education.
- An SMSD education will be considered the standard against which other education programs for students with special needs are measured.
- SMSD will consistently provide state-of-the-art teaching and rehabilitation techniques, technology, and assistive devices.
- SMSD will have modern facilities that promote the very best teaching and learning environment, and allow the school to effectively compete in the 21st century.
- Both the general community and the deaf community will recognize the importance of SMSD to the area's educational profile, and recognize/value its role in developing students to become productive citizens.
Strategic Intent
Create a multi-purpose not-for-profit organization, including St. Mary's School for the Deaf and other agencies, that creates a continuum of educational, human service, vocational and recreational services in a manner that provides the best possible quality of life for the area's deaf and hard of hearing populations.
Desired Position
Re-position SMSD from simply a traditional residential and day school for deaf children to a cutting edge regional education resource that is the primary source for the education of children and adults in Western New York who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, functionally deaf, or have a communication challenge.
Critical Success Factors
In order to achieve the intent, we need to:
- Develop trusted relationships with other service providers to the deaf community.
- Develop a value-added affiliation with a public school district that offers opportunities for inclusion.
- Obtain sufficient financial resources to ensure that capital obligations do not risk the future of the school.
- Have the full support of the Western New York deaf community.
- Engage in a multi-organizational planning process.
- Control sufficient well-situated property capable of development to meet the needs of a multi-organizational campus.
Priority Issues
- Insufficiently diverse revenue from traditional sources
- Community awareness and support
- Facilities and resources
- Program enhancement