Mattanawcook Academy has a unique heritage and environment which it seeks to share, preserve, and transcend as it strives to fulfill the district's mission: To provide a safe, caring, supportive environment which challenges individuals to fulfill their potential as lifelong learners and responsible, contributing citizens. To this end, the school strives to meet the educational needs of all stu-dents by recognizing and responding to diverse student aptitudes, interests, skills, and values; by offering a varied curriculum; and by using instructional and assessment strategies that address educational learning styles. The school maintains high expectations of all students and encourages them to become life-long, self-directed, self-assessing learners. Raising the aspirations of students is an essential part of helping them realize their full potentials and must be done within the context of changes that will undoubtedly occur in all areas of their lives as they enter and help shape the twenty-first century.

Educators act as facilitators of learning; use varied instructional methods and settings designed to engage students in relevant, active learning; and strive to maintain safe and productive classroom atmospheres conducive to such learning. To do so, educators and students need timely access to adequate, appropriate, and equitable resources; current information and technology; and the skills to utilize resources, information, and technology effectively. Because students must be prepared to assume responsibility as able decision-makers, wise consumers, and environmentally and politically conscious citizens, educators devote much time to preparing students to be informed, creative, and practical problem solvers. Class participation and collaboration are critical parts of this process.

Although academic achievement in and across diverse content areas is the primary focus of the overall high-school curriculum, the whole student is important. The school, therefore, seeks to balance and to integrate curricular and co-curricular activities as much as possible and helps students develop positive self-images and self-reliance, as well as concern for the needs and well being of others. Part of that development includes students learning to take responsibility for the consequences of their decisions, as well as learning to respect differences among people. The school recognizes and rewards positive behavior and high academic and co-curricular achievement in appropriate and varied ways.

Educators, 9-12, consider close communication between the home and the school an important part of a student's educational success. Educators and parents endeavor to set high expectations for students and hold students accountable for their work. All stakeholders are encouraged to share in the learning process; to visit classrooms; and to engage in creative, constructive conversation regarding school programs. Such collaboration-coupled with periodic, consistent, system-wide assessment of individual students and curricula-is a vital part of maintaining quality educational opportunities for all.

Adopted by the M.S.A.D. #67 Board of Directors: March 15, 2000