Philosophy

 
Philosophy
 
 
We believe in providing our Barrington Community Unit School District 220 community with an exemplary educational system that inspires all learners to achieve excellence. We aspire to be among the very best school systems within a global community, with students who are well-prepared to make a life, a living, and a difference. The beliefs described in this philosophy are intended to serve as a frame of reference, the direction by which all district policies, resources, and energies are aimed and applied.

We believe it is essential to:
  • Promote a climate where a child's personal signature, his or her distinctive way of learning and creating, is something to be preserved and developed.
  • Support, challenge, and guide each learner in intellectual, personal, social, aesthetic, and leadership development.
  • Foster the development and maintenance of a caring and respectful learning environment that instills in all learners a lifelong love of learning, a commitment to good character, and a devotion to service.
  • Provide an environment with high academic and ethical standards, where all learners engage in inquiry, creative thinking, teamwork, and the implementation of democratic principles.
  • Provide programs which foster all learners to develop an understanding of self, to grow in emotional maturity, and to maintain physical health and wellness.
  • Provide curricular and co-curricular experiences that promote collaboration and encourage all learners to recognize and appreciate diversity and the awareness of global interdependence.
  • Provide all learners with clear expectations, ongoing assessment, and self-evaluation opportunities that enable them to personally monitor and improve their performance and achieve their educational goals.
  • Provide a fluid and well-articulated educational journey, PreK - 12, for all learners.
  • Provide safe, well-equipped, and well-maintained physical facilities that enable effective learning.
Consistent with our philosophical beliefs, we are committed to ensuring that all Barrington Community Unit School District 220 graduates will be able to demonstrate evidence of:
  • A disciplined mind, that can think well and appropriately in the major disciplines.
  • A synthesizing mind, that can sift through a large amount of information, decide what is important, and put it together in ways that make sense for oneself and for others.
  • A creative mind, that can raise new questions, come up with novel solutions, and think outside of the box.
  • A respectful mind, that honors the differences among individuals and groups, and tries to understand them and work productively with them; and
  • A ethical mind, that thinks, beyond selfish interests, about the kind of worker one aspires to be, and the kind of citizen that one should be.