Fay School celebrated its sesquicentennial in 2016, marking 150 years of excellence in teaching and learning. While the School has grown and evolved over the years, our mission and philosophy have remained remarkably consistent. The guiding principle established by founder Eliza Burnett Fay—“to lay a foundation for education in its broadest sense”—is at the heart of our current mission statement: “to educate each child to his or her full potential through a broad, balanced, and challenging program that establishes a solid foundation for a productive and fulfilling life.”
Today’s world may be very different than it was 150 years ago, but in a time marked by uncertainty and rapid change, Fay’s mission is as relevant as ever. Looking to the future, we believe that the best way to equip students to lead productive, fulfilling lives is to provide them with essential foundational skills: to be critical thinkers, creative problem solvers, and articulate speakers; to be culturally competent and have a global perspective; and to demonstrate resilience, empathy, and integrity.
As we embrace our history and uphold the traditions established by our nineteenth-century founders, we are keenly aware that the best way to fulfill our mission in the 21st century is to continue to evolve in a thoughtful and deliberate way. Fay is grounded in timeless, enduring values: an expectation of excellence, an emphasis on civility and respect, a focus on earnest effort and dedicated service. The best way to honor and preserve our legacy is to maintain a mindset of growth and development and to continuously reinvest energy and resources in our programs, people, and facilities.
At its core, the 2020 Strategic Plan is designed to ensure that Fay School will continue to realize its single, most important goal: to provide students with the foundation for a meaningful life. The Plan is a road map for our ongoing improvement, with goals and strategies that will enable us to strengthen the educational program for our students, promote the ongoing vitality of our school community, and ensure the continued strength and sustainability of Fay as an institution for many years to come. It is the result of a yearlong process during which the Board of Trustees, in collaboration with faculty, staff, alumni, and parents, considered the School’s strengths and challenges and identified strategic priorities in five key areas: Enrollment, Marketing, Program, Access, and Financial Sustainability.