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Mission, Vision, Values
Portrait of a Graduate
Portrait of a Graduate
The Portrait of a Graduate reflects our vision and shared understanding of the specific skills students will need to thrive in the future. Watch the video to learn about our process -- and why we choose these demonstrated behaviors and attributes.
In 2020, a small committee of faculty and staff gathered on Zoom to draft a “Portrait of a Graduate”— a paradigm leading independent schools adopt as a guide for developing curriculum and program. A Portrait of a Graduate is a set of attributes, skills, and qualities a school believes every student should possess when they walk across the stage at graduation to be ready for college and for life.
Buckley’s Portrait of a Graduate committee was comprised of teachers from Lower, Middle, and Upper School, along with staff from the offices of admission, college counseling, and communications, the head of school, and members of the board of trustees. Together, they formed a “think tank,” conducting research within the Buckley community by surveying and interviewing the parent community, faculty, staff, alumni, and trustees, and studying the research of marketing and consulting firms that study the future of economics, technology, and culture.
In addition, the parent community, faculty, staff, and Board of Trustees weighed in on the attributes they believed every student should possess. Those initial contributions, along with research on best practices, data trends, and studies on the future of industry and culture, became the committee’s groundwork. Starting with phrases such as “confident,” “empathetic,” “resilient,” and “critical thinker,” the brainstorming began!
Using a design thinking process in which many voices and viewpoints are considered, the Portrait went through several iterations, beginning with a first draft in January 2021 and ending with a final product in April. This included conversations with the full faculty and staff, with department chairs and then their departments, and with individual teachers. The finished version, along with the poster on the back of this sheet, was unveiled to the full community at the start of the 2021–22 school year.
A Program Review committee is now tasked over the next few years with implementing the Portrait into Buckley’s curricular and co-curricular offerings, on both a micro and macro level—from new course design to small in-class projects. There’s no end to how a Portrait—with all its complexities, and characteristics—can inform everything from the admission process to professional development, instructional innovations, building projects, and more!
Buckley is proud and thrilled to support every student in becoming an Architect of the Future.
Buckley’s Portrait of a Graduate committee was comprised of teachers from Lower, Middle, and Upper School, along with staff from the offices of admission, college counseling, and communications, the head of school, and members of the board of trustees. Together, they formed a “think tank,” conducting research within the Buckley community by surveying and interviewing the parent community, faculty, staff, alumni, and trustees, and studying the research of marketing and consulting firms that study the future of economics, technology, and culture.
In addition, the parent community, faculty, staff, and Board of Trustees weighed in on the attributes they believed every student should possess. Those initial contributions, along with research on best practices, data trends, and studies on the future of industry and culture, became the committee’s groundwork. Starting with phrases such as “confident,” “empathetic,” “resilient,” and “critical thinker,” the brainstorming began!
Using a design thinking process in which many voices and viewpoints are considered, the Portrait went through several iterations, beginning with a first draft in January 2021 and ending with a final product in April. This included conversations with the full faculty and staff, with department chairs and then their departments, and with individual teachers. The finished version, along with the poster on the back of this sheet, was unveiled to the full community at the start of the 2021–22 school year.
A Program Review committee is now tasked over the next few years with implementing the Portrait into Buckley’s curricular and co-curricular offerings, on both a micro and macro level—from new course design to small in-class projects. There’s no end to how a Portrait—with all its complexities, and characteristics—can inform everything from the admission process to professional development, instructional innovations, building projects, and more!
Buckley is proud and thrilled to support every student in becoming an Architect of the Future.
POG Spotlight
List of 12 news stories.
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Upper School Outdoor Ed Trips Are a Success!
Read MoreLast week, our ninth, eleventh, and twelfth grade students ventured into the great outdoors, traveling to El Capitan Canyon along the Santa Barbara coast, Grant’s Grove in Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park, and Camp Ramah in the Ojai Valley. -
Tenth Grade Gives Back at Service Days
3 days of service learning; 200 soup-in-a-jar kits assembled to feed 800 people; 300 hydration kits that will provide food and water to 300 unhoused youth; and thousands of hearts touched.Read More -
Robotics Team Shines at Third Regional Competition of the Season and Junior Wins Dean’s Award at First Competition!
Read MoreThis year’s robotics team, led by captains Sienna S., Paul H., and Addison F., and club advisors Paul Barker and Nick Carrillo, spent hours after school and on weekends preparing for each competition. For the 2023 season, the team competed in three regional competitions: Port Hueneme, Orange County, and El Segundo.
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Upper School Writers Travel to Iowa
Read MoreHeavy snowfall added an extra layer of literary coziness to this year’s annual trip to Iowa, which Upper School students embark on every year as part of Buckley’s partnership with the prestigious Non-Fiction Writing Program (NWP) at Iowa University.
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Middle School Gardening Visits Kindergarten Classrooms
Read MoreSeventh graders Avery D., Rose H., Catelyn P., and Eden P. approached gardening teacher Andrew Kaila with an idea to use rocks harvested from the Nature Trail to create an activity for the kindergarten classes.
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Fourth Graders Explore California Biology through Guest Speaker Sessions!
Months ago, senior biologist Manju Venkat received fourth grade teacher Sarah Levitt’s postcard for Room 8 at the Post Office Bay Galapagos.Read More -
Sports Card Club Offers New Service Opportunity
This year, Sports Card Club founders and co-leaders Beckham C. and Griffin F., in collaboration with Assistant Director of DEI and K-12 Service Learning Coordinator Sabine Abadou, are leading an effort to encourage their peers to volunteer for the AYSO VIP (Very Important Player) Program, which provides soccer and basketball experiences for children and adults ages 4 1/2 and up, whose physical or mental disabilities make it difficult to successfully participate on mainstream teams.Read More -
Lower School Celebrates Black History Month
Read MoreAfter spending the month of February researching, reading, and learning, students in the third grade welcomed their Lower School peers to visit their Black History Museum.
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Buckley Nature Trail: Palm Springs!
Read MoreEighteen Upper School students and five chaperones set out at 7:00 a.m. on Friday, January 20, to embark on Buckley’s first-ever field trip to Palm Springs, where they would learn about and experience the interconnection of plants, animals (including humans!), and the elements. -
DEI Symposia Covers Identity Abroad
Read MoreIn January’s DEI Symposia, “International Perspectives to Overcome Racism,” several Upper School students presented on their personal experiences with identity abroad. -
Instead of a Final: Generational Indigenous Planting
Instead of taking a final, the Upper School Tipping Points class stepped outside of the classroom to plant a generational indigenous garden – different from a simply native garden in that it mimics the planting practices of indigenous people, approaching the earth with care and respect.Read More -
True Friends: Kindergarten and Fifth Grade Buddies Meet for Lunch
Read MoreLooking for an example of what it means to be a True Friend? Our kindergarten and fifth grade buddies show us how it’s done!
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