What does success look like for a North Royalton City Schools’ graduate?
That question has guided two years of conversations involving students, staff, families, and community members throughout North Royalton City Schools. This school year, North Royalton City Schools is launching the Portrait of a Bear, a more well-rounded picture of student success. The Portrait of a Bear reflects the future-ready skills our students will need to enter the world of tomorrow.
The Portrait of a Bear is rooted in the district’s reestablished beliefs, vision, and mission. Together, they create a roadmap for preparing students not only for academic success, but also for success in life.
We believe:
1. students come first.
2. all students have the potential to achieve and grow.
3. positive relationships foster belonging and learning throughout our community.
4. reflection, personalization, and innovation are essential to meaningful learning.
5. mindfulness, kindness, integrity and resilience are the values that guide our actions.
6. the future demands the capacity to evolve.
These beliefs provide the foundation for our vision:
North Royalton City Schools will be a learning community where our students are valued, supported, and prepared for their future in a rapidly changing world.
That vision, in turn, drives our mission:
We inspire and empower every learner to become future-ready.
The Portrait of a Bear brings the district’s vision and mission to life through six competencies: Adaptability, Communication, Critical Thinking, Empathy, Leadership, and Learner’s Mindset.
“These competencies represent the skills we want our students to develop as they grow through their educational journey,” said Superintendent Jeffrey Cicerchi, North Royalton City Schools. “They will help students thrive throughout their PreK-12 experience and beyond.”
Adaptability
Embrace flexibility when adjusting to various roles, responsibilities, and situations.
Consider and balance multiple views and beliefs to achieve a shared understanding.
Recalibrate thinking and actions in response to new information, feedback, and changing circumstances.
Communication
Articulate thoughts and ideas effectively using oral, written, and nonverbal communication skills, both in person and in digital settings.
Engage mindfully across all contexts to understand meaning, values, attitudes, and intentions.
Tailor communication for a range of purposes and audiences (e.g. to inform, instruct, motivate, and persuade).
Critical Thinking
Apply thinking that is intentional, open-minded, and informed by evidence.
Analyze, assess, and reconstruct thoughts and actions.
Engage in deeper thinking and demonstrate resilience when working toward solutions to complex challenges.
Empathy
Develop awareness, compassion, and respect to connect with others’ perspectives, opinions, experiences, and culture.
Be mindful of others' thoughts and feelings.
Recognize how one’s actions, choices, and decisions impact others.
Leadership
Inspire positive action in others by modeling and promoting responsibility.
Demonstrate integrity through consistent and ethical decision-making.
Empower the collective ownership of results through trust and individual strengths.
Learner’s Mindset
Develop positive attitudes and beliefs about the learning journey.
Embrace curiosity while exploring new ideas, experiences, and pathways to learning.
Actively listen, reflect, and collaborate to foster growth and mastery.
"While student achievement and growth remain critical to meeting our district's vision, these competencies help ensure our students are prepared not only for their next step, but for a lifetime of learning and growth,” said Cicerchi.
The Portrait of a Bear is not a separate curriculum or program. Rather, it serves as a framework that will guide learning experiences, student opportunities, extracurricular activities, and community partnerships throughout the district.
“Students already demonstrate these competencies every day in classrooms, on athletic teams, in the arts, through service projects, and the countless interactions with peers and staff,” said Cicerchi. “The Portrait of a Bear provides a common language for recognizing and intentionally developing these future-ready skills both in and outside the classroom.”
Throughout the school year, North Royalton City Schools will highlight each Portrait competency and share stories of students and staff who exemplify these characteristics in action.