The Mishawaka Way

  • Every effective organization is grounded with a set of Core Values, a Mission, and a Preferred Future. Senior Leadership within School City of Mishawaka have been shaping a plan to lead SCM to its Preferred Future. "The Mishawaka Way" is that plan. The Mishawaka Way provides our colleagues and our community with an understanding of how we work at School City of Mishawaka, why our work is life-changing, and how we will go about accomplishing the important goals entrusted to us. Creating a Culture of Excellence in SCM is integrated with ten core values. The Mishawaka Way is rooted in "Growing Leaders in a Culture of Excellence".

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    THE MISHAWAKA WAY provides our colleagues and our community with an understanding of how we work at School City of Mishawaka (SCM), why our work is life-changing, and how we will go about accomplishing the important goals entrusted to us.

    HIGH EXPECTATIONS
    SCM benefits whenever a student, teacher, staff, or community member achieves beyond expectations. High expectations drive high achievement. We value those who expect more of us than we think we are capable of.

    GROWTH MINDSET
    Knowing that you can always learn and improve. A learning organization celebrates perseverance, resilience, and incremental progress toward ambitious goals. Nurturing the confidence to take a “Good Risk” and learning from failure, rather than denying it.

    COLLABORATION
    Working together for the good of the group, organization, or community. Great things happen when no one cares who gets the credit. Valuing everyone’s talents makes the total effect of our contributions greater than the sum of our efforts.

    COMMUNICATION
    Sharing meaningful information through respectful conversation, thoughtful writing, or creative media. Doing our best to understand, even before trying to be understood.

    CREATIVITY
    The ability to transcend old practices with new, meaningful ideas that propel our organization to higher levels of success. We honor the achievements of our predecessors, but use them as stepping stones to new heights, not barriers that impede progress.

    CRITICAL THINKING
    SCM encourages students, teachers, parents, staff, and community members to think deeply about the daily practices of our school district and long term significance of a quality public education. Respectfully questioning the work of our peers, colleagues, leaders, or representatives is a sign of vigilance and concern. Critical thinking facilitates a high-performing workplace and, ultimately, a free society.

    INNOVATION
    The use of imagination and initiative to generate new ideas and solutions that add value to our organization.

    INTEGRITY
    Doing the right thing. Finding a way to do your personal best, even when a lesser effort might be accepted.

    BUILDING COMMUNITY
    Positively contributing to the community by practicing behaviors that grow trust, involvement, identity and ownership. Understanding that solid foundations are constructed of “bricks” and “mortar”. If you are not in the role of leader, be the best follower you can be.

    CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
    Every interaction of every SCM stakeholder is an opportunity to serve and build trust on behalf of our school community. Modeling empathy and service shows our public how we choose to treat each other.