Mission & Goals

Mission

The Mission of Frederick Nerge Elementary is to provide a challenging and inspiring educational experience where students recognize that knowledge is both intrinsically valuable and a means to effect positive change in the greater community. We strive to equip our students with the tools they need to be competitive in the global marketplace and to demonstrate integrity, leadership, and perseverance on their journeys toward maximizing their potential.

Vision

Our vision is a description of what our students will experience by being part of our school community. A visitor to Nerge would expect to see the following:

• Students empowered to maintain a welcoming community atmosphere that celebrates diversity in all its forms; nurturing a culture of positive relationships by honoring acts of kindness, applying strategies for conflict resolution, and actively monitoring their behavior.
• An engaging learning environment characterized by high levels of interaction among all members of the school community; teachers providing a framework for academic discussions that allow learners to collaboratively solve problems, articulate their thoughts and opinions, and learn from their classmates.
• An enriching curriculum that fosters higher-order thinking skills through a variety of effective teaching strategies, including inquiry-based learning, investigations and research, hands-on activities, cooperative learning, and in-depth analysis of textual resources.
• A highly collaborative staff that actively shares ideas, discusses strategies and techniques, and consistently reflects on professional practice and data to refine instruction, aiming to best meet the academic, social, and emotional needs of all students.

Commitments

To fulfill our Vision, the staff of Frederick Nerge Elementary enthusiastically commits to the following:

• Actively engage parents, guardians, and community members to provide the greatest level of support for our students
• Respect the ideas and contributions of all learning community members to find solutions that are in the best interest of all students
• Foster meaningful relationships with students to ensure they recognize their value as important members of the Nerge community
• Embrace change and view challenges as opportunities for growth and learning
• Continuously seek professional development opportunities to enhance our understanding of effective instructional practices

Goals

We believe that pursuing and fulfilling our Mission, Vision, and Commitments will lead to our students’ academic growth and social-emotional development. The Board of School District 54 has outlined three important goals related to student achievement, and we at Nerge will continue to emphasize these goals at the building level. We are confident that fostering a positive and productive learning environment, as this document outlines, will enhance our students’ academic achievement and better prepare them for college and career readiness.

The District 54 and Frederick Nerge goals are:

• District 54 will ensure the success of the whole child by providing comprehensive approaches and programming, grounded in the belief that each child deserves to be Healthy, Safe, Engaged, Supported and Challenged.
• District 54 will perform in the top 10% of all schools in reading and math growth and proficiency as measured by state and local assessments.
• District 54 will close the achievement gap for ALL students in reading and math as measured by state and local assessments.