One of the many signs of a healthy organization is the ability to clearly articulate WHAT we do, HOW we do it, and WHERE we see ourselves going/growing into. It is also important for an organization to be able to identify what culture they want to create along with the values that should be instilled in every employee. Giant Steps is the healthiest that it has ever been as an organization and this is due in part to having a leadership team that is truly united on all fronts paired with staff that are passionate, dedicated, and have a strong understanding of what is at stake for our students every day. As a Day School, we have been able to achieve so much in the last two years as evidenced by our ability to create new Day School Mission/Vision statements supported by Core Organizational Values that give language to the unifying purpose for why we are all here at Giant Steps and solidify our guiding coalition!
Day School Mission Statement: “Equipping and empowering students to be academically successful and to independently participate in their community to the fullest extent possible both now and into adulthood.”
Day School Vision Statement: “To serve as a leader in the field of autism education through dynamic student-centered collaboration with key stakeholders focused on building essential skills and reducing maladaptive behaviors.”
Organization Core Values for Day School And Canopy: What is the culture we want to create? What do we hope to see in our employees? Growth Mindset, Student/Participant Centeredness, Collaboration, Accountability, Resilience, Empowerment, Self-Awareness.
PARENTS CLUB 2019!
WE WANT OUR GS CARES VALUES TO SERVE OUR PARENT COMMUNITY!
JOIN PARENTS CLUB AND EXPERIENCE OPPORTUNITIES TO BE INVOLVED IN DAY SCHOOL/CANOPY ACTIVITIES AND CONNECT WITH OTHER PARENTS! TO GET MORE INFORMATION OR TO JOIN PARENTS CLUB FOR THE 19-20 SCHOOL YEAR, CONTACT KAITLIN SMITH, KSMITH@MYGIANTSTEPS.ORG
HOW DOES THE GS CARES VALUES ALIGN WITH THE VISION FOR PARENTS CLUB…
| GROWTH-MINDSET | Finding a place with other parents at a variety of life stages who can help you embrace who your child is now and who they can become. |
| STUDENT & PARTICIPANT CENTEREDNESS | Learning more about your child’s unique strengths and abilities and how other parents are managing the day-to-day needs of their children. |
| COLLABORATION | Connecting with the parent community to learn and share resources and ideas from one another. Your experiences can be valuable for the whole community! |
| ACCOUNTABILITY | Making time to connect with others is challenging for any parent, especially those caring for children with special needs. Prioritize taking care of yourself! |
| RESILIENCE | Continuing to show up every day regardless of what yesterday looked like is hard work. Come connect with other parents who are also on an autism journey. |
| EMPOWERMENT | Taking the steps to plan for lifelong supports at every stage and empowering other parents to do the same. |
| SELF-AWARENESS | Knowing you’re not in it alone and there are people here at Giant Steps and in your community that want to help you be successful as a parent. |
Be on the lookout for information being sent home (and emailed) about the first meeting in September!