Bridging Two Campuses, One Connection at a Time

Challenge: How might we connect teachers and students across our two separate campuses to identify and design meaningful opportunities that build a K-12 community?

The Discovery Phase

Through our design thinking conversation, I identified the real barriers and opportunities:

• Barriers: Distance, scheduling constraints, and the need for intentional culture-building
• Focus: Academic collaboration as the anchor, with community connection woven throughout
• Existing Momentum: A Grade 12 student is already volunteering in an SK classroom—proof that cross-campus connection is possible
• Champions: Bob Hayes (Junior Campus, KCS Connects Committee) and Laura Sardone (Senior Campus, Assistant Head Academics) are ready to support this work

Key Insights

• Teachers may not know what’s possible until we spark their imagination—conversations come before surveys
• Start with Junior Campus teachers first, then expand to Senior Campus perspectives
• Small, testable pilots create momentum faster than broad initiatives
• Leverage existing champions and momentum rather than starting from scratch

Actionable Experiments: December 2025 – April 2026

Phase 1: Research & Listening (This Week – Early January)

• Connect with Bob Hayes to identify 2-3 interested Junior Campus teachers
• Conduct quick exploratory conversations to understand what teachers actually want
• Post a staff room call-out inviting cross-campus collaboration ideas
• Goal: Gather authentic teacher voice and identify natural collaboration opportunities

Phase 2: Design & Planning (Mid-January)

• Analyze responses from staff room call-out and teacher conversations
• Design a targeted survey based on conversation insights
• Consult with Laura Sardone on Senior Campus needs and constraints
• Goal: Create a clear picture of what both campuses want and need

Phase 3: Pilot Launch (January – February 2026)

• First Experiment: News Crew Club (Junior Campus) collaborates with Comm Tech class (Senior Campus) on joint news interviews
• Document the process, challenges, and successes
• Gather feedback from students and teachers involved
• Goal: Prove that cross-campus collaboration works and build momentum

Phase 4: Scale & Sustain (March – April 2026)

• Expand successful pilots based on feedback and teacher interest
• Formalize cross-campus collaboration structures and processes
• Celebrate wins and share outcomes across both campuses
• Goal: Create sustainable pathways for ongoing K-12 community building

Why This Approach Works

Rather than designing a solution in isolation, this design thinking process honors the real constraints and opportunities at our campuses. By starting with conversations, piloting with a concrete project (News Crew + Comm Tech), and then scaling based on what works, I will help build a K-12 community that’s grounded in what teachers and students actually want—not what I think they need.

The Grade 12 volunteer in the SK classroom is already showing me the way. My job now is to expand that model intentionally and systematically.

Next Step: Reach out to Bob this week. Our K-12 community is waiting to be built! 🚀