New Horizon: The Power of Planning

New Horizon School, Irvine believes in the power of planning. We began with the campus on Truman Street with an enrollment of 80 students. More than twenty years later, we are honored to serve 400+ students in preschool through 8th grade. Our team is continuously looking for ways to thoughtfully pursue new concepts, new opportunities, and new ways to be the best version of ourselves.

The Process: Soaring to New Heights

New Horizon School, Irvine’s strategic plan is the result of an intensive year-long community-wide effort. Through quantitative surveys and qualitative focus groups, we asked people from every New Horizon constituency to share their thoughts, identifying the School’s strengths, opportunities, and aspirations. Our Strategic Planning Consultants provided advice, guidance, and structure through every step of the process. Together, the Board of Trustees and our Strategic Planning Committee pondered possibilities, researched and evaluated options, reimagined and revised, then researched some more.

There was a consistent identification of strengths in the areas of Community, Program, Mission, and Teachers. They were:

  • The mission and values
  • Quality academics
  • Religious education
  • Instilling a strong American Muslim identity
  • The family environment
  • Professionalism among faculty, staff, and leadership
  • Small class sizes
  • Teaching tailored for each child
  • Close communication between parents and faculty

A vital part of creating an effective plan is not just looking at our current strengths but also assessing the availability and viability of opportunities and the aspirations of the families and communities we serve. Among the opportunities and aspirations, the categories included a focus on the Facilities and Campuses, Program, Student Experiences, and Student Support. Feedback included:

  • Complete the building/second floor of the Upper Campus
  • Offer collaborative learning spaces for the students to work throughout the school
  • Differentiate opportunities for students who are advanced and those who need support
  • Enhance and maintain the progression and advancement of academic studies
  • Add more electives such as coding, theater, and music classes
  • Provide more immersive, experimental activities and field trips
  • Keep alumni engaged

 

Based upon collective feedback and a great deal of research, we’ve created a multi-year strategic plan. This road map will focus on: advancing New Horizon Irvine’s curricula; maximizing the value of our learning spaces; strengthening our community relationships and re-engaging our alumni; and strategizing the financial stability of our organization and our ability to steward the future. The goals are set forth on the following pages

 

This has been an enlightening, inspiring process. And it is only the beginning. Now that the plan has been finalized, it’s time to implement it. Just as it took a community effort to create this plan, it will also take a community-wide commitment to achieve the goals that we’ve collectively set forth. I look forward to your partnership and continued thoughts as we work together to build an even brighter future for our students and our New Horizon community.

New Horizon School, Irvine: The Future (Our Priorities)

01

Enhance Our Program


Advancing academic, co-curricular, and religious studies programs

02

Reimagine Our Learning Spaces

Optimizing space across all campuses

03

Strengthen Our Community Outreach and Alumni Relations

Developing partnerships and programs

04

Steward the Future


Ensuring New Horizon Irvine’s long-term sustainability