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Portrait of a Graduate

Our Mission: Wilton Public Schools inspire and prepare all students to contribute meaningfully to a globally interdependent society.

Our Vision:  Guided by expert instruction and a rigorous, learner-centered curriculum, our students actively pursue their goals and aspirations and grow to be productive and resourceful members of the community.

Our Portrait of a Graduate:  Wilton Public Schools' Portrait of the Graduate represents our vision for the 21st century skills, traits and attributes that our students need to succeed in college, career and life. 

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Overview

  • Portrait of a GraduateOur community engaged in a multi-year process around the skills, attributes and traits necessary for our graduates.  Our students live in a world best defined by the theory of V.U.C.A. (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous).  The result of our discussions, feedback received from our community, and staff was our newly-adopted Portrait of the Graduate.  This new tool will inform our strategic plans, be embedded in our curriculum, and provide the North Star in uncertain times and a pathway to address complexity, volatility and ambiguity.

How do I become a lifelong learner?

    • Possesses broad knowledge in academic subjects, the arts, and new literacies.

    • Articulates thoughts and ideas effectively using oral, written, and nonverbal communication skills in a variety of forms and contexts.

    • Improves thinking by continuously analyzing and reflecting on one’s own and others’ thinking.

    • Communicates effectively using multiple languages and media to make meaningful connections.

    • Engages in continuous scholarship and life-long learning.

    • Possesses the disposition, strategies, and desire to learn, unlearn, and relearn especially in an uncertain, ambiguous environment.

    • Demonstrates agility in thoughts and actions.

    • Skillfully transfers past learning into new situations.

    • Takes an active role in setting learning goals, uses strategies to achieve them, and reflects on the outcomes.

    • Shows strong understanding and belief of self to engage in reflection for individual improvement and advocacy.

How do I contribute to a better world?

    • Builds relationships with others through trust and compassion.

    • Collaborates with others to reach consensus or compromise, takes a stand, and encourages positive action.

    • Acts honestly, courageously and ethically for the interests of the larger community and greater good.

    • Communicates skillfully to inform, influence, motivate, and inspire others.

    • Engages in personal responsibility and citizenship.

    • Demonstrates cultural competence and sensitivity in a sustainable, interdependent world.

    • Demonstrates kindness.

    • Values and embraces diverse perspectives and cultures through open dialogue and mutual respect.

    • Takes action in personal and collective behaviors that support stewardship of the environment.

    • Contributes to making the world a better place.

How do I care for myself, others and the world?

    • Engages in care for self and others as daily practices to support physical, social, and mental well-being.

    • Develops an understanding of a healthy, balanced lifestyle.

    • Listens with compassion and understanding and share and react to others’ feelings.

    • Finds humor and joy in life and revels in beauty, phenomena, and wonderment of the world.

    • Persists in the face of adversity and finds new solutions to problems.

    • Shows curiosity, originality, inventiveness, and new ways of thinking about things.

    • Takes risks and know how to develop, organize, and manage new initiatives and/or ventures.

    • Engages in problem-solving, inquiry, and design to solve problems to create value for others.

    • Demonstrates awareness, sensitivity, concern, and respect to connect with others’ feelings, opinions, experiences, and culture.