Honoring our Past, Shaping our Future

Past, Purpose, Passions, Promises, Paradigms, and Practices

Photo of Norris Academy School Building

The rich history of the Norris School District serves as the foundation for its current purpose, passion, promises, paradigms, and practices. By recognizing the milestones, challenges, and successes of the past, we gain a deeper understanding of today’s Purpose, Passions, and Promises. This historical context fuels our passion for “changing lives through the power of learning” and strengthens our commitment to “building leaders at all levels”.

Past

As we honor the past, we are better equipped to drive forward, holding steadfast to our promises to learners, families and the community.

Boys in 1914 on a Norris Farm Wagon

The Wisconsin State Legislature authorized Norris School District No. 6 in 1927 with a purpose to gear learning toward each child, and that is still valid today. Niel Norris, the founder of Norris School District No 6, believed that a good education was the key to help young people reach their maximum potential by developing the skills that provide for a fulfilled life and career. These skills included the basics of a good education such as reading, math, reasoning, problem-solving, and a good work ethic, socialization/citizenship skills, and a desire to learn and improve. Today, this is probably more valid than ever. Norris School District strives to provide each learner with the opportunity to build a deep understanding of who they are and who they want to become and realize their path and advance toward their life goal. Norris is

“Changing Lives Through the Power of Learning.”

Purpose

Our purpose distinguishes our core reason for existing beyond. It answers the “why” behind our actions and serves as our guiding force.

Boy climbing on rope

At Norris, we "Change Lives Through the Power of Learning" by ensuring that EVERY learner has the opportunity to explore their strengths, curiosities, identity, and aspirations. We provide the time and space for learners to discover who they are and whom they want to become, empower them to shape their own unique, community-based learning journey. This journey includes relevant, contextualized experiences that span academics, employability, citizenship, and wellness. Our commitment to a learner-centered; trauma-invested learning ecosystem ensures a safe, inclusive, and nurturing environment where ALL learners are valued and supported with the resources they need to thrive. Norris empowers "Leaders at All Levels" to advocate for their needs and those of others, developing agency in their learning and growing into dynamic, socially embedded leaders and solution-seekers.

Passions

Our passions paint a vivid picture of the values we care deeply about. These collective values are the very fibers of our school district, woven into everything we do. They share our daily actions and inspire our commitment to learners.

two learners planting seeds with a gardner

The collective efforts of Norris are dedicated to becoming an exemplary learner-centered, trauma-invested community-based learning ecosystem that changes lives through the power of learning and cultivates learners as leaders at all levels. Our passions drive us to cultivate an iterative ecosystem that uses a unique design process to utilize multiple levels of input to develop practices that foster personal, professional, and ecosystem growth. We committed to:

  • Build leaders at all levels through the use of the Norris Practices.

  • Help each young person develop a deep understanding of themselves, reflect on who they are, who they want to become, and how their unique gifts can contribute meaningfully to the world.

  • Advocate for the needs of both self and others to positively influence local and global communities and achieve desired outcomes.

  • Empower learners and teams to take ownership of their educational journeys by actively shaping their learning environments and designing unique pathways tailored to achieving their individual goals.

  • Inspire curiosity by encouraging students to ask questions, challenge ideas, explore new possibilities, and develop creative solutions to problems with courage and confidence.

  • Promote hands-on, experiential learning that connects students with real-world challenges and opportunities, preparing them for success.

  • Leverage our learning network’s resources to ensure students gain the knowledge and skills needed for relevant and meaningful learning experiences.

  • Ensure that all learners, regardless of background, have equitable access to high-quality opportunities within a safe, inclusive, and nurturing environment.

  • Build supportive relationships that respect diverse cultures and experiences, while offering personalized support that meets each learner’s needs and prepares them to thrive.

  • Tackle challenges and problems of practice through active collaboration.

  • Remove barriers by engaging in courageous conversations and advocating for a

    more equitable and accessible learning ecosystem for all.

  • Celebrate learning and endorse learners for demonstrating evidence of growth.

  • Use Theories of Action and Promising Practices to continually iterate and actively seek the opportunity to get to our next best place of realizing our vision.

  • Build strong partnerships with families, local organizations, and community partners to enhance learning opportunities and create a supportive ecosystem for all learners to thrive.

Promises

Our promises represent our commitments to ALL learners. They guide every aspect of their educational journey.

Two learners sitting under a tree painting

At Norris we are committed to advancing our shared purpose and passions by continually designing and developing a learner-centered, trauma invested, community based learning ecosystem where we:

  • Engage with learners in continuous deep reflection to understand who they are and whom they want to become and self measurement of where they are and where they want to be. (Learner Profile)

  • Empower learners to co-design their own learning journey that includes experiential learning

    opportunities that are relevant, community based and deliver a learner to their next best place in realizing their hope and vision for the future. (Plans and Pathways)

  • Ensure learners have the opportunity to demonstrate multidimensional competency attainment through authentic learning experiences that encompass their learning journey, anytime, anywhere. (Competency-Based Framework)

  • Provide ALL learners with a community based network of support that assists them as they navigate their personal learning journey. (Learning Network)

  • Ensure every learner receives the personal attention they need to reach the next best place in their learning journey. We are committed and guarantee that each learner has access to the tools and encouragement necessary to grow, overcome challenges, and thrive as they move forward, one step closer to their full potential. (Learner-Centered Supports

  • Build a dynamic network of shared services that is both flexible and adaptable, designed to respond to challenges and empower each learner to flourish. By buffering learners from artificial constraints and leveraging existing flexibilities, we continually open pathways where every learner thrives and has the opportunities and resources to reach their fullest potential, unimpeded by outdated structures. (Operating Structures)

Paradigms

Norris views learning through a multifaceted lens that offers distinct perspectives and ways to look at, think about, and act. Each learner's success is ensured by our relentless commitment to these paradigms.

Learner - Centered

A Learner-Centered paradigm places every learner at the center of their educational experience. It sees learners as wondrous, curious individuals with unique talents and strengths that, when allowed to grow and flourish, leads to unlimited potential. A Learner-Centered paradigm recognizes that capitalizing on a learner's interests and excitement leads to ownership of learning. With the appropriate support, this natural excitement and agency leads to active participation and eagerness in the pursuit of life-long learning. Each learner’s interests and passions shape their learning experiences and drive the commitments and actions of the learning network supporting them.

Trauma - Invested

A Trauma-Invested paradigm is a holistic approach that recognizes the widespread impact trauma has on learning and utilizes this knowledge to establish dynamic relationships that enable learners at all levels to feel safe, supported, and successful. A Trauma Invested paradigm recognizes the signs and symptoms of trauma, creates a system to respond to that trauma and prevent re-traumatization.

Diversity, Equity, inclusion (DEI)

A paradigm of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) ensures each person feels welcome, their voices heard and their experiences valued. DEI provides an environment that is sensitive to different cultures, identities, and backgrounds. The uniqueness of each learner is supported by personal plans and pathways that recognize diverse perspectives and create meaningful and relevant learning experiences. ThisI removes barriers and leans into courageous conversations that confront current reality and advocate for a more equitable and accessible system for all.

Iterative

An Iterative paradigm values the continuous improvement of an idea, practice, or design. It seeks to actively engage stakeholders in professional learning communities to design and document promising practices, observe visible changes in practice, and measure the impact on learning to continuously refine and move closer to realizing our vision. The Iterative paradigm requires the opportunity to design, learn, respond and practice to ensure the District’s promising practices become responsive enduring practices.

Practices

The Norris Practices equip ALL learners with the essential skills and abilities to thrive in a rapidly changing world. These skills are important for ALL learners across the Norris Learning Ecosystem. Developing competency in these skills helps learners navigate challenges, overcome barriers, work effectively with others, and continuously learn and grow, making them more resilient and adaptable to new opportunities.  When all Norris learners demonstrate these skills we ensure that they become/remain employable, innovative, and capable of contributing meaningfully to their communities and workplaces, regardless of landscape shifts.

The Norris School District fosters a culture of learning that focuses on developing Dynamic Leaders who are Socially Embedded learners that have high levels of Learner Agency and are committed to being creative Solution Seekers. These learner-centered outcomes are achieved through the relentless pursuit of awakening the following practices in ALL learners.

Learner Agency

Learner Agency is the capacity to take ownership and responsibility of one’s learning by harnessing intrinsic motivation to initiate, manage, maintain and pursue one’s goal through learning.

  • Self Aware

  • Growth Mindset

  • Mindful Goal Setting

  • Self Advocacy

Socially Embedded

Socially Embedded is the learner’s engagement in sustained relationships within a network of stable social connections that offer acceptance, friendships, support, and guidance.

  • Socially Aware

  • Skillful Collaborator

  • Effective Communicator

  • Inclusive Relationship Builder

Dynamic Leadership

Dynamic Leadership is the ability to act with integrity, use imagination, be creative, and feel confident to initiate actions that influence the community’s desired outcome, as well as motivate, encourage, and nurture others.

  • Initiative

  • Service Orientation

  • Community Advocacy

  • Integrity

Solution Seeker

Solution Seeking is the ability to use one’s own curiosity to respond to questions and challenges by asking questions, taking-risks, using creativity, and reflecting on and revising solutions as they creatively solve problems.

  • Curious

  • Resilient

  • Adaptive

  • Innovative Design Thinker