The leadership team met throughout the spring of 2000 to discuss their beliefs, values, and goals for the school. They drafted the following mission statement and goal for presentation at the first staff meeting:

• Blakeburn Elementary is a caring, creative intelligent school. 
• Our goal for 2000-2001 is to create a socially responsible learning community. 
• We will know we are successful in meeting our goal when all students fully meet expectations on the Social Responsibility Performance Standards.

During the summer of 2000, the staff met for the first time, to begin creating their own community. They endorsed the mission statement and goal, and brainstormed what a caring, creative, intelligent school would look and sound like. They began developing and sharing strategies for developing social responsibility, and reviewed the performance standards. Staff members approached the goal with varying degrees of enthusiasm, but all agreed to take at least one action toward the goal early in September.

Introductory material for parents emphasized the school’s mission to be a caring, creative, and intelligent school, and introduced parents and students to the school logo which reflected these features. The term social responsibility appeared in the first materials sent to children and families.

The leadership team and staff planned a school-wide theme, “Creating Community” where students worked in family groups (cross-grade) for the first week of school. Activities emphasized the importance of being a socially responsible community.