Philosophy & Goals of EPHS
The work of Elmwood Park High School’s educators is guided not only by state and national learning standards. It is also guided by the school’s own philosophy and goals, which provide the framework within which our learning community thrives.
Our Philosophy
The EPHS faculty, staff, administration and Board of Education are committed to providing a comprehensive high school education which, through its curricular and extracurricular programs, meets the individual and collective interests and needs of its students and prepares them to be productive citizens of a diverse, global and interdependent society.
In particular, this learning community is committed to the flexible teaching and scheduling patterns and resources necessary to stretch each student to the limits of his/her academic and personal potential, and to providing the knowledge, problem solving and personal skills required for post-secondary education, employment, leisure and family life.
Graduates should be grounded in our American heritage of respect for human dignity and optimism regarding their role in improving the quality of life for all people.
Our Goals
Elmwood Park High School seeks to fulfill the following goals in the service of its mission of providing a comprehensive high school education that prepares students to be productive citizens of a diverse, global and interdependent society.
1. Communication and Computation Goals
A. Students should be able to formulate ideas and to express themselves accurately and precisely in both oral and written forms.
B. Students should be able to communicate both formally and informally, recognizing which forms of behavior, speech, dress, writing, etc., are appropriate in a given context.
C. Students should be able to solve and explain mathematical problems, especially word problems, and should be competent in estimating.
2. Practical Skill Goals
A. Students should be able to perform pragmatic (life) skills, i.e., write checks, follow directions, utilize resources, make judgments, know when to ask for help and other skills needed in daily living.
B. Students should have established work habits, i.e., dependability, reliability, accountability, drive, perseverance, self-evaluation and cooperation.
3. Personal Growth and Perspective Goals
A. Students should develop a global perspective through knowledge of:
- Geography
- History (traditions and values)
- Economics and politics of other cultures
B. Students should be able to take different points of view and demonstrate tolerance and appreciation of views that differ from their own.
C. Students should be able to differentiate between facts and opinions.
D. Students should be prepared to live in an interdependent world recognizing that one can travel to almost any country in less than a day, and that our economies and environments are interdependent.
4. Comprehensive Curriculum Goals
A. Students should complete a comprehensive curriculum as follows:
- Humanities (art, music, literature)
- Social Science (history, geography, economics)
- Mathematics, Science
- Communication (listening, speaking, reading, writing)
- Employment and Life Skills (business, technology, physical education, health, personal and interpersonal skills, ethical standards)
- Extracurricular Activities
B. Students should be the center of the teaching/learning process. That is, their individual differences should be accommodated without compromising the expectations of a comprehensive high school.