Our Vision: The Beacon of Excellence

For nearly 75 years, Advent Episcopal School has been a place where students grow, thrive, and build bright futures. As we approach our 75th anniversary in 2025, we are delighted to unveil our vision for the future of Advent Episcopal School:

Advent Episcopal School’s vision is to be the beacon of excellence in teaching, learning, and belonging in the heart of downtown Birmingham.

This vision is the culmination of a year-long, thoughtful collaboration by our Visioning Committee, a diverse group of parents, faculty, school leadership, and trustees, all deeply committed to our school and dedicated to our students' success. Together, they set out to define Advent’s goals both within our school community and in the wider Birmingham area, reflecting the collective aspirations of our present and future.

James Roberts, first grade parent and trustee, says, "Being part of the vision committee allowed us to articulate a shared aspiration for Advent Episcopal School. It was an opportunity to celebrate our strengths and imagine the future impact we can have on the families the school serves, as well as for our Birmingham community."

In the fall of 2023, Head of School Claire Cassady Vaughn ‘03 initiated a series of workshops with various stakeholder groups in our community, beginning with faculty and staff. These workshops revealed the common threads in each individual’s Advent experience, collectively painting a broad picture of the school’s greatest qualities and the values that define our mission. Following these workshops, a Visioning Committee was formed with representatives from each constituent group to clearly define and articulate our vision.

Over the course of the year, the committee convened regularly to discuss the pillars of Advent’s identity and to create both short-term and long-term plans. The input from the opening workshops provided a strong foundation for their discussions. As Gil Brandon, Director of Finance and Operations, reflects, “The first time the strategic vision committee met, the input from the faculty gave us a good running start on laying out the work for our strategic plan.”

To ensure a comprehensive approach, the committee divided into three groups, each focusing on a key area: facilities, families, and faculty. This structure allowed members to explore each aspect of the strategic vision in depth, discuss and reflect, and then bring their insights back to the full committee. With each successive meeting, the committee refined their ideas further, ultimately determining the final vision and outlining how each element supports our goals.

The end result was a simple yet profound statement that centers around our key goals for every member of our community: teaching, learning, and belonging. We know that in our environment that balances high expectations and high nurture, individual capacity and collective capacity, and stability and adaptability, our students are capable of extraordinary things.

Director of Lower School Alex Wright brings years of classroom experience to her new role, where she continues to engage directly with students and support our teachers. Reflecting on her transition, she shares, "As a former teacher and a new administrator, I can attest that Advent creates an environment where students feel seen, valued, and empowered to reach their full potential. I think our vision perfectly explains what a special place we have."

As we celebrate nearly 75 years of excellence, we invite you to join us in shaping a future where the light of Advent shines brighter than ever—on our students, our families, our teachers, and throughout Birmingham and beyond.

To learn more, please visit our “Our Vision” webpage and watch the video below to hear more from our Head of School Claire Cassady Vaughn about what this vision means for our school’s future.

Visioning Committee Members:
Emily Curran, Board of Trustees, President
David Fleming, Board of Trustees, Vice President & Past Parent
Gil Brandon, Director of Finance & Operations
Alex Wright, Director of Lower School
Will Wright, Current Parent
Andrea Wells, Current Parent
Cora Causey, Board of Trustees
Jay Gardner, Chaplain & Current Parent
James Roberts, Board Of Trustees & Current Parent
Lee McGriff, Board of Trustees & Past Parent and Grandparent
Claire Vaughn ‘03, Head of School