Portrait of an Eagle

In the Spring of 2022, Cumberland Valley School District engaged more than 100 community partners including parents, high school students, business leaders, elected officials, and our staff to create CV's Portrait of an Eagle. The Portrait represents the skills and dispositions we hope CV students will have upon graduation from Cumberland Valley. The Portrait Design Team also utilized input from a large number of parents, staff, and students.

The Design Team identified three essential skills: Communication, Critical Thinking, and Problem Solving. In addition, they identified three essential dispositions: Adaptability, Confidence, and Empathy. A seventh area of focus, Responsibility, was also identified. Responsibility includes both essential skills and dispositions and will be the first area of focus for all staff members in the District. Scroll down to learn more about these seven competencies.

CVSD staff members will be working over the next several school years to update and embed specific skills instruction into our academic programs to ensure that all students have opportunities to develop the skills identified. In addition, we will continue to work on creating learning environments that foster the development of the identified dispositions.

Our Competencies

Adapts To A Changing Environment

Works effectively in a changing environment.
Demonstrates agility in thoughts and actions.
Shows resilience by responding productively to feedback, praise, setbacks, and criticism.
Understands, negotiates, and balances diverse views and beliefs to reach workable solutions.

Communicates Effectively

Articulates thoughts and ideas efficiently and effectively using oral, written, and nonverbal communication skills in a variety of forms and contexts.
Listens respectfully and effectively to decipher meaning, including knowledge, values, attitudes, and intentions.
Uses communication for a range of purposes, platforms, and audiences (e.g. to inform, instruct, motivate, and persuade).

Possesses Confidence

Believes in one’s ability to ultimately attain a defined goal.
Persists to overcome adversity and obstacles to uncover alternate strategies to achieve goals.
Reflects on successes and failures as a means to refine the path moving forward.
Takes initiative and acts with purpose and courage.

Demonstrates Empathy

Demonstrates awareness, sensitivity, concern, and respect for the feelings, opinions, experiences, and culture of others.
Imagines what others are thinking, feeling, or experiencing and connects to those thoughts, feelings or experiences.

Thinks Critically

Identifies and prioritizes information in a variety of forms.
Elicits diverse perspectives and contributions to more deeply understand a topic or issue.
Evaluates information to determine its relevance, source, and factual basis.

Solves Complex Problems

Proposes solutions that are mindful of all potentially positive and negative impacts they may have.
Reflects critically on a solution and takes appropriate action.
Seeks, contributes, and responds to feedback to achieve collective outcomes.

Acts Responsibly

Demonstrates care for the interests of the larger community and greater good.
Honors commitments and owns the outcomes, whether positive or negative.
Earns trust and respect through honest, principled behaviors.
Acts with integrity by adhering to a set of core values that are evident in choices and behaviors.
Knows how to make appropriate personal economic choices.