The Portrait of a Graduate was created in 2023 by the New Canaan Public Schools community, including educators, students, Board of Education members, and families, to define the essential competencies our graduates need to thrive in today’s world. The five competencies in our Portrait of a Graduate - adaptability, communication, critical thinking, curiosity, and empathy - are foundational to the teaching and learning across all grade levels.
The Portrait of a Graduate is more than academic standards; it embeds life skills and transferable competencies into every student’s experience. As society and workplaces become increasingly dynamic, our graduates must be equipped not just with knowledge, but also with the flexibility to think critically, work collaboratively, and continue learning throughout their lives. Our work with students aims to strengthen each students’ proficiency with our 5 competencies through classroom instruction and authentic learning experiences while providing meaningful feedback to students - ensuring transparent progress toward mastery.
This district-wide initiative prepares students to be thoughtful, skillful, and adaptable citizens, ready for whatever the future brings - at college, career, and beyond. The Portrait of a Graduate represents a shared commitment by the entire New Canaan Public Schools community to ensure that every student can build both academic knowledge and the transferable skills needed for lifelong success.
This month we encourage families to focus on Empathy.
Empathy is the ability to understand and value the emotions, experiences, and perspectives of others. It includes demonstrating integrity and accountability in interactions, resulting in meaningful, respectful relationships. When demonstrating Empathy, our students recognize how their actions impact others beyond themselves, act with integrity and accountability in both individual and group settings and value and understand a situation from someone else’s point of view.
Students demonstrate empathy and improve their empathy skills on a regular basis at NCHS. Here are a few examples from the last few weeks at NCHS:
Members of the NCHS Debate Team competed at the King School in Stamford, with several teams taking top honors. Success in debate requires a high level of empathy - the ability to research, understand, and respectfully argue perspectives that may differ from one's own.
Students in Geometry applied empathy to their collaborative work. To successfully find angle measures in polygons, students relied on strong communication and mutual support to help one another remember complex rules and complete problems as a team.
Students in Advanced Film used film journals to research and share the upbringing and culture of diverse filmmakers. By exploring the personal histories and cultural backgrounds of these artists, students practiced valuing experiences and perspectives different from their own.
Volunteers from the NCHS Service League of Boys (SLOBs) are showing accountability to their community by delivering Class of 2026 lawn signs. This effort directly supports the NCHS Scholarship Foundation, showing how students recognize the impact of their actions on the future success of their peers.
Mandarin Chinese III students explored the symbolism of Peking Opera, learning how colors and roles convey deep cultural meanings. This study encourages students to value and understand a situation from someone else’s point of view by engaging with traditional global arts.
Following the mid-term season, the school community celebrated the focus and resilience of the student body. The shift to our “Off and Away" cell phone policy is a collective exercise in empathy, designed to foster more meaningful, face-to-face connections and presence with one another.
Several students were recognized in the 2026 Connecticut Regional Scholastic Art Awards. Art is a powerful medium for empathy, as it allows students to share their personal experiences and allows viewers to see the world through a different lens.
Emma McPartland, Arabesque, photography – GOLD KEY
Analiese Bergmans, The Cost of Growing Up, drawing – GOLD KEY
Connecting at Home Families can continue to focus on empathy this month by:
Discussing Perspectives: When watching a movie or reading a book, ask: "How do you think that character felt in that situation?"
Reflecting on Impact: Encourage children to think about how their daily choices - both online and in person - affect their peers and community.
Practicing Accountability: Model integrity by admitting to mistakes and discussing how to make things right, reinforcing that our actions always have a ripple effect.