Mean Well. Speak Well. Do Well. Do Better.
Dear GUS Community,
Current events, including the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Rayshard Brooks, and countless others, have drawn much-needed attention to the issue of racism in our country. As people take to the streets in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, as police departments review their policies and practices, as businesses re-assess leadership structure and marketing campaigns, one thing remains clear: the roots of systemic racism run deep in our country. Glen Urquhart School recognizes the call to action and will reflect on the role we have played to perpetuate these inequities. Our school is built on a mission and philosophy that guides us to shape young people who will make the world a better place. Starting now, we commit not only to Mean Well, Speak Well, and Do Well, but to Do Better.
A commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is not new at GUS. We have always aimed to provide a curriculum with a strong thread of social justice. Now, more than ever, our faculty, staff, and board share a desire to do more and to do better. In order to truly enact change, we must take active steps to dismantle pervasive and systematic racism, in our curriculum, in our community, and in our country. Last fall, our diversity, equity, and inclusion working group began a review of our curriculum to determine how we are already addressing topics connected to diversity, equity, and inclusion in our program, and to make recommendations for improvement across the board - from hiring practices and admissions, to curriculum development, and ongoing education for students, faculty, and our parent community. I have been inspired by their passion and commitment to ensuring that our curriculum includes diverse perspectives and provides a full understanding of how US culture, history, and policies have contributed to the problem of racism in our country. Our faculty are already moving beyond education to action, and helping us begin to walk the walk.
Over the last year, we have also increasingly been called to action by our own students, who want to learn more about how they can be agents of change in their communities, and contribute to creating a world that is more just, equitable, and environmentally-sound. We are inspired by their appetite for learning and their drive towards action. In recent weeks, we have also heard from our alumni community, who want to see GUS do more as a privileged educational institution. We are affirmed by these calls to action from current and past students, and excited to dig deeper into the important work of social justice education.
As we work to walk the walk, we recognize there is a long road to travel. There is much work to be done at GUS, and beyond. As we walk, there will certainly be times when we stumble. We will make mistakes, but may we learn to do better and be better. As we preach to our students, and as we have seen many times this year, leaning into discomfort is imperative for growth. We will be growth minded, understanding that this is not the time to question whether we can make a difference, but to constantly try. We will not let the fear of doing it wrong get in the way of action and we will recognize that this is work for us all.
So where do we go from here? We believe that creating space for conversation is of the highest importance. Faculty, parents, alumni, and friends all have important stories to tell and valuable perspectives to share that can help us get to where we want to go, as a school and a country. We welcome feedback from families. We want you to know we are listening and plan to communicate concrete action steps as we plan. If you are interested in joining a community working group, please reach out to me or Emily Rabinowitz-Buchanan, who will be leading our school initiatives. In addition, keep an eye out for new resources and information that will be added to the diversity, equity, and inclusion page on our website.
Glen Urquhart School has been called to action and we will do all we can to answer that call with dedication and heart. We look forward to working together to teach and live antiracist values, and to do better for our students, our school, and our country.
Trust and Go Forward,
Gretchen Forsyth
Head of School