Sitting at the counter in our kitchen, laptop out in front of us, my daughters and I tuned in to Bingo Night. Whether we are in Braemar or online, Mr. E calls out the numbers and makes us laugh every time. Though this year we were online, the kids were as engaged as ever. They excitedly called out “BINGO!” with gusto, pleased to have won their class a pajama day or some other fun prize. It wasn’t our usual Bingo Night, but it was a wonderful night in its own right. It filled me with such a warmth, such a sense of joy, how wonderful it felt to be connected.  It was a moment of community that felt more important than ever.

More important than ever have been words that come up over and over again as we talk about the GUS experience during the time of COVID. The GUS educational philosophy itself offers a program for students that is uniquely qualified to handle the impact the pandemic has had on children. Intentional relationship building, experiential learning, and a thematic curriculum that spirals with the students as they grow socially, emotionally, and academically, have always been cornerstones of the GUS program. It is these progressive principles, which start with knowing each student as an individual and using relationships to grow and learn, that children will need as we slowly emerge from the stress and social isolation of this pandemic.

At GUS, we put students first. This was certainly true when we decided to return in person, but this isn’t something that began with the pandemic. At GUS, the student experience has always been at the core of what we do. Starting where students are and building understanding around what they already know anchors a child and gives them confidence. Small classes and a team approach allows each individual student to be truly known, and the role of teacher-as-guide leads to meaningful relationships between student and teacher. Today, we realize these relationships are truly more important than ever. With the strain and stress brought into our everyday lives by COVID-19, students will continue to need a school community that is entirely focused on getting to know them as individuals and that is responsive to their ever-changing needs as they learn and grow. In short, students need GUS.

Creating a safe place for students to notice and ask questions about all the changes life has thrown at them provides comfort, and allows all of us - children and adults alike - to grow stronger and more resilient, as we face challenges and work to find solutions together. At GUS, creating that safe place has never been by chance. Getting to know our students and helping students know themselves is woven into our academic program, through themes that ask us to look inward, like Who Am I?, and outward through The World Around Us, Where Do I Live?, and Where Am I Going? This has definitely been a time for questions, and here at GUS, these questions and concepts have always been entwined with students’ natural questions about the world and their place in it. We see our students pondering these questions in their White Shirt Projects that are now hung in the upper school gallery. Now more than ever, our students need a place that allows them to explore the world around them as it also encourages them to follow a path to self discovery. 

Deliberate community building has always been a cornerstone of the GUS academic program. Today, we realize that relationships are more important than ever, not just between students and their teachers, but between students with each other. As a result, offering in-person learning this year has been a top priority. During a time when we all are feeling isolated, how fortunate that our young people get to come together to learn and grow. The joy we see as they get out of the car in the morning is very real. It is the same joy we see when upper school students head off to clubs or when upper and lower school partners meet. Finding ways to come together has always been an important part of the GUS experience, and while we mourn the loss of a number of beloved GUS trips, traditions, and experience, we can’t wait to see the Boar Cup, an upper school Olympics of sorts, reimagined before we leave for March break. These events, like Bingo Night, play an important role in creating community during a time when we all need it more than ever.

While many of us have felt isolated by the pandemic, we have also felt a growing need to get outside. GUS has always been about getting outside! Our progressive model, which focuses on students building their own knowledge and understanding through experience, isn’t just about field trips. Though fourth grade still has found ways to continue their many ventures to the sea this year, we don’t have to go far to make learning more active for our students. After so much time in front of screens, the benefits of a place-based education are more important than ever. The pandemic has afforded us the opportunity to dig deeper into our campus, find new ways to use existing resources, and to truly bring school to life across all corners of our 26-acre campus. Extended walks on the GUS nature trail, campfires in the outdoor classroom, music in the shade of trees, we value some of the changes brought by these crazy times. During a time where so much feels unnatural, by staying true to our school philosophy, many of the changes feel quite natural. For teachers and students alike, we have found true joy by more deeply embracing the GUS way.

All of these things are more important than ever, and yet, they have always been important aspects of the GUS program. As challenging as these times have been, we are buoyed up by our progressive model that has always benefited young people, but that is even more valuable now and going forward. The GUS experience and the GUS community has made a time of isolation not only less lonely, but actually bright with hope and community. The GUS way, a progressive education model, has truly been an antidote to a disruptive and distressing year and the warmth, passion, and joy of the GUS community will continue to be our salve, now and as we go forward.

Sincerely,

Gretchen Forsyth
Head of School