Independent for a Reason
The beating heart of any truly great independent school lies in the community’s shared commitment to its mission, vision, and values.
In the fall of 2023, after a year of self-reflection and collaboration with our community, we shared our new mission, vision, and values. These guiding principles are not just words on a website, they are the driving force behind every decision we make at GUS, from curriculum design to community building.
Our mission: Through the joys of learning, we inspire young people to be engaged and curious stewards of the world around them.
Our vision: To empower a generation of young people to do better.
Our values: Curiosity, Community, Respect, Social Responsibility, Sustainability
Our mission, vision, and values not only reaffirm who we are, what we believe in, and where we are going, they are the bedrock upon which our unique and enriching educational experience is built, one that resonates deeply with our community, perhaps now more than ever. In an independent school, we have the agency to teach in a way that’s both relevant and engaging for our students, that allows them to deepen their critical thinking and inquiry skills, and stays true to who we are.
As a professional educator, I’m always asked why I chose to work in independent schools. This is truly one of my favorite questions to answer! There are so many reasons but most of all, it’s because every day I get to do what is best for our students. I am inspired by the inherent flexibility of independent schools. Flexibility allows for a level of creativity and innovation in our teaching practices that is often stifled by the constraints of standardized testing, rigid curricula, federal and state-level policy, and even local budgets. At independent schools like GUS, we can prioritize community building, fostering a sense of belonging and mutual support that extends far beyond the classroom. With our emphasis on character development and social responsibility, perhaps the greatest strength of a GUS education is how it also equips students with a strong moral compass and a sense of civic duty, empowering a new generation to do better. Of course, perhaps most notable at GUS, we have the ability to design and implement field trips and experiential learning opportunities that allow us to reach students in ways that traditional methods simply cannot - leading to a deeply engaged and intellectually curious student body. At GUS, school is truly what school should be.
Independent school is also a choice for families. Choosing the right school for your family represents a belief not only in what a school does, but in how and why they do it. This shared commitment to a distinct mission, vision, and values, is truly what sets an independent school community apart. Here at GUS, this powerful combination of a nurturing and aligned community, paired with educational freedom and innovation, creates an environment where both teachers and students thrive – fostering a love of learning that transcends the confines of the traditional school day.
Here at GUS, we are an independent school with an independent spirit uniquely positioned to deliver on our mission and to fulfill our vision. We are a school community dedicated to constantly working to do better, inside and outside of the classroom, for our families, for our community, and for the greater good. Choosing GUS means choosing a school dedicated to making a meaningful difference in your child's life, an impact that will make a difference for them today, and tomorrow.