At GUS, our child-centric educational philosophy guides our efforts in and out of the classroom.

Through ongoing observation and work with students, along with ongoing communication with teachers and parents, our student support team works to ensure that each student’s individual learning styles and needs are identified and supported throughout the school year.

Academic Support + Enrichment

When a student is identified as needing additional academic support, our learning support specialists will work with the student, their family, and the classroom teachers to develop an individualized learning plan and to ensure that classroom instruction can be differentiated to support a range of needs. Learning plans typically include particular accommodations suited to the student’s needs that will allow them to access the curriculum, build skills, and remain an active and engaged member of the classroom community.

Our academic support team may also work with outside specialists (such as tutors, public and private evaluators, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, and physical therapists) to gain a more comprehensive understanding of a student’s learning needs, which can inform the design of their learning plan.

We offer comprehensive support in both literacy and math. Through in-classroom support, small groups in and out of the classroom, and weekly planning times with teachers, we are working to meet each student where they are and fulfill their individual needs. This support is woven into the academic day - not only for convenience but also to keep in mind the stamina and social-emotional needs of a child. In the upper elementary and middle school grades, our learning support specialists also help students build a variety of skills including time management, organization, self-advocacy, working independently, and also help with literacy skill-building.

Our math program offers opportunities for students to get support, but also to push themselves further. In sixth and seventh grade students can choose between further (advanced) or deeper (grade level) assignments and assessments. In seventh and eighth grade, math lab, a class that reviews foundational concepts and current material in a small group setting, is offered in place of Latin, for students who would benefit from additional math support. In cases where students demonstrate skills beyond grade level, they have the opportunity to test into the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY) through which they are able to take advanced-level math classes, online, during their regularly scheduled math class. These students are also assigned a GUS math advisor that works with the student in addition to the CTY faculty.

Social-Emotional Support

Social-emotional learning is one of the foundations on which all curriculum at GUS is built. Grades K-5 use the Open Circle curriculum, in which they convene for discussions centered on the self and personal identity, as well as relationships with others. Life Skills classes, in grades six through eight, explore topics about the emotional implications of puberty, how to take care of oneself physically, drugs and alcohol, social media, and, finally, preparing to move on from GUS to high school.

Beyond everyday curriculum, GUS offers a two-tiered approach that utilizes the classroom teachers and our school counselor, to provide social-emotional support for more individualized intervention. In the classroom, teachers model and reinforce important essential skills like how to be respectful of others, how to have honest and open conversations, and what empathy looks and feels like. In addition, our School Counselor provides additional support for struggling students. A key to our emotional and academic support of students is regular team meetings that include the teachers, the school counselor and academic support teacher, and the Assistant Head of School. In these meetings, the team will discuss the level of intervention and support needed for individual students. Interventions could include student observations, one on one support, or parent meetings. We also assist families in finding long-term outside support services outside of school as needed.

Outside Support

We partner with Peer Projects-Therapy from the Heart to offer screenings and services for speech and OT, as well as outside counselors, to provide support on campus, during the academic day. This allows students to get the support they need, with the added convenience for families of having the appointments on campus.