Changes in the Air

The Class of 2022 performs the Maypole dance as part of our May Day celebration, which took place this year on April 24, 2022.

There is a reason spring is everyone’s favorite time in schools. Flowers pop up, the weather is warmer, the smell of freshly cut grass fills the air, everything about springtime suggests exciting changes are coming. We welcome applicants visiting and exploring GUS, just as we see our 8th graders off to visit secondary schools. Events and beloved GUS traditions fill up our calendars! Our students are heading off on all those wonderful trips they’ve been waiting for. Whether Mystic or Chewonki, this is the first overnight trip for our 4th, 5th, and 6th graders. The musical is coming along, and in many grades, parents are coming to campus for those capstone presentations. One of the biggest being Evening with the Graduates, which will no doubt be here before we know it. Yes, big changes are everywhere!

All of these events represent endings, but they also represent new beginnings. All around us, things are in transition. GUS as a school is also sprouting. We’ve been deep in the throes of hiring for much of the winter. This spring we are emerging with a number of wonderful new hires that will bring so much to the GUS community. Every teacher is instrumental to our program and parting is never easy. While change can be unsettling, it’s really just the tilling of healthy soil, ripe for growth. Obviously, there is no replacing the likes of Jeffrey Bartsch and Sydney Clarke, but the impact they have had on our program is timeless, just like many who have come before and those who will come after. So, as we celebrate their many contributions, we also recognize the spring-like quality our new faculty will bring to life in the upper school. We are particularly excited about welcoming our new Assistant Head of School for Curriculum + Program Brad Belin, and our new Director of Admissions Katie Chhu. 

Another new beginning that has taken seed is our Campus Master Plan. Thanks to all who joined the community meetings to share their thoughts about our special school. The architects have been busy creating a vision of GUS that feels like an extension of who and what we already are. I am very excited to see what grows out of this work. We hope to have something to share at the annual meeting, so stay tuned!

Change is in the air and every moment feels full of possibility. For our students, our faculty, and our school, we have weathered the winter and now welcome the spring. As the winter solstice promises, every day gets lighter and brighter and we are filled with joy. The best part of these wonderful spring days is the coming together of the community. We hope to see you all on campus soon, whether joining us to celebrate a milestone, coming to Friday Morning Meeting, or attending the Parents Association Derby Party - all are welcome!

Trust and Go Forward,

Gretchen Forsyth
Head of School