November Message from HOS

At Glen Urquhart School, November is a month rich with gratitude, tradition, and the small, meaningful rituals that remind us who we are. One of my favorites is Bread Day, a celebration that has been part of GUS since 1980, when our first Head of School, Harry Groblewski, brought this tradition to campus. Bread Day is simple in spirit and profound in meaning: we gather to share breads from our homes and heritage, recognizing bread as both a universal food and a symbol of unity, transformation, and continuity.

This year, as students broke, tasted, and traded breads, I was struck again by how this tradition mirrors what we value most at GUS. Bread begins with simple ingredients transformed with care—much like how curiosity, kindness, and connection transform a school community. Every loaf tells a story, and when our families share their stories with one another, we strengthen the ties that knit GUS together.

That same spirit of generosity and community has been evident across campus in the past several months. Last spring at our gala, we invited our families to help fund important campus enhancements—new signage, refreshed landscaping, updated fencing, and improvements around our greenhouse. You answered that call with enthusiasm, and by fall, every project had been completed. Each improvement is a reminder of what is possible when this community acts together.

And once again, you have shown your wholehearted support through the Community Changemaker Challenge, honoring beloved teacher Christy Doxsee. Christy understood that educators are seed planters whose influence grows long after students leave their classrooms. In her memory and in honor of all the difference makers at GUS, we set out to raise $25,000 to match an anonymous gift—and this community responded with generosity and compassion.  By donating to this effort, we carry forward Christy’s spark, warmth, and light, while celebrating our wonderful GUS faculty.

As we head into Thanksgiving break, I am reminded that gratitude at GUS is not just something we talk about once a year—it’s something we practice in countless small ways every day: in the way students care for one another, in the creativity that animates our classrooms, in the willingness of families to show up again and again with generosity and love. When GUS asks, this community responds—not only with resources, but with heart.

Thank you for coming together as a community and supporting each other in so many ways, seen and unseen, this fall and always.  Thank you for giving your time, your talent, and your steady support. Most of all, thank you for believing in GUS.

I am deeply grateful for each of you and the many ways you help our school grow strong and bright.

Wishing you and your families a joyful, restful, and connected Thanksgiving,