October Letter from Head of School

Dear Friends + Family,

There is something about October that makes us especially aware of seasons. The mornings are cooler, the leaves are beginning to turn, and the light itself seems a little different. At school, September’s rush of beginnings has started to settle into a rhythm. Classrooms are humming. Relationships are taking shape.

We are no longer simply starting the school year; we are beginning to see what kind of year this will become.

Schools move through seasons, too. There are seasons of planting + building, seasons of reflection + change, and seasons when the work of many years begins to take visible shape. As I look around GUS right now, I believe we are in a season of possibility.

You will see some of that reflected throughout this issue. We are welcoming new faculty members who are already bringing their own talents, ideas, and energy to our community. You will learn more about members of our Board of Trustees, whose thoughtful stewardship helps ensure that GUS remains strong not only for the children here today, but for those who will come after them. You will read about the Tadler Grant and the generosity and vision of Richard and Donna Tadler that allows teachers to dream big with enriching professional development experiences. 

We see that spirit of community in events like the Wicked Kids Run – this year on November 8 – and traditions like Grand Friends’ Day, and Bread Day. These are the cornerstones of each season at GUS; the moments that bring our students, families, and community together to create shared experiences and lasting memories. These traditions are part of what remind us that the school’s strength lies not only in the moments we share today, but also the care we take to ensure those experiences – and the community behind them – continue to thrive for generations to come.

That is the heart of What GUS Can Be, our campaign for the future of Glen Urquhart School.

A campaign is, of course, about raising resources. At its heart, though, it is really an expression of belief – belief in a school, in its mission, and in what is possible when a community chooses to invest in its future. The new spaces we are creating will give our students extraordinary opportunities to experiment, design, question, collaborate, and discover. The building itself is only one part of the story. This moment asks us to think more broadly about the GUS we are building: how we support our teachers, expand access for families, strengthen our programs, and ensure that the things we value most about this school endure.

What makes this season especially meaningful is that we are not beginning from scratch. We are building on a strong foundation laid over nearly fifty years by teachers, trustees, families, students, alumni, and friends who believed deeply in this place. Each generation has been asked to care for GUS for a time – to honor what came before while also imagining what might come next.

Now it is our turn.

There will always be another season at a school. Children arrive and graduate. Teachers begin and retire. Buildings change. Programs grow. The leaves fall and, eventually, return. Through it all, the heart of the school remains: children known and loved, teachers who inspire curiosity, and a community committed to helping young people become engaged and thoughtful stewards of the world around them.

This October, I am grateful for where GUS has been, energized by where we are, and tremendously hopeful about where we are going. There is much still to build, but what a wonderful season to be doing this work together.

Trust and Go Forward,