The Power of Writing

I believe that writing can be powerful. Not the follow-the-guidelines, meet the criteria, formulaic kind of writing, but writing that allows us to feel or think. Watching students evolve as writers is an interesting process. Some children focus on grammar usage, vocabulary variety, and content development and organization. Those are good goals. The challenge is to build these skills while also keeping the author’s voice.

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FacultySydney Clarke
Identity, Inquiry + Inclusivity at GUS

It can be hard to watch the news these days and sometimes even impossible if your children are in the room. It seems as though the unthinkable happens every day. The mass-shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, and the recent race-related shootings in Buffalo, NY and Laguna Woods, California make it clear that there are just some truths we can’t shield our children from.

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Maria Rodrigo Leaman: Lower School Spanish

Maria Rodrigo Leaman joined GUS as Lower School Spanish teacher in the fall of 2021, teaching students in grades pre-k through 5. Hear directly from Maria about her approach to teaching, why she loves to teach Spanish, why it’s important to begin teaching foreign language at a young age.

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Cinco de Mayo

In Spanish class, fifth grade students have been learning about Cinco de Mayo. They presented what they learned at All School Meeting this morning, and ended the week with their own celebration.

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Changes in the Air

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.

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Love is Letting Go

Growing up is hard. Skinned knees, monsters under the bed, clothes stained beyond recognition, childhood can be scary, messy, and sometimes painful. As parents, we cringe when they ride a two-wheeler for the first time. Full of pride and scared to death that they’ll hurt themselves. We buy goldfish, weekly if need be, to protect their young hearts from the pain of loss. We want them to grow up, but we also want to protect them. As someone who has worked with many families with children from pre-k through high school, I can attest that these feelings never go away.

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Why I Love Teaching Math

From the time I was very young, I knew I wanted to be a teacher. I am not sure what it was exactly that I loved about it. But as the oldest of four who was often left in charge it seemed a natural fit. As a child, I would set up school for my dolls and stuffed animals and spend hours pretending to teach them.

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FacultyMaureen Twombly
Exploring Civil Rights + Activism at GUS

Throughout the year, students across grade levels have been learning about civil rights and exploring what it means to be an activist. Students have been sharing what they're learning about, and have presented projects they’ve completed at Friday morning All School Meetings.

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DEIWhitney Buckley