Living Our Core Values

As we move into May, we can see the end of the school year rapidly approaching along with what I hope could be a summer with fewer restrictions and more chances to connect with family and friends. There is no doubt that this has been a challenging year, one where the idea of community has come to mean more than ever before. I write this now to share my thoughts about our school’s core values and to emphasize their importance in keeping our community strong. As it says on our website, “The foundation of GNS lies in our Core Values. These principles guide each member of the ‘GNS Family,’ as we ensure the school remains an exceptional place for students, parents, families, alumni, faculty and staff.” Truth. Courage. Caring. Individuality. Community. When faced with decisions regarding challenges or opportunities for celebration, the Leadership Team and I return to these core values to help guide our actions. We have made this promise to our students, that we will work to understand, challenge and support them to do their best and realize their potential as whole persons each day and throughout life. We rely on our core values to help us fulfil this promise and to ensure we create a thriving community that promotes active citizenship, engages in open and meaningful dialogue, advocates respect and celebrates both effort and success. It is evident that GNS, like all schools and the broader global community, is facing a range of important, complex issues. These are issues that we do not shy away from exploring in the classroom through assignments, class discussion, purposeful interactions with a wonderful diversity of guests, and through numerous opportunities to celebrate and share our own perspectives, cultures, histories and traditions. Again, these explorations are guided by our core values to allow us to create opportunities for honest, safe, open conversations that respect individual opinions while maintaining our shared commitment to our collective community. Each member of our community has a part to play in maintaining a positive school culture and, as part of our adherence to living our core values, we encourage our students to speak up promptly whenever they are aware of situations that are contrary to creating a safe and inclusive learning environment. We expect our students to be courageous in coming forward and owning their mistakes and to be caring enough about the community, to tell the truth—even when it is difficult. Mistakes, even big ones, are part of life and GNS is a community where students can feel safe and cared for, but can also be supported in making amends when mistakes are made. As an IB Continuum school, we not only strive to uphold the GNS mission, vision and values, but also those of the IB. The first part of the IB Mission states that their aim is “to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.” Our sincere hope is that all students will graduate from GNS with the feeling that our core values have been reflected in the community they have grown up and learned in and that they can share them as they strive to create a safer and more inclusive world. Truth. Courage. Caring. Individuality. Community. Guided by these principles, we strive to understand, challenge and support every member of our rich, diverse community of students as individuals while supporting them as they learn to make positive contributions to both GNS and the greater community. Each week when I read the Friday E-news, I see evidence that we are finding success. “Grade 3s Learn About Others Through Culture Boxes,” “Grade 2 Entrepreneurs Choose to Give,” “Middle School Celebrates Gratitude Day,” “Middle School Round Square Tackles Multiple Issues,” “SAC Helps Students Destress,” and “IB Theory of Knowledge Exhibition Displays Critical Thinking Skills” are just some of the stories shared this year that exemplify how, even with the current COVID-19 restrictions, our students and staff are embracing the opportunities available to them and connecting to our core values. As I have said many times this year, it is a partnership between the school and our families that makes our GNS community so strong. I am grateful for your ongoing support, your willingness to connect with us, and your commitment to your children’s education. Warm regards, Chad Holtum Head of School