Ms. Sarah McLeod: A Champion for Literacy, Inquiry and Community at GNS

When you enter the Learning Commons at the Beach Drive Campus, you immediately feel a sense of purposeful energy. There are no doors, which is fitting, because for Teacher-Librarian Sarah McLeod, learning has always been about removing barriers, opening minds, and building community. After an incredible 35-year career in education, Sarah is retiring at the end of this school year, leaving behind a legacy of literacy, inquiry and connection that has shaped the Junior School in profound ways.

Although Sarah officially joined the Glenlyon Norfolk School staff in September 2016, her ties to the community go back much further. Her connection began in 1998 when her nephew started Kindergarten at the then Junior Boys Campus on Beach Drive. For years, Sarah and her family visited GNS to cheer on her two nephews. When her family moved to Victoria in 2012, there was no question in her mind about where her children would go to school. She was deeply drawn to the International Baccalaureate programme and shares that “For me, it’s the most interesting pedagogical framework out there for teaching.” 

Her three daughters—Ellie ’16, Annie ’19 and Georgia ’25—all went on to graduate from GNS. The family’s connection to the school runs so deep that Ellie, who is now a teacher herself, even married a fellow GNS alum, Anders Murray-Hemphill ’16. To Ms. McLeod, coming to work at GNS was an organic transition from being an engaged parent.

Sarah’s journey to becoming an educator wasn’t something she initially planned. During her university years studying architectural history and studio art, she was an assistant teacher at Arts Umbrella, an arts non-profit organization in Vancouver. Surrounded by working artists teaching children in an old warehouse, she had a revelation that teaching was not only incredibly fun, but it was a profession that allowed her to weave different subjects together. She loved the idea that in elementary education, you didn’t have to choose between subjects; you could explore them all simultaneously. “That’s what I love about being a Teacher-Librarian, you can touch on all of the different subjects, and that’s what inquiry-based teaching ultimately is. So for me, it was just a natural fit,” she shares.

This early realization perfectly laid the foundation for her lifelong passion for inquiry-based and place-based learning. From the very beginning of her career, Sarah was driven by a desire to deeply understand and support her students. During her early years teaching a primarily ESL class, she enrolled in Cantonese classes at night just so she could communicate directly with the parents and grandparents of her students. Her career has taken her across the globe and through different facets of education, including working with a team at the Cambridge University Library cataloging the Commonwealth collection.

When Sarah moved to Victoria, she noticed the landscape of school libraries was shifting. With many libraries facing cutbacks, she decided to go back to school to explore how to support learning communities through a new model. She researched Maker Spaces, Innovation Labs, and the concept of the Learning Commons, a space designed not just for housing books, but for exploring, creating and gathering. She brought this new approach to other schools before finally bringing her talents home to GNS.

At the Beach Drive Campus, Sarah fundamentally transformed how the library functioned. She didn’t just change the physical space by removing furniture that hampered collaboration; she cultivated a philosophy. She championed the idea that the Learning Commons should be a hub of student activity, constantly filled with conversations that deepen connection. This environment paved the way for unforgettable hands-on learning experiences, like the beloved cardboard challenge, where students were given massive amounts of cardboard and a simple prompt to collaboratively build something that performs a function.

Sarah’s collaborative spirit extended far beyond the walls of the Learning Commons. She was instrumental in bringing GNS Reads to life and fostering such a strong culture of literacy. She also guided the Grade 4 heritage inquiry project, which involves students exploring the stories of our local community through history and research. This project is so impactful that it (and Ms. McLeod!) was featured in the book Inquiry Mindset by Trevor MacKenzie.

Her colleagues have always deeply valued her expertise and her warmth. Mr. Chad Holtum, Head of School, beautifully captured her impact, noting that while “They say a library is the heart of a school, she was truly the heart of the library.” He shared that working alongside her has been a true privilege, and that “her kindness is woven into the very fabric of GNS”. 

Junior School Principal, Mrs. Crystal Shea, echoed this sentiment, thanking Sarah for being an incredible “Champion for all books and creative ways to learn.” Mrs. Shea highlighted how Sarah’s influence extended beyond the students. “Our teachers also benefited from [her] expertise and gentle guidance,” and that she always acted as “an advocate for student growth and the development of lifelong learners.”

For Sarah, teaching has always been about relationships. She has witnessed massive shifts in education over the past three and a half decades. She remembers the distinct smell of the Gestetner machine in the staff room, the thrill of receiving the first dot matrix printer, and the excitement of volunteering to try a smartboard. Today, she finds herself navigating the complexities of artificial intelligence and its place in learning, which she describes as scary but incredibly fascinating. Yet, through this “hinge of history,” she maintains that the core of education, the connection between people, has never changed.

Some of her favourite memories are rooted in these enduring relationships. She fondly recalls an unforgettable day in the early 1990s amidst a school board strike. Ms. McLeod was suddenly placed in a Kindergarten classroom where 90-percent of the students didn’t speak English. Panicking, she reached out to current GNS Grade 3 Teacher Ms. Cheryl Palm, whom she had known since Grade 8. Cheryl laid out things on a garage floor, walking Sarah through exactly what to do and building her toolkit further. It was an “excellent crash course in Kindergarten” that cemented a lifelong bond and remains one of Sarah’s favourite teaching stories.

When asked how she hopes to be remembered, Sarah’s wish is simple. She hopes she has inspired her students to always “go and find answers.” She wants to be remembered for instilling a profound love of literacy, reading and learning. For Sarah, there has been no greater professional reward than witnessing “A child who realizes they’ve learned to read; that is the biggest joy!”

As she looks ahead to retirement, Sarah’s schedule promises to be just as full, albeit in a different capacity. She is looking forward to spending abundant time with her daughters, family and friends. An avid reader, her personal library will undoubtedly continue to grow. But above all, she is excited for new adventures and is eager to travel. We are endlessly grateful for the passion Ms. McLeod has shared with the GNS community over the years, and we wish her a wonderful, adventure-filled retirement!