Giddens School

STUDENT CENTERED Giddens students are the center of a dynamic and engaging inquiry and experiential learning environment where their ideas, voice, creativity, sense of wonder, and identities are honored and nurtured.

WHOLE CHILD At Giddens, we celebrate each child’s uniqueness. We attend to the whole child, focusing on intellectual growth as well as on social and emotional development. We create teaching and learning spaces that inspire the joy of discovery and help students to appreciate their individual character and strengths as well as to be open to others’ ideas, perspectives, and unique approaches.

ACTIVE AND ENGAGED COMMUNITY Our community is one of our greatest strengths. It is not simply a collection of families; it’s everyone – students, faculty, staff, families, and other community partners – working, playing, and learning together and from each other. Our community is a focal point of cultural and civic engagement and celebration where we also tend to the work of relationship building, dialogue, and understanding. It is the collective work and effort of everyone.

EQUITY AND ACCESS Equity and access are core values, policies, and practices that guide our social justice work at Giddens. We have a strong commitment to creating a more inclusive and socio-economically diverse school community, which is reflected in the admissions and financial aid policies. Working towards a more accepting and just community is also a key part of our school’s mission and identity. This work is reflected in our everyday practices – in our curriculum, in our professional development, in how we treat one another, and in our community engagement – which help our students to care about the world and be the seeds of change.

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION Our diversity is an integral part of our curriculum and everyday experience at Giddens. We embrace diversity – such as racial, ethnic, gender identification, sexual orientation, religious, and socio-economic diversity – and continue to work towards creating a school that is reflective of the culturally rich and vibrant communities in which our school is located. We believe that the best learning happens in a diverse, inclusive, and caring school environment which provides ample opportunities for students to take risks, build understanding across boundaries, and be more open and caring members of the school, community, and our multicultural society.