As we design the GCDS High School, our aim is to help young people become learners, leaders, and citizens with the knowledge, mindsets, and skills that matter most. Last fall, Headmaster Adam Rohdie and the leadership at GCDS began working with Stephanie Rogen, Principal and Founder of Greenwich Leadership Partners, to envision a high school program that will best prepare our graduates for a rapidly changing future. In partnership with the Board and Administrative Team, Stephanie is helping to facilitate a process that ensures we build on GCDS s enduring values as we boldly design for the future. In early March, we had an opportunity to speak with her about the key questions that guide this work and why GCDS is uniquely positioned to set a new standard for excellence with an authentically student-centered, co-educational, college preparatory program. T he opportunity to build a new high school provokes lots of questions. What s happening in the world of education, and why is this opportunity for GCDS so compelling? I m fascinated by questions looking at the intersection of the workplace and schools. What strikes me are the significant gaps between 1) what happens in school and what happens in the world outside of school, and, 2) what we know about learning and the brain and how we actually educate students and orga- the next generation of talent for the workforce. This is important, but it s not enough to think only about college or employment. We also want to prepare young people to live healthy, fruitful lives as compassionate, responsible, and well-informed citizens. What does this mean in a world of brilliant technologies, social media and information overload, and a host of complex local and global challenges? What kinds of thinking skills do we need? What knowledge matters and why? How do we cultivate deeply valued capacities WHAT MATTERS MOST nize schools. These gaps are made more acute by globalization, the astonishing advancement of digital technology and machine learning, and our changing demographics. It s worth noting that our schools were designed more than 125 years ago for the transformation brought about by the Industrial Revolution. Now, we are navigating a whole new set of challenges and opportunities and we need our schools to catch up! Much of the focus in educational circles is on the question of how to prepare like creativity, emotional intelligence, and intellectual curiosity? As a parent, as an educator, and as a member of this community, these are questions that keep me up at night. Working in this role at GCDS gives me a chance to participate in the design of a school I would have liked to have here for my own children. This is an exciting time to explore what matters most for our learners. Greenwich Country Day School, which has a legacy of wisely combining tradition and innovation, and of being truly 4 GCDSNEWS APRIL 2018
student-centered, is the perfect place to deliver on the best high school experience today and for the future. The resources are here, the commitment is here, the expertise is here, and the values are here these are what create the best conditions for designing a school from scratch. As we lean on that foundation, we also have to make some wise bets about how schools must evolve to serve students. I would wager that 5 or 10 years from now, while we can t predict what the world will look like, we can certainly be convinced that the world is going to be different and that the choices and options for education will look different. The GCDS opportunity presents the best circumstances I can imagine in which to grapple with this kind of work. How will GCDS offer a more relevant education for the future? Many schools aspire to develop students as lifelong learners. Never has this aim been more important, and GCDS HIGH SCHOOL SEPTEMBER 2019 the implications for achieving this aim are equally profound. Our children are going to have to have the ability to learn on the fly, to make connections quickly, and be able to know how to assess their own learning and progress. They ll need to be curious, they ll need to be unafraid to ask questions, and they ll need to know how to develop the knowledge they need when they need it and in response to situations they haven t seen before. They ll need to examine information critically, to know what is true, what makes sense, and what is relevant. They ll need to know how to communicate with power and clarity in a variety of mediums, and they ll need to know how to listen to, understand, and appreciate diverse perspectives. In short, our children will thrive if they can work successfully across time zones, cultures, and disciplines where information is at their fingertips. How can we ensure that we achieve these outcomes? First, we have to make learning purposeful and relevant. Adolescents learn best when they are engaged, challenged, and motivated to achieve within a community they value deeply and in which they feel deeply valued. We want students arriving every day excited to get to work alongside their peers and their teachers and this vision is the first step towards reimagining the high school experience at its core. APRIL 2018 GCDSNEWS 5
GCDS HIGH SCHOOL TIMELINE OF EVENTS 2018 Phase I Construction Begins: Begin addition of West Wing Commons Design Curriculum 2019 Phase II Construction: Interior & exterior renovations, kitchen, dining area, site improvements GCDS High School Opens Stanwich students N 8 fully integrated on Old Church Road campus, Grades 9 12 matriculated at GCDS High School SPRING SUMMER WINTER SPRING FALL Hire Head of High School and Director of College Counseling Finalize Staffing Phase I & II Construction Completed We also have to move towards thinking about questions and problems that can be approached through a variety of disciplines and lenses. Students are naturally curious, but we often crowd out curiosity in our quest to move through the content of traditional curricula. Instead, we want our students to have room to pursue their questions, construct new knowledge, and develop the skills to think critically and analytically as they build deep understanding within and across the disciplines. The ways in which we have traditionally organized high schools, moving from the study of one subject in one room to another subject in another room in short blocks of time, is actually a limiting structure. Of course, we still need time to learn math, history, and so forth, but we also need to learn how and why these subjects matter and how we might apply our understanding of them in any number of other contexts. We can bring the curric- ulum to life by creating experiences with students that broaden their perspectives and understanding of the world around them. We want them to work on projects and problems, to build and create, and to perform original research and investigations that have an impact beyond the grade book. We want them to be able to learn from and exhibit their work to an audience of experts. In short, we want to close the gap for them between the real world and how it is that they learn. TIMELINE OF EVENTS NOVEMBER 2017: Announced agreement between GCDS and Stanwich and plan to open GCDS High School in September 2019 DECEMBER 2017: Hired Stephanie Rogen, Principal and Founder of Greenwich Leadership Partners, as Chief Integration Officer JANUARY 2018: Created Educational Planning Steering Committee and three working teams: Resource Development, High School Creation, Integration. (Educational Planning Steering Committee and working teams include faculty, staff, and parents from both GCDS and Stanwich) JANUARY 2018: Hired Spencer Stuart to run retained search for Head of GCDS High School and Director of College Counseling positions to be hired by Spring 2018 APRIL 2018: Begin GCDS High School construction with extension of town waterline up Stanwich Road MAY 2018: Program mission and philosophy (academics, arts, and athletics) to be communicated to GCDS and Stanwich families EARLY SUMMER 2018: Begin phase I of construction on new GCDS High School campus: break ground on addition of West Wing Commons SUMMER 2018: Detailed planning and designing of new GCDS High School curriculum LATE SUMMER 2018: Begin site work for campus road and site improvements 6 GCDSNEWS APRIL 2018
FUTURE DINING COMMONS EXISTING MAIN CLASSROOM BUILDING TO BE RENOVATED EXISTING NORTH CLASSROOM BUILDING Existing Terrace Terrace North Terrace WEST WING ADDITION Project Space Lower Entry & Terrace WINTER 2018: Finalize staffing for GCDS High School SPRING 2019: Professional Development and planning for GCDS High School faculty and staff SPRING 2019: Begin phase II of construction: convert current gymnasium into kitchen and dining area, and renovate Stanwich campus existing classrooms and building exterior SUMMER 2019: Complete phases I & II construction including: new West Wing Commons, second turf athletic field, new dining area and kitchen, campus road, parking, and the renovation of existing classrooms and buildings SEPTEMBER 2019: GCDS High School opens for Grades 9 12, including students from Stanwich, GCDS, and new students SEPTEMBER 2019: Nursery Grade 8 GCDS and Stanwich students fully integrated on Old Church Road GCDS Campus SEPTEMBER 2019: Additional sections added to grades N 8 as needed to preserve low student to teacher ratio SEPTEMBER 2019: Nursery Grade 12 structure organized as follows: Nursery Grade 2, Grades 3 5, Grades 6 8, Grades 9 12 2019: Anticipated start of construction on Athletic Center APRIL 2018 GCDSNEWS 7
GCDS High School will set a new standard for excellence with an innovative, co-educational, college-preparatory program Learning will spring from inquiry, the pursuit and application of deep content knowledge, and the challenge of solving complex problems with real world relevance and impact. Core academics will be organized around the Humanities (English, History and Philosophy, World Languages, and Visual and Performing Arts) and STEM (Science, Math, Technology, Engineering, and Design). Advanced coursework will be applied in real-world experiences: Internships in sophomore, junior, and senior years Annual three-week intercession for research, projects, and expeditionary experiences Integrated Advisory and College Counseling Program Exhibitions and performances of student work to an audience of experts, peers, and community members Vibrant co-curricular, arts, and athletic programs will be integral to the learning experience. Students will reach their highest potential in a diverse learning community where: Character and civic engagement are cultivated Health and well-being are essential to success Everyone is known and valued Total of 400 450 students once fully enrolled; 100 115 per class year How does this kind of education prepare our students for success in college? How do we know colleges will want our graduates? Our goal is an emotionally intelligent, intellectually agile, capable, and creative learner who can thrive and contribute in any context and that includes college. When we talk with leaders in higher education, what we hear repeatedly is a concern about the character and dispositions of their students. Of course, the threshold for academic preparation remains; they want students with the ability to perform academically, to handle the rigors of college, to be able to think critically, and write and communicate effectively. But they are equally, if not more, concerned with finding students who are curious, emotionally intelligent, and ready to engage on campus and in the outside world in healthy and purposeful ways. They want to see applicants who will contribute to the community and translate their education into real-world success. At GCDS, we are listening closely to colleagues in higher education and are designing in alignment with what colleges need. We want our graduates to be academically well-prepared but we also want them to distinguish themselves with a readiness to tackle challenging opportunities and contribute to their communities. Young people who can demonstrate authentic purpose and the social, creative, and analytical capacities to be successful in their pursuits will always stand out and we are designing an innovative four-year high school program to support all of these goals. How can colleges identify the applicants with these qualities? What have you learned from conversations with college admissions officers? We ve had countless conversations in the last few years in the world of higher ed, and the recurring theme is that there are an extraordinary number of really academically well-prepared young people from independent schools and public schools alike. 8 GCDSNEWS APRIL 2018
Admissions and higher ed administrators are clear: they can find thousands of candidates who meet all the transcript and testing requirements and who have also built a resume chock full of experiences that sound and look good whether it s the number of community service hours they ve booked, the number of extracurricular activities they list, or the number of times they ve traveled globally and domestically in learning programs. But these lists don t always create a coherent portrait of a young person with an authentic and deep sense of why they ve done what they ve done other than to get into college. And college admissions readers have gotten very good at sifting through those things so it is no longer enough. The competition is greater than it s ever been. The good news is the independent thinkers who have followed their interests and proven their ability to learn deeply stand out among a sea of candidates. The more we can embed opportunities for those important experiences in the high school program, the APRIL 2018 At GCDS, we believe our learners must be ready to: Think critically and creatively within and across disciplines and subject matter Pose and pursue meaningful questions and solve complex problems Work collaboratively in order to plan, manage, and produce high-quality work Communicate with purpose, clarity and insight E xplore interests, build purpose, and persist through setbacks Understand how they learn and know how to direct their own learning Effectively integrate and provide feedback Demonstrate the social, technological, and cultural literacies to collaborate with others in a global context Value their own and others physical and emotional well-being Engage in their communities as empathetic and active citizens Act with the highest standards of character and integrity GCDSNEWS 9
This is an exciting time to explore what matters most for our learners. Greenwich Country Day School, which has a legacy of wisely combining tradition and innovation, and of being truly student-centered, is the perfect place to deliver on the best high school experience today and for the future. more opportunity our students have to become their best selves. That is what we re going to do at Greenwich Country Day School. We re going to create conditions for young people to build purpose, learn deeply, and have a transformational experience. The GCDS graduate will know and be able to communicate what matters to them and where they are headed. For them, school is not an exercise in jumping through hoops to get to college, but instead a place where learning is meaningful, personal, and joyful. With this approach, they value their own education and embrace the academic rigors of preparing for college. And that s a different formula for success. ) ABOUT STEPHANIE ROGEN Stephanie is a consultant, coach, and facilitator to educational and not-forprofit leadership. Her work integrates more than twenty-five years experience in the corporate, educational, and notfor-profit sectors. Stephanie s approach to education and 21st century learning is enhanced by her collaborations with educational thought leaders such as Ted Dintersmith (executive producer of the Sundance Documentary and book both entitled Most Likely to Succeed), Tony Wagner (author, The Global Achievement Gap, Creating Innovators), and the High Tech High Graduate School of Education. Stephanie is an expert in Gen X and Gen Y populations and helps organizations to bridge the gap between generations in communications, performance management, leadership, and collaborative learning. She regularly writes and speaks on topics related to leadership development of young adults, women, and leadership, and has been featured in Forbes, The Glass Hammer, Career-Intelligencer and other industry publications. To learn more about GCDS High School, visit gcds.net/highschool. 10 GCDSNEWS APRIL 2018