Mission - Giddens School provides an academically excellent curriculum enriched with a commitment to critical thinking and social responsibility. Staff and families create a community that nourishes diversity, sense of self, and love of learning.
Vision - Giddens School, grounded in equity and justice, inspires children to actively engage in bettering their world.
Values
Academic Excellence - Academic Excellence is achieved through sound instruction in foundational skills as well as hands on, inquiry based learning experiences. Students are challenged to achieve and innovate in every aspect of the curriculum.
Individualized Learning- Giddens School is developmentally appropriate in matching its methods and materials to the level of each child. Children are challenged to stretch into new levels of growth while being supported in their current developmental levels.
Emergent Curriculum - Teachers come to school knowing what children need to learn. Children come to school knowing what they want to learn. The intersection of this understanding is emergent curriculum. Teachers integrate themes and topics of interest to the children to create the context in which science, math, reading and writing are taught.
Diversity - Giddens School embraces cultural, economic, racial, and family structure diversity. Our school is strengthened by its diversity, enabling children to better understand themselves and others, and empowering them to act in the world responsibly.
Anti-bias Approach - The anti-bias approach teaches children to recognize and resist the inherent biases that permeate our society, and gives them tools to advocate for themselves and others in the face of bias.
Children as Leaders - Children are leaders when they possess the self-confidence and self-expression to support others, take risks, plan, and advocate. Giddens School develops these skills by providing leadership and decision-making opportunities in which to safely test and verbalize ideas.
School Community - Giddens School is a close-knit community. Parents and family members are welcomed and encouraged to be active in their child's education. Giddens leadership works together with families and staff in an open, participatory manner to govern and guide the school.
Access to Education - Giddens School’s commitment to an inclusive and socio-economically diverse school community is reflected in the admissions and financial aid policies. Since access to education is a critical component of a just and equitable society, we strive to serve children and families who might traditionally face barriers in accessing education.
Engagement in Local Community - At Giddens, community participation is a part of education - with students interacting in, learning from, and contributing to the culturally rich Central District neighborhood.
Leadership Among Schools - Giddens models the way in which an independent school can sustain a diverse community, maintain an anti-bias philosophy, and forge parent/teacher partnerships to boost student achievement and well-being. We share these practices with other educators and institutions in the belief that schools should collaborate to improve American education.