Not rendering correctly? View this email as a web page here.
            

 

February 2016

 

Dear Parents,

I am delighted to join the GEMS World Academy-Chicago family and I look forward to meeting you in the days ahead. I am honored to continue the work of founding head of school Geoff Jones and the exceptional GEMS faculty as we build an innovative new school.

I was attracted to GEMS World Academy-Chicago because it offers the opportunity to leverage my deep knowledge of independent school education to build a groundbreaking, global school in the dynamic city of Chicago. As part of the GEMS network, our students and teachers learn with and from young people and educators from around the world. These connections are critical in preparing our students for the complex, interconnected world in which they live and work. At GEMS, the classroom is more than four walls. It is more, even, than a network of schools. The classroom is the world around us. Our expansive Field Studies program provides unparalleled real-world experiences for our students. As a head of school, there is nothing more exciting than working with a group of highly motivated and mindful teachers who constantly provide the best possible environment for today’s students. 

Having enjoyed almost two decades working in private school education, I know the importance of the individual student experience. The GEMS core values resonate with my beliefs as an educator and this is why I am thrilled to be a part of this community. As a school leader and as the parent of a graduating senior, I want all students to experience classrooms in which they are encouraged to ask “why?” I seek to work with teachers who collaborate and grow with their students.

Already in my time on our campus, I can see that our teachers put students at the center of all that they do. Our teachers have a commitment to collaborative classrooms that encourage reflection and risk-taking. Students learn in many different ways, but they thrive in a school that values individual potential and growth, appreciates diversity and inclusiveness, fosters confidence and responsibility, and actively teaches leadership, global citizenship, and problem solving. All of these attributes are visible in GEMS World Academy-Chicago’s teaching and learning spaces.

In the course of my education career, I have served as the head of two century-old schools. I have also taught students from 2nd through 12th grades and served as a college counselor. This work in many different school contexts has taught me the importance of leadership within a mission-centered framework. We are building something new and different at GEMS: a community where students are encouraged to be global citizens and actors, where parents and teachers embrace the opportunity to collaborate with others around the world, and where all of our programs and practices are grounded in core values. 

I look forward to getting to know you and your children over the days and months to come, and I will be visiting campus regularly. My first visit will be March 1 and 2. I hope you will be able to join me on one of these days for the first in a series of “fireside chats.” We will continue to schedule additional opportunities throughout the spring. My goal is to get to know each of you before the start of the 2016-17 academic year. We have much to be excited about as we continue to make GEMS World Academy-Chicago the best it can be for all of our children.

 

With warmest regards,

Kim_Wargo.png 

 Kim Wargo

 Head of School Elect