Glen Urquhart School GUS is a private elementary and middle school located in Beverly Farms, Beverly, Massachusetts. The school is named after the Urquhart Clan in Scotland, ancestors of the founding family.
Teaching
GUS offers an academic program beginning with kindergarten through 8th grade. The school enrolls more than 200 students with approximately 18 children in each lower school (K-5) classroom with two teachers and 34 students (divided into two sections) in each upper school (6-8) grade. A theme and place-based curriculum unfolds year by year, with kindergarten students studying "The World Around Us," then progressing through "Who Am I?' (First Grade), "Where Do I Live?" (Second Grade), "Where Am I Going?" (Third Grade), "The Sea" (Fourth Grade), "The Land" (Fifth Grade), "The People" (Sixth Grade) and returning to "Who Am I?" (Seventh Grade) and "Where Do I Live? Where Am I Going?" (Eighth Grade). These themes are based in child development theory such as the work of Jean Piaget and John Dewey and are enhanced by Harvard's Project Zero, which all GUS teachers participate in as part of their professional development.
All students take a course of study including math, English/Language Arts, science, social studies, and Spanish. Spanish culture and language instruction is offered in all grades, beginning in kindergarten. Service learning projects beginning in kindergarten and culminating in an eighth grade work week teach students about their community and global responsibilities. Partners include The Food Project and local food pantries such as Beverly and Lynn Bootstraps. An outdoor classroom, nature trail, and large greenhouse provide settings for hands-on environmental and science study. Students at all levels take curriculum-related field trips to enhance learning.
Buildings
The 23-acre (93,000Â m2) campus includes five different buildings: the upper school, the lower school, the gymnasium/stage called Braemar, the computer lab/health center, and a historic green house that was refurbished in 2009.
