Head of School Welcome
Imagine a school where all students are encouraged to be their authentic selves, where new strengths are discovered through supported risk-taking, where multiple perspectives are shared and respected, and where the experience of girls is at the center of all learning. This is GMS.
I’ll never forget my first visit to GMS. Every classroom was abuzz with active engagement. In Math, students worked in small groups at the whiteboards, while the teacher moved through the room, asking probing questions or offering words of encouragement. In Humanities, students debated the qualities of a novel’s main characters, learning not only how to support their ideas with evidence, but also how to respectfully disagree with one another. Outside, students stretched themselves as they learned to skateboard on the ramp. Everywhere I went, students joyfully engaged with one another and their teachers in learning, growing, and building meaningful connections.
Guided by our Mission and inspired by the vision of our founder, Kathleen Bennett, GMS has spent nearly 30 years fostering a joyful and inclusive community where students are known, supported, and encouraged to grow. We intentionally cultivate a culture in which students learn not only to think critically but also to lead with empathy and integrity.
As a school dedicated exclusively to these crucial adolescent years, we deeply understand the middle school girl experience, including the excitement and uncertainty that can come with this stage of growth. At GMS, we create a learning environment that is both challenging and supportive, empowering each student to discover who they are and what they are capable of achieving. Here, students develop confidence, find their voice, and learn to embrace new opportunities.
By the time our students leave GMS, they are academically and socially prepared, with the skills and experiences to transition to the high schools and colleges of their choice. More importantly, they leave with a strong sense of self and the confidence to shape their own futures.
I invite you to learn more about our community and what makes GMS such a special place. I hope you’ll visit us and experience the school in action to fully understand the magic that is GMS!
Sincerely,
Christine Fairless
Head of School
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Welcome to GMS!
We are delighted you are taking a moment to explore The Girls’ Middle School and hope that our website conveys the joy, dynamism, and engagement that characterizes our school.
Imagine a school where all students are given permission to be their authentic selves and learn with reckless abandon, a place where all are embraced for the passions they already possess while being encouraged to discover other strengths, where multiple perspectives are respected and actively pursued, and a place where the experience of girls is at the center of all learning.
We are so happy that you are taking the time to learn more about The Girls’ Middle School which embodies all of this and so much more! Our dynamic, student-driven, and joyful learning community is guided by its enduring Mission, rooted in the vision of Kathleen Bennett 25 years ago: The Girls’ Middle School educates girls at a crucial time in life. We create an inclusive environment where academic growth is nourished. A GMS girl discovers her strengths and expresses her voice while respecting the contributions of others.
The Middle School years are paramount in creating and opening up future possibilities. We validate and empower every student in learning who they are as people and students by providing a nurturing environment for them to explore their identities, build their confidence as students and learn in an intentionally inclusive community. As a school focusing on three important years, we deeply understand the middle school girl experience. And while we know each student will have a unique path, we will meet them where they are to challenge and support them so that all can thrive.
We are so happy that you are here and hope that you dig deeper to find out more about who we are and why we are such a unique and special place for girls to shape their futures. I encourage you to come visit the school in action as that is how you will more fully understand the magic that is GMS.
I look forward to hearing from you and seeing you on campus!
Sincerely,
Christine Fairless
Head of School
Mission & History
The Girls’ Middle School was founded by educator Kathleen Bennett in 1998 to provide a school that would nurture and empower a diverse group of girls* during their critical adolescent years. Today we are still guided by the vision she articulated in her original prospectus for GMS, and it remains at the heart of our mission:
The Girls’ Middle School educates girls at a crucial time in life. We create an inclusive environment where academic growth is nourished. A GMS girl discovers her strengths and expresses her voice while respecting the contributions of others.
The founding faculty and staff first taught classes in September 1998 in our original location in Mountain View, California, to a pioneering sixth grade class of 35 girls. In 2011, GMS moved to our new home in Palo Alto. Today we enroll approximately 200 girls from more than 45 elementary schools around the San Francisco Bay Area.
*At GMS, girls refers to gender expansive youth (cis girls, trans girls, non-binary youth, gender non-conforming youth, gender queer youth, and any girl-identified youth).