About
Strategic Plan
As we celebrate our 25-year milestone, we are delighted to present The Girls’ Middle School’s Strategic Plan 2024 – 2029.
Grounded in our mission to educate girls at a crucial time in life, our strategic planning process has been invigorated by the spirit of collaboration, innovation, and commitment to our students and our mission. Our community of students, families, faculty, and board members have played an integral role in shaping this vision for a brave, bold, and bright future for GMS.
GMS was founded on the belief that middle school girls deserve inspiring and innovative academic programming, a culture of healthy risk-taking, and a caring and supportive school environment. Twenty five years later, this founding belief remains strong, centered on the experience of adolescent girls and supported by engaged and passionate faculty. As we look ahead, this plan serves both as an affirmation of what we cherish about GMS and as a roadmap for our brave, bold, and bright future.
In the next five years, we are inspired by the opportunities to make the most authentic and impactful use of the extraordinary Silicon Valley, our exciting new campus, and our diverse and dedicated community. With optimism, audacity, and resolve, we embark on this significant moment in our school’s history, confident in our ability to reach new heights and ensure a strong future.
We invite you to join us on our journey as we work together to fulfill the aspirations outlined in this plan. Together, we will continue to elevate the values of collaboration, innovation, and studentcentered education that define The Girls’ Middle School.
Christine Fairless
Head of School
Our Plan Calls Us To...
We recognize the profound importance of cultivating connection and belonging to support healthy identity development and cultural understanding. A genuinely diverse and inclusive community fosters confidence among students, faculty, staff, and families allowing us to build skills that inspire us all to work toward a more equitable and just future.
Our plan calls us to:
- Articulate and activate a shared and dynamic vision for diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice.
- Ensure the sustainability of The Bennett Scholars Program—and the academic, social, and personal success of each of our Bennett Scholars.
- Nurture a joyful and empowered learning community
Innovation is our cornerstone. Leveraging our unique program, location, and partnerships, we will maintain and build upon this defining spirit. By capitalizing on our location in Silicon Valley and forging meaningful and impactful community partnerships, we aim to serve as a beacon of innovative thinking in the broader education community. Through forward-thinking curriculum and teaching practices, optimized spaces, and collaborative programs, we're shaping the future of teaching and learning. This plan ensures we will:
- Solidify our position at the forefront of progressive, all-girls education through innovative faculty support and development.
- Cultivate strategic local partnerships and community-engaged learning experiences, equipping our students to participate actively in and contribute to a complex and rapidly changing world.
- Develop summer programming that extends the GMS experience to more students, educators, and families in the Bay Area.
- Uphold and uplift the mission of GMS with the design of our new campus.
For our students to flourish, our school must thrive, reputationally and financially. We recognize the importance of building our brand, increasing market share, and identifying new revenue opportunities. The foundation of our strength is our faculty, and we seek to ensure that GMS is a destination workplace for mission-aligned educators. Our plan guides us to:
- Clearly establish and advance our brand to attract and retain mission-aligned families.
- Attract and retain highly effective mission-aligned teachers.
- Explore innovative financial, fundraising, and partnership strategies in response to a complex independent school financial landscape.
