b'LETTER FROM THE CHAIRDear GDS Community,The 2019-2020 academic year offers our Greensboro Day School community unique opportunities to celebrate our rich history and to look to the future with great excitement. The attendance at our 50th Anniversary celebrations so far has been outstanding. Alumni fromeverydecadehaveattendedeventsinNorthCarolinaandbeyond,manypast parents have reconnected with GDS, and former faculty members have led the way in commemorating milestones in our history. At the same time as we celebrate our past, the excitement as we plan for our future is palpable. Tracie Catlett, our seventh Head of School, has hit the ground in Greensboro at a sprint and has proven to be every bit the dynamic leader we expected when she was named to the position. There is great energy in all three divisions, among students, families, faculty, and staff.The Board of Trustees is focused on key initiatives designed to move our School forward during this time of great momentum. First, GDS has initiated a 50th Anniversary Endowment Campaign. The goal of this campaign is to raise our permanent endowment by over $8 million, to the 20 million dollar level. This effort, ably led by co-chairs Chuck Keeley 81 and Merrill Keeley, is off to a great start, and the response from our community to date has been extremely positive. Meeting this goal is imperative for our school, as the endowment growth will afford us greater opportunities to invest in our faculty and students, while at the same time making us a little less tuition-dependent on an annual basis. In addition, in December 2019 the Board of Trustees adopted a new Strategic Plan for GDS. This Plan is the culmination of much hard work and insight by a large number of people.The Plan has specific, measurable action items to enhance the GDS experience for our students, families, faculty, staff, and alumni. We are focused on program excellence, enhancing our learning spaces, ensuring long-term financial strength, and promoting a larger public purpose in our efforts.I invite everyone to join us during the spring semester as we continue to celebrate our past and to plan for our future. Ms. Catlett will present a State of the School address on January 21, 2020, during which she will provide details of the Strategic Plan and of the vision for GDS going forward. There will also be numerous celebrations throughout the semester of our 50th Anniversary, and we would love to see everyone at these events as well. Thank you for your support of GDS!With warm regards,David L. Brown Chair, Board of TrusteesGDS Magazine | 5'