Our tagline, “Courageous Learners and Compassionate Leaders,” is a reflection of our deepest hopes for our young people and the sober understanding of what our world is in need of right now.
We believe that the world is in need of hopeful and optimistic young people with the confidence and courage to welcome a challenge, to stick with something when it might be hard, and stand up for themselves and others even when it’s not the easy or obvious thing to do.
We believe the world is in need of empathetic young people with the commitment and compassion to direct their learning both inward and outward. We need young people who know their values and use their knowledge, skills, and expertise to serve others. What is learning for? In school, in our jobs, in the world, if not to make it a better place?
So how do we cultivate courage in Gordon students?
We do it through an academic program and instructional approach that at its core honors the voices and experiences and questions of children.
When a child knows that a teacher or a coach or an advisor sees them and respects who they are now, not some predetermined image of who they might be in the future, it provides that child a sense of what is possible and allows them to be able to create their own vision of who they can be and what they can do in the world.
One of our goals for your children not only when they are here at Gordon but for when they go on from here is that they love learning for learning’s sake and not because of extrinsic motivators.We do that by creating a dynamic academic program where students from the earliest ages see the relevance of learning in their daily lives.They don’t just study science from a textbook; they walk out of their classroom doors and explore the ponds and plant in the soil. They have the courage to learn by doing.
When I talk about “learning by doing” - that is a progressive school. Progressive education is a pedagogy, not a political point of view.For those of you who are new to progressive schools, what we hope you’ll appreciate as you learn more about us, is how Gordon’s approach to teaching and learning is actually the most rigorous education your children can experience.
Why? Because we are not teaching your children what to think, we are teaching them HOW to think.While it’s important for students to be able to answer questions on a test, we believe that it’s more important for your child to develop the habits of mind and critical thinking skills that foster the courage to do the thing many leaders like me find ourselves being called to do right now: which is to answer questions we have never seen before.
And what about compassion?
At Gordon we foster compassion by being compassionate. We believe that deep and enduring learning can only occur when students and families feel a sense of deep belonging and connection. This can only happen when a community has the commitment and compassion to see and honor the humanity in others.
Here, at Gordon, we talk about learning through “mirrors and windows.” Teachers trained and skilled in multicultural practice provide curricular content that reflects—like a mirror—students’ unique identities, backgrounds and life experiences, while also offering a window into the identities and experiences of others. In this way, we cultivate empathetic learners who have the confidence to form and defend their own ideas and opinions while demonstrating respect for the views of others.
Our families want a meaningful and purposeful education for their child. And they believe that Gordon is the place to find just that.
Gordon was founded in 1910 by Dr. Helen West Cooke, a pediatrician, because she was seeking a better education for her child. Her first student was her son. (You can probably guess his name!) I share this because most schools are named after their founders, or their location, or even their academic program. Gordon is a school named after a child. So, we approach the education of your child with the same seriousness, urgency, love, and hope that our founder did.
Our commitment at Gordon is that our mission is lived out in our program every day, child by child. And whether you’re exploring our school for the first time or have been a member of our community for years—I am confident that you will feel that commitment in every interaction you have at Gordon School.
We look forward to connecting with you soon.
Noni Thomas López was appointed the Head of School of the Gordon School in East Providence, RI on July 1, 2018.
Before joining Gordon, Dr. Thomas López worked for twenty years as a teacher and administrator in independent schools in New York City. From 2014 to 2018, she was the Assistant Head of School for Teaching and Learning at Ethical Culture Fieldston School where she was responsible for overseeing curriculum, instruction, faculty development, and strategic academic initiatives, from Pre-K to twelfth grade. Previous to this appointment, Dr. Thomas López served as the Head of Middle School at the Nightingale-Bamford School and Middle School Director of the Calhoun School. In addition to her work in New York, her classroom career included time at Greensboro Day School and Ravenscroft School in North Carolina, as well as eight years teaching middle school humanities at Little Red School House and Elisabeth Irwin High School in New York.
Dr. Thomas López currently serves on multiple national, regional, and local boards, including the National Association of Independent Schools, the Association of Independent Schools of New England, Trinity Repertory Company, and the Cathedral School of St. John the Divine in New York City. In 2013, Dr. Thomas López founded the Interschool Leadership Institute for Educators of Color, a weeklong program designed to support the next generation of leaders of independent schools.
Dr. Thomas López has presented at multiple national and regional conferences and consulted at universities as well as public and private schools on curriculum, diversity, equity and inclusion, board governance, and organizational leadership. She also served as a script consultant with Sesame Workshop on issues of adolescent development and racial and social justice for the Emmy-award winning television show Ghost Writer, and with Sinking Ship Productions for the YouTube series Locked Down.
Dr. Thomas López holds a BA in English from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, an MA in Education Leadership with a concentration in Private School Leadership from Teachers College, Columbia University, where she was awarded a Joseph Klingenstein Fellowship, and an Ed.D in Educational and Organizational Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania.
In January 2024, Dr. Thomas López announced that she will be leaving Gordon in July 2025.
In May 2024, the Board of Trustees announced that Dr. Meredith deChabert would be Gordon's next Head of School.
Meet Dr. deChabert at
“Our families want a meaningful and purposeful education for their child. And they believe that Gordon is the place to find just that.”Above, hear Dr. Noni Thomas López explain what makes the Gordon experience unique.
Gordon's Board will begin the search for a new head immediately
Faculty and staff return for the new year
Experiencing affinity and granting witness
Gordon will continue to enroll students with a balance of race, gender and economic backgrounds
Celebrating a busy year, and the work that lies ahead
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