4. Charles Xavier, Ph.D.
GWCS Alum; Managing Partner, Chief of Learning Sciences, Education Accelerated
When I joined the GW Community, it was February, and I was just about 15 with serious trust issues. I wore this heavy, leather, down winter jacket my grandfather had given me. I wore that jacket every day, and I wouldn’t take it off in the school building. Ms. Warden (Alexa) one day asked, “Why don’t you take your coat off?” I told her I didn’t want anyone to steal it. She said, “Oh. Okay...” That type of trust issues.
A few days later, she came to me and said, “You know, if you wear your jacket inside, your body acclimates to the warmth of it inside and so it won’t keep you as warm later when you’re back out in the cold.” She left it there. And I still remember that fact today — 23 years later.
The GW Community let me have trust issues — even when it made me look weird. The GW Community let me be skeptical, doubtful, and confused. The GW Community school kindly, gently, and patiently earned my trust. And there wasn’t much in the bank at the time.
I can’t tell you my favorite thing about GW Community School, because I don’t know who, what, or where I’d be without them. Without GWCS, I would have dropped out of high school — now I have graduate degrees. Without the time and space to be downright paranoid PLUS the support to be like that if I needed to heal, I would never have trusted people again and, well, shout out to Jack Warden — Aristotle rightly, said, “Man is a social animal.” I’d have stayed lost for who knows how long.
If you asked, superficially, my favorite thing about GW Community School is the basketball team because I played in the first one and watched that thing blossom. But, really, deeply, my favorite thing about GW Community School is the way its members are so fully able to embrace people in their most awkward, most uncomfortable, most delicate moments and then not solve it, but support the person through that moment into bigger and brighter ones that we’d never have imagined on our own.
5. Rosebelle Llosa
Parent of Hartly Llosa, GWCS Class of 2025
I can't help but tear up just thinking about writing a review for GWCS. Our oldest son has so many gifts. He is such a creative spirit - bright, silly, compassionate - and I've never met a child with such a strong moral and ethical compass.
Our son is also a perfectionist and has his own worst critic. He can be very impulsive and emotional and has difficulty with nonverbal cues, code-switching, and understanding that different places require different responses and attitudes. Because of this, and other reasons, I homeschooled him for most of his life.
During Covid, our son began missing people and activities. When he found out that some schools were still in session, he wanted to give it a try. Unfortunately, the first school we found for him was a terrible fit. We had pretty much decided to return to homeschooling when his therapist recommended taking a look at a school called GW Community School.
I had low expectations of going on the school tour. I remember that quickly shifted after spending just a few minutes with Alexa and seeing the kids and hearing the students speak about GW. At one point I had to take a few steps away from everyone to stop myself from crying. It was so obvious that this magical place, I didn't even think existed, was exactly where my child belonged.
I am happy to report that I was not wrong. GWCS is truly a magical place. I do not think it's an exaggeration to say this this community - Goldie, Alexa, Connelly, Mallonee, and all the other teachers have saved lives. They have certainly saved that magical light inside of children that too often is extinguished too early.
The thing is my child will slip and fall and make mistakes. And yet, while they hold him accountable and help him when these mistakes occur, they don't stop loving him or ever think he's a bad kid when he messes up. They appreciate the whole child. And they do this for all the students at their school.
Every child at GWCS has their own unique personality and challenges, and somehow, the teachers can meet each child exactly where they are, helping each of them blossom and grow.
In just two years, I have seen a huge positive shift in our son. I am forever grateful to this school and this community. It hasn't just changed our son's life - it has changed our whole family's life. I can't imagine a world in which our worlds aren't intertwined
6. Matt Hartman
Former GWCS Teacher (2003–2011); Project Manager – Fortis Games
As a teacher, GWCS gave me an incredible opportunity to work closely with small groups of students and make a real impact. The strong sense of community fostered by the school built a foundation of trust that led to extraordinary learning experiences you simply couldn’t find anywhere else. It was truly a gift to be part of such a special place. And always remember: Hartman is looking for you!
I’ll always treasure the unforgettable class trips I had, the privilege of chaperoning as a teacher at GWCS. From exploring the breathtaking National Parks out West to adventures in London, New York City, and Walt Disney World, every trip was an incredible experience—not just for the destinations themselves, but for the joy of seeing students encounter them for the first time. Even our shorter journeys, like college essay writing retreats at Lake Anna, historical walks through Gettysburg, and the senior beach trip, were filled with memories that always seemed to end too soon.
7. Mrs. Kohler
Current GWCS Teacher, 2017 - Present
I started working at GW Community School in the fall of 2017. GWCS is a unique sanctuary with intellectual brilliance and friendly faces welcoming around every corner. You truly feel like you are a part of one big happy family when you are here. My favorite parts about this school are all the fun whole school annual events that we do like Homecoming, Mad Science assemblies, the Spring Palooza, and Prom. The outdoor Spring Palooza takes the icing and this year we are having a petting zoo, live acoustic music, and lunch catered by Cafe Rio all in one amazing event thanks to The Foundation. This is a place where friends are made, and memories last a lifetime
8. Dakota Gerber
GWCS Alum; Current Undergraduate at Clark University majoring in geography with a concentration in comparative race and ethnic studies and minoring in photography
The best thing about GW is that you learn just as much about yourself as you do about the world
9. Ben Degregory
Current Student, GWCS Class of 2026
The beautiful, friendly environment.
10. Brenner Morse
Current Student, GWCS Class of 2027
There’s never a day that I’m like “ugh, school.” We’re always having fun and laughing.
11. Peter Zeytoonian
Current Student, GWCS Class of 2028
I can’t rest on the weekend because I’m homesick for my second home.
12. Faiz Hamid
This school is amazing. Everyone is so nice.
Current Student, GWCS Class of 2025
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13. Michael Mallonee
GWCS Dean of Students, 2000–present
On the first day of school, you meet all of your best friends.
14. Ophelia Griff
Current Student, GWCS Class of 2026
Here you feel like you’re talking to actual people, not just authority figures. Feeling like you’re on equal ground makes this school a community.
15. Mac Carbone
Current Student, GWCS Class of 2026
When I first came to this school, I visited another school on the same day. But I walked in and felt at home. I immediately felt like I could do high school here. I know we're called a community but it's more like a family.
16. Maria
GWCS Alum, Class of 2014 (and former GWCS Director of Operations)
So, there it is. GW Community School. Twice. On my resume. The first mention for my high school diploma, and the second detailing my time as GWCS's Director of Operations in the most upsettingly corporate jargon I can bear. It's harder than you'd think to try to summarize what a day in the life is like as the DOO at GWCS. As a student I was a loosely-affiliated member of the robotics team, a basketball manager, SGA President, a yearbook editor-in-chief, a pest to Richard Goldie, and an intern to the Great Alexa Warden. As the Director of Operations I organized the calendar for the robotics and basketball teams, edited yearbooks, ran a theatre club, was a pest to Richard Goldie (with an actual to-do list this time), and worked immediately under the Director and Co-Founder Alexa Warden. And that's only the tip of the iceberg - it's missing the memories of hanging out with kids around a campfire, discussing reliable narratives in literature, or teaching kids how to navigate the NYC subway system. You try putting that on a resume.
T.S. Eliot once said, "Home is where one starts from." For me, that home is GWCS.
17. Katie Z.
Current GWCS Parent
GWCS has been life-changing. It’s like finding a home where your child is understood and loved for who they are and the magic they bring to the table.
18. Riley
Current Student, GWCS Class of 2028
GWCS was the first and last school I visited. Alexa played a huge part in that. Alexa and GWCS welcomed me with open arms. I love how happy Alexa makes me feel when she greets me with a smile.
19. Amelia Schmutz
Current Student, GWCS Class of 2026
It’s hard to pick a favorite thing about GW Community School because this school gave me my life back after years of thinking I had no future. That said, I couldn’t have done it without the amazing teachers at GW Community School. They are my favorite part of the school. I have been overwhelmed by the amount of love, care, and acceptance I have received from them. I will never forget and never stop being grateful for the lovely teachers that make GW Community School truly incomparable.
20. Joe Parisi
Current GWCS Teacher; GWCS Alumnus Parent
From a teacher's standpoint, one of the best things about GW is the autonomy to use things that the kids (and I) are interested in as the substantive basis for the curriculum. We use football passes to illustrate quadratic equations; pool tables to show geometric relationships; and mock trials to help write persuasively.
From a student's view, one of the best things about GW is that its smaller size eliminates cliques. The kids are (gently) forced to interact with each other and get along with each other every day. They are able to try things out, like basketball and Shakespeare, that they normally would never have.
From a parent's standpoint, one of the best things about GW is that the caring, kind environment carries over to home life as well. The positivity at school makes the kids feel better and helped lift the black cloud that hung over our house.
21. Kim Dwyer
GWCS Alumnus Parent (2016- 2020)
As a parent, I will forever be grateful for the impact GWCS had on my child. It’s a rare and beautiful place where students are welcomed exactly as they are – no masks, no judgment, just open arms and huge smiles. GWCS saw and celebrated my child for who they truly are. And once this school touches your life, it never leaves you – it becomes part of your family’s story.
22. Julia Warden
M.Ed and Former GWCS Faculty
GWCS is the epitome of pure educational joy. Where else canyou find a group of students, teachers, and administrators all aligned on a single mission? I had the privilege and pleasure of working at GWCS for two years – and would still like to think I get my two cents in where I can – the mission is complex, the target is moving, but I’ve never seen a group of people mor united and dedicated to a common cause.
23. Beth and Rich Lemoine
GWCS Alumnus Parents (2007 - 2011)
Beth: I will never forget Kait came home after her first day at GWCS and she was so excited because she was introduced as Kait instead of Kaitlyn. Family called her Kait and everyone else up until that point called her Kaitlyn. Looking back, that was the start of a new chapter (when she applied we put her nickname down as Kait, that’s how that started!).
Rich: This school & Alexa changed Kait’s life.
24. Cassie Sinichko
GWCS Director of Operations 2006 - 2021 (and now GWCS Colorado remote staff!)
Starting at GWCS in the spring of 2006 was a significant shift from my experience as an elementary school teacher. Trading a classroom full of littles for a desk in the lively cafe filled with teenagers initially felt like a scary change. Despite having three teens of my own and a constant flow of their friends at home, the genuine interactions among GWCS students and their teachers truly captivated me. They were a family – accepting, kind, often silly, and supportive, regardless of grade level or interests. Their nonjudgmental nature was inspiring, offering a glimpse of the possibility of a more accepting world. This powerful sense of community was one of my top reasons for staying at GWCS for 15 years, retiring, and then returning as remote support from Colorado.
25. 2000 GWCS Yearbook Dedication (and still true today!)
As we close our first school year at The GW Community School, we, the student body, dedicate The Chronicle to our teachers. We are especially grateful to Richard A. Goldie and Alexa C. Warden, founders of the school, for their courage and commitment in creating a school that we are happy to claim as our own. Their high school provides an overwhelmingly great learning environment, as well as a haven for teaching.
Through all of this year, great bonds were formed between teachers and students; and lasting friendships were developed between students. These unforgettable relationships will last a lifetime. For this, we thank you both.
— The Students of GWCS
