Where Girls Learn to Dare

Today, and every day, SMLS is proud to celebrate the power, promise and potential of girls, and with October 11th, the International Day of the Girl Child, being a day to reflect on the challenges that girls continue to face because of their gender, it seems a good time to consider the enduring history of SMLS’s trailblazing founders and how their forward-thinking nature has set our school - and our students - up for long-term success. It is true that more than 130 years after the pioneering women of SMLS founded our school for girls, we continue to build on our profound understanding of how girls learn, which is: Differently. 

At SMLS, one of our four key values is excellence, and in our community, excellence is described as the relentless pursuit of knowledge, wisdom, and personal development. Put simply, we see excellence not as a destination, but a journey. It is a journey that is not solely a path toward high academic achievement, but one that inspires keen curiosity, deep work and determined persistence - the kinds of attributes that will help students ultimately own their futures. 

Our school’s Prefect Council seemed to have had just this in mind when, prior to our opening day in September, they selected this year’s school theme of “Reach Beyond”. Whether it be in classrooms, on the sports field, during outdoor education programs, or within leadership roles, our students are leaning into uncertainty with courage and commitment, knowing that the path to excellence is one where failure is inevitable and, more importantly, it is essential. They are learning to dare. 

 

Anchored in a nurturing community of exceptionally committed educators and supportive peers, SMLS is the place where girls go to create the best version of themselves. They come to recognize that with each failure, comes opportunity for reflection, personal growth, and meaningful learning. 

 

Of course, encouraging our Millies to seek challenges and embrace failure is not new to our story here at SMLS. Evidence of this defining quality of an SMLS education can be found throughout our school’s history. Yes, our Founders built the idea that “women can and will”  into the DNA of our school fabric, but examples from our archives show that this has been a constant and enduring thread throughout our school’s history. 

 

Earlier this week, members of our Development Team spent time organizing past issues of The Chronicle, our school’s yearbook, placing several copies onto tables in our school staffroom. The 1984-85 issue from exactly 40 years ago included the address that then Head of School, Ms. Lynda Palazzi, had for the graduating Class of 1985. In her message, she spoke directly to the graduates, remarking that “No women in history have ever had the options that you will enjoy,” encouraging each Millie to “surpass yourself” and noting the courage required to “invite change, to take risks, to accept challenge.”