At the heart of the compass shines a large star, a symbol of what makes us happy and marks the educational horizon of Gaztelueta: Truth, Beauty and Goodness, always lived from Freedom. Each one of them points to a cardinal point and, together, they trace the formative map that guides the lives of our students.
The Truth occupies the north and sets the course of every intellectual and human quest. To educate in truth is to teach to think with judgement, to love knowledge and to live with authenticity. Beauty lights the way, reminding us that beauty awakens the desire for the good. In art, in nature and in everyday life, education at Gaztelueta teaches us to contemplate, to take care of what we do and to discover harmony in the simple. The Good orients action towards others, it drives us to serve, to be fair, to act with generosity and empathy. And Freedom underpins the whole, because only those who are masters of themselves can be oriented towards the good with joy.
These four realities, which are really united, are the cardinal points of the Compass and express the way Gaztelueta understands education: as a process of searching for meaning, discovering truth, opening up to the good and cultivating beauty. These are not abstract ideas, but realities that are lived and taught every day in the classrooms, in the playgrounds and in the coexistence in our school. There is no freedom without truth, no beauty without good. They are all intertwined and mutually reinforcing, forming a harmonious synthesis of thought, feeling and action.
Around this central star is the large blue cross, which represents the classical cardinal virtues: prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance. These are the forces that give balance to character and sustain the inner growth of each pupil.
Prudence teaches to think before acting, to discern wisely and to decide according to the true good; it is practical wisdom. Justice impels one to recognise the rights of others and to serve generously. Fortitude helps to overcome obstacles, to persevere and to maintain hope. And temperance brings balance, serenity and inner control. These virtues, worked on progressively from Pre-school to Baccalaureate, are the basis on which an integral and free personality is built.
Education at Gaztelueta seeks precisely that: to train people capable of acting with judgement and responsibility, of remaining calm in the face of difficulty and of making the right decisions, even when they involve effort. The cardinal virtues underpin the educational project from within, providing stability, maturity and depth to the whole educational process.
The compass is surrounded by Gaztelueta's motto: “Be your yes, yes; be your no, no”. This Gospel message invites us to live with coherence, clarity and authenticity. Educating the will implies learning to say yes to what is good and no to what leads away from it. In a culture that often confuses freedom with relativism, Gaztelueta proposes to form solid and free consciences, capable of deciding with responsibility and sense.
The compass does not mark out a single path, but offers a firm reference for orientation. Each pupil, accompanied by his or her family and teachers, discovers his or her own course, learning to discern, to decide and to serve.
The Gaztelueta Compass is not just a design or a logo. It is the representation of a coherent and continuous training plan, which accompanies each student from the early years to their university preparation, adapting to their age and time of life, but always maintaining the same principles and values.
Through preceptorship and tutorials with families, human and Christian formation, academic life and complementary activities, Gaztelueta offers a comprehensive educational itinerary that encompasses all the dimensions of the person. At each stage, the compass acts as a reminder that education is not just about teaching content, but above all about guiding a meaningful life, forming the character, the way of being of our students.
Families are an essential pillar in this process. Gaztelueta conceives education as a shared task, in which parents and school are rowing in the same direction. For this reason, the compass also symbolises this educational alliance, an invitation to walk together with trust and co-responsibility.
At the base of the emblem reads EST. 1951, a reminder of its origins and a promise of continuity. Gaztelueta was born with the desire to offer a quality education, open to society and to the challenges of the times and inspired by Christian humanism. More than seven decades later, that mission is still alive.
As an applicant centre for the IB PYP and IB MYP programmes, Gaztelueta integrates this compass into its methodology, uniting academic excellence with human and spiritual formation. Each student learns to think with rigour, to discern with prudence and to act with coherence, knowing that the most valuable learning is not only to know more, but to live better, giving oneself to others.
The Gaztelueta Compass synthesises in an image the essence of the school: an education that forms the heart and the intelligence, that teaches to live with truth, goodness, beauty and freedom. More than a symbol, it is an invitation to look to the sky without losing the ground and to move forward on a steady course.
