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GPANEWS GPA’s 2015 graduating class heads to high school with an advantage In school head Lars Kuelling’s letter to the GPA community at the beginning of this school year, he talked about how the Academy is an “uncommon choice, the better-than-average option for students.” As families, faculty and school officials bade farewell this evening to The Grosse Pointe Academy’s Class of 2015, these soon-to-be high schoolers are taking with them an elementaryschool education that was anything but. Kuelling said in his letter last September that what makes GPA different from other schools is not only its innovative curriculum and cuttingedge classroom technology, it’s the complete and utter focus on every student as an individual. “Our aim is to inspire each student,” he said. “To inspire them academically, to inspire them in the arts, and to inspire them athletically. We challenge them to learn and we nurture them CONGRATULATIONS TO THE GROSSE POINTE ACADEMY’S CLASS OF 2015! Kendall Adams, Daniel Arkison, Errington Belyue, Elise Buhl, Piero Cavataio, Johnnae Curry, Tai Daniels, Adrian Doan, Henry Drettmann, Patrick FitzSimons, Sydni Hall, Grace Jackson, Andrew Jamieson, William Kendrick, Adam Kuplicki, Brandon Murphy, Samantha Savage, Blake Weaver, Henry Whitaker, Imani White, Karmella Williams, Winston Wright and Emma Wujek. when they need a little extra care, and since we know each student so well, we endeavor to bring out the best in each student.” It is without question that today’s talented class of 23 students, who are heading to some of the finest area high schools, including Cranbrook, Roeper, Grosse Pointe South, U of D Jesuit, Detroit Country Day and University Liggett, are leaving 171 Lake Shore Road with an advantage—an advantage that comes from experiencing at least eight years of the best “uncommon” education available in southeast Michigan. 10 FALL 2015 / THE ACADEMIC
ISACS TEAM CONCLUDES IMPORTANT RE-ACCREDITATION VISIT NAIS, ISACS, AIMS, ERB. It’s a regular alphabet soup of accreditation, authorization and academic certification. It’s confusing to be sure for some in the school community, but nonetheless vital to The Grosse Pointe Academy’s continuing growth as a beacon of excellence in early and primary education. Among the many accreditations achieved by GPA, perhaps one of the most vital is its ISACS accreditation. The Independent Schools Association of the Central States is a membership organization of more than 230 independent schools from 13 states in the Midwest region of the United States. GPA has been ISACS-accredited for years and shares such accreditation with Cranbrook, Country Day and The Roeper School. VISITING TEAM COMMENDS In mid-April, a team of 10 educators from other ISACS-member schools concluded a four-day visit to GPA as a part of the school’s re-accreditation process. Prior to the visit, GPA faculty, staff, administrators and Board members prepared a 130-page self-study report describing all aspects of GPA’s program, operations and school culture. According to GPA officials, the ISACS team observed school in session and met with faculty, staff, students, administrators, alumni, Trustees and parents. The team used those observations and meetings to analyze GPA’s self-study report and to develop a general overview along with commendations and recommendations for the 31 report areas in the self-study. “We received a copy of the ISACS full report at mid-summer,” said Head of School Lars Kuelling. “And we were happy to receive our full accreditation at that time.” Prior to departing the Academy in April, the ISACS visiting team leader, Mike Vachow, who is from the Forsyth School in St. Louis, Missouri, shared his team’s overall observations with GPA’s faculty and staff, and presented major commendations and recommendations, some of which are highlighted below: • Dedicated, compassionate, flexible, loyal faculty, staff and administration • The family feel that characterizes school community • Leadership of the school at the governance level is intensely focused on the long-term financial sustainability of GPA • Courage to explore emerging, distinguishing programs like STEAM, 1-to-1 computing, R.E.A.L., the Garden Classroom “We are all grateful to the visiting team members who took time from their own schools to so thoughtfully examine our program and provide what we know will be helpful reflections and suggestions,” Kuelling said. “I would like to personally thank all of our faculty and staff — the steering committee, and Janice Sturm, steering committee chair — for their work and dedication to our school and students over the past two years. A job well done!” SIXTEEN ACADEMY ALUMS FROM THE CLASS OF 2011 GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL THIS YEAR. THEY WERE ACCEPTED TO THE FOLLOWING COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES. (See page 28 for more on the class.) New York University University of Dayton Emerson College Manhattan College Unites States Military Academy, West Point University of Michigan Butler University Davidson College University of Detroit Mercy Loyola University Chicago Rhodes College Johns Hopkins University Case Western Reserve University Central Michigan University St. Louis University Michigan State University Purdue University Ohio State University Miami University (Ohio) Indiana University Marquette University University of South Carolina Bard College School of the Art Institute of Chicago Wake Forest University Hope College Xavier University Howard University Miami University Oxford College of Wooster University of Alabama Rochester University Rice University Manhattan School of Music Wayne State University Oakland University Illinois Wesleyan University University of South Carolina Carnegie Mellon University Georgia Institute of Technology Sewanee: The University of the South Oberlin College Furman University Connecticut College Albion College Kalamazoo College John Carroll University University of Southern California Bowling Green State University
Page 1 and 2: THE Academic FALL 2015 THE GROSSE P
Page 3 and 4: Contents Fall 2015 Volume 1 No.1 pg
Page 5 and 6: ALUMPROFILE FORMER ACADEMY STUDENTS
Page 7 and 8: Arts and academics FOUNDATION OF AC
Page 9: “I attended GPA from preschool to
Page 13 and 14: THE GROSSE POINTE ACADEMY NETS BIG
Page 15 and 16: ACADEMY A BIG PART OF DETROIT CHILD
Page 17 and 18: GPA MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS ATTEND D
Page 19 and 20: A summary of GPA student results ar
Page 21 and 22: SOCCER-PLAYING ROBOTS AND ‘SQUISH
Page 23 and 24: “My first assignment with State w
Page 25 and 26: “Since the economic situation is
Page 27 and 28: Varty is with daughter, Meg, who at
Page 29 and 30: Academy alum earns big scholarship
Page 31 and 32: called World Views and Civilization
Page 33 and 34: Mad for Montessori What do you call
Page 35 and 36: of her birth in New York City. But
Page 37 and 38: emainder of my teaching years at th
Page 39 and 40: ight choice CURRENT PARENTS DISCUSS

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