GPS Magazine | Blueprint Winter 2019 by Girls Preparatory School

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BLUE PRINT T H E M A G A Z I N E of G I R L S P R E PA R AT O R Y S C H O O L

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How Our Girls Learn

Growing Girls PAGE

Girls. Supported. Giving students the tools they need to succeed

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STEM Studies

Girls plug into technology & innovation

BRUISERS

on blast ALL THE

#HERESTOTHEGIRLS

FEELS

STAY IN THE KNOW Keep up with GPS on social media: Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Below are some of the most popular posts from our first semester. Be sure to follow us for the most up-to-date happenings and share in the Bruiser conversation. SEARCH @GPSBRUISERS TO FOLLOW US!

The Upper School office has gone INSIDE OUT today! Happy Halloween! OCTOBER 31

23 NEW UPPER SCHOOL STUDENTS

received a sweet surprise from Christian Forum— a flower to continue to welcome them to our school. We’re so glad they joined us! AUGUST 29

TERPSICHORD’S THANKSGIVING CONCERT

was a celebration of life, love, and friendship, and a reminder of how we, with our own experiences and perspectives, create one shared and powerful experience. NOVEMBER 16

Welcome Class of 2025! The #GPSClassOf2025 made their GPS debut today! Here’s to this first chapter of their GPS Story! AUGUST 16

Nothing Sweeter. Our Middle School students welcomed their grandparents and special friends to campus yesterday. Upper School GRANDPARENTS DAY

is April 5, 2019. OCTOBER 4

For this year’s CAT-RAT PARADE, the senior Cats transformed their sixth-grade Rats into various characters and game pieces from video games! AUGUST 26

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Here’s to the GIRLS, y’all. BRUISERS SOCCER picked up its EIGHTH shutout of the 2018 season with a 3-0 win over rival Baylor. OCTOBER 9

Myra Brock, center, will reign as MAY QUEEN over the 2018-19 traditional May Day festivities to be held Wednesday, May 1, 2019. Joining her on the Court are, from left: Caitlin O’Brien, Allison Smith, Olivia Fannon, Maya Bhutwala, and Ellie Swann. DECEMBER 14

Table of Contents ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM Head of School Dr. Autumn A. Graves Head of Upper School Jenise Gordon Head of Middle School Lynne Macziewski Dir. of Learning Innovation & Teacher Engagement Elaine Milazzo Dir. of Educational Technology & Information Systems Daniel Millbank Dir. of Strategic Communications & Marketing/Interim Dir. of Development Bilda Small Chief Financial Officer Mark Vosskamp Dir. of Athletics Jay Watts EDITORIAL STAFF Managing Editor Pamela Hammonds Senior Editor Michal Howick ’03 Designer Caitlin Rozell Contributing Writers Dr. Ralph Covino Anne Exum Callie Hildebrand Dr. Gregg Lightfoot Jill Pala Pieritz ’97 Amy Piper Laura Jane Walker Laurel Moore Zahrobsky ’90 Contributing Photographers Jimmy Burgess Emily Lester Amy Walters Blueprint is published biannually by Girls Preparatory School P.O. Box 4736 Chattanooga, TN 37405 423.634.7600 | GPS.edu Printed by Starkey Printing Co.

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ROTUNDA

Bruisers on Blast A Message from Head of School A Big Bruiser Welcome What Is Your GPS Story? CORNERSTONES

How Our Girls Learn Girls. Supported. STEM Studies COURT YARD

Around GPS Fine & Performing Arts Athletics

ON THE COVER

Cat-Rat pair Olivia Fannon ’19 and Mabry Cook ’25

GALLERY

ID Those Bruisers Class Notes Weddings Babies In Memoriam COLUMNS

MBD: Girl Edition Giving for Today & Tomorrow

BRING BLUEPRINT TO LIFE!

The digital version at GPS.edu/GPSMagazine provides additional content through links to our website, videos, and photos. In an effort to adopt mindful printing practices, GPS mails one magazine per household. If you would like to receive additional copies, please contact blueprint@gps.edu.

UNDERSTANDING BLUEPRINT ROTUNDA

The framework of each issue

CORNERSTONES

The foundation of leadership, values, and purpose

COURT YARD

Life at GPS— news and happenings

GALLERY

The recognition and celebration of alumnae beyond our walls

COLUMNS

The impact of our school

G P S .E D U G I R L S P R E P A R A T O R Y S C H O O L R O T U N D A

A MESSAGE FROM HEAD OF SCHOOL

Growing Girls In this issue of Blueprint, we explore the research, science, and expertise on girls’ development that not only guide our approach in educating girls but also support our belief that an all-girls school provides the best environment for girls to thrive. We explain the intentional design of our curriculum, programs, and classrooms to provide a space where each girl feels comfortable and safe to be herself in “How Our Girls Learn” (page 10). At GPS, she can be inspired to become exactly who she wants to be. Since our girls are with us during their formative years of adolescence, GPS offers the tools she needs to succeed—in the classroom and beyond. Read about our programs in “Girls. Supported.” (page 15) and learn why they are so vital to setting her up for a lifetime of resiliency. From guidance counselors and tutoring services to our Girl Matters | Girls Matter speaker series, our school not only provides each girl ongoing support, but also affords her parents the opportunity to learn from experts across the country who we invite to campus to share their wisdom with our community. At the beginning of the school year, we launched some exciting new initiatives to our existing STEM program (page 20) and have already seen our girls achieve so much, particularly in Middle School where the early seeds are planted that help her grasp key components of science, technology, engineering, and math she’ll use in the Upper School and college. Beginning on page 23, our Courtyard section of the magazine allows you to read about what’s been happening “Around GPS” and in our arts and athletics programs. If you’ve been on campus this year for a program or a game, I hope you’ve been just as impressed with our girls as I am. Their talents are vast and varied! Throughout this issue, you will see the evidence of our commitment to girls as you read about life at GPS today and the lives of our alumnae beyond our halls. The Gallery part of Blueprint (page 34) plays homage to our former students and gives us an opportunity to share their joy in celebrating career accomplishments and life events as well as Here’s to the GIRLS! honor those we’ve lost. We continue to encourage and celebrate every GPS girl and are proud of the women they become. Thank you for allowing us to share in your GPS story.

R O T U N D A G I R L S P R E P A R A T O R Y S C H O O L G P S .E D U

Dr. Autumn A. Graves Head of School

G P S .E D U G I R L S P R E P A R A T O R Y S C H O O L R O T U N D A

A Big Bruiser Welcome FACULT Y DEPARTMENT CHAIRS JOIN GPS

F TER TEACHING FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS

in independent schools, Dr. Gregg Lightfoot joined GPS this fall—his first opportunity to teach at an all-girls school. While engaging with and adapting to any school community can be challenging, Lightfoot has been surprised by his students’ willingness to take chances and engage in what might be a slightly different approach to learning. “Acceptance, on both sides of the desk, doesn’t come immediately or even easily, sometimes,” he says. “However, experience also provides you with the stamina to put in the effort to get to know your colleagues and students and to embrace the institutional past with an appreciation that your presence is also part of its future.” Lightfoot holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Miami (Florida) in history and secondary education. He also obtained a Master of Arts and his Ph.D. from Cornell University (Ithaca, New York) in US/Latin American history. He recently completed an additional master's degree from the University of Texas in educational leadership and policy studies. In reflecting on his first semester, Lightfoot says he’s experienced a variety of incredible personal and professional growth opportunities. “The move to an all-girls school offers an ongoing opportunity to learn and grow in ways that challenge both my assumptions and approaches toward education,” he says. “I looked to this opportunity with an eagerness born of a desire to know more about how teaching girls encourages a shift in mindset and approach and to apply that daily in the classroom.”

DR. GREGG LIGHTFOOT SEVENTH-GRADE HISTORY TEACHER AND HISTORY/SOCIAL SCIENCES DEPARTMENT CHAIR

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Of the GPS community, he praises its being wonderfully adept at providing the support needed to make that transition, while simultaneously providing an incredibly encouraging environment driven by daring students and teachers. “My colleagues ask questions and provide ideas to help develop my teaching and hone my skills,” Lightfoot says, “but it’s my students who provide the most excitement for taking chances and pushing me to be a better teacher. They are up for anything in the classroom, and knowing that provides me the challenge and encouragement to do some really different and exciting things with my classes.”

“ATTENDING AN ALL-GIRLS SCHOOL WAS ONE OF THE BEST THINGS THAT HAPPENED TO ME AS A TEENAGER.”

AVING BEEN A STUDENT at an all-girls high school, Dr. Erin Montero Rangno felt at home when she came to GPS this fall. “Attending an all-girls school was one of the best things that happened to me as a teenager,” she says. “It helped me to focus not only on academics but also the relationships with friends.” To this day, she counts her former classmates as her “best and dearest” friends and attends annual get-togethers with a close group of eight.

DR. ERIN MONTERO RANGNO SPANISH TEACHER AND WORLD L ANGUAGE DEPARTMENT CHAIR

She says her positive all-girls school experience was a huge part of wanting to teach here. “My classmates had a lot of curiosity in academics and helped me regain my love for learning that I had in elementary school. It was easy to feel confident in being intelligent.” Montero obtained a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and Portuguese from California Lutheran University (Thousand Oaks). She earned her master’s degree in Latin American studies and a Ph.D. in Spanish and Portuguese from the University of New Mexico (Albuquerque). She taught at UNM and served as department chair at Warren Wilson College (Asheville, North Carolina). She’s also worked in Argentina and lived in Mexico, Costa Rica, and Brazil. After teaching for nearly 20 years at the college level, one of her biggest surprises at GPS was the level of preparedness her students exhibited. “The girls come in with great questions and have prepared so well that we are able to dive right into activities,” she says. She’s also been able to utilize a flipped classroom. “Because they are so good at doing their homework, I can have them watch an online tutorial and read the assignment before coming to class to discuss it. They are more invested in learning because they want to be here.”

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INTRODUCING THE 2018-19 THEME OF THE YEAR 2018 -19

y(our)

While GPS is a school for girls—nearly 600 girls—each girl is writing her own story. Her time at GPS will be but a chapter in her life, and hopefully a chapter that is impactful, meaningful, and memorable. So it seems fitting that this year’s theme prompts each student to consider her individual story and also contemplate how she fits into the collective narrative that is OUR story—one with thousands of entries that date back to 1906 and will continue for years to come. Read more at GPS.edu/news about this year's theme, how it was chosen by our student leaders, and the thought process behind the graphic's design.

What is your «

GPS STORY? KENNEDY BALL ’23

As a varsity soccer player, eighth-grader Kennedy Ball played a key role in this year’s state championship bid. When a teammate was out with an injury, she seized the opportunity to step up when it mattered most and made a penalty kick that helped win the game.

Havan finds art to be the perfect way to relax.

MULTI-SPORT ATHLETE CHRISTIAN FORUM MEMBER

Kennedy says a life without sports would be boring.

« AMNEST Y INTERNATIONAL MEMBER BETA CLUB

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HAVAN NGUYEN ’19

•

Having immigrated to America from Vietnam as a toddler, Havan Nguyen has experienced significant changes in her life. At GPS, she’s taken time to explore different interests and passions across STEM and humanities classes and found support every step of the way. Next fall, as she begins her freshman year at Brown University with plans to one day study medicine, this first-generation college student will start the next step of her bright future.

•

“I’VE HAD THE MOST FUN AND THE MOST STRUGGLES HERE , AND MY TEACHERS HAVE GIVEN ME FREEDOM TO THINK FOR MYSELF.”

Allison was voted by her classmates for the 2018-19 May Court.

ALLISON SMITH ’19 As an eighth-grader in public school, Allison Smith had a desire to push herself further academically. She had no idea how far the decision to come to GPS as a freshman would take her. When she heads to Dartmouth College this fall to study history and government, she’ll also row for The Big Green, having earned a scholarship for a sport she had never encountered before enrolling at GPS.

STUDENT COUNCIL PRESIDENT

"None of these things would have been possible without GPS."

JUNIOR STATE OF AMERICA PRESIDENT,

FOUNDER OF THE GPS CHAPTER

TO READ MORE GPS ALUMNAE STORIES, GO TO GPS.EDU/ALUMNAE.

« JORDAN MCCARTER ’96 As a young girl, Jordan McCarter attended GPS summer camps. So when it came time to start middle school, her only choice was to become a Bruiser. To McCarter, GPS was her favorite place and still is. Now in her fourth year teaching Middle School history, she gets to return the favor while influencing her young students. “BECAUSE WE ARE SO FOCUSED ON REL ATIONSHIPS HERE , TEACHING FEELS LIKE A GIANT CONVERSATION. LEARNING GOES TWO WAYS AND SHOULD BE EXCITING.” HISTORY TEACHER KALEIDOSCOPE (YEARBOOK) SPONSOR

Jordan still keeps in touch with classmates. They have been friends for more than 25 years.

G P S .E D U G I R L S P R E P A R A T O R Y S C H O O L R O T U N D A

THE SCIENCE BEHIND HOW WE TEACH AND REACH STUDENTS

C O R N E R S T O N E S G I R L S P R E P A R A T O R Y S C H O O L G P S .E D U

By Michal Howick ’03 and Dr. Gregg Lightfoot

Intelligence, like any other aspect of ourselves, can be nurtured, supported, and developed. Yet, while we intuitively appreciate this lifelong growth mindset, our actions often perpetuate a damaging myth—namely, that intelligence is a fixed entity and that some learning is simply beyond our abilities. This myth most consistently persists in educating girls and influences the approaches often taken toward their learning.

How Our GIRLS LEARN BEST PRACTICES for teaching girls To best educate girls, one has to know girls—their motivations and their development—and then use the knowledge to establish curriculum and programs that provide them a space to best support how they learn. While it’s no secret boys and girls are different from each other, brain studies over the last 20 years definitively prove biological differences— developmental, structural, chemical, hormonal, and functional— between the male and female brains. In fact, PET scans of girls’ and boys’ brains reveal just how differently those brains are set up to learn, according to Dr. Michael Gurian, co-founder of the Gurian Institute and GPS speaker in spring 2017. One teacher involved in his research noted, “Looking back, I’m amazed that [we] were never taught the differences between how boys and girls learn.” At GPS, our faculty have known for decades that our girls thrive in an environment designed to challenge their innate curiosity while fostering a love of learning.

G P S .E D U G I R L S P R E P A R A T O R Y S C H O O L C O R N E R S T O N E S

123 WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT GIRLS

EARLY M ATURATION

While there are exceptions, the majority of research notes key distinctions with girls: early maturation and development of verbal skills plus processing dexterity sooner in adolescence. Yet across all developmental stages, girls are highly relational and more emotionally and socially perceptive and expressive than boys.

EARLY DEVELOPMENT OF VERBAL SKILLS

HIGHLY REL ATIONAL

themselves, as well as for themselves. They are also overwhelmingly more interested in and focused on people and relationships. All of these factors are considered in GPS’s learning environment.

“We readily think of girls being at an advantage in language arts, and certainly the female brain in general shows that Author Leonard Sax, advantage; but how Ph.D., who spoke often have we lost GIRLS ARE MORE at GPS in April our girls to boredom EMPATHETIC IN 2012, writes, “Girls’ because they are friendships are facereading yet another THEIR EDUCATIONAL to-face, two or three book about males AND PERSONAL girls talking with one and men?” writes APPROACHES, another, while boys’ are researcher and neuro shoulder-to-shoulder, scientist Douglas D. LARGELY BECAUSE boys sitting next to Burman, Ph.D. To not each other looking THEY LIVE OUTSIDE OF only further a girl’s out at some common THEMSELVES, AS WELL learning but also to interest.” keep it relatable, more AS FOR THEMSELVES. intentional choices— In his book Why in materials, process, Gender Matters: What and expectation— Parents and Teachers need to happen with girls in mind. Need to Know About the Emerging Science of Sex Differences, Sax suggests that “The more we provide girls the opportubecause of this, small group work is more nity to find relevance in their own lives, effective in how girls learn than boys. to personally connect with the people Forming relationships and the preference and topics which they are studying, and for face-to-face interaction holds true not to bring to life the content, the more only with peers but also with teachers. they learn and comprehend,” says Lynne Macziewski, GPS Head of Middle School. We know at GPS—through our conversations, community service, and curricAnd while curriculum differences ulum—girls are also more empathetic in play a key role in educating girls, the their educational and personal approaches, environment in which they learn may be largely because they live outside of even more vital to their success.

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BEST SETTING = Best Outcomes Extensive research over the last two decades on girls’ and boys’ development supports the educational priorities GPS believes and knows to be true: a single-sex environment is the most comfortable educational environment for girls.

AT GPS, WE UNDERSTAND HOW TO ENGAGE HER MIND, BODY, AND SPIRIT IN THE LEARNING PROCESS.

Gurian, in Boys & Girls Learn Differently: A Guide for Teachers and Parents, offers important insight into how schools like GPS can help girls develop a different perspective on their abilities and achievement. “Single-sex options are, therefore, good ones. The psychosocial stresses are removed, to a great extent, from the learning process. As girls work with girls at this very difficult and vulnerable time, self-confidence can increase along with academic performance; girls, together, without hindrance from boys, learn to manage their own and each other’s transformations.” The essential support structure girls need for healthy exploration—both in their educational pursuits and their socialization—comes in the type of environment that GPS provides, one that is simultaneously challenging and reassuring. Psychologist JoAnn Deak, Ph.D., also a GPS speaker and author, details a wealth of research on the impact of single-sex education in her book, How Girls Thrive: An Essential Guide for Educators and Parents. “There was a strikingly different quality to the atmosphere, character, and climate of the all-female class. The learning community that emerged was characterized by a profound sense of responsibility for learning, a special rapport between and among the teacher and the students, a spirit of co-learning, with both the teacher and the students feeling free to ask questions, admit mistakes, take risks, express confusion.” Simply put, providing a space where girls feel safe to explore new topics, take risks, fail, and recover is key to developing the whole girl.

HOW GIRLS LEARN BEST SMALL GROUP WORK FORMING REL ATIONSHIPS WITH PEERS AND TEACHERS FACE-TO-FACE INTERACTION FOCUSED ON PEOPLE AND RELATIONSHIPS PERSONALLY CONNECTING WITH CONTENT

G P S .E D U G I R L S P R E P A R A T O R Y S C H O O L C O R N E R S T O N E S

Inspire.

Connect. ENGAGE. RELATE.

SUPPORT. RELATING TO girls The biggest benefit GPS provides is the development of relationships between peers and with teachers that fosters a healthy self-image and an unshakable selfconfidence in our graduates. Among all research studies on girls’ development, the most notable and consistent facet of a girl’s growth is the role self-esteem plays in her life and in her learning.

NOTICE THE CL ASSROOM SETTING?

DESKS PULLED INTO A TIGHT CIRCLE.

THE CASUAL, REL AXED POSTURE OF THE GIRLS.

THE TEACHER, MS. KATY BEROTTI, ON THE SAME LEVEL AS HER STUDENTS.

“THE TEACHER AND THE STUDENTS FEEL FREE TO ASK QUESTIONS, ADMIT MISTAKES, TAKE RISKS, AND EXPRESS CONFUSION.” —JOANN DEAK, PH.D.

In Untangled, Lisa Damour, Ph.D., who spoke at GPS in March 2018, describes a research study that was conducted to measure the effect of self-esteem in how girls learn. “Creating a space for girls to learn where they feel comfortable is most important in educating girls. Single-sex education removes a lot of misconceptions about girls’ intellectual abilities and mitigates internalized bias by understanding how girls learn and how that learning supports their perceptions correlates with performance.” Our students are with us during an extraordinary formative stage in life. Who they will become and how they view themselves and the world begins with a strong foundation reinforced by the adults they trust and respect. Deak writes, “The critical core of educating and parenting is to think premeditatedly and carefully and to plan experiences, in small increments, that over days and weeks and months and years help layer and therefore build the inner core of the child.” Therefore, girls need allies in their education and their social growth—at home and at school. “To inspire a girl to reach her highest potential,” Macziewski says, “means we understand how to engage her mind, body, and spirit in the learning process. We take our lead from her and, from the first day she steps onto our campus, walk this wondrous journey of growing together.”

Michal Howick ’03 is the Associate Director of Communications and Marketing and Head Coach of GPS/McCallie Blue Crew cheerleading. Dr. Gregg Lightfoot is Chair of the History Department and Middle School history teacher.

C O R N E R S T O N E S G I R L S P R E P A R A T O R Y S C H O O L G P S .E D U

. s l r i G . d e t r o p p Su Giving students the tools they need to succeed

By Amy Piper

really starts and ends with being known and loved,” says Jenise Gordon, Head of Upper School. She’s talking about the rudiments of nurturing a girl’s self-confidence, which is mission critical to Girls Preparatory School. From the first day of sixth grade to the last day of twelfth, GPS acts with intentionality to build a strong foundation of social and emotional health, providing benefits that extend far beyond adolescence. “To grow into the woman you are meant to be, you have to feel emotionally safe,” says Head of School Dr. Autumn A. Graves. “That means being comfortable with who you are and growing up in an environment that teaches you to be comfortable with who you are.” Self-confidence, rooted in feelings of security and belonging, is a cornerstone of socio-emotional well-being. Whether in the classroom, on the field, or peer-to-peer, GPS grounds learning in relationship. Confidence is also born out of an understanding of self that demands resiliency and a growth mindset, and GPS programming, pedagogy, and practices are designed to promote these qualities while fighting against the natural enemies of confidence: perfectionism, rumination, and capricious competition.

The popular Girl Matters | Girls Matter speaker series has brought to campus national experts, including author and parent/teen communication specialist Dr. Ken Ginsburg and Associate Director of the Anxiety and Mood Disorders Program at Yale Dr. Eli Lebowitz to help students gain skills to better navigate themselves. Socio-emotional health yields instant and obvious benefits by lowering levels of anxiety and providing a sense of balance and contentment, but it also has far-reaching implications as well. Cultivating strong social and emotional health during the GPS years shows up in adulthood as agency and as intrinsic motivation, which allows a student to become a woman with purpose who uses happiness as the best measure of her success.

G P S .E D U G I R L S P R E P A R A T O R Y S C H O O L C O R N E R S T O N E S

« BUILDING AGENCY

through collaboration and dissent Agency is feeling capable of mobilizing thought into action. Agency is distinct from competence—the latter is talent and ability, while the former is the catalyst to use that talent. In The Confidence Code: The Science and Art of Self-Assurance, authors Katty Kay and Claire Shipman state that “Success correlates more closely with confidence than it does with competence.” Without agency, talent is wasted, which may breed feelings of apathy and a drift toward herd mentality. But those whose talents are backed by strong self-confidence and a solid socio-emotional foundation are more likely to feel autonomy and the ability to take action. GPS builds agency by helping girls learn to collaborate and by teaching them the value of dissent. Girls learn best in collaborative environments, and GPS encourages group problem solving and the critical thinking that collaboration requires: VETTING IDEAS WITH OTHERS EVALUATING MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES GAINING THE CONFIDENCE TO EXPRESS HER OWN IDEAS WITH PEERS RESPECTFULLY DISAGREEING AT TIMES WHILE FORMING HER OWN OPINIONS

Head of Middle School Lynne Macziewski says, “One of the most important things we do here is build those relationships, those friendships, between the girls.” Working with her peers and friends allows a girl to build a sense of agency because, in these groups, students are not passive vessels being filled up with information; they are engaged in working together to act. Learning these skills early on builds confidence to act as an autonomous adult. Macziewski is equally enthusiastic about the benefits and ethics of dissent. She notes that dissent is a critical component to healthy civic discourse and lauds the benefits of learning how to disagree respectfully but without apology. “It’s an important skill,” she says, “to be able to AGENCY: disagree and know THE CATALYST that, of course, she’s TO USE TALENT still my friend.” AND ABILITY

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Exposure to a broader range of ideas and lived experiences helps a student understand and appreciate nuanced arguments, allows her to acknowledge the strengths and weaknesses of her position, and cements her own thinking and values. Dr. Graves sees the opportunity to hold girls formally accountable for developing a deep understanding of multiple sides of an issue as essential to building the empathy necessary to become a good leader and community member. To support this important part of developing agency, the Middle School history curriculum will place a more robust emphasis on debate, allowing girls to practice the art of dissent.

Intrinsic motivation to self-define purpose—HAPPINESS IS SUCCESS The adolescent girl often seeks to be a “pleaser,” apt to make choices designed to maximize external validation. Through cultural osmosis, she absorbs the messages of the adults she encounters and society at large and painstakingly marks which behaviors and choices will be rewarded as “successful.” She may then throw herself headlong into making the grade, seeking a degree from an elite school, obtaining a fancy job title, accruing material possessions, or becoming the perfect mother—not because these goals align with her passions, values, and aptitude, but because she perceives that if she jumps through the proper set of hoops, she will be praised as good and worthy. External validation is not purpose. Pouring effort and energy into hollow pursuits for the sake of praise is conflating self-worth with arbitrary achievement and is a Sisyphean task likely to result in perfectionism, anxiety, inferiority, and paralysis. Because she is not genuinely invested in any particular goal but rather the goal of receiving approval of others, she determines that the better she is at whatever the skill, the more praise it will yield, giving rise to unhealthy perfectionism. Since perfection is unattainable, this in turn leads her to feelings of inferiority and paralysis, note Bob Sullivan and Hugh Thompson in The Plateau Effect: Getting from Stuck to Success. The more society values a particular achievement as conventionally successful, the more she may inflate the importance of attaining it, making each choice a “high stakes” decision and generating anxiety and confusion about real versus perceived expectations.

OUR MISSION WE INSPIRE EACH GIRL TO LEAD A LIFE OF INTEGRIT Y AND PURPOSE BY ENGAGING HER MIND, CULTIVATING HER STRENGTHS, AND NURTURING HER SELF-CONFIDENCE AND RESPECT FOR OTHERS.

“So much of the social and emotional work we do here is pointing out to the girls that the idea that life is building toward some pinnacle is a fallacy,” says Sarah Young Jackson ’06, Upper School Dean of Students. “We don’t want them always aiming for some future contentment. If you are not satisfied and content as you move through life, that’s a problem.” She’s reminded of an article she read about running. “Marathons aren’t why runners run. The process of training for a marathon is grueling. It may rain on race day. You might get injured. If the only thing motivating you is this 26.2 mile race, you’ll always be disappointed. But if you love running for its own sake, if taking a run is enjoyable, feeling the weather is pleasant, if you like the sound of your feet hitting the pavement—then that’s why you should run.”

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“I TEACH PHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY, WHICH CAN BE INTIMIDATING. IT’S A JOURNEY WE ARE GOING THROUGH TOGETHER. THERE ARE TIMES IT MAY BE HARD, BUT I’M HERE TO ENCOURAGE THEM AND HELP THEM FIND PL ACES OF DISCONNECT. MY JOB IS TO HELP THEM WALK THAT JOURNEY.”

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READ MORE ABOUT OUR SUPPORT SERVICES TEAM AT GPS.EDU/NEWS.

–BRYANT HAYNES, SCIENCE TEACHER

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By nurturing her self-confidence and encouraging her from an early age to think for herself and identify her own values, GPS helps each girl find intrinsic motivation and authentic purpose. When a girl feels known and loved, there is no longer a need to prove she is good enough; she knows that she is. Instead of the outside world telling her what she should do and who she should be, GPS permits her the space to develop individuality and encourages her curiosity so that she will define her own purpose. A healthy social and emotional life leads to happiness, which is a valid end in itself and the best marker of success. In Building Resilience in Children and Teens, Dr. Ginsburg reminds the adults that, “The most essential ingredient in raising resilient children is an adult who loves or accepts them unconditionally and holds them to high but reasonable expectations. High expectations are not about grades or performance. They’re about integrity, generosity, empathy, and the traits our children need if they are to contribute to the world.” They are the traits of socially and emotionally healthy people, and they are what GPS works to inspire in each girl.

“WHAT WILL SUCCESS MEAN IN YOUR LIFE?”

Between classes, GPS Upper School students were asked, with no other prompting, “What will success mean in your life?” Their answers reflect that GPS girls understand the importance of self-defined purpose, happiness, and relationships with others.

“To be happy. NOT TO BE BORED WITH MY LIFE AND TO HAVE A COMMUNITY AROUND ME. THAT’S IT.” —CLAIRE LINDEMAN ’20 “IT’S HAVING good

morals and ethics AND BEING ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THE GOALS AND DREAMS YOU HAVE FOR

Authentic Purpose. INTRINSIC MOTIVATION.

HEALTHY SOCIAL LIFE.

Happiness Amy Piper is an English teacher at GPS. She has a BA in English from Harvard University and a law degree from the University of Virginia.

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YOURSELF.” —MANASA MAKAM ’22 “STRIVING TO REACH THE HIGHEST POTENTIAL I HAVE AND

using all my skills TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY.” –ASTRA BURKE ’20 “BEING AT A PLACE IN LIFE WHERE YOU ARE HAPPY WITH BOTH where

you are AND WITH who you are.” —MIA IANNIOS ’21

G P S .E D U G I R L S P R E P A R A T O R Y S C H O O L C O R N E R S T O N E S

STEM STUDIES

MAKING SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATH APPLICABLE FOR ALL GPS students are afforded a multitude of disciplines to explore across the arts, humanities, and STEM fields. And girls make meaningful connections when disciplines overlap and learning becomes rich and relevant. While STEM subjects have long been taught here, GPS teachers continue to innovate and present opportunities for interdisciplinary learning, which becomes key to discovery. “When teachers intentionally highlight the connections between disciplines in the classroom, students are able to make connections that are relevant to their interests and passions,” says Jill Pala Pieritz ’97, STEM Coordinator and computer science and engineering teacher. As a sixth-grader takes global cultures and science, she spends a year in creative collaboration with her classmates to showcase her knowledge in a final project that might feature a lifesaving product for a war refugee. In seventh grade, she studies mythology in English, astronomy in science, and then creates an original constellation in Design & Discovery (computer science) to represent the myth she wrote. Eighth-grade students continue to connect science, technology, engineering, and math through projects like collaboratively building Rube Goldberg machines in science and exploring STEM careers and how they work together using the software Learning Blade in Digital Makers.

Hands-on Learning

C O R N E R S T O N E S G I R L S P R E P A R A T O R Y S C H O O L G P S .E D U

Opportunities for hands-on learning and enrichment are available to students in environmental science class and environmental club, such as bird banding, learning to grow plants, and tending the GPS Garden.

GPS volunteers partnered with the Creative Discovery Museum to host booths at their monthly free Family Nights and presented STEM kits during two days of summer camp. This year we also established a GPS Science Troupe that works with CDM to craft traveling science lessons for local elementary schools that work with the state science frameworks and museum kits.

•

In partnership with Million Women Mentors, GPS hosted a free STEM afternoon that featured the professional touring musical Curie Me Away!, based on the life of physicist and chemist Marie Curie, and networking with area female professionals in STEM fields.

girls get it!

1 Jill Pala Pieritz ’97 took a group of 20 GPS students to the Girls in Leadership

STEM Summit at Chattanooga State Community College to learn about various career paths in STEM and attend hands-on workshops on welding, non-destructive materials testing, cyber security, radiation protection, and more. 2 The Middle School Math Team recently swept the competition at the Perennial

Math tournament held at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, with two first-, one second-, and one third-place individual finishes as well as first- and third-place team finishes.

“WHEN TEACHERS INTENTIONALLY HIGHLIGHT THE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN DISCIPLINES IN THE CLASSROOM, STUDENTS ARE ABLE TO MAKE CONNECTIONS THAT ARE RELEVANT TO THEIR INTERESTS AND PASSIONS.” —JILL PALA PIERITZ ’97, STEM COORDINATOR AND COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING TEACHER

virtual reality Students use virtual reality software to enhance their study of the human body. For example, the girls were able to manipulate a heart and see both internal and external structures. “I definitely noticed an improvement in grades, performance, and understanding over last year’s class,” says Erin Davis Sizemore ’98, anatomy and physiology teacher. “Using VR significantly added to their understanding of one of their most challenging units.”

G P S .E D U G I R L S P R E P A R A T O R Y S C H O O L C O R N E R S T O N E S

stem classes Outside the classroom, Middle School students can choose to take the new weekly STEM class or join Science Olympiad, Math Team, Robotics Team, Girls Who Code Club, and more. In Upper School, in addition to the robust STEM curriculum, SWENext (Society of Women Engineers Next Generation), Environmental, Health, and Computer Science Clubs are just some of the options offered here that give students avenues for exploring potential careers or passions. Pieritz, who received the 2012 NCWIT Aspirations in Computer Educator Award, says, “When girls have the opportunity to learn about STEM in a meaningful context, they are able to break stereotypes and overcome an unconscious bias to see that each girl is fully capable of achieving success in the STEM classroom. Those who are passionate about STEM find a place at GPS to work with like-minded teachers and students, where they can nurture that passion, gain support for their aspirations, and build the skills and confidence necessary to pursue a career in these exciting fields.”

In the new Middle School STEM class, teachers Karen Richards, Will Glass, and Jill Pieritz lead six classes of girls in hands-on experiences each week during what was traditionally a study hall. This year they have learned to use the laser cutter, drill press, soldering iron, 3D printer, drones, virtual reality, and more. Second semester they will design and implement projects to fit their passions.

C O R N E R S T O N E S G I R L S P R E P A R A T O R Y S C H O O L G P S .E D U

LUNCHTIME LEARNING SERIES By Jill Pala Pieritz ’97, STEM Coordinator

AS AN ALL-GIRLS SCHOOL located in the heart of Gig City, GPS is uniquely positioned to address the gaps between interest in STEM subjects and pursuit of STEM degrees. One way is through our new Women in STEM Lunchtime Learning Series, which invites women in STEM careers to campus—particularly GPS alumnae—to interact directly with students. The casual lunchtime learning format allows girls to connect with women who might inspire them to forge ahead with careers in STEM fields, and we are hopeful these personal interactions could also lead to internships, work-study placements, or mentoring relationships. These real-world opportunities are a particularly crucial component, as girls who are paired with mentors in STEM careers are more likely to feel they will be successful in that field, according to a study by the National Research Center for College and University Admissions. This year our students have heard from several women working in information technology and procurement at UNUM; three GPS alumnae working in healthcare—a nurse, physician’s assistant, and doctor; and the director of UTC’s Center for Urban Informatics & Progress. Hosting women working in a variety of roles within the same company allows them to explain their individual career paths. Oftentimes a woman is the only female in her department, and she can speak to the importance of building networks of women for support and share how she interacts with peers in the workplace. Second semester, we are pursuing connections with women in engineering from Tennessee American Water, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Woods Engineering, and a firm of local architects. We are confident that providing personal connections to STEM careers proves beneficial for our students as it shows how various STEM careers are interrelated, provides opportunities to pose questions, and allows them to make connections with potential mentors and role models.

COURTYARD

Read about life at GPS—news and happenings—in the classroom, on the field, on the stage, and beyond. From designing winning apps and creating paper dresses to performing plays and musicals and bringing home hardware in soccer, the girls’ first semester was filled with creativity and perseverance.

AROUND GPS

FINE & PERFORMING ARTS

ATHLETICS

G P S .E D U G I R L S P R E P A R A T O R Y S C H O O L C O U R T YA R D |

AROUND GPS INTERNATIONAL ARTIST VISITS GPS Montreal-based artist Alice-Anne Augustin spent the day at GPS, speaking of her robes de papier (paper dresses) and sharing her story and her message behind her art: Create something exceptional out of something common.

GPS ANNOUNCES COMMENDED STUDENTS GPS recognized seniors Lane Lawrence, Ruchi Patel, Olivia Combs, and Allison Smith as Commended Students in the 2019 National Merit Scholarship Program.

FALL BREAK GOES TO THE BIRDS Biology teacher Dr. Brandon Noel partnered with the Tennessee River Gorge Trust to enable his Environmental Science class to experience bird banding.

C O U R T YA R D G I R L S P R E P A R A T O R Y S C H O O L G P S .E D U

BOOK BODIES PROJECT BRINGS STORIES TO LIFE In Lindsey King’s English class, groups of girls designed a body part—head, arms, torso, or legs—to reflect a story from their summer reading assignment.

MATH STUDENTS TAKE A CALCULATED ADVENTURE Girls worked in teams to determine how long their cords needed to be to get a daredevil Barbie to descend from the top of the zip line to the bottom and land safely on her feet.

SEVENTH-GRADER WINS CONGRESSIONAL APP CHALLENGE Emerson Couch ’24 won the competition with the game app, Litter Awareness, she designed in her Design & Discovery class, taught by Karen Richards, GPS computer science teacher.

“WHAT A BRILLIANT WAY TO HIGHLIGHT COMPUTER SCIENCE AS A CREATIVE TOOL THAT CAN IMPROVE THE WORLD WE LIVE IN.” —KAREN RICHARDS, GPS COMPUTER SCIENCE TEACHER

WANT TO READ MORE ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING? VISIT GPS.EDU/NEWS FOR MORE.

G P S .E D U G I R L S P R E P A R A T O R Y S C H O O L C O U R T YA R D |

Fine Performing &

Arts

AS A GPS GIRL TAKES THE STAGE, finds her voice, and discovers her artistic potential, she grows in confidence and self-awareness. Whether she holds a paintbrush, an instrument, or a microphone, she also embraces a belief that anything is possible with the encouragement of her classmates and teachers.

C O U R T YA R D G I R L S P R E P A R A T O R Y S C H O O L G P S .E D U

OUR TEACHERS KNOW BEST

When it comes time to attempt a lesson that incorporates a form of creative expression, the subjects of history, science, mathematics, and English rarely link with the visual arts and theater.

Dancing makes learning memorable

Dr. Ralph Covino

to manipulate their space to tell their stories and visualize their learning.

Whether the subject matter is the hunter-gatherers of the Paleolithic Era, the By Laurel Moore Zahrobsky ’90 politics of the Age of and Dr. Ralph Covino Jackson, or the inner Yet years of experience drawn workings of atoms, students from the GPS all-girls environwork on dance pieces that use ment, in which we both teach, have movement to convey learning. They shown us that creating high-impact eduare often given limited direction for a cational practices should involve dance. The arts project: Create a shape that explains a concept (and dance in particular) play large roles in our curric- from class, build a dance study out of that shape to ulum. As one who teaches dance (Zahrobsky) and the explain it, and perform the piece within the time allotted. other history, religion, and Latin (Covino), together we How they achieve the end result is up to them. have seen dance promote engagement, understanding, student agency, and deep learning in the classroom and Dance instructors make a conscious effort to bring in materials from other courses and coordinate with classsolidify students’ knowledge for years to come. room teachers to keep movement relevant to academics. As students progress through Middle School, teachers Yielding creative control to students and giving them expose them to a variety of means of expression. Lessons ownership of the final product allow them in American history on reading and interpreting polit- to create the meaningful and relevant ical cartoons lend themselves easily to art projects. But experiences they treasure and—more what about communicating nonverbally? Instead of pen important for content acquisition— TO READ AN and paper (or tablet and stylus), dance allows students remember. IN-DEPTH VERSION

References | Gilbert, A.G. (1992). Creative dance for all ages: A conceptual approach. Reston, VA: National Dance Association. Robinson, S.K. and Aronica, L. (2018). Why dance is just as important as math in school. Ideas.TED.com

Laurel Moore Zahrobsky ’90

Those familiar with GPS know that dance is an integral part of our curriculum, with a 12,000-square-foot designated space for dance classes. Additionally, teachers create and implement interdisciplinary projects that allow for dance to enhance the learning experience across departments and grade levels. Recently two GPS teachers seized the opportunity to share GPS’s crosscurricular approach with an international audience. What follows is an excerpt from an article that was originally published by ASCD.org, an organization dedicated to excellence in learning, teaching, and leading.

Laurel Moore Zahrobsky ’90 is Dean of the Seventh Grade, a dance teacher, and the associate director of Terpsichord; she is also an accomplished dancer. Dr. Ralph Covino is Dean of the Junior Class and teaches world history, religion, and Latin.

OF THIS ARTICLE, VISIT GPS.EDU/PAGE/ARTS/ ARTS-NEWS.

G P S .E D U G I R L S P R E P A R A T O R Y S C H O O L C O U R T YA R D |

FINE & PERFORMING ARTS

New Theater Teacher

Takes the Stage This fall Mark Krawczyk joined the faculty at GPS. “As a theater teacher, you want to feel like you’re supported and appreciated by faculty,” he says, “and that was clear to me during the interview process.” Since the start of school, Krawczyk has taught classes to Upper and Middle School students and presented the Upper School fall coordinate play with McCallie School, Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. “People were just gobsmacked by their performances,” he says. “When they couldn’t articulate their feedback, they mostly said, ‘Wow’ or remarked about how many lines the kids learned.” He recently worked with Stevie Ray Dallimore, Director of Drama at McCallie, to present the student- and teacher-written 10-Minute Plays. He and Dallimore plus some students directed about 50 student and faculty actors in eight original plays. In the future, Krawczyk would like to see the 10-Minute Plays afford the students even more involvement. “I’d like for it to become a venue for empowering students to produce a festival on their own,” he says. Krawczyk previously enjoyed a career as an educator and classically trained professional actor. He has a bachelor’s degree from Towson University (Maryland) and a Master of Fine Arts in acting from Southern Methodist University (Dallas, Texas). He also studied devised theatre at Dartington College of Arts (Totnes, England). In his role at GPS, he is devoting this year to revamping the theater program and evaluating his resources. “We have a light board that remembers its cues from a floppy disc, but a digital sound board I run from an iPad,” Krawczyk says. “And the need for a large volunteer force to put on productions is new to me.” He’s seen his students take a commanding position on the stage, but he’s also been surprised by how they don’t always trust their abilities. “I told them to take the words ‘I’m sorry’ out of their vocabulary,” he adds. “Women should not apologize for what they say and do.” Instead he teaches them to read with confidence and audition with authority. “My expectations are pretty professional-level,” he says, “and they have met them. The seniors in the room have stepped up to be the examples of confidence their peers needed. I tell them: Trust that you are interesting enough.” In the spring, Krawczyk will codirect the Upper School musical Fiddler on the Roof along with Mike Lees, music director. “I DO A LOT OF WORK ON THEIR BEHALF, BUT THE STUDENTS DECIDE IF IT’S GOING TO HAPPEN.”

C O U R T YA R D G I R L S P R E P A R A T O R Y S C H O O L G P S .E D U

UNDER THE SEA The GPS community bubbled with anticipation for the Middle School musical production of Disney’s The Little Mermaid, JR.

WINTER CHORAL CONCERT “Sounds of Winter,” was a coordinate production by GPS and McCallie and celebrated the season with songs from all genres of music from classical to pop.

CUPID SIGHTING IN EVANS CENTER GPS and McCallie Upper School performing arts students set the scene of Shakespeare’s Messina in a rendition of Much Ado About Nothing.

DANCING WITH GRATITUDE Terpsichord members choreographed dances to embody general motifs such as nostalgia and balance vs. imbalance.

THE SOUNDS OF MUSIC The GPS/McCallie Wind Ensemble played a variety of Latino rhythms with the “Santana Medley,” the Beatles ballad sound, and the classical masters.

READ MORE ABOUT OUR PRODUCTIONS AT GPS.EDU/NEWS. @GPSFINEPERFORMINGARTS

@GPSFINEPERFORMINGARTS

@GPSFINEARTS

G P S .E D U G I R L S P R E P A R A T O R Y S C H O O L C O U R T YA R D |

ATHLETICS EACH SEASON as our student-athletes—dressed in black, blue, and white with GPS across their jerseys— face their opponents, they represent their teammates and coaches as well as the GPS athletic program and their school. Win or lose (or sometimes tie), our Bruisers’ dedication and work ethic prepare them for more than just their competition. They also learn life skills that will serve them well for years to come.

C O U R T YA R D G I R L S P R E P A R A T O R Y S C H O O L G P S .E D U

FOLLOW GPS ATHLETICS ON FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, AND TWITTER.

@BRUISERATHLETICS @GPS_ATHLETICS

Know

the Drill

@BRUISERSPORTS

HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS WHO PLAY SPORTS ARE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE LIKELY TO: HAVE SUPPORTIVE FRIENDS TO TALK TO ABOUT SERIOUS ISSUES

“THEY ALWAYS COMPETED AND NEVER QUIT, AND I COULD NOT HAVE ASKED FOR A BETTER GROUP.” —ROB RIDDLE, GOLF COACH

GET ALONG WELL WITH OTHER GIRLS

GOLF

TRUST OTHER GIRLS HAVE HEALTHY WAYS TO HANDLE STRESS

SOURCE: RulingOurExperiences.com

CROSS COUNTRY 5th OVERALL

at the TSSAA State Championship

* SPIRIT CHEERLEADING

of GPS G P S .E D U G I R L S P R E P A R A T O R Y S C H O O L C O U R T YA R D |

ATHLETICS

VOLLEYBALL 20-4 overall 9-7 region record

HOME OF THE

bruisers ROWING

1ST PLACE

FALL SPORTS

65 VARSIT Y

in the Women’s Youth Pair at the Music City Head Race

2ND PLACE

in the Women’s Junior Novice Eight at the Secret City Head Race

“THESE GIRLS CONTINUE TO IMPRESS ME EVERY DAY WITH THEIR WORK ETHIC AND DEDICATION TO SUCCESS.”

MIDDLE SCHOOL

C O U R T YA R D G I R L S P R E P A R A T O R Y S C H O O L G P S .E D U

—DAVID HALL, ROWING COACH

SOCCER Wins State!

FOR THE SECOND TIME IN FIVE YEARS, THE TSSAA DIVISION II-AA TITLE BELONGS TO THE BRUISERS The weather on the pitch might have been cold and wet, but the girls played with incredible passion and grit to go on to claim what they’d worked all season to earn—a state title. The Bruisers finished the 2018 season with a 15-1-3 record overall and set program records for most goals scored, 83 to be exact, and fewest goals allowed, only 10, in the regular season. “For our five seniors, who have worked so hard the past four years, a state championship is the perfect finish to their high school soccer careers,” Coach Patrick Winecoff says. Those five seniors—Myra Brock, Anna Croxall, Kylie Eiselstein, Lane Lawrence, and Megan Pfaffle— were tremendous leaders for the relatively young Bruisers team. Brock, Eiselstein, and Lawrence along with Meg Priest ’20 and sophomores Ashley Grant, Sydney Morris, and Kaedra Thorstenson were named to the All-Region team. Grant, Eiselstein, Morris, Lawrence, and Priest were named All-State.

READ MORE ABOUT OUR FALL ATHLETIC SEASON AT GPS.EDU/ NEWS.

G P S .E D U G I R L S P R E P A R A T O R Y S C H O O L C O U R T YA R D |

GALLERY We recognize and celebrate the girls of GPS throughout their lives. Read about the experiences, accomplishments, and newsworthy events of our alumnae and honor those who are no longer with us.

CL ASS NOTES

G A L L E R Y G I R L S P R E P A R A T O R Y S C H O O L G P S .E D U

WEDDINGS & BABIES

IN MEMORIAM

ID Those BRUISERS SEND YOUR BEST GUESS TO ALUMNEWS@GPS.EDU AND YOU MAY WIN A GIFT FROM THE BOW!

THEY ID’d THOSE BRUISERS!

The responses continued to pour in via email from classmates of Charlotte Patten, Janet Patton, and Phyllis Patten from the Class of 1953. We sent GPS coffee mugs to Phyllis Patten Hardin ’53, Upshur Smith Puckette ’53, Ann Martin Woody ’51, Jane Eagar Lamkin ’55, Amy Hoover Frierson ’54, Graham Walker Burns ’57, and Joan Warner Harrell ’56 for being the first to respond correctly.

HERE’S TO THE GIRLS! OR

CLASS RING

COLORS

THE DRESS

Culled from a yearbook with a cracked spine and pages yellowed with time, this photo takes us back a few decades to the origin of the Bruisers Athletic Association with these two captains of the Black and Blue squads. Formed to promote good sportsmanship and encourage school spirit, the Athletic Association coincided with GPS’s commitment to a more robust physical fitness program and the construction of a new school gymnasium while Mary Hannah Tucker was headmistress.

SISTERHOOD 1906

CAT RAT

BLACK + BLUE CHAPEL TALK

CAT RAT

CHAPEL TALK

BLACK BOW

CHAPEL TALK

WHERE OH WHERES

CLASS

HERE’S TO THE GIRLS!

ON MY HONOR RING APRILCLASS 12-14 CLASS COLORS

ALUMNAE WEEKEND BLACK BOW HERE’S TO THE GIRLS!

F O R ’4 S A N D ’9 S 1906 CLASS RING

ON MY HONOR

ON MY HON-

WHERE OH WHERES

GIRLS BLACK + BLUE

CAT RAT

GPS, WE LOVE, EXTOL THEE

BRUISERS

MAY DAY

GPS, WE LOVE, EXTOL THEE

BRUISERS

SISTERHOOD DAY SAVE THE MAY DATE! 1906

DO YOU RECOGNIZE YOUR CLASSMATES?

THE DRESS

SISTERHOOD

MAY DAY

GPS, WE LOVE, EXTOL

G P S .E D U G I R L S P R E P A R A T O R Y S C H O O L G A L L E R Y

Class Notes

1980s

“It’s an incredible honor to be inducted into the WGCA Hall of Fame,” says Julie Johnson Garner ’80. “But this award is not just for me. It’s an award for Rollins golf and all the players, coaches, and community support we have had for so many decades. It has been a labor of love to lead this program to the NCAA Championship and to revel in the life success of our graduates. I accept this honor on behalf of the entire Rollins golf family—past, present, and future.”

1970s

In a recent issue of CityScope magazine, a feature article highlighted Chattanooga women and their mentors. One of those highlighted was CATHIE AULT K ASCH ’72, honored by mentee L AUREL MOORE ZAHROBSK Y ’90

for her friendship and collaboration in the dance studios of GPS. Laurel told CityScope magazine, “Cathie began as my teacher and became my friend and colleague. She taught me to connect with my students in a way that was true to who I was as a person but also as one who gave grace as often as possible.”

1990s

1 JULIE JOHNSON GARNER ’80, head women’s

golf coach at Rollins College (Winter Park, Florida), was inducted into the Women’s Golf Coaches Association Hall of Fame on this past December. Garner, pictured above far left, is the WGCA Coaches Hall of Fame’s 51st member. In her 23 seasons as head coach, Garner racked up a record six NCAA Division II championships along with five runners-up finishes. Under her leadership, the Tars have finished in the top four at the Division II Championships in 13 of the past 17 seasons. The beloved coach is a four-time Division II Golf Pride WGCA Coach of the Year and five-time Sunshine State Conference Coach of the Year.

JOIN OUR GPS ALUMNAE FACEBOOK GROUP TO CONNECT WITH CL ASSMATES.

Congratulations to ANJALI ENJETI ’91 for winning the Sundress Academy for the Arts Fourth Estate Fellowship. The fellowship will give Enjeti space and time to work on her writing. According to its website, SAFTA shares, “In the age of anti-journalism and ‘fake news,’ we believe it is more important than ever to give journalists and writers time to research, write, and revise work that delves into the events and issues of our time.” The Fourth Estate Residency fellowship comes with a two-week residency during the spring or summer as well as a $500 stipend. Enjeti is an Atlanta-based writer who Electric Literature recently named one of 9 Essayists of Color You Should Know About. Her work has appeared in Newsday, The Nation, Guernica, The Paris Review, Al Jazeera, The Georgia Review, The Atlantic, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and elsewhere. She teaches creative nonfiction in the MFA program at Reinhardt University and serves as Vice President of Membership for the National Book Critics Circle. Her collection of essays about identity is forthcoming from University of Georgia Press. 36

G A L L E R Y G I R L S P R E P A R A T O R Y S C H O O L G P S .E D U

Order Gillespie’s book at DrDarria.com/ MomHacks and read more about Gillespie, known as Dr. Darria, at GPS.edu/alumnae.

2000s

4 M ARGARET PATE ’03 recently published her first

book, The Natural Colors Cookbook: Custom Hues for Your Fabrics Made Simple Using Food. Pate revives the timeless art of using plant-based dyes and makes it easy to do in the comfort of your own kitchen. Her book, which proves to be an essential guide to creating a spectrum of organic dyes using seasonal produce and food, is available at book sellers and online. The owner and designer of the women’s clothing textile label Nåde (featuring hand-dyed fabrics), Pate began her career in fashion as a model and did all the photography in her book. She currently splits her time between Tennessee and New York City and teaches workshops on natural hand-dyeing and weaving.

on her latest accomplishment—Mom Hacks, available now at popular booksellers or at DrDarria.com/MomHacks. The mother of two is a board-certified emergency physician frequently seen on CNN, Fox News, Dr. Oz, and The Doctors, among others. As a doctor and mom, her goal is to make parenting easier, and she’s speaking regularly to parent groups, schools, and other organizations (pretty much any audience interested in making their lives easier, healthier, and less stressful).

instagram.com/maggie_pate

3 Congratulations to DR. DARRIA LONG GILLESPIE ’96

Class Notes

2 ASHLEY WOLFE EVANS ’93, pictured above at right, was inducted as president of Chattanooga Civitan Club by the 2006-07 International President BET T Y BAKER HARALSON ’53. Evans is the executive director of Volunteers in Medicine Chattanooga, Inc., a nonprofit medical clinic that provides primary and preventative health care to financially eligible Chattanooga-area residents. A graduate of the University of Georgia, Evans serves as chair of the Board of Trustees of Moccasin Bend Mental Health Institute, chair of the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Region III Policy and Planning Council, and is a member of the board of the Tennessee Charitable Care Network. She is a 2013 graduate of Leadership Chattanooga.

Rotaract of Chattanooga appointed President CAROLINE WALKER ’04 to its 2018-19 board of directors to lead the organization into its sixth year. “I am honored to serve as this year’s Rotaract president,” Walker says. “We have such a motivated, passionate, and diverse group of people in this club who have a common interest in professional and community development for the city of Chattanooga.” Walker is Vice President of Commercial Banking at BB&T. Walker was also featured in the recent CityScope magazine article titled, “Women Who Changed My Life.” Walker identified past GPS parent and small business owner Terri Holley and local television host Alison Lebovitz as mentors who have contributed to her understanding of the community and the value of “women supporting women.”

G P S .E D U G I R L S P R E P A R A T O R Y S C H O O L G A L L E R Y

Class Notes

5 At the Association for Women Attorneys recent annual banquet, L AURA DEAKINS ’04 was presented the presidential gavel during the induction of 2019 AWA board officers. An attorney with Lewis Thomason, Deakins’ civil litigation practice primarily involves defending doctors and hospitals in medical malpractice actions and insurance defense. She also recently accepted an appointment from the Tennessee Supreme Court to serve as a Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility Hearing Committee member and has served on the board of the Community Legal Center. Other distinguished honors include the Super Lawyers 2018 Rising Star Award in the appellate category, given to only 2.5 percent of lawyers per state, and recognition by the Tennessee Supreme Court as 2018 Attorney for Justice.

6 HANNAH MESSINGER ’05, Nashville-based food

writer, stylist, and photographer, now hosts Pantry Raid, an advice podcast devoted to helping people make more food and less waste while becoming more confident and creative in the kitchen. People write in to share what odds and ends they have on hand in their pantries, and Messinger tells them what to cook for dinner. Messinger has been working professionally in food media since 2012. Her work has appeared in Food & Wine, The Tennessean, Better Homes & Gardens, Huffington Post, and more. 7 BRITTNEY MCKENNA ’07 wrote and was on the finalist selection committee for “Turning the Tables,” a piece about influential female musicians of the 21st century by NPR Music. McKenna writes as a critic for NPR and as a regular contributor to Rolling Stone’s digital country music platform. She is also assistant editor of American Songwriter.

Coached by former high school All-American ASHLEY JOHNSON ’07, the Alma College women’s lacrosse program was recently awarded the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association Team Community Awareness Award for NCAA Division III. The award “recognizes outstanding contributions by one team from each division on their campus and in their local community,” according to a release. Johnson’s team has been recognized previously for the most total community service hours and for having the “largest commitment to community service.”

2010s

6 Listen to season one of the Pantry Raid podcast on iTunes.

G A L L E R Y G I R L S P R E P A R A T O R Y S C H O O L G P S .E D U

Since graduating from GPS and then from the Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA, ELEANOR EPSTEIN ’10 has been working in film and art. A year ago she returned to Chattanooga to work on her current project, her first feature film, a dark comedy titled Beast of Eden. Epstein’s BFA focused on film, installation, and interactive sculpture. She has exhibited in Rhode Island, New York, and Tennessee and currently resides paces away from the Tennessee River. SHYA M A APPAREDDY ’10, a third-year medical student at Quillen College of Medicine at East Tennessee State University, is the recipient of two merit-based scholarship awards, the Harold P. Dishner College of Medicine scholarship and the Dr. Robert T. Bowers Medical Education Scholarship.

SHARE YOUR NEWS WITH US AT ALUMNEWS@GPS.EDU.

LIEUTENANT JUNIOR GRADE NATALIE HARPER MILLER ’11, a damage

8 L AURA HIGBEE ’11 was thrilled this past November to find out that she passed the July 2018 Washington, D.C., bar exam. Sworn in January 25, Laura is the 2018-19 law clerk at the Commission on Human Rights, which is D.C.’s “state” anti-discrimination agency. “We primarily handle employment discrimination claims, but we also get housing, education, and public accommodations claims,” Higbee says. “I help the three administrative law judges by drafting memoranda and decisions in our cases. I want to focus on employment law for my career, so this is a great fit.”

After graduation, TANNER PETERSON ’ 12 studied music technology at NYU and recently released her single “Venus” in November. Her music can be found on Spotify, YouTube, and SoundCloud.

8 9 TAYLOR BAT TLE ’15 was crowned homecoming queen of Tusculum University (Greenville) this fall. RACHEL HUDSON ’15 was recently elected to Phi Beta Kappa at Sewanee: The University of the South. She is a biochemistry major.

For classmates and faculty who watched RACHEL RAISIN ’16 participate in the first TEDx event at UTC in her senior year at GPS, it comes as no surprise that Raisin was appointed executive director of Georgia Tech’s TEDx six-member team for the 2018-19 year. As director of the TEDx team, Raisin continues her interest in TED talks by working with her team to plan events and reach out to other students who are interested in the organization. She was the leader of the first TEDx club at GPS and president of the GPS Community Service Leadership Council (now known as PIC—Partnerships in the Community). Her senior Chapel Talk was a TED talk titled “1000 Paper Cranes” that spoke of the “power to do whatever you want to make a difference.” 10 CAROLYN KLINE ’18 prepared for the “uncharted territory” that

comes in her first year at Wofford College by serving as a co-leader of a 450-mile river trip in Canada. For 10 years, Kline attended summer camp in Minnesota and has twice made a challenging 450-mile trip during her stay there, tackling rapids and portages of up to three miles. “We got up at 6 a.m. every day and got to our campsite that afternoon at 4,” she told the Wofford Newsroom. Paddling on the Moose and Missinaibi rivers gave the group “spectacular scenery” and sunrises. The return trip by train started in Moosonee, a locale unreachable by car or plane, and ended when they climbed into their canoes once more to paddle to the camp’s dock and enjoy a camp-wide celebration. Although college will have its own challenges, Kline seems prepared for whatever “rapids” come her way.

Class Notes

control assistant officer on the USS Dewey in San Diego, participated in the 26th exercise of Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC), the world’s largest international maritime exercise. According to the U.S. Navy, 25 nations, more than 45 surface ships and submarines, 17 national land forces, and more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel participated in RIMPAC 2018 and engaged in and displayed the wide range of capabilities of maritime forces—disaster relief, maritime security operations, sea control, and complex warfighting. Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, Adm. John C. Aquilino says of the naval event, “This is an opportunity to build relationships ahead of a crisis. This enables us to call our friends, partners and allies to work together to provide disaster relief, combat piracy, or a wide range of maritime contingency operations.”

G P S .E D U G I R L S P R E P A R A T O R Y S C H O O L G A L L E R Y

FROM MARRYING THE LOVE OF YOUR LIFE TO WELCOMING A NEW LIFE INTO YOUR FAMILY—

Weddings

LIFE IS GOOD!

SHYAMA APPAREDDY ’10 1

KAITLIN DEWHIRST ’06 4

to Tim Deters

TORY KEMP ’12 to Jonathan Howard

KATHLEEN BIRES ’07

TAYLOR DICKINSON ’10 5

LILLIE NOLES ’13 8

NISHA BOYINGTON ’11 2

LINDSEY ESSARY ’01 6

ANDREA SAUL ’00 9

CL AIRE CURTIS ’07 3

CATHERINE GARVEY ’08

ROBYN SPINK ’06 10

to Shiv Agarwal

to Justin Stappler to Ben Buddig

to Erik Spangenburg

to Andrew Peter Cordeiro

to Eric Wolf

to Brian Akins

to David Nosbusch

to Francis Simpson

to Michael James Handschuh

ANNA HENSON ’10 7

MORGAN YATES ’13

to John Michael Lloyd

to Jim Cardwell

WE LOVE HEARING ABOUT YOUR SPECIAL DAY! SEND YOUR PHOTOS TO ALUMNEWS@GPS.EDU.

G A L L E R Y G I R L S P R E P A R A T O R Y S C H O O L G P S .E D U

CAROLINE LITTLE BAKER ’03

HUTTON BAIRD IVEY ’10 5 a son, William Speer “Liam” Ivey

ASHLEY BALL STEIN ’99

ANNA SCHAFFELD BAXTER ’04 1

STEPHANIE VINEYARD LEWANDOWSKI ’02 6

LEE ADE STOUT ’02 Miller Blakemore Stout

a daughter, Louise Benjamin Baker a son, Otis Phillip Baxter

KAT Y MENA-BERKLEY ’99

a son, Kairos Stavroula Berkley

CAROLINE SNOW COATES ’03

a daughter, Hadley Reese Coates

EMMA WISEMAN COLLINS ’05

a daughter, Clara Louise Collins

KARIANNE CHUNG DUNCAN ’04 2

a daughter, Kenzie Lynn Duncan

KRISTEN SCHMITS GAVIL ANES ’03

a son, Michael Angelo Gavilanes

ELLYS PEEPLES GREEN ’10 3

a daughter, Rollins Alene Green

ELIZABETH CAMPBELL GRIFFIN ’04 4

a daughter, Caroline Clare Griffin

a son, Elliot Lee Stein

a daughter, Emery Rose Lewandowski

MANDY GALBRAITH SUTTON ’00 11

a daughter, Emma Grace Myers

a daughter, Eliette Beatrice “Ellie Bea” Sutton

WHITNEY WEBB NALL ’03 8

BETSEY MCCALL VERRILLI ’95 12

SARAH CASTLEMAN PATTERSON ’06

CHARLOTTE BEENE WELLS ’03 13

SORRELL MILLER PHIPPS ’08

NINA WORSHAM ’11 Oliver “Ollie” Rowan McCormick

LINDSEY LONGMIRE MYERS ’02

a son, Beau Piper Nall

a son, Rowan James Patterson a son, Jacob Carter Phipps

JENNIFER KREIS SIKES ’01 9

a son, Edwin “Win” Woodward Sikes WHITNEY STANDEFER SMITH ’06 10

a daughter, Adeline Louise Smith

a son, Graham Beaton Verrilli a son, George “Elliott” Wells

Babies

BRING ON THE BABIES! SHARE BY EMAILING US AT ALUMNEWS@GPS.EDU. G P S .E D U G I R L S P R E P A R A T O R Y S C H O O L G A L L E R Y

Here's to the girls of the GPS. Here's to for her. Here's to the black and blue. Here's through every test, Worthy the school we to the girls of the GPS. Here's to the l her. Here's to the black and blue. Here's t through every test, Worthy the school we to the girls of the GPS. Here's to the l her. Here's to the black and blue. Here's t through every test, Worthy the school we to the girls of the GPS. Here's to the l her. Here's to the black and blue. Here's t through every test, Worthy the school we to the girls of the GPS. Here's to the l her. Here's to the black and blue. Here's t through every test, Worthy the sch 1

5 6

RUBY FLORENCE TUCKER ’40 passed away

October 10, 2018. She was a lifelong resident of Chattanooga and a 77-year member of First Centenary United Methodist Church. Tucker attended The Bright School and Wesleyan College and was the first woman to receive a master’s in journalism from the University of Georgia. She taught many years in Hamilton County at East Ridge Middle School, was a member of the Hamilton County Education Association, and served on the board of directors of the Tennessee Retired Teachers Association.

SALLY MCCLELL AN CURREY ’47 died July 14, 2018. A GPS May Queen, she graduated from Randolph-Macon Woman’s College (Lynchburg, Virginia) in 1951 with a degree in art and sociology. She worked as a cartographer for the Tennessee Valley Authority. After moving to Atlanta in 1953, she sang in the choir at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, was active in the Atlanta Junior League, served on and chaired the boards of the Training and Counseling Center at St. Luke’s and the study hall at Emmaus House, and was a founder of the One2Another ministry at St. Luke’s. ANN NICHOLS VON GOESS ’49, a former May Queen, died in Vienna, Austria, July 2018. She was married to Count Franz-Anton Reichsgraf von Goëss and together they had five daughters.

G A L L E R Y G I R L S P R E P A R A T O R Y S C H O O L G P S .E D U

OWENE PHILLIPS HALL WEBER ’52 died

July 28, 2018. She attended H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial College in New Orleans, Louisiana, graduated from Jacksonville University (Florida), and pursued a Doctor of Philosophy in Irish Literature at the University of Florida. Weber was the head of the English Department at St. Johns Country Day School and taught English literature at the University of North Florida (Jacksonville) and the University of Florida (Gainesville). She also taught at Flagler College (St. Augustine, Florida), where she pioneered the women’s studies program and the Sigma Tau Delta National English Honors Society while coaching the Flagler women’s cross-country team to two district championships. DOROTHY “DOT TIE” BROWN ELLIS ’52

passed away September 25, 2018. A GPS May Queen, she graduated from University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, having also studied at the renowned Université Paris-Sorbonne. She taught French at City High and operated a small jewelry business. Among many civic commitments, she was a member of Chattanooga Historical Society and The Garden Club of Missionary Ridge. She was also a member of First Presbyterian Church, with particular involvement in Women in the Church. M ARY M ARGARET “PEGGY ” CL AUNCH ’61

died October 24, 2018. She attended Wake Forest University (Winston-Salem, North Carolina), and received her undergraduate degree in religion while pursuing her love for piano and Greek philosophy. Claunch then went to the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (Wake Forest, North Carolina) and earned her master’s degree in divinity with languages. She attended Ohio State University and completed a master’s degree in social work. During her years at Boulder County Social Services, she received numerous awards for her work. After retirement she became a volunteer for hospice.

the lessons, too. Here's to the ring we wear s to the hope that we still may be, Proven e most revere. Here's to the GPS. Here's lessons, too. Here's to the ring we wear for to the hope that we still may be, Proven e most revere. Here's to the GPS. Here's lessons, too. Here's to the ring we wear for to the hope that we still may be, Proven most revere. Here's to the GPS. Here's lessons, too. Here's to the ring we wear for to the hope that we still may be, Proven e most revere. Here's to the GPS. Here's lessons, too. Here's to the ring we wear for to the hope that we still may be, Proven hool we most revere. Here's to the GPS. 7

JANICE “JAN” BETH L AWRENCE HAWK ’61

died June 24, 2018. She graduated from University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 1971 with a degree in home economics. She was a longtime member of Brainerd Baptist Church, where she sang in the choir, and was later a member of Grace Bible Fellowship Church. She worked as a dietician at Tennessee Baptist Children’s Home for several years and was a volunteer for many local organizations. PATRICIA “TRICIA” L AWS ELKINS ’63 died October 29, 2018. She was a member of First Presbyterian Church for more than 60 years and was actively involved in the Congregational Care Ministry. Elkins enjoyed visiting shut-ins and the elderly and attending reunions with her classmates from The Bright School and GPS. She graduated from University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and worked several years for the Area Agency on Aging & Disability. SHERRILL “SHERRI” RUCKS GATES ’66

passed away June 27, 2018. She was a graduate of University of Tennessee at Knoxville with a degree in home economics and was the co-owner of Genuine Purl knit shop in Chattanooga.

10 K AREN LEIGH TIMMONS BARKER ’74

passed away June 13, 2018. Born in Washington, D.C., she attended GPS and finished high school at The International School of Brussels in Brussels, Belgium. She attended Mount Vernon College, University of Tennessee, and Oberlin College and then worked at the international trade consulting company Global USA. Barker enjoyed travel and the arts.

11 L AURA LEE KELLEY ADA MS ’79 died

August 18, 2018. Adams received undergraduate degrees from University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and University of Tennessee at Knoxville and her master’s in sociology from Memphis University. She completed doctorate coursework at North Carolina State. She was an avid dog lover, working with rescue organizations, primarily for Australian Shepherd breeds, as well as an ardent supporter of The Rainbow Family and the Democratic Party, serving as an election official in North Carolina. She worked primarily in technology project management for Cisco along with several other tech companies.

12 K AREN LYNN KELLEY-GRIMES ’85 passed

away August 30, 2018. She attended Sewanee: The University of the South, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, and Pellissippi State College. She was employed as a supervisor at Elavon, financial sector merchant services, in Seymour, Tennessee. She was also an accomplished martial artist and an active student, instructor, and mentor at Tennessee Martial Arts University in Seymour as well as a charter member of the TMAU Girls Fight Club, a program that teaches low-cost self-defense to women and encourages internal strength and growth in family and friend relationships.

FORMER FACULTY, STAFF & TRUSTEES

M ARL A NEAL , died July 26, 2018, retired Latin faculty 1992-2014

CATHERINE KELLY COOPER,

died September 15, 2018, former science faculty 1967-1983

11 12

G P S .E D U G I R L S P R E P A R A T O R Y S C H O O L G A L L E R Y

COLUMNS Read about the long-range impact of our school both on GPS families and the surrounding community. In this issue, the Eck family shares why they give to the Impact Fund and what a GPS education has meant for their daughters. Also, read about how GPS reaches and empowers girls from across the region.

C O L U M N S G I R L S P R E P A R A T O R Y S C H O O L G P S .E D U

Mighty

MBD: Girl Edition Holiday Marketplace

Brilliant

On Saturday, December 8, 2018, the GPS gym transformed into a Holiday Marketplace, featuring more than 50 booths of girl-powered businesses. Through generous funding from SunTrust Bank and RJ Young along with in-kind donations from more than a dozen local businesses, girls from across Chattanooga and North Georgia schools paid no booth fees to participate. Co-sponsored by the Public Education Foundation and Co.Lab, each year MBD: Girl Edition empowers middle and high school female entrepreneurs to hone their business acumen in a supportive environment. Response from the girls and their parents about the Holiday Marketplace was overwhelmingly positive, with sales from the five-hour event in excess of $10,000. Impressive, too, was the number of #girlpreneurs who reported donating a portion of their revenue to charity, understanding at a young age the importance of giving back.

Determined POWERED BY

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

G P S .E D U G I R L S P R E P A R A T O R Y S C H O O L C O L U M N S

Giving for Today

By Anne Exum

& Tomorrow

The Eck Family at home—Jason, Laurie, Katie ’20, and Caroline ’21.

C O L U M N S G I R L S P R E P A R A T O R Y S C H O O L G P S .E D U

We believe in the school.

With that seemingly simple explanation, Jason and Laurie Eck sum up why they, along with so many other parents, alumnae, friends, and faculty, make Girls Preparatory School a priority in their philanthropy.

For the Eck family, however, giving comes in many forms and involves quite a bit of time—volunteering for an event, giving to the Impact Fund, and working behind the scenes to make sure a program or fundraiser is successful. “We feel that it’s important to be involved in any way we can,” Laurie says. Their shared résumé has included service on the Parent Council and volunteer work over Alumnae Weekend. Jason, an orthopedic spine surgeon, volunteered as a featured speaker for the Upper School health club. Described as “engaging and informative” by science teacher Erin Sizemore, she says Dr. Eck “sparked interest in orthopedics, which is not traditionally a field with a lot of females.” Major supporters of the Bruiser Bee since its inception, the Ecks are chairing the 2019 Trivia Edition event at the Westin Hotel on March 9 and working alongside many other volunteers. As graduates of coed independent schools in their home cities, they chose GPS for their daughters “for its solid academic program and good college prep,” Laurie says. “It was important to us that our girls didn’t get lost in the mix. We wanted them to experience a learning environment that was welcoming and open to an exchange of ideas. One in which they weren’t concerned about the boy sitting next to them. One in which they could concentrate on academics and their opinions were respected. One that offered programming to best enhance the girls’ learning experiences.” According to Laurie, their daughters—sophomore Caroline and junior Katie—have “wonderful teachers and coaches” who not only prepare them academically and

athletically but also in how to be a good citizen. “We have experienced teachers going above and beyond in order to help our daughters,” she says. “We also appreciate that GPS gives our girls many community service options.” Caroline is a Student Ambassador, Katie plays varsity tennis and is a member of the entrepreneurship club; both girls are involved in the computer science club. Laurie agrees that the GPS mission “to inspire each girl to lead a life of integrity and purpose by engaging her mind, cultivating her strengths, and nurturing her selfconfidence and respect for others” is impacting their daughters in the development of those traits. “They have learned life lessons and are more willing to help others. They are more engaged in social and political issues. They care. They are using their voices more frequently to communicate publicly,” she says. On some recent college tours with their daughters, Laurie and Jason were so impressed with how Katie introduced herself and asked questions. “We took notice that none of the students from other schools were doing this. The college admissions staffs were impressed as well.” These two involved parents believe in the importance of showing their equally engaged daughters that they support what they believe in. As for their philanthropy to the aptly named Impact Fund, the Ecks hope that their gifts will enhance the experiences of the girls currently attending GPS and those in future years. “It is our hope that our daughters will one day do the same. We are blessed that we can give our children the GPS experience and wish this for others,” Laurie says. “We want the school to thrive and continue to do so for generations to come.”

IMPACT FUND DONATIONS TO GPS TOUCH THE LIVES OF EVERY GIRL AND HER TEACHERS. Without your support, a GPS education—in its fullest and richest sense—would not be possible. To give to the Impact Fund, go to GPS.EDU/GIVE

or contact Lisa Reynolds Shanahan ’83, Director of Impact Fund, at LShanahan@GPS.edu.

G P S .E D U G I R L S P R E P A R A T O R Y S C H O O L C O L U M N S

GIRLS P R E PA R AT O RY SCHOOL

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205 Island Avenue Chattanooga, TN 37405

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