September/October 2013
Summer Projects Kept Graland Buzzing Every summer, Graland’s campus is a hive of activity and this year was no different. Check out the assortment of projects, programs and professional development that kept us busy over the summer “break.”
Facilities The Georgia Nelson Building: Noise levels were high as the old Lower School lockers were removed to make way for new ones. Now stacked double, the lockers are wider and more useful for housing thick backpacks and jackets. The top surface area was finished off nicely to provide shelf space for displaying artwork and school projects. Down in the basement, theater rooms were remodeled and one was repurposed as a music room. The hallway was carpeted for comfort and sound proofing. Fieldhouse: The Woodruff Multipurpose Room was refreshed with new window shades and flooring. A new projector was installed in the gym for large assemblies, workshops and events. Continued on Page 5
A “Brand” New Message
Today
By Candace Suechting, Director of Marketing and Communications
We’ve got a lot going for us at Graland. Almost 90 years of history, an outstanding faculty, an exceptional program, excellent leadership, financial sustainability, ambitious students, engaged parents, great facilities, loyal alumni, generous donors … the list goes on. But we believe a great school never sits still. We want to go higher. As school leaders, we want even more great families to consider a Graland education. We want more distinguished educators applying to guide our students and more engaged alumni. We want the greater Denver community to know about the great things Graland is doing. We’re not satisfied with status quo. We want to go further. That’s why in the past year we’ve taken a close look at our image, our graphic identity and our messaging. Are we communicating effectively about our welcoming, dynamic community and program? To answer that question, we invited the master marketers at Mindpower, Inc. (a firm renowned for their great work with schools) to dive in deep at Graland. They visited campus, talked with our community members and experienced our program. They spoke with educational consultants and donors. They pored over our survey data and publications. They asked pointed questions designed to reveal what makes Graland special and came away … impressed. Continued on Page 4
▶ Inside this Issue:
Preschool Expands to 51 Students Page 6
What's to Love about Middle Schoolers? Page 11
Student Gymnast 8 Alumni News 14 GPA News 16
GOGRALAND