DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013
Graduates Get National Recognition Of the thousands of applicants to the National Merit Scholarship, several Graland graduates are among the semi-finalists. The National Merit Scholarship program recognizes the country’s top high school students who are preparing to enter college. Students can join the competition with a qualifying Preliminary SAT score and a thorough application. Of approximately 1.5 million entrants, only 16,000 are named semifinalists. From a pool of finalists, National Merit Scholars receive funding for school and enjoy national recognition. Julian S. ’10 and Katherine H. ’10 are among those waiting to hear if they will advance to the finalist stage. Julian is a senior at Cherry Creek High School. He has submitted an early application to attend Williams College in Massachusetts as a lacrosse player, and will find out shortly if he is accepted. “I’m not sure what I want to major in, but I’ll likely take a pre-med track,” says Julian, whose mom is a doctor.
Today Pursuing Excellence in Education
At Graland, we’ve built a nearly 90-year reputation for offering a rigorous curriculum balanced with formative experiential learning. Teaching children is what we do best, and developing an exceptional academic program is central to our mission. Proactively fine-tuning our program is a continuous endeavor. Graland follows a four-step process focused on student learning. The benefit? We achieve intellectual excellence and prepare our students to be engaged citizens and thoughtful leaders.
Instruct
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Student Learning
Assess
Analyze Step 1: Instruct Julian S. ‘10
Katherine H. ‘10
Inside This Issue 4 Lower School News 6 Middle School News 8 Professional Development 12 Development News 14 Graland Parent Association
Our first step is to ensure faculty members are experts in their fields of instruction. Supporting teachers, and their desire to enhance their professional skill sets, is a priority for Graland. Enthusiastic and highly qualified teachers are the key to instilling a love of learning in students. Teachers are given opportunities to learn, grow more proficient and stay in touch with best practice models through ongoing professional development. Teachers meeting the learning needs of today’s students increases student achievement and leads us to our end goal. One way Graland provides an exceptional learning environment is by incorporating technology into our classrooms. In recent years, Graland has installed interactive white boards in every Lower School class and many Middle School rooms. Our fifth graders piloted a one-to-one iPad program, which now has been expanded to include grades 6 and 7. In fact, various technologies are used throughout campus, from preschool to Grade 8. continued on page 3