6 minute read
Bruiser Beat
#BELIKEBETTS
During this year’s Our Girls | Our GPS Online Auction, fan-favorite Katherine Betts ’76 upped the ante with her Picks of the Day. The Instagram reel of her in the kitchen with Chef Brad to highlight the cooking package was especially popular.
CELEBRITY SIGHTING
On a Winterim trip to Disney World, some of our seniors were a bit starstruck when they bumped into country music singer-songwriter Thomas Rhett in one of the parks. Maybe that’s why they call it the happiest place on Earth?!
REUNION
WEEKEND
The GPS Main Gym was completely transformed into a special event space so that we could honor our alumnae from the classes ending in 2 and 7. Special awards were presented, and Head of School Megan Cover shared her inspiring vision for our school.
A HEARTWARMING STORY
Coach Susan Crownover was featured in CityScope magazine earlier this year in a story about living organ donor and recipient pairs. Crownover received a kidney from the mother of her son’s (atthe-time girlfriend, now) wife, and they spoke about the experience. Talk about bonded for life!
COLLEGE DECISION DAY
May brings all sorts of exciting events for our graduating seniors, one of which is College Decision Day! This year our girls celebrated with lunch and cake at Founder’s House, and they each announced their new college by sporting a school sweatshirt! See page 11 for a complete list.
POPPYSEED CHICKEN
FOR THE WIN!
The results are in, and (likely to no one’s surprise) poppyseed chicken reigns supreme as the most popular GPS lunch! We simply couldn’t resist this TikTok trend!
CELEBRATING NEW BRUISERS
Our post about our celebration boxes, which were hand-delivered to accepted students on Decision Day, was a hit! We went with the “partyin-a-box” theme and gave our girls all sorts of fun new Bruiser swag.
Read more on page 6!
STAY IN THE KNOW Keep up with GPS on social media: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. Above are some of the most popular posts from this year. Be sure to follow us for the most up-to-date happenings and share in the Bruiser conversation. SEARCH @GPSBRUISERS TO FOLLOW ALONG!
2022-23 ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM
Head of School
Megan D. Cover
Associate Head of School and Head of Middle School
Lynne Macziewski
Head of Upper School
Beth Creswell Wilson ’96
Chief Advancement Officer
Ali Gant
Chief Financial Officer
Mark Vosskamp
Consultant to the Head of School on Strategic Initiatives
Bilda Acuña Small
Director of Admission and Enrollment Managment
Alice Smith Harris ’03
Director of Athletics
Jay Watts
Director of Belonging and Community Engagement
Lauren Lawrence Swanson ’09
Director of College Counseling
Andrew Reich
Director of Communications and Marketing
Pamela Hammonds
Director of Development Lisa Reynolds Shanahan ’83
EDITORIAL STAFF Lucy Morris Blancett ’09 Pamela Hammonds Rachael Land ’12 Caitlin Riddle
Contributing Photographers
Emily Lester Kajsa Swanson
Blueprint is published by Girls Preparatory School P.O. Box 4736 Chattanooga, TN 37405 423.634.7600 | GPS.edu Printed by Creative Business Forms
Table of Contents
8May Day
6
Here Come the Bruisers! Our Admission process gives us lots of reasons to celebrate.
40
A Day in the Life of Today's GPS Girl Follow the timelines of two Middle and Upper School students to learn how our girls spend their days!
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. 2 | Bruiser Beat 5 | A Message from
Our Head of School
6 | Here Come the Bruisers! A look at the GPS admission process 8 | May Day 10 | Commencement 12 | Class Day 13 | Around GPS 18 | Athletics 24 | Fine & Performing Arts 29 | Kaleidoscope 30 | Introducing Our Newest
Heads, Deans, & Directors joining us this fall 40 | A Day in the Life of Today's GPS girl 44 | Leading the Charge Seniors elected to leadership positions for the 2022-23 school year share their goals 46 | Learning Through Experience Winterim for Middle School Girls
50 | Class Notes 54 | Alum Updates 57 | Leaving a Legacy Honoring our retirees and their lasting impact on GPS 62 | So Long, Farewell Honoring long-time faculty and staff heading for new adventures 68 | Development Updates Message from Advancement Reunion Weekend 2022 Across the Miles with Megan
It’s been said of parenting that the days are long but the years go by quickly. I believe the same can be said about life as a head of school. Already a year has passed since our family made the move to Chattanooga to join the GPS community, and I can’t believe how fast the last 12 months have gone by. And yet, when I reflect on the 2021-22 school year, much has happened on 205 Island Avenue and more is still on our horizon as we continue the legacy of our great school.
I thank you for your continued partnership and trust as we inspire, guide, and lift up our girls for success and engagement as they matriculate into the next stage of their educational journey. It is my honor to lead this great school with a rich heritage of academic excellence, unique traditions, and a proud community that celebrates and values our girls.
We recognize that the world is changing rapidly and the workplace and communities of the near future will demand unique skills and experiences from girls and the women they become. GPS can do more to support girls so they will be ready to lead and thrive with confidence and purpose. Our vision forward is to celebrate each girl for the unique gifts she brings to our school, on campus and off, prioritizing healthy connections and relationships while fostering a culture where she is known, she is heard, and she is empowered to use her voice. This culture of acceptance and belonging nurtures and lifts her up in mind, body, and spirit so that she can find her place and discover her potential with confidence and joy.
The new Megan D. Cover boat is added to the GPS rowing fleet. As we chart our future, we will:
» build on our strengths, honor our mission and legacy, and focus on developing a learnercentered program designed for the unique social-emotional and developmental needs of girls; » be forward thinking and innovative, embracing our strengths in liberal arts education while emphasizing purpose-based and experiential learning opportunities; » build a school culture on the timeless principles of empathy, connections and relationships; » give girls an educational experience that is transformational, not transactional; » support and encourage girls to achieve a balance of learning and well-being; and » build life-skills, such as agency, advocacy, creativity, critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, communication, resilience, and adaptability.
All of our efforts will be framed by creating a culture of belonging where every girl is celebrated, encouraged, and supported.
Of course, all we do centers on our mission of inspiring each girl to lead a life of integrity and purpose by engaging her mind, cultivating her strengths, and nurturing her self-confidence and respect for others, and our values of honor, respect, curiosity, individuality, relationships.
Throughout my first year as Head of GPS, I’ve enjoyed getting to know our students, parents, faculty, staff, alumnae, and trustees—those who love and support our school’s mission and values. With great optimism and excitement for what lies ahead, I carry the torch forward into the 2022-23 school year. Here’s to the girls and the women they become!
