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National Merit Scholarship Program

As juniors, the GPS Class of 2022 took the 2020 PSAT/NMSQT, which served as the initial screen of nearly 1 million entrants to the 2022 National Merit Scholarship Program. According to the program, the Selection Index scores of students who met program participation requirements were used to designate a pool of approximately 16,000 Semifinalists nationwide on a state allocation basis. 1 LAUREN THACKER was named a Finalist in the Program; four students were named Commended: 2 ELLIE FIVAS, 3 AARUSHI MODI, 4 CHLOE NEWMAN, and 5 ABBEY KATELYN PETTUS.

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Welcome to Cum Laude

Fifteen seniors from the Class of 2022 were honored with the highest academic accolade bestowed at GPS—induction in Cum Laude. Each student was welcomed with a message from the faculty member of her choice.

MARY CATHERINE CLELLAND, Mentor: Dr. Ralph Covino; ALYSE COAKLEY, Mentor: Ms. Katelyn Dix; FRANCES CROWE, Mentor: Mrs. Erin Davis Sizemore ’98; HANNAH EFTINK, Mentor: Dr. Andrea Becksvoort; ELLIE FIVAS, Mentor: Dr. Derek Gromadzki; EMMA HAMILTON, Mentor: Ms. Jenise

Gordon; WILLA MIRMELSTEIN, Mentor: Ms. Kathleen Berotti; AARUSHI MODI, Mentor: Mr. Mark Krawczyk; CHLOE NEWMAN, Mentor: Dr. Steve Harrison; CHLOE NICOLA, Mentor: Mr. Chris Zeller; ABBEY KATELYN PETTUS, Mentor: Mr. Bryant Haynes; EMMY RICHEY, Mentor: Dr. Brandon Noel; MINAH SADRABADI, Mentor: Ms. Callie Hamilton; ELLIE TALIAFERRO, Mentor: Mrs. Diane Walker; LAUREN THACKER, Mentor: Dr. Brandon Guernsey

SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS

LAUREN THACKER ’22 Grace McCallie Scholarship Recipient

ANISHA PHADE ’23 Duffy-Jarnagin Scholarship Recipient

NATIONAL BETA CLUB

25 students were inducted into the GPS chapter of the National Beta Club, which honors upper school students who demonstrate achievement by maintaining a high GPA, character by upholding the GPS ideals of honor, and leadership through service to the school and the community.

5 students were accepted to Governor’s School; 5 different programs were represented. 1 JA'NIAH COOPER ’23, School for International Studies; 2 ARYSA KAYASIT ’24, School for Scientific Exploration of Tennessee Heritage; 3 COLETTE SMITH ’23, School for the Arts for Vocal Performance; 4 MORGAN SUMMERLIN ’23, School of Emerging Technologies; and 5 ANABEL WILSON ’23, School for Humanities.

CHATTANOOGA REGIONAL SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING FAIR

GPS Honors Chemistry students participated in the Chattanooga Regional Science and Engineering Fair at UTC. Individual honors were presented to sophomores CAROLINE

BARNES, LUCIE DEGAETANO, ELLA HARRIS, MAGDA SASS,

and TEAGAN TOBIAS, as well as junior AP Biology student ANYA PARAMBATH, whose project garnered her an invitation to the 2022 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair in Atlanta, where she joined .01 percent of high school students from around the world to present her work, an AI algorithm that will diagnose melanoma via a cell phone photo.

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National Honor Society

In March, the newest members of the GPS National Honor Society were inducted. The national organization recognizes upper school students who provide evidence of strong scholarship, service, leadership, and character.

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La Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica

In May, the GPS Spanish Honor Society welcomed its newest members.

La Société Honoraire De Français

This spring, we welcomed our newest members into the GPS French Honor Society.

MATTIE HAND ’28, LENI HIMROD ’28, HARPER POOLE ’28, and RYLEE WILLIAMS ’28 were named quarterfinalists in the MATHCOUNTS Foundation Math Video Challenge for their film “Old McMathy’s Farm.” The Math Video Challenge is a project-based team contest in which students create a video that shows a solution to a MATHCOUNTS problem in a real-world setting.

TENNESSEE SOUTHEAST REGIONAL CONTEST OF NATIONAL HISTORY DAY

17 GPS STUDENTS CAME HOME WITH EITHER A FIRST- OR SECOND-PLACE MEDAL.

5 GPS PROJECTS WERE AWARDED PRIZES.

Robotics Competition

Under the leadership of computer science teacher April Ross, the Middle School Robotics Team won the Champion Award and prize money at the inaugural MATE ROV Competition this spring, held at the GPS pool. Team members include: MACY POOLE, MIA BRUNETZ, ADREANNA CALLOWAY, and LIVIA FURR, all from the Class of 2026.

GPS STUDENTS SHOW KNOWLEDGE OF WORLD LANGUAGES

NATIONAL SPANISH EXAM, sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of Spanish & Porteguese: » 23 students earned honors and awards » 1 gold medalist » 6 silver medalists » 4 bronze medalists » 12 honorees for honorable mention

SWENEXT COMPETITION

Four GPS teams participated in the Society of Women Engineers - Next Generation annual Test of Engineering Aptitude in Math and Science. This year’s theme was “Engineering in Entertainment,” and students competed in three sections: multiple choice, essay, and a building competition. The GPS A Team placed sixth in the state.

AMIYA PHADE '27 FRENCH CONTEST/LE GRAND

CONCOURS, sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of French » 5 honorees for honorable mention

NATIONAL LATIN EXAM, sponsored by the U.S.-based American Classical League and the National Junior Classical League » 8 students earned honors and awards » 5 silver medalists » 1 Magna Cum Laude recipient » 2 Cum Laude recipients

In November, students were invited to observe the world around them and document what they found for the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) nationwide competition for K-12 students. AMIYA PHADE '27 was awarded second place in the sixth- through eighth-grade division for her website that identifies types of pollution, how it affects the communities we live in, and how we can make changes to fix it.

EighthGrade Celebration

The Class of 2026 is ready to take the next step—across the lawn to Upper School! On a bright Thursday evening, friends and family looked on as the members of the eighth-grade class received certificates to signify the successful completion of their Middle School coursework. The ceremony included student speeches as well as remarks from Head of Middle School Lynne Macziewski and a charge from Dean of the Eighth-Grade Class Jordan McCarter ’96.

Mock Trial Competes for State Championship

The GPS Mock Trial A and B teams competed at the state tournament in Nashville this spring. GPS A team placed fifth among 14 teams and GPS B team placed 10th among the best of the best in the state. The only ballot that the state winner, Montgomery Bell Academy Red, lost to was GPS A. Walking away from the weekend with a distinguished honor was GPS senior and member of the A team LAUREN THACKER, who won the Robert Horton Campbell Award. Given each year at the state level, it’s awarded to the single highest-ranked Plaintiff/ Prosecution attorney.

Fletcher Bright Fellowship Winner

ROWAN ESPY ’23,

a member of Terpsichord, Partnerships in the Community, Science Club, Environmental Club, and SWEROWAN ESPY ’23 Next (Society of Women Engineers-

Next Generation), was awarded the prestigious title of Fletcher Bright Fellow for 2022-23.

Rowan’s proposal outlined her plan to showcase mental health topics through dance during a two-night performance at Barking Legs Theater.

During this showcase, the Chattanooga dance community will come together to perform, with proceeds donated to various mental health organizations.

“Openly discussing mental health is considered taboo, so the subject does not receive the attention it needs, and people who need help go without treatment,”

Rowan said. “Those suffering from mental health illnesses often do not receive the same level of care or are not taken as seriously as those with physical illnesses. Because of this stigma, many people suffer in silence. The goal of this project is to expose people to the issue of mental health illness, encourage the destigmatization of it and demonstrate how participation in the arts can be freeing to those who suffer from it.”

Ultimately, she hopes her project can prompt people who are struggling to get help, to destigmatize asking for help, and to raise awareness in addition to funds. As of now, the plan is for the performances to take place this October.

Sixth-Grade May Celebration

Sixth-grade families visited campus the last Friday of school to experience what their daughters had been up to all year! The interdisciplinary event included an art display, vocal performance, global cultures exhibit, and dance performances.

American Legion Auxiliary Volunteer Girls State

Six from the Class of 2023 represented GPS at the American Legion Auxiliary Volunteer Girls State, a weeklong, nonpartisan program centered on citizenship, teamwork, and fostering a love of God and country. Rising seniors across the state elect city, county, and state officials, engage in party politics, debate legislation, and collaborate in various activities. Our students amassed some very impressive results: HANNAH GRACE KORNBERG was appointed City Reporter, elected County Commissioner, and appointed State Attorney General; ABIGAIL MANN was elected City Judge and State Senator; ANYA PARAMBATH was elected Governor and one of two Girls Nation Senators, representing Tennessee in the national convention in Washington, DC, in July, and was named Best Citizen for her city; ANISHA PHADE was honored with the Best Citizen Award and elected City Mayor, County Mayor, and State Senator; OLIVIA STAFFORD was named one of five Supreme Court Justices; ANABEL WILSON was elected to the City Council and also served as a National Gubernatorial Primary Nominee.

Cat-Rat

An exciting day for all involved, incoming sixth-grade Rats discovered their senior Cats through their matching cowboy hats at the annual Cat-Rat reveal. The long-lasting Cat-Rat tradition serves as a great way for seasoned veterans to show new students the ropes. Additional Cat-Rat events throughout the year included a parade, holiday party, breakfast, and more. GPS alumnae often report lifelong friendships that started with their Cat-Rat pairings, with many even returning to campus for their Rat’s Chapel Talk!

TUCKER RIVER FELLOWS

Tucker River Fellows, an endowed multi-year program named in honor of previous headmaster Randy Tucker, inducted six new students from the Class of 2026: CAROLINE BERNARD,

MIA BRUNETZ, SOLEIGH KUETER, MAGGIE LANPHIER, MACY

POOLE, and EMMA ROSE PRATT. These students will spend part of their summer and ninth-grade year engaging in experiential learning about the many issues impacting their local watershed.

Junior Ring Day

In a day fit for royalty, the Class of 2023 received their class rings on St. Patrick’s Day. The junior members of the Class Leadership Council surprised their classmates with a special delivery from the Princess of Genovia herself, (well … maybe it was Mrs. Sizemore dressed as a queen), a reference to the 2001 film The Princess Diaries, complete with sparkling punch, rings, tiaras, and scepters. That evening, the girls returned to campus for a photo booth, bounce house, snacks, movie screening, and photos with friends. Joy emanated as the girls began to turn each others’ rings—all working toward the illustrious 122 spins!

TEACHER RECOGNITIONS

DR. BRANDON NOEL, Upper School science teacher, worked with a team of researchers from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and a cohort of 10 high school teachers as part of a year-long Research Experiences for Teachers program funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. The topic of the program was Engineering and Data Analytics in Smart Cities. DR. RALPH COVINO, GPS history and Latin teacher, became Executive Secretary of the South East World History Association (SEWHA), elected for a five-year term as the association's chief administrative officer. He also delivered a presentation titled "High Impact Education Practices, Student Agency, and Deeper Learning" at the Tennessee Association of Independent Schools' Biennial Conference and another titled "Towards Global Competence: Building Bridges through Empathy" at the 2022 Impacting Student Learning Conference hosted by Augusta University.

LAUREN LAWRENCE SWANSON ’09,

DEI Student Support and Community Engagement Coordinator, gave a presentation titled “Building a Black Alumnae/Alumni Council at an Independent School” at the Council for Advancement and Support of Education District III Conference. Swanson also received her master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Austin Peay University.

DR. ANDREA BECKSVOORT,

History Department Chair, led the Chattanooga as Text program this summer, bringing real world experience to girls throughout the

Chattanooga community, including four GPS students. She was assisted by CLAUDIA RODRIGUEZ,

Spanish teacher, and GPS alumna

Mia Hammonds '21, who was a summer intern.