Raising the Bar

Foundation A Strong By Lucy Morris Blancett ’09

SUPPORTING OUR STUDENTS ACADEMICALLY, SOCIALLY, AND EMOTIONALLY

ADOLESCENCE CAN BE TOUGH. From growing two inches in a year to shifting friend groups, earning more responsibility, exploring new classes, and taking on new challenges, being a teen can come with a lot to manage. All the while, their brains are still developing.

At GPS, we want our girls to feel supported in every aspect of their maturation, therefore our faculty and staff invest time and talents to create new curricula, programs, and opportunities that allow students to explore who they are in and beyond the classroom.

LEARNING SPECIALISTS SUPPORT GPS GIRLS BY ...

» Working to develop self-sufficiency, selfadvocacy, and agency » Developing advisory and course curriculum around executive functioning skills and strategies » Offering after-school homework help from 3:30-4:45 p.m., Monday through Thursday » Providing extra teaching support during academic classes » Offering Help Class support to all students » Facilitating guided study halls for students needing extra support » Serving as a liaison between teachers, students, parents, tutors, and administration » Being available throughout the school day

ACADEMIC SUPPORT

EACH GPS GIRL RECEIVES an amazing education, but all students have unique learning styles. Here, we want to meet them where they are and support them in their transition.

The GPS Learning Center offers a girlcentered, engaging, and supportive learning environment that reinforces skills with small-group and individual instruction designed for the learning styles of each student. Learning Specialists facilitate communication between students, teachers, parents, and advisors to help each girl realize her highest academic potential.

This year, with Head of School Megan Cover's institutional goals in mind, the Learning Center underwent numerous changes to enhance academic support for all types of learners—both those with a diagnosed learning difference as well as those who seek out support on their own or are recommended by a teacher.

These enhancements included a larger, more inviting space; separate areas for Upper and Middle School students; a variety of seating options ranging from private cubicles to beanbags and couches; additional staffing; expanded quiet study/testing room; and collaborative work spaces. “In the Learning Center, we emphasize the idea that, ‘You’re a girl, not a grade,’” says Learning Specialist Renee Romero. “The best part of our job is watching students grow. When they have success, which does not necessarily mean a perfect score on a test, it’s fun to see them recognize their progress.”

In addition to the physical changes that the Learning Center has undergone, a part-time interventionist has also been added. With increased staffing, the Learning Specialists can more easily push into classes and support girls in their classrooms alongside their teachers. The Learning Center has also started offering in-house evaluations for current GPS families.

According to Katie Outlaw, licensed school psychologist and Middle School Dean of Students, who directs the Learning Center, “The addition of offering educational evaluations for our families has been huge this year. It’s something I’ve wanted to do since starting at GPS five years ago. We have the capacity and staff now to complete all intellectual, academic, behavioral, and observational evaluations at school at no cost to our families. This gives us an accurate picture of a girl’s strengths and challenges and enables us to better identify the support and accommodations she needs to be successful at school.”

UNDERSTANDING LEARNING PROFILES

Defined as a complete picture of a student’s learning preferences, strengths, and challenges, a learning profile helps GPS Learning Specialists build an educational plan around a student who has been diagnosed with learning differences. Whether she needs help prioritizing projects, scheduling her day, or requires additional testing time, learning plans at GPS focus on student strengths as they work toward their own chosen goals.

SOCIAL & EMOTIONAL SUPPORT

ANOTHER IMPORTANT ASPECT of educating the whole girl is ensuring her comfort in social situations and helping her understand how to manage her emotions. This year Casey Caldwell Santos ’08 and Heather Landreth, our Middle and Upper School Counselors, respectively, implemented a robust social-emotional learning (SEL) curriculum that is taught at the grade level.

“Our goal is to focus on the topics of self-awareness, social awareness, self-management, relationships, and responsible decision making. Based on their needs, we scaffold these by grade level," Santos explains.

Programming is taught once a month on a rotating schedule in Upper School, where one grade participates each week. Landreth says the increased learning opportunities this year have been a welcome addition that allows for more creative freedom, which the girls have found refreshing. “We have the opportunity to create engaging scenarios and lessons that are experiential and fun, rather than being clinical,” she says.

Students are polled by grade level about the five major topics to help Santos and Landreth determine the elements for which the girls need the most support. For example, when preparing a plan for a lesson on relationships, survey results and conversations with senior class leaders informed Landreth that there was growing concern for next year—going off to college—so she was able to build scenarios on roommate relationships, and they explored aggressive, avoidant, and assertive approaches.

“Using breakout groups, role play, games, and more, we looked at everything from what to do if you’re trying to study in your dorm room and your roommate is being loud to uninvited guests, differing sleep schedules, and more,” says Landreth. “We want to continue to find methods that interest them, rather than speaking at them with a presentation.”

Santos and Landreth believe the prioritizing of SEL this school year has been beneficial for the girls, especially those who may not always feel comfortable with one-on-one counseling or who may have a hard time asking for help. "We aim to destigmatize mental health support, so this has been a great way for us to connect with students that we wouldn’t otherwise,” Santos says.

Looking to the future, Santos and Landreth are excited to continue on this positive trajectory. “As with all programs, we aim to provide the best social-emotional support for girls. We're in an R&D phase—it’s ever-changing,” says Santos.

Landreth adds, “We can adapt it to be whatever we want it to be, based on the evolution of research and the changing needs of our girls. We always want it to be relevant and authentic with girls' well-being remaining front and center.”

WEEK 1

WEEK 2

WEEK 3

WEEK 4 GRADE 9

SEL

Class Meeting

Adulting

Belonging

GRADE 10

Belonging

SEL

Class Meeting

Adulting

GRADE 11

Adulting

Belonging

SEL

Class Meeting

GRADE 12

Class Meeting

Adulting

Belonging

SEL

MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS COMPLETE THEIR SEL PROGRAMMING DURING ADVISORY MEETINGS. GIRLS ALSO PARTICIPATE WEEKLY IN SEL LESSONS IN 6TH GRADE SKILLS, 7TH GRADE HUMAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND 8TH GRADE CHANGES AND CHOICES.

BELONGING SUPPORT

THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING A

SAFE SPACE, where you feel comfortable and understood, cannot be overstated. In fact, self-confidence, rooted in feelings of security and belonging, is a cornerstone of social-emotional well-being. At GPS, we are focused on bringing a sense of belonging for every girl to campus. A large component of identifying these opportunities lies in educating our students, faculty, and staff on how to respect, listen, and engage with others and how to understand how their individual stories frame their view of the world.

Last year, GPS alumna Lauren Lawrence Swanson ’09 returned to campus in a dual role focusing on student support. This year, she has expanded her reach, serving as the Belonging, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Student Support and Community Engagement Coordinator.

While the requirements of her position are far-reaching, her greatest strength remains her ability to connect with students on an individual and authentic level. In her efforts to help students find a sense of belonging, she, with the help of her colleague and fellow SEED leader, Lindsey King, has created a new, age-appropriate curriculum designed to better help girls understand themselves and their peers.

In monthly grade-level meetings, students work with Swanson on four tenets: identity, diversity, justice, and action standards. As with the SEL work, these sessions are designed to engage students and encourage participation. During a recent Upper School session, they participated in an activity that places players into various socioeconomic categories by pure chance. This helped students see how their position in life can tie into their actions and beliefs. In a Middle School lesson, students discussed the meaning of ‘belonging’ and were taught that “you must belong to yourself first.” On their way out of the classroom, they had to name one thing they loved or appreciated about themselves.

Swanson admits she finds this work challenging but fulfilling, saying the ultimate compliment she could receive would be if a student were to say the student BIPOC group and the belonging work made her experience at GPS better and made her want to come to school each day.

Over the course of the next three years, new belonging curriculum will be developed by grade level, so that each year girls continue their education and gain insight and empathy into the best ways to see themselves and others.

Applying what we know about how girls learn, GPS acts with intentionality to build a strong foundation of academic, social, and emotional health that will provide benefits that extend far beyond adolescence. And once a girl has a strong foundation, she can accomplish anything she sets her mind to!

Students who are confident they belong … » engage more fully in learning » are more receptive to feedback » take advantage of learning opportunities and build lasting relationships » are empathetic individuals who advocate for themselves and others

#ADULTING

In addition to the programming done around mental, emotional, and social health, Upper School students meet with their advisors monthly for real-world training. In their #adulting sessions, students learn skills they will need after they leave GPS. These include: » Living on a budget » Legal rights and responsibilities of adults » Cooking » Finding a place to live For students who want even more insight, GPS History Teacher Dr. Steve Harrison hosts an #adulting Winterim, with scheduled speakers, demonstrations, activities, and more.

Lauren Lawrence Swanson ’09

#BRUISERSFORBELONGING

Girls also have an opportunity to participate in various forums that include: » Black, Indigenous, & People of Color (BIPOC) » Christian Forum » Gender & Sexuality Forum » Interfaith Forum