Graland Today

August-October 2017

GRALAND Today

Fall 2019

Shall I Compare Shakespeare and AI?

Lessons from Two Poets

IN THIS ISSUE:

Josh Cobb 4

From Story to Action: Cultivating a Culture of Belonging

Oscar Gonzalez 8

Camp Roots: A New Chapter With Horizons Colorado 6

Birch Art & Literary Magazine 11

Timeless Treasures: Art and Statues at Graland 18

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“We want each unique member of our community to show up as themselves and to leave Graland as the best version of themselves.”

- Oscar Gonzalez

See Article Page 8

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Graland Loves Its Grandparents!

Graland is so grateful for the involvement of grandparents in the life of the school and, more importantly, the lives of your grandchildren! Throughout the year, the development office provides opportunities to meet and share experiences with other Graland grandparents, as well as engage with school leadership and students.

Several events are held each year, including a welcome breakfast for grandparents new to Graland, virtual and in-person town halls with the head of school, and fun field trips to places like The Ellie Caulkins Opera House, Denver Art Museum, and most recently, Empower Field at Mile High.

The highlight of each year is always Grandparents and Special Friends Day (GPSF) This special day allows grandparents to get a glimpse into what their grandchildren experience at Graland. It’s exciting to share the magic of Graland with grandparents each year. Thank you to everyone who was able to join us for GPSF Day 2024!

Whether grandparents live in Denver or out of state, Graland welcomes all to engage with the school, have fun, participate, and demonstrate your support of our mission.

A Legacy of Love and Dedication: Lisa Ross’s Journey at Graland

By Kat Diez Canseco, Communications Department

The Master Teacher wall in the Georgia Nelson building houses Graland’s history and honors the educators who have devoted 20-plus years to the school and its students. The Master Teacher wall stands as a testament to the enduring commitment and passion of Graland educators who have left an indelible mark on the school and its community, and this year its 72nd Master Teacher will be added, Mrs. Lisa Ross.

Amidst the bustling halls of the Lower School building, you can always count on Mrs. Ross to greet you with the biggest smile and warmest “good morning!” A beloved teacher at Graland, Mrs. Ross began her journey at the school 20 years ago when she accepted a Kindergarten teaching position. Although she never heard of Graland before applying, it quickly became a place where she would dedicate her career to making a difference in the lives of countless students. “It was hidden away in this little pocket, but I’m so glad I found it and got here!”

Over the past two decades, Mrs. Ross has worn many hats at Graland. When her career first started as a Kindergarten lead teacher, Mrs. Ross expanded her role to include penny harvest leader, volleyball coach, and team lead. Mrs. Ross’s commitment to Graland extends beyond her teaching career, with her own children, Onyx and Bec, being students at the school, influencing her to explore teaching different grades. Mrs. Ross went on to teach Grade 4 for four years and since 2015, when her youngest child moved on to Grade 1, she has been an integral part of the first grade team for nine years. Throughout her journey, Mrs. Ross has collected a treasure trove of memorable moments, with one of her most cherished experiences being the penny harvest project. “It was amazing to bring kids from all grade levels together and see how they collaborated and worked together. They collected change from the whole school, and seeing how motivated they were to then count up the coins and all work together despite their age differences, it was always something exciting to be a part of.”

When asked about the qualities or values she appreciates most about Graland, one of the aspects Mrs. Ross recognizes is Graland’s commitment to continuous growth and learning. “The growth that I’ve seen over the years, the push for belonging, the acceptance of all kiddos and all families, all people—that’s not just one singular event, but it is something that helps me to thrive as an educator and gives me promise for what we can continue to do.” Mrs. Ross values the school’s emphasis on evolving and adapting to the needs of both students and educators, allowing her to take risks and explore new avenues in her teaching practice. The supportive environment at Graland ensures that Mrs. Ross never feels alone in facing challenges, as she can always rely on her colleagues and mentors for guidance and collaboration. “I’m so grateful for my colleagues and being able to solve any challenges. I

always feel like I have someone to go to and figure out anything I come up against. I’m never working by myself.”

Mrs. Ross’s students have been a constant source of inspiration and influence throughout her career. Each new group of children brings unique qualities, interests, and trends, pushing Mrs. Ross to adapt and grow alongside them. By incorporating her students’ voices into her curriculum, she creates a dynamic learning environment that embraces their individuality and fosters a sense of belonging. “I’m inspired by my students every year! It’s a new group of students each year, and I have to ebb and flow and explore new things because of who they are. I have core values where I want every child to be seen, heard, and valued, and that allows me to do that.”

As Mrs. Ross reflects on her 20-year journey at Graland, she is grateful for the countless opportunities to learn, grow, and make a meaningful impact on her students’ lives. With her unwavering dedication, adaptability, and passion for teaching, Mrs. Ross serves as an inspiration to both her colleagues and the generations of students she has taught.

IShall I Compare Shakespeare and AI? Lessons from Two Poets

By Josh Cobb, Head of School

n Daniel Pink’s “A Whole New Mind,” he writes, “Poets [...] contemplate the world in which we live [...] and give expression to it in a way that makes the reader understand how the world turns. Poets, those unheralded system thinkers, are our true digital thinkers.” Provoked by this assertion, I asked participants at my January book club on Pink’s work to compare two sonnets, one written by Shakespeare and another written by ChatGPT. Throughout the exercise, we explored the attributes—or senses, as Pink describes them— that separate human and machine and discussed which poem demonstrated an understanding of “how the world turns.” Ultimately, we saw an enhanced understanding of humanity in Shakespeare’s work.

To activate the ChatGPT poet, I asked, “Write a Shakespearean sonnet on a beautiful young woman and her aging lover.” Then, seeing that that prompt didn’t fully capture what I was trying to create, I requested, “Revise to show that the writer is trying to keep the young woman’s beauty eternal in poetry.” What this request generated was closer, but surprisingly, not in the rhyme pattern of a Shakespearean sonnet. When I asked it to correct that pattern, it simply added an extra stanza in the correct pattern but left three that were incorrect (see Sonnet 1). Reviewing that poem, I was surprised that the formulaic elements of the sonnet, the abab rhyme pattern, tripped up the computer. Still, though it faltered on rhyme, the iambic pentameter rhythmic structure seems intact, as does the traditional couplet conclusion.

Aside from those poetic devices, where the poems differ the most is in the emotive expression of the human experience. In “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day?” (see Sonnet 2), Shakespeare begins with a question that seems to set up a simple metaphor: “Youthful beauty is summer.” However, instead of affirming that analogy, he challenges it and ultimately realizes that this beauty is more permanent than a season. It is eternal. This is the emotional pivot of the poem: “But thy eternal summer shall not fade.” Faced with his own mortality, there is a resolve in these lines—an arrogance even—that poetry itself will grant immortality to the lover. Though the poet may be aging, he still has that power and grasps it confidently in the final couplet:

“So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see, So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.”

A poem that begins with a question ends strongly with a statement, a declaration of this poet’s ability to transcend impermanence, which would seem absurd if it weren’t true. For over four hundred years, the lover’s beauty has lived on in Shakespeare’s verse.

We collectively came to this interpretation during our conversation that night, and I was struck by how animated people became as they discussed the vulnerability and the hubris of an aging poet who was so desperate and then so confident that he attempted to fend off mortality in words. Were they as moved by ChatGPT’s version? Not that night. That night, they chose humans. But why? In creative writing, there is an age-old edict: “show, don’t tell.” ChatGPT often says: “This poem is a vessel of immortal art.” In contrast, Shakespeare uses personification and imagery: “Nor shall death brag thou wand’rest in his shade.” ChatGPT telegraphs, whereas Shakespeare’s poem surprises. There is no pivot in the AI version. It left us flat.

Admittedly, it wasn’t a fair fight. Shakespeare isn’t any normal human; he is a renowned poetic genius. When I mentioned this activity to others later, they questioned my use of ChatGPT 3.5 versus 4, a much more advanced version. ChatGPT 4 would have performed better, they said. In addition to my version choice, my prompts might have also set it up for failure, as the success of AI relies heavily on its human partner. Which brings us to what may be the most scary thing about AI: humans. If we are ultimately to partner with machines to address problems, problems somewhat more significant than writing a love poem, what traits do we need, and therefore what attributes do we, as educators and parents, need to foster in children? First, if we are going to harness the powerful tool of AI and use it morally and constructively, we will need the character attributes we have discussed all year: curiosity, empathy, responsibility, adaptability, and agency. We will also need intellectual attributes like the ones Daniel Pink describes in “A Whole New Mind.”

While we explored Shakespeare’s sonnet at the book club, I emphasized Pink’s sense of symphony, which he describes as “the capacity to synthesize rather than analyze; to see relationships between seemingly unrelated fields; to detect broad patterns rather than deliver specific answers; and to invent something new by combining elements nobody else thought to pair.”

Shakespeare’s initial question, “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” is his effort to show literary symphony, and that query leads him to personify death and to deify poetry, all engaging intellectual acts of synthesis and creativity.

In Pink’s chapter on symphony, he purports that those who are going to succeed in the future “must become adept at analogy—at seeing one thing in terms of another.” He details three ways of seeing relationships: the metaphor maker, the inventor, and the boundary crosser. Another reason Shakespeare’s poem may show a greater understanding of the human experience is because of metaphor. Pink asserts, “The more we understand metaphor, the more we understand ourselves.” Shakespeare skillfully sets up the poem by introducing a metaphor, only to challenge it throughout. Then he shows his inventiveness, what Pink describes as “the ability to forge [...] inspired, inventive relationships,” as he plays with the metaphor throughout, introducing new elements of nature—wind and sun—as he arrives at another analogy: the impermanence of the seasons reflects our own mortality. It is here, at the pivot, that he becomes a boundary-crosser and in Pink’s words, “he sees the relationships the rest of us never notice.” A poem is not usually seen as a vehicle for immortality. That is more in the realm of religion, or maybe even science, but not poetry. Still, he steps across that line and asserts that words can stop mortals from wandering in death’s shade.

This capacity to find the intersection between seemingly incongruous concepts is an attribute that is distinctly human and a catalyst for creativity. In Frans Johansson’s “The Medici Effect,” he claims that “When you step into an intersection of fields, disciplines, or cultures, you can combine existing concepts into a large number of extraordinary new ideas.” He, like Pink, argues that this ability will be a distinct advantage now and into the future: “The advantage goes to those with an open mind and the willingness to reach beyond their field of expertise. It goes to people who can break down barriers.” The inventiveness that Shakespeare displays in this poem is not uniquely his own. I believe that we can all discover and refine symphony. As an educator, I strive to foster that capacity “to synthesize rather than analyze; to see relationships between seemingly unrelated fields; to detect broad patterns rather than deliver specific answers; and to invent something new by combining elements nobody else thought to pair,” all in an effort to help our students thrive.

Sonnet 1 by Chat GPT 3.5

In youth’s fair bloom, thy visage pure and bright, A radiant sun, thy grace doth brightly gleam. Yet time, relentless, casts its shadow’s stream, Aging this frame, once vibrant in love’s light.

Oh, dearest muse, let not thy beauty wane, Preserve thy charm, as roses keep their hue.

Eternal youth, thy countenance imbue, In every line, let love’s sweet verse sustain.

This poem, a vessel of immortal art, Shall cradle thee in verses ever true. Through ink and time, thy beauty shall renew, A timeless echo of our love’s sweet start.

Though age may touch me with its withering hand, Our love, a timeless flame, shall brightly burn. In memories, let youth forever stand, A testament to the passion we discern.

For in our hearts, where love shall ne’er expire, Thy beauty blooms, a love that shall inspire.

Sonnet 2 by Shakespeare

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate. Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, And summer’s lease hath all too short a date.

Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, And often is his gold complexion dimmed; And every fair from fair sometime declines, By chance, or nature’s changing course, untrimmed;

But thy eternal summer shall not fade, Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st, Nor shall death brag thou wand’rest in his shade, When in eternal lines to Time thou grow’st.

So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see, So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

Camp Roots: A New Chapter With Horizons Colorado

By Kat Diez Canseco, Communications Department

In 2022, Graland proudly launched Camp Roots, a program that provides academic sessions and enrichment activities to students from Aurora public schools to prevent summer learning loss, prepare students for the upcoming school year, and create a fun, engaging environment. Partnering with the Metro Migrant Education Program and the JCC, Camp Roots students spent part of their day in classroom instruction and the other part enjoying JCC’s Camp Shai.

We are excited to announce that Camp Roots is evolving to a new phase in the summer of 2024. Graland is joining the Horizons National program as an affiliate of Horizons Colorado. Founded in 1964 at New Canaan Country Day School, Horizons National has served over 10,000 students across the country, working to advance educational equity through a six-week summer program that focuses on data-based academic enrichment, project-based learning, and swimming instruction, all bolstered by a supportive community that is sustained by gatherings throughout the year. Horizons Colorado, established by Colorado Academy, will be the umbrella organization for Horizons programs in our state and Graland is excited to join this local affiliation.

the Horizons program. “In my experience, there are undeniable barriers to education access in Denver. By partnering with Horizons, we can leverage its proven strategies and resources, ensuring that our efforts are more intentional, systematic, and strategic. Together, we can make a tangible difference in the lives of children and contribute to a broader network of support.”

In a continued commitment to fostering growth and learning, Graland’s 2024 Horizons program will run for six weeks and will continue to be in collaboration with JCC’s Camp Shai. Similar to Camp Roots, children enrolled in the program will benefit from classroom instruction, enrichment activities, swimming lessons, and access to resources that will contribute to their overall development.

As Horizons Colorado at Graland embarks on providing summer programming under the Horizons Colorado regional network, we look forward to creating lasting, positive change by empowering students and fostering a love for learning that will serve them well into the future. We eagerly anticipate growing this program as part of the Horizons National community for many more summers

Horizons reinforces a student’s success by utilizing a proven educational model, operational metrics and assessments to measure and evaluate growth, and opens access to a network of independent schools operating similar programs. Gaby Jaquez Perez, Graland’s controller, shared her personal connection to Horizons. “My siblings were part of this program. My brother started in Kindergarten and my sister started in Grade 3, and now they have successful careers and still recall their time with Horizons.” Additionally, Christi James will be transitioning from Spanish teacher at Graland to the role of executive director for

Summer Program Gear Up for Graland!

Join us for a fun-filled summer with Graland’s Summer Camps the week of July 29-August 2 from 9 a.m. to noon. In addition, partnerships with the Jewish Community Center, Curious Jane, Challenger Sports, and Count Me In Math Camp for Girls, provide endless possibilities for fun and growth.

Art and Animals

Enrich your summer with art and animals! Join us to explore fascinating creatures and unleash creativity through crafts inspired by them! (Grade 2-4)

Young Scientists

Join us as we invite young scientists to delve into the wonders of science this summer! (Grade 1-3)

Cooking With a Side of Mathematics

Learn early math skills through cooking and baking! (Grades 1-3)

Dance, Dance, Dance!

Dance into summer’s rhythm! Your child will discover new dance moves, costume-making skills, and more at our exciting dance camp! (Grades 2-4)

Exploring the Five Senses

Embark on a sensory adventure this summer and discover techniques for emotional regulation. (Grades 1-3)

Fun with Camping

Enjoy a summer of close-to-home camping adventures with friends! (Pre-K)

Imagine... It’s Time for Kindergarten

Incoming Kindergartners will learn about life at Graland and make new friends before the start of school! (Kindergarten)

Intro to Preschool/Pre-K

Get your little one ready for preschool with creative learning, laughter, and lots of play! (Preschool/Pre-K)

Tinker Time Summer Edition

Just because the school year is over doesn’t mean Tinker Time has to end! Join us at Tinker Time: Summer Edition for extended activities and challenges! (Grades 1-4)

From Story to Action: Cultivating a Culture of Belonging

By Oscar Gonzalez, Director of Equity and Inclusivity

Belonging is a prerequisite for thriving. At the center of our strategic plan is the word “thrive.” We want families, educators, and students to thrive at their highest potential. To thrive means to succeed, and not at the expense of one’s well-being. We strive for our students to thrive and not merely survive academically, socially, in sports, and on stage–in the myriad of opportunities that our whole-child approach offers students. It is for that reason that our strategic plan is enveloped by cultivating a culture of belonging. This school year, we’ve leveraged our partnership with Challenge Success to listen to the stories and experiences of our community members which then informed our actions in order to enhance belonging.

Challenge Success

as we prepare our children to be engaged citizens and thoughtful leaders. When we began collaborating with Challenge Success in 2021, we started by understanding and enhancing well-being and engagement with learning in the Middle School. This year, we expanded our work to include the entire school and have a focus on belonging.

Challenge Success’s thesis that belonging is needed for both student well-being and engagement with learning aligns well with our strategic plan.

Challenge Success partners with schools and families to provide practical, researchbased tools and strategies to transform

the student experience and create a more balanced and fulfilling life for all students. Most of the research behind Challenge Success’s work focuses on middle and high school students, and this year we began to expand into the Lower School as well.

In October 2021, Middle School students, parents, and faculty participated in a survey to collect data about time and schedule, motivation, assessment, school climate, anxiety, learning conditions, and the overall experience of being a student at Graland. From this data, a task force created pilots and helped implement change in order to enhance student wellbeing, engagement, and belonging.

Belonging

We are in our third year of partnership with Challenge Success, a non-profit affiliated with the Stanford University Graduate School of Education, to enhance belonging, grow student engagement, and uncover ways we can fortify our partnership between school and home to promote student well-being

Belonging is “an individual’s experience of feeling that they are, or are likely to be, accepted and respected as a valued contributor in a specific environment” (Healey and Stroman, 2021).

This school year, we had one focus in our partnership with Challenge Success: belonging. As Arthur Chan states, “Inclusion is an action, and belonging is an outcome.” Belonging is the goal of our inclusivity work. We want each unique member of our community to show up as themselves and to leave Graland as the best version of themselves.

Challenge Success Has Three Building Blocks of Belonging:

• I am known

• I am respected

• I can contribute

Using the Challenge Success building blocks of belonging and their model to enhance belonging, we formed a multistakeholder team of 50 people, which includes teachers, outside-theclassroom educators, parents, and students, with representation across the Lower School and Middle School divisions as well as the instructional and business sides of the school. This group is helping Graland co-create and run a few different belonging pilots in order to help us achieve our strategic goal of cultivating a culture of belonging. A smaller subset of this group, the Challenge Success Task Force, helps move the initiatives forward.

Listening to Stories to Inform Action

The multistakeholder group and task force identified the following communities of focus within the Graland community and conducted empathy interviews with members of these groups:

• Educators of color

• Families of color

• LGBTQIA+ community

• Neurodivergent student community

• Members of our community with a variety of family structures

• Members of our community with a physical disability

• Members of our community from non-dominant religious groups

• Families receiving financial aid

The empathy interviews provided data on how members of our community are known, respected, and contribute to the community. This ears-to-the-ground approach also shed light on areas where there is room for growth, and this spurred many ideas on potential pilots that may increase belonging.

The Pilots and Moving Forward

Knowing that all students, families, and educators are assets to the community, we leaned on the collective genius of everyone involved to co-create actionable, bite-sized pilots. With the communities of focus in mind, the idea is that designing pilots to increase belonging actually benefits all students.

One pilot is the creation of the Rainbow Club, which came from the LGBTQIA+ empathy interviews. This club is for LGBTQIA+ families, students, and allies to connect, hold space for each other, and promote a safe, healthy school climate. This will be an opportunity for young people to have a safe and supportive space to celebrate, connect, learn, and grow through honoring each other’s identities and family structures.

Other empathy interviews advised ideas for additional pilots. A round of empathy interviews led to the pilot for an educators of color lunch, an off-campus mingle on a professional development day. We are also highlighting celebration and heritage months in Graland Online (“GO”), our weekly digital newsletter. Moreover, for those in our community with physical disabilities we are creating a support plan template to prompt more education and awareness regarding an individual’s needs.

Building upon the school-wide buddy program, where younger students receive mentorship and guidance from older students, the Student Support Team (SST) is piloting an additional buddy program for Middle School students with learning differences to share their experiences navigating school and discuss the resources they use in order to thrive. Middle School students mentor their buddies with the knowledge picked up through SST, and these younger students learn to reframe obstacles and learn that we all struggle with similar shared experiences. This builds confidence and reduces stigma, as it allows students to have open dialogue, learn that they are not alone, and that their struggles are not exclusive to one individual.

The next phase is to survey the communities of focus as well as the greater community to measure the effect on belonging. For the pilots where survey collections have begun, early indications show that belonging has indeed increased. Once we collect all the data and analyze the results, we will follow up with community members in order to refine our practices and continue going from stories to action so that we can continue to work in partnership, build community, and cultivate belonging.

Evolving Classroom Lessons through Professional Development and Contemporary Art

When my family lived in Kuwait, we had a small window of time when shows on television were in English. It was “Mutual of Omaha” and a series of cartoons. While watching cartoons, I would create drawings of what I saw on television. When I lived in Kenya, our parents took us on a lot of excursions. We saw a lot of the country, and the animal sightings were spectacular. These experiences have traveled with me throughout my life and help influence how I develop lessons. It is experiences that make up the foundation for what I teach in the classroom. It is also from other artists and colleagues that we find inspiration for developing lessons. There is a lot that we have to offer from learning from each other.

By Andrea Crane, Art Teacher

In the arts, we have the opportunity to bring in the newness of what is out there. Art is always evolving, just as the lessons we teach are continually shifting to reflect what is happening in the world. Yes, we teach the skills, and what students choose to do with those skills is where the magic happens. Just like the students, what I choose to expose myself to influences what I bring to the classroom. Professional development opportunities further growth, and with all that is offered out there, when a professional development opportunity lends itself to sparking new concepts, well, I’m going to jump for it.

I first learned about Art21 when I was in college, circa 2008, through their impeccable documentaries. Art21 has an educator program that offers educators the opportunity to connect, collaborate, and work with featured Art21 artists, educators from all over the world, and the people who produce its docuseries. The Art21 program supports K-12 educators in any subject area in bringing contemporary art, artists, and themes into the classroom; it’s really quite awesome.

I applied and was accepted to the Art21 educators program for the summer of 2023. During my time in New York, I was able to work with like-minded individuals from all walks of life to investigate how we can engage students in broadening their understanding of the world through art. A highlight of my time in New York was the opportunity to visit artist Marela Zacarías’ studio, whose work is founded in her Mexican roots. Seeing how she brought her ideas to fruition was amazing, and it emphasized the practice of bringing meaning to one’s work. I follow this practice in my own classroom by asking students questions such as, “Why are you choosing this path in your artwork?” and “What does this piece mean to you?” In addition, Art 21 broadened my ability to evoke more

curiosity and excitement in the classroom. Artists do more than just make things, they share a love of making art, they tell stories, they can spark change, the possibilities are endless. When I can tell students that the artist they are learning about is still alive, I consider that a win in my book. I also consider it a win when I can introduce them to artists who are tackling topics and questions about what is happening now.

The opportunity to seek out ways of growth through professional development affords me the ability to imagine the possibilities in the classroom. I am continually imagining what I could do better to help students develop a greater understanding of themselves and what they are capable of accomplishing. “If you don’t see the art that you make, invent it yourself,” said artist Jacobly Satterwhite. To this end, if I don’t see my pedagogy evolving, then I will go out to gain more experience to bring back the magic of what it means to be an educator.

Birch Art & Literary Magazine

By Sarah Baldwin, Art Teacher, Cole Hamilton, Grade 4 Teacher, & Kimm Lucas, Grade 5 English Teacher

This year, middle schoolers are excited to revive Graland’s Art and Literary Magazine under a new moniker, “Birch.”

While Graland has a long history of publishing student work, the school has not formally published an arts and literary magazine in over a decade. “Birch” will bring together art and creative writing from the entire Graland community, including students and educators. We are excited to bring this tradition back to Graland’s rich arts and literature program and ecstatic to share the final publication with the Graland community this spring.

When we first gathered to launch a new arts and literary magazine on a summer grant, the uniting goal was to promote student voice and agency while bringing together two core subject areas in innovative ways. It was critical from the outset that students lead the charge in designing, facilitating, and running this publication. Not only would the Middle School students have the opportunity to see and celebrate their peers’ creativity through the publication of the magazine, but they would also gain experience as editors and mentors for Lower School students throughout the publishing process.

This year, under the guidance of Sarah

Baldwin, Middle School students used their club time to navigate the many complexities of launching a publication. In the fall, they developed systems for gathering submissions from peers, flooding the campus with beautiful posters promoting the magazine, and visiting classrooms and assemblies to call for submissions. The fantastic student leaders embarking on this first publication embodied Graland’s strategic focus, Inspire Students, as they generated campus-wide buzz. We saw students across the Graland community inspired to create work to share with “Birch,” including one first grade classroom that flooded the submission box with so much art each day that they were eventually gifted the “Birch” submission box at the end of the semester.

During the first club meeting, students created a code of conduct and expectations for the club. As the inaugural student board, these middle schoolers had the unique opportunity to research Graland history, brainstorm possible titles, and pitch a title to the communications

department. They eventually landed on “Birch’’ as the magazine’s title, not only because of Graland’s original address on Birch Street but also for the birch tree’s history as a medium for writing, as humans have used birch bark for manuscripts dating back to the fifth century CE.

This winter, the student board created criteria for choosing work with the intention of putting submissions in conversation with one another to create a cohesive publication, rather than simply picking what students perceived as the “strongest” technical work. Next, the student board reviewed submissions and were coached on how to write acceptance and thank you letters to students and educators who submitted. In the coming weeks, the Birch student board will continue editing submissions and refining the magazine’s layout in anticipation of its first publication later this spring.

As we prepare for the first issue of “Birch,” our hope is that this publication will continue to inspire students and build empathy across our community. Empathy begins with sharing our stories, and storytelling lies at the heart of art and creative writing. We are thrilled that “Birch Art & Literary Magazine” will bring our stories together in one place.

The Five Critical Components for Successful Lower School Readers

By Nan Remington, Head of Lower School

Learning to read in Graland’s Lower School is a multifaceted approach that involves the integration of various components working together. From decoding individual sounds to constructing meaning from text, being a proficient reader is a complex cognitive process. Understanding the foundational elements of reading is essential for educators, parents, and learners alike.

There are five critical components of reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary, which, when developed and practiced, help Lower School students comprehend all kinds of texts fully:

Phonemic Awareness: Phonemic awareness refers to the ability to identify and manipulate individual sounds (or phonemes) in spoken words. It’s a crucial precursor to phonics and reading fluency. Activities that develop phonemic awareness include segmenting words into individual sounds, blending sounds to form words, and manipulating sounds to create new words.

Example: A teacher might ask students to identify the individual sounds in the word “cat” (/k/-/ă/-/t/) or segment the word “shop” into its component sounds (/sh/-/ŏ/-/p/).

Phonics: Phonics involves understanding the relationship between letters (graphemes) and the sounds (phonemes) they represent. It provides the foundational skills necessary for decoding words and spelling. Phonics instruction typically begins with teaching letter-sound correspondences and progresses to more complex phonetic patterns and word structures.

Example: Students learn that the letter “b” represents the sound /b/ as in “bat,” and the letter combination “igh” represents the long “i” sound as in “night.”

Fluency: Fluency encompasses the ability to read text accurately, smoothly, and with expression. Fluent readers can decode words effortlessly, maintain appropriate pacing, and comprehend the text simultaneously. Fluent reading enhances comprehension by freeing cognitive resources for higher-order thinking processes.

Example: A fluent reader reads a passage aloud with appropriate intonation, phrasing, and rhythm, conveying the intended meaning effectively.

Comprehension: Comprehension is the ultimate goal of reading. It involves actively constructing meaning from the text by connecting prior knowledge, making inferences, and monitoring understanding. Proficient readers engage in a variety of strategies to comprehend text, such as predicting, summarizing, questioning, and visualizing.

Example: After reading a story, a reader might summarize the main events and infer.

Vocabulary: Vocabulary refers to the words that a person understands and uses. It plays a critical role in comprehension, as readers must recognize and understand words to make sense of the text. Effective vocabulary instruction involves teaching both the meanings of words and strategies for figuring out unfamiliar words in context.

Example: A teacher introduces new vocabulary words like “magnificent” and “perplexed” before reading a story, providing definitions, and discussing how the words might be used in context.

In recent years, there has been much discussion and debate about the science of reading. At Graland, we feel students need a balance of direct instruction in decoding and fluency skills, along with exposure to rich discussions around text to build vocabulary and comprehension. While each component is distinct, they are interconnected and mutually reinforcing. Phonemic awareness lays the groundwork for phonics instruction, which in turn supports fluency development. Fluency, in conjunction with comprehension strategies, enables readers to extract meaning from text efficiently. Additionally, vocabulary knowledge enhances fluency and comprehension by facilitating word recognition and understanding.

Last fall, Lower School teachers implemented a phonics program called Really Great Reading, a research-based approach that has proven effective in improving phonemic awareness, phonics, and decoding skills and provides greater alignment of

phonics skills between grade levels. The skills and tools students learn with phonics go hand-in-hand with the other reading skills students learn in the classroom.

Educational leaders and researchers caution that highlighting one reading component over another has proven ineffective. Susan Engel, senior lecturer of developmental psychology and founding director of the Program in Teaching at Williams College, and Catherine Snow, a linguist and professor of cognition and education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, encourage “deep reading comprehension,” which includes making inferences about a text and connecting new information from a text with relevant background knowledge. As Engel and Snow contend, “Phonics are undoubtedly a building block of reading, but (some) schools are preoccupied with this method. We must help kids gather information and teach them the tools for expanding their knowledge.”

Other reading skills, such as guided discussions about literacy where teachers ask students to speculate on why David, the main character in the book “No David!” does naughty and rambunctious things or infer why the tree is happy or sad in the “Giving Tree,” allow students to gather information and engage in the text in more profound, more meaningful ways. These methods help create young students who can read and read well.

Effective reading instruction involves a balanced approach that addresses all components in a systematic and integrated manner. At all levels, scaffolded support, explicit instruction, and ample practice opportunities are essential elements of literacy instruction.

For parents and teachers, understanding the critical components of reading is essential for fostering literacy skills in learners of all ages. Phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary work together to unlock the world of reading. By providing targeted instruction and meaningful practice in each component, educators and families can empower students to become proficient and confident readers.

Teacher Talk: Exploring Key Reading Skills

Graland Lower School teachers share their expertise on the foundational aspects of reading: phonics, comprehension, fluency, and vocabulary. These essential components work together to develop young learners into skilled, confident readers. Take a peek into our educators’ insights and discover the keys to reading success!

Phonemic Awareness: The Essential Building Blocks for Early Reading Success

By Maggie Kelley, Kindergarten Support Teacher

“Mommy made me mash my M&M’s!” Do you remember this phrase from your childhood? If so, you were practicing the skill of phonemic awareness, and you probably didn’t even know it!

Phonemic awareness is the skill of being able to hear and manipulate different sounds in spoken words. It is one of the earliest and most essential skills a child needs to be able to become a successful reader. For example, in the above example of mashing M&M’s, a child who is on target should be able to hear that each word begins with the sound /m/.

Rhyming is also a huge component of phonemic awareness. Research has shown that when a child can readily hear rhyming words, they are typically much more likely to encounter early reading success. Another important part of phonemic awareness is the skill of being able to hear the different sounds in one word. For example, a child who has solid phonemic awareness skills will be able to stretch out a word that they hear and be able to say each sound (example: run = /r/ /u/ /n/). They will also be able to readily change a word into another word by changing one of the sounds (example: change the /r/ in “run” to /f/ to make “fun”). The exciting thing about phonemic awareness is that it can be practiced almost anywhere at any time because it is all about being able to hear the sounds in words. It can be practiced on a long car ride or a few minutes before going to bed each night.

Phonics: Building Blocks for Early Literacy and Confident Reading

By Kelly Palma, Grade 1 Teacher

Phonics is a method used to teach children how to read and pronounce words by linking sounds to letters or groups of letters. It helps children understand the relationship between letters and their corresponding sounds, enabling them to decode written words more easily. By mastering phonics, young students can become more confident readers and improve their overall literacy skills.

In the classroom, phonics instruction typically involves a systematic approach to teaching the sounds of letters and letter combinations. Teachers may use various activities, such as interactive games, flashcards, and word-building exercises, to engage students in learning phonics. Through guided practice and repetition, students learn to recognize and decode words, enabling them to become more proficient readers over time.

Fostering Fluency: Nurturing a Love for Reading in Grade 2 and Beyond

By Justine Hall, Grade 2 Teacher

Fluency is the ability to read accurately with appropriate speed and expression while also understanding the text. When students read fluently, they automatically recognize or decode words rather than sounding out each word. Therefore, fluency allows readers to focus on the meaning of the words rather than the actual words themselves.

There are many ways we develop fluency in Grade 2 classrooms. Repetition and modeling are key factors in creating fluent readers. Teachers model fluent reading daily, allowing students to hear how a reader’s voice can help text make sense. In addition to independent and partner reading, students often engage in choral reading, reading along with a teacher who reinforces how fluent reading sounds. In readers’ theater, students rehearse and “perform” a play, reading from scripts that are rich in dialogue. Readers’ theater gives a fun and valid reason to reread text and, therefore, practice fluency.

So, reading aloud to your child, as well as encouraging them to reread favorite books, not only promotes a love of reading but also helps develop fluency.

Unlocking the World of Comprehension: Third Graders Embark on a Literary Adventure

By Julie O’Connor, Grade 3 Teacher

The Power of

Words:

Vocabulary Development in Grade 4 and Beyond

By Jessica Levy, Grade 4 Teacher

Vocabulary development plays a critical role in students’ growth as readers and serves as a foundation to build their comprehension, critical thinking, and communication skills. Building a students’ functional vocabulary goes well beyond memorizing word lists and definitions, as research shows that the three basic ways the brain constructs meaning from new vocabulary are via relevance, emotion, and pattern recognition.

Third graders start the year reviewing foundational comprehension skills, such as story structure and drawing conclusions, through whole-class readalouds and book studies. The students then transition into small group novels that guide them through more advanced strategies, like inferring, predicting, determining important information, and synthesizing. Comprehension lessons then dive deeper into the character’s journey. Using Newbery award-winning books, readers create annotations to develop a deeper understanding of the theories behind their characters’ motivations and follow their life lessons.

In our social studies curriculum, third graders read a variety of primary and secondary sources to develop their own understanding of the world. They practice determining the main ideas and supporting details to summarize their learning about historical people and events. They connect texts to their lived personal experiences and existing knowledge about the world; this helps them draw conclusions and notice patterns across cultures and time. Comprehension skills are thus woven across the curriculum.

In Grade 4, students tackle new vocabulary when reading a variety of texts and must determine the meaning through context clues. In this setting vocabulary is learned based on its relevance to the story and the emotional attachment students may have to the word used in context. Take for example, fourth graders who note the “imperious gaze” of a Nazi soldier in Lois Lowry’s Number the Stars. Students also learn vocabulary through more direct phonics instruction across the Lower School, using their knowledge of patterns to decode new words based on prefixes, suffixes, and roots.

A Balanced Perspective: Acknowledging Our Role in Education

By Marti Champion, Head of Middle School and Tara Lavizzo, Middle School Counselor

Graland’s partnership with Challenge Success, a nonprofit organization affiliated with the Stanford University Graduate School of Education, began in August 2021, when we, like the rest of the world, were looking forward to getting back to life as we knew it. In recent years, purpose has become the cornerstone of our work, where Georgia Nelson’s vision of “live the learning” has had to be amplified. We had to go back to basics, focusing on the whole child and the “development of the body, mind, and spirit as a whole.”

Challenge Success partners with schools and families across the nation to provide practical, research-based tools and strategies to support a more balanced and fulfilling life for all students. This organization’s mission was and continues to be a nice complement to our work with World Leadership School, a Boulderbased organization dedicated to bringing greater purpose to learning. It was with purpose that the Middle School took a deeper look at Graland’s practices by hearing from our students, parents,

guardians, and faculty. The pandemic highlighted the growing mental health crisis among adolescents and teenagers, so there was a lot to examine. In October 2021, students, parents, and faculty participated in a Challenge Success survey to collect data about time and schedule, motivation, assessment, school climate, anxiety, learning conditions, and the overall experience of being a Middle School student at Graland. For the past two and a half years, we’ve been paying even closer attention to our role in student wellness and wellbeing. The survey results shared that students felt connected to and supported by faculty, with many noting they had an adult at school they could go to if they had a personal problem. Knowing

that the majority of students in the Middle School felt supported, we mined the data to find ways we could move the needle to increase the wellbeing of students who reported an imbalance in their lives based on time allocated to school, homework, and extracurriculars.

“Graland teaches its students that innovation can transform lives and challenges them to be creative problem solvers.” This is the first line of one of Graland’s guiding principles, Stimulate Innovation. As leaders in the school, we used the survey data to innovate by creating pilots to respond to the feedback we received. Our first pilot was Quiet Week, which has been met with success over the past two years. Born from the pandemic’s pervasive technology usage and social isolation, Quiet Week emerged from a collective desire within the Graland community to reclaim the social interconnectedness and more balanced technology usage of pre-pandemic times. Recognizing this yearning, we sought to find an intentional practice that could address these needs. Quiet Week was

created with the aim of offering our community a chance to detach from screens, engage in meaningful face-toface interactions, and acquire vital skills for managing stress in healthier ways. Students across various grade levels appreciated the innovative approaches teachers used to facilitate reflection, mindfulness, and other essential practices.

Our primary focus during this week was on playtime, downtime, and family time (PDF). Through ongoing efforts and adaptations, we hope to continually improve our approach to Quiet Week, ensuring that its benefits have a measurable impact on our student body and beyond. Using tools like the Time Activity Wheel can help all of us work together to achieve more balance in the lives of our children.

Our second pilot focused on the major sources of stress students identified, specifically tests, quizzes, and major projects. Everyone surveyed noted that while they recognize that assessments are an integral part of measuring student growth, there were times when the lack of coordination among faculty increased the level of stress. At the start of the 2023-24 school year, we introduced a pilot of the project/test calendar. This pilot allowed us to leverage our Learning Management System (LMS) to create grade-level calendars dedicated to communicating with students, parents, guardians, and faculty about the major assessments any

one student might experience in one week. Because this calendar was on the LMS, it also gave students and their families access to their Graland athletic competitions, providing a fuller picture of their day and week ahead. We surveyed our Middle School community (parents, guardians, and faculty) shortly after the project/test calendar launch and learned a great deal about the calendar’s impact and areas for improvement. Although this was a new habit for our seasoned faculty and students, we learned that we could do a better job of reminding everyone to use the calendar, posting projects and tests, and referencing it as a resource.

Finally, we are in the process of unpacking the Growth Purpose Statement shared in the article “Making Sense of the Grade in the Middle School” in the fall 2018 issue of “Graland Today”.

“The primary purpose of grading at Graland is to empower students to better understand, articulate, and take responsibility for their progression toward mastering learning objectives. The secondary purpose is to communicate that same learning growth to parents.” Right, wrong or indifferent, letter grades are important. As educators focused on the wellbeing of our students, we recognize the impact grades have on student welfare.

This fixation is simply unhealthy and impacts student learning - checking the boxes only to get the grade rather than learning the material. With the support of Challenge Success and World Leadership School, faculty have been working to create a purposeful statement that clearly communicates the process of learning and the importance of skill growth that provides more informative data than a letter grade. Although students in Grades 6-8 will continue to receive letter grades, our focus on growth and practices to communicate and celebrate that growth will reflect the importance we place on the overall wellness of our students. An updated statement and our practices to support this statement will be shared in the 2024-25 school year.

Timeless Treasures: Art and Statues at Graland

By Jessica Goski, Director of Development

As Graland approaches its 100th anniversary in 2027, the school enjoys sharing stories of its vibrant history.

This article shares background on a handful of the many pieces of art that adorn Graland’s campus. As 2027 approaches, there will be many opportunities to honor Graland’s 100 years of excellence. Memories abound in the school archives, as well as in the two main school history books that are available to view on the school website and in the stories passed down between generations. We are fortunate to be able to reflect on the past and look forward to a bright future.

To read more about Graland’s history and to access digital versions of the books referenced in this article, visit graland.org/historybooks.

Alphabet Tiles:

The unique terracotta alphabet tiles installed outside the entrance of the Georgia Nelson Building have a history connected to Denver and the Hirschfeld family. A.B. Hirschfeld ran a printing business at 655 Speer Boulevard starting in approximately 1949, where terracotta alphabet tiles framed the art deco entrance. When the business outgrew the location and the company sold the building, A.B.’s grandson and company CEO, Barry Hirschfeld (current Graland grandparent and parent of two Graland alumni), asked permission to extract the alphabet tiles that were so meaningful to his family. He and his wife, Arlene, knew Graland was the right home for the alphabet. They donated the tiles during the construction of the Georgia Nelson Building and the alphabet was installed as the finishing touch in 1995.

Learn more at graland.org/alphabettiles.

Eagle Statue:

The eagle statue that currently sits outside the Hamilton-Reiman Building was purchased in the fall of 2018 thanks to a meaningful anonymous donation to Graland and was installed in spring 2019 to replace a previous wooden eagle sculpture that was donated by alumni of the Class of 2001 and unfortunately fell to deterioration from weather.

The current statue was created by Otto Schweizer (1863-1955), a sculptor born in Switzerland who came to New York in 1894 and eventually settled in Philadelphia. Graland’s eagle was likely a piece of a larger statue. The eagle is made of bronze, and the green color (patina) is the result of oxidation that occurs with bronze over a long period of time. If one looks closely, they can see Schweizer’s name on the bottom of the piece on the right side. The large block of sandstone was quarried from Lyons, Colorado specifically to be the base for this sculpture.

“Nancy”:

Statue (Girl Sitting and Reading a Book) by Lower School

Climbing

Structure Playground:

Sandwiched between the Lower School playground and the Georgia Nelson building is a bronze statue of a little girl reading her book, a book whose first line is “Once Upon a Time.” Many of you have probably passed the statue and wondered about its significance. The statue is named “Nancy” in honor of Graland Master Teacher Nancy “Connie” Ankeliein, who worked at Graland from 1975-2000 and who is remembered by former students and colleagues for her love of teaching and reading.

Little Baseball Boy:

The bronze statue of the little baseball boy in the Graland Fieldhouse lobby was created by Georgene McGonagle. McGonagle is the parent of three Graland alumni, who were all athletes and inspired her creations. The statue was anonymously donated to Graland in the 1980s to honor McGonagle. The donor was a Graland community member who was considered a “beloved friend of the family.” Two special facts about this statue are: The baseball bat has a copyright on it, and there is another cast of this image in Cherry Creek North.

Learn more about Georgene McGongagle at gmcgonaglestudio.com.

Inspire Birch Trees:

“These trees were designed to demonstrate the power of teaching, the power of learning, and the power of education.” - Tony Ball, Artist.

The large color-changing creations, made out of aluminum, resemble birch trees and pay homage to the school’s original address, 30 Birch Street. The trees also symbolize growth, knowledge, learning, and reaching for great heights, all attributes Graland seeks for its educators and students. The idea for this project came to life in March of 2021 in conjunction with the Inspire Campaign, during which Graland raised more than $10M for a designated endowment that funds the school’s remastered and elevated faculty compensation system. The artist of this new and captivating piece is Tony Ball from Tork Collaborative Arts (Columbus, OH).

Learn more at graland.org/inspiretrees.

Jason Cooper ’84: A Journey of Leadership and Achievement

By Kat Diez Canseco, Communications Department

Each year, Graland’s Alumni Board recognizes an outstanding member of the alumni community with the prestigious Ruth Gorham Award. Named after the school’s longest-serving teacher, Ms. Ruth Gorham, who dedicated 62 years to nurturing a love of learning in her students, the award commemorates her unwavering commitment to education and mentorship. This year, Graland is proud to present the Ruth Gorham Award to Jason Cooper, Class of 1984.

Graland has been an integral part of Jason’s life for over four decades. As a 1984 graduate, Jason has fond memories of his time as a student, participating in various activities such as yearbook, baseball, soccer, and photography. After graduating from Graland, Jason attended Kent Denver, Amherst College, and the University of Chicago, where he pursued his interests in history and, eventually, business. As the youngest child of three, all of whom attended Graland, Jason’s connection to the school runs deep. Jason returned to Denver in 1996 and quickly became a member of the Graland community again. His continued involvement with Graland began when he saw his older brother playing an active role on the alumni board. At the time, Jason didn’t have any children but still felt a bond to Graland. “I have always felt connected to the school. I first started at Graland in 1974, when I arrived for Kindergarten. After graduating, I knew that I wanted to participate in alumni activities, and now I’ve been on the alumni board for a million years—probably much longer than I should have. I was particularly proud to serve as president for one term some years ago.”

children who are attending and/or have graduated from Graland—Leni ’21, Maeve ’24, and Garrett ’29—further strengthening his family’s connection to the school. “It’s a long family affiliation. My wife, Sara, and her three siblings attended the school, too. I have many extended family members who are also alumni, including Jamie Miller ’97 Altman, who is head of the alumni board right now. She and her two sisters are my cousins, and they also went to Graland, as do all of their children.”

When opportunities arose, I just plugged myself into them along with many other dedicated alumni volunteers. It’s been a great pleasure to serve on all kinds of committees; anything you can imagine, I’ve been drafted to help with over the years.”

When asked about his impact or legacy at Graland, Jason humbly acknowledges the importance of giving back to the school that has given him so much. “It really is an honor for me to get this award. The school has been such an important part of my life, and I guess my legacy is being a meaningful part of its continued growth and prosperity. Graland is a great institution, and it continues to thrive. It really is a school that puts the best interests of the students at the forefront, and it’s been a privilege to be able to remain part of that. My impact is probably that I spend time and effort—with sincerity—to try and give something back to this wonderful community.”

Jason’s dedication to Graland extends beyond his alumni involvement. He married a fellow Graland alumna, Sara Drucker ’89, in 2001, and has three

In addition to his contributions to the alumni board, Jason has been actively involved in multiple initiatives and projects. One project that stands out in Jason’s memory is his involvement in the creation of the Ruth Gorham Award, which he will be receiving. “I worked on writing the original language for the award description. That was many years ago, but it’s kind of funny that I’m on the receiving end. Many things come full-circle in life.” He’s also contributed to countless other initiatives, like the COVID task force, the school’s cybersecurity task force, and the last head of school search. “I was on the committee that hired Josh. I was also on the committee that hired Jessica Goski, the current director of development. I was most recently head of the board’s governance committee.

Jason urges current Graland students to appreciate the opportunities the school provides and to take advantage of its nurturing environment. As a current Graland parent, Jason remains proud to be part of a school that “is a great Denver institution with deep traditions, a remarkable alumni community, and incredibly dedicated teachers, coaches, and staff members. It’s just an amazing place.” Jason Cooper’s unwavering commitment to Graland Country Day School serves as an inspiration to the entire Graland community—past, present, and future.

Supporting Student Wellness at Graland: The Bradley Thomas Memorial Fund

By Jessica Goski, Director of Development

Graland is grateful for community members, past and present, who wish to make a philanthropic impact at the school. At times, these meaningful donors include Graland in their estate plans, creating a legacy that reaches beyond their lifetime. These gifts can also be unrestricted, allowing the school to direct their funds to the greatest priorities and needs, or designated for specific purposes.

At this time, we’d like to recognize the 50+ individuals who are members of Graland’s Montem Society—those who have included Graland in their estate plans. Specifically, we would like to acknowledge the Thomas Family, whose existing and perpetual fund supports student wellness at Graland.

Student Wellness at Graland

Student wellness is incorporated throughout Graland’s curriculum. As early as Preschool and Pre-Kindergarten, students develop social-emotional skills such as how to label and express feelings, resolve conflicts, how to be a good friend, and how to show compassion. In Lower School, morning meeting integrates Responsive Classroom methods and the Lower School counselor collaborates with the teachers to introduce topics to students such as understanding feelings and emotions, how to embrace similarities and differences, and mindfulness. Middle School students start each day in advisory, a small group of peers, where they have a place to make connections and build relationships. Additionally, Grades 5-8 attend wellness class, one time a rotation, that covers a range of coming-of-age topics, relating to the physical and emotional development of young teens. Students learn good decision-making skills and develop attitudes and beliefs towards a healthy lifestyle.

As part of the Middle School wellness curriculum, a significant focus for students in Grades 6-8 each spring is the topic of substance abuse. Graland partners with Prevention Solutions (formerly FCD Prevention Works), an affiliate of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation. Prevention Solutions is the leading international non-profit provider of K-12 onsite drug education and substance abuse prevention services for schools across the United States and around the world. Since its founding, prevention specialists from this program have worked with

hundreds of schools around the U.S. and in over 60 countries, serving more than two million students.

Graland invites Prevention Solutions speakers—typically former addicts— to present to students in sixth through eighth grade about their personal journeys and the dangers of substance abuse at all levels. The speakers focus their messaging on the idea of social norms and students’ ability to make healthy decisions. In addition to the school-day programming, an evening event is included for eighth grade students and their parents, making family education a key component of the learning process.

The Bradley Thomas Memorial Fund

The Thomas family established the Bradley Thomas Memorial Fund in the 1990s, following the passing of Bradley Thomas ’72. Bradley was a creative thinker, an excellent student, a fantastic athlete, and leader. Bradley also suffered from substance abuse and ultimately his life was cut short by the devastating effects of addiction. Bradley’s parents, Don and Marcia Thomas, were adamant to find ways that their son’s death could be of value to others. Because the beginnings of addiction can happen at a young age, the family believed that educational support, and the recognition of the danger of substance abuse, can be instrumental in saving lives.They graciously chose to make an impactful leadership gift to Graland to help fund substance abuse prevention education for current and future students. This gift now supports the Prevention Solutions program for Middle School students at Graland.

Recently, the family reached out to Graland to express their goal of ensuring the Bradley Thomas Memorial Fund and the critical education it helps provide remain in place in perpetuity. To achieve this goal, they shared that Graland is included in their will and the school would one day receive a charitable bequest.

The Bradley Thomas Memorial Fund is one of Graland’s several special funds that welcomes community support, as the purpose of this fund may especially resonate with donors beyond the Thomas Family. “We understand giving is a very personal choice,” Bradley’s brother, David Thomas ’74, said. “Our family’s intent is to bring awareness to the fund and the reason it exists. Many families have been affected in some way by this debilitating disease, and we believe visibility will be a benefit to Graland, to its students, and to the families that choose to share their support.”

Graland is sincerely grateful to the Thomas Family, and all the Montem Society members, who have included Graland in their estate plans and whose gifts impact students today and in perpetuity. For more information about how you can create a legacy at Graland through planned giving, contact Jessica Goski at 303-336-3705 or jgoski@graland.org.

To make a current-year gift to the Bradley Thomas Memorial Fund, please visit graland.org/specialfunds.

Appreciation Breakfast

Tuesday, May 14, 8:15 a.m.

Anschutz Commons

Josh Cobb, Karin Bisogno-Von Glumer, and the Graland Parent Association invite all parents to the 2023-2024 Community Appreciation Breakfast. Join us in Anschutz Commons on Tuesday, May 14, to celebrate a wonderful school year and honor our community.

Our entire community is welcome at this event!

Register at graland.org/GPAAppreciation

Community

Outreach: Thank You, Volunteers!

The GPA would like to thank the countless volunteers who participated in outreach opportunities during the 2023-24 school year. A special thank you to our community partners, Grow Local, A Little Help, Denver Botanic Gardens, WeeCycle, Special Olympics Colorado, and Colorado UpLift, for allowing our volunteers to work alongside your organizations.

2024 Carnival

Save the Date:

May 31, 2024, 1-3:10 p.m.

The highly anticipated carnival is an end-of-year Graland tradition. Classic carnival games, a dunk tank, inflatables, popcorn, cotton candy, and snow cones make this event a hit for the entire family! This year, the last day of school will end at 1 p.m. and the carnival will take place from 1-3:10 p.m. on May 31, 2024.

Register at graland.org/carnival

Spring Art Show Recap

The Spring Art Show, a longtime campus tradition, took place on Friday, April 12, 2024. This colorful afternoon included a student art gallery walk, a scavenger hunt, art stations, a photo booth, and delicious treats. Thank you to the visual art department and our volunteers who made this possible!

Fourteenth Annual

Eagle Invitational Golf Tournament

Friday, May 17, 2024, 8 a.m.

CommonGround Golf Course

We are looking forward to seeing registered golfers at the tournament on May 17! If you are interested in playing, please contact Jeri Volpe at 303-399-8370 or jvolpe@graland.org for availability.

Hole

Junior Eagle Invitational

Thursday, May 16, 2024, 3:30 p.m.

CommonGround Golf Course

Graland students will tee off in a mini tournament on May 16! Fun prizes will be awarded to the champions of the par-3 course.

Register at graland.org/golf

Junior Eagle Clinic (K-4)

Thursday, May 16, 2024, 4 p.m.

CommonGround Golf Course

Lower School students new to golf are invited to learn basic skills of the game during a one-hour clinic! Registrants will receive a free gift.

Register at graland.org/golf

303.399.0390

graland.org

Graland Spirit Store

Spring has sprung at the Graland Spirit Store! Stock up on T-shirts, baseball caps, and water bottles to keep you cool as the days get warmer. Showing school spirit is easier than ever with options to shop in-store and online. An added perk? All proceeds from the Graland Store fund your favorite GPA events. Thank you for supporting the school and programs you love!

graland.org/store