FIRST-EVER
CONNECTIONS SUMMER
2020
July 15, 2020 GROVESGALA.ORG
GROVESACADEMY.ORG CONNECTIONS | SUMMER 2020
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[ CONTENTS ] 1 FROM THE PRESIDENT 2-3 ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT 4-5 FACULTY FEATURE Two Beloved Groves Pillars Retire 6-8 GROVES PROGRAMS ADAPT Groves Pivots Swiftly in Response to COVID-19 9 LEARNING CENTER TUTORING EXPANDS ITS REACH 10-11 NEW LITERACY CURRICULUM FOR PARTNER SCHOOLS 12 GROVES GALA GOES VIRTUAL 13 2019-20 BOARD OF TRUSTEES 14-15 GROVES HIGHLIGHTS 16-17 CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2020 18-19 GROVES STUDENT AWARDS 20 WAYS TO GIVE 21 FAREWELL TRANSITIONING GRIFFINS
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[ FROM THE PRESIDENT ] Dear Groves Community, While the world careens through summertime, we at Groves remain hopeful and optimistic about the trajectory of our students, our clients, and our organization. COVID-19 created numerous and deep challenges for Groves, and chipped away at the foundation of the traditional paradigm of delivering education in Western society. Fortunately, the teachers and staff at Groves quickly rallied together in order to create an environment across all aspects of the organization that allowed us to complete the year successfully:
• I am thrilled to report that 24 Seniors graduated from Groves in early June--our biggest class in the school’s history!
• We shifted to a fully online platform that served more than 400 students each week in our School and via tutoring and speech-language therapy in the Groves Learning Center.
• Though we paused our full psychoeducational diagnostic services in April, we
restarted in May and are providing critical assessments and evaluations to dozens of kids each month.
• The Groves Literacy Partnerships team supported, coached, and mentored teachers and students in all 30 of our partner schools across the Twin Cities. They are preparing for next school year and are planning for over 40 schools.
• Our Learning Center team recalibrated the Groves Summer Program, shifted it to July, and planned for several contingencies in order to deliver a powerful curriculum which will be much needed in the community this summer.
" ...we at Groves remain hopeful and optimistic about the trajectory of our students, our clients, and our organization."
• In recognition of the serious financial challenges faced by us all, the Groves
Advancement team created a Student and Family Emergency Fund which will allow us to provide extra financial assistance to families in need.
Looking forward, there is much uncertainty and the world is, in many places, opaque, which makes it difficult to plan. At Groves, we are working closely with all our stakeholders on several contingencies for the fall, but Plan A is to begin the school year in person, as always. There are many opportunities for us to make powerful changes to how we deliver the Groves experience—from adjusted schedules, to a hybrid at-school/virtual approach, to enhanced curriculum. All of which continues to help us fulfill our mission of delivering transformative learning experiences to every student. We are grateful for your continued partnership and financial support, without which we could not achieve our goals.
With Griffin Pride,
Dan Morgan President, Groves Academy
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[ ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT ]
aquariums and one on Asian cuisine. Being an outdoor activity enthusiast, I also greatly enjoyed our biking and skiing excursions. Why do you think Groves is an important asset to the Twin Cities community? All educators in the region are fortunate to have Groves nearby. Its ability to help students overcome learning challenges and prosper in their future endeavors benefits not just the students and their families, but also other institutions who struggle to serve all learning styles simultaneously. Having a school devoted to overcoming certain challenges means new learning skills are introduced to the broader population of students. What would you tell a student new to Groves about the school?
Sten Taracks How long were you at Groves Academy and what were a few key things you learned? I attended from 4th through 8th grade (2004-2008). What did you do after Groves? I transferred to Minneapolis Southwest, a large public high school. Although it was a daunting transition at first, I quickly learned Groves prepared me well to flourish! I went on to attend Normandale Community College in Bloomington, then became an accounting major at Minnesota State University in Moorhead. Now I am a Certified Public Accountant with Senness Ltd. in Bloomington. How did your time at Groves prepare you for your next steps? I learned how to communicate confidently and effectively with teachers and peers alike, allowing for academic and social growth. I started to actually enjoy socializing, and became genuinely interested and fascinated with lesson contents. What are some of your favorite memories of Groves? I fondly remember the feeling of accomplishment when presenting my middle school Experts Projects, one on
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No matter what academic or social challenges you may have faced at previous schools, Groves is the place where you will discover and share strengths you may not even know you have! Anything else you would like to share with the Groves community? I cannot even begin to sufficiently express my thanks to Groves for helping me get to where I am today, not to mention the same being done for all its students on a continuous basis!
Are you a Groves Alum? We'd love to hear from you. Let us know how you're doing! Please contact Ashley Gotreau at 952.915.4258 or gotreaua@grovesacademy.org. Don't foget to join the Groves Academy Alumni Association on Facebook!
While an undergraduate at St. Kate’s, I took two graduatelevel courses as an articulation student in their Masters of Library and Information Science (MLIS) graduate program. I also worked at the St. Kate’s library from April 2017-March 2020. COVID-19 put a halt to my work at the library. After I graduated with my B.A, I was accepted into the MLIS Program at St. Kate’s. I graduated with my MLIS degree in May 2020. I am hoping to get a job as an academic librarian after I graduate. How did your time at Groves prepare you for your next steps? My time at Groves prepared me by allowing me to take challenging classes. During my senior year, I took Advanced English Seminar, Environmental Science, Psychology, and Geometry. Also, Groves taught me to be confident in myself preparing me to be a self-advocate and independent student.
Katherine Laak How long were you at Groves Academy and what were a few key things you learned? I attended Groves Academy from 7th-12th grades (2007-2013). I was diagnosed with Non-Verbal Learning Disorder, Mathematics Disorder, and a Mixed Expressive/ Receptive Meaning Disorder. The main thing that I learned was self-advocacy. Selfadvocacy is crucial as a college student with a learning disability because college professors will be more accommodating to your individual learning style if they know what you need ahead of time. Professors cannot read minds. Another thing that I learned was how to push myself to try new things. When I attended Groves, I participated in a theater production and I joined the soccer team. I also went on the Lutsen Ski Trip, which was super fun. What did you do after Groves? After I graduated in 2013, I went on to North Hennepin Community College from 2014-2016 where I received my Associate in Arts-Liberal Arts degree. While at North Hennepin, I joined Phi Theta Kappa, which is the twoyear college honor society. After receiving my A.A. degree, I was accepted into Saint Catherine University (St. Kate’s) where I studied and received my Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in English in December 2018.
What are some of your favorite memories of Groves? My favorite memories were the Social Positive Activities for Middle School (SPAM) trips, the bike trips, the Lutsen trips, and the Barter Market. I also LOVED the homework and learning in the classroom. Why do you think Groves is an important asset to the Twin Cities community? Groves is an important asset to the Twin Cities community because it helps the rest of the world see that learning disabilities don’t define a student. What defines a student is their creativity and personality. Every person matters. What would you tell a student new to Groves about the school? I would tell a student new to Groves that this is the place where you will receive confidence and tools to help you become successful in the world. It will be challenging, but you will be successful with help from the amazing teachers and staff at Groves Academy. Anything else you would like to share with the Groves community? While being an MLIS student at Saint Catherine University, I learned about the Little Free Library movement. Little Free Libraries are great for students during this time of social distancing. They have a website where you can find them in your neighborhood at https://littlefreelibrary.org/
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[ FACULTY FEATURE ]
the years too, and it’s so important for our students to flourish in things like the arts and physical activity. It’s been exciting to see the beginning of Groves Literacy Partnerships (GLP). It was a dream shared by many, and it’s so exciting to see Groves helping students and teachers with excellent literacy instruction beyond our four walls. Describe some of your favorite moments while working at Groves.
Debbie Moran Groves Academy Director of Admissions, Lower School
Debbie Moran has welcomed hundreds of lower school students and their families into the Groves family as the Lower School Admissions Director. She is retiring after 27 years of service at Groves Academy, five years as a teacher from 1978-1983 and 22 years in admissions. In what ways have you seen Groves change over the years? Enrollment has certainly grown when I first came on board as a teacher we had 70-80 students in the whole school. When I returned in 1998 we had 120 students enrolled. This year our enrollment is over 280. Also the faculty just keeps getting better and better. It’s such a strong group of teachers - they know so much and they keep learning. The specialists program has grown over
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When potential new students come for their visit day, it’s a blast to get to know them. These kids are so brave to be coming into a new school. I get to see the range of emotions - they are nervous and excited at the beginning, and then it’s fun to see them settle in for the day and come out with a smile. I loved giving tours to prospective Groves families. I got a 10-cent tip once from a potential student’s younger sister who said it was a “real nice tour.” Also I enjoyed working on big collaborative projects that allowed me to work with other departments. I liked working on things like our mission statement and making plans for the future. Articulating what we do and why we do it is work I’ve always enjoyed. If you could describe Groves in one word what would it be? Transformative - for students, parents, teachers - for all of us. What are some of your favorite parts of your role at Groves? Getting to know the new students and their families and being a matchmaker. I like working with teachers to figure out what each student needs and how to best meet that need based on their learning profile. I never get tired of it and it changes all the time because every student is different. This work each
year allows me to feel like I’m a part of making a difference for these families. What makes Groves a special place? The culture. It involves everyone - students, staff, teachers. It’s the way we understand each other, stay positive, accept and help each other. It moves with us somehow from year to year. Kids or even teachers who didn’t come in that way are immersed and you see them change throughout the year. We’re easy going yet hard working with a dose of positivity at the same time. It’s the whole school - no egos, work hard, be kind, have fun, and support each other. I see it even during my final months while we’re doing distance learning. What will you miss the most about Groves? The people I work with on a daily basis - parents, staff, lower school teachers. I will miss being part of watching the students grow and change. Watching that change in the students, from the fall to spring and from one year to the next, is inspiring - if we can do it for that student, we can help other students. What are you looking forward to in your retirement? I have a grandchild coming in midJuly so I’m excited about that! I hope to unwind a bit by taking time to just breathe and relax. I have a list of projects and activities that will be fun to do eventually. And when it’s safe, we hope to travel.
[ TWO BELOVED GROVES PILLARS RETIRE ]
standardization of core curriculum has been another big change— reading, writing, math instruction. The excellent, applicable professional development opportunities were many during my tenure. And lastly, the shift to 1:1 laptops for students was a total game changer. Groves was early in this movement (for schools). This gave students access to so many tools and Assistive Technology. For many students the laptop was a great organization tool. Describe some of your favorite moments while working at Groves
Pat Baillie
Groves Academy Middle School Teacher Pat Baillie has been at Groves since 1995, and she helped set the vision and plans for the Middle School (MS) and understands the philosophy of the Middle School movement, which recognized that middle schoolaged kids had specific emotional, hormonal and academic needs. She is retiring after an impressive 25 years of service at Groves Academy.
In what ways have you seen Groves change over the years? Groves has changed in many ways over the years. A few memorable ones include when we separated the Lower and Middle Schools to create the Middle School division and in turn established the MS “ethos”. The building has grown and changed over the years as well. One particularly memorable “growth moment” was a massive remodel and move mid-school year. Creating the
My fellow middle school teachers and I eating lunch together every day, and we are way too up in each other’s business, in the best possible way. Some of my favorite moments happened on field trips, academic as well as experiential. We always had a great group of teachers and usually great groups of students. :-) It was fun to go different places, eat out together, just a great way for teachers to be more “human” with students. Running student assemblies was fun, during which Wendy Bowers could never be sure what I was going to say next. If you could describe Groves in one word what would it be? Growth
have them train in the Groves way with our experienced teachers. I’ve learned so much about co-teaching the past five years including creating the mentor program for co-teaching/ bubble classrooms in Middle School. I love developing curricula for studying novels and also for studying geography. It’s so important to keep material accessible yet challenging and thought provoking for this age group. Lastly, it has been so rewarding to help kids realize that even if they have a learning disability, they have so many other gifts and skills that will see them through life. What makes Groves a special place? Without a doubt, the people. Pulling together to serve the kids and families. Enjoying down time, sharing ideas and strategies, laughing a lot. What will you miss the most about Groves? Without a doubt, the people and the kids. What are you looking forward to in your retirement? Spending time in my garden, biking, reading, playing with my granddaughters when it’s safe to do so. Getting a puppy. Hopefully doing some traveling when it’s safe again.
What are some of your favorite parts of your role at Groves? I enjoyed being a Division Director, being in on the ground floor of so many decisions, programs, plans. I also enjoyed putting into place the “bubble classes,” a term we started to use in Middle School. It means there is a bubble of four extra students in the same sized classroom, but with two full-time teachers. It came at a time when Groves wanted to increase enrollment, but needed to be more creative about space. It was also an ideal way to bring new teachers into the Groves family and CONNECTIONS | SUMMER 2020
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[ GROVES PROGRAMS ADAPT ]
Groves Pivots Swiftly in Response to COVID-19 While the pandemic has redefined how our nation does just about everything these days, Groves' vision to redefine the way our nation is taught, one student, one teacher, and one school at a time remains steadfast. This crisis has certainly stretched the Groves community, our nation, and our world in many ways. Groves' three strategic programs shifted to distance learning quickly and without missing a beat. The community at Groves pulled together to develop real, powerful solutions to ensure the consistency of education for our students, clients, and partner schools. Groves also moved its annual fundraising Gala from an in-person event in late April to a virtual Gala which will be held on Wednesday, July 15th.
GROVES ACADEMY SCHOOL The entire school transitioned to 100% online learning on April 1st, providing all students with nearly a full schedule every day, including direct remediation of their learning challenges and elective classes. Groves continued to prioritize relationshipbuilding activities such as one-on-one checkins between students and teachers; creating
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opportunities for students to connect outside of class through faculty/counselor-led Zoom meetings; regular meetings among teachers, division directors, and administrators about our students. In addition, the counseling staff made themselves available for mental health support throughout the school day.
With parent partnership, Groves completed all parent conferences virtually and is committed to making virtual conferences an option going forward. Multiple surveys were sent to parents and guardians to provide them an opportunity to share feedback about distance learning. A parent survey sent in April garnered over 120 responses, with over 80% of families saying they were pleased or very pleased with the instruction their children had received during the initial two weeks. The Admissions and Marketing teams produced a virtual tour and held Zoom information sessions which included a panel of parents, students and staff to allow prospective families to continue
to learn more about Groves as they consider options for next school year. We honored the awesome class of 2020. Read more and see photos on pages 16-17. While we continue to learn just how capable and creative our students and teachers are, we recognize the enormity of the challenge COVID-19 presents. The global uncertainty we all face has deep impacts across the board, and perhaps no more so than on finances. As we look ahead to the next school year, we remain deeply committed to raising philanthropic support to provide need-based tuition relief to as many families as possible.
"The teachers are beyond amazing and have such a passion for providing the best education & support in whatever way is needed.� - Current Groves Middle School parent regarding distance learning
GROVES LEARNING CENTER Individualized services are more essential than ever during this unknown time. Families in our community continue to look to The Groves Learning Center to receive virtual support with their at-home learner. All tutoring and speech-language services shifted to online delivery on April 1st and the team is continuing to serve more than 100 students daily. The speech-language team was able to research evidence-based
and best practices for teletherapy, allowing them to create therapy plans to best fit each student's needs. The team is grateful to continue supporting students and families during a time where they may need structure and support more than before and are seeing continued progress and growth. All face-to-face diagnostic evaluations were paused from mid-March to mid-April, however, thanks to the incredibly hard work of staff, a small group of psychologists, and a detailed ...continued on next page
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[ GROVES PROGRAMS ADAPT ]
GROVES LITERACY PARTNERSHIPS (GLP) " I have to say too that I'm amazed at how well my kindergartners continue to do with Groves MethodTM even though we aren't together in school. I truly believe the repetition we've established with them the first 2 trimesters is key in this. Yes, I still have my few that struggle, but for the most part, my kids are doing amazing. So grateful for Groves!" - GLP Partner School Kindergarten Teacher
and specific safety protocol, the Learning Center restarted diagnostic testing. Feedback from families indicates the diagnostic experience remains essential during this unknown time. After thoughtful discussions with families, teachers, and community members the Groves 2020 Summer Program has moved from June to July with a plan to gather in person. Groves is excited to have a plan to serve students this summer with the same high-quality programming. The team will continue to monitor the recommendations from public health officials and work to ensure that there is a safe and secure learning environment in July.
The GLP team led by Katharine Campbell and her team of dedicated Groves Literacy Coaches provided online support, coaching, and training to our 30 literacy partner schools. Accommodating spring break schedules and each partner school’s unique approach to distance learning, Groves coaches customized an approach to supporting each school’s needs. The coaches built a bank of training and support videos that teachers could use for themselves, or with their students as they learned from home. Our new kindergarten curriculum has allowed kindergarten teachers to continue the momentum as they switched to distance learning with their students.
“Thank you for your tireless support, abundant knowledge, and your dedication to your careers. You are providing light in what has been a dark and gloomy tunnel. Groves is changing our lives. We hoped it would be possible but it is amazing to see it!”
-Learning Center family participating in virtual speech-language services Groves MethodTM Curriculum
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[ GROVES LEARNING CENTER ] of where they live. Often it is a challenge for a family living outside the metro area to find a tutor that specializes in learning disabilities. As stay-at-home guidelines lessen, families will have the option to resume inperson tutoring, or stay with the virtual sessions. Regardless of the choice made, all students will receive the support needed to be successful in the classroom and beyond.
Learning Center Tutoring Expands Its Reach As the world rapidly shifted in March, the tutoring program at the Learning Center (LC) committed to continue to provide the high-quality individualized instruction that students and their families have come to expect. COVID-19 inspired the tutoring program to expand its reach through virtual instruction so that regardless of their location, each student’s needs continued to be met by a LC tutor’s compassion and expertise. Virtual One-to-One Tutoring Kristina Schatz, Tutor and Summer Program Manager, moved quickly to gather materials, tools, and provide the training that was essential to set up not only the tutors but their students for success. Groves curriculum and literacy experts Ellen Engstrom, Jean Hayward, and Katharine Campbell shared best practices and tips and tricks from the field. Listening sessions were held with the 32 LC tutors to learn from them what was
Tutors and Students See Results The families who were tentative about moving from in-person to virtual tutoring are now reporting that they continue to see progress with their child, and are interested in continuing with the virtual sessions as long as the current stay-at-home guidelines are in place. More than ever Kristina is hearing parents express worry about their child’s ability to keep up or make progress post-virtual learning. She shares, “If we can take one worry off our families' plates, that is what we want to do. We are here and we want to make sure each student is taken care of.”
working and what additional support was needed. The tutors’ creative thinking, and ability to adapt their routines, has led parents and students to share stories of progress and success as they navigate the new world of virtual learning.
Do you have a struggling learner? Groves prides itself on doing its best to match each student with the right tutor for their needs, and we will create an individualized plan to serve your student.
COVID-19 Positions Tutoring to Reach Farther The COVID-19 crisis has positioned Groves to now offer individualized tutoring via Zoom for students regardless
Please contact us. We are ready to answer all your questions. Email at
learningcenter@grovesacademy.org
to start a conversation!
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[ LITERACY FOR ALL ]
Groves Introduces New Literacy Curriculum for Partner Schools Groves is proud to announce the development of Groves Method™ curriculum. This new literacy curriculum is being written and designed by Groves and will be available exclusively to our literacy partnership schools for their K-3 general education classrooms. Groves Method curriculum is designed to help all students learn to read and spell using an explicit, systematic, multi-sensory approach based on reading science and nearly fifty years of literacy expertise at Groves Academy. Groves has always brought quality literacy curricula into partner schools, but there have been drawbacks. Some curricula are too complex to quickly master and teach with fidelity. Others require extensive prep time for teachers who are already stretched too thin. As our program has grown, we recognized the need to create our own curriculum which aligns with our program and better meets the needs of our partner schools. As a result, we began writing Groves Method and rolled out a beta version in over 40 kindergarten classrooms this school year. Next year, kindergarten will be finalized and a beta version for grades 1 and 2 will be available. Grade 3 will come out the following year.
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The beta test with the kindergarten curriculum this school year is well received. Prior to schools moving to distance learning, we asked kindergarten teachers to tell us about their experience with the Groves Method curriculum, and responses were very positive. Over 85% of kindergarten teachers believe using Groves Method curriculum makes them more successful at teaching their students to read and spell, and 90% are either satisfied or very satisfied with the curriculum so far. When distance learning began in March, teachers in several partner schools found using Groves Method curriculum kept their students engaged and learning reading and spelling, compared to their other subject areas.
“I absolutely LOVE teaching with The Groves Method! I love the repetition of it for both me as a teacher and for my learners. It is predictable and I [can] easily set up routines to make the most out of our 30 minutes of Groves time! The repetition has made my learners letter and sound experts!”
“I feel like Groves has been very beneficial for my students, especially at the kindergarten level when they are just learning their letters and the sounds. In comparison to the class that I had last year, my students seem to be much more confident in their ability to read and write.�
We are grateful to the generous donors whose investment in Groves is helping change the way literacy is taught, one student, one teacher, one school at a time. CONNECTIONS | SUMMER 2020
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[ GROVES GALA GOES VIRTUAL ]
Groves Hosts First-Ever VIRTUAL Gala On Wednesday, July 15th Groves will hold its 43rd annual event, and for the first time ever it will be hosted virtually. Please join us by visiting www.grovesgala.org and register for this FREE event celebrating Groves’ mission to build confidence, success and purpose through transformative learning experiences. The event will bring hundreds of Groves families, alumni, grandparents, donors, and community members together online for an inspirational 40 minute program, an opportunity to bid on exciting auction items and support the important work of Groves Academy. An education delivered by dedicated educators is the bedrock of a positive, enlightened, and hopeful society. Every single dollar raised through the virtual gala will support transformative learning experiences. Financial support of the Gala will provide critical tuition assistance to Groves families
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and will allow our incredible teaching team, the true heroes of Groves, to continue providing a world-class education to the unique, and amazing learners we see everyday. It will also support our work to help close the literacy achievement gap with our 30+ partner schools, and continue to provide educational resources to our greater community. We hope to “see” you there on July 15th!
Sign-up today at
GROVE SGALA. ORG Proudly Sponsored by
Mark Sanger
2019-2020 Groves Academy Board of Trustees Trish Blake Dr. Peter Brown Dan Deikel, Treasurer G. Bryan Fleming Tom Grover, Vice Chair Travis Hansberger Anne Harbison David Iverson Damon Johnson Scott Lang, Secretary Cindee McCarthy Meredith McGuirk Dan Morgan, President Megan Prindiville, Chair Steve Pontius Beth Simermeyer Deborah Sundal Jennifer Weeks
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[ GROVES HIGHLIGHTS ] Future," and featured Climate Club members Isla Meysenburg, Isabel Ortmeier, Lilly Parens, Abbey Dankeworth, Evelyn McGuire and teacher Kim Perkl. #GriffinPride
Function class in the Upper School where students in grade 11 study leadership and leadership styles and students in grade 12 explore legacy. A big thank you to Mark, Louis, Marcus, Susi and Laura for sharing their wisdom and advice with our upper school students!
Guest Drum Teacher visits Music Program In February, Vicki Jenks (great aunt of Sophia Brose in Lower School) visited Groves to conduct a series of percussion workshops with lower school students. Along with a very impressive list of other accomplishments, Vicki has worked for 38 years with the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra's percussion ensemble and loves to travel to different schools to share this percussion workshop. Throughout the day, students heard stories, listened to compositions, and played instruments together from around the world.
Children’s First feature Groves Academy Students On March 5th, Groves Academy's Climate Club was included in the Children First SLP Champions Breakfast video. The event gathered 350 St. Louis Park community leaders to support the St. Louis Park’s community culture of raising healthy, thriving youth. This year's theme was "Creating a Sustainable
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Groves Student travels to Germany to compete in Nordic Skiing Championship This winter, Michael LeBlanc, Groves Academy Junior, competed in a Nordic Skiing Nationals event in Utah. He placed first in all three of his races and made the National Team. He represented the USA Paranordic development team in Germany for Nordic and Biathlon. Way to go, Michael!
Groves gets an updated look new website and blog! Groves is excited to announce a newly redesigned website better representing how Groves has grown, and featuring improved functionality, easier navigation, responsive design, and new content including community resources, news events, press coverage, success stories, and a Groves blog. The website is Level AA Accessible by WCAG 2.0 guidelines. Visit today at grovesacademy.org.
Lessons in Leadership & Legacy Distinguished Speaker Series In February and March, several community leaders joined Groves Upper School Juniors and Seniors to share valuable insights and experiences from their respective fields. The speaker series was in partnership with the Executive
New Student Service Council This spring, Groves Academy Upper School students formed a Student Service Council inspired by the Nash Avery Wicka Leadership through Service
Award, which is given each year to Groves students from each division that furthers Nash’s legacy of compassion, empathy, and fun while acknowledging Groves students who led others through service. The council will get others in the Groves school community into volunteer service. The six upper school students are Olivia Dalby, Maren Adix, Thomas Enger, Michael LeBlanc, Ava Sakaroff, and Davi Worman. #GriffinPride
In the Media: Develop Executive Functioning Skills At Home Groves Academy’s Head of School, Kim Peeples, was featured by Twin Cities media this spring to share insights on how parents can help develop executive function skills at home. Read more on the Groves Blog at: grovesacademy.org/about-us/blog/
The Show Must Go On Students perform Radio Play Simon McAllister and his talented upper school students didn’t let COVID-19 stop them from performing the annual spring play. With the social distancing limits and the remainder of the school year dedicated to virtual learning - they declared the “Show Must Go On” and opted to perform Macbeth as a radio play via YouTube Live to rave reviews.
Katharine Campbell receives Educational Champion Award KIPP Minnesota honored Katharine Campbell, Director of Groves Literacy Partnerships (GLP), on April 17 by presenting her with the Educational Champion Award at their virtual event KIPPtastic 2020 L!VE. KIPP recognized Katharine and her team of GLP Literacy Coaches for the impactful work they undertake to support Groves’ partnership at KIPP. Congratulations to Katharine on her incredible leadership and success in sharing our evidencebased teaching methods to advance literacy instruction with other teachers and schools in the community.
Groves celebrates Teacher Appreciation Week May 4-8 was Teacher Appreciation week. Given the many current challenges, Groves wanted to especially thank and celebrate its dedicated, hard working teachers as they creatively reach, teach and care for our students every day. The Groves community showered teachers with appreciation by sending thank-you videos, personal notes, and gift cards.
New President Dan Morgan Hosts First-Ever Town Hall On May 27th, Groves President Dan Morgan joined by more than 80 key stakeholders held a first-ever Town Hall via Zoom. Dan shared his reflections of his first four months, answered questions about Groves’ response to COVID-19 as well as shared his future vision for Groves. A great virtual discussion was had by all. CONNECTIONS | SUMMER 2020
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[ CLASS OF 2020 GROVES GRADUATES ]
Seniors across the globe faced the same unfortunate reality of not being able to participate in an in-person graduation ceremony. At Groves, it was no different. A dedicated group of staff joined together early in the distance learning transition to make sure our largest ever graduating class of 24 seniors had the send off they deserved. Upper School Division Directors and fellow teachers delivered yard signs and donuts to each graduating senior one beautiful Saturday morning in April. Each graduating senior was featured daily in a “Senior Spotlight” on social media. On May 29th, Groves teachers delivered to each seniors home a gift basket, which included their cap and gown, blanket and other special items to prepare them for the drive-through graduation on June 2nd.
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On June 2nd the graduates and their families went through the “TUNNEL OF GRADUATES”. Photos of all seniors were on display, and faculty and staff offered their congratulations to the Graduates. Ms. Peeples handed each senior their diploma during a drive-through graduation ceremony. Post drive-through the seniors returned to their homes to view the virtual Graduation Ceremony and Senior Video.
BENJAMIN ANDERSEN OLIVIA ARMSTRONG ZACHARY BENNETT ALICE BLANKS ORLANDO BUSH MARJA CASSIDY JOSEPH CASTLE RILEY CULP BETHANY DART LILY ERICKSON IAN FILKINS ALFRED GALLE MAXWELL GEER-LUND GABRIEL GORDON KATHARINE HAGER ROBERT HALL MARCELLA LAWTON JOREN LEMAIRE ALEXANDER ORTIZ ADAM PEEPLES JACOB PETERSON ADDISON RUNNING NICHOLAS SKALLERUD MARION YAGER
CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2020 Groves Academy proudly presents our graduating class—the Class of 2020. We wish them all the best of luck in their future endeavors. Some of these graduates are headed to Augsburg University,
Dunwoody Technical College, Landmark College, Minneapolis Community & Technical College, University of Minnesota-Duluth, and various other exciting opportunities.
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[ GROVES STUDENT AWARDS ]
Nash Avery Wicka Leadership through Service Award This award honors the memory of longtime Groves student Nash Wicka and furthers his legacy of compassion, empathy, and fun while acknowledging Groves students who led others through service.
2020 RECIPIENTS:
Lower School
Middle School
Upper School
ISLA MEYSENBURG
ADDIE RUNNING
BRAYLYNE BLAKEY ALEXIS ST. CLAIR
B.E.N. (Be Extra Nice) Awards To honor the memory of Groves student Ben Ruedisili, each year lower, middle, and upper school students are recognized with the B.E.N. Award for demonstrating kindness and leadership throughout the year.
2020 RECIPIENTS:
Lower School
Middle School
SYDNEY CARLSON FINN MORITZ
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Upper School
ISAAC WIENS JACOB ORTON
MARION YAGER
Groves Founder Awards It has been said that the greatest good someone can do is to develop their powers so that they may be of greater service to others. The Groves Service Award, awarded to lower school students, and the MacFarlane Award, awarded to middle school students, are presented to those who exemplify sensitivity to the needs of other students, teachers, and the community—and who exhibit academic and behavioral strengths, being all-around positive members of the Groves community.
MACFARLANE AWARD 2020 RECIPIENTS:
GABRIELLA (ELLA) KAHN
GROVES SERVICE AWARD 2020 RECIPIENT:
SIMON KARCH
SOPHIA DILL
Thomas S. Hartzell Leadership Award Thomas Hartzell was one of Groves Academy’s founders. He had deep compassion for the needs of young people with learning challenges, and Groves benefited enormously from his leadership and financial support. In his memory we are honored to present the Thomas S. Hartzell Award each year to upper school students who distinguish themselves as leaders while attending Groves Academy.
2020 RECIPIENTS:
JOREN LEMAIRE
LILY ERICKSON CONNECTIONS | SUMMER 2020
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[ WAYS TO GIVE ]
Make a Difference in the Life of a Student Your generous support transforms the lives of thousands of students and their families. Groves Academy appreciates a variety of donation types. • Gifts of appreciated stock support students while providing tax benefits to donors.
• A donor-advised fund is a great way to support
Groves Academy and differs slightly from other giving mechanisms. You may make contributions into your donor-advised fund (DAF) account, and subsequently, recommend distributions to Groves from the fund. Please contact your sponsoring organization to advise on a donation.
• Planned Giving through estate planning continues your legacy of support into perpetuity.
• Tribute Gifts celebrate special events, people, or
• Matching Gifts increase the impact of your gift.
Corporate matching gifts are a great way for Groves to maximize personal contributions. By utilizing a company’s matching gift benefit, you may be able to double or even triple your gift (depending on the program).
• Monthly giving allows for easy, ongoing
planning and delivery of transformative learning experiences. Set it and forget it.
• Amazon Smile allows a portion of your eligible purchase price from Amazon to be donated to Groves Academy.
memorialize loved ones.
Donate online at grovesacademy.org/support/donate, call 952-915-4269, or send a check to: 3200 Highway 100 S, St. Louis Park, MN 55416 Questions? Contact Lynn Giovannelli at 952-915-4271 or giovannellil@grovesacademy.org. Thank you for your ongoing commitment to transforming lives through education.
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OUR MISSION
OUR VISION
We build confidence, success, and purpose through transformative learning experiences.
To redefine the way our nation is taught, one student, one teacher, and one school at a time.
OUR VALUES At the heart of Groves Academy is a community where students, families, faculty, and staff are engaged with a sense of belonging, sharing, and support. As a community, integrity and respect are intrinsic in everything we do.
AUTHENTICITY
COLLABORATION
DISCOVERY
We are genuine, honest, and open in our relationships, our actions, and our words.
We gain energy when we are working together and recognize our decisions and actions are better when we engage as a team.
We have a passion to persistently learn, explore, and innovate.
COMPASSION
TENACITY
We embrace each other’s differences and value our unique abilities, personalities, and styles.
We are driven to take risks, to advocate, and to encounter challenges with boldness and a firm resolve.
2020 SUMMER COMMUNITY WORKSHOP SERIES Groves Academy is committed to expanding the benefits we offer to the parents, educators, and students in the greater community. Workshops are low or no cost and all are open to the public.
STUDENTS TRANSITIONING FROM GROVES ACADEMY This spring Groves Academy said goodbye to 51 students who confidently transitioned to 26 schools, both private and public, to continue their academic journeys. Groves wishes them well at their new schools next fall. Please keep in touch and let us know how it’s going! Email us at advancement@grovesacademy.org
For a full list of all 2019-2020 community workshops, information about each workshop, and registration please visit grovesacademy.org/ events.
2020 SUMMER VIRTUAL WORKSHOPS:
June 23, 2020 The Nature of Anxiety and Better Management June 24, 2020 Overview of Learning Disabilities and Understanding Dyslexia These are virtual events, each with a video call.
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3200 HIGHWAY 100 SOUTH ST. LOUIS PARK, MN 55416 GROVESACADEMY.ORG
F R E Q U E N T LY A S K E D Q U E S T I O N S What is the Groves Virtual Gala about? The Virtual Gala is an online celebration that brings the fun and impact of the in-person Gala to our beloved Groves community in the comfort and safety of their own homes. We can celebrate our students, families, faculty and partner schools as we raise critical support - together, apart and online. How does a Virtual Gala work? It’s easy! You will receive a link from Groves in early July to login to join the Groves Virtual Gala. A few days prior to July 15th the silent auction will open for bids. On July 15th, at 7pm you will log in to the live gala (link will be sent to you and will be able to be found on the Groves Gala website and social media channels) and you will be able to watch the program as well as bid on items and make donations all in one website.
SIGN-UP TODAY AT
grovesgala.org
How much does it cost? This is a FREE event and open to everyone. Please share with friends and family The more, the merrier! What if I already bought a ticket or sponsored a table? Your generous ticket / table purchase or sponsorship becomes a 100% tax deductible gift. A new receipt reflecting the updated information will be sent to you. How long is the Virtual Gala? There will be a concise, inspirational 40-minute program. A breakdown of the program timeline will be sent out closer to the Gala. How do I access the event? All you need to do right now is let us know you're interested through our Virtual Gala sign up, share with friends and family and add the gala to your calendar!
Groves will send out a link to log in to the Virtual Gala closer to July 15th. If you have any more questions or want to speak to someone directly, please contact Becky at busselmanb@grovesacademy.org or 952-210-1856.
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