Grosse Pointe Academy Head of School

The Grosse PoinTe AcAdemy

Grosse PoinTe FArms, michiGAnheAd oF school

July 2016www.gpacademy.org

The PosiTionThe Grosse Pointe Academy enrolls students from age two-and-a-half through eighth grade. On a stunning campus overlooking Lake St. Clair just north of Detroit in Grosse Pointe, students receive individualized attention from remarkably dedicated and talented teachers in an environment that intentionally fosters the development of good character. Students are superbly prepared for success in secondary school while learning to be productive and contributing citizens.

Effective July 2016, the school seeks a new Head who will capitalize upon recent successes while continuing to pursue improvements for an ambitious future. This is a marvelous opportunity for a leader who is passionate about elementary and middle school education and who will seize the opportunity to develop with faculty, board members, parents, alumni, and students a shared sense of purpose and renewed institutional confidence. With a sound educational program, strong and experienced faculty, a forward-looking board, and exceptional facilities, the school is extremely well-positioned for long-term success.

school hisToryThe history of Grosse Pointe Academy dates from 1885 when the Religious of the Sacred Heart, an order of nuns, planned and built a school for young ladies on the schools present location on Lake St. Clair. In 1969, the Sisters deeded the school and all buildings to a lay Board of Trustees, and Grosse Pointe Academy was incorporated as an independent, non-profit, co-educational elementary and middle school. Today, the Academy carries on many of the wonderful traditions established over the past 100+ years.

The schoolThe Academy begins in the Montessori-based Early School, located in its own building with classrooms, offices, and indoor and outdoor play spaces. GPA

1The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com

Mission Statement

The mission of The Grosse Pointe Academy is to nurture the potential of each child, allowing students to discover their unique strengths and passions in an environment framed by Christian values. We challenge students to achieve excellence in academics, character, athletics, and the arts. We inspire students to acquire the skills required for their future success and to develop the confidence to communicate, contribute, and lead.

Fast Facts

Total Students: 248 Faculty: 26 full-time, 12 part-time Student/Teacher Ratio: 1:8 (teacher/student) -

max is 1:10 at the Early School Endowment: $7,380,000 Campus Size: 22 acres Annual Operating Budget: $4,825,000 Head of School Housing: four bedroom house

on campus Accredited: Independent Schools Association

of the Central States, NAIS Member

GPA

THE GROSSE POINTE

ACADEMY


offers the only Montessori program in the local market and is a full member school of AMS. Teachers meet students at their individual levels of development at each age group, building a solid academic foundation and encouraging students to explore and pursue their passions.

AcAdemicsThe cornerstones of the Academy program are academic achievement and an emphasis on the moral and character development of every child through a foundation built on Christian values. These attributes are promoted by small classes, individual attention delivered by a caring and nurturing faculty, and a physical environment that speaks to history, tradition, and strong sense of spiritual purpose. The Christian Life program and community service offerings enhance the character development of every graduate. The Academy is not affiliated with any specific faith, has no clergy, and supports a program that reinforces the principles of service, respect, integrity, and goodness as part of character development. Enhancements in STEAM areas have occurred over the past few years thanks to program funding from the Academys Annual Auction. A classroom garden, designed and planted in the 2013-2014 school year, has become a learning environment for the students as well as a source of food for the schools kitchen. The Academy has also made a substantial commitment to educational technology over the past few years, highlighted


AFTer GPABelow is a representative list of high schools that GPA graduates have attended: Brother Rice High School Cranbrook Grosse Pointe North High

School Grosse Pointe South High

School Interlochen Arts Academy Regina High School St. Marys Preparatory University of Detroit Jesuit University Liggett School

Below is a representative list of colleges and universities where GPA graduates have been accepted: Boston College Brown University Carnegie Mellon University Case Wester Reserve

University College of the Holy Cross Dartmouth College Elon University Fairfield University Georgetown University George Washington University Howard University Johns Hopkins University Kenyon College Michigan State University Middlebury College New York University Northwestern University Oberlin College Rice University Trinity College University of Michigan University of Notre Dame University of Texas Washington University in St.

Louis

by a one-to-one iPad program in grades one through eight.

The Academys lively and engaging program is both child-centered and teacher-directed. The program emphasizes the development of the whole child, beginning with the Early School that is aligned with American Montessori Society principles. The programs mixed-age groupings allow for individual development of skills in the Early Schools historic building and appropriate classroom spaces and materials. Students at this level embark on a lifelong journey characterized by the development of a love for learning.

In the Lower School (grades one through three) and Intermediate School (grades four and five), classes are self-contained and developmentally oriented. Teachers are responsive to each childs developmental and academic growth and use a variety of materials and teaching strategies across the curriculum. Grades four and five are largely self-contained; children do travel to their science and social studies classes. In this intermediate level, teachers build upon the foundation established in the lower grades to provide a seamless transition to the fully departmentalized programs of the Middle School. Classroom settings provide a home base, and a sophisticated and varied curriculum captures student imaginations.

In Middle School (grades six through eight), teachers focus on preparing students for life, providing opportunities for high scholastic achievement and strong moral development. The Middle School experience is characterized by substantial work in foreign languages, media lab, advanced work in mathematics, and a stress on writing and communication, including public speaking and leadership


opportunities. A specific study skills program has been included in the curriculum, as has a Real-world Experiences and Applied Learning Applications program (R.E.A.L.) for students.

The Academys academic program concludes with an interdisciplinary research project and oral report in eighth grade, followed by final exams in core subjects. Students also have numerous public speaking opportunities, which develop confidence and poise. These concluding experiences prepare graduates for the rigors of a high school curriculum. Parents appreciate the liberties faculty have to do whats best for children and the almost magical ways that faculty both nurture and push students.

sTudenT liFeLife at Grosse Pointe Academy is joyful and varied, supported by an exceptionally strong sense of community. Students know each other and their teachers welland feel known. The school radiates a genuine family feel. Younger students eagerly share hugs with their teachers, and older students enjoy relationships that have built up through many years together.

Students pursue their passions through the schools many arts and athletics offerings. The arts are viewed as integral to an Academy education, allowing each student one more area in which to shine. Students engage in a study of visual arts using various media, explore their senses of creative expression through creative movement and music class, and have frequent opportunities to perform throughout the year. Each student has the opportunity to participate in a class play in grades one through eight, and all eighth graders work together to produce the eighth grade play.

Student-athletes may compete in interscholastic athletics in grades five through eight, playing on teams such as soccer, tennis, cross country, basketball, lacrosse, and volleyball. The athletic departments long-term objective is to help students build character, hone leadership skills, encourage fair play, and form a positive self-image.

In addition to these artistic and athletic pursuits, Grosse Pointe Academy students may participate in various activities, including intramural sports, cooking classes, chess club, student council, and National Junior Honor Society, among others.

Preparing students for life with solid moral grounding is an important part of the Academys legacy. Teachers embrace Christian principles to help students become effective leaders, responsible citizens, and caring stewards. Students in grades four through eight meet weekly for Monday morning


assemblies in the chapel, in which Lower School students take part on a monthly basis. Teachers focus on helping students develop a sense of reverence for all people as they incorporate strong moral values in their own lives. Students apply compassion and strength of character in their interactions with the community, contributing volunteer hours and engaging in school-wide service efforts. The importance of giving back to the community is one of the many lifelong lessons Academy students take with them after they graduate.

PhysicAl cAmPusThe Academy is located on 22 lakeside acres on Lake Shore Drive in Grosse Pointe. The spectacular campus includes a French Gothic chapel, reminiscent of La Sainte-Chapelle in Paris, and a beautiful and recently renovated main building. Large and spacious classrooms are well-appointed and light-filled. Public spacesincluding the library, entrance hall, field house, art and music studios, lounges, and officesare truly magnificent. In 1985, six Academy buildings, including the Chapel, were designated as national historic sites and listed on the Register of Historic Places by the U.S. Department of the Interior. There are areas of deferred maintenance on the campus, but the spaces occupied by students have been well cared for and are up-to-date. Academic buildings are enhanced by several large playing fields, tennis courts, the Heads house, and an on-campus residence for maintenance personnel. This is truly a remarkable physical plant, one that would be the envy of just about every Pre-K8 school in the United States.

Grosse PoinTe, michiGAnNestled along the picturesque shores of Lake St. Clair and just a short drive north of downtown Detroit, the 11 square mile community of Grosse Pointe is composed of The City of Grosse Pointe, Grosse Pointe Farms, Grosse Pointe Park, Grosse Pointe Woods and the Village of Grosse Pointe Shores. Each individual city maintains its own residents-only waterfront park, complete with swimming pools, picnic tables, tennis courts,


skating rinks, playgrounds, and marinas. Family-oriented activities can be found year-round, including a farmers market, home and garden tours, block parties, street festivals, art fairs, outdoor concerts, holiday parades, fun runs/walks, and more. The family-centered community features tree-lined streets; groomed yards; waterfront sidewalks sprinkled with joggers, cyclists, and dog walkers; and convenient markets, boutique shops, and eateries. Grosse Pointe is also home to many cultural centers, such as the Grosse Pointe War Memorial (spacious Italian Renaissance-style home that serves as a memorial to Grosse Pointers who served and died in World War IIand as a magnificent center for community educational and charitable activities), the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House, and a number of churches. Among the notable figures who have called Grosse Pointe home: the Ford family, Edward Herrmann, Anita Baker, Kirk Gibson, and Julie Harris.

About 20 minutes south of Grosse Pointe, Detroit is a classic American city in the midst of quite a remarkable renaissance. Home to major corporations, museums, trendy new restaurants, and surging development, the streets of downtown Detroit brim with a renewed confidence as well as great energy and civic pride. The city is seeing a growth in both young entrepreneurs and large corporations. An example of the citys innovative culture is Pony Ride, a community that provides affordable space for socially conscious artists and entrepreneurs to work and share. Over 25 organizations utilize the community space and are thus able to give back to and beautify the community.

The Detroit metropolitan area boasts over 20 institutions of higher learning; 14 museums and cultural centers; a symphony, opera, jazz festival, and arts festival; an assortment of museums and arenas; professional sports teams in football, hockey, baseball, and both mens and womens basketball; and more theater seats than any other city east of the Mississippi River with the exception of New York City. Detroit is a national business, cultural, and entertainment destination.

Situated between Lakes Huron and Erie, the city of Detroit is the eighth largest metropolitan area in the country. The State of Michigan is well known for its great outdoors and high quality of life. The fresh-water Great Lakes surround the state, and boating, golfing, National Parks, and tourist attractions such as Mackinac Island abound. With an average annual temperature of just under 50 degrees Fahrenheit, the city boasts a relatively temperate climate for such a northern locale and has long been recognized as a center of culture and industry in the Great Lakes Region.


oPPorTuniTies And chAllenGes The next Head of the Grosse Pointe Academy will lead a wonderful group of teachers in their ongoing efforts to provide an outstanding and individualized education to a group of engaged and happy students. In this work, s/he will enjoy the support of an exceptional Board of Trustees as well as a group of committed and passionate parents. The heart and soul of the Academy are in very good shape; members of the community share a genuine affection for each other and for the school community. This place feels like a family is a frequently heard phrase.

Like most Pre-K-8 schools around the country, the schools enrollment fell after 2008, and the Academy has worked well to adjust its program, staffing, and financial plan. The school will benefit from additional attention to branding and marketing, and the new Head will be expected to take a personal role in the recruitment and enrollment of students. As well, the new Head will be charged to envision and then implement ambitious fundraising in order to secure the schools financial future.

The new Head will also have the opportunity to build a cohesive spirit among the faculty and staff and develop a genuine sense of partnership among all stakeholdersstudents, faculty, trustees, parents, and alumni. All of these groups already share a real affection for the school; they need the opportunity to transfer that affection to a shared sense of purpose and direction.

Grosse Pointe Academy represents a leadership opportunity for a person who will bring fresh perspectives and experiences to the school. The Academy seeks a leader eager to make a real commitment to the school and the community of Grosse Pointe: someone who believes in the Pre-K to 8th grade model and will embrace its value system and its link to a very strong curriculum.

QuAliFicATions And QuAliTies oF The nexT heAd oF schoolThe next Head must be eager to serve as a passionate, enthusiastic, and dynamic advocate for the culture and spirit of Grosse Pointe Academy, including its Christian identity. S/he will be a person of high standards, great integrity, and strong character. S/he will also embody the humility required to understand the value of listening carefully to the ideas and perspectives of others then integrate those perspectives into his/her plans and decisions. The new Head will be someone who builds teams by delegating responsibilities, promoting collaboration, and generating trust. Given the opportunities and challenges outlined above, the following characteristics are sought in the next Head:

Experience as a teacher and administrator. An inquisitive and curious nature with the ability to analyze the school, its mission and its program, then

develop priorities for action and innovation. High expectations for himself/herself as well as for others. An energetic and enthusiastic personality who will build consensus and buy-in. An effective and eager communicatororally and in writingand also a careful listener.

To APPlyInterested candidates should submit the following materials confidentially as separate PDF attachments in one email:

Cover letter expressing interest in the Grosse Pointe Academy position and aligning your skills and experiences with the needs of the school, as you understand them;

Current resume with all dates included; Statement of educational philosophy and leadership practice; List of five references with name, phone number, and email address of each (references will be contacted

only with the candidates permission and not before a mutual interest is clearly established).

Peter Philip and Ben Bolt [email protected] | [email protected]

617-955-0642 | 617-933-3430Senior Search Consultants

cArney, sAndoe & AssociATes44 Bromfield Street, Boston, MA 02138

www.carneysandoe.com

The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com8

Grosse Pointe Academy Head of School

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