Last Friday, our 1st graders celebrated the end of their Fables and Tales reading unit with a fun-filled Fable Olympics! Students participated in games inspired by the fables they read and shared the important morals they learned from each tale. Families joined in on the games and raced against their students. It was a wonderful way to close out their first reading unit together! A big thanks to 1st grade teachers Mrs. Bohrer, Mrs. Manning, Mrs. Holthaus and Mrs. Dyal for planning this fun and interactive culminating event.
1 day ago, Grand Traverse Academy
Yesterday was a beautiful day for a trip to Pahl's Pumpkin Patch in Buckley! GTA kindergarteners, teachers and several parents had a great time taking a wagon ride through the woods, meeting farm animals, enjoying the playground and all that this fun fall destination has to offer...including plenty of pumpkins!
5 days ago, Grand Traverse Academy
GTA teacher (and phenomenal cake decorator) Mrs. Wright surprised us today with an early Halloween treat in celebration of October staff birthdays. Actually, she has done this every month during the school year since she joined us last year! Thank you, Jen, and happy birthday to Bey, Lisa, Brent, Kassidy, Gucci, Caleb, Liam, David and Rob.
7 days ago, Grand Traverse Academy
Did you know that by attending a Lake Superior State University affiliated public charter school, our seniors are guaranteed admission to LSSU? Established in 2021, the LSSU Charter School Guarantee also provides an automatic $2,000 LSSU scholarship, which can be renewed for up to four years for students who remain in good standing. These scholarships are granted regardless of other aid the students may receive. We are so appreciative of LSSU for helping make higher education more affordable to all of our students as they reach their senior year.
8 days ago, Grand Traverse Academy
Don't forget that school will be closed on Monday, October 19, for our Fall Break. We'll see everyone back at school on Tuesday!
12 days ago, Grand Traverse Academy
Mrs. Haines' Young Explorers kindergarten class had a great time at their Fall Fun Day yesterday. They decorated pumpkins, enjoyed cider and doughnuts, and were treated to songs and stories with singer/songwriter Miriam Pico. It truly was a fun day!
13 days ago, Grand Traverse Academy
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and we will once again observe it with a school-wide Pink Out Day on Thursday, October 29. All students and staff are encouraged to wear their Pink Out t-shirt or any other school-appropriate pink top with uniform pants, skirts or jumpers (no donation required).
Thursday evening is our annual Pink Out volleyball game, in addition to being Senior Night and Parent Night. A bake sale and a silent auction fundraiser will also be part of the event, featuring donated items from many local businesses. T-shirt profits, bake sale and auction proceeds, and any contributions at the door will be donated to Munson Medical Center's Smith Family Breast Center and directed to patient needs.
We encourage as much participation as possible in Pink Out Day and/or the Pink Out game. Junior varsity plays at 5:30 pm and varsity at 7:00. We'll see you there!
14 days ago, Grand Traverse Academy
GTA seniors visited Saginaw Valley State University as a group recently. They toured the campus, enjoyed a meal in the dining hall and listened to an in-depth presentation about the school. These field trips provide our upcoming graduates with an in-person look at campus life, living facilities, labs and classrooms, and allow them to ask school representatives specific questions about fields of study, internships and more, as they explore or finalize their post-secondary plans.
14 days ago, Grand Traverse Academy
t's not too late to sign up for the Muddy Mustangs Fun Run, set for Friday, October 16. Crazy costumes are encouraged, with prizes for best costume, muddiest runner and best family costume theme. The cost to participate is $5 per person or $20 per family, with proceeds supporting the Mustang Athletics Department. Registration/check-in is at 4:45 pm, race time for elementary students and families is 5:15, and junior high and high school runners start at 5:45. Awards will be given out at 6:30. Register now or as late as race day here.
16 days ago, Grand Traverse Academy
If you have GTA elementary students, you will likely hear all about the new playground equipment that was finally ready for children to enjoy! There are plenty of swings, slides, chutes, places to climb and interactive features to make recess even more fun. A big thanks to Mr. Wilson, facilities director, for planning and overseeing the project.
20 days ago, Grand Traverse Academy
GTA 8th graders participated in MiSTEM's Manufacturing Day last week, a unique opportunity to explore local manufacturing careers and learn how modern manufacturing impacts our community. Students visited TC Millworks, a local woodworking company, and Clark Manufacturing, a precision machining company, where they toured the facilities, learned about the work being done, and explored career opportunities in manufacturing.
20 days ago, Grand Traverse Academy
Mrs. Floering caught some beautiful sunrise shots this morning during her car line duties. If you look closely, you might see the end of a rainbow over the school to the left of the flags!
22 days ago, Grand Traverse Academy
Twenty-six years ago today, Grand Traverse Academy officially opened in our permanent location, with 290 students in grades K-6. Thanks to area families looking for a tuition-free educational alternative for their children, we have become a full K-12 school, nearly tripled our enrollment, and added two new wings to accommodate our growth.
Over the last 26 years, we have also made many enhancements to our program, including adding a preschool, building a greenhouse, creating gifted learning classrooms for elementary students, providing a full array of competitive athletics, offering dual enrollment in college and Northwest Ed Career-Tech opportunities for high school students, and much more!
We have also been recognized as a Glasser Quality School, ranked as a Best High School by U.S. News & World Report 11 times since 2013 and voted Best School for five consecutive years by our community in the Record-Eagle "Simply the Best of Northern Michigan" awards. And just last week, we learned that our seniors' average college entrance SAT score was the highest in Traverse City and the greater northern Michigan area, #17 statewide and #1 among all charter schools in the state.
Thank you for being a part of our success by sharing your children with us!
26 days ago, Grand Traverse Academy
On Monday, our 3rd graders participated in Project FED (Farm Education Day), hosted by the GTA agriculture and environmental science program. This project aimed to introduce elementary students to food and fiber production here in northern Michigan. The students started the day by making butter and enjoying it with a pancake breakfast, followed by lessons revolving around maple syrup production. After breakfast, they traveled to Rainbow Valley Family Farms, a Traverse City alpaca farm, for more agricultural fun. Upon returning to the school, students got to sample and compare three apple varieties produced by local growers. Project FED was just one of many collaborative opportunities involving both elementary and secondary students at Grand Traverse Academy.
27 days ago, Grand Traverse Academy
Senior Sunrise has become a popular tradition where high school seniors kick off their last year of school by gathering together to watch the sun rise. A group of GTA seniors enjoyed a gorgeous view across East Bay at 6:30 am on Friday to enjoy the sunrise, each others company and doughnuts, generously donated by Walmart in Traverse City.
29 days ago, Grand Traverse Academy
Mrs. Callahan's Junior High Aerospace Exploration class is working with the engineering design process, which guides engineers as they solve problems and make improvements when they create new products. They made "Out-of-the-Box" furniture items following that process. To share their work, they invited Mrs. Jorgenson's third grade class to their Furniture Gallery opening. The younger students were able to ask questions regarding the inspiration behind the designs (based on famous architects), how the process works and whether or not the designers would make additional changes. The older students were only allowed to use cardboard, glue and tape to create their furniture!
29 days ago, Grand Traverse Academy
The results are in and we're so proud to announce that Grand Traverse Academy ranked #17 statewide in Michigan's list of top-scoring schools on the SAT for the 2025-26 school year. The SAT is an entrance exam used by colleges and universities in admissions decisions that measures the critical academic skills necessary for success in higher education. GTA's score also puts us at #1 in the greater northern Michigan area and #1 among all charter high schools in the state. In fact, only one other school in our area made the top 50 list. Congratulations to everyone on the hard work and dedication involved in this outstanding achievement!
about 1 month ago, Grand Traverse Academy
GTA families enjoyed delicious That'sa Pizza, GoGo SqueeZ snacks and cold treats from the Anywhere Ice Cream Truck while they reconnected and met new friends at the Family Council Back-to-School Picnic!
about 1 month ago, Grand Traverse Academy
Yesterday, September 17, was Constitution Day, marking the 239th anniversary of the signing of the Constitution of the United States. Students in Mrs. Holthaus's Lower Elementary class enjoyed learning about our country's fundamental "rulebook" and what it means to be an American citizen with some engaging activities.
about 1 month ago, Grand Traverse Academy
On Thursday, September 17, students and staff may wear jeans (no holes or tears, please) with their uniform shirts for a $2 per person donation. Funds collected will help replenish our student lunch pantry for students in need or those who occasionally forget to bring their lunch to school. Participation is appreciated but always optional.
