Tomorrow, November 13, is World Kindness Day and our staff and students will be spreading kindness, one cup at a time! We are excited to partner once again with Starbucks on Garfield Avenue for a special World Kindness Day project. We have been busy decorating coffee cup sleeves with positive messages, words of encouragement and reminders that even the smallest acts of kindness can make a big difference. These special sleeves will be shared with Starbucks customers on November 13 to brighten their day and spread a little extra joy throughout our community. We are so proud of our students for sharing their creativity, kindness and big hearts with others. A simple message can truly make someone's day!
3 days ago, Grand Traverse Academy
It was a great day at the MHSAA State Cross Country Finals on Saturday, November 7. This was the 12th time in GTA history that our girls competed as a team at this event and this year's team placed 11th for Division 4. Congratulations to all of our Mustangs, including seniors Madison Smith and Tess Hoedel, who made the Top 100, and Beckett Dennis who earned a spot as an individual at state finals for the second year. Way to go, Mustangs!
6 days ago, Grand Traverse Academy
GTA 4th graders held a culminating event on Friday that showcased some of the things they have have studied in science about the human body. They created an interactive science museum for parents, who learned about the eye's pupils and how eyes work to provide us with vision. Parents also got to see a "robot finger" used to explain how our fingers move. Finally, they participated in optical illusions and did a reflex test.
6 days ago, Grand Traverse Academy
THEY'RE HEADED TO STATE FINALS! Congratulations to our Mustangs for their outstanding performance at Cross Country Regionals on Saturday.
The girls took 2nd place, qualifying as a team for the State Finals at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn on November 7 - for the fifth consecutive year. Way to go, Payton Green, Tess Hoedel, Addison Patrzik, Autumn Patrzik, Maddy Smith, Lily Wilcoxen and June York.
The boys captured 4th place, just missing their opportunity to qualify for Finals as a team. Cheers to Beckett Dennis, who qualified as an individual.
We wish them all the best on Saturday. Go Mustangs!
12 days ago, Grand Traverse Academy
Grand Traverse Academy will hold its annual Veterans Day Ceremony on Friday, November 6, hosted by National Honor Society and Junior National Honor Society members. Doors will open at 8:00 am, with an assembly and keynote speaker at 8:15 in the Big Gym, followed by band and choir performances and an elementary flag parade in the south entrance circle drive immediately afterwards. Veterans and active duty military personnel in the GTA family and extended family (and their family members) are invited to attend. If you haven't yet registered, please use the RSVP form on page one of the October 30 newsletter to ensure ample seating and refreshments for all. We look forward to seeing you there!
12 days ago, Grand Traverse Academy
The gym, especially the student section, was a sea of pink at last night's Pink Out volleyball game! This annual event is a fundraiser for Munson Healthcare's Smith Family Breast Health Center in observance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Proceeds from a silent auction and bake sale, profits from t-shirt sales, and contributions made at the door will all be donated to support breast cancer patient needs. As the last regular game of the season, it was also Parent Night and Senior Night. The girls had fun honoring coaches with temporary arm tattoos of their faces! Varsity district play begins on Monday, November 2, in Mancelona at 5:30 pm. Go Mustangs!
16 days ago, Grand Traverse Academy
Students in Mrs. Stahl's kindergarten class learned in a language arts unit that our sense of taste is not very strong by itself. Today, they paired up with 5th graders in Ms. Trierweiler's class to put that knowledge to the test. Students plugged their noses and closed their eyes while eating Skittles candies to try to guess the flavor. Their older "buddies" acted as their eyes to tell them if their guesses were right or wrong. They were surprised to find that it was not easy to identify flavors using taste alone!
16 days ago, Grand Traverse Academy
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.
19 days 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!
23 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.
25 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.
26 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!
30 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!
about 1 month 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!
about 1 month 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.
about 1 month ago, Grand Traverse Academy
It'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.
about 1 month 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.
about 1 month 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.
about 1 month 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!
about 1 month 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!
