That’s right everybody! GA has NOT been on vacation this summer—far from it, actually. I’m sure our definition of summer vacation is this: relaxing, soaking in the sun, splashing in the waves or pool, eating hamburgers and hot dogs (I know I’ve had my fair share!). However, if we ask GA what summer vacation looks like, it is definitely not what we had in mind. In fact, GA has been almost as busy as in a normal school year! They’ve hosted several camps such as Camp GA and GATE over the summer, and even started a new construction project on our very own Upper School Entrance!
Camp GA
Camp GA is a three-week co-ed summer program directed by GA staff: Mrs. Singleton (Enrichment Camp director), Mrs. Diedrich (Performing Arts director), and Mrs. Brower (Athletics Program Director). Kids from any school can take classes from musical theater, robotics, and handwriting (for the youngs), to soccer, DIY class, board games class, dance, and even Disney Divas. I talked to some of the participants of the musical theater camp, and they all said that it was a great experience and that they would definitely do it again next year! Camp GA (and GATE) are special because GA’s own students come and help volunteer.
Cece Heyworth ‘27 spent her mornings at Camp GA for all three weeks and she loved it! Cece said, “Being a counselor at Camp GA over the summer was a fun and rewarding experience. It was really nice to witness the younger kids looking up to us as role models and ‘big sisters’ as we got to know them.” Camp GA sounds like a blast!
GATE
The second camp that GA hosts a little later in the summer is GATE. GATE gives girls in Stamford, Greenwich, and Port Chester the opportunity to see what it’s like to go to GA for four weeks for free! GATE offers a variety of English, math, dance, art, and E+D classes, and on Fridays they have field trips. On the last day of camp, the GATE girls participated in their own GATE Summer Olympics where France, China, and Germany competed to win a gold medal. China’s team won this year, but we’ll see what happens next time!
Victoria Batres ‘26 spent two weeks at GATE and shared a little bit about her experience: “I think GATE is special because of the opportunity it has given me to make connections with students from different communities and even my town. It is also different from other camps because the same classes return each year, allowing me to get to know campers from every grade.” GATE is unique in the sense that the same girls return each year since they are incoming third graders until they “graduate” from the program as incoming seventh graders. This is how all of the GATE campers get so close over the course of the years and create such a special bond with each other and the counselors.
GATE’s Senior Counselor, Grace Galvin ‘24, shared what her favorite part of the program is: “My favorite part is always seeing how close the campers get with each other and the counselors. It’s so sweet to see the campers running to give their counselors a hug at the beginning of the day and laugh with their friends at lunch.” I only volunteered at GATE for two weeks, and I loved it; I think I’m going to spend all four weeks there next year!
New Upper School Entrance?!
Did you ever pass by GA over the summer and see an overwhelming amount of orange and white cones, barriers, and nets all over the Upper School Circle? I can assure you that’s not for decoration—it’s for the new Upper School Entrance! That’s right, thanks to the families of the Class of 2024, we’ll be walking into a renovated roof and entrance space by the end of September!
I talked to Ms. Sabitsana, GA’s Chief Financial Officer, for more information on what the final product will look like, and we are in for a treat! Our new roof, named the Class of 2024 Mindful and Sustainable Rooftop, is not only going to have a covered pergola and new furniture, but will be very eco-friendly. According to Ms. Sabitsana the new green roof will have “many sustainable features including reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving air quality, combatting the urban heat island effect, and facilitating stormwater management.” Ms. Sabitsana also shared that the Upper School has not renovated the entrance since it was built more than 20 years ago! The new furniture that will be added to the roof plus its environmentally safe features make us all so eager to see how it turns out! I can’t wait until the new roof is ready for us to enjoy!
