A Successful Second Summer for GRACE

Challenging. Helpful. Fun. Intense. Engaging.
 
Those were some of the typical words listed on a survey by this summer’s GRACE Scholars, when asked to describe their experience in Groton's summer academic program. Twenty-one students completed GRoton Accelerate Challenge Enrich (GRACE), from July 2–29, bolstering their readiness for Upper School and propelling themselves toward higher levels pf study.
 
GRACE Scholars chose to reinforce skills or prepare for higher-level courses in math, chemistry, English, or Latin—in some cases in two of those subjects. Students dive in and work hard, knowing that GRACE will help them reach their full academic potential. One student reported on the survey, ““I feel like it has prepared me very well both material-wise and in terms of work ethic.” Another said, “Too early to tell, but I think it will pay off big time.”
 
GRACE teachers, all full-time Groton faculty members, praised the more relaxed summer environment and marveled at how much students could master when focusing on only one or two subjects. “The students were always curious about how much of the regular year's material they had covered and were impressed by how much they had learned in such a short time,” said chemistry teacher Sandra Kelly. 
 
When asked the best thing about GRACE, one participant replied, “I was genuinely excited to go to class,” adding, “the trips were also fun.”
Those weekend and evening trips, plus regular afternoon activities, bring an element of summer camp to GRACE. Excursions, from whitewater rafting to ziplining, took advantage of the New England summer. An enrichment class in music taught by Director of Instrumental Music Mary Ann Lanier culminated with a trip to hear a Zydeco band in Northampton, MA and a night of camping nearby. On-campus activities included games, swimming, and s’mores by the campfire.
 
The 2017 GRACE program follows last summer’s successful pilot. After the 2016 program, students performed well in classes that might otherwise have been challenging, said GRACE Program Director Dave Prockop, noting that there are too many variables to definitively attribute student success to GRACE. GRACE Scholars unequivocally enter fall classes with increased confidence and an abundance of newly acquired knowledge.

Plans already are underway for GRoton Accelerate Challenge Enrich for July of 2018.
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