Dear Grier families,

It's appropriate that it is snowing here today at the start of the new year, as the snow blankets all, providing a blank slate. The snow is falling fast, and as you can imagine, Grier is its own wonderland. That wonder--the snow falling--reminds me of the wonder January brings. January is a time of new beginnings and fresh starts, a time to reflect on what was and dream of what can be.

As the snow falls today, I'm thinking of the new year ahead, your girls returning, and of the dreams they hold for their futures. This next semester is filled with so much possibility, whether it be in the classroom, on the stage, in the riding ring, or on the court. All of us here at Grier are here to support your daughters in all the ways they explore their own possibility and wonder.

May the new year bring you an abundance of joy, love, prosperity, and possibility.

Happy New Year,
Kara

All travel plans for January must be submitted to the following link in order for your student to receive transportation to/from the airport:

https://forms.office.com/r/gpkQL4jktB

· Students may return from break on January 11th or 12th.

Airport Guide:

· Washington D.C. Airport (IAD) is roughly three hours away from Grier and is recommended for all international travel.

· Pittsburgh Airport (PIT) is two hours away from Grier and services all domestic major airlines as well as Mexico and Canada travel.

· State College Airport (SCE) is 30 minutes from Grier and services connection flights to many major airports.

For all travel questions, please email Gage Bassham at travel@grier.org

We hope that everyone is having a relaxing, and possibly, adventurous break and getting some much needed rest. The Grier faculty wishes everyone a happy start to 2025 as they relax and consider the coming year and the next part of the journey with all of your students. Enjoy your time together and we all are looking forward to seeing everyone again soon!

I sure hope you are all having a lovely and delightful holiday adventure with all your loved ones full of wonderful traditions and family fun! The displays of kindness, thoughtfulness, and love were plentiful this past month. It is incredible that another bright new year is upon us, and we’re enthusiastic about our students returning (in oh, my goodness, a little over a week!), as well as our new mid-year arrivals. We LOVE the prospect of a new year with a bit of magic waiting amidst our Grier January winter wonderland!

Our holiday-themed door decorating contest brought out our student’s holiday cheer and their competitiveness to new holly jolly heights. We awarded fun top prizes as our students’ ingenuity and impressive talents just exploded on the halls.

· Olivia L & Quinn M brought the magic and their holiday spirit to life again winning the over-all door decoration prize for all 8 dorms.

· Rebecca L spread the most holiday cheer for our day student locker competition.

· “Shout outs” to a bunch of our students on 2nd & 3rd floor for creating such a fantastic festive atmosphere.

· Our faculty truly stepped up their game as well and our own Chad Llewellyn won the faculty door decorating prize with Mrs. Hanlon, Mrs. Myers, and Mrs. Kowalski running close seconds.

Again, along with our exhilarating Dorm activities & Dorm wars is the awarding of our coveted trophies to the Dorm/Hall that prevailed in our games, lost the least deportment points, showed consistent kindness and averaged the highest over-all final deportment score. These coveted trophies are awarded at the end of each Marking Period.

We are proud to announce that following a super-duper close race, this MP’s winners are:

· 7-9th grade – 3rd Floor

· 10-12th grades – Lodge

Congratulations!!

A couple added notes:

“Take a leap of faith and begin this wondrous new year by believing.” ― Sarah Ban Breathnach

“Remove ‘shoulds’ from your vocabulary this year. Start your journey of self-love now.” ― Kelly Martin

Happy New Year to ALL!

We are excited to enter the second half of the year with our girls. We have many fun and academic activities this second half of the year. Some highlights include honoring Martin Luther King Jr and Black History Month, hosting the Princeton Tigerlillies A Capello group, and celebrating Lunar New Year. We are looking forward to community service opportunities that include World Languages Read Aloud Day at Tyrone Elementary as well as making items for the Easter for Eli baskets. Our ski season starts and we will be crossing our fingers for good weather! As we turn the page into a new chapter, we are so glad you are here.

January 11th

6:15 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. on campus movie, Free

January 12th

1:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Wegman’s, $20

January 16th

12:00 p.m. School Pictures

January 17th

2:15 p.m. Advisee Meeting, Free

Time TBD Skiing TBD

3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Photo Club, Free

3:45 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. DJ Days Stained Glass Making, $45

6:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Trader Joe’s & Ulta, $20

January 18th

11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Thrifting, $15

12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Bellefonte thrifting, $15

1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Scientific Method to Culinary Arts, Free

1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Florist trip: Design vase of flowers, $45

Time TBD Ice Skating or tubing TBD

6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Toast to the New Year, Free

January 19th

10:10 a.m. Church, Free

1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Baking Club, Free

1:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Wegman’s, $20

1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Blue Knob Skiing TBD

January 20th

MLK Jr Day Half Day Schedule

Assembly starts at 1:30 p.m.

January 23rd

TigerLillies at Extra Help

Mandatory all school assembly

January 24th

2:15 p.m. Class Meeting

Time TBD Skiing TBD

3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Photo Club, Free

Time TBD Dorm Wars: Family Feud, Free

5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Lazer Tag, $30

January 25th

Time TBD Seven Springs TBD

9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Bonsai & Orchid Show at Phipps & the Waterfront, $60

1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Logan Town, $20

January 26th

10:10 a.m. Church, Free

1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Asian Market, $20

January 29th

Lunar New Year

Cultural Dress Day

Lunar New Year Concert

January 31st

2:15 p.m. Advisee Meeting, Free

TBD Skiing TBD

3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Photo Club, Free

6:00 p.m. - 8:45 p.m. Target/Wegman’s, $20

2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Easter for Eli, Free

February 1st

Lunar New Year Celebration Dumpling Making, Free

11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Thrifting, $15

1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Saturday Study Hall, Free

1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Downtown State College, $20

6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Cricut & Cocoa, $5

Time TBD Rock and Roll Bingo, Free

February 2nd

10:10 a.m. Church, Free

1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Baking Club, Free

1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Blue Knob Skiing TBD

Please find Share Point links of photos taken by our talented photography teacher, Christine Fernandez!

WINTER SHOW (dance and music)

"The New Year"

Anon

I am the little New Year, ho, ho !
Here I come tripping it over the snow.
Shaking my bells with a merry din –
So open your doors and let me in!

Presents I bring for each and all –
Big folks, little folks, short and tall;
Each one from me a treasure may win –
So open your doors and let me in!

Some shall have silver and some shall have gold,
Some shall have new clothes and some shall have old;
Some shall have brass and some shall have tin –
So open your doors and let me in!

Some shall have water and some shall have milk,
Some shall have satin and some shall have silk!
But each from me a present may win –
So open your doors and let me in!

Academic Updates

New Student Information System

We will be moving to the new Student Information System for the spring semester. We will be utilizing AdminPlus through Rediker Software. Over the course of the next several weeks, we will be slowly sending invitations for students and families to join the program. You will receive an e-mail invitation from the program instructing you on how to set up an account. There is also an app you can download to your phone.

Please be advised that e-mails from the new system will come from @rediker.com. Please reach out to kbarr@grier.org if you have questions about the new system. We ask for patience and understanding as the new system is implemented.

Grades and Comments

Final semester one grades, and full comments were published for families on Friday, December 20th. If you have questions or had trouble viewing your student's grades, please reach out to kbarr@grier.org.

AP and Honors Winter Work

A reminder that some AP and Honors courses required winter break work to be completed by students. Please check with your student to ensure they complete the required assignments prior to January 13th when classes resume.

Summer camp offers girls ages 7 - 17 a chance to experience. Grier featuring our signature programs of Dance, Art, and Riding in a fun-filled camp environment! Help us get the word out about the fun that is Grier Summer!

General Camp Activities include: Archery, Art, Creative Writing, Dance, Horseback Riding, Musical Theatre, Photography, Science, Swimming, Videography

Intensive Activities include: Dance, Art, and Horseback Riding

We will be offering three one-week sessions for both day campers (ages 7-17) and boarders (ages 9-17). Campers are welcome to attend up to all three!

• July 6th - 13th
• July 13th - 20th
• July 20th - 27th

Overnight campers will pay $2,000 per week and day campers will pay $1,000 per week. $70 per week for international health insurance.

Find out more: Grier Summer 2025 | Registration

We are very excited to offer a senior class ring this year! The classic ring features a timeless design, very similar to the class rings our graduates had decades ago. Featuring a genuine jade center, the ring is set in antique gold. With "Grier School" around the bezel, the inside of the ring allows for custom engraving with your daughter's initials and class year. Our motto, Sana Mens in Corpore Sano, is also engraved inside. Please find the information attached with three options for the gold and your customization preferences. Josten's will handle the ordering and payment but reach out to Kara Lawler with any questions. Kara has sizers in her office if students would like to verify ring size.

In this month’s edition of STEM Center Stage, I’d like to share with you several of the STEM related activities our students have enjoyed in the months of November and December. We kicked November with a trip to Carnegie Melon University in Pittsburgh, which is one of the top Universities for STEM related majors in the United States. While there, our students participated in workshops led by CMU professors and graduate students covering such subjects as biomedical engineering, chemical engineering, electrical engineering, and computer engineering. A fun and educational time was had by all! Later that same month, we also traveled to Saint Francis University in Loretto to participate in their 31st annual STEAM-day. At this event, students were able to listen to lectures from keynote speakers covering topics such as “launching careers in aviation” and “a day in the life of a STEM student”. In addition to lectures, students participated in hands on mini courses pertaining to STEM related topics such a global water treatment and forensic science.

We finished off our fall semester with our first annual STEM Holiday Celebration, hosted by our National STEM Honor Society students. In addition to a yummy lunch and sweet treats, the students enjoyed STEM related holiday activities such as designing ornaments that said their names in computer code, competing to see which team could engineer the tallest solo cup Christmas tree, and which team could design the best catapult for shooting pom-poms. As you can see from the picture, both students and teachers had a blast.

As we step into the new year, we will continue to provide our students with fun and engaging STEM activities, but we will also turn our focus to encouraging our students to participate in one of the many summer STEM programs offered at universities both in the United States and abroad. Working with our Dean of Academics, Ms. Kathryn Barr, we will provide our students the information and support needed to successfully apply to these programs because, GIRLS BELONG IN STEM.

“If you know you are on the right track, if you have this inner knowledge, then nobody can turn you off… no matter what they say.”

~Barbara McClintock, cytogeneticist and winner of the 1983 Nobel Prize in Physiology

Explore some New Books and Popular titles that we have in the Grier School Library!

We sent our athletes home on winter break hoping they have a relaxing time but also stay fit!

On their return our fencing team and archery team will soon start competing. Schedule will be posted soon.

We are also so excited for our skiers to sail down the slopes.

Cheers to 2025!

The Grier School Equestrian Team started December off with a dual-discipline horse show weekend! December 7th and 8th showcased our Hunt Seat and Western riders. Grier School hosted an IEA Hunt Seat show where our High School and Middle School Teams were Champion on Saturday's show with Hazel P. as Reserve Champion High Point Rider. Sunday's show brought the Middle School team as Champion with Langston E. as High School Reserve Champion High Point rider and Emerson P. as Middle School Champion High Point Rider! Our Western riders traveled to Saddlebrook Equestrian Center where they dominated in the ring! On Saturday, the High School team earned Champion with Sarah Y. as Champion High Point Rider and our Middle School Team earned Reserve Champion team. Our High School team was crowned as Sunday's Champion team with Anleigh A. earning Leading Open Rider and Marian P. as Champion High Point Rider.

On December 28th, a group of riders and horses traveled to World Equestrian Center in Ocala, FL for the Winter Spectacular Horse Show. Good Luck Riders!

Each student has showcased hard work and dedication to the Grier School Equestrian team this past semester! We wish all students a restful break with your family and friends and cannot wait to start the Spring semester in just a few short weeks! The Riding Department, instructors and horses alike, miss our Grier Girls!

Out of over 270 submissions from some of the best high schools in the country, The Grier School Pre Professional dancers were selected to perform 2 of their pieces, “Destined” by Darrell Grand Moultrie and “Unlearning” by Danielle Bower, at the National High School Dance Festival in Pittsburgh. Congratulations, Pre Pros!

Congratulations to all of the dancers on a beautiful Winter Performance! We are so proud of your growth and hard work and are excited to dance with you again in the new year!

- Joci, Danielle & Nicole

When students return in January, all dancers will have the opportunity to sign up for Spring classes during Sports Sign-Ups on January 13th. The dance schedule will remain the same and students may choose the styles of classes they wish to take based on their assigned level. Spring dance classes will focus on continuing to train and refine dancers' technique and artistry, and all classes will begin preparations for our Spring Show in March. Also, Guest Artist, Elizabeth Auclair of the Martha Graham Dance Company, will be in at the end of the month to teach a master class to all dancers and set a Graham piece, “Heretic”, on the Pre-Professional dancers.

LOOKING AHEAD
Events are subject to change and exact dates are TBA

February

- Guest Artist and Tony Award Winner, Ahmad Simmons, will be in to set choreography for the Grier School Musical (Pre Professional dancers & Intermediate Advanced dancers + any cast members who have dance parts)

- February 15th-16th- Motion Dance Competition (all dancers may participate- fee required for competition and convention classes)

- February 26th-March 2nd, 2025- The National High School Dance Festival (Pre Professional dancers)

March

- Spring Show (all dancers- costume fees for each performing piece)

April

- The Pre-Professional dancers will travel to NYC to perform with the Martha Graham Dance Company at the world-famous Joyce Theatre. They will also perform various pieces at the Peridance Showcase and take master classes throughout the week.

-The Grier School Musical (Pre Professional & Dance Styles dancers)

May

- Grad Show (Graduating Seniors, Pre Professional, & Intermediate dancers)

As part of our advisee groups, we have run quite a few lessons through the start of the school year with students. Our seventh through ninth grades have worked with this tool in particular in a few of their classes as well.

As you have time, continue the conversation at home about these important modern-day life skills. Consider encouraging your child to coach up and share their ideas. Here are some questions you can pose to everyone in the family:

1. TOSS UP: If you could magically remove one stressor from your daily routine, what would it be?

2. COACH UP: How do you practice self-care? What’s a self-care method I could use when I’m feeling stressed or overwhelmed?

3. HUDDLE UP: How could we improve wellness at home? Let’s go around the room and each share one idea for improving our family wellness.

Discover more insights and expert tips on social media and tech by checking out the Social Toolkit.

As part of the school's partnership with The Social Institute, you receive exclusive access to the Social Toolkit, which includes a full library of content specifically for families. All co-created with students and experts around the country.

Platform Playbooks feature expert breakdowns of the most popular apps and platforms and offer tips on how students can use them positively. TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, ChatGPT, Fortnite... the list goes on and on!

Family Huddles help you reinforce the important modern-day life skills that your child is learning at school. These topics align with #WinAtSocial Lessons to extend discussion beyond the classroom and encourage students to huddle with their families.

Use your Social Toolkit School Code and activate your free account today.

Activate Your Account or Log In | Your Social Toolkit School Code: 3b303EF444F026

All #WinAtSocial content is confidential and cannot be shared or used outside of your school. Please help maintain the confidential nature of these materials.

For students who still have January and February submissions, please be in touch with Ms. Barr over the winter break to ensure all application needs are met. Students should e-mail Ms. Barr when they hit submit so she can push their documents to the university in Naviance.

The junior class will be starting the college counseling curriculum in January. Over the course of the spring semester, they will be meeting weekly in small groups to explore their interests, colleges, and plan for their summers.

Over the course of the spring semester, juniors and sophomores will receive e-mails from the college counseling office regarding summer pre-college program opportunities. These programs often require letters of recommendation and an application. Students can reach out to Ms. Barr for help in completing these pieces.

Please reach out to Ms. Barr with any college counseling questions or concerns at kbarr@grier.org.

TOEFL

Reminder for Saturday, November 23rd, 2024:

• Breakfast at 7:30AM
• Report to NC 2 at 8AM

Weekend ACT & SAT

Register ONLY for ALTOONA AREA HIGH SCHOOL.

• ACT Test Center Code: 183670
• SAT Test Center Code: 39116

SAT School Day Dates/Deadlines/Registration

• Semester 2: Friday, March 28th, 2025

• SSD (Accommodations Request) Deadline: Friday, January 24th, 2025

• Deadlines: Friday, January 31st, 2025
• Registration: CLICK HERE to access the form. Students with a Grier School email account can register.

ACT District Testing Dates/Deadlines/Registration

• Semester 2: Tuesday, April 8th, 2025

• TAA (Accommodations Request) Deadline: Friday, January 24th, 2025
• Deadline: Friday, February 21st, 2025
• Registration: CLICK HERE to access the form. Students with a Grier School email account can register.

ACT, SAT, PSAT/NMSQT

Need Help Understanding/Accessing Your Scores?

• CLICK HERE to set up a time during your study hall or extra help to see Mrs. Hallahan.

SAT & PSAT/NMSQT

• CLICK HERE: It’s a “one-stop-shop” for information.
• For more information, open the PDF below.

Community Service Opportunities Sponsored by Junior Class

• Purchase Items for Easter for Eli

• CLICK HERE to find an extensive list of items that can be purchased to donate.
• For those that donate items, their name will be entered into a raffle.
• Items due: Thursday, January 30th, 2025
• Thank you to all those able to donate!
• Easter for Eli Event
• What: Basket Build & Blanket Making Event
• When: January 31st, 2025
• Time: 2:30 – 4:30pm (ish)
• Community service hours will be given.

Have questions about testing at Grier School? Reach out to Mrs. Hallahan (ohallahan@grier.org) or stop by her office—1st floor inside the “Counseling Suite”.

TOEFL iBT at Grier School’s Test Center

Second Semester TOEFL iBT® Dates

February 2025—CLICK HERE to register

• February 8, 2025:Regular Jan. 15th; Late Jan. 28th)
• February 22, 2025: Regular Jan. 31st; Late Feb. 11th)

March 2025—CLICK HERE to Register

• March 1, 2025: Regular Feb. 7th; Late Feb. 18th)
• March 29, 2025: Regular Mar. 7th; Late Mar. 18th)

April 2025—CLICK HERE to Register

• April 5, 2025: Regular Mar. 14th; Late Mar. 25th)
• April 26, 2025: Regular Apr. 4th; Late Apr. 15th)

May 2025—CLICK HERE to Register

• May 3, 2025: Regular Apr. 11th; Late Apr. 22nd)
• May 10, 2025:Regular Apr. 18th; Late Apr. 29th)

Off-Campus Testing Options

ACT and SAT Options

Details:

• MySAT (College Board) or MyACT account for registration.
• ALL off-campus weekend exams MUST go to Altoona Area High School for both the ACT and SAT. [Test Center Codes listed below.]
• Altoona Area High School is the ONLY location Grier School will transport students.
• Need help? Stop by Mrs. Hallahan’s office.
• Breakfast CLICK HERE to send your request(s). Breakfast will be available for “pick-up” in a “to-go” breakfast bag at dinner on FRIDAY NIGHT the evening before testing.
• Depart campus at 7am for testing at Altoona Area High School.

February 2025

ACT Weekend Administration (Saturday, February 8, 2025) [PAPER or DIGITAL]

Test Center: Altoona Area High School

Test Center Code: 183670

· Deadline: Jan 3

· Late Deadline: Jan 20

Photo Upload & Standby Deadline: Jan 31

Deadline to Notify Mrs. Hallahan About Transportation to ALTOONA TEST CENTER: Jan 20 (Monday)

Deadline Admission Ticket Turned into Mrs. Hallahan: Feb 3 (Monday)

March 2025

SAT Weekend Administration (Saturday, March 8th, 2025) [DIGITAL]

Test Center: Location near your home.

· Deadline: Feb 21

· Late Deadline/Changes to Registration Deadline: Feb 25

Have questions about testing at Grier School? Reach out to Mrs. Hallahan (ohallahan@grier.org) or stop by her office—1st floor inside the “Counseling Suite”.

Stay in Touch!

Want to be "in the know?"

Want to be connected DAILY to Grier School?

There are multiple ways to follow along with the daily happenings here at Grier! Follow these steps to stay connected to your daughter and our Grier School extended family!

1. Stay up to date on current events and daily activities through the Grier School App! There are many important items linked here. Open the PDF below for a QR code to direct you to the App Store. (Available for Apple and Android devices)
2. Follow us on Instagram @grier_school
3. Follow us on Facebook @ Grier School | Tyrone PA | Facebook
4. Log onto our website: www.grier.org

WE HAVE CHANGED OUR SHIPPING ADDRESS. PLEASE SEE BELOW!

Shipping and Postal Mail Updated Address is NEW:

ALL packages from UPS, FEDEX, DHL, AMAZON, etc. should

be sent to:

Name

Grier School

4100 Juniata St

Tyrone PA 16686

ALL POSTAL MAIL (letters, cards, packages) should be sent to:

Name

Grier School

2522 Grier School Rd

PO Box 308

Tyrone, PA 16686

Please note: Students are not permitted to order from InstaCart, UberEats, or any food delivery services. This is a safety concern. They are allowed to order from Domino's only on Friday and Saturday evenings for a 6-10 p.m. delivery to 4100 Juniata Street. With our amazing new food service and the extended hours of 1853, there are many options here on campus!

Please log into your MyGrier Account for an in-depth Calendar and Events!

Grier School is dedicated to providing every student the opportunity to unlock her individual potential and pursue her unique passions. We offer a challenging curriculum within a nurturing and inclusive community where students find a sense of belonging as they gain knowledge, confidence, social and global awareness, and leadership skills.

Geoffrey Grier, Director

~ ggrier@grier.org

Kara Lawler, Head of School

~ klawler@grier.org, ext. 7006

Cari Crago, Dean of Counseling, Wellness, and Residential Life

~ ccrago@grier.org, ext. 7015

Katt Barr, Dean of Academics

~ kbarr@grier.org, ext. 7057

Erin Guydish-Bucholz, Dean of Students and Belonging

~ eguydish@grier.org, ext. 7056

Anthony Lang, Dean of Faculty

~ alang@grier.org

Gage Bassham, Travel Coordinator

~ gbassham@grier.org

Lindsey Good, Business Director

~ lgood@grier.org, ext. 7008

Angela McLaughlin, Facts Administrator

~ amclaughlin@grier.org , ext. 7019