Seniors Love New York

Mr. Murray's advisory on the streets on GA.

On November 12^th, we - the senior class at GA - went on our class trip to New York City. There was an immense amount of anticipation for what the day would bring, and the excitement was at an all time high. We were ready to escape the stress of applying to college and studying for a day to go on an adventure with our classmates. We all met at the bus lanes at 7:30 that morning, and waited for those stragglers who couldn’t quite make it out of bed on time. We got on our designated bus and sat surrounded by friends. Movies were playing on the screens, but people were more interested in chatting with those around them. It was nice to spend time with people in my grade, in an unfamiliar environment, that I don’t normally get lots of time to be with.

Mr. Murray's advisory on the streets of New York.

We were given half an hour to figure out our plans for when our free time came around, and the first event of the day was meeting at Top of the Rock. It was pretty cloudy so we couldn’t see much of the city, but there were some quality pictures taken. We were then given the whole afternoon to experience the city in our groups of 3 or more. I went with 5 of my friends to a nice, quiet, and inexpensive sushi restaurant, called Aoki, that my friend Sophie Hearn - expert on all things New York - guided us to. We embraced our “New York chic” look, ate some sushi, and engaged in memorable conversations. We then walked from Aoki to Baked by Melissa, a cupcake shop, which I had never experienced before. My friends and I all bought an assortment of 6 miniature cupcakes to try out, as we saw our friend Hunter buying an assortment of 25. Needless to say, they were great and I can’t wait to stop in there again. It was such a tiny shop but as the saying goes, good things sometimes come in small packages! We finally made our way back to the theater and met up with the rest of our classmates, ready to sit down and rest our tired, walked-on feet.

GA alum Jarrod Spector ’99 played the role of Barry in the performance Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. He has become a very well known actor in the Broadway world, after just finishing his run as the lead, Frankie, in Jersey Boys. Everyone truly seemed to like the musical, even those who had never been to one before! He came out and did a Q and A with us after the show, and I was so surprised at how grounded and light-hearted he was! He was open to all questions and gave us some really great advice about how to finish up our senior year, such as picking fun and adventurous Senior Projects and enjoying every minute because it flies.

Jarrod Spector '99 chats with the Class of 2015.

He was very open in talking about his college experience: he went to Princeton for a couple years and decided that it was not the right fit for him! So he left and decided to follow his heart and become an actor so he began auditioning and it led him to these amazing roles. Speaking with him was definitely the highlight of many people’s days -especially mine.

We finished up the day eating dinner at Bubba Gump’s! My friends and me, when we go out to eat, put our phones in the center of the table to encourage conversation and have a ‘present presence’ as I like to call it. The rule is that if you touch your phone to answer a call or text, then you have to pay for a greater portion of the meal.

Having over 150 people traveling as a pack is never easy, but it sure is a great time. I loved this trip and I enjoy every opportunity I have to interact with my friends and other classmates in different contexts. I’ll remember this day as being filled with laughter and adventure, and sitting on park benches eating all of our Baked by Melissa cupcakes because let’s be honest… who doesn’t love a good cupcake?

Dinner at Bubba Gump's.

Middle School Drama Shows Versatility

The Middle School Drama Club recently put on their production of Alice, an adaptation of Alice in Wonderland. Students in sixth, seventh, and eighth grades worked hard for weeks to bring this familiar story to the stage. Directors Mrs. Rominger and Mrs. Donches, who both teach in the Middle School, guided the students through hours of practice as they followed Alice’s adventure in that magical land. When thirty students auditioned, it became apparent that there were not enough parts for every person. The directors eventually double cast the entire show. So while cast “A” performed the Friday show, cast “B” was stage crew and the opposite was true for the Sunday show. Custom lighting provided and controlled by seventh grader Harry M. gave scene transitions a bit of flair and added to the experience by changing colors depending on the mood of the characters on stage.

Max, as the Mad Hatter, hosts his tea party.

It was great to see how both casts portrayed their characters in different ways. Watching the cast grow was so great and to be part of both talented casts was great. I learned a lot from them by co-starring as the Mad Hatter in the Friday show and the March Hare in the Sunday show.  Sixth grader Rachel R., who played the Queen of Hearts on Friday night says, “It was amazing.  It really was.  The experience leading up to the show took a lot of work, but it was fun at the same time.” Another newcomer, sixth grader Mollie D. had this to offer: “The show was a lot of fun.  I liked all of the people and I loved putting it on!”

The A cast of Alice.

And the B cast.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Both performances were a huge success.  Currently, Middle School Drama is getting ready for The Music Man, which will open January 30th.

 

~ Max D. '19

Sophomore Looks Ahead to Winter

The start of winter and snow means you’re already looking forward to summer. After fall sports have been underway and you’re used to being at school and playing with your friends, the fall season culminates at GA-PC Day. No matter if a team wins or loses, the students are there to cheer everyone on. That’s why Germantown Academy isn’t just a school; it’s a community, a family. We’re so supportive of one another and it was an incredible experience to be able to run onto that field after winning yet another football game. I love being a part of all that the Academy offers and can’t wait until all the winter sports start.

~Sarina S. ‘17

Sarina and friends celebrate a successful GA-PC Day

 

Class of 2019 Spends Day In Workplace

Every year the 8^th grade at GA gets an opportunity to shadow someone in their workplace as part of A Day Off Campus. I went to Boathouse Sports and shadowed the Creative Director. Boathouse Sports designs and creates sports equipment for a large array of teams and clubs. The company does most everything in-house. It’s really awesome to see happen because you can see a piece of clothing be designed then worked on and you can have the finished product 50 feet from where the design was thought up. I got to see much more of the design process during my time there as opposed to the manufacturing part.

Margaret was afforded inside access to Boathouse Sports.

I arrived at Boathouse at 9:00 am and received a tour of the factory and met many of the workers there. Then I went to the morning meeting that is held every day in the creative department. The artists discussed what they were going to be working on and what work they need the two interns to complete. Then I sat and learned about what everyone does in the design part of the process. I learned a lot about graphic design and shapes and logos.

Part of the design process and manufacturing process.

Then I headed over to the marketing and web design department and saw how they created websites and how the pictures of clothes on the website were created. After this, everyone headed to lunch. To finish off my day I learned how to design and draw on a computer and what software is best for what you are creating.

Overall, I had a lot of fun at Boathouse and enjoyed meeting everyone and seeing firsthand what goes into creating clothing and a highly functioning company. Now, I would consider pursuing graphic design. I found that aspect of my day extremely interesting and would not mind doing that for the rest of my life.

Employees at Boathouse work on sportswear.

~ Margaret H. ‘19

6th Grade Overnight Trip Unites Advisories

The Class of 2021 loads up to head to Refreshing Mountain.

The sixth grade camping trip to Refreshing Mountain was the first really fun activity that the whole grade got to enjoy. It was a great opportunity for the sixth grade advisories to bond and really get to know each other better. Some of the activities were zip lining, rock-wall climbing, the swing, and group challenges. I thought that the best part of the whole trip was when the advisories were doing the swing and everyone was pulling one person from the advisory. That was my favorite part of the trip because it showed real team work and everyone was being collaborative in action. Overall, the whole trip was amazing. The only bad thing was that we had to leave. I had such a fun time and I hope the sixth grade gets to do something like it again.

~ Ariel H. ‘21

Ariel and her fellow archers take aim. The 6th grade spent two days and nights off campus.

 

GA-PC Day Through a Senior's Eyes

I have experienced fourteen Pep Rallies, fifty six hallway themes, and four years of Spirit Weeks. This year was my last year of these experiences. I could not have asked for more fun than running the halls of the entire school, decorating a hallway only to have it torn down in less than twenty four hours, or to storm the football field after a great game. I grew up watching my brother and sister

Seniors congregate in the Pavilion in preparation for the Senior Strut.

prepare for the famous hallway decorating, go to school in crazy outfits, and play on one of the most exciting days of the year. I looked forward to this week every year for the past four years and it will definitely be one of the things that I miss the most when I graduate this spring.

The weekend always starts off with an amazing performance by the GA Belfry. This year Little Shop of Horrors was one of the best yet. I have gone to each year’s show starting as a freshman and while this year’s was definitely one of the creepiest, I was still in awe with the talent of everyone involved. After the show, the students stayed to watch the videos that the varsity sports teams put together. Each team sits together and cheers on the other teams’ videos.

This GA-PC Day was the first in which I played on the field. The whole team put everything into the field hockey game, and we succeeded with a 1-0 win. Whether you were on the bench or on the field, we counted down to the last second and as soon as that buzzer rang, we all sprinted to our goalie and tackled her. As a team with ten seniors, the whole game was very emotional; it was the last game where all of us would play together. I will never forget the happiness and sadness that I experienced throughout that day.

Caroline and her senior teammates before their final regular season game.

Later on that day, as I watched the football game with friends I met in PreK and those I’ve only known since freshman year, I felt honored to stand beside the entire student body as we crept towards the goal posts. We counted down the last minutes of the game, cheered together, and anticipated storming the field. Finally, the buzzer rang on the last GA-PC Day of my high school career. We stormed the field as one, tackled each other and all felt the same happiness. The friends I have made here at GA will always be a part of me, because of the bonds and experiences we have gone through together during Spirit Week.

 

~ Caroline A. '15

Soccer Team Looks to Take Down Rival Quakers

GA-PC Day is my favorite day of the year and, as a senior on the soccer team, this year will be extra special. I love dressing up during Spirit Week and helping my class decorate our hallways on Thursday night, but my favorite part of the week is playing in the soccer game on Saturday morning. Leading up to GA-PC day, the soccer team bonds throughout the week. We make a pump-up video during the week and present it Friday night with the other fall teams’ videos. It’s always a fun time and almost all of the Upper School shows up. On Friday night, we also have a big pasta dinner together with our families before the big day. I have played in hundreds of soccer games throughout my soccer career, but playing on GA-PC Day is by far the most exciting. There is nothing like stepping on the field Saturday morning and seeing a mob of GA students, teachers, and alumni cheering you on. The games are always very intense and fast-paced. GA-PC day will be my last Inter-Ac game and I know I will leave everything on the field. I cannot wait until Saturday morning to beat Penn Charter!

 

~ James R. '15

 

James is eager to replicate last season's success on GA-PC Day.

Editor's note: The GA boys' soccer team's postseason came to an end against the Kiski School in the PAISAA state tournament. However, they have one more match against Penn Charter on November 8th as part of the annual GA-PC Day.

Freshman's First Spirit Week

Now that Pajama Day is over, I have officially begun my participation in the GA-PC Day Spirit Week. I walked into school on Monday morning owning my Angry Birds onesie, excited to see what other people decided to wear. I have grown up watching the Upper School get dressed up in wacky outfits every day leading up to the Pep Rally hoping that someday it would be me. It is finally my time. This is the most exciting week for the entire GA community because it really is a time where everyone can come together and have fun while being competitive.

This is also my first year playing in GA-PC Day. I am so excited to be a part of the day as an athlete because I have always loved going to watch the games.

Madison and her teammates listen to Coach Rader's early season advice.

I can’t wait for the rest of the week with country day, holiday day, and throwback decade day. Ultimately I am most excited to be a part of the games on Saturday and hopefully bringing GA one step closer to the win.

~ Madison P. '18







Editor's note: Madison, a freshman who came through GA's Middle School, is going through her first Spirit Week ahead of the annual GA-PC Day. She and her water polo teammates will take on Penn Charter as part of an all-sports day of competition. Learn more about GA-PC Day here.

Cross Country Senior Looks Back

Josh (left, in red) sprints from the starting line at Belmont Plateau.

As I finish off my year as a high school cross country runner, I look back at the year and realize that our team really persevered. I am so proud of myself and my teammates this year. Belmont Plateau is one of the hardest places to run a 5k, but the training that we have done this year really prepared us for this challenge. At the Inter-Ac Championships we placed 4th out of the 6 teams. I placed 6th out of 42 varsity runners, earning 1st team all Inter-Ac. I think the team, like me, had more in us. I finished my race at Belmont Plateau unsatisfied and ready for another go around in 6 days at the Pennsylvania Independent School Athletic Association Championships. This race, however, included 11 additional schools and 73 more runners. But knowing that this was my last high school race of this magnitude I knew that I couldn’t leave this race without putting everything on the line. The race begins and I feel strong and confident. It is just me and the race and along with me are supportive coaches and teammates cheering me on as I go. I fly through the race making every stride meaningful. I see the ropes that mark the end of the race and whatever was left in the tank I spent crossing that line. I walked through the chute knowing that I ran the race of my life. I ran 16 seconds faster than I did at Inter-Ac Championships with a time of 16:53 min and I got 6th place again, but this time out of 115 varsity runners.

GA's girls' cross country team cheers the boys on at the finish.

Earning1st team all-state was truly a special moment for me, but finding out that our team got 4th again, but this time out of 17 schools, was truly a big step forward for our team. I was truly proud of every one of our runners and I know that I not only left everything out on the table, but my team did as well. I celebrate with the team with chocolate milk and soft pretzels. I am happily overwhelmed by the high fives and the congratulations from my teammates and coaches after the race. As my high school cross country career comes to a close, I am so happy that I had the pleasure of, running, talking, getting to know and being the captain of this team. I know that when I leave, they will continue to do great things.
~ Josh H. '15

Editor's note: Josh and his teammates have one more race left, the traditional season-ending dual race against Penn Charter. That race, part of the full slate of sporting contest between the two school during the annual GA-PC Day, will be run Saturday, November 8th at 10:15 AM. Find out more about the day here.

Inter-Ac Interacts Through Leadership

Middle School Leads, a middle school leadership conference, took place on October 7^th on GA’s campus. The conference revolved around leadership, focusing on different aspects of what makes someone a great leader. Mr. Jay Wright, MS Health and Wellness Department Head, put this whole conference together. He recently came from teaching at the Haverford School and brought with him this idea of the leadership conference, which he collaborated with Mr. Brady, his former co-worker, about. When Mr. Wright asked me to be a part of this conference, I was undoubtedly very honored to be one of the 7 senior girls asked to participate from GA. Being given the opportunity to work with 5 senior girls from Baldwin, 12 senior boys from Haverford, and middle school students from within the Inter-Ac doesn’t happen every day. Mr. Wright and Mr. Brady briefed us beforehand, telling us the schedule of the day and our role in this conference. They stressed the purpose of being facilitators; we were to encourage every member of the group to speak up and make sure that everyone was heard. The 7 GA girls enjoyed the opportunity to work with our co-group leaders from Haverford. It really opened up my eyes to all the amazing different people that each and every school has to offer.

The schedule was as follows: Mr. Jeswald, the Interim Head of the Middle School, welcomed everyone, as we then broke off into our groups. A Haverford boy was paired with either a GA girl or a Baldwin girl, and these two senior leaders had roughly 8 to 10 kids in their group. Half the groups started with a Self-Awareness workshop lead by Ms. Wujcik from the Baldwin School, in which the students wrote their name on different posters around the room with different categories like Sibling or Artist or Athlete. This activity allowed the students to dig deep into the activities they were involved in and begin to understand and recognize their strengths because once you become aware of your strengths its important to try to use them in a beneficial way. The other half of the groups started with a Communication workshop led by Mr. Wright. This session created an interactive atmosphere where the students went to three different parts of the room based on what they thought the most important quality of leadership was; these three options were listening, nonverbal communication, and communicating with consistency. The students had the task of persuading those in the other two groups to join theirs, opening up the floor for a healthy debate that did encourage some movement from group to group. In the end, we came to the consensus that all three skills are important to being a successful and well-rounded leader.


Middle and Upper School students from across the Inter-Ac converged on GA as part of the leadership conference. Here, they engage in group activities around the Quad.

After these two workshops, Mr. Brady from the Haverford School led the teamwork sessions. The first activity was a ball activity where all members of the group had to pass the ball to the person next to them and say their name as fast as they could. My group started out standing in a circle and performing the task, getting a time of 9 seconds. But after discussion and reasoning, my group decided upon a ‘waterfall’ type of technique that eventually got our group to 2.8 seconds. The next activity was difficult for several of the groups, including mine; the students were asked to create the tallest structure they could out of spaghetti and tape, with a marshmallow at the top of the creation. These two activities challenged these kids who had never met before that day to work together in a productive way in order to accomplish their common goal.

The last workshop of the day prompted the students with a letter from their heads or deans, giving them a real issue from their individual school for which they were asked to come up with a solution. It allowed the students to rally with their school and utilize their strengths to form a probable solution. After this planning, a few representatives from each group presented their ideas to everyone.

This type of learning environment is exactly what I wish I got to experience in Middle School. I’m glad that I was able to be a part of this day and I hope that it will continue so that others can have the same opportunity. I was personally very impressed with the amount of passion and enthusiasm that these students had. They were fully engaged in every workshop and you could tell that they truly wanted to be there. It was inspiring for me, as a high school student who is only a few years older than these Middle School students, to see them so devoted that it gave me great hope for our future within the GA community and globally.

~ Kaela G. '15

Reflections on the End of a Career

With the onset of 12^th grade, the beginning of my fourteenth and final year at the Academy, I find that I’m caught in a whirlwind of nostalgia: the last first day, the last Pep Rally, the last time that I’ll have to twist my neck in contortionist angles for a school photograph. It’s often difficult to live in the moment, though, when I’m so focused on college, on looking back in order to look forward to the future. This year is an exciting time, nevertheless. I’m about to launch into the real world, and 12^th grade gives me the chance to tie a bow on what’s been a memorable childhood.

Senior year brings with it immense freedom. A science geek, I’ve been able to tailor my schedule to fit my interests, continuing courses in studio art and social sciences while enrolling in both Physics and Chemistry. These advanced science classes offer new challenges. Although often discomforting, the act of puzzling over difficult problems, often for hours, has immensely enriched my studies and enhanced my understandings overall – and I welcome the demands of these courses. There’s nothing more rewarding than when, after a night of erasing and reworking a Physics solution, my fragmented ideas come together and I grasp the notion of tension. GA recognizes and contributes to our new freedom as seniors, trusting us to maintain our new Senior Lounge, which, even after just a month, looks weathered and lived in. We all gather there often, listening to music or chatting about weekend football games.

As a student who’s been at GA since age four, it’s odd now to be top dog. I love to work with underclassmen and learn from them, and I’ve relished thus far mentoring (on social, emotional, and academic levels) freshman girls on the cross-country team.

Claudia and her fellow senior runners.

I’ve recruited a few of my younger teammates to write for The Edition, our student-run newspaper, which I head with a few other seniors. It’s been great to get them involved with a club that I’m so invested in. In fact, we’ve re-imagined The Edition altogether, integrating into it more international news stories and revitalizing its online twin, a blog called The Second Edition. I approach my work in this and other clubs keenly aware of both my seminal early-on experiences with them (in 9^th and 10^th grade) and opportunities for impactful change.

 Now with GA/PC Day on the horizon, I anticipate an unforgettable year ahead!

~ Claudia M. ‘15

Middle School's Digital Detox

GA's Middle School students pledged to refrain from their reliance on devices.

The Germantown Academy Middle School recently embarked on a journey to let go of attachments to technology. For three days many students joined the campaign by turning their cell phones off and vowing to use electronic devices for school purposes only. Not only did many teachers join in, but they also conducted activities such as yoga to occupy our minds where our phones aren’t. Many found it difficult to resist the urge to check notifications and social media, but resisting this urge taught most of us that there is more to life than a small screen. Our generation is chained to our always-buzzing phones and to be given the chance have a three day vacation from that is almost like lifting a weight off our shoulders. Then there are those who failed the Detox within three hours of having their phones off.

 

~Margaret H. '19

 

Students and faculty were all smiles when the detox was ended.

 

Girls' Soccer Jells to Lead Inter-Ac

On the first day of preseason this year, I could immediately tell that we would have a great season ahead of us. Seeing multiple new freshmen with great skill assured me that they would be wonderful assets to our team. We started off the season a little rocky, with a loss in our first game, but that is typically expected for teams who have never played together before. As a few games passed, everything began to click and we started playing as a unit.



Emmy is GA's co-leader with 11 goals, including this opening tally against Episcopal.

Our first Inter-Ac game was an 8-2 win against Springside Chestnut Hill which really got us excited for the other league games ahead of us. Our second league game was away against Agnes Irwin at 7:00 under the lights. Agnes Irwin had a very large student section, sparking the nerves of our team but simultaneously getting us pumped up. We came out of that game with a 3-2 win, leaving us with a 2-0 record in the Inter-Ac. Following that game, we picked up two wins against Notre Dame and Baldwin (4-2 and 4-0), making our Inter-Ac record 4-0. This past Thursday, we had an exciting 2-1 victory over Episcopal in overtime, leaving us with a 5-0 record in the Inter-Ac and highly anticipating a game against our rival, Penn Charter, this Tuesday.

-Emmy D. '16

The Patriots celebrate an overtime game winner. Up next is rival Penn Charter.

Senior Welcomes Diversity Into Student Body

Early on a Saturday morning in September, I joined new families of color as they were welcomed to Germantown Academy.  As I walked into the Pavilion, I was met with the smell of delicious breakfast food and great conversation; everyone was eager to learn more about each other and welcome the new families.  As I introduced myself to new students, I couldn’t help but remember what it was like when I first came to GA.  Though I was only six years old, I took notice of what made me different from my peers.  The support that I gained from the community allowed me to thrive at GA, and the network of Black families always made me feel like I was at home.

One of Nichelle's (middle) many roles on campus so far in her senior year has been to help welcome new African American families to GA.

As Trustee and alumni parent Reverend Keith Williams led the program, he asked all of the students in attendance to introduce themselves and share their favorite part about Germantown Academy.   Students from a variety of ages shared stories that spoke about their successes, their challenges, and their excitement for the new school year.  As I sat on a panel of students and faculty, I was amazed to see how many new students of color were entering GA.  Now in my final year at GA, seeing the growth of a diverse community creates such a wonderful feeling.  As the student representative on the Diversity Task Force and President of the Black Student Alliance, diversity is important to me.  It matters that young students of color thrive at great schools like GA because GA provides opportunities.  With more chances to thrive, we create more success stories, creating individuals who are independent in thought, confident in expression, compassionate in spirit, collaborative in action, and honorable in deed.

~ Nichelle H. ‘15

GA Gear 2.0

Some of the biggest talk this year has been about the new dress code: GA Gear 2.0 (there are many underground names for it but they are forbidden to be disclosed). This is one decision made by the administration that nearly the entire student body does not like. Unfortunately for the student body, the changes made weren’t really that drastic. And I know I have certainly had my own moments of outrage over GA Gear 2.0, but if you really look at them, they aren’t that big a deal.



Gideon "models" GA Gear

Change 1: The color of pants and shorts can either be navy or khaki. The biggest problem with this has been deciding what shades of khaki are okay and which are not. Overall, not a big deal, it just means you can’t wear some of the pants from last year.

Change 2: Sweatshirts or sweaters cannot have any logo on them unless they are for a GA team or club. This is less than ideal, but most of the sweatshirts and sweaters kids wear are for sports teams so it’s not too big of an issue.

Change 3: Pants MUST be loose fitting and skirts and shorts must be appropriate length (below the fingertips). This is more directed towards girls, but I have seen the occasional guy wearing some pretty tight clothing. Anyways, I have no opinion of this change because it does not really affect me but I know some girls are pretty annoyed.

Out of the three big changes, the one that bugs me the most is change regarding the shade of khaki. It just seems like it’s not that big a deal whether some kids’ shorts would be darker than other kids’, but I’m sure that the administration has a good reason for it! Anyhow, I urge everyone to make the best out of the new dress code and if you do have problems with it and have legitimate reasons for wanting to change it, I know Mr. Schellhas is open to talk about it!

~ Gideon S. ‘15

An Internship to Remember

No amount of TED talks or PubMed articles could have readied me for my unforgettable hands-on adventure in cardiovascular research this summer. Working alongside PhD’s and graduate and undergraduate students, I gained newfound insights into the lab environment and, most importantly, into leading investigations in aortic and mitral valve disease (e.g. stenosis, regurgitation) and aortic aneurysm. 

Claudia spent an intense four weeks working alongside PhD's, undergraduates, and graduate students at Penn.

For four weeks in July, I observed and assisted in a series of studies run out of Dr. Giovanni Ferrari’s lab at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. I learned both standard and specialized lab methodologies, like how to isolate cells from human valve tissue, how to run a vertical gel and then a western blot, how to use a qPCR machine, how to load a bioreactor with human or mouse valve segments for stimulation, how to culture and harvest both aortic interstitial and aortic endothelial cells, and how to use different software, databases, and instruments. Eric, the Research Specialist, showed us videos of surgeries, and then, hours later, would bring us a human valve or human blood in a biohazard bag! Dr. Ferrari, the PhD’s, Dr. Emanuela Branchetti and Dr. Kathryn Driesbaugh, and the other students walked me through their overall research aims and earlier findings, such as their research on substances that induce osteogenic transdifferentiation in valve tissue. It was one big, challenging cause and effect lesson!



This work in Dr. Ferrari’s lab gave me context for the courses I’ve taken at GA and allowed me to see his team’s advanced biological examinations as an extension of what I’ve studied in school. All in all, it made me even more eager to conduct my own research in college and beyond!

After an exciting and engaging month, the internship ended with a bang. The office bought me treats from Federal Donuts, and I left feeling impassioned, with not just a stronger knowledge of cardiovascular research but also with a truly solidified interest in the sciences.

~ Claudia M. ‘15

Summer at Oxford Prepares GA Student for Senior Year

This summer, I applied to study abroad at Oxford University in Oxford, England. At first, it seemed really out of my comfort zone, but as I adjusted, it turned into one of the best summers of my life. Every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday I had two hours of classes. The first hour was psychology and the second was creative writing. Both were amazing classes, but psychology was my favorite. Each day, we discussed a new element in the subject matter. Every Wednesday, we went to London to explore different museums, neighborhoods, and find our own way.

Caroline steps out of an iconic UK telephone box during her time in Oxford.

The director of the program really wanted every student to not only spend time with others but also to roam around on their own in Oxford. We had a lot of time to go around and explore the town, try new restaurants, and do different activities around town. One day, a group of friends and I went punting which was surprisingly hard. We also saw Christ’s Church, which is where part of Harry Potter was filmed. The program planned Saturday excursions along with half-day excursions. Over the course of the program, we went to Blenheim Palace, Salisbury Cathedral, Stonehenge, Stratford, and Avon. The program also had planned dinners such as an Alice in Wonderland themed tea party and a Harry Potter themed dinner. Both were amazing. This program really stretched my mind and allowed me to explore the town. It was one of the best summers and I would not be as prepared for my senior year as I am now if I hadn’t gone on this adventure.

~ Caroline A. ‘15

Back to School

In a tradition more than 250 years old, Germantown Academy will begin another school year early next week. With Opening Day for the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools fast approaching, there is much to look forward to in order to add to the heritage of GA. From the Flag Raising Ceremony to the welcoming and orientation of new students and faculty, the start of school is always an exciting time in Fort Washington.

Before they return to campus, however, our students often travel far and wide over the course of the summer. They explore colleges, gain real world experience through internships, pursue their athletic dreams, and find fun and creative ways to relax while enjoying the summer. Through PatChat, we will provide you a sampling into some of our students' summer experiences. As we fully resume the academic year, continue to check back with PatChat to hear the voices of our students as they navigate their way through 2014-2015.

Welcome back, Patriots!

Finally a Senior

Senior Year: The Final Installment

I like to believe that senior year, like any good teenage book series, is the compelling final installment of the 12 years I have spent at GA.   In this particular case, senior year will be filled with exclusive experiences including Senior Step at the Pep Rally, Senior Strut, Prom, and senior projects.  Though the previous volumes of my story at GA have been filled with events that have encouraged me to grow and expand as a student and member of society, I definitely believe that senior year will be the most adventure-packed and fun-filled.  I must say, what I am most looking forward to as a senior will be my senior project trip to China.  As a student of Chinese, I have fallen in love with both the language and culture and have been looking forward to this opportunity since I was in the eighth grade.  China, the much anticipated climax of my story, will be the perfect bookend to my time at GA.  With the conclusion of my senior year, I will have the knowledge and experience to enter the college of my choice; finishing one series and ready to start another.

~ Nichelle H. ‘15

Nichelle and three classmates ended their junior year on quite a high note,
earning the McNeil Patriot Scholarship Award at Prize Day.

 

City Championships in the Coxswain Seat

Nichelle preparing to row a race. . .

As I jumped into the boat during the early Sunday morning of City Championships and we pushed off the dock, I tried to forget that I would only be coxing my second race.  Midway through the season, I had decided that I would transition from rowing to coxing; feeling as though I needed a change of pace.  If you are not a fan of rowing, a coxswain is the person in the front (or back) of the boat that steers and makes calls based upon what is happening during the race.  As a rower, I had the opportunity to push myself past my limits, pull so hard that I would lose my breath, and scream my heart out when I wanted to win.  I chose to transition from rowing to cox because it had finally caught up to me that I was the smallest girl on the team.  Though I still consider myself a relatively competitive rower, I thought that my size would be more beneficial somewhere else in the boat.
 

. . . and nervously preparing to cox one.

In my very first race, I didn’t have a single clue what I was doing.  I called the start late, I steered out to starboard so far that the coxswain in the boat next to me had to wave her hand around so that I wouldn’t crash into her, and I kept rowing way past the finish line because I wasn’t totally sure where it was.  But when we finally finished, my boat had done a great job, and we had proven ourselves as a team.  Between their post-race breaths, the rowers in the boat complimented me, telling me that I had done a great job and thanking me for all my hard work.  I couldn’t believe it.  If anything, I should be thanking them for a nice ride down the river and for exerting themselves so extremely that their voices turned into raspy growls.  Right then, I realized that I was as much motivation to them as they were to me; and from then on, we worked as a unit to be the best that we could.

In the time leading up to City Champs, there was a lot of stress.  In the two and a half weeks between the races, there had been a horrible flood which shut down the boathouse for several days.  Everyone was worrying about limited practice we had before the biggest race of the season.  When we all met at the river the day of City Champs,  the four rowers of my boat and I met to talk about how much this race meant to all of us.  We were nervous, but we were one unit; knowing that the mental preparation was as important as the physical.  As we approached the starting line of the qualifying round, I made the call to start.  The rest of the race was a blur, but only one thing mattered when we finished: we made it!

 

~ Nichelle H. '15

Members of GA's crew team pose post-race.

 

Girls' Lacrosse Season Winds Down

Lacrosse action this spring at Sisters' Woods.

The girls’ lacrosse season is down to its last week of games. Though I was on JV and we've won only 3 games so far, it was still a fun time playing with my team. I'm happy to have met some new friends through lacrosse. Practices are hard, though we still find time to have fun. We run every practice, which is good considering the large amount you run in games. It's nice to cheer on teammates who have never played before or see them, along with yourself, improve throughout the season. Watching Varsity play makes you want to do better yourself. As the season ends, it's sad not only because it means we won't play anymore but also because it means the school year is almost done. I'm glad to have played alongside these girls and have as much fun as we've had.

-Sarina S. ‘17

Washington, DC Comes To Fort Washington

Senator Bob Casey spent a day talking with GA students.

            On April 17th, GA had the pleasure of hosting very well known Pennsylvania Senator, Bob Casey. Due to the busy life of a politician, he was only able to speak to the juniors for about thirty minutes. But in this time, Senator Casey was able to answer some very controversial and interesting questions from the Class of 2015.

            The assembly started with a question pertaining to the Affordable Care Act, which Senator Casey said he supports and also helped to create. Then questions switched to the topic of gun control. Senator Casey stated that he believes we do need better gun control, but that it will be very hard to implement since there are such strong opinions on both sides. While both of these questions were interesting to hear the answers to, my favorite question was the one regarding the legalization of gay marriage.

            To me, the fact that gay marriage is not legal yet is downright absurd, and while I know that many people do not feel the same way, I did expect Senator Casey to agree with me. But when he started to answer, I was surprised. Casey explained that initially, he was totally against gay marriage. He didn’t think it was a law that should be passed. But then he went on to explain that as he spent more time hearing the many reasons it should be passed, he slowly changed his mind because he realized that it’s the right thing to do. Now he considers himself an avid supporter of the legalization of gay marriage and is going to continue the fight to push it through.

            While a lot of the students who listened to Senator Casey talk did not agree with many of the things he said, I think that it was a great experience for everyone to meet such a high profile figure who has such influence when it comes to law making. Personally, I found the assembly quite interesting and I hope that GA continues to bring in more people like Senator Casey.

-Gideon S. '15

GA Patriots from the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools heard from and asked questions of the Senator.

Upper School Experience at Regional Science Fair

This March during Spring Break, I embarked on a brief bus ride to Oaks, Pennsylvania to participate in the Delaware Valley Science Fair. As I boarded the bus, one of my favorite teachers, Ms. Smith, stood at the front of the bus with a clipboard to take attendance.  “How do you feel?” she asks me as I pass her by.  After a few short grumbles and a roll of the eyes, I mutter “I’m not going to win anything. I’d rather be at home.”  Though I am not usually a pessimistic person, as a junior the competition of science fair goes to a whole other level.   Science fair, to put it plainly, is the war of the nerds.  Of course you are going to have a fun time meeting new people with similar interests, but when it comes down to competing, it’s a Pavlov’s dog eat dog world.

 

This year, I was in the environmental category.  My project aimed to create an anaerobic biomass digester by using 100% recycled materials.  And though I had made it to Delaware Valley – which is the level before the international level – I was expecting some tough competition.   As soon as I stepped into the room, I felt pretty confident, but by the time that I sat down, I was a little worried.   When I had finished adjusting my board, I looked to my left to meet a very smart young man who had created the most successful pathogen detector in history. But wait, it gets better . . . it was also cheaper than anything on the market.  At the science fair works the more successful your project, the greater amount of judges will approach you.  By an hour in, over twenty judges had met him, shook his hand, and offered him large amounts of money.  Each time that a group of judges came over, I was optimistic that that they were coming to talk to me, the boldly suited, glasses wearing, intelligent looking seventeen year-old, but each time I was let down.   As soon as I thought that I may have lost hope, a group of women approached.   After introducing themselves and asking for a brief explanation of my project, we had a conversation.  It was not about science per say, but it was everything in between and around what science meant to us.  As they walked away, it was if they had graced me with good luck, and a few more judges approached me before the competition concluded.  As for the boy next to me, it seemed as if he had gotten some bad news from the USDA judges.  Apparently, the pathogens that he was detecting were, quite frankly, not pathogens.

Though I did not walk away with any medal, I was awarded with a special award from the Women in Geosciences Organization, and as for my fairy godmother judges, who knows if I will ever see them again.  What was most meaningful about the women who had talked to me was that they were able to put in perspective the real reason that I had come there.  It wasn’t to risk my self-esteem at an intense competition of the sciences; it was to experience the inexperienced, to learn, and to grow.  It was those women who had allowed me to remember that, though I had been one of the few girls in the category, that what I was passionate about was of supreme importance. 

As I walked onto the school bus to head back to GA, Ms. Smith asked me how it went.  This time I smiled.  “Not so bad,” I said.  “Not bad at all.”

- Nichelle H. '15

Boys' Lax Takes on North Carolina's Toughest



The 2014 team started its season by traveling to North Carolina.

Over Spring Break, the boys’ lacrosse team went down to Durham, North Carolina. The trip ran from Wednesday to Saturday - four days and three nights.  Those days and nights were filled with a team bowling outing, team bonding on the long bus rides, and, of course, lots of lacrosse. We played two very competitive and challenging opponents: Cardinal Gibbons High School (NC) and Durham Academy (NC). The first game was streamed live on the internet, in primetime on Friday night under the lights. We took on Cardinal Gibbons, who at the time was undefeated at 9-0 and garnering national attention. We fought hard and had a lead at halftime, but ended up falling 8-4 in the game. The following day, we played a very strong Durham Academy team on the campus of the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. We played very well and pulled out the 7-5 victory. Playing on the campus of UNC provided a great atmosphere that was definitely one to remember.

The experiences and memories built on the trip were ones that will last a long time. The talented teams we played provided much needed experience for some of our younger players on the squad that will prepare us for the very challenging teams we play in the Inter-Ac League. The team bonding memories such as hanging out in one another’s room, watching March Madness, or all the times when the guys would go out to dinner or grab lunch together bolstered the strong friendships which we already possessed.

- Hayes N. '14


Hayes captained GA's football team in addition to serving his second year as a lacrosse captain.

Editor's note: Hayes has been an outstanding multi-sport athlete at GA. Elected 1st Team All Inter-Ac as a quarterback, his football career will continue this fall at Cornell University.