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.