Girls Preparatory School
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Girls Preparatory School, or GPS, is an all-female
college A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering ...
preparatory school in
Chattanooga, Tennessee Chattanooga ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. Located along the Tennessee River bordering Georgia, it also extends into Marion County on its western end. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, ...
, United States. It was founded in 1906 by Grace Eliza McCallie, Tommie Payne Duffy, and Eula Lea Jarnagin. GPS enrolls students in grades 6–12. These students are taught by GPS's 66 faculty members, over 80% of whom hold advanced degrees. Since 2006, Girls Preparatory School has won 20 state championships in various sports. In addition, the school has graduated 49 National Merit Semifinalists in the past 13 years. For the 2019–20 school year, GPS enrolled 560 girls from 28 zip codes, with 210 in Middle School and 350 in Upper School. Its brother school,
The McCallie School The McCallie School is a boys college-preparatory school located on Missionary Ridge in Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States. The school was founded in 1905 and now has 250 boarding students in grades 9–12 and 669 day students in grades 6–12 ...
, was founded a year earlier by McCallie's brothers. GPS's Interim Head of School is Dr. Kirk Walker, former headmaster at
The McCallie School The McCallie School is a boys college-preparatory school located on Missionary Ridge in Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States. The school was founded in 1905 and now has 250 boarding students in grades 9–12 and 669 day students in grades 6–12 ...
.


History


Origins

In 1906, Duffy and Jarnagin, two public school teachers, asked the city school board to provide a fourth year of high school studies, including modern language and a lab science, so that girls, as well as boys, would apply for college. When their request was denied, they decided to create an independent school to prepare girls for higher education and convinced their friend Grace McCallie to join them. In 12 weeks, they converted McCallie's former home to a school. The three founders pooled all of their money, $300, to equip and launch the school. The school opened on September 12, 1906, in a four-room schoolhouse at 106 Oak Street, which had formerly been McCallie's home. The ground floor contained classrooms with second-hand desks. There was also an alcove library and
cloakroom A cloakroom, or sometimes coatroom, is a room for people to hang their coats, cloaks or other outerwear when they enter a building. Cloakrooms are typically found inside large buildings, such as gymnasiums, schools, churches or meeting halls. ...
. The school welcomed 45 enrolled students on the first day of classes on September 12, 1906. Each girl paid $80 tuition per year, and at the end of the first year one of the students was accepted to and enrolled in
Randolph-Macon Woman's College Randolph College is a private liberal arts and sciences college in Lynchburg, Virginia. Founded in 1891 as Randolph-Macon Woman's College, it was renamed on July 1, 2007, when it became coeducational. The college offers 32 majors; 42 minors; ...
. In 1915, the school relocated to a larger brick building at 611 Palmetto Street. In 1947, GPS again moved, this time to its current home on Island Avenue, with 14 classrooms, a study hall, library and dining hall. Since the move, the campus has been significantly added on to and revitalized, with the addition of a separate middle school and high school, an 800-seat theater, and a new student center, among other facilities. Girls Preparatory School celebrated its 100th anniversary during the 2005–2006 school year.


Milestones

* 1907: The tradition of Cat-Rat begins with seniors welcoming new students. Girls learning to support one another is a tradition that continues today. * 1909: GPS spearheads the establishment of the city's first girls basketball league. * 1914: The first May Day celebration was a picnic with a Greek theme. Today's spring tradition honors the seniors and their May Court with dances and a winding of the May Pole. * 1915: GPS moves to a new building on Palmetto St., adding a science lab, study hall, and multi-purpose space. An additional lot provides space for P.E. classes. * 1918: On March 10, Grace McCallie dies. In her honor, the Grace McCallie Scholarship is awarded. * 1924: The regulation uniform is a linen dress with tucks, two pockets, and large black bow. That beloved dress is now in cotton and in a rainbow of colors. * 1945: GPS establishes a school-wide Honor System. The Honor Code remains a foundational part of the school for students and alumnae. * 1945: With the end of the tenure of founders Duffy and Jarnagin, the school begins operation by a board of trustees. The Board purchases land in North Chattanooga for a new campus site. * 1947: On August 29, the Class of ’47 buries a time capsule in the new school’s Cornerstone, a time capsule opened in 2006 at the school’s Centennial celebration. * 1948: GPS hires full-time art and music teachers, establishing what is now a Fine and Performing Arts department. * 1950: Seniors begin the tradition of talks to the student body with two-minute Chapel Talks, demonstrating how, at GPS, they find their voice. * 1955: Following a year in which GPS offers modern dance classes, Terpsichord, the state’s first high school contemporary dance company, is begun by Peggy Evans Thomas, for whom today’s dance studios are named. * 1974: With the only girls golf team in Tennessee, the GPS Bruisers compete against local boys teams. * 1977: The Class of 1978 begins the “turning the ring” tradition. Even today, alumnae recognize each other by their distinctive black onyx stone topped with the GPS crest. * 1990: The physical education department adopts a new program, SHAPE, standing for Starting Habits to Attain Physical Excellence. The program receives recognition as one of the top high school physical education programs in the Southeast. * 1994: GPS establishes rowing as a varsity sport, becoming the first school in the Chattanooga area to field a girls team. Over 20 girls have gone on to row at the college level. * 1997: The GPS Learning Center opens to support students in acquiring skills for academic work. * 1998-99: Chattanooga's first laptop school, GPS continues to lead area schools in the development of a computer science curriculum * 1999: GPS welcomes a sixth grade to the newly built Elizabeth Lupton Davenport Middle School. * 2005: GPS fields a varsity lacrosse team, the first girls team in Chattanooga. * 2005-06: Students, faculty, alumnae and friends commemorate the 100th anniversary of GPS with a walk from the campus to a celebration at Memorial Auditorium, passing the site of the original school. The walk is followed by a party to honor the contributions of the city's only independent girls’ school. * 2012-13: The College Board selects the GPS Fine & Performing Arts department for its Award for Excellence and Innovation in the Arts.


Academics

GPS offers a Middle School curriculum for grades 6–8, and an Upper School offering for grades 9–12. The Upper School offers 24 Advanced Placement courses, ranging from
AP Biology Advanced Placement (AP) Biology (also known as AP Bio) is an Advanced Placement biology course and exam offered by the College Board in the United States. For the 2012–2013 school year, the College Board unveiled a new curriculum with a greate ...
to
AP Comparative Government and Politics Advanced Placement (AP) Comparative Government and Politics (also known as AP CoGo or AP CompGov) is an Advanced Placement comparative politics course and exam offered by the College Board. It was first administered in 1987. Course To better matc ...
, as well as various
STEM Stem or STEM may refer to: Plant structures * Plant stem, a plant's aboveground axis, made of vascular tissue, off which leaves and flowers hang * Stipe (botany), a stalk to support some other structure * Stipe (mycology), the stem of a mushro ...
course offerings.


Athletics

GPS competes in the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA) and its varsity sports are: * Basketball * Bowling * Cheerleading * Climbing * Cross Country * Diving * Golf * Lacrosse * Rowing * Soccer * Softball * Swimming * Tennis * Track and Field * Volleyball


Programs


Cadek Conservatory of Music

The Cadek Conservatory of Music at Girls Preparatory School provides the highest level of musical instruction for students of all ages—from infants through senior adults—in private, group, and ensemble settings.


Partnerships in the Community (PIC)

A broad spectrum of community organizations and components of local governments are part of PIC: East Side Elementary School and Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy; City of Chattanooga Office of Multicultural Affairs and the Northside Neighborhood House; Habitat for Humanity of the Greater Chattanooga Area and the Chattanooga Area Food Bank.


Tucker River Fellows

At the retirement of former longtime headmaster Randy Tucker, the GPS Board of Trustees and friends of the school joined to honor his tenure with the establishment of the Tucker Fellows Program, a two-year student study of the Tennessee River. The mission of the program, which began in the summer before the 2014–15 school year, is to prepare future leaders to have an effect on the conservation of the Tennessee River. Fellows, selected prior to their freshman year, spend part of the summer and following academic year engaged in interdisciplinary scholarship and experiential learning about the many issues impacting their local watershed as well as learning about the historical, ecological, political, economic and aesthetic significance of the Tennessee River.   During the second year in the program, fellows focus on leadership skills while continuing to learn about the river and watershed. They read and discuss the works of current and historic environmental thinkers. They choose a focus and work with local experts, scientific literature, and policy to become more knowledgeable about their chosen topic. They then collect, analyze, and publish data. Throughout the program, fellows become familiar with the various entities that implement, enforce, and monitor watershed policy. By the end of the program, fellows propose solutions to watershed problems and become lifelong advocates for clean, healthy watersheds in the Chattanooga area and beyond.  


Traditions

GPS upholds many traditions that are celebrated throughout the school year, with many including community service opportunities.


May Day

While most traditions are school-wide, some focus on certain grades. One such tradition is May Day, a pageant that combines the old traditions of a
May Day May Day is a European festival of ancient origins marking the beginning of summer, usually celebrated on 1 May, around halfway between the spring equinox and summer solstice. Festivities may also be held the night before, known as May Eve. T ...
from the Renaissance and a debutante pageant. The senior class is presented in colorful dresses, one by one, with a May Court and May Queen introduced separately; the May Queen is the last presented. The May Queen and Court are nominated by the senior class and then chosen by the student body and faculty based upon personality and embodiment of a true GPS girl. After the class is introduced, festivities are held on the school's front lawn, and seniors, guests, and the student body watch as different grades dance to music chosen to match that year's theme. The last dance is the
May Pole A maypole is a tall wooden pole erected as a part of various European folk festivals, around which a maypole dance often takes place. The festivals may occur on 1 May or Pentecost (Whitsun), although in some countries it is instead erected at ...
ceremony, in which sophomores wrap three traditional May Poles for the Queen to walk under, ending the ceremony.


Senior Chapel Talks

Another tradition is that of senior Chapel Talks. Each senior gives a three- to seven-minute talk about a subject of her choosing to her peers and invited guests during a schoolwide assembly, also called Chapel, which occurs several times a week.


Cat-Rat

Another highly celebrated tradition is that of Cat-Rat, a pairing of a senior with a new sixth-grader. In this tradition the senior Cat acts as a mentor and friend to the sixth grader, her Rat. Cats decorate their Rats’ lockers prior to the start of school, and the revealing of the newly decorated locker is a key part of the Cat-Rat Reveal (which also takes place just before the start of school). In addition, during the Cat-Rat Reveal, the sixth grade Rats take part in a random drawing which determines the order of their Cats’ Chapel Talks. Several parties, activities, and celebrations help the girls get to know each other better and allow the senior girl to guide the younger student through her school year. The long-standing tradition has been known to bond students as friends and even business partners well into adulthood.


Robin Hood

Formerly, a weeklong festival was planned each year by an elected committee of students, known as Robin Hood. In the festival, any school-recognized club or team is able to open a booth and sell a craft or food for a charity of their choice. The committee itself could also operate a booth, which would benefit the overall goal of that year's Robin Hood. In the past, the main goal has been to gift
Greg Mortenson Greg Mortenson is an American professional speaker, writer, veteran, and former mountaineer. He is a co-founder and former executive director of the non-profit Central Asia Institute and the founder of the educational charity Pennies for Peace. ...
, author of ''Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission To Promote Peace... One School At A Time'' and the founder of Central Asia Institute, with the money to endow a girls' school in Pakistan. Another year it was to help assist a like-minded Chattanooga school with a contribution to Chattanooga Girl's Leadership Academy, an all girls college preparatory charter school focusing on STEM education, the first public single-gender school in Tennessee. This long-standing tradition, however, was phased out by 2014.


MBD: Girl Edition

One of GPS's newer traditions, MBD: Girl Edition, is an entrepreneurial opportunity for girls in and around the Chattanooga area to seek knowledge and support from local professionals. It debuted in 2015 as a women's and girls' symposium, Mad Bad and Dangerous, and has hosted such notable guest speakers as Lori Greiner, prolific inventor and "Shark Tank" star. The most recent installment features a one-day Girls Marketplace, where girls can sell products and services, and a 24Hour Generator, which pairs students with mentors to help them solve real-world business problems as they compete for a cash prize. The event relies heavily on volunteers and financial support of businesses and community organizations.


Other

The onsite garden is maintained and cultivated by the environmental science class, a junior and senior science elective. The crops grown in the garden are chosen and raised by the students, harvested, and taken to the Chattanooga Area Food Bank, or included in the school's lunch menu. There are many other traditions as well, such as a long-standing partnership with Habitat for Humanity, and leadership summer camps.


Notable alumnae and faculty


Alumnae

*
Carman Barnes Carman Dee Barnes (November 20, 1912 – August 19, 1980) was an American novelist. Early life Barnes was born on November 20, 1912 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. She was the daughter of James Hunter Neal and poet and folklorist Lois Diantha Mi ...
, writer *
Rachel Boston Rachel Elizabeth Boston (born May 9, 1982) is an American actress and producer. Boston has had leading roles in a number of independent films, and was a regular cast member in several television series. She starred in the NBC drama series, ''Amer ...
, actress *
Tracy Seretean Tracy Seretean is an American filmmaker who directed and co-produced ''Big Mama'' (2000), which won the Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject. She also produced ''The Third Monday in October'' (2006). See also *''Big Mama (film) ''Big ...
, Academy Award-winning filmmaker *
Andrea Saul Andrea Saul (born 1982) has worked on a number of political campaigns, and was the campaign press secretary for the 2012 Mitt Romney presidential campaign. Early life and education Saul's father, Julian Saul, is a former president of Shaw Industr ...
, Republican Party operative *
Teresa Phillips Teresa Lawrence Phillips (born 1958) was the athletic director at Tennessee State University, a post she had held since 2001. She was one of the few female athletic directors at a school that sponsors football. She was also the head women's basket ...
, First female NCAA Division 1 Men's Basketball coach *Mai Belle Hurley, first female member of the Chattanooga City Council *Lisa Hendy, recipient of the Harry Yount Award of the National Park Service *Judge Marie Williams, first woman appointed judge of the Eleventh Circuit Court of Tennessee *
R. Marie Griffith Ruth Marie Griffith (born 1967) is the John C. Danforth Distinguished Professor in the Humanities at Washington University in St. Louis and the former John A. Bartlett Professor at Harvard University. Griffith majored in political and social thoug ...
, John C. Danforth Distinguished Professor at Washington University in St. Louis, and author


Headmasters

* 1906-18: Grace Eliza McCallie * 1906-45: Tommie Payne Duffy * 1906-45: Eula Lea Jarnagin * 1947-50: Edith M. Lewis * 1950-66: Mary Hannah Tucker * 1966-73: Dr. Paul G. Bode * 1973-87: Dr. Nathaniel C. Hughes, Jr. * 1987-2013: Stanley R. Tucker, Jr. * 2013-14: Sue Groesbeck ''(Interim)'' * 2014-20: Dr. Autumn A. Graves * 2020-21: Dr. R. Kirk Walker ''(Interim)''


References


External links

* {{authority control 1906 establishments in Tennessee Educational institutions established in 1906 Girls' schools in Tennessee Preparatory schools in Tennessee Private high schools in Tennessee Private middle schools in Tennessee Schools in Chattanooga, Tennessee