GRACE scholars kick off 2024 program with record enrollment

Groton School welcomed sixty-one GRACE Scholars to the Circle this past weekend for four weeks of academic challenge and summer fun. This class marks the ninth iteration of the program and the largest in-person enrollment since GRACE began in 2016.

The optional GRACE (GRoton Accelerate Challenge Enrich) program is designed to prepare rising Fourth Formers for the rigors of Upper School. The flexibility of the curriculum helps all participants reach their full potential, whether that involves accelerating access to more advanced courses or filling a preparation gap. The four-week schedule also features a healthy dose of recreation, art, and off-campus activities.   

Most GRACE Scholars take two courses, choosing among math, science, English, Latin, French, Spanish, Chinese, Modern Global History, and—new this summer—trigonometry.

 

All GRACE classes are led by Groton School faculty, and this summer’s group once again includes Headmaster Temba Maqubela, who will teach science. Nine teaching assistants from the Forms of 2020 and 2024 will also participate; five of the nine were GRACE Scholars themselves.

The 2024 scholars will spend several hours each day on classroom learning, with afternoons spent swimming in the school pool, paddleboarding, and playing games such as kickball and Capture the Flag. Wednesday nights are for outings to enjoy such activities as bowling, miniature golf, the movies, and a trampoline park. Special off-campus weekend excursions are planned for Canobie Lake Park and a Red Sox game at Fenway Park, as well as to the beach, whitewater rafting, and ziplining.

To help address any student preparation gaps in math or English that were extended or intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic, Anna Martinez—Groton’s assistant director of academic skills—will once again offer sessions on study skills each week, covering topics such as organization, time management, note taking, and test taking.

Welcome to the 2024 GRACE Scholars!