Back to School, Back to Grace Place The new school year is underway, and our students are jumping into learning and enrichment with energy and enthusiasm! This year, more than 500 students are participating in Grace Place’s after-school programs, exploring new skills, discovering passions, and building confidence in a safe, supportive environment. Our elementary students [...]
Summer Fashion Academy: Students Shine on the RunwayThis summer, our middle school students explored the world of style and creativity in our Fashion Choice Academy, thanks to a special partnership with the Bayshore Arts District. Guided by mentors JuJu Jacobs, Josey Prior, and Amanda Jaron, students learned that fashion design is more than an art [...]
Fall Middle School Showcase Our Fall Middle School Choice Academy Showcase highlighted the hard work and dedication of our students as they explored new career pathways this semester. Through our academies—Art, Theater, Healthcare, Chess, International Flavors, Photography, Dance, S.T.E.M., and Basketball—students were able to dive into hands-on learning experiences that not only fostered their creativity [...]
50,000 Minutes for Literacy Success This school year, Grace Place for Children and Families is rallying behind an ambitious literacy goal: 50,000 minutes of staff-wide support dedicated to improving students’ literacy skills. Through this unprecedented commitment, we aim to make measurable gains in literacy benchmarks for our students, from preschool to high school. At Grace [...]
School Age Programs Parent Night Last month, we were excited to welcome over 50 families to our first School-Age Programs Parent Night of the new academic year! This special event served as an orientation for new families with students enrolled in our elementary, middle, and high school after-school programs. It was a wonderful opportunity for [...]
Kicking Off a New School Year at Grace Place The first week of school at Grace Place for Children and Families was filled with energy and excitement as we kicked off our fall programs. As students in Golden Gate City headed back to their classrooms, our campus also came alive with the buzz of new [...]
Middle School Choice Academy Showcase The Middle School Choice Academy Showcase was a remarkable display of student learning and achievement this summer. This event provided a valuable platform for students from various academies—Art, BMX, Fashion/Jewelry, Night Vision Leadership, Chess, and Dance—to showcase the skills and knowledge they developed over the past six weeks. Our Choice [...]
Exploring Athletics and Conservation Eight of Grace Place's middle school students recently embarked on an exciting educational journey to the 2024 Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation - NCEF Summer Experience. Hosted at IMG Academy in Bradenton, the three-day camp immersed them in a variety of enriching activities that combined sports education with environmental awareness. Upon [...]
Golden Gate Middle School Principal Advocates for After-School Programs Amid Challenges Dr. Jennifer Knutkowski In addition to overcoming post-pandemic achievement gaps and disruptions following Hurricane Ian, Dr. Jennifer Knutkowski, principal of Golden Gate Middle School, faces another significant challenge. A significant number of Golden Gate Middle School students are English Language Learner (ELL) students and arrive [...]
The Choice Academies: With Aspiration Comes Success The Grace Place Middle School Choice Academies are 10-week programs that allow students like 7th graders Tony and Gabby, to study subjects they are intrinsically interested in and have a desire to pursue as part of their future life goals. Students rotate to a new academy after completing [...]