GSA News Archive: 2007-2008
April 2008
The Fund-a-Need Drive: We will add a new feature to the 2007-08 Gala: the Fund-a-Need. A fund-a-need targets a particular area of program that requires a concentrated effort beyond the operating budget. This year's need is technology (and math).
GSA Partners with AVEDA for Earth Day! Featuring collaborative and solo artwork for sale by our GSA artists and a performance by the Honors Orchestra students. Reception: Sunday, April 27th, from 2-4 p.m., at the AVEDA store at Barton Creek Square Mall.
AVEDA show: If you missed Sunday's show, the Aveda /GSA Floating Art Gallery has been extended until 4pm, Tuesday, April 29th.
Spring Gala: What a spectacular evening! The third annual Passing Notes event, held Friday, April 25th at the UT Alumni Center, exceeded expectations by netting more than $50,000.
Middle School Parent Meetings: 7th grade parent meeting on Tuesday, April 1, 6th grade parent coffee on Thursday, April 3, and Gila Trip planning meeting for parents of 8th graders on Monday, April 14 at 7:00 p.m.
Piano Portrait project on April 10: This Winter the GSA piano students have been working on a special project, creating original pieces that express something about themselves. The performance will take place on Thursday, April 10 at 6:30 p.m. at the Congregation Beth Israel.
Speech Competition: On Saturday, March 8, a few GSA students left home early and drove to New Braunfels for a speech competition.
Wrapping up Inaugural Basketball Season & Volleyball Begins: The 5th-6th and 7th-8th grade basketball teams concluded their seasons in early March. Two weeks after basketball's end, our 5th-6th grade girls started their second season in the West Austin Youth Association (WAYA) Senior Girls Division volleyball league.
Talent Show: You could hear the cheering from auditorium shores. No, it wasn't UT football fans, it was the crowd at the second annual GSA talent show!
Girls' Engineering Day at UT: Several GSA students attended the annual UT Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day event last month.
APD Visits GSA Last month, Lee Hernandez from the Austin Police Department visited the 3rd and 4th grade classes. Ms. Lee is a Senior Crime Scene Specialist in Austin.
Art Beat: The metamorphosis of our wonderful and revealing self-portraits has begun!
February 2008
The ‘tween Year: At The Girls' School, middle school is an opportunity to acknowledge the unique expression of each student and to develop each girl's voice.
Throw us a Funny Bone: If you don't mark your calendar for Friday, April 25th, the joke's on you!
Talent Show: The Talent show will take place on March 20th at 6:00pm, the night before a school holiday. The tryouts will be on February 25 and March 3 at 3:00pm.
Art Beat: I hope all the wonderful clay creations made it home safely! It was one of our best experiences with sculpture this year.
January 2008
Taking Stock: January is a great time to “take stock” and make course corrections.
Message From the Board: Please welcome Sugandha Jain to the Girls' School of Austin Board of Trustees.
Development News: GSA welcomes the newest member of our staff, Development Director Jenny Smrekar.
Yale Singers Perform at GSA: GSA was visited by Yale's female acappella singing group, New Blue.
Science, Engineering, and Technology Update: With the help of several visiting engineers recently, the Science, Engineering and Technology classes built lots of bridges.
Scholastic Art Awards: The Central Texas Regional Scholastic Art Awards were judged this past Saturday at St. Stephen's Episcopal School.
Art Beat: We have started the New Year with the exploration of clay and our imagination.
December 2007
The Girls' School Grows Up: Class size and its impact on learning in the lower elementary grades.
Gala Kick-Off Party: Please join the gala committee for a kick-off party at Genny Duncan's house, January 18th at 6:00pm.
Parent Education Series: Investment 101. Erin Hinzmann, a financial planner from Edward Jones, will join us for an evening of investment self-help.
Robotics Recap: The Season's Finale. The Central Texas First Lego League robotics tournament on December 9th was a mélange of guts and glory, tears and courage, and ultimately, a success for all five of GSA's robotics teams.
Shakespeare in the Classroom: On December 18, the fifth grade class performed selected scenes from William Shakespeare's comedy, A Midsummer Night's Dream.
NaNoWriMo WrapUp: This November, the whole Middle School participated in National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo.
All-Region Orchestra Concert: On November 17, five GSA middle school string students performed in the All-Region orchestra concert.
Operation Blue Santa: This year the kindergarten, first, and second grade classes worked together to contribute over 35 gifts to the Austin Police Department's Operation Blue Santa Project.
Science Fair: The GSA science fair was a happening event! The projects were some of the best ever — interesting, comprehensive and clever.
Art Beat: It was a veritable tour de force of tie-dye as our GSA students sold our wares down to the bare table at the Dell Children's Hospital Miracle Market on Dec.6th!
November 2007
Girls and Math: What we know about the female brain is that the whole brain is involved in thinking about problems, unlike the male brain, which is more compartmentalized.
GirlBots in Action: Drop into any Junior robotics team meeting these days and you are likely to see lots of hair-heads bent over Lego pieces...
Dell Children's Hospital Miracle Market: It is tie-dye time again for grades K-8th, for the Dell Children's Hospital Miracle Market where GSA will have a booth.
NANOWRIMO: This November, the sixth, seventh and eighth graders are writing for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo).
Spanish Fiesta: Third and fourth grade students created a Mexican restaurant for family members who came to eat tostadas and to watch a presentation of Spanish songs.
Art Beat: What a marvelous and hectic Fall we've had!
October 2007
Encouraging Girls to TAKE RISKS: The ability to take appropriate risks is essential to success and fulfillment in all areas of life.
Annual Fund Leaps Forward! The (first annual) Annual Fund Party last week at Scholtz Garten was a smashing success!
Robotics Team: The Middle School robotics team is making fantastic progress as they hurl toward the nailbiting tournament to be held in Round Rock on December 9.
Newton's Apple: The science classes have become very skilled at juggling topics. The Science, Engineering and Technology classes have been dismantling old computers.
All-Region Orchestra Concert: Five GSA students won a seat in middle school All-Region orchestra, and will be performing on November 17 at Pflugerville High School.
Art Beat: This has been a busy month for art class! We have delved into the mysteries of Abstract Art...
September 2007
Stone Soup: Many of you might remember the story, Stone Soup. It is etched in my memory as a story about communities coming together to make something grander than any one person could have done himself or herself.
PTO Hosts First Annual Fund Kick-Off Party: Mark your calendars for Friday, October 12, when the PTO (Parent-Teacher Organization) will host the first Annual Fund kick-off drive at Scholz's Garten.
New Placement Director: Middle School teacher Frances Ramberg will take on an additional responsibility this year as Placement Director.
Ranch Romp: The students at GSA are anticipating their annual Spring Concert, Thursday, May 17 at 6:30 p.m. at the First Unitarian Universalist Church.
Newton's Apple: Middle School science classes are off to an exciting start!
Art Beat: The year is off to a great art start with our amazing and revealing Super Hero (and villain) identities now showing in the Courtyard Gallery.