George School

With tremendous gratitude to the “Bridge of the Future” exchange program, and the many GS families who warmly welcomed our group, we are happy to share that fifteen members of our boys and girls basketball teams and their chaperones are enjoying a rich cultural experience in Shanghai, Nanxun, Hangzhou, and Beijing this week. Follow along as we share their journey!

Introducing George School’s regional alumni event series: Friends in the City! 🏙️

Connect with George School alumni in the NYC metropolitan area and feel the sense of community and love from Friends new and old.

Register here: https://www.georgeschool.org/alumni/upcoming-events/friends-in-the-city-central-park/

And that’s a wrap on the 23-24 school year ✌️

Commencement = The best way to celebrate the Class of 2024’s GS Era 💚

Senior dinner dance send off! 💚

The end of the school year is full of meaningful and memorable traditions. One of these traditions is all-school meeting for worship with attention to the seniors 🕯️

📸: Mb Duckett-Ireland, assistant head of school for student and community life

Class of 2024, you have made GS brighter. We cannot wait to see how you will shine your light in this next chapter. Four more days until Commencement✨

Eleven senior student-athletes have committed to college athletics programs across ten sports. Please join us in congratulating our students!

Calvin Gibson ’24: Men’s Track, Stevens Institute of Technology

Tristen Guillouette ’24: Men’s Basketball, Florida Gulf Coast University

Mary Katherine Hackenberg ’24: Rowing, Drexel University

Gianna Johnson ’24: Women’s Basketball, University of Delaware

Kat Kenny ’24: Women’s Lacrosse, Rochester Institute of Technology

Leena Kuittinen ’24: Women’s Tennis, Providence College

Tamera Maignan ’24: Women’s Soccer, Clark University

Sophia Martinez ’24: Women’s Basketball, Skidmore College

Not pictured:

Lukas Nier ’24: Men’s Swimming, Dickinson College

Israel Rosseter ’24: Baseball, Sewanee University of the South

Autumn Williams ’24: Women’s Track, Bryn Mawr College

Exploring the wonders of Island Beach State Park in Marine Biology class 🔬🏝️

Students traveled to the nearby beach to learn about the Barnegat Bay estuary. From kayaking to sein fishing, observing birds and conducting tests on water samples, students learned about the intricacies of estuarian ecosystems 🌎

This alumni weekend, we had the privilege of honoring Susan Shin Andersen '89 with the Distinguished Alumni Award. Susan was recognized for her passion for community-building, direct impact volunteer service, and connecting individuals to resources that can empower them. Returning back to the meetinghouse, she shared five lessons she learned at George School, "go out and seek community any way you can, even just to sit in silence... find or be that person that is a connector."

Learn more about Susan and her accomplishments here: https://www.georgeschool.org/susan-andersen-89-honored-with-distinguished-alumni-award/

GS Rowing is making waves! 🌊

Our Girls Novice 4 took 3rd at the Mid-Atlantic Youth Championships this weekend, competing against schools and clubs from across the region.

Congratulations to Saya Ream ‘27, MK Hackenberg ‘24, Ellie Remus ‘25, Bess Haney ‘27, and Maggie O’Dunne ‘26!

📸: Shari Rossmann, Rowing Coach

Our student-artists were recognized with 66 awards in this year’s Philadelphia Region Scholastic Art and Writing Awards! 🎨🖊️

Learn more: https://www.georgeschool.org/students-recognized-with-66-philadelphia-region-scholastic-art-and-writing-awards/

Drop a note of gratitude for a GS faculty and/or staff member who has inspired and supported you in celebration of Teacher Appreciation Week!

We are so grateful to the faculty and staff who educate our students, giving them the freedom and the support to become their most authentic selves 💚

The GS Boys Varsity Track & Field team won the Friends Schools League Championship, competing in all 18 events! 🏆 The Girls Varsity team also performed well, competing in all events and earning third place!

Congratulations to all of our athletes and coaches on a successful season!

The GS Speech and Debate Team had a stellar first year of competition, with Lois L’Oiseau ’26, Avery Otoo ’27, and Dallan Reimels ’25 qualifying to compete at the National Catholic Forensic League tournament in Chicago later this month!

“This isn’t just a team; we’re a family,” said Kavya Gounder ‘26. “From team meetings and the many practices to van rides and tournaments, I’ve truly had an exciting and rewarding experience on the team this year.” Kavya ended the season placing first in Informative Speaking during the Southeast Pennsylvania Debate League playoffs in March.

Learn more about the team’s first year of competition: https://www.georgeschool.org/speech-and-debate-team-makes-big-strides-in-first-season/

GS students took home multiple awards at Greenfield Film Festival! 🎥

Emery Mooney ‘25 (writer), Ellie Remus ‘25 (writer and director), and Grey Fraser ‘25 won third place in the documentary category for their film “Behind Bars Too Soon,” which was inspired by our Transformative Justice class.

Daniel Piscatelli-Cruz ‘26 won best editing for a PSA he made in our Producing Peace class, educating others about the challenges of the poverty cycle.

Beckett Holmes ‘25 (actor) and Adam Jean ‘24 (director) took home the first place for Best Narrative for their comedic film, “The Tip.”

Want to see all of the amazing films produced by GS students this year, including these awards winners? Come to the George School Film Festival at 7:30 pm in Walton Center on Friday, May 17 and Saturday, May 18.

May makes way for ducklings! 🦆🌳💚

Alums: We loved welcoming you back home this weekend 💚

Nearly 500 alumni and friends came to campus to celebrate Alumni Weekend. We reconnected and reminisced with friends, played four-square (all day) in the rain, and so much more. Despite the rain, you all made campus brighter this weekend. Keep shining your light, friends✨

Today, the GS community gathered in celebration of Head of School Sam Houser’s tenure. We said farewell to Sam with an outdoor lunch, live music, and shared memories of all he has done for the school.

Drew Mirarchi ’24 and Alice Morrison ’24, students in Sam’s Intro to Philosophy class, shared: “His passion for teaching was evident, because even with a busy schedule leading our school, he still found time to teach and connect with all 15 of us every day. The class was filled with laughter and questions, both of which he encouraged from us, fostering a safe and fun learning environment.”

Sam, thank you for your dedication and leadership!

Join us on Friday and Saturday, May 3-4 at 7:30 p.m. for our production of “Godspell” 🎭

Performances are free and open to the public. Can’t join us in-person? Catch the livestream here: https://my.georgeschool.org/ICS/Campus_Life/Student_Performances/2023-24/Godspell/Home.jnz

Alumni Weekend 2024 begins tomorrow! Drop a comment below if we’ll see you there! 💚

What to look forward to this weekend:

✨ All-Alumni Gathering where retiring faculty members Carter ‘76 and Erin Sio will be honored, and the community will bid farewell to departing Head of School Sam Houser
✨Remarks from Distinguished Alumni Award winner Susan Shin Andersen ’89
✨ Family fun zone on South Lawn
✨Live music performance with English teacher Shantel Hubert and The Straight Ahead Big Band
✨Alumni pickup softball game with Vince Campellone
✨Let Your Art Speak: Gallery Walk and Brunch
✨Reunion class parties and dinners
✨And so much more

View the detailed schedule and register: https://www.georgeschool.org/alumni/alumni-weekend/

Denys Sharpylo ’22 left a lasting impression on George School. During his time as a student, you could find him everywhere, from singing on Red Square, scoring goals on the soccer field, or speaking to prospective students in the Admission Office. He was captain of both the soccer and basketball teams, a lead student ambassador, and was chosen as Epilogue (Епілог) speaker for the Class of 2022 Commencement.

In his memorable speech, Denys told the crowd, “I still remember the first time I stepped foot on this campus. That guy was definitely not the same person as this guy.”

As a young alumnus, he remains closely connected to George School. In the past year, he has attended soccer and basketball games to cheer on former teammates, and spent last summer as an adventure counselor for George School Day Camp. He even gave advice to a few senior students who were preparing Commencement speeches of their own. Denys describes his relationship with George School as “symbiotic” and gives back in any way he can.

Learn more about Denys’ GS experience: https://www.georgeschool.org/denys-sharpylos-symbiotic-relationship-with-george-school/

Fourteen George School students were selected to participate in the 29th Annual High School Art Exhibition for the Pennsylvania First Congressional District. The exhibition took place from Friday, March 29 through Sunday, April 14 at the Hicks Art Center Gallery at Bucks County Community College. Celine Ge ’26 received the exhibition’s Photography Award for her photo Woman at the Market, and Jillian Yao ’26 received an honorable mention for her digital art piece Subterranean.

Fourteen Students Exhibit at the 29th Annual High School Art Exhibition Fourteen George School students were selected to participate in the 29th Annual High School Art Exhibition for the Pennsylvania First Congressional District. The exhibition took place from Friday, March 29 through Sunday, April 14 at the Hicks Art Center Gallery at Bucks County Community College. Ce...

GS Field Studies students made new friends with a few creatures who also call GS home 🐢

Students set up aquatic turtle traps in the pond to catch, identify, collect morphological data, and release turtles! They met three native Eastern Painted Turtles and two invasive Red Eared Sliders.

📸: Bob Fest, science teacher

Spend your summer at GS! George School Summer Academy offers programs for students to explore new subjects, interests, and ideas while building critical skills for the upcoming school year. Rising 11th and 12th grade students can prepare their next steps with college essay writing and SAT prep courses. Students ages 11-14 can choose from courses in subjects ranging from creative writing, public speaking, math, technology and more! Link in bio to view full course offerings and register.

Reliving this weekend ☀️Thank you to UMOJA for bringing the community together for such an amazing weekend!

🎥: Jordan Page, Assistant Director of Admission

Cheer on our cougars on Friday, April 19 for George School Westtown Day! Our baseball, lacrosse, softball, and tennis teams will face-off against Westtown. Games begin at 4:00 pm, followed by a community BBQ dinner from 5:00-7:30 pm. Can’t wait to see you there! Register here: https://www.georgeschool.org/alumni/upcoming-events/george-school-westtown-day/

Alums, families, and friends—come and show your 💚cougar spirit🤍 on Friday, April 19 for George School Westtown Day! Cheer on our baseball, lacrosse, softball, and tennis teams as they take on Westtown. Games begin at 4:00 pm, followed by a community BBQ dinner from 5:00-7:30 pm. Can’t wait to see you there! Register here: https://www.georgeschool.org/alumni/upcoming-events/george-school-westtown-day/

Chéri Mellor and Edna Valdepeñas have raised their children while living and working at GS, seeing them grow into young adults shaped by their experience living on campus.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to spend most of my life engaged in this Friends community,” said Chéri. “Here you will find many hands to hold and many ears to listen as you and your family become part of this larger family. This is a community where growth is more important than achievements, where service and outreach are inherent in our mindset. There is indeed a Light within every community member.”

“The safety of living on the GS campus gave our kids so much,” said Edna. “They had moments to play four-square and engage with the older students, and explore campus in an independent and joyful way. All of our children have grown into caring and confident people, determined to make a positive impact on the world.”

Maia ’15: What was most meaningful growing up at GS was having a community that always had my best interests in mind. Everyone was so kind and caring. I had my own built-in support growing up and it was great!

Zoe ’18: The connections you make at GS can last past high school and even past college. Take advantage of all the opportunities the school has to offer.

Jordan ’19: Life is full of opportunities, and GS lets you explore so many. It's not a race to discover your passion, and you may find that you have several. The GS experience is what you make of it, so don't give up any opportunity to try something new.

Xavier ’24: I understand that starting at a new school can be nerve-wracking, but I've found that a simple "hi" can help break the ice and create connections. I myself am eager to meet all kinds of people, and I've found that GS is filled with like-minded individuals. I encourage everyone to put themselves out there and enjoy all the opportunities for connection that our school offers!