Adolescent Program

 

Contact:
nbeermann@greatriverschool.org
651-305-2780, ext. 60

Adol. Program Assistant, Gina Sedlacek
gsedlacek@greatriverschool.org

Message from the Adolescent Program Director

Welcome to the Adolescent Program! We are delighted to have you and your child join us on this exciting journey of growth, discovery, and learning.  The Adolescent Program has many opportunities to help our adolescents grow, from the fall Key experiences to student presentations at conferences. Take the time to explore the Adolescent program below.

 

Quick Links

International Baccalaureate Program (11th - 12th Grades)

What is IB @ GRS?

School Supply Lists

Report a change to a student’s Attendance (Late arrival, Early Departure)

To inform us of a late arrival or early departure, please use this form. All changes must be finalized no later than 2:45pm. After this time, staff are attending to students for end-of-day procedures and are unavailable to deliver messages to students and guides. Any permanent or recurring changes should be sent to attendance@greatriverschool.org.

Anonymous Bullying Reporting:
Speak Up! Number - 651-478-5834 

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See all public events on our 2024-25 Calendar (pdf)

Academics

The independent work environment and International Baccalaureate program are highly demanding of student responsibility, independence, and self-advocacy. If at any point a student is not making academic progress, struggling socially, or indicating the environment at Great River is not meeting their learning style/needs, the appropriate Great River party will meet with caregivers and the student to help create a plan for success.

  • The International Baccalaureate Program is well-known around the world for providing a rigorous, globally focused curriculum for college-bound students. At Great River, our focus on meaningful and challenging work means that every student attends classes organized around this curriculum. We are unusual among IB schools because here completing the curriculum is not an honors program but an expectation and goal for every student. We take a collaborative, supportive approach to helping every student reach graduation through this rewarding and rigorous work.

    For more information on IB at GRS, click here.

  • CAS is a required component of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program. Students are expected to engage in extracurricular activities that align with the three strands of the program. The three strands of CAS are:

    ■ Creativity – arts, and other experiences that involve creative thinking.

    ■ Activity – physical exertion contributing to a healthy lifestyle, complementing academic work elsewhere in the DP.

    ■ Community Engagement - local and global community engagement sustained over time, where students become positive change agents. The IB developed CAS to enable students to “enhance their personal and interpersonal development by learning through experience. It provides opportunities for self determination and collaboration with others, fostering a sense of accomplishment and enjoyment from their work. At the same time, CAS is an important counterbalance to the academic pressures” of school.

    Learn more about Adolescent Academics

  • Official academic reports are sent home electronically at the end of the fall and spring semesters for adolescent students.

    If you wish to make a special request to have the reports mailed by paper, please contact school administration at records@greatriverschool.org.

  • Adolescent students go on a grade level specific key experience trip every fall. For more information about GRS Key Experiences (click here - need link).

Adolescent Program FAQ

Upper Adolescent students continue to build knowledge and skills through core classes in preparation for the International Baccalaureate curriculum.

For other general adolescent program questions, contact Nick Beermann, Adolescent Program Director, at nbeermann@greatriverschool.org.

  • Key experiences are a key part of the Great River experience! All adolesent students, go on overnight camping trips with their peers and teachers. These trips are grade level-specific and frequently, the students' highlight of the year.

    To learn more about our Key Experiences, visit our Key Experience page.

  • 7th & 8th grade: Odyssey, a week-long trip celebrating the beginning of adolescence. At the end of the year, 7th and 8th Graders embark on a Bike Trip to Wisconsin.

    7 / 8 Odyssey Packing List
    7 / 8 Bike Trip Packing List

    9th grade: Sustainable agriculture at Philadelphia Community Farm.
    9th Grade Farm Trip Packing List

    10th grade: Learn about the Four Directions Development at Red Lake, and we are humbled and honored by the invitation. Our 10th year students will be visiting to learn about the projects underway by the nation’s farmers, entrepreneurs, businesses and attend the first day of the Food Summit in Red Lake, MN.
    10th Grade Itasca Packing List

    11th grade: North Star Quest, a four night camping trip to the North Shore. Students visit different colleges and take classes at the North House Folk School in Grand Marais.
    11th Grade NSQT) Packing List

    12th grade: Students canoe their way down the Namekagon river with their classmates and guides in the traditional four-night Senior Canoe Trip.
    12th Grade Canoe Packing List

  • All packing lists can be found in the Key Experiences section at the top of this page. 

  • Beginning in 7th grade, Great River provides 10-ride Metro Transit passes for students at no cost. When the passes are empty, students may turn them in at the front office and receive a new pass. Unlimited passes are given out on a case-by-case basis. To read more about transportation, click here.

  • Our College and Career Counselor, Kylie DeGrote, is available for college counseling, scholarship assistance, and resource gathering. She can be contacted at kdegrote@greatriverschool.org.