ANNUAL REPORT | CONNECTIONS NEWSLETTER, SPRING/SUMMER 2015 i

ANNUAL REPORT CONNECTiONS NEWSLETTER

SPRiNG/SUMMER

2015

GROVES ACADEMYii

i LOVE GROVES ACADEMY BECAUSE iT GAVE ME THE OPPORTUNiTY TO HAVE A BETTER FUTURE.DAVIS LLOYD CLASS OF 2015

CONTENTS

Letter from Head of School . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Class of 2015 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Alumni Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Faculty Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Board Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

The Learning Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Scholarship Gala Recap . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

2013-2014 Financials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

2014-2015 By the Numbers . . . . . . . . . . 11

Groves Academy Gets Strategic . . . . . . 12

ANNUAL REPORT | CONNECTIONS NEWSLETTER, SPRING/SUMMER 2015 1

The 2014-15 school year was another terrific year of accomplishment

at Groves Academy. With a record 239 students enrolled, we were all

busy learning, creating, and enjoying one another’s company.

A new math curriculum, Singapore Math, was implemented

for our lower school and half of our middle school with our

consultant giving us an “A” . We had extremely competitive

soccer and basketball teams with record participation from

the student body . Under the direction of Simon McAllister,

the upper school drama club produced two plays, Robin

Hood and Almost Maine, which were very well received .

The organization continues to grow both in the number of

students served and in the number and quality of programs

offered . It’s an exciting time to be a part of the Groves

Academy Community!

We also initiated a major undertaking in the creation of The

Learning Center at Groves Academy . The Learning Center

is a division of the organization that provides ancillary

services to both Groves students and to students from the

community at large . It is described in detail in an article in

this newsletter .

Board members along with teachers and staff recently

re-examined the organization’s mission, vision, and values .

The mission was revised to make it more concise and

easier to convey to the community . It now reads, “We build

confidence, success, and purpose through transformative

learning experiences .” Our new vision statement is “to

redefine the way our nation is taught one student, one

teacher, and one school at a time .” The board and the

school’s faculty and staff also spent considerable time

discussing our core values . In the end, we were all in

agreement that authenticity, collaboration, compassion,

discovery, and tenacity are important qualities for each

Groves community member to aspire towards . The mission,

vision, and our core values guide our decision making,

and examples of their use can be found throughout the

building—including in the classrooms . This work has

strengthened the school and has led us to becoming more

cohesive and purpose driven .

Finally, we had terrific community support this year . Due

to your generosity, we surpassed our fundraising goal of

$1,250,000, raising more than $367,000 than we did last

year! In addition, we had more than 450 donors this year

than last year . Clearly, the word of the good work we are

doing here is spreading . We cannot continue this good work

without your support . From everyone at Groves Academy—

especially the students, we thank you for your generosity

and we look forward to working with you during the 2015-16

school year .

With gratitude,

John AlexanderHEAD OF SCHOOL

DEAR FRiENDS

FOLLOW JOHN’S BLOG AT GROVESLiTERACY.WORDPRESS.COM

SAM FOLKMAN

FUTURE PLANS

Bethel University

iN HiS WORDS

“Groves Academy has been the biggest blessing in my life .”

CAMERON BRADSHAW

FUTURE PLANS

Minneapolis Community & Technical College

DAVIS LLOYD

FUTURE PLANS

Hamline University

iN HiS WORDS

“Before Groves Academy, college was never an option .”

SEAN LITWIN

FUTURE PLANS

University of Arizona

iN HiS WORDS

“I will use all of the knowledge

and skills Groves Academy has

given me for the rest of my life .”

SAM HARTMANN

FUTURE PLANS

Western State Colorado University

2015 VALEDiCTORiAN

CAMILLE HATFIELD

FUTURE PLANS

Augsburg College

MEET OUR SENiORS

CONGRATULATiONS TO THE GRADUATiNG CLASS OF 2015!

2 GROVES ACADEMY

ABIGAIL PERLINGER

FUTURE PLANS

University of Wisconsin-Superior for one year and then Oregon State University

OLIVIA NELSON

FUTURE PLANS

Normandale Community College

iN HER WORDS

“I now have another family here at Groves Academy .”

KAYLA SWEDBERG

FUTURE PLANS

Beacon College

ANDREW SJOSTROM

FUTURE PLANS

Minnesota Life College and Minneapolis College of Art and Design

DREW PETERSON

FUTURE PLANS

Army or Community College

iN HiS WORDS

“Going to Groves Academy saved

my life because ever since I’ve

been here I have actually been

understanding my classes .”

NICHOLAS SEVERSON

FUTURE PLANS

Working and furthering my education

ISAAC TAMBORNINO

FUTURE PLANS

Hamline University

EMANUELLE WILLIAMSON

FUTURE PLANS

Interior Design at Alexandria Technical &

Community College

QUOTE

“Every year (at Groves Academy)

since 4th grade in Ms . Brown’s

class has been amazing .”

3ANNUAL REPORT | CONNECTiONS NEWSLETTER, SPRiNG/SUMMER 2015

GROVES ACADEMY4

ALUMNi PROFiLE

Meredith Shankwitz

It started with a confession; “When I was in 4th grade I could

not read. That summer, I was tested for a learning disability

and, sure enough, I ended up having one.” The confession was

not to a close friend or family member. It was to 320 members

of the St. Louis Park High School graduating class of 2015.

It was part of Groves Academy alum Meredith Shankwitz’s

valedictorian speech on June 4 as a graduating senior.

Meredith vividly remembers an early elementary school

experience when her class was reading Betsy-Tacy and Tib .

Her teacher separated the class based on reading ability

and she had placed Meredith by herself . She couldn’t read .

Her parents, Kathleen and Craig, had a tutor help her after

school for a total of almost two hours per day . Meredith

knew that something was going on but she didn’t have

the words to describe it . It was her tutor who talked to her

parents about Groves Academy .

Meredith came to Groves Academy to “shadow” school

in the spring of her 4th grade year . “I still remember

everything I learned that day . The teacher talked about the

Demilitarized Zone and tied lots of different activities to that

one theme .” At the start of the summer, she was tested for

a learning disability . “I have a little dyslexia and dysgraphia

and have trouble with organization and putting things

together and in chronological order .”

Meredith started at Groves Academy in 5th grade and

stayed through her 8th grade year . “Groves Academy

taught me how to ask for help in a way teachers can

understand . I learned study skills and, of course, how

to read . Groves Academy taught me a lot .” Meredith

transitioned to St . Louis Park for high school . “I was

super scared to transition . I did not want to regress and

take backward steps after I had worked so hard to make

progress . I was nervous about falling through the cracks

and getting the help I needed .” What were her keys to

success? Meredith calls herself an obsessive studier . If

she had a few minutes before practice or a school activity,

she would spend that time studying . She also asked a lot

of questions . “Groves Academy taught me to be proactive

and pursue the help I need and ask the right questions

when I don’t understand something . I knew that if I didn’t

understand the first thing, I would not get the next concept .”

GROVES ACADEMY TAUGHT ME TO BE PROACTiVE AND PURSUE THE HELP i NEED.MEREDITH SHANKWITZ ALUMNI

ANNUAL REPORT | CONNECTIONS NEWSLETTER, SPRING/SUMMER 2015 5

FACULTY PROFiLE

Jean Hayward

Jean Hayward, dedicated faculty

member at Groves Academy, has

spent more than 30 years digging

deep into the realms of literacy.

Hayward came to Groves Academy after spending time

at The Reading Center in Rochester, MN and shared her

expertise with the Groves Academy community . Jean is

a self-proclaimed lifelong learner and encourages her

students to be as well . Heeding her own advice, Jean took

on a leadership role at Groves Academy by agreeing to

be the Singapore Math implementation manager . Through

her countless hours of research, studying, and workshop

attendance, she has developed a thorough understanding of

how math works and how to do more as a teacher to debunk

math myths . Her goal is “for students and teachers to enjoy

math and help them apply it .” She is thankful to the Groves

Academy administration for providing four days of intense

training in Singapore Math for the teachers and a boot camp

for the parents .

Meredith stayed connected to Groves Academy through

her high school experience with visits to teachers and

friends, talking about her transition experience to current

Groves Academy parents and helping another student

transition to St . Louis Park High School . “Groves Academy

also helped me a lot with ACT tutoring and preparation .

I took the test at Groves Academy and received the

accommodations I needed .”

Eight days after her graduation speech, Meredith left

Minnesota for New York to work on a farm for the summer

and to gain valuable experience for her future . “My neighbor

is a holistic veterinarian and has a friend in New York near

Cooperstown . They have an all-natural, grass-fed beef farm .

I’m working and living on their farm for the summer . I always

wanted to live in the country and have horses and cows and

lots of land . I went to camp for a month and loved working

on the farm, gardening, and working with some cows . This

summer I wanted an experience with a larger farm and a

bigger operation .” A normal day means getting up 5:30 a .m .

and getting home from the field at 6 or 7 p .m . She goes to

bed at 10 p .m . and does it all over again . “It’s a little intense,

venturing into new waters, but I love it, and it’s so beautiful .”

For fun, Meredith likes to run near the glacier lake on the

farm and ride horses .

Meredith’s decision on how to spend her summer was

purposeful . She intends to start studying agricultural

engineering at college this fall . “I love agriculture and my

dad is an engineer, so I put the two together .” Meredith said

choosing a college was a difficult decision . The summer

before her senior year, she applied to six of the Midwest

colleges she was interested in and was accepted at them all .

She narrowed it down to Montana State and Iowa State and

wrote a long list of pros and cons . She ultimately selected

Iowa State . Meredith wanted to be geographically close to

home, but at a big enough campus to have lots of different

opportunities . “I’m pretty nervous (about college) but that’s

okay, I’ve been nervous about school before .” And, like her

graduation speech says, “With hard work and dedication,

you can achieve many goals .”

GROVES ACADEMY6

BOARD PROFiLE

Q & A with Groves Academy’s newest board member, alum, and alumni parent, Dan Deikel

What do you remember about being a student at Groves Academy?

I attended Groves Academy as a 7th grader to help improve

my reading skills . It was the first year the school was located

at the current St . Louis Park location . I was a slow reader

and had difficulty comprehending what I read . I remember

Mr . Walker and other teachers who helped me organize and

break down a chapter in a way that helped me . I was able

to read at my own pace, eliminating the pressure of falling

behind . I remember I had diagnostic testing and attended

summer school prior to attending regular classes . As I look

back, for such a small school, I was surprised by how many

students were from Minnetonka .

At the time, there were no formal sports offered, so

I participated in a recreational football league in my

hometown . After one year, I transitioned to Woods

Academy and then to Minnetonka High School .

Your son Matthew attended Groves Academy for one year, too . What was your experience as a parent?

I remember Matthew and I attending orientation night at

the beginning of the school year . It was a great opportunity

for Matthew to meet new friends and for me to meet other

parents . I have clear memories of each parent sharing what

brought them to Groves Academy and of returning parents

sharing how it changed their child’s life . It was emotional .

Groves Academy is more than just a school—it feels like a

big family where everyone is welcomed with open arms . It

makes a difference in so many people’s lives . My son played

soccer and basketball while at Groves Academy, which were

good opportunities for him to be social and get to know

other kids . I don’t know that my son understands now what

Groves Academy did for him, but he will one day .

How did your Groves Academy experience impact you?

It took a number of years to understand what Groves

Academy gave me and the impact it had on me . Now I enjoy

reading for fun and learning and teaching myself new things .

I think it’s important for kids who have a learning disability

to be given the opportunity to have it identified, so they can

get the help they need . Groves Academy not only provides

educational help, but emotional stability as well .

You are a new board member and a donor to Groves Academy . What made you want to get involved at a deeper level?

Kids are our future; they need the right assistance and

attention to help them achieve their goals . Groves Academy

is a place to get tutored, to get diagnostic testing, like I did,

and so much more .

If there’s a way that I can help Groves Academy get the

word out, I am happy to give my time and help in whatever

capacity I can . It’s my way to give back for the benefits that

my son and I received from being at Groves Academy . I am

excited and ready to dive in .

What message would you send to the greater community about Groves Academy?

I have had great teachers at other schools, but they weren’t

provided the resources or knowledge to understand or help

me . It’s important that each student have the opportunity to

seek out the help they need to succeed . I think we need to

broaden teacher resources allowing them to become better

educators . We need to eliminate cookie-cutter education .

The more knowledge and training we provide will allow

teachers to prepare our children for the future .

I wish we could break down the barriers between public and

private schools and invest $1 now instead of $10 later, to

educate our youth and develop community-minded citizens .

I would like to see Groves Academy replicated .

GROVES ACADEMY BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2015-2016

ANNUAL REPORT | CONNECTIONS NEWSLETTER, SPRING/SUMMER 2015

John AlexanderHEAD OF SCHOOL

Dr . Peter Brown

Dan Deikel

Franklin Groves, Jr .

Debra Hamilton, M .D .

David Iverson

Scott Lang

Nancy NordmeyerTREASURER

Suanne Orenstein

Steve Pontius

Megan Prindiville

Karen SangerCHAiR

Tom SassSECRETARY

Thomas SchnackViCE CHAiR

Gary Schiess

i LOVE GROVES ACADEMY BECAUSE OF THE SMALL CLASSROOM AND TEACHERS AND STUDENTS. AVA MONRO CURRENT STUDENT

7

GROVES ACADEMY8

As many in the community know, Groves Academy is much more than just a

school for 239 students. Groves Academy also offers an array of services for the

community at large. Designed specifically for students with learning disabilities

and attention deficit disorders, these services include diagnostic testing, tutoring,

career counseling, college support services, assistive technology assessments

and coaching, and speech and language evaluations and services.

These ancillary services have always been isolated (“siloed”) with no coordination between

them . They developed independently and organically with little administrative management

or plans for future growth . During the summer of 2014, someone here had a revelation

(though we are unsure who had it) that bundling these services would have benefits for

families and the school . Soon after, Jim Meinen, senior director of business operations, Pat

Erlinger, finance director, John Alexander, head of school, and the managers of each of the

services—Ray Boyd (diagnostics), Kim Aune (tutoring), Clare Roney (career counseling), Josh

Tierney (college support services), Todd Hanson (assistive technology), and Rich Kammueller

(speech and language), began meeting to discuss how to better deliver these services . By

summer’s end, this cross-functional team had created a business case that revealed that

there could be a revenue benefit to the organization if the services were managed and

integrated under the umbrella of a learning center . The team also strongly believed that

families using the services would have a better experience if the services were centrally

managed and integrated .

The outreach committee of the board of trustees reviewed the business case, gave input,

and ultimately recommended to the board of trustees that we proceed with the development

of a learning center . In the winter of 2015, the board unanimously approved the concept, and

The Learning Center at Groves Academy was officially born .

Groves Academy administrators spent the next six months moving the concept of The

Learning Center into an operational phase . In doing so, the cross-functional team met

frequently to discuss how services could be integrated to create efficiencies and to maximize

the potential to families using the services . We also discussed the intake process and how

the Learning Center would be presented to the public .

THE LEARNiNG CENTERAT GROVES ACADEMY

ANNUAL REPORT | CONNECTIONS NEWSLETTER, SPRING/SUMMER 2015 9

After weeks of discussions, it was decided that Jim Meinen would direct The

Learning Center until revenue could sustain a new director . After a lengthy

process, a relationship manager was hired . Kim Aune will be responsible

for ensuring that all families who use services through the Learning Center

have quality experiences . She will bring service managers to the table to

have discussions with families about how best to deliver the services a family

is using . In doing so, services will be designed and integrated to meet the

specific needs of the student . This team approach is used by some of the best

service providers in the country including Mayo Clinic and Massachusetts

General Hospital .

In addition to providing integrated and quality services to families, the Learning

Center will generate net revenue that the board can use to make capital

investments for the school . Funds generated by The Learning Center can be

used towards scholarships, to invest in new programs, and to keep tuition

increases more modest . Clearly, the benefits of The Learning Center will affect

more than just the families availing themselves of the services .

This article officially launches The Learning Center at Groves Academy to the

greater Twin Cities community . We are excited to make this announcement and

to work with thousands of families in the future . Please do not hesitate to reach

out to us with questions, comments, or referrals . We appreciate your support!

FOR MORE iNFORMATiON GO TO

WWW.GROVESACADEMY.ORG/THE-LEARNiNG-CENTER/

SAVE THE DATE 2015

HOMECOMING WEEK September 28-October 3

COLLEGE FAIR Tuesday, October 20 6-8 p .m . at Groves Academy

GIVE TO THE MAX DAY Thursday, November 12

GROVES ACADEMY SCHOLARSHIP GALA Saturday, April 9, 2016 Marriott City Center

AN INSPIRATIONAL AND PHILANTHROPIC NIGHT

The 38th Annual Groves Academy

Scholarship gala was held on April

11, 2015 . The gala is an evening of

celebration where Groves Academy’s

mission of building confidence,

success, and purpose through

transformative learning experiences

is showcased . Jonathan Mooney -

author, dyslexic, and public speaker

highlighted the evening with his

gravitating keynote speech . Together

sponsors, donors, families, volunteers

and staff raised approximately

$500,000 for deserving students for

whom a Groves Academy education

would not be possible without

scholarship support . Save the date for

next year - April 9, 2016!

GROVES ACADEMY

68+13+10+4+5+w70+23+7+w

2013-2014 FiNANCiALS

REVENUES

Tuition $5,776,662

Outreach $1,097,199

(Financial Aid disbursement) ($858,785)

Total $6,015,076

Annual & Scholarship Gifts $870,586

Restricted Gifts $345,836

Other Income $409,303

Net Revenue Total $7,640,801

EXPENSES

Program Expense $5,563,390

Management & General $1,782,379

Fundraising $591,658

Net Expense Total $7,937,427

Net loss = $(296,626)* *Includes depreciation

10

2013-2014 donor list can be found in the online version of this publication at grovesacademy.org

ANNUAL REPORT | CONNECTIONS NEWSLETTER, SPRING/SUMMER 2015 11

66+34+s2014-2015 Day school enrollment = 239 students

STUDENT DISABILITY INFORMATION

Students who have a learning disability and/or ADHD 100%

Students whose LD is in reading (dyslexia) or writing 89%

Students who have ADHD 66%

Students new to Groves Academy this year 30%

Students of color 24%

5-YEAR FINANCIAL AID ANALYSIS

SCHOOL YEAR RECEiVED ASSiSTANCEAVG AWARD

2014-2015 70 families $12,429

2013-2014 69 families $12,283

2012-2013 74 families $11,088

2011-2012 74 families $10,994

2010-2011 75 families $10,504

About 30% of our students receive financial aid.

For the 2014-15 school year, the total awarded

financial assistance was $870,000

The 239 students are from 36 different school districts

We draw the most

students (54)

from Minneapolis .

About 2/3 of our students live in the

Minneapolis, Edina, St . Paul,

Wayzata, Orono, or St . Louis

Park school districts .

64 (28%) transitioned from Groves Academy after 2013-14 school year

53 students

transitioned to

new schools .

11 students

graduated .

These 64 students

had been at Groves

Academy for an

average of 3 .5 years .

2014-2015 BY THE NUMBERS

GROVES ACADEMY

GROVES ACADEMY GETS STRATEGiC

Groves Academy Board of Trustees, staff, and faculty collaborated

on a plan for the future by revamping Groves Academy’s mission,

vision, values, and strategic priorities. The updates provide a

blueprint for Groves Academy students, teachers, and staff.

FOR OUR STUDENTS

GROW AND STRENGTHEN OUR DAY SCHOOL

Groves Academy expands the day school, strengthens

and enhances its programs and curriculum, while

maintaining the highest quality instruction for students

with learning disabilities .

FOR THE ACADEMY

FORTIFY OUR FOUNDATION

Groves Academy is financially secure, managed by strong

leadership, a well-structured organization, quality facilities,

and infrastructure that are best suited to deliver the Groves

Academy’ strategic plan .

STRATEGiC PRiORiTiES

OUR VALUES

At the heart of Groves Academy is a community where students, families, faculty, and staff are engaged with a sense of belonging, sharing, and support . As a community, integrity and respect are intrinsic in everything we do .

AUTHENTICITY

We are genuine,

honest, and open in

our relationships, our

actions, and our words .

COLLABORATION

We gain energy when

we are working together

and recognize our

decisions and actions

are better when we

engage as a team .

DISCOVERY

We have a passion

to persistently learn,

explore, and innovate .

COMPASSION

We embrace each

other’s differences

and value our unique

abilities, personalities,

and styles .

TENACITY

We are driven to take

risks, to advocate, and

to encounter challenges

with boldness and a firm

resolve .

12

ANNUAL REPORT | CONNECTIONS NEWSLETTER, SPRING/SUMMER 2015

FOR THE COMMUNiTY

REACH OUT AND HELP OTHERS

Groves Academy is well respected for its contributions for

helping families, friends, professionals, and organizations

that support or serve students that are struggling to learn .

OUR MiSSiON

WE BUiLD CONFiDENCE, SUCCESS, AND PURPOSE THROUGH TRANSFORMATiVE LEARNiNG EXPERiENCES.

OUR ViSiON

TO REDEFiNE THE WAY OUR NATiON iS TAUGHT, ONE STUDENT, ONE TEACHER, AND ONE SCHOOL AT A TiME.

13

GROVES ACADEMY14

GROVES ACADEMY iS AN iNNOVATiVE SCHOOL, A PLACE THAT DARES TO APPROACH THiNGS DiFFERENTLY, A PLACE THAT SHOWS US THAT WE CAN SUCCEED iN OUR OWN WAY AND APPROACH LiFE WiTH AN OPEN MiND. SAM HARTMANN VALEDICTORIAN SPEECH, CLASS OF 2015

952.920.6377

GROVESACADEMY.ORG

3200 HiGHWAY 100 SOUTH

ST. LOUiS PARK, MN 55416