Garrison Forest School

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Garrison Forest School
Location
Map
Owings Mills, Maryland

United States
Coordinates39°24′38.52″N 76°45′49.14″W / 39.4107000°N 76.7636500°W / 39.4107000; -76.7636500
Information
MottoEsse quam videri
(To Be Rather Than To Seem)
Established1910[1]
FounderMary Moncrieffe Livingston[2]
Head teacherChristopher A. Hughes (2017-present)
GradesPre-K–12
GenderGirls (K-12)[3]
Co-ed (age 2 to PK)[4]
Enrollment555[3]
Color(s)   Light and dark blue[5]
Song"Alma Mater"[8] (to the tune of "God, the Omnipotent!")[citation needed]
Team nameGarrison Grizzlies[6]
AccreditationsMSA, AIMS
YearbookRagged Robins[7]
Websitewww.gfs.org

Garrison Forest School (GFS) is a non-denominational private college preparatory boarding and day school located on a 110 acres (45 ha) campus in Owings Mills, Maryland.[3][9][4] GFS offers kindergarten through 12th grade for girls as well as a co-educational program for pre-K.[10] The school is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools[11] and the Association of Independent Maryland Schools.[12]

History[edit]

Advertisement for GFS in a 1920 edition of the Baltimore Sun

Garrison Forest was established by Mary Moncrieffe Livingston (1869-1956), the head of a day school in Kingston, New York, in 1910.[1][13][2] She had previously visited Baltimore to visit her sister and brother-in-law and was invited by the community to start a co-ed school.[13][2] The school she set up was located in a house off of Reisterstown Road in the Green Spring Valley Historic District.[13] At its start, the primary school was co-ed while high school was for female students only.[citation needed] Within two years of opening, Livingston purchased an additional 9 acres (3.6 ha) of land and expanded the school's facilities, including the addition of a stable.[13] By 1916, the school had 40 students total; in 1920, five students graduated from GFS.[14][15]

Livingston served as the first headmistress from the school's inception until her retirement in 1929.[2][13] She was followed by co-headmistresses Jean Marshall and Nancy Offutt,[13] who started the school's riding program[citation needed] and oversaw the school until 1960. They were replaced by Archibald Montgomery IV, the first headmaster.[13] In 1961, the school grounds had expanded to 85 acres (34 ha), with two gymnasiums and two dormitories among the buildings.[13][16] At this time, there were 300 students between ages 10 and 18 and the school had about 1,000 alumni.[13] Montgomery was replaced in 1968 by Lawrence Hlavacek.[17][18][19] Under Hlavacek, the school bought a 142 acres (57 ha) farm near Butler with the intention of developing it into a new campus, but eventually sold the site and returned to developing the existing campus.[20] At this time, they were also discussing merging with St. Timothy's School and McDonogh School, but instead decided to merge with the nearby Valley School, a co-ed PK to sixth grade school, in 1975.[21][20] By the time Hlavacek retired in 1978, the school enrollment was up to 407, 75 of which were boarders.[20][17]

Aggie Underwood served as headmistress from 1978-1989; Alexander Uhle was interim headmaster from 1989-1990; and Midge Bowman held this role from 1990-1994.[20][22][23] [24] She was succeeded by G. Peter O'Neill, Jr., who began as an interim head before taking on the position permanently.[25][26] O'Neill oversaw major campus expansion and established an academic partnership with Johns Hopkins University.[25] GFS reached an all-time high enrollment of 596 students under him in 1999.[27] He retired in 2014, making him the second-longest serving school head at 20 years, with Marshall and Offutt having worked 31.[13][26] He was replaced by Kimberly Roberts (2014-2017).[26] Next was interim head Lila Boyce Lohr (2017-2018), who graduated from GFS in 1963, followed by current headmaster Christopher Hughes (2018-present).[28][29] In 2019, an anonymous donor gave $5 million to the school, the largest donation in GFS history. The donation was used to renovate the main Upper School Building and library and to construct a new dormitory.[9] As of the 2021/2022 academic year, 555 students were enrolled.[3]

Academics and extracurriculars[edit]

The student to faculty ratio at Garrison Forest is about 7:1.[3] Many of the academic and supplemental activities and programs at GFS center on the natural world, lab science, and community engagement. The area around campus is wooded and is used as an outdoor classroom.[30] There is also a beekeeping club to take care of the two bee colonies introduced to campus in 2018 with a grant from the Central Maryland Beekeeping Association.[31]

In 2004, O'Neill worked to create the Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) program, which allowed upperclassmen to work in labs at Johns Hopkins University twice a week for 15 weeks.[32][9] GFS students are mentored by faculty and graduate students while they conduct research.[33] In 2017, GFS was chosen as one of six schools nationwide to pilot a lab-based course from Small World Initiative.[33]

During World War II, students at Garrison Forest started the Service League, a student-lead community outreach program. Examples of affiliated charities and organizations include Ruth's Closet (House of Ruth), Women for Afghan Women, and the Baltimore Humane Society.[34][35][36] Since 2005, the GFS faculty, staff, and administrators have sponsored a Habitat for Humanity house in Baltimore, an annual project that grew out of the school's initial reaction to Hurricane Katrina. The first GFS Habitat house was given to a family who relocated from New Orleans to Baltimore post-hurricane.[citation needed] GFS also offers the Jenkins Fellow program, a summerlong service project fellowship that can take place in the United States or abroad.[37]

The Lower School has had a financial competency curriculum, which includes visits from financial experts and virtual stock market trading games, at its core since 2015.[4] Seventh graders at the Middle School participate in a Shark Tank-inspired group project where they create and pitch innovative ideas.[4] GFS is also home to a Confucius Classroom, the first at a private school in Maryland, in association with Hanban and University of Maryland's Confucius Institute. It is the core of "Chinese language and cultural programs at the school."[38]

The 25-student Middle School chorus was invited by the Distinguished Concerts International New York to perform at Carnegie Hall in 2016 in as part of a 200-person choir. They have also won first place Women's Choir during the Music in the Parks festival at Hershey Park several times, including annually between 2010-2015.[39] GFS' a capella group is called the Ragged Robins after the school flower.[7][40]

Campus life[edit]

Boarding[edit]

High school students have the option to live on campus in one of three residence halls.[41][42] About 27% of the student population boards.[7]

Athletics[edit]

The school flower, Centaurea cyanus, also called the ragged robin

Athletics have been a crucial part of the CFS curriculum since its foundation.[13] For most of its history (1919-1993), GFS was part of the Maryland Scholastic Association until public high schools left the league to join the statewide Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association, for which GFS was not eligible.[citation needed] The school is now part of the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland and boasts 48 teams across 16 sports, not including their dance, riding or polo teams.[43][6] On-campus facilities include an equestrian center with more than 15 paddocks; a show and event area; an indoor polo ring; four athletic fields, two of which are turf; six tennis courts; and the Elizabeth B. Searle '74 Athletic Center, which was opened in 2002.[44][45][46][47]

One of the earliest intramural sports at GFS was soccer, which was introduced in 1931 and acknowledged by the Baltimore Sun as the "only girls' institution in this vicinity known to teach soccer in the spring."[48] A cow pasture on campus was converted into a hockey field; in its early days, before GFS had other teams to play, students competed with faculty.[13] GFS added mountain biking as a fall sport and joined the Maryland Interscholastic Cycling League in 2018. The school also participates in equestrian sports such as equitation, showjumping, and eventing, in addition to their championship polo team.[49][45][50]

The GFS polo program was started in 1979 by Martha Williams's father.[51][52] The team competes as part of the United States Polo Association’s Interscholastic Division and is recognized as the only girls' school in the United States to offer the sport.[45][51][9] As such, GFS polo players compete against both co-ed and male teams from high schools, colleges, and local clubs.[51][4][45] Between 1979 and 2017, the polo team had won 13 championships.[45] Between 1995 and 2012, six players had won the Polo Training Foundation's Interscholastic Player of the Year Award.[citation needed]

Traditions[edit]

Upon enrollment, high school students are split into two spirit teams: light blue or dark blue.[53][6][54][5] At graduation, students wear white formal clothing and are given a bouquet of ragged-robins, the school flower, to carry during the commencement ceremony.[55][56]

In media[edit]

The 1990 film Metropolitan refers to Garrison Forest as "one of those horsey girls' schools."[57]

Notable graduates[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Garrison Forest School Inc". National Science Teaching Association. n.d. Retrieved 2022-06-23.
  2. ^ a b c d "Miss Livingston Funeral Set". The Evening Sun. Baltimore, MD. 1956-01-27. Retrieved 2022-06-23.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Garrison Forest School". Study International. 2021-09-20. Retrieved 2022-06-23.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Strong Foundations at Garrison Forest School". Baltimore Jewish Living. 2021-10-19. Retrieved 2022-06-23.
  5. ^ a b "Spirit". Garrison Forest School. n.d. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  6. ^ a b c "IAAM MEMBER SCHOOLS". Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland. n.d. Retrieved 2022-06-23.
  7. ^ a b c "Garrison Forest School". Boarding School Review. 2022. Retrieved 2022-06-23.
  8. ^ "Middle School Handbook 2021-2022" (PDF). Garrison Forest School. 2021. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  9. ^ a b c d "Garrison Forest School Receives Largest Gift in School History for Construction and Renovations". Baltimore Fishbowl. 2019-03-20. Retrieved 2022-06-23.
  10. ^ "Finding the Right Private School". Baltimore Jewish Times. 2019-08-14. Retrieved 2022-06-23.
  11. ^ "School Profile". Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. n.d. Retrieved 2022-06-23.
  12. ^ "AIMS School Directory (as of 101921)" (PDF). Association of Independent Maryland Schools. 2021-10-19. Retrieved 2022-06-23.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Anson, Cherrill (1961-04-30). "Garrison's Fifty Years". The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, MD. Retrieved 2022-06-23.
  14. ^ "Lene Graduate At Garrison Forest". The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, MD. 1916-06-02. Retrieved 2022-06-23.
  15. ^ "5 grads at Garrison Forest". The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, MD. 1920-06-02. Retrieved 2022-06-23.
  16. ^ "Breaking the Color Barrier: Greta McDonald Anderson '74 and Sheila Love '74". The Garrison Forest School Magazine. Owings Mills, MD: Garrison Forest School. 2020. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  17. ^ a b "L.L. Hlavacek heads school". The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, MD. 1968-06-05. Retrieved 2022-06-23.
  18. ^ Snyder, Dutch (1978-11-13). "Garrison Forest Trees Its Rivals". The Evening Sun. Baltimore, MD. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  19. ^ "Hill School names new headmaster". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, PA. 1968-01-17. Retrieved 2022-06-23.
  20. ^ a b c d Salagnik, M. William (1978-09-24). "New chief has business acumen". The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, MD. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  21. ^ "Garrison Forest and Valley School to merge". The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, MD. 1974-07-13. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  22. ^ Strauss, Valerie (2022-05-09). "Sharp, Sassy and Going Out on Top". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  23. ^ "Interim headmaster". Deseret News. 1990-05-03. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  24. ^ "The Silent Generation: "What will unfold next?"". The Bush School. Owings Mills, MD: Garrison Forest School. 2018. Retrieved 2022-06-23.
  25. ^ a b "Mentor/Mentee Profile: Developing Skills and Confidence". Carney Sandoe & Associates. 2019-05-15. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  26. ^ a b c Heubeck, Elizabeth (2014-09-02). "Big Fish: Garrison Forest School Starts the School Year Under New Leadership for the First Time in 20 Years". Baltimore Fishbowl. Retrieved 2022-06-23.
  27. ^ Thahn Dang, Dan (1961-04-30). "Garrison Forest begins building athletic facility". The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, MD. Retrieved 2022-06-23.
  28. ^ "Three Questions with Lila Boyce Lohr '63". Garrison Forest School. 2021-01-27. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  29. ^ Uehlinger, Sandi (2018-11-01). "MEET CHRIS HUGHES: HEAD OF GARRISON FOREST SCHOOL". Cool Progeny. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  30. ^ "Program Spotlight: Garrison Forest School". Baltimore Fishbowl. 2020-10-12. Retrieved 2022-06-23.
  31. ^ "Garrison Forest School welcomes two colonies of bees to campus creating buzz for STEM curriculum and student-led clubs". Baltimore Fishbowl. 2018-04-17. Retrieved 2022-06-23.
  32. ^ Parks, Emily (2019-11-17). "The WISE Program at Garrison Forest School". Baltimore Fishbowl. Retrieved 2022-06-23.
  33. ^ a b Achenbach, Sarah (2017-04-04). "Garrison Forest School 1 of 6 Schools Nationally Tapped by Small World Initiative to Discover New Antibiotics". Retrieved 2022-06-23.
  34. ^ "Service League". Garrison Forest School. n.d. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  35. ^ "Morgan Alumni to Produce "For Colored Girls" in Baltimore". Morgan State University. 2013-07-18. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  36. ^ Stiehm, Jamie (2007-04-21). "Fighting for 'the forgotten'". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  37. ^ "Garrison Forest Jenkins Fellows Create Change Around the World". Baltimore Fishbowl. 2017-11-07. Retrieved 2022-06-23.
  38. ^ "Confucius comes to Owings Mills". The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, MD. 2011-02-01. Retrieved 2022-06-23.
  39. ^ Achenbach, Sarah (2016-03-04). "Garrison Forest Middle School Chorus Members to Perform at Carnegie Hall on March 7". Baltimore Fishbowl. Retrieved 2022-06-23.
  40. ^ "Garrison Forest musicians hit high notes". Garrison Forest School Magazine. Owings Mills, MD: Garrison Forest School. 2012. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  41. ^ "Garrison Forest School". Newsweek. n.d. Retrieved 2022-06-23.
  42. ^ "Garrison Forest School Residential Life Handbook 2019-2020" (PDF). Garrison Forest School. 2019. Retrieved 2022-06-23.
  43. ^ "HOME OF THE GRIZZLIES". Garrison Forest School. n.d. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  44. ^ "Garrison Forest dedicates center". The Baltimore Sun. 2002-05-09. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  45. ^ a b c d e Seidel, Jeff (2017-11-14). "All-girls Garrison Forest School quietly builds a national polo powerhouse in Owings Mills". Retrieved 2022-06-23.
  46. ^ "ATHLETIC FACILITIES". Garrison Forest School. n.d. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  47. ^ Atwood, Liz. "School seeks more space for athletics; Garrison Forest requests approval of field house, equestrian center". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  48. ^ "Soccer joins girls' sports". The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, MD. 1961-04-30. Retrieved 2022-06-23.
  49. ^ Dunn, Katherine; Lovelace, Stefen (2008-04-30). "Garrison Forest rides off in a blaze of perfection". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  50. ^ "Garrison Forest School Joins Inaugural Year of the New Maryland Interscholastic Cycling League". Baltimore Fishbowl. 2018-11-15. Retrieved 2022-06-23.
  51. ^ a b c "GARRISON FOREST SCHOOL POLO 40TH ANNIVERSARY EVENT". US Polo. 2019-10-24. Retrieved 2022-06-23.
  52. ^ a b Doyle, Michael (2021-11-12). "FWS pick Martha Williams saddles up for a challenge". E&E News. Retrieved 2022-06-23.
  53. ^ "Garrison Forest School". Cool Progeny. n.d. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  54. ^ "GARRISON FOREST SCHOOL DORMITORY". Curry Architects. n.d. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  55. ^ "Commencement". Garrison Forest School. 2022. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  56. ^ a b c "2021 GFS Alumnae Magazine". Garrison Forest School Magazine. Owings Mills, MD: Garrison Forest School. 2021. Retrieved 2022-06-23.
  57. ^ "METROPOLITAN (1990) - FULL TRANSCRIPT". SubsLikeScript. n.d. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  58. ^ "Louise Serpa (1925-2012)". Arizona Women's Hall of Fame. 2017. Retrieved 2022-06-23.
  59. ^ Quinn, Sally (1978-03-28). "Sheila Isham's Astro-Soul Expedition". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2022-06-23.
  60. ^ Gilfoyle, Timothy J. (2018). "Breaking Chicago eaking Chicago's Glass Ceilings: Making Hist s Glass Ceilings: Making History Inter y Interviews with views with Deborah L. DeHaas and Adele S. Simmons". Chicago History. 42 (2): 46–64. Retrieved 2022-06-23.
  61. ^ a b c "2013 Hall of Excellence Inductees". Garrison Forest School Magazine. Owings Mills, MD: Garrison Forest School. 2013. Retrieved 2022-06-23.
  62. ^ "Creel-Tufo". Chicago Tribune. Chicago, IL. 1964-10-23. Retrieved 2022-06-23.
  63. ^ "Victoria Anna Lewis Is Married Here; '60 Debutante Wed to H.A. Dearborn—9 Attend Bride". The New York Times. 1964-11-22. Retrieved 2022-06-23.
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  65. ^ a b "2015 Hall of Excellence Inductees". Garrison Forest School Magazine. Owings Mills, MD: Garrison Forest School. 2015. Retrieved 2022-06-23.
  66. ^ Monroe, Rachel (2013-06-12). "Local Girl Makes Good — And Takes Home the Top Tony Award". Baltimore Fishbowl. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  67. ^ "GARRISON FOREST SCHOOL: A big congrats to Sarah LeBrun Ingram '84 and the USA team on their victory in the Curtis Cup". North Baltimore Journal. 2022-06-16. Retrieved 2022-06-23.
  68. ^ "Hall of Excellence". Retrieved 2022-06-23.
  69. ^ Myers, Alexandra (2021-02-08). "Alyson Grine becomes only LGBTQ+ person currently serving on state Superior Court". The Daily Tar Heel. Retrieved 2022-06-23.
  70. ^ McClain, Joshua (1999-07-28). "Olympic gold medalist joins UA swimming". Wildcat Online - The University of Arizona. Retrieved 2022-06-23.
  71. ^ Malarkey, Jaime (2006-08-15). "Owings Mills teen vies for national crown". Washington Examiner. Retrieved 2022-06-23.
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