GEMS

TGFS school counselors attended the All Ohio Counselors ConferenceThe conference theme was Creativity @ Work, and our counseling staff had the opportunity to participate in a variety of relevant and timely topics in the counseling profession. Our school counselors support ALL students, helping them succeed academically, socially, and in their careers, and we appreciate their hard work every day!
TGFS school counselors attended the All Ohio Counselors Conference
What happens in CREW?GEMS middle school students created their own discussion protocols in CREW.
GEMS middle school students created their own discussion protocols in Crew.
GEMS Teachers and Staff Members
GEMS Teachers and Staff Members
GEMS 7th Graders Work On Podcasts with NPR/WOSU TVGEMS 7th graders toured the NPR/WOSU TV and recording studio as part of their long-term podcasting unit. Students will return to the NPR studio to professionally record their own podcasts, which examine how people impact the environment—and, in turn—how the environment impacts people.
7th graders toured the NPR/WOSU TV and recording studio as part of their long-term podcasting unit. Students will return to the NPR studio to professionally record their own podcasts, which examine how people impact the environment—and, in turn—how the environment impacts people.
GEMS Students Study BirdsGEMS 1st graders visited the Scioto Audubon Metro Park to launch their study of birds!
GEMS 1st graders visited the Scioto Audubon Metro Park to launch their study of birds!
Food Justice ExpeditionGEMS 8th grade students visited Jacquemin Farms to continue their Food Justice Expedition. They learned about how Industrial Private Farms function in the state of Ohio.
Food Justice Expedition
GEMS Students Visit Sharon Woods Metro ParkGEMS 3rd grade students visited Sharon Woods Metro Park where they explored the woods and pond in search of living organisms.
GEMS 3rd grade students visited Sharon Woods Metro Park where they explored the woods and pond in search of living organisms.
Reading BuddiesGEMS 7th graders have reading buddies with GEMS 2nd graders!
GEMS 7th graders have reading buddies with GEMS 2nd graders!
GEMS 7th Graders Visit OSUGEMS strives to connect our students with professionals and advocates in the community and provide authentic learning experiences. 7th grade students visited Ohio Stadium to learn how the university manages its zero waste program following game days and campus events.
GEMS strives to connect our students with professionals and advocates in the community and provide authentic learning experiences. 7th grade students visited Ohio Stadium to learn how the university manages its zero waste program following game days and campus events.

Upcoming Events

Nov
20

Picture Make Up Day

Wed Nov 20 2024
Nov
21
Nov
25

No School - PD Days

Mon Nov 25 2024
to Tue Nov 26 2024

Nov
27

No School - Thanksgiving Break

Wed Nov 27 2024
to Fri Nov 29 2024

Dec
6

No School - PD Day

Fri Dec 6 2024
Dec
11

Mingle Jingle Dance

Wed Dec 11 2024

News

GEMS student

Weekly Announcements

Nov 3, 2024
  • Thank you so much to all of the families who attended and donated to our Trunk or Treat event last week. It was a great time and a great turnout. We couldn’t do it without all of the support!
  • Please continue to remind your students of our 5 school-wide expectations:
    • We always walk in the building
    • We keep our hands, body, and objects to ourselves
    • We stay where we are supposed to be
    • We put our phones and electronics away during the school day- we are a cell phone and earbud-free building from 8:30am to 3:15pm
    • We communicate using school-appropriate language
  • Thank you for your continued partnership as we continue to grow and develop our school community. 
  • This week our Habit focus of the week, and for the next few weeks is teamwork. Ask your students how they are displaying teamwork at school within our GEMS community. Our Groovy Gryhon Spirit Day this Friday will be pajama day. 
  • As a reminder, during arrival and dismissal, please do your best to make room for buses so they can pull close to the curb, avoiding the need to load or unload in the middle of the street. We also ask that you avoid leaving your vehicle in a way that blocks the road. We want to be considerate neighbors and ensure traffic can still move along 16th Avenue during our busiest times. Thank you for your cooperation
  • Join us for our Family Game Night and bake sale on November 21st at 5:30pm. Bring a board game to share and get ready to get competitive! 
  •  Also Mark your calendars for our second after-school paint along will be at 6:00pm on Thursday, December 5th with art teachers Ms. Claire and Ms. Carissa. It will take place in the gym! Come join us for a free, fun community art activity. All family members are welcome!
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GEMS students

Celebrating Our Growth and Dedication to Excellence

School Report Card (2023-2024 school year)
We are excited to share that the Ohio Department of Education has recently released the 2023-24 Ohio School Report Cards, and our three schools - The Graham SchoolThe Charles School at Ohio Dominican University, and Graham Elementary and Middle School - have much to be proud of! While we recognize that there is work to be done, these results reflect the tremendous progress we’ve made as a community.
 
Highlights:
  • All 3 schools achieved a performance index of achievement that meets or exceeds the requirements that Ohio considers when determining high quality schools.
  • TCS was able to meet the High Quality Charter School funding requirements for the second year in a row and GEMS was able to meet these requirements for the first of two years for qualification. 
  • TGS has met one requirement (performance index) and aims to continue working towards the progress score needed to meet the first year of qualification for High Quality funding. 
  • GEMS & TCS achieved an Overall Rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars. They achieved 4 stars out of 5 stars in Progress.
  • TGS maintained steady scores with overall improvements to the Performance Index and more than doubled their percentages for helping students to be “Prepared for Success” as determined by the state report card.
  • TGS achieved a 4-year graduation rate of 85.4% and a 5-year graduation rate of 90%.
  • TCS more than doubled their Prepared for Success percentage and scored over 60% in their Performance Index for the 2nd year in a row
  • GEMS received an improved Early Literacy rating that almost tripled their improvement rate from last year while continuing to Close the Gap, a 3-year track of progress in this area. 
We know that growth is key to student success, and we are proud that all our schools are making strides toward ensuring every student reaches their potential. The Progress Component in our report cards highlights our students' academic growth year after year and our continued commitment to that work.
 
At the same time, we understand that there are areas where we need to focus our attention, particularly around closing achievement gaps, improving proficiency levels in core academic areas, and improving attendance rates. We remain dedicated to identifying and addressing these needs, with targeted support and interventions to help every student succeed.
 
These achievements are a testament to the hard work, resilience, and commitment of our teachers, staff, and students. We are incredibly proud of the progress our students have made, and we celebrate their growth as they continue to learn and thrive.
 
Thank you for your continued support and partnership in making our schools a place of growth, opportunity, and success. We are excited to continue this journey together, building on our progress and striving for excellence in everything we do.
 
Together, we are preparing every student for a bright and successful future!
 
Ed Ingman & James Kutnow
Co-Superintendents
The Graham Family of Schools
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James and Ed

The Graham Family of Schools welcomes our new Co-Superintendents

The Graham Family of Schools (TGFS) is pleased to welcome Co-Superintendents Ed Ingman and James Kutnow as our new leaders for the 2024-2025 school year. Together they have been Assistant Superintendents since 2022. The Graham School, The Charles School at Ohio Dominican University and Graham Elementary and Middle School Founders, Eileen Meers and Greg Brown, officially passed the torch to their successors September 1, 2024.

Ed Ingman has been with TGFS since his arrival at The Graham School in 2003, fresh out of college, to teach high school science. In 2007 he joined the initial staff of The Charles School at Ohio Dominican University as a teacher, followed by a promotion to Dean in 2009. James Kutnow moved to Columbus to join The Graham School staff in 2007 as the Experiential Coordinator and was on the development team for Graham Elementary and Middle School, becoming its Dean in 2010. Ed and James subscribe to the values intrinsic to The Graham Family of Schools, and look forward to carrying these values forward expanding growth, achievement and prosperity for these schools which provide unique, rigorous, relational, safe and innovative public educational options to K-13 students in Central Ohio.

Eileen Meers and Greg Brown envisioned providing educational opportunities for students in Central Ohio that allowed them to experience the world with support and reflection before being released into our communities as expectant citizens. They also believed in a model of collaborative leadership that can be seen in all of our schools today.

In 2000, The Graham School (TGS) opened in Clintonville as one of the first public community schools in Ohio.  It was founded in the belief that students needed the opportunity to own their learning, while encountering the world around them so that the education they received was focused on experiencing growth and knowledge both within and outside of the classroom.  The school focuses on this experiential education in a small-school setting where all students are known by all staff members. In 2007, leadership from TGS expanded their vision by opening The Charles School at Ohio Dominican University (TCS@ODU), an early college high school in partnership with Middle College National Consortium and in 2010, Graham Elementary and Middle School (GEMS) in partnership with EL Education opened to serve students in grades K-8. 

Eileen’s legacy of providing both the students and staff she worked with opportunities to grow, reflect and thrive has been one that pays forward and continues to inspire the work of The Graham Family of Schools and our community. Greg’s extensive experience in communication, leadership and education provided him with an authentic platform from which to collaborate and create learning environments that students and colleagues could learn and reflect from.  

Ed and James are embracing their senior roles with TGFS and look forward to serving a diversity of Central Ohio students and families over many impactful years alongside their dedicated and well trained staff.

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