ARTHUR KENT REMEMBERS: PART TWO

Philip William Hickey
Mr. Kent’s recalls his years at Graland:

“Thus, in the fall of 1950 began the twenty Graland years of my life, my classroom the first half year a table in the library as striking carpenters had delayed completion of our Junior High building. But then in January, we got out of the hair of the Lower School and (moved) into our own quarters.

“What then, with Georgia’s blessing (but I’m sure she frequently raised her eyebrows at our procedures) did we try to have and develop in the Upper School? Primarily, we strove for academic excellence in the tradition of the demanding independent schools, but we endeavored at the same time to maintain the Graland creative spirit and honest simplicity. Thanks to a corps of unusually strong and devoted teachers. . . we were successful. What lasting influence our charges received from Ruth Gorham, Sally Bisbee, Tom Waring, Virginia Wiebenson, Anne Matlack, Barbara Nunn, Lucile Hobelman, Chet Preisser, Dave Rice, and others!! They gave selflessly, teaching their subject matter with utmost responsibility, while at the same time guiding their young students to a realization of the uniqueness and worth of the individual, a respect for others, and an appreciation of the individual talents in themselves and their fellows.

“Adjunctive strengths uniquely Graland’s in these years were the library program and classes (always a core of the entire school), the unsurpassed musical opportunities provided by Jeanne Reeve, and the weekly science lectures by Doctors Puck and Kempe, two of the finest minds our students would ever encounter. Good things were happening at the school in those days, largely engineered by Georgia Nelson, the gentle lady who unpretentiously sat in her little Main Building office devising ways of enlarging the experiences and horizons of the young people who entered her school.

“ Her school has grown, has experienced subsequent administrations and perspectives to add to its history, but the influence of the first fifty years has been characteristically Georgia’s.”  
 
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Graland Country Day School

Graland Country Day School is a private school in Denver, Colorado, serving students in preschool, kindergarten, elementary, and middle school. Founded in Denver in 1927, Graland incorporates a rich, experiential learning approach in a traditional classroom setting, emphasizing the development of globally and socially conscious leaders who excel academically.