GRALAND SHIELD: A LITTLE BIT OF ITS HISTORY

Philip William Hickey
A bit of history about the Graland shield. 

With thanks to Rosemary Fetter:

“During the early 1970’s, Graland adopted its crest with the motto: Ascende Omnem Montem (Climb every mountain). 'That was the work of John Riley, an enormously talented music teacher who went on to become the Assistant Head,’ recalls John Comfort.

Note the date cited above. I am not sure about the accuracy of the date Ms. Fetter provided. For example, the 1966 THESAURUS  had a picture of the shield on its front cover -- ditto 1967 and 1968. I need to comb through the older section of the archives and pretend I am Auguste Dupin -- or do I mean Inspector Clouseau? I want to know the truth.  Veritas Aequitas.

I must add: I heard that it was Arthur Kent who provided the Latin motto. Since he left in 1970, I am assuming the date of the shield remains in question. Of course, there are many apocryphal stories about Graland School.

The Graland shield/crest of today was modified/updated during Rob Stein’s tenure as our Head of School. I recall with a laugh and a tear, a meeting I had with Renee Rockford, our former Communications Director, who was kind enough to tell me in advance of the unveiling of the new shield. 

The “lean” shield of my Graland is the one I love. Heck, it’s the one I saw on a snowy March day in 1976 when I arrived at the school for my interview; it’s the one I saw many mornings during my first years at Graland as I raced up the street eager to see if I had  “beaten”  Nancy Priest to school; one could say it remains a symbol of the school where I have worked for forty years.

The original shield:



The new Graland shield:

 There is also a new campaign called Go Graland. 
   
Back

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.