Gray Stone Day School welcomed students on Wednesday for the first day of the 2024-2025 school year. Open house was held on Aug. 5 for high school.
Orientation for sixth graders was held on Tuesday and included a picnic lunch for families at the conclusion of the orientation session. Open house for seventh and eighth graders happened Tuesday evening.
Pollyanne Rhodes returns as the middle school principal while Jeff Walter will continue to head the high school. The addition of Dr. Melissa Smith as facilitator for the Center of Excellence will provide additional teacher support along with facilitating the online Career and College Promise (CCP) courses with Stanly Community College.
In addition, Gray Stone continues offering programs and events with Launch for Students, a year-long program designed for high school students to help equip them with the tools needed to manage their mental health in a constantly changing world. Dream Builders Communication, Inc, will continue providing student engagement sessions to eighth graders focusing on the transition to high school.
With a fresh new year, students will see changes relating to electronic devices.
Although students are allowed to have cellphones on campus, devices must be powered off and out of sight during instructional time. High school students may use their phones before and after school, during class times and lunch. Middle school students are not permitted to have their phones during the school day.
“We are so happy to welcome back our students along with the addition of five new faculty members. Our staff has worked extremely hard over the summer and we are prepared for an exciting and busy year ahead. I know it will be a fantastic year,” said Helen Nance, chief administrative officer.
Gray Stone Day School is a regional institution offering a college preparatory curriculum for students in grades 6-12 and tuition-free.