Dear GPA Families,

Welcome back to a new and exciting school year at Global Preparatory Academy! I hope this letter finds you and your loved ones rested and rejuvenated after a wonderful summer break. As we embark on this new academic year, I am thrilled to welcome our returning families and extend a warm greeting to those who are new to our school community.

At Global Preparatory Academy, we are committed to providing a nurturing and dynamic learning environment where all students can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. Our dual language program prepares students to be globally engaged, holistically prepared leaders in an increasingly interconnected world. 

This year, we are excited to introduce Mrs. Brooke Wingert as the Elementary Assistant Principal and Ms. Brianna Garrison as the Parent Liaison. Together they bring more than 20 years combined work in education. Ms. Garrison will be hosting a series of workshops and events throughout the year to support family involvement in our school community. We believe that strong partnerships between home and school are essential for student success.

As we begin this new school year, I encourage you to stay connected with our school through our website, newsletters, and social media channels and your child's class dojo. Your child’s teacher will share this information and much more with you at the start of the year. Communication is key to our shared success, and we welcome your feedback and involvement in our school community.

Please join us for our Ice Cream Social on Thursday, July 31 for Prek-kindergarten from 11:00 -12:30 and grades 1st -8th from 5:30-7:00. If you have a child in PreK-kindergarten, feel free  to join us for the evening session. This will be a wonderful opportunity to meet your child’s teacher, learn more about our dual language program, and connect with other families. Additionally, we will have uniforms for sale during the event. 

As always, thank you for your continued support and commitment to Global Preparatory Academy. Together, we can make this a fantastic year of learning and growth for all our students.



Warmest regards,

Sharifa Blackwell
Principal

Dear GPA Families
Welcome to the 2024-2025 school year, where our theme is "All in This Together for Kids!" I am Dr. Christina Thurman, and I’m very excited to be serving as the Middle School Principal of Global Preparatory Academy! 
I wanted to briefly share some background about myself with you. I have been in urban education for the past 15 years, starting as an instructional assistant for students with emotional disabilities. After working as a family o managers for the Indiana Department of Child Services, I went back to school to become a teoacher. After teaching grades 3-6 in elementary and middle school settings, I relocated to Kansas City, Missouri and went into administration to share and coach other teachers of ethnically diverse learners, and have since served as vice principal in elementary, middle, and alternative school settings, as well as a principal of a middle school of English Language Learners of mostly Latinx, Kenyan, and Black students. I am also a mother of four beautiful children, all between ages 4-10, and wife of one husband, Dr. Charles Thurman, whom I met in Spanish class in high school.

The Global Preparatory Academy Mission is that we develop compassionate, global leaders through a rigorous education program that focuses on hands-on cultural and Spanish immersion learning opportunities.Our goal is that our scholars are globally engageood, holistically prepared leaders. There are four pillars through which our middle school  Rigor, Dual Language, Career Pathways, and Leadershipis Skill Development. It is our belief that as our goals and daily practices center around these four pillars, GPA students will be prepared to do well in high school and beyond. As the parent and/or guardian of your GPA scholar, we recognize that your insight and participation is integral in the development of your child’s education, and that you are a valued member of the GPA team in accomplishing our theme for the year.

I look forward to getting to know you and your scholar(s) and to the exciting opportunities they experience this year! Thank you for trusting us with the education of your child, as it is our distinct honor to do everything within our power to equip them to create the lives they want for themselves through a quality education.

Sincerely,

Dr. Christina Thurman

Middle School Principal