Schools
Glen Oak Alumnae To Celebrate 50th Anniversary
The alumnae will celebrate the school's grand opening anniversary on Friday and Saturday.
Gilmore Academy: In 1968, the Sisters of the Sacred Heart purchased 35 acres from Gilmour Academy, opening the all-girls Glen Oak School in 1969. For the next 13 years, Gilmour and Glen Oak maintained separate identities, though the two institutions held some joint classes and social opportunities. In 1982, Gilmour and Glen Oak merged and, in 1986, Glen Oak’s school building was transformed into Gilmour’s Lower School.
The Glen Oak alumnae remain a tight-knit group to this day. In 2012, they hosted the first-ever multi-class celebration and more than 400 Glen Oak alumnae, former students, faculty and staff attended. This coming weekend, on September 20-21, they will gather again in celebration of the
50th anniversary of the school’s opening. There is a full weekend of activities planned. On Friday evening, September 20, each class is having its own class dinner at homes and restaurants around Cleveland. On Saturday, September 21, the program begins at 11 a.m. at Gilmour’s Lower School. There will be presentations on the founders of Glen Oak, memories of faculty and staff, and on how Glen Oak embraced experiential learning. The group will pay tribute to those alumnae who are deceased and will host a living memorial tree planting. After, they will have class photos, lunch and a tour of Gilmour’s new nature-based learning program, which includes chicken coops, beehives, gardens, a greenhouse, an outdoor classroom, nature trails and more. At 5 p.m., there will be cocktail hour followed by a buffet dinner at 6 p.m.
In addition to hosting this celebration, the group hopes to increase the endowment of the Glen Oak Scholarship in recognition of this 50 th anniversary. Each year, the Glen Oak Scholarship committee awards a scholarship to a rising female senior (or in some instances, several rising seniors) who embodies the Glen Oak core values of Person – Service – Love. Full details on all the festivities as well as the Glen Oak Scholarship can be found at gilmour.org/glenoak.