At the end of this semester Dr. Matt Frederickson and Lisa Kaczmarczyk, GCAA Head of School and High School Principal respectively, are leaving their positions.

During his time here, Frederickson said that he has “learned more about myself and where I can flourish,” and that he works best when “leading from the front.” Frederickson believes that he can more effectively  “lead from the front,” in his new position as the Superintendent of the Bowling Green R-1 School District. Fredrickson saw 40 classes added to the list of options here, many being requirements for graduation, including personal finance, health, and more options for students to get practical arts credits. Frederickson said that it is even his proudest accomplishment during his time here, and saw his new employment as an opportunity to continue with that passion.

Kaczmarczyk, due to her familiarity with Infinite Campus, the program used to track grades and attendance, was able to help teachers familiarize with the system while it was being implemented. Infinite Campus permeates every aspect of the systems that keep the school running, ensuring that all staff are familiar was vital. Kaczmarczyk has also pushed to bring GCAA up to par with other schools on timetables for when students receive their schedules, pushing it from when school starts in August, and helped teachers with logistics issues.

With half of the administrative juggernaut of the school moving on to other things, they leave the school lacking a sense of direction. In the past, GCAA was restrained by the stress of making sure that they were building up for the oldest class, but now that two years have graduated, GCAA is already fully established. This can be seen easily with the quality of the shows from all of the arts departments and the number of students who have graduated from GCAA making their way into tertiary education.

When asked what he expects for the future of GCAA, Frederickson said  “I hope that the partnerships we’ve developed here in Grand Center will continue to flourish and grow, like the one i set up with Jazz at the Bistro.” Kaczmarcyzk also said “I hope that [the school] continues to make its mark in Grand Center,” emphasizing how important it is to the current administrative team that the school has strong relationships with the arts community that inundates St. Louis.

As far as what they think will happen for GCAA, both Frederickson and Kaczmarcyzk aren’t sure what to expect. “If I could predict what would happen i would go buy a lottery ticket,” said Kaczmarcyzk. Frederickson had a more definite answer, saying “I’m not one that predicts much of anything, but I think that people will want what’s best for the kids and that the kids will continue to achieve their goals.”

In a statement released on Infinite Campus, it was announced that Gina Bell-Moore will replace Kaczmarcyzk. Moore has more than 20 years of experience in the St. Louis region. She is “a strong believer in arts education and the vital role that the arts play in students’ lives.”