Graded Alumni

This past Saturday, Graded hosted a meaningful event, the Run Against Cancer, where our community comes together to raise funds for Casa Maria Helena. To honor this important tradition, we found some photos from 2017—almost 10 years ago!⁠
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Did you participate in the run? Let us know your story in the comments!

Last week’s Grade 8 Poetry Festival on campus brought back memories of a special moment from 2017, when visiting poets Sara Holbrook and Michael Salinger spent two weeks inspiring students across all divisions in lively assemblies and classroom visits.⁠
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Were you at Graded during their visit? We’d love to hear your memories. Share your experience in the comments!

Calling all Graded alumni authors!⁠
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Have you published a book? We’d love to spotlight the incredible writers in our community! If you’re a Graded alum or former student who is also an author, we invite you to submit information about your book for a future feature in The Graded Gazette. Help us celebrate the stories, ideas, and voices shaped at Graded!⁠
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🔗 Fill out the form here:
https://www.graded.br/about/school-media/the-graded-gazette/call-for-graded-authors

Our MS students recently brought home the AASB Knowledge Bowl trophy!⁠
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In celebration, take a look at these photos from 2014, when Graded students traveled to Campinas for a Knowledge Bowl competition. Were you part of the team? Share your memories with us!

Carnaval at Graded deixou saudades!⁠
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Carnaval celebrations at Graded sometimes went beyond campus. In 2010-11 and 2015, students traveled to Bahia and learned about the culture and traditions related to Carnaval up close. ⁠
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Were you part of these trips? We’d love to hear your memories!

Every Graded generation has its own “dialect”—a mix of English, Portuguese, and inside jokes only Eagles understand. The latest edition of the student newspaper, The Talon, explores today’s campus slang and how it brings Brazilian and international students together. What words or phrases instantly take you back to your time at Graded?⁠
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Read more here:
https://www.gradedtalon.com/7287/features/tipo-this-is-how-we-talk-at-graded/

As our Graded delegates return from conference season and prepare for GMUN, we’re feeling a little nostalgic. ⁠
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Take a look at these MUN photos from 2007! Were you debating global issues at Graded back then? Let us know in the comments.

We love welcoming our alumni and former students back to campus! Take a look at a few of our most recent visits:⁠
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Photos 1 and 2: Dorothy Caldwell ’77, Diane Hancock ’82, and David Roulston ’80 studied at Graded between 1969 and 1974 while their parents—expats working for Johnson & Johnson—lived in Brazil. More than 50 years later, they returned to campus with their spouses during a cruise stop in Santos.⁠
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Photo 3: Siblings Michael ’99 and Eric ’97 Crane attended Graded from 1993 to 1996, along with their sister. Their mother, Debra Crane, was also part of the community as a teacher.⁠
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Photos 4 and 5: Graded lifer Daniel Sneyers ’16 visited campus with his girlfriend, Sabrina. After spending time in Spain with his family, Daniel moved to the United States, where he lives today. One highlight of his visit? Enjoying Graded’s traditional Thanksgiving pumpkin pie once again.⁠
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Photo 6: Born in the United States to a Brazilian family, Monica Rangel ’82 grew up as an expat due to her parents’ work at Caterpillar. Each time her family returned to Brazil, Graded became her anchor. She enrolled in grade 6 and remained through the end of her junior year.⁠
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Monica recently returned to campus and shared a reflection that captures her connection to Graded:⁠
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“I don’t live in my past, but I love remembering it—it brings back so many wonderful memories. Once an Eagle, always an Eagle!”⁠
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Photo 7: Antonio Guaranães ’15 spent three years at Graded before leaving in grade 10. He recently visited campus with his spouse, Julia.⁠
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Are you a Graded alum interested in visiting campus? We’d love to welcome you back! Reach out to us at [email protected] for more information.

: When Um Coffee Co. brothers Garam ’09 and Boram ’09 ranked among the winners of the 2023 World Coffee Championship, everything changed. Their mother cried. Friends in the coffee community cheered. Brazil had never claimed a World Coffee Championship award. For Garam, it meant more than recognition; it was proof that Brazilian coffee belongs among the world's best.

In this issue of the , Garam looks back on his favorite memories from Graded, recalls the moment he placed third in the World Brewers Cup, and dispels some common misconceptions about your morning cup.

Read more at:
https://www.graded.br/about/school-media/the-graded-gazette/news-piece-page/~board/all-school-news/post/alumni-spotlight-garam-um-09-award-winning-barista-coffee-educator-and-entrepreneur

Yesterday, we inaugurated the newly renovated Early Years Playground—designed specifically for our youngest students and intentionally crafted for our campus.⁠
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For generations, our playgrounds have been places where Eagles learned, laughed, and made lasting memories.⁠
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Check out these photos from our playgrounds over the years. Which one did you play on? Share your story in the comments!

Grade 1 students welcomed a special guest last month, Paralympic rower and Graded alumna Alina Dumas ’11.

Inspired by her story in the , the students invited her to speak as part of their unit on how our differences make us unique and strengthen our community.

Alina shared her journey to becoming a professional athlete, the obstacles she overcame, and her experience competing at the Paris Paralympics. She also shared insights into her PhD research on the musculoskeletal system and its connection to her sport.

A huge thank you to Alina for inspiring our young learners and showing them the power of determination, identity, and community.

Read Alina’s at:
https://www.graded.br/about/school-media/the-graded-gazette/news-piece-page/~board/all-school-news/post/alumni-spotlight-alina-dumas-11-paralympic-athlete-and-musculoskeletal-system-researcher