On Thursday, November 10, students in first through eighth grade experienced a taste of what it would have been like to be a student at the Academy prior to 1969, when the school was operated by the Religious of the Sacred Heart as a day and boarding primary, middle and upper school for girls.

Back in the Academy of the Sacred Heart days, it was a tradition for the nuns to surprise the students with something called a congé. A congé was defined for the students as “a formal or authoritative decision to depart; an abrupt dismissal; a leave taking; a day of celebration for the entire school.”

This “celebration for the entire school,” sponsored by the Academy Alumni Association, began when Head of School Phil Demartini and Director of Advancement Paul Harrell rang a bell up and down the hallways, as the nuns used to do. Surprised students poked their heads out of their classrooms to discover what all the commotion was about. Their teachers quickly ushered them up to the auditorium, where Alumni Association President Roselie Posselius gave a brief introduction and told them what was in store for the afternoon during Alumni History Day.

First the students viewed a PowerPoint presentation entitled “The Grosse Pointe Academy Journey Through Time: Then and Now.” Archival photos of historic buildings, landmarks, interior scenes, events, activities and even people were juxtaposed against present day photos. The students were especially pleased to see such familiar faces as Miss Camille, Mr. Tily, Mrs. Chrisner, Mrs. Johnson, Mrs. Wolney and Mr. Lapadot – both “then” and “now.”

Following the slide show, the students broke into groups for a scavenger hunt that took them all over the school and the campus in an historical romp. They were guided in their hunt by such clues as “Way back in time, there were plants and beasts / On which daily the nuns would feast! / Little by little, the apple trees were cut, / Now we are left with this mysterious hut!” (Answer: the Barn) Another clue was: “There’s a historic lane / Leading up to a glass pane / Shaped in a heart / Look for the small stones for the place to start.” (Answer: Pillars and Heart Entranceway)

At each stop along the hunt, students were greeted by adult “ambassadors” who provided historical information about that particular site. The sites included the Lakeshore Parlor, faculty lounge, orchard farm, chicken coop, St. Madeline Sophie statue, and, finally, the Nun’s Walk: “I’m long and narrow, a pathway to pray / It used to be quiet, now a place to play / Come walk down with me, and look at my trees / This famous walk is known for its breeze!”

At the conclusion of the hunt, students headed back to their classrooms for another Sacred Heart tradition, the gouter (snack). At that time they were given a packet of information containing facts on each historical site to bring home and share with their families.

“Part of the purpose of this event was to integrate some of the tradition back into the school,” said Mary Alice Mecke, who wrote the clues for the scavenger hunt and prepared the fact sheets for the alumni volunteers and other adults who served as ambassadors. “Highlights of the afternoon for me were watching the children’s faces when they saw Phil Demartini walking up and down the hallways ringing a bell, and seeing Peggy Baer dressed as a nun and Ellen Krease dressed in Carole Peabody’s old school uniform.”

The afternoon – a true surprise and delight for the students – would not have been possible without the efforts of many alumni, chief among them Roselie Bellanca Posselius ‘73, Mary Alice O’Brien Mecke ‘74, and Robin Locniskar Hartnett ‘82. Special thanks go to resident historian Carole Peabody ’51 for her expertise. Students, faculty, staff and administrators alike hope the congé will become a new Academy tradition.