When their request was denied, they decided to create an independent school to prepare girls for higher education and convinced their friend Grace McCallie to join them.

Cadek Conservatory offers musical instruction for students of any ages in private, group, and ensemble settings.

The mission of the program, which began in the summer before the 2014–15 school year, is to prepare future leaders to have an effect on the conservation of the Tennessee River.

Fellows, selected prior to their freshman year, spend part of the summer and following academic year engaged in interdisciplinary scholarship and experiential learning about the many issues impacting their local watershed as well as learning about the historical, ecological, political, economic and aesthetic significance of the Tennessee River.

The May Queen and Court are nominated by the senior class and then chosen by the student body and faculty based upon personality and embodiment of a true GPS girl.

After the class is introduced, festivities are held on the school's front lawn, and seniors, guests, and the student body watch as different grades dance to music chosen to match that year's theme.

Each senior gives a three- to seven-minute talk about a subject of her choosing to her peers and invited guests during a schoolwide assembly, also called Chapel, which occurs several times a week.

In addition, during the Cat-Rat Reveal, the sixth grade Rats take part in a random drawing which determines the order of their Cats’ Chapel Talks.

In the festival, any school-recognized club or team is able to open a booth and sell a craft or food for a charity of their choice.

It debuted in 2015 as a women's and girls' symposium, Mad Bad and Dangerous, and has hosted such notable guest speakers as Lori Greiner, prolific inventor and "Shark Tank" star.

[6] One week out of every fall semester is reserved for celebrating the friendship between GPS and McCallie and the schools' rivalry with Baylor.

The week concludes with the Friday night annual McCallie-Baylor football game, attended by students, alumni, and their families, and has been widely televised.

One unofficial custom that many students participate in is attaching a McCallie flag (usually a white sheet with an M spray painted on), to the back of one's vehicle, then driving around the city, especially near Baylor or the other schools.

This can lead to high-speed chases and other dangerous behaviors, and students are strongly encouraged by the administrations of all three schools to avoid any and all such illegal activities related to Rivalry Week.

The crops grown in the garden are chosen and raised by the students, harvested, and taken to the Chattanooga Area Food Bank,[7][8] or included in the school's lunch menu.