What Makes Us Greene Hill?
At Greene Hill, we value:
Open-ended exploration and collaboration with peers
Both the academic and social emotional aspects of children’s experience in school
Each individual’s identity
At Greene Hill, we are committed to:
Inspiring children to love learning and to know themselves as learners
Actively engaging in social justice and racial equity
Cultivating a strong community where members learn from and give back to each other
These values are lived each day at Greene Hill through the core practices described below.
Open Work
We value open ended exploration
Open Work is a regular opportunity for children to engage in self-initiated work with a range of materials. Open Work is an important part of our academic program enabling students to exercise choice and take ownership over their work. As children make choices and decisions fueled by their most pressing interests it is easier for them to work through the challenges that come up during their explorations. Motivated by their passions or curiosity, children are eager to try and try again. This experience persevering through unfamiliar tasks helps them in other times throughout their school day as they tackle new problems.
Through extended experience with open-ended materials, children’s work develops in complex and often surprising ways. They move fluidly between materials and activities, finding opportunities to work independently or with peers. Most importantly, children experience the satisfaction of making their own choices and following their own ideas. The explorations and creations of Open Work in the early childhood classrooms set the stage for continued self-initiated work throughout the Lower School, as children acquire the ability to manage more complicated projects. Encouraged to share their ideas with classmates, they become increasingly comfortable giving and receiving feedback and reflecting on their own work.
Labs, mixed-age mini-courses focused on topics and interests like fashion design, insects, sculpture, and newspaper are available at various times of the year to children ages 5-10. These are teacher-led sessions that serve as models for children as they bring ideas and skills that they have learned in Labs back to their classrooms. Middle School students have the opportunity to select from a range of elective courses that are based on student and teacher interest such as: fiber arts, Running Club, and creative writing.
WOWs (Wide Open Work) are student-led mini-courses that give students the opportunity to develop an idea, decide how to teach it, and invite other students to participate. Students are responsible for planning their process and listing the materials they will need, as well as facilitating the sessions with other students. WOWs can focus on any topic or activity and
younger or older students can be the leaders of the group. In recent years, WOWs have included DIY crafts, role-playing games, Earth Club, and basketball.
All-School Studies
Every year students and faculty at GHS embark on several All-School Studies that provide opportunities for mixed-age work and deep exploration of a topic that offers entry points for students of all ages. Students collaborate with cross-class peers and teachers to learn about and create work to share with the school community. An All-School Study often culminates in a week where the regular schedule is put aside to allow extended focus and time spent on this innovative and immersive learning, and ends with a share during which students perform or present their work to other students and GHS families.
Social and Emotional Learning
We value both the academic and social emotional aspects of children’s experience in school
As part of our commitment to the whole child, at Greene Hill School teachers dedicate time to addressing the social and emotional needs of the children. In the younger grades, lessons are taught about friendship, fairness, and self-confidence. Teachers encourage and model sharing feelings and expressing one’s needs in a productive way, and take into consideration the developmental needs and characteristics of all students. Read alouds, role play, and specific conflict resolution techniques are used to teach and practice these skills. Additionally, teachers are trained in the Responsive Classroom approach to classroom management, which includes empowering students to help create the expectations and norms in the classroom and set a positive tone for learning. Our Student Support Counselor works with parents, teachers, and students to navigate relationships, emotions, and family dynamics. Administrators and faculty run regular Community Forums and provide resources on issues impacting each developmental stage, such as transitions back to school, friendships, “tweens,” safe use of technology, and talking with children about difficult topics.
Students’ days in both Lower and Middle School are anchored by a Morning Meeting that begins their day with community building activities and an overview of the daily schedule in order to set them up for success. Middle School also includes a weekly Advisory time when students meet with faculty members in small groups to discuss adolescent issues and communication strategies.
Health education focuses on providing students with accurate information and clear communication skills around issues of human development, friendships and relationships, and other concerns. Greene Hill’s Health and Wellness class gives students an opportunity to explore topics related to social, emotional, and physical health through activities, discussions, and shared readings. Students discuss issues of emotional wellness, relationships, their changing bodies, and issues of self-identity in a supportive and safe environment. They also explore problem-solving connected to their growing independence and maturity in the society and world we are living in.