GREENHILL 2025
GROWING STRONGER TOGETHER
Greenhill School was founded in 1950 to establish, in the words of our founder Bernard Fulton,
“THE FINEST COEDUCATIONAL PREPARATORY SCHOOL IN THE COUNTRY.”
Greenhill 2025: Growing Stronger Together is a strategic plan that reaffirms our commitment to the enduring, fundamental elements of the Greenhill School experience and identifies opportunities for growth and improvement as the School strives to fulfill Fulton’s vision for the next generation of students. This plan, which includes a refined and updated mission statement, vision statement, and set of core values, will propel the school’s quest for excellence, prioritizing our students' health and wellness as we educate the whole student, create a more connected community, and help ensure financial sustainability for years to come.
The successful implementation of this plan relies on the continued commitment of our entire community. We invite you to learn more about the important work ahead of us in the pages that follow.
STRATEGIC PLAN FOR GREENHILL SCHOOL
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DEAR GREENHILL COMMUNITY, Greenhill is a school that has always dreamed ambitious dreams…and then set about achieving them. Lifetime Trustee Molly Fulton Seeligson ‘60, daughter of founders Helen and Bernard Fulton, put it this way: “Bernard’s vision was to create the best school in the nation. We aspire to be the best.” Excellence has always been our aim. The challenge before us is clear. As we have done at critical points in our history, we must once again make a significant investment in our future to meet the needs of the 21st-century learner and teacher. Greenhill 2025: Growing Stronger Together will strengthen and expand the central commitments of our school: to support academic excellence; to provide world-class facilities; to foster diversity, equity, and inclusion; and to strengthen our communal bonds.
“This is a moment in our history that will shape the School’s trajectory for generations.” In addition to our new strategic plan, we have rearticulated our mission statement, vision statement, and core values so that they more accurately reflect the school we are today. We will continue to be a mission-driven school, now moving forward with greater clarity about our identity. In a year marked by uncertainty and change, our Board of Trustees took a courageous step to approve a strategic plan that will help shape the educational experience for the next generation of students at Greenhill. I am grateful for their commitment to the School and their thoughtful stewardship of our future. This is a moment in our history that will shape the School’s trajectory for generations. This is how we make a great school even better. This is what it means to “Grow Stronger Together.” Per Aspera Ad Astra, Lee J. Hark Head of School
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GROWING STRONGER TOGETHER
Greenhill has always played a unique and important role in the Dallas educational community. Alumni know firsthand the way a Greenhill education prepares students to have an impact in our world by instilling confidence, a strong awareness of self and others, and an innate curiosity that propels deeper understanding. It has been a joy to watch the current generation, including my children, grow and develop through their own Greenhill experience. Starting the strategic planning process at the beginning of the School’s 70th year was both humbling and inspiring. The result of the work of many in our community is a plan that preserves the heart of the Greenhill experience while evolving our school in ways that will better serve our students and create greater connections between our community members. This plan starts from the solid position we hold today and provides a roadmap for us to grow even stronger in the years ahead. The implementation of the ambitious and achievable strategies and initiatives included in the pages ahead will require the support, dedication, and commitment of every member of our community. Together we will create meaningful change that will strengthen Greenhill’s position as an educational leader both in Dallas and nationally, that will forge stronger connections among us, and that will ultimately encourage our students to live authentic, purposeful lives. My deepest gratitude to Strategic Planning Commitee Chair Albertina Cisneros, the Strategic Planning Committee, and to Head of School Lee Hark and the Board of Trustees for their leadership in the creation of this plan, to the task forces for guidance and input, and to all of our community members for openly sharing your dreams for Greenhill. It has been an honor to serve during this important moment in the School’s history, and I am excited about what comes next for Greenhill. Sincerely yours, Holland P. Gary ‘93
Chair of Board of Trustees
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MISSION, VISION, AND CORE VALUES Greenhill’s tradition of vigorous self-inquiry extends to all aspects of the school. As our world changes, so, too, must the language we use to articulate the aims of a Greenhill education, our shared values, and our expectations of one another. As a part of our recent strategic planning process, we clarified our mission and vision statements and core values to better describe our aspirations for our school. The results of that work honor our past and allow us to face the future with greater clarity and focus.
PROCESS FOR REFINING • Faculty initiated the process with benchmarking and brainstorming • Administrative team honed and shaped early versions
• Board of Trustees refined and approved revised mission, vision, and core values
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GROWING STRONGER TOGETHER
MISSION In a diverse and inclusive community, Greenhill prepares and inspires students to lead authentic, purposeful lives. VISION We see our students joyfully reaching their full potential.
We see our school thriving as an academically excellent, diverse, inclusive, and connected community.
We see our world made more hopeful because of the Greenhill community.
CORE VALUES EXCELLENCE
INTEGRITY
COMPASSION
COURAGE
STRATEGIC PLAN FOR GREENHILL SCHOOL
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MISSION In a diverse and inclusive community, Greenhill prepares and inspires students to lead authentic, purposeful lives. In a supportive environment that embraces the uniqueness of each individual, our students develop a strong sense of self-worth and the courage to be themselves. They feel a responsibility to the well-being of others and are driven to use the education they have received to make a positive impact on the world.
WE ENVISION • Our students joyfully reaching their full potential
We envision a bright future for our students, our school, and our world. At Greenhill, we will challenge each other to be our best; in rising to meet that challenge, we hope a sense of joy is nourished as well.
• Our school thriving as an academically excellent, diverse, inclusive, and connected community
Our students will actively seek the chance to learn, to explore their talents, to stretch and grow. Our commitment to foster a diverse and inclusive school will create a community in which every member feels a sense of belonging and connection.
• Our world made more hopeful because of the Greenhill community Our graduates will transform the world with their knowledge, talent, and determination.
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GROWING STRONGER TOGETHER
CORE VALUES • Excellence: We strive to do our best in every
• Compassion: We are concerned about
endeavor. We are innovative and creative in our the wellbeing of others and work to alleviate thinking and practice. We set high expectations hardship and suffering in the world. for ourselves and each other. • Courage: We are resilient in the face of difficulty. We welcome that which is • Integrity: We are steadfast in adhering to challenging or demanding. We embrace the values in which we believe. We are honest the opportunity for leadership. and trustworthy. We exhibit strong character. As our students prepare to pursue the extraordinary, an emphasis on our core values helps us cultivate character and develop an understanding that our actions have an impact on others.
STRATEGIC PLAN FOR GREENHILL SCHOOL
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STRENGTH DEVELOP BUILD PLAN AREAS OF STRATEGIC FOCUS
a More Connected Co
for and Invest in Our Finan
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GROWING STRONGER TOGETHER
HEN P
Our Commitment to Academic Excellence
the Whole Student
ommunity
ncial Sustainability
STRATEGIC PLAN FOR GREENHILL SCHOOL
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STRENGTHEN OUR COMMITMENT TO ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
We will push the boundaries of academic and teaching excellence and redouble our commitment to innovation and creativity in our educational practices.
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GROWING STRONGER TOGETHER
PRIORITIZED STRATEGIES INCLUDE Additional investments in our educational program will help create an environment where knowledge expands and skills can be honed, where interests are explored, and where excellence can be pursued. That investment includes a much-needed revitalization of our STEM facilities, which will be designed to foster innovative thinking, inter-disciplinary work, collaborative teaching and learning, and handson experimentation.
+ Prioritize efforts to achieve and maintain
+
teaching excellence
• Identify, articulate, and promote best
• Launch a capstone experience for every graduate
teaching practices
that includes meaningful off-campus experiences
• Establish and encourage consistent standards
• Strengthen the partnership between Greenhill and
of performance
the surrounding Dallas communities
• Strengthen and expand the system of faculty
• Integrate service learning into the curriculum
professional growth
more fully
+ Increase investment in and support of faculty
+ Support leading-edge programming and instruction in science and math
• Examine the system of faculty compensation and create additional rewards to incentivize outstanding performance
• Design and construct Science & Innovation Center to house Middle and Upper School science, math, engineering, technology, and robotics programs
• Expand efforts to recruit faculty from underrepresented groups
• Create additional leadership opportunities and pathways to leadership for faculty
Promote student learning and engagement beyond the classroom
• Evaluate instructional technology program and areas for expansion and further investment
• Re-envision and design science curriculum and programming
+ Become a leader in innovative instruction and curriculum development
• Prioritize and incentivize professional development
focused on faculty collaboration, team-based curriculum development, and innovative teaching practices.
• Pursue horizontal and vertical curricular alignment • Improve culturally competent instruction in the classroom
STRATEGIC PLAN FOR GREENHILL SCHOOL
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DEVELOP THE WHOLE STUDENT
We will prioritize the emotional and physical health of our students and the development of each student’s strengths with the goal of building balance, confidence, and empathy.
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GROWING STRONGER TOGETHER
PRIORITIZED STRATEGIES INCLUDE Students today are more connected and have access to more information than ever before, yet the levels of stress and mental health challenges continue to increase. By bolstering the parts of a Greenhill education that support social-emotional and physical wellbeing, character development, and empathy for others, we will equip students with the skills to live healthy, balanced lives.
+ Become a leader in supporting student health and wellbeing
• Implement a comprehensive, integrated, PreK-12 student mental health and wellness curriculum • Develop additional parent programming
+ Strive to make the academic experience more inclusive
• Enhance equity in curricular content
+ Ensure that the athletics and PE programs inspire life-long physical activity and support all students
• Explore additional opportunities for students to develop physical fitness and athletic skills
+ Foster the development of our core values
• Integrate core values into curriculum, divisional gatherings, and community-wide events
• Cultivate teaching and learning systems that can deliver a more inclusive curriculum
STRATEGIC PLAN FOR GREENHILL SCHOOL
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BUILD A MORE CONNECTED COMMUNITY
We will build a united Greenhill that values connectedness, pursues a common purpose, promotes active engagement, and celebrates the unique contributions of each individual.
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GROWING STRONGER TOGETHER
PRIORITIZED STRATEGIES INCLUDE Creating a truly inclusive school requires building connections between all members of the community. Creating opportunities for people to come together, both planned and serendipitous, will strengthen our community as we unite around our shared goals and aspirations.
+ Strengthen the community by revitalizing
+ Build community and collaboration by rethinking
existing programs and developing new ones
space usage, designation, and design
• Identify new ways to engage community members
• Create additional gathering and learning spaces to facilitate formal and informal interactions that strengthen connectivity between community members
• Position parent/guardian affinity groups to affirm participating families and enhance the broader community • Develop new opportunities for alumni networking and involvement
+ Develop a plan for and commit resources to becoming a more inclusive community.
• Consider adding spaces like a coffee shop/cafe to provide opportunities for community building and collaboration
• Update landscape master plan and modernize landscaping to enhance campus design and improve wayfinding and security
• Craft a strategic plan for equity and inclusion • Cultivate skills in school leadership and all employees to embody and inspire equity and inclusion across the school • Provide opportunities and resources for families as they grow on their individual journeys with diversity, equity, and inclusion
STRATEGIC PLAN FOR GREENHILL SCHOOL
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PLAN FOR AND INVEST OUR FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY
We will steward our resources wisely, invest strategically, and plan carefully for long-term organizational health.
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GROWING STRONGER TOGETHER
PRIORITIZED STRATEGIES INCLUDE Greenhill enjoys tremendous financial strength and stability. Thoughtful financial planning and strategic infrastructure investments will ensure that students for generations to come will benefit from the robust experience that our community values.
+ Modestly increase enrollment in Middle
and Upper School while maintaining the Greenhill experience
cultivate a culture of philanthropy and increase Greenhill’s endowment
• Individual classroom/advisory sizes remain optimal
• Expand and invest in Advancement Office infrastructure
• Faculty-to-student ratio remains unchanged or smaller
• Augment existing named endowments and solicit new ones, fund named endowment positions, and pursue planned or deferred gifts
• New or remodeled facility built to accommodate additional enrollment • Increase enrollment only in Middle and Upper Schools
+
+ Enable the Advancement Office to
Continue to maintain need-blind admissions process and strive to meet 100% of demonstrated financial need
+ Maximize use of Greenhill’s resources and facilities
• Explore more ways to generate revenue from Greenhill’s existing resources and facilities • Optimize space usage on campus to accommodate growth
• Prioritize current families in financial aid processes
• Investigate alternative ways to allocate financial aid funds
STRATEGIC PLAN FOR GREENHILL SCHOOL
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CAMPUS UPDATES SCIENCE & INNOVATION CENTER • Multipurpose, flexible facility serving Middle and Upper School students that will house science, math, engineering, technology, and robotics • Re-envisioned and redesigned science curriculum and programming • Created to allow for greater collaboration between departments and divisions • Designed to make teaching and learning more transparent • Built to be energy efficient and environmentally sustainable, the building itself will serve as a learning tool for students • Designed to seamlessly integrate with the campus via outdoor learning spaces that connect interior and exterior spaces
ATHLETICS & PE FACILITIES ENHANCEMENTS • Assess and update existing playing and turf fields • Identify opportunities for indoor practice space • Modernize facilities like High Performance Center and locker rooms
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GROWING STRONGER TOGETHER
COLLABORATION SPACES • Create gathering and learning spaces to facilitate formal and informal interactions, including a student activities space, small amphitheater, and coffee shop
• Update campus landscaping to improve wayfinding and security
STRATEGIC PLAN FOR GREENHILL SCHOOL
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OUR PROCESS 1. PLANNING SPRING-SUMMER 2019
SPRING-SUMMER 2020
• Strategic Planning Committee formed
• Created recommended action plan for each strategic goal
• Task forces created, chairs named, and members identified • Secured external consultant
2. DISCOVERY
• Crafted Strategic Plan
• Presented strategic plan for Board approval
5. IMPLEMENTATION
FALL 2019
FALL 2020 ONWARD
• Surveyed entire Greenhill community
• Create and execute detailed implementation plans for each strategic goal
• Conducted focus groups and reviewed best practices and external benchmarking • Identified areas of opportunity and strength for Greenhill
3. ANALYSIS WINTER 2020 • Used strategic frameworks to identify and prioritize strategic goal recommendations • Approved strategic goals recommended by task forces
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4. DECISIONS
GROWING STRONGER TOGETHER
COMMUNITY TASK FORCES Five task forces with fifteen members that included trustees, current parents, alumni, parents of alumni, faculty members, and administrators Campus & Facilities Co-Chairs: Jeff Zlotky, Trustee Kendra Grace, COO/CFO
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Co-Chairs: Marlo Melucci, Trustee Tom Perryman ’81, Assistant Head of School
Financial Stewardship
Program & Curriculum
Teaching & Learning
Co-Chairs: Joe Chu, Trustee Kendra Grace, COO/CFO
Co-Chairs: Lori Whitten, Trustee Jason Yaffe, Director of Academics
Co-Chairs: Yasmin Bhatia, Trustee Trevor Worcester, Head of Upper School
COMMUNITY SURVEY
48
total questions
CONSTITUENTS INVITED:
current parents, alumni, parents of alumni, students in grades 11 and 12, faculty
1,534
total responses
STRATEGIC PLAN FOR GREENHILL SCHOOL
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STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE Albertina M. Cisneros, Chair Yasmin Bhatia Joe Chu Koshi Dhingra, Ed.D. Aaron Enrico Holland Gary ’93, Board Chair Kendra Grace, COO/CFO Lee J. Hark, Head of School Rusty Jaggers Marlo Melucci William E. Rose ’85 Molly Fulton Seeligson ‘60 Lori Whitten
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GROWING STRONGER TOGETHER
2019-2020 BOARD OF TRUSTEES Holland P. Gary ’93 Chair Roy S. Kim ’88 Assistant Chair/Secretary Grace Smith Finance Chair/Treasurer Leslie Benners Yasmin Bhatia Joe Chu Albertina M. Cisneros Koshi Dhingra, Ed.D. Aaron Enrico David Fox Lauren Goodman ’04, Alumni Board President, ex-officio David C. Greenstone Lee J. Hark, Head of School, ex-officio Kenji Hashimoto Jay Henry Karlyn Herlitz Zack Hicks Joan Hill, Ed.D. Rachel Ladin ’91 Jet Li Marlo Melucci Rich Moses Adriana Perales David Podolsky Kaitlin Prieur, PA President, ex-officio Tracy Rathbun Jennipher Rice, PA President-Elect, ex-officio Augusto Sasso Ashley Scheer
Hardeep Sehgal Bruce Sostek Bharti Subramanian, Ph.D. Beth Thomas Clifford Weiner Lori Whitten Linda Wimberly Bing Xie Jeff Zlotky LIFETIME TRUSTEES Molly Fulton Seeligson ’60 Rusty Jaggers Daniel T. Phillips FORMER BOARD CHAIRS ELECTING TO SERVE EX-OFFICIO Mike Halloran, Trustee since 2002 David L. Johnson '67, Trustee since 1987 H. Ronald Nash, Trustee since 1987 William E. Rose '85, Trustee since 2003
2020–2021 BOARD OF TRUSTEES
ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM
Holland P. Gary ’93 Chair
Lee J. Hark Head of School
Tom Perryman, ’81 Assistant Head of School
Kasia Faber Assistant to the Head of School & Asst Head of School
Scott Rosa Director of Technology
Augusto Sasso Board Chair-Elect Roy S. Kim ’88 Assistant Chair/Secretary Grace Smith Finance Chair/Treasurer Leslie Benners Joe Chu Albertina M. Cisneros Megan Considine ’97 Koshi Dhingra, Ed.D. Aaron Enrico David Fox Louis Gennarelli David C. Greenstone Lee J. Hark Head of School, ex-officio Kenji Hashimoto Jay Henry Karlyn Herlitz Zack Hicks Joan Hill, Ed.D. Rachel Ladin ’91 Lester Levy, Jr. ’79 Jet Li Clayton S. Lougée ’03 Alumni Board President Marlo Melucci Rich Moses Adriana Perales David Podolsky Tracy Rathbun Jennipher Rice PA President, ex-officio Ashley Scheer
Hardeep Sehgal Bruce Sostek Bharti Subramanian, Ph.D. Beth Thomas Lori Whitten Linda Wimberly Bing Xie Jeff Zlotky LIFETIME TRUSTEES Molly Fulton Seeligson ’60 Rusty Jaggers E. Pierce Marshall, Jr. ’86 Daniel T. Phillips FORMER BOARD CHAIRS ELECTING TO SERVE EX-OFFICIO David L. Johnson ‘67 H. Ronald Nash William E. Rose ‘85
Kendra Grace Chief Operating Officer/ Chief Financial Officer Susan Holmes Chief Advancement Officer Marcus Ingram Director of Equity & Inclusion Sarah Markhovsky Director of Admission Terry Martin Head of Fine Arts Susan Palmer Head of Middle School
Kerry Shea Director of Marketing & Communications Jarrett Shine Head of Athletics & Physical Education Michael Simpson Head of Lower School Rhema Stradford-Dai Head of Preschool Trevor Worcester Head of Upper School Jason Yaffe Director of Academics
STRATEGIC PLAN FOR GREENHILL SCHOOL
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STRATEGIC PLAN TASK FORCES
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CAMPUS & FACILITIES
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, & INCLUSION
FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP
Jeff Zlotky, Co-Chair Kendra Grace, Co-Chair Christy Blumenfeld Aaron Enrico Lauren Goodman ’04 Susan Holmes E. Pierce Marshall, Jr. ’86 Scott Rosa Augusto Sasso Kerry Shea Teressa Thomas Mike Willis Emily Wilson Ken Wimberly
Marlo Melucci, Co-Chair Tom Perryman, Co-Chair Karen Bradberry Amy Bresie ’96 Becky Daniels Netra Fitzgerald Toria Frederick Joel Garza Debra Howard Rusty Jaggers Nancy Kasten Caroline Kim Kamini Mamdani Youssef Oumanar Kyna Shine
Joe Chu, Co-Chair Kendra Grace, Co-Chair Leslie Benners Amy DeBorst David Fox Susan Holmes John Jaggers Rachel Lorraine ’01 Sarah Markhovsky Caroline Perel Indrajit Ponnambalam Grace Smith Lankford Wade Michael Waldman’98 Brent Wheelis
GROWING STRONGER TOGETHER
PROGRAM & CURRICULUM
TEACHING & LEARNING
Lori Whitten, Co-Chair Jason Yaffe, Co-Chair Greg Browne-Nichols Koshi Dhingra Grant Herlitz Treavor Kendall Shanti Majefski ’95 Lauren Marold Terry Martin Gretchen Pollom Molly Fulton Seeligson ’60 Jarrett Shine Michael Simpson Krisan Swaminathan
Yasmin Bhatia, Co-Chair Trevor Worcester, Co-Chair Megan Considine ’97 Tati Deibert Jacobo Luna Lizz Melendez David Muller Michael Orman Susan Palmer Maggie Parry ’07 David Podolsky Byron Sanders ’01 Karl Shaikh Waverly Wilson ’86
Deepest Gratitude Thank you to all of the members of the Strategic Planning Committee, the task forces, and the Board of Trustees for their time and careful stewardship as we look to the future of Greenhill School.
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Greenhill School 4141 Spring Valley Road Addison, TX 75001 972.628.5400 www.greenhill.org