Progressions Fall 2014

progressions GREENE HILL SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

FALL 2014

DEAR GREENE HILL FAMILIES AND FRIENDS, In the first months of school we are busy establishing routines, getting acclimated to school life, learning about one another and building community. At every age level children are challenging themselves and each other with new ideas and materials.

Our all school study, daily experiences like movement and music and special events connect us all at Greene Hill School.

CONTENTS In September and October we: • marched together to bring awareness to climate change, • traveled as a whole school for apple picking, a fall farm tradition, • sang our hearts out at our first monthly all-school sing, • enjoyed an adult night out at a GHS community potluck • attended community forums around topics like progressive education and math at GHS.

LETTER FROM DIANA LEARNING + PRACTICE AT GREENE HILL IT’S MIDDLE SCHOOL TIME REFLECTIONS OF A RETURNING TEACHER GREENE HILL GROWS UPDATE

This fall our entire school is studying “Inventions.” You might hear 4 and 5 year olds talk about ramps and other simple machines, 6 through 8s debate what they believe to be the greatest or most important invention of all time, and see 9 to 11 year olds examining the school to identify problems that they want to solve for their community. Our Lower School Director, Jaime Quackenbush discusses our all school study, and teacher preparation for it, in more detail in her article.

PATHS REPORT COMMUNITY SERVICE BOARD CORNER GRANDPARENTS FUND FOR THE SCHOOL

GREENE HILL SCHOOL 39 Adelphi Street Brooklyn, NY 11205 718.230.3608 WEB SITE

www.greenehillschool.org E-MAIL

info @ greenehillschool.org BOARD OF TRUSTEES Nanci Berman, Chair Eric Ashman, Treasurer Amanda Smith, Secretary Meredith Phillips Almeida David Horowitz Nils Mellquist Jocelynne Rainey Beth Schneider

This is the first year of GHS’s Middle School! Our teachers and 6th graders are engaged with their work and one another with a collaborative spirit and great enthusiasm.

Laurie Baum, our Middle School Director, presents the highlights in her newsletter article.

We have some truly exciting initiatives led by Rachael Burton, Development Director, in support of Greene Hill School. Contributions to Greene Hill are what enables the school to stay dedicated to our mission and provide the generous teacher-to-student ratio and diverse curriculum that benefits all our children.

Please join my family in supporting the school through our Annual Appeal, Greene Hill Grows campaign and new Grandparent’s Fund. Thank you to Seana Anderson, grandmother to two GHS boys, for heading this wonderful program for grandparents and special friends.

Our annual collection for UNICEF, led by the Community Service Committee each year, invites children and their families to ask for coins in support of providing school supplies through an organization called Shape a Future.

Read more information about the variety of vital ways that PATHS supports GHS later in the newsletter.

Please join me in congratulating our teachers, staff and board of trustees whose blend of knowledge, instinct and hard work promotes such an engaging, vibrant and caring school environment.

MY BEST, DIANA

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FALL 2014

LEARNING + PRACTICE AT GHS Dear Greene Hill Families and Friends, As I’ve begun my first year at Greene Hill, I’ve seen daily examples of the richness and depth of the learning that occurs in every corner of the school.

The teachers and students returned in September happy and energized, and within days the classrooms were buzzing with activity and engagement as if we’d never left for summer vacation. One of the most exciting aspects of the fall at Greene Hill is our All-School Invention study. In past years, the school has delved into topics such as water, propulsion, and food, with each class finding ways to explore and experiment with their understanding of these big concepts. We chose the idea of Invention for this year’s study because of its broad and varied meanings and the range of ways for our students to engage with the topic. While the first image that often pops in mind when hearing “invention” is a physical device or process that has been created, we are also emphasizing the action of inventing, and the creative ability that is necessary for such work. Our teachers and students have already been hard at work debating the “Greatest Invention of All Time” and tracking innovations of classic inventions, designing solutions to problems they observe in the school and neighborhood, and building and constructing using a wide range of materials.

This process of problem-solving through inquiry, as well as the hands-on engagement of students and teachers in everevolving learning, is an integral part of progressive education and all that we do here at Greene Hill School. During our professional development work this summer, GHS staff revisited some of the most influential thinkers and theorists associated with progressive education as a frame for our work this year. We reminded ourselves of the significance of the individualized way children move through Piaget’s developmental stages, and how educators utilize Vygotsky’s concept of the Zone of Proximal Development in order to scaffold the learning of each student. As a staff, we considered how our curriculum allows students to benefit from the experiential learning that Dewey emphasizes, and how to frame our role as teachers as facilitators — rather than providers — of student learning. For us, the Invention Study allows us to display the type of collaborative, open-ended, and self-directed work that occurs at GHS through a school-wide angle.

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One place where this learning happens organically on a regular basis is during Open Work time. Open Work at GHS is a selfinitiated work time that happens daily in the lower school, and is mirrored in the middle school’s weekly independent work time. Teachers provide structure and support for the children’s work (differing by student age and individual needs), but the students are expected to bring their interests and ideas to life through the creation of individual and group endeavors and exploration of materials in the classroom. For our youngest students, this work involves making a choice from a variety of options (including blocks, clay, paint, and other materials) and actively engaging with them for a sustained period. For our oldest students, teachers assist with the proposal and planning of more in-depth work that may include formal or informal research, design, and presentation to the class upon completion. For all students, this time allows for artistic expression, construction, experimentation, and meaningful learning that grows from sparks students themselves have gathered and nurtured. It is a precious and savored part of the Greene Hill experience, and is a window into how our students learn not only curricular content, but the problemsolving, flexibility, perseverance, and collaboration that is essential to their all-around growth and development.

As students and teachers continue to “invent” throughout the fall, we will look for ways to extend this learning both in and outside of Open Work, and plan to showcase the school-wide study in a culminating share in December. However, we know that the invention we have begun to engage in at the start of the school year will continue throughout the year as the students turn their thinking to new topics and content with the same critical lens, creativity, and excitement that has filled the classrooms during these first few weeks of school.

BEST, JAIME

www.greenehillschool.org • 718.230.3608

IT’S MIDDLE SCHOOL TIME Oh what a difference a year makes! Greene Hill School’s Middle School opened on September 8, 2014 with our first class of 6th graders.

The year and a half of planning coalesced into a vibrant 3rd floor Middle School filled with both new and returning students. Everyone who makes the trek upstairs notices the distinct middle school vibe with our sunlight classrooms, green chairs selected by the students, subject-specific teachers and most important as far as the students are concerned, lockers.

The 6th graders have four teachers for their four academic subjects: humanities, math, science, and spanish. Three of the four faculty are new to Greene Hill and they bring a wealth of experience as well as enthusiasm for their subject matter and this particular age group of children. Already, the kids have had to research a city on the silk route and convince a trusted advisor (aka Gabby their teacher) why their city deserves to be a stop along the way. In Spanish, the students are working on the basics of communication — building their way to immersion later in the year. During science, the class is thrilled to be using new scientific instruments such as humidity and light sensors that send data directly into their computers. And in math, those popular lockers have formed the subject of prediction and probability questions, demonstrating math’s usefulness in real world situations.

In addition to the rich academic program, Greene Hill’s 6th graders are engaged in both community building and community service as part of our advisory program. Once a week, the class gathers to learn more about each other as individuals and plan ways in which they will reach out to others. This month, the focus is on building Greene Hill’s sustainability efforts. Students will be planning and organizing the ways in which the school recycles and then training the younger students in following the guidelines. This community service project within the school walls is a prerequisite for planning a project in our broader Brooklyn community.

LAURIE BAUM

REFLECTIONS OF A RETURNING TEACHER It's great to be back for another school year!

The summer goes by so quickly, yet upon returning to school, I am continually amazed to see how much the kids have grown — standing taller and with new stories to tell from their summer adventures. This year marks my second year as a head teacher in the 7s class and my fifth year at Greene Hill School since starting out as an assistant teacher in the 4s class. I am often reminded of how much we have grown as a school since then. I sometimes get nostalgic for the days when we all fit into four classrooms on the first floor, and we held all-school lab assemblies in the Art and Science room (now the 7s room). It is even better, however, to have our hallways bursting with kids and families, and to see all the student work posted throughout the school.

As a returning teacher, I get to reprise my role from the previous year. Feeling more at ease with the curriculum allows me to teach with a greater sense of ownership and confidence built on past experience. As the year begins, I am reminded about the distinct individuality of each class and I am enjoying learning about the interests and the personalities of my current students. School structures are in place here to help us get to know the children, starting with welcome conferences, where we get to sit down with parents to find out more about children through their eyes. Through the day-to-day interactions in the classroom, and having fun during outside time, I, too am gaining knowledge of what engages these students. They put new life into the curriculum, making it their own, without ever replicating what was done the year before. This is one of the greatest things about working at Greene Hill School.

Each year there is something new and interesting to learn about and explore. I am certainly looking forward to the year ahead!

SHARYNE, 7S TEACHER

FALL 2014

2014-15 ANNUAL APPEAL

GREENE HILL GROWS A Campaign for the Future

A GOOD QUESTION:

Why should I support the Annual Appeal?

I already support the school with my tuition dollars.

Greene Hill School announces our first

A GREAT ANSWER:

growth and development.

Aristotle once said, “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”

Greene Hill Grows is a challenge to our community

We — the parents, teachers, students, grandparents and extended community — are the parts and Greene Hill School — this creative, engaging, warm, challenging and nurturing place where we send our children every day — is the sum that is greater than all of us.

capital campaign to support school-wide

to raise $250,000 to boost the school into a new phase of our development. Over the next few years GHS will reach full enrollment (grades pre-k through 8) for the first time, hire more teachers, develop innovative curriculum, and renovate our spaces.

The Greene Hill Grows campaign has already received

THE PROOF

more than $125,000 in leadership gifts. We are

It is easy to list all of the ways GHS is unique: our ArtsLab program, our high student teacher ratio, our constructivist curriculum which creates and supports innovative classroom environments, our close-knit and welcoming community.

And, at the heart of this is our sliding-scale tuition model.

halfway toward reaching our goal.

More information about Greene Hill Grows: A Campaign for the Future will be coming soon.

The Annual Appeal supports all of this by helping to close the gap between tuition income and annual operating expenses. It costs about $1,000 more per student than tuition alone to run the school.

The Annual Appeal goal this year is $100,000.

GHS is asking everyone who has supported the Annual Appeal in the past (and you know who you are and we thank you!) to increase their gift by 10%. And, if you have never supported the Annual Appeal, please make a contribution this year. Contributions can be made online here or, can be charged to your FACTS account if you are a current family. If you have any questions, please email Rachael at rburton@greenehillschool.org

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PATHS PATHS (Parents and Teachers Helping the School) has embarked on our fourth year of service at Greene Hill School.

We are a volunteer group of parents and teachers who work together through our nine committees to support and enrich our school. All Greene Hill parents and teachers are automatically members of PATHS. This year, we have expanded PATHS with the addition of an IT Committee, and they are still looking for a few good men (or women). If you are tech-savvy or just tech-interested please contact PATHS@greenehillschool.org to find out how you can join this committee.

We’re happy to report that the year is already off to an amazing start. In September, the Community Service Committee organized a group of GHS families to march in the People’s Climate March in NYC. Dozens of Greene Hill families turned out to march at this historic event. Meanwhile, the Library Committee is building new shelves for all the Middle School books and has planned a book fair for November.

The Winter Brunch Committee has already drafted invitations to the Brunch, and new Greene Affair Co-Chairs Stav Birnbaum and Daria Sanford are in the early stages of planning for the Greene Affair, our biggest (and most raucous) fundraiser. Thanks to all of you who have already volunteered to help us in all these efforts. We’ve been thrilled to see so many new folks turning up at PATHS meetings. It looks like it will be another busy and successful year for PATHS.

Happy fall everyone and thanks again for all you do to make Greene Hill such an amazing place!

WARMLY, REBECCA CABAN + KATE SHELDON PATHS Co-Chairs, PATHS@greenehillschool.org

COMMUNITY SERVICE The Community Service committee connects Greene Hill School to the larger community. We want to encourage students to see that they can make a difference by working with local and global organizations. We also want to make meaningful and authentic connections between our community outreach programs and the topics students are studying. This year we are going to be working on both school-wide and classroom-specific projects to build long-term relationships with organizations. For example, the 7s will be planting trees as part of their neighborhood study -- with thanks to the Myrtle Avenue Revitalization Project for their help. The sixth graders will visit a local recycling plant as part of their unit on recycling planning. Their goal is to design and implement a plan for the school.

In October, Greene Hill Students will Trick or Treat for UNICEF. Our goal is to raise $1,500 toward the purchase of Shape-A-Future kits that provide both medical and school supplies to schools in need across the world. In November, the entire school will participate in a food drive with a local soup kitchen. Our goal is to collect at least one hundred pounds of food to help feed the homeless over the holidays. To get involved with the Community Service committee please contact Sally Stark-Dreifus or Stacie Billis at (PATHS@greenehillschool.org).

FALL 2014

CONTRIBUTORS Diana Schlesinger Jaime Quackenbush Rachael Burton Laurie Baum Sally Stark-Dreifus Sharyne Beza Rebecca Caban Kate Sheldon PHOTO CREDITS Rachael Burton Marjorie Vereen Diana Schlesinger Laurie Baum

BOARD CORNER The GHS Board is pleased to announce that we have reached another milestone. Greene Hill School is currently a provisional member of the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS). We have now completed our fifth full academic year which allows us to apply for the next tier of NYSAIS membership. This is a significant step for the school as membership in NYSAIS will be the stepping stone to full membership in other independent school accreditation organizations. We look forward to hosting visitors from NYSAIS later this year.

GRANDPARENTS FUND FOR THE SCHOOL

LAYOUT AND DESIGN Ilana Greenberg Please contact Rachael Burton at rburton@greenehillschool.org for information about contributions to the school

The Grandparents (and Special Friends) Fund for the School, chaired by GHS grandparent Seana Anderson, kicked off the year with an invitation to a Grandparent and Special Friends Thanksgiving weekend brunch. Seana is enthusiastic about grandparents involvement in the school — she noted in her inaugural letter that last year grandparents and special friends contributions to the Annual Appeal accounted for 20% of the total donations. Seana is eager to hear from grandparents about their thoughts and wishes for Greene Hill. If you did not receive an invitation to the brunch — or think that we might not have current mailing information for you — please contact Rachael Burton at Greene Hill (rburton@greenehillschool.org).

NONDISCRIMINATION POLICY AS TO STUDENTS

Greene Hill School (the “School”) admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. The School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sexual orientation, national and ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, financial aid programs, and athletic or other school-administered programs. © 2014 Greene Hill School

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