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Greenfield Center School |
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Greenfield
Center School
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Saki(4th) reads to Una (2nd) during tutoring time when the their classes come together for an activity. This reinforces the importance of reading.
"I would describe this school as a home... We provide TLC (tender loving care). And all go by one exceptional rule, which I predict everyone can follow.
The Golden Rule:
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The Curriculum Our teachers understand the developmental stages that children go through and make their classrooms responsive to the physical, emotional, social, and intellectual needs of the children. We are continually learning about how children learn best and we draw upon the theories of many great teachers and theorists. We respect the fact that children go through predictable learning stages but that they do this at different rates. We expect that students will leave here as informed ethical problem-solvers, that they will be articulate, questioning, critical thinkers. We also expect that they will have the skills and inclinations to be reflective, compassionate, empathetic, hopeful actors in the world. We strive to help our students learn to make choices and follow through with them; work cooperatively, initiate independent and group projects, solve problems, communicate honestly and effectively, and become invested in their own learning. We believe that the capacity to confront new problems and ethical issues with appropriate tools and skills is a resource each child is entitled to receive from his or her school experience. Therefore, our academic curriculum focuses on teaching children how to learn and articulate that learning through multiple modalities. Children at every level are taught how to plan, evaluate, and represent their work on a daily, weekly, and yearly basis. Teachers use approaches in the classroom which are active and inquiry-based, encouraging trial and error, discovery and student initiative. At all levels, children are taught that practice is important, mistakes are useful and help us to learn, and that final drafts of work should be thoughtfully and beautifully presented. The Center School educational experience occurs through individual instruction, small group interaction, whole class involvement, and all school participation.
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Above, students participate in a Morning Meeting; greeting one another, sharing experiences, and problem-solving together. Below, the Mid UMs introduce new classmates during our weekly All School Meeting.
Multiage
Class Groupings Our multiage classrooms afford many benefits: Teachers plan for a range of abilities - individualizing for each child, students excel with the predictability of the same teachers for two years, and parents enjoy the comfort of extended relationships with their child's teachers. |
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Social Education We believe that how children feel about themselves and how they treat others is as important as the concepts they learn in school. At GCS, we strive to help children feel good about themselves and learn in an atmosphere of warmth and mutual respect. Therefore, we devote time in our school day to teaching social skills and developing a strong sense of community both in the classroom and school-wide. During the first six weeks of school, the primary focus in each classroom is on building a positive social climate for the year. Emphasis is put on inclusivity, cooperation, kindness, self-control and respectful communication. Appropriate social skills are taught through role-playing, modeling, and discussion. Throughout the year, all classrooms begin their day with a 30-minute morning meeting in which children greet each other by name, share personal stories, sing songs, and review plans for their day together. All-School events such as weekly meetings, game times, lunch invitations, and tutoring of the younger children by the older children help to build a caring and spirited school community. Language
Arts: Our classrooms offer rich and varied language experiences for students to develop and practice their language skills. Dialogue is encouraged, active listening is taught, stories and poems are read aloud, and reading and writing are a part of everything we do. Children read a morning message written on a chart from their teacher; they write about their work at the end of their day; they do research and read stories published by their classmates; they write a menu for the daily snack. Throughout our program, the emphasis is on learning skills within a meaningful context. Our classrooms are interactive and participatory. Children's thoughts and ideas are solicited and honored. It is expected that our students will write on a daily basis. We teach creative writing as well as letter, report, essay, and journal writing. Children are taught writing mechanics such as spelling, punctuation, and handwriting, both systematically and as needed to revise and edit their work. We provide reading instruction through a combination of small instructional groups as well as structured, independent reading programs in order to help children develop strong reading skills and a love of reading Our reading instruction is literature-based and reading is a part of day to day life in the classroom. |
Matt and Lou (5th) lead their class through the "Clap Out" line as they leave for Ferry Beach Ecology Camp in Maine. "Clap Out" is a Center School tradition. All other classes line the sidewalk and clap as the exiting class leaves for an overnight trip.
Alanna (left) presents her arguments in favor of the 15th Amendment with her classmates Courtney (middle) and Margo (right). This was an event which parents attended and was a culminating project in the student's theme study of the abolitionist and suffragist movements.
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| Mathematics Our math curriculum reflects the five goals for students as stated by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. We want our students to:
Direct math instruction is provided regularly in addition to being integrated into theme studies. The kindergarten through fifth grade math program is Investigations in which students construct with manipulatives, play math board games, and learn to explore interesting problems together. In the process, they develop an understanding of concepts and relationships as well as competency in computation. The math program at the sixth and seventh grade level is Connected Math, a program that continues the constructivist approach of Investigations. Both programs are recommended by the National Science Foundation. Algebra is next step for our eighth grade students. This sequence of mathematics preparation enables our graduates to pursue and complete calculus by the time they graduate from high school. Themes: Each class explores the complexity of a science and/or social studies topic for 2-3 months, immersing in 3-4 topics per year. Theme investigations are inquiry-based, designed to initiate ethical questions and issues. Units of study are chosen which have components with varying perspectives in order to elicit complex, critical questions. The processes involved in any study include observing, recording, problem-solving, representing, and presenting. Students develop a deep understanding of the topic and have opportunities to personally respond. In this way, students gain an understanding of themselves in relation to the real world. One example of theme study at the Primes (K-1) level was an in depth inquiry of boats. Many learning centers were set up including one in which an experimenter and a recorder explored the effect of wind on bottle cap boats. They built clay boats and wrote their own boat adventure stories as culminating projects. Another example in the PUPS (1-2)is their research on birds which began with recording what student knew about birds and what they were curious about. Mid UPS (2-3) explored sun and light charting the sunrise and sunset for 9 months. Students learned how to create a compass by marking the the top of a stick's shadow over time. The MidUMs (4-5) have focused on the abolitionist movement and the personal experience of the historic figures who helped to bring about change. Upper Middles (6) investigated ecosystems by collecting and caring for crayfish from Green River. The Uppers (7-8) are currently studying oppression by researching the issue of child labor from the early 1900s through today. GCS teachers connect the minds, hearts, and wills of our students by frequently choosing a theme that focuses on a social justice issue. Because we appreciate the difference in developmental maturity of our students, the social justice theme for our youngest children relates to their interpersonal classroom experience whereas the social justice issues explored by our older students are of a more global nature. These themes often culminate with a community service project. |
Yellow octagons, green triangles, blue diamonds, orange squares, and red trapezoids are the components of Jackson's creation. Students, kindergarten through third grade, have opportunities to use many types of manipulatives. For example, pattern blocks, rods, colored tiles, unifix cubes, and wooden cubes are used to explore many math concepts.
Molly's (3rd) explanation of why we experience night and day. Students recorded their observations, questions, and research about sun and light in a series of notebooks. |
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| The Arts The arts are valued at the Center School as vehicles to express and represent ideas, experiences and feelings. Opportunities for using art materials are available to the children and original work is encouraged. Music, drama, dance, and visual and applied arts are interwoven throughout each curriculum area as well as throughout the school day. Children write poetry, write and perform plays based on stories they read in the classroom; they create models of bridges they designed as part of Theme; they construct a diorama from a setting in a novel; they create a dance to perform at All-School to emphasize the importance of recycling; they make collages to cover their journals. Singing is an important part of our community culture and we have a repertoire of songs that the children and adults come to know and love. We sing at morning meetings, at our weekly All-School meetings, and at special ceremonies like Magic Penny and Graduation. |
PUPS went on an exciting trip to Tom Ricardi's Bird Rehabilitation Center. Zephyr (2nd) balances a kestrel on her hand as Leylee reacts with delight. "Greenfield
Center School is distinctive because teachers risk a
more complicated view of inquiry: Theme."
MidUPs (2-3) students use their palettes and brushes to create their "Monet-style" impressionist masterpieces. Over the course of the year, they also experimented with the styles of Gauguin, Picasso, and Paul Klee. |
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Physical Education Our teachers play with their students. They set the tone for outside time by discussing the outside activity: naming the game, soliciting the rules and potential problems, and setting an inclusive tone so that everyone knows what to expect. The goals of our physical education program are for children to learn to play cooperatively, handle competition in a positive spirit, build athletic skills, exercise their bodies, get fresh air, and have fun. Classroom teachers participate in outdoor times daily which offer a balance of structured and unstructured activities. Once a week in the fall and spring, children join a mixed-age group for All-School Games. During the winter months, the Primes ice skate together at a public rink in Greenfield. The older children participate in our downhill ski program for which our parent council helps raise money. In all of our physical education programs, there is an expectation that everyone participates whether we're playing Kick the Can or taking ski lessons. This is also true for our soccer program which begins at the Middles level. The focus is on building skills, team cooperation and a positive experience of competition. Our Uppers teams compete against public and private schools in the area. In addition to games and sports, we offer a Personal Safety (Primes - Middles) and Sex Education (Upper Middles and Uppers) curriculum. Children learn about how their bodies work and how to keep them safe and healthy.
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During the first six weeks of school, we focus on developing community in each classroom. Pictured above, 9 and 10 year olds cooperate in a group challenge called the "Human Ladder".
Students are ready to take off during their ski lesson at Berkshire East.
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| Special Abilities Program By providing small group instruction in academics, our classrooms can accommodate a number of children with mild learning differences. We can also accommodate some children who are physically challenged by making reasonable modifications within the regular classroom program. Our classroom buildings are accessible to all. Students who require special academic assistance beyond the accommodations within the regular program can be provided up to one half hour of direct support per day. Alumni Information Greenfield Center School alumni come back to visit! They drop by to say hello, they come to graduation, they come back to work in the classrooms. Our alumni now number more than 200 and have attended a wide range of secondary schools, colleges, and graduate schools. A typical graduating class will see students going on to Northfield Mount Hermon, Pioneer Valley Performing Arts School, Stoneleigh-Burnham School, Greenfield High School, Frontier Regional High School, Franklin County Technical School, The Academy at Charlemont, Mohawk Trail Regional School or Deerfield Academy. Feedback from students themselves, their parents, and their teachers informs us that they are very well prepared both academically and socially. Teachers in local high schools speak of our graduates' confidence in their ability to learn, their ability to participate in dialogues with peers and adults alike, and their ability to organize and present their work. Our program is non-traditional, differing in some of its emphasis from local alternatives, and it is important to know that it serves students well when they graduate. |
The Parent Council Seed Project featured artwork from every student who submitted a design. They bought bulk seeds which students counted and measured into beautiful packets like the one pictured above.
Amber, Jane, and Carina (left to right) celebrate at the Teacher Appreciation Luncheon. Amber and Carina are alums of GCS who thrilled Jane and all the other teachers by bringing a poem, a cake and a collection of foods representing their memories of the Center School. |
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Organizational Structure The Greenfield Center School, Inc. is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization governed by a Board of Directors. The Board is made up of parents, alumnae parents, staff, and community members and created a five year Strategic Plan with goals in the following: areas: Governance and Organization, Finance and Development, Human Resources, Program, Size and Configuration, as well as Public Relations. Staff The Director of Greenfield Center School, Inc. is Dr. Laura Baker. Laura (at GCS we all are on a first name basis) earned a B.S.from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio; a masters degree in Special Education from University of Maine, Orono; and a doctorate in Educational Leadership also from the University of Maine. Laura has 30 years of experience as an educator; all of which had been spent in public schools prior to her joining GCS. She has been an elementary and middle school classroom teacher, a gymnastics coach, a Special Education teacher, a Special Education Director for 7 years, a college professor for 3 years, and a Principal for 10 years. We are blessed by her expertise, her commitment to educating each child, and her passion for the mission of the GCS. We have fabulous teachers. They adore children and are experts at challenging each child to improve, to imagine, and to enjoy learning. In our multiage classrooms, teacher teams work collaboratively to create the integration of social and academic learning that makes GCS distinctive. Classroom teachers also collaborate with our special abilities staff to inclusively instruct students of all learning styles. Affiliations Established in 1981, GCS is known for its full implementation of the Responsive Classroom approach and is a service provider for the Coalition Center of Essential School Reform (CCESR). CCESR is the collaborative effort of Keene State College and Antioch New England Graduate School. Responsive Classroom Components:
Each year Antioch sends graduate students to our school to do their teaching internships with Center School teachers. |
Teacher Terry Kayne(left) is honored for her loving service by Laura Baker and the entire school. Coalition of Essential Schools
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Admissions Information The Greenfield Center School application process is personal. We want to get to know you and your child and encourage interested families to come and experience GCS. There are many opportunities to visit. Please contact Admissions Director, at 413.773.1700 or admissions@centerschool.net to make an appointment and to receive the application forms. We also encourage you to visit our web-site at http://www.centerschool.net. To apply, families should do three things:
Once the application, fee, records, and teacher form have been submitted, we will contact you to schedule a one hour screening appointment for your child/ren. Screenings for applicants of Grades 3-7 consist of an interview and an academic assessment. Screenings for applicants of Grades K-2 are interactive and fun and a parent is welcome to accompany their child. In the decision making process, the Greenfield Center School Admissions Committee considers factors such as class size, gender, diversity, and learning style in an effort to create balanced as well as diverse classrooms. Priority is given to siblings of presently enrolled students and consideration is given to children of alumni families and board members, space permitting. Every effort is made to ensure that your child will be well served at Greenfield Center School. Greenfield Center School, Inc. does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, gender, sexual orientation, handicap, age, ancestry, or national or ethnic origin. |
Fernando '03 celebrating his graduation with his brother Fred '99 who is attending Tufts University.
An inquiring family creating spin art on the battery operated spinners during our Admissions Open House |
