Greene Hill School

Next week, the 6s will be opening their classroom coffee shop after spending time studying coffee shops in the local neighborhood as part of their Community Work. Inspired by visits to and , students have been observing how coffee shops welcome customers and organize their space. They even created floor plans of Hungry Ghost and used them to build a model of the coffee shop in the classroom using blocks and other materials. They will now bring those ideas back to the classroom as they reorganize their space, design their menus, take orders, and prepare to run their own coffee shop.

This was part of an emergent curriculum based on a survey of local businesses, including a restaurant, a mini market, and other stops along the way. They chose coffee shops out of these different options.

Throughout their experience at GHS, children build independence, confidence, and resilience. They learn to advocate for themselves, collaborate with others, and approach both academics and relationships with perspective. They come to understand that challenges are temporary and that growth comes from taking on problems, not avoiding them. We see direct evidence of this when our eighth graders reflect on their time at GHS. They describe eloquently how they have overcome challenges, grown in their ability to work hard and think deeply, and are excited to spread their wings and move on to amazing high schools. We recently held an 8th grade panel where students shared their experiences over the years at GHS. Some of their comments include:

I have been going to GHS for 10 years. I love it. Because I have been here for so long, it is hard to put into words how close I am with everyone. I have grown up with everyone and watched them grow up too.”

“To be in 8th grade feels like I am at the top of the middle school, a role model for everyone younger than me. It shows me how much I have grown over my years at Greene Hill, and it is our responsibility to put in the most effort to demonstrate good leadership.”

“I have a strong relationship with almost every teacher here. I know the values and the morals of this school very well, and this means I can do my best to represent them in any way possible.”

GHS 6th - 8th graders enjoyed putting their Spanish skills to use this week at the eighth grade restaurant. Older students prepared traditional cuisine and created menus from one of the Spanish-speaking countries, and their younger counterparts practiced their speaking skills by ordering a meal in Spanish. This event highlights the integration of vocabulary, grammar and speaking skills with a deep understanding of the cultural component of countries around the world.

We are still able to accept applications for the 2026-27 school year. Please visit Ravenna to apply and email [email protected] for more information.

At Greene Hill School in Fort Greene, our youngest students:

✦Develop strong phonemic and phonological awareness and learn how to pose questions and formulate ideas through hands-on experience and are supported to become fluent, independent readers and writers.

✦Have outside time every day, and take many field trips within the neighborhood and beyond.

✦Explore mathematical concepts through sorting, classifying, and grouping objects, as well as work with patterns and shapes.

✦Have time devoted to their social emotional needs, and are supported to foster friendship, fairness, self-confidence and the sharing of feelings.

✦Gather for shared learning experiences including Movement, Literacy and Numbers Work, Music, Visual Arts Lab and Spanish.

✦Do not engage with technology.

We are still able to accept applications for the 2026-27 school year. Please visit Ravenna to apply and email [email protected] for more information.

Join us for a Mets Game - maybe we can turn their luck around! Greene Hill is meeting up at Citi Field on Sunday, May 31 to watch the Mets play the Marlins.

We hope to see our alumni and their parents at our upcoming alumni picnic on Thursday, June 4. If you're a graduate of GHS, check your email for the RSVP form. Save the date!

We had an amazing turnout for Grandparents and Special Friends Day - thank you to everyone who joined us for a beautiful lunch, performances, classroom shares, and a bake and book sale. We hope to see everyone again at next year's event!

Thank you to our fantastic faculty and staff for the ways they inspire, guide, and nurture confidence in our students at Greene Hill.

We are so excited for next Friday's Grandparents and Special Friends Day! We are looking forward to sharing the school with our visitors for the day, including a beautiful luncheon, excerpts from our All School Musical, Classroom Visits, and more! Guests are invited to RSVP, and parents are welcome to sign up to volunteer (links in bio).

Thank you to our guest speaker, , creator of RadioLab, who helped the 8th graders prepare for their upcoming Interviews for their Big Greene Projects. As part of their 12-week process, students select a topic of interest for which they research, interview an expert in the field, make a site visit, create a visual component, and present to their families and the middle school at large. The BGP is a way for students to synthesize all the skills that they have learned throughout their time in middle school. It also offers them an opportunity to be self-directed in their learning and dig deeply into something about which they are passionate.