i

G Lower School

s c h o o lGreenhill

My favorite things at Greenhill are peacocks and football. (2nd grader)

Peek into any classroom in the Greenhill Lower

School and you’ll see a room full of happy children

playing and having a great time. But there’s a lot

more than fun and games going on. Every moment

of the day is carefully and deliberately designed to

engage young minds and awaken a love of learning.

At Greenhill, we know that if students love learning,

their ambition to pursue excellence becomes second

nature. That’s why cultivating a passionate, positive

attitude is our first priority.

The way you begin makes all the difference.

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How, not WhatLeading students on the path to become independent, analytical, original thinkers is one

of Greenhill’s fundamental objectives, and you can see it in action in the earliest grades.

“We teach them how to think, not just what to think,” says first grade teacher and alumna

Betsy Anderson. “They learn to think things through, not just look for the answer.”

In the Lower School, this means offering relevant, hands-on experiences that draw

children in, inviting them to stretch and build their mental muscles.

Love LearningAc

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“My kids run to class every day, happy to be here. There are hugs, cheers—it’s a warm, caring place.” PARENT, PRE-K & 3RD GRADE

I like to learn science. I like to learn math. I just like to learn! (kindergartner)

7:30 am Run, jump, pretend and play on the playground. Stretching muscles and the mind helps students get ready for school to start.

8:00 Good morning and welcome to each child! Settle down on the rug for the daily class meeting, where students share news, work with the calendar, and talk about the plans for the day to practice social language and counting skills.

8:15 Learning centers are special areas of the classroom devoted to particular interests or skills. Students split into small groups at one of a variety of centers, including math, manipulatives, listening and reading, sand and water play, building, and science.

9:15 Dramatic play time. The children’s spaces for imaginary play are just outside the classroom in the “village” area or inside in the “loft.” There are play shops and houses, a puppet theater, and a supply of costumes.

10:00 Morning snack time. Every day a different family provides the snacks.

10:30 Outdoor play time. Playing outdoors is important, and we never miss a day. Our

playground has a climbing dome, swings, sand and water areas, and a sound garden composed of five outdoor musical instruments.

11:00 Lunchtime. Pre-kindergartners bring their lunches to school each day and eat in the classroom with their teacher.

11:45 Reading and rest time allow busy students some quiet time to read and relax.

12:15 pm Time for physical education. Students head to the gym or the “adventure room,” where they run, swing, jump, twirl, and learn to love being physically active.

1:00 Time for a “special” class—each week, the children have 4 music classes, 2 art classes, Spanish, and library. Starting mid-year, children are given the opportunity to attend a dance class as well.

1:45 Gather backpack, supplies, and today’s projects to show everyone at home.

2:00 Time for goodbyes and dismissal. See you in the morning!

What do they do all day?A TYPICAL DAY IN PRE-K

From the teacher’s vantage point, every project,

activity and transition is highly structured, with

considerable planning and preparation. But from a

child’s viewpoint, each new skill and concept is being

discovered and explored as if for the first time.”

KIM BARNES , HEAD OF EARLY CHILDHOOD

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During our divisional assemblies, students run the show—literally! A rotating group of fourth graders meets with the Head of Lower School to plan the assembly from the announcements to the songs. A big part of the assembly is recognizing the good works of others through our Core Principles (Honor, Respect and Compassion). When students are recognized, their faces are beaming. And their peers are genuinely proud of them. Those assemblies not only set the tone for the week, they create a culture of doing the right thing. Our students don’t realize it, but they are getting character education every day.”

LAURA FLANAGAN , 4TH GRADE TEACHER

Monday morning

meeting (and celebrating!)

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Pie wisdomA perfect example of experiential education in the Lower School is an ever-growing

annual extravaganza: the fiercely competitive Primer Pie Contest. Last year, there were

over 100 entries! Believe it or not, pies offer many learning opportunities: agriculture (the

students tour the State Fair, where they observe a pie contest), writing (the class prepares

illustrated pamphlets and letters inviting every homeroom and department in the school

to participate), social studies (winners are determined by a closely monitored popular

vote) and math (tallying the results is very serious business). Not to mention the baking

and tasting. What could be a more irresistible starting point for study than pie?

Learning for the real worldThroughout the Lower School, the skills the students learn in the classroom are tools for

achieving goals they haven’t yet imagined—not ends in themselves. The fourth grade math

class practices fractions, decimals and percentages through a stock market simulation.

Second grade students create cities from recycled materials, integrating social studies,

history and geometry studies. And all students in first through fourth grades learn Spanish

and Chinese simultaneously, providing an appreciation for the many cultures that speak

those languages, and giving them a foundation for continued language learning.

“Greenhill is the real world. In the real world, you don’t work with just women or just men.” PARENT, K & 5TH GRADE

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Primer, a bridge year between kindergarten and first grade, gives some students the gift of time, allowing them to mature socially and emotionally, while still building academic skills. The faculty and Head of Early Childhood work closely to identify children who would benefit from a year in primer.

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Active body, active mind“Physical fitness helps lead to a healthy lifestyle and a positive self-image for everyone,

even our youngest children,” says Chad Wabrek, Head of Athletics and Physical Education.

The goal of Greenhill’s PE program is simple: We encourage children to be active and

excited about movement, and we teach them about healthy competition. If they play a

game in the gym or in the pool, the teams are named after the latest unit of study in the

classroom—rivers, mountains or nocturnal animals, for example. Integrating PE with

the children’s classroom activities engages them and builds enthusiasm for athletics and

fitness, which will carry them through competitive sports in Middle and Upper School

and throughout their adult lives.

Be Serious About PlayAt

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“My daughter loves PE! She’s learning foundational skills, but she thinks she is having good old-fashioned fun.” PARENT, KINDERGARTEN

Hanging upside down is good for your head

Adventure Room Day is one of the students’ favorite days of the week. That room is filled with equipment like swings, ladders, trapeze, climbing wall and trampolines. Kids swing, jump, hang upside down and bounce. It’s important, because the students are learning to control their bodies in different ways, and the skills they learn help them in the classroom. For example, climbing builds hand strength, which helps with handwriting, and the physical activity can help with concentration and creativity.”

STACEY JOHNSON, DEPARTMENT CHAIR, PHYSICAL EDUCATION; HEAD COACH, TRACK & FIELD

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One of our most beloved traditions is the kindergarten Nutcracker (left)—it must be the longest-running Nutcracker in the world! And it’s performed with a live orchestra—our Upper School string ensemble.”

MICHAEL MANES , HEAD OF FINE ARTS

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Self-portraits drawn by Greenhill 2nd graders

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Arts

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The third leg: fine artsOur faculty often describe a Greenhill education as a three-legged stool, composed

of academics, athletics and fine arts. The finely tuned balance of these three pursuits

provides our students with the stable foundation they need to grow into well-rounded

individuals.

The Lower School program reserves plenty of time in the daily schedule for the fine

arts. Students are introduced to the basic elements of music, dance, the visual arts and

drama in pre-kindergarten, and our music and art specialists work with them to develop

their skills, which become more sophisticated each year.

Art projects are frequently designed around topics that the children are covering in

their humanities or science lessons—and vice versa. Students in first grade build simple

machines using fruits and vegetables as the artistic medium, and fourth grade humanities

students write, produce and perform one-act plays to explore the genre of biography. By

the time the students complete Lower School, they’ve experimented with a broad range

of arts disciplines and are well-equipped to choose from the large array of specialized fine

arts courses that are available in the Middle and Upper Schools.

“Greenhill unlocks the potential in your child—something you may not even know about her.” PARENT, 4TH GRADE

My favorite part of the day is specials (like art and music), because you get to learn a lot and it helps your brain develop. (2nd grader)

A community that feels like familyA powerful sense of community and caring is in the air at Greenhill, creating an environ-

ment where children feel comfortable and appreciated. And just like every other aspect of

the Greenhill experience, it’s that way by design.

Our Heart of the Hill program creates small “families” of students and teachers from

all three divisions—Lower, Middle and Upper schools—who meet once a month to read,

plant trees, and do other fun activities together. And there are buddy programs that match

Middle or Upper School students with our youngest students to do community service

projects. What could be more thrilling for Lower Schoolers than knowing that a “big kid” is

looking out for them, always ready with a hug and a smile?

Parents are also an important part of the Greenhill family, and we offer many ways

for them to participate in their child’s Lower School experience. We invite parents to

volunteer in the classroom, help supervise lunchtimes, read out loud in the library, and

chaperone field trips. There are frequent events on campus to present student work in

science, music, art and theater to families. The Parents’ Association is an active force on

campus, with many leadership opportunities.

Know that You BelongCom

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Greenhill School makes me feel happy and glad that I have these friends. (kindergartner)

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Honor. Respect. Compassion.

At Greenhill, we strive to ensure these core values

become habits of mind and heart, as natural and automatic as breathing.”

SCOTT GRIGGS , HEAD OF SCHOOL

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Learning doesn’t end at 3:00The official school day may end at 2:00 or 3:00 pm, but organized and relevant learning

continues. For families who need after-school care, Greenhill’s Extended Day program

engages students through late afternoon until 6:00 pm. Children have time to unwind on

the playground, finish homework if they choose, and enjoy a nutritious snack. Dedicated

Extended Day faculty work closely with classroom teachers to coordinate learning

opportunities, creating projects—like a celebration of the culture of India or holidays

around the world—that build science, math, art and even cooking skills, in a fun and safe

environment. Students may also choose to enroll in special interest programs, such as

chess, tennis, drama and debate.

Our community service program starts with the youngest children in pre-k and goes all the way through twelfth grade. Starting them out so early is a huge boon, because by the time they get to Upper School, they’re trained volunteers—they’re not scared to see an old person or someone in a wheelchair. Their eyes are wide open; they’re caring and compassionate and they know what types of volunteer work they enjoy. I believe that teaching children to volunteer is no different from teaching them to read and write—it’s a life skill that will be with them always.

I want our kids to be heart smart—not just smart. It’s a privilege for them to be students here. We teach them how important it is to give back.”

SALLY ROSENBERG , DIRECTOR OF SERVICE LEARNING AND COMMUNITY SERVICE

Not just smart. Heart smart.

My favorite part of the day is morning, because I like to have a new start every day. (2nd grader)

“Everywhere you go there is a smiling face.” PARENT, PRIMERFourth-graders take charge of the campus recycling campaign.

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Looking Forward, Looking Back

Watching our fourth-graders leave us to go on to Middle School is bittersweet. Over the years we have come to know them so well—their learning styles and

strengths, their family lives, their social and emotional ups and downs, their hobbies and interests—everything. Each child has a unique story, and as they stand on the stage at the

“farewell assembly,” we look at them with heartfelt pride and know we’ll miss them. That’s the bitter part. The sweet part is knowing that they have grown so much, academically and socially, and they are ready for the next step. We anticipate hearing about them from our Middle School

colleagues, and relating their new challenges and successes to Lower School experiences.”

MICHAEL SIMPSON , HEAD OF LOWER SCHOOL

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Mov

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On

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Fourth-graders reflect: in their own words (and punctuation)

What are you most looking forward to about moving up to Middle School?

Learning new languages! It seems like LOADS of fun! … Having lockers and more freedom … Being in a new building … Having different kids for different classes and having LOCKERS! … To meet all the new teachers.

What is the most important thing you’ve learned this year?

About the Civil Rights Movement … That you should always be kind to everyone … About space, probably. Maybe about the American Revolution … R-E-S-P-E-C-T and being a good friend … How to find the percentage on quizzes … That if you have a plan your project will be better … I learned how to be a good writer … Being a leader to be inspiring.

Experience the differenceA booklet can tell only a small piece of the Greenhill story.

We invite you to come visit. Take a campus tour, drop in on

our classrooms, and watch the children at work and at play.

It’s not like any other school.

FIND OUT MORE OR SCHEDULE A VISIT:www.greenhill.org

972.628.5910 — Admission Office

admission@greenhill.org

“It’s the premier coeducational, private school in Dallas. You want it all in a package? You get it here.” PARENT, 2ND GRADE

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Green hill School

4141 Spring Valley Road Addison TX 75001 972.628.5400 www.greenhill.org

It is the policy of Greenhill School to administer its educational programs, including admission and financial aid, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, or disability.

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