Close your eyes and imagine this: a place where children feel safe; they make connections; they are nourished academically, socially, emotionally; they are challenged to meet their maximum potential; they are encouraged to fail because that is how we learn and grow. They are given support to pursue their passions, connect to real-world events and strive to make the world a better place. Now, open your eyes. This place exists. This place is The Greene School.
As an educator, I have worked in several schools, both public and independent, in several places, including internationally. However, no school is quite like The Greene School. It is an environment, unique, not comparable to many others because of its distinct approach to learning. It takes a whole-child approach towards educating the children of our future. A place where the arts are just as important as math and daily mindfulness is equal to learning to read and write. A place where rich learning experiences replace rote memorization or simply climbing up a set of skills. Teachers are given support to do what is best for their students in order to tailor the learning to meet each student’s needs.
Students at The Greene School experience opportunities on a daily basis that range from computer science and PE to art and drama, as well as, engineering, yoga, and Spanish. In addition to these enrichment classes, students work on cross-curricular projects or themes that encompass a range of skills and concepts that allow for deeper thinking where students spend more time analyzing, evaluating and creating rather than simply remembering or just understanding a set of objectives. In addition, students have voice and choice in their learning where they are given the chance to wonder about the world around them and inquire into topics that are interesting to them or connected to what is happening in our world right now.
All of these wonderful things about this wonderful school are fantastic. But, what really makes The Greene School the truly amazing place that it is, are the people that fill the brick and mortar space every day. Our students are here because they want to learn, are willing to put themselves out there and make mistakes along the way. They truly embody The Greene School mission to be “bright, curious and joyful learners.” However, equally as important is that the dedicated teachers, administration, and staff at the school embody the same qualities we look for in our students. Because, really, how can we expect our students to be something that we do not model ourselves.
In an ever-changing world, what we are doing at The Greene School is preparing our students to be collaborative, communicators, problem-solvers, innovators, human beings. To have passions, care about the world around them and set forth to make a difference, no matter how big or how small. Constantly reflecting and improving our practice to create and provide the most meaningful experiences for our students. And that, well that is what makes us #uniquelygreene.
The Greene School is located at 2001 South Dixie Highway in West Palm Beach, Florida (561) 293-2888.
