Greenfield Center School

the center school is amazing the classes are great and the kids have so much fun
--Submitted by a student

Everyone at the center school is always friendly and helpful! It offers skiing in the winter for kids in third grade and up, and skating for younger kids. I myself am a hippie child from start to end, and no one has ever made fun of me for dressing eccentricly. I recomend The Center School for any kid who dreads,is bored with,or just downright hates school.
--Submitted by a student

We have had 2 children attend the Greenfield Center School, and we are quite pleased overall. Our children have learned how to learn and how to express their own thoughts about their learning. Unlike their peers at other schools, they are not fearful of public speaking. Middle school years can be so horrible for kids, yet my 8th grader is having an absolutely wonderful time with all of her friends which includes almost everyone in her class.
--Submitted by a parent

This school saved my daughter. We transferred her to Center School in third grade from a different private school when she started hating going to school. The teachers at the Center School immediately recognized that she was a bright girl bored out of her mind. Within a month she loved school again and has been thriving ever since (four years!) I scored the extracurricular activities lower because this school doesn't have sports facilities. There is plenty of athleticism, especially in the older grades, but it lacks the facilities our old school had. What Center School does have, however, is field trips and art integration. The kids are frequently on incredible trips, which also appeal to parents. (GCS parents are very involved.) And the artwork that comes out of that place is to die for--visual, theatrical, etc. With very few resources this school really makes the grade. Check it out.
--Submitted by a parent

My daughter has gone to GCS the past 7 years and we've been very happy. I especially like: a) the emphasis on learning how to learn, b) the ways kids learn how to get along with each other c) the connection between academic learning and the real world, including field trips, surveys, and attention to what is happening in the community and the world d) the understanding teachers have of what are appropriate ways of learning and relating at different ages e) the ways in which parent involvement are encouraged and welcomed
--Submitted by Ferd Wulkan, a parent

Greenfield Center Schools academic and social-emotional curriculum is excellent. The staff work with the children not only on academics but also on social emotional issues. Parent involvement is very high. Events are held throughout the year for families and friends to see what the children have been learning about.
--Submitted by a parent

There is something purely magical about the Greenfield Center School. It's not flashy, it's now well-endowed. But the quality of education, the dedication of the teachers and the way students are encouraged to be genuine thinkers and activists in the world combine to make this place hum. I have two very different children and they have both been really served here. Our whole family feels welcome. There is a wonderful, real way that the school approaches social learning. Kids are safe, empowered and learn to work in community. The academics are very strong even if they don't appear 'traditional.' My son, for example, studied the history of the labor movement and other social change times instead of wars and dates. He now attends a highly competitive prep school and is thriving. My daughter, shy and slow to read has made incredible gains socially and academically in just two years.
--Submitted by a parent

The Center School is very 'progressive' everyone gets together for All-School where we light the Peace Candle. There is a lot of art oppertunities and the middle school has a separate building which I think is important.
--Submitted by a student

I think that the Center School is a pretty good school all in all. It does lack a certain level of exposure that I think kids need. The school offers a lot of freedom which I think kids tend to abuse. It sometimes becomes problematic for other kids who actually want to learn, because the class gets slowed down. I think it's a nice school for kids to get individual attention and the teachers can explain things to their students very thouroughly. Teachers and students develop relationships. It is sometimes very fabricated and kids are forced to like each other, or change their opinions. It's a very hippie, tree-hugging school but I like it.
--Submitted by a student

This school is good but the curriculum isn't the best. Their projects are really hands on. I would advise sending your child here if you want them to have a lot of friends and a good social life. The homework isn't that bad and there is no racism or bullies. This school is all about peace and every Wednesday we have a big gathering where the whole school gets to get together.
--Submitted by Cory Gillette, a student