Greenfield Center School

Greenfield Center School has a long history as an educational innovator. GCS was founded in 1981 as a laboratory school of Northeast Foundation for Children (NEFC). Together, the staff of the school and NEFC developed a new approach to learning called the Responsive Classroom. NEFC web-site states: "Thousands of classroom teachers and hundreds of s... chools and school districts have used the Responsive Classroom approach. In urban, rural, and suburban settings nationwide, educators using these strategies report increases in student investment, responsibility, and learning, and decreases in problem behaviors. The Responsive Classroom approach has been shared with all Greenfield Public Schools elementary teachers as part of GCS commitment to developing just communities. In the same spirit of innovation, GCS has continued to develop new teaching methods emphasizing collaborative problem-solving, multiple intelligences, and diverse learning styles. The most current focus of the GCS staff is the work of Mel Levine, whose research on the human brain is instructive for teachers to understand the unique learning profile of every child. Dr. Laura Baker, Director of GCS, will be presenting Mel Levine's work to the Center School parent community during the GCS Annual Meeting, January 19, at 6:30 p.m. Begun before the era of charter schools, GCS depends upon tuition paying families to fund the school. No monies come from the local towns, the state, or the federal government. GCS mission is to integrate challenging academics with ethical decision-making to develop the skills and convictions for creating just communities. The Board of Directors is dedicated to keeping GCS tuition affordable and offers an extremely generous financial aid program - current tuition is $8407. A third of the student body receives, on average, $3000 in aid. Each year the school offers Admissions Open Houses in order for students and their families to explore the school and meet the teachers. GCS accepts applications on a rolling admissions basis, ...Read More