The Green Vale School
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CAREERS & EDUCATION - ANTON COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS - NOVEMBER 2011
Please Join Us!
Open House Thursday @ 8:30 a.m.
November 17 R S V P : 516-621-2420, ext. 146 or cfortuna@greenvaleschool.org
Recognized for academic excellence since 1923, Green Vale is Long Island’s largest independent elementary school with nursery to ninth grade students from over thirty school districts. Financial aid is available.
250 Valentine’s Lane, Old Brookville, NY 11545
516-621-2420
greenvaleschool.org 76082
How Does a Nursery-to-Nine School Benefit Children? Choosing a school for a young child is one of the most important decisions made by any parent. If you are now in the process of investigating your family’s options and seek an environment which will nurture and challenge your son or daughter, please continue reading. When asked why The Green Vale School in Old Brookville never added a high school to its 40-acre campus, Headmaster Stephen Watters explained, “My belief is that the nursery-to-nine configuration is, by design, the model that affords children the best possible outcomes -- academically and emotionally. National studies have shown us that the advantages of a N-9 campus are significant. The continuity of teachers, peers, programs and expectations results in higher academic achievement, improved self-esteem and confidence, as well as the development of a stronger moral compass. The educational environment is fully focused on young children.” To be more specific on how this rings true at Green Vale, Watters shared the following facts. At Green Vale, childhood is understood and revered. All of our resources are focused upon the development of critical skills that provide the basis for a lifetime of discovery, contribution and achievement. The needs of elementary and middle school children are not compromised by a population of high school students, which often takes precedence at K-12 schools, in terms of resources, facilities and programs. Green Vale’s designation as a “Blue Ribbon School of Excellence” by the U.S. Department of Education speaks to our mission’s success.
selection. Each placement of a Green Vale graduate is carefully orchestrated and planned in concert with the student, family, faculty and headmaster. Over the last several years, over 80% of our graduates were placed in their first choice secondary schools – public and private day schools, as well as East Coast boarding schools. Green Vale is a family school. “Big kids” partner with “little kids.” Brothers and sisters can be found capturing a hug in the hallways, sharing a story together in the library, rooting for each other at games and watching one another perform on stage. And children learn quickly that this is a community where respect and responsibility, for oneself and for others, are clear and constant expectations. A Green Vale education is the gift of a lifetime. Knowing, challenging and preparing each and every child is made possible because of our small classes, outstanding faculty and facilities, attention to sound character development, and the extensive opportunities in the arts, technology, foreign language and athletics. The future knows no bounds. Our next Open House will be held at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, November 17. Please join us then or contact our Admissions Office to plan a visit so that we may discuss what matters most to you regarding your child’s education. Mrs. Colleen Fortuna, Associate Director of Admissions, may be reached at 516-621-2420, ext. 146 or by email: cfortuna@ greenvaleschool.org.
The pressure to “grow up fast” does not exist at Green Vale. Students are exposed to developmentally appropriate activities and events without the influence and pressure of older students on the same campus. In this environment, risk taking is about pursuing academic, athletic and artistic excellence. It is actually “cool to be smart” and fun to “act your age” at Green Vale. Students in grades 6 to 9 are not “caught in the middle.” They are the role models and the leaders for the entire student body. They run student council, publish the school newspaper, serve as team captains, create a digital year book, and define and lead a wide variety of service learning activities throughout the School and in their local communities. Leadership is expected and practiced. Making a change of school is a developmentally critical process before college. Academic strengths, interests and gifts become clear by the end of middle school, and a student can therefore actively participate in the process of high school
A proud student-author shares her work with Headmaster Stephen Watters at a Pre-K Publishing Party held in May 2011. 76083