The Hill | Spring 2021

The magazine of

Greenhill School SPRING 2021

Education in a Pandemic

On the cover : Third graders pay attention to their teacher, Valerie Ellert.

On this page: Preschool students enjoy their time on the playground.

Greenhill Mission: In a diverse and inclusive community, Greenhill prepares and inspires students to lead authentic, purposeful lives.

Greenhill Vision: We see our students joyfully reaching their full potential.

We see our school thriving as an academically excellent, diverse, inclusive, and connected community.

We see our world made more hopeful because of the Greenhill community.

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contents

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Campus Currents

hark remarks - greenhill together

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strategic plan

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campus moments

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hornet highlights

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fine arts highlights

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why i teach

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plural commons | by marcus ingram

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masks of humanity

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civil discourse

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life through story

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block scheduling

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Feature: Greenhill Together - Education in a Pandemic 28

Greenhill School 4141 Spring Valley Road Addison, Texas 75001

Alumni

alumni spotlights

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alumni welcome letter

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alumni board update

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turning points

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in memoriam

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remembering lorene richardson

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greenhill.org

Advancement

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, gender identity, gender expression, national or ethnic origin, or disability.

endowment funds

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greenhill fund

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why i give

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HAR K R EMAR KS - GROWI NG STRO NG ER TO G ETH ER

Dear

Greenhill community, Our founder Bernard Fulton is famous for issuing the dictum, “We must learn to be successful under the conditions as we find them.” In the School’s lean and hungry years, adversity came knocking on a regular basis; Mr. Fulton was reminding us of the kind of perseverance and dedication it takes to keep the doors open under those circumstances.

I’d like to think that Mr. Fulton would have been proud of the fortitude our community showed

this year. In spite of the significant obstacles we faced, we have a great deal to celebrate – including launching our new strategic plan (Greenhill 2025: Growing Stronger Together); revising our mission,

vision, and core values; and embarking on the initial steps to replace our science building and upgrade our athletic facilities. This has been a year of looking to the future with hope and enthusiasm.

Greenhill’s capacity to embrace change drew me like a siren. In my time here, I have learned that

though we have 70 years under our belts, we still feel like a “young” school: Few things are sacrosanct, and the school eagerly models the growth mindset we try to foster in our students. Continual

improvement feels important and natural. At Greenhill, change catalyzes, energizes, and motivates.

At the same time, the School’s traditions are vital, and there must be a critical mass of shared

experiences that connect us across generations. In a recent exit interview, one of our seniors implored me to nurture and support those traditions that bind us together. “I see the school is changing for

the better. But when I come back to Greenhill years from now,” she said, “I still want it to feel like the Greenhill I know and love.” There can be no more important mandate than that.

This issue of The Hill is filled with news about the ways in which the school is growing and changing

and embracing those essential traditions. It is a truly exciting time to be at Greenhill as we find ourselves at an inflection point in our history. In a year that has brought more change to Greenhill than perhaps any other, I am so grateful for the support of our community. #GreenhillTogether is both our annual

theme for our 2020-21 school year and our rallying cry as we look to the exciting future we are building.

Sincerely,

Lee J. Hark

Head of School

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G R E E N H I LL TO GETH ER

“

The School’s traditions are vital, and there must be a critical mass of

shared experiences that connect us across generations. In a recent exit interview, one of our seniors implored me to nurture and support those traditions that bind us together. “I see the school is changing for the

better. But when I come back to Greenhill years from now,” she said, “I still want it to feel like the Greenhill I know and love.” There can be no more important mandate than that.

”

— HEAD OF SCHOOL LEE HARK

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STRATEGIC P L AN: GR EEN H I L L 20 25

REFINING THE ,

mission vision, AND core values As a part of Greenhill’s recent strategic planning process, the School refined the mission and core values and added a vision statement.

“Schools evolve over time, and it is important to look periodically at the ways we describe ourselves, to

analyze our core beliefs and values, and to make sure the words we use to describe those concepts still ring true,” shared Head of School Lee Hark during a webinar for the Greenhill community. “Framing a strategic

plan is the perfect time to do that work, because it’s a time of reflection and soul-searching about what’s most important to us.”

After sharing the new statements with employees, families, and alumni in a series of webinars, Hark

presented the new statements to the students via divisional presentations or videos. Posters of the new

statements now appear across campus, and people are referencing the new statements as they move through life at Greenhill.

MISSION In a diverse and inclusive community, Greenhill prepares and inspires students to lead authentic, purposeful lives.

VISION We see our students joyfully reaching their full potential.

We see our school thriving as an academically excellent, diverse, inclusive, and connected community.

We see our world made more hopeful because of the Greenhill community.

CORE VALUES EXCELLENCE

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INTEGRITY

COMPASSION

COURAGE

G R E E N H I LL TO GETH ER

“I’m excited that our new

mission statement reflects the true joy that’s here on campus every day in just about every interaction we have with each other.”

­ — JOEL GARZA Upper School English Teacher

“Our vision statement

starts with the student, then the school, and then the world. This interconnectedness is what I love about the vision statement.”

­— ALBERTINA CISNEROS Greenhill Parent

“Our core values are deeply

held beliefs we are hoping to nurture and reinforce during our students’ time at Greenhilland ideals we hope they will carry with them beyond Greenhill.”

­ — LEE HARK, Head of School

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STRATEGIC P L AN: GR EEN H I L L 20 25

GROWING STRONGER TOGETHER In February 2021, Greenhill launched the school’s next strategic plan: Greenhill 2025: Growing Stronger Together.

The plan, which was based on the feedback and input of the community and builds on the vision of founders Helen and Bernard Fulton, charts the course for the school over the next five years.

“We need everyone to play a role in this exciting next chapter for Greenhill. We all transform and grow together when we participate and invest in one another. We need your help to accomplish our goals,” implored Head of

School Lee Hark during a webinar introducing the plan to the community.

“There are moments in a school’s history that shape its trajectory, and this is one of those moments. This is how we make a great school better. This is what it means to Grow Stronger Together.”

AREAS OF STRATEGIC FOCUS

STRENGTHEN OUR COMMITMENT TO ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE We will push the boundaries of academic and teaching excellence and redouble our commitment to innovation and creativity in our educational practices.

Prioritized strategies include:

+ Prioritize efforts to achieve and maintain teaching excellence + Increase investment in and support of faculty

+ Become a leader in innovative instruction and curriculum development + Promote student learning and engagement beyond the classroom

+ Support leading-edge programming and instruction in science and math

DEVELOP THE WHOLE STUDENT We will prioritize the emotional and physical health of our students and the development of each student’s strengths with the goal of building balance, confidence, and empathy.

Prioritized strategies include:

+ Become a leader in supporting student health and wellbeing + Strive to make the academic experience more inclusive

+ Ensure the athletics and PE programs inspire life-long physical activity and support all students + Foster the development of our core values

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G R E E N H I LL TO GETH ER

BUILD A MORE CONNECTED COMMUNITY We will build a united Greenhill that values connectedness, pursues a common purpose, promotes active engagement, and celebrates the unique contributions of each individual.

Prioritized strategies include:

+ Strengthen the community by revitalizing existing programs and developing new ones + Develop a plan for and commit resources to becoming a more inclusive community

+ Build community and collaboration by rethinking space usage, designation, and design

PLAN FOR AND INVEST IN OUR FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY We will steward our resources wisely, invest strategically, and plan carefully for long-term organizational health.

Prioritized strategies include:

+ Modestly increase enrollment in the Middle and Upper Schools while maintaining the Greenhill experience + Maintain need-blind admissions process and strive to meet 100% of demonstrated financial need + Enable the Advancement Office to cultivate a culture of philanthropy and increase endowment + Maximize use of Greenhill’s resources and facilities

STRATEGIC PLAN INITIATIVES ALREADY UNDERWAY: + The Office of Equity and Inclusion is crafting a roadmap that will support our diversity, equity, and inclusion work. The plan will be shared with the community during the spring of 2021 + The initial work has begun to improve the alignment of our curriculum

+ Using design thinking, educators from across disciplines and divisions are reimagining the School’s science programming + An architectural firm is developing renderings for the new science and innovation center

We look forward to sharing additional updates on plan progress in the months ahead!

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CAMPUS MOMENTS For details on moments like these and many more, visit our social media channels and www.greenhill.org/news for the latest and greatest happenings!

Facebook.com/GreenhillSchool

Twitter.com/GreenhillSchool

@GreenhillSchool

peggy turlington ’75 (middle school history teacher) was named a greenhill legend after 25 years of service. peggy and her advisory planted a tree in her honor.

members of the graduating class of seniors planted the class of 2021 tree at the south end of the football f ield.

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CAMP U S MOME NTS - G R E E N H I LL TO GETH ER

seniors received their sweatshirts and participated in the estelle dickens wildflower stomp during spirit week.

the traditional senior breakfast took place outside for social distancing purposes and featured laura ley staub ’01 as the alumni speaker.

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CAMPUS MOM E NTS

students dressed in green and gold to show their hornet pride during spirit week in october.

upper school students wrote cards to veterans in honor of veterans day.

lower school students had fun in their pajamas during spirit week 2020.

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G R E E N H I LL TO GETH ER

preschool and lower school students celebrated 100 days of school with special t-shirts, fun activities, and big smiles behind their masks.

halloween looked a little different this year, but seniors were still able to dress up and enjoy an on-campus parade. our youngest students wore halloween attire and enjoyed activities in the afternoon like pumpkin decorating, cookies, and spooky stories.

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ATH LETIC N EWS

HORNET HIGHLIGHTS Highlights of the fall and winter athletic programs

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GR E E N H I LL TO GETH ER

even though there were no fall or winter spc championships this year and the seasons were limited, greenhill students were still able to participate in athletics and compete with other schools in the area.

Letter of Intent Signings

Lane Herbert

Lane Herbert (Field Hockey, Northwestern University) Herbert was a four-year letter winner in both field hockey and lacrosse. The Greenhill senior recently committed to Northwestern University in field hockey. A four-year starter for the Hornets, Herbert earned All-American honors during her junior season to go along with All-Southwest Preparatory Conference laurels.

Herbert was selected as the winner of the 35th Annual Davey O'Brien High School Scholarship Award. Recipients of this prestigious award are chosen on the basis of character, community service, leadership, scholarship, and varsity sports participation. Herbert is the first Greenhill winner since 1993.

Kate Marano

Kate Marano (Lacrosse, Drexel University) Marano was a two-year letter winner in lacrosse where she served as a team captain in both her junior and senior seasons.

A standout on the field, Marano represented Team USA on a trip to Scotland and England as part of the American International Sports Team (AIST) program. In addition, she participated in the Under Armour All-America Games.

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ART N EWS

GREENHILL FINE ARTS Greenhill students continue to excel in fine arts while dealing with the challenges of creating and performing in a global pandemic.

lower school visual art teacher mary aidala leads her fourth-grade students in a self-portrait project.

photography students had their work recognized in regional and local exhibitions.

students record their parts for the spring musical working at a record studio in grand prairie.

Photo credit: Joseph Ellis of Joseph Mark Photography

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GR E E N H I LL TO GETH ER

the nutcracker was f ilmed and projected on to the marshall performing arts center so students and parents could enjoy the performance from the safety of their cars.

students recorded their performances for the fall play, race, fire, children & wives, which was available to stream in december 2020.

stills from student films that have been recognized at a variety of national and international f ilm festivals, including south by southwest and venice shorts f ilm festival.

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SC HO O L LEADERS

Faculty Leader Award Winner

why i serve

The Faculty Leader Award recognizes excellence in working with students in a teaching role. The winner is selected from all teaching faculty, librarians, counselors, and learning specialists who have worked at Greenhill for a minimum of five years and have not previously received the award.

Congratulations to the 2020-2021 Faculty Leader and Penny Nicholson Award Recipients.

These members of our community demonstrated excellence and devotion in their service to Greenhill.

“I enjoy being a part of this community because it is a family.

Families take care of each other by fostering connections and building relationships—and that is exactly what happens in the Greenhill community.”

—Marty Hagmann

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The Penny Nicholson Award Winner Named in memory of an esteemed Greenhill colleague who served the business office for 15 years, the Penny Nicholson Award is given to a staff member who exemplifies such qualities as genuine love for Greenhill, self-motivation, humility, and many other extraordinary qualities of Penny Nicholson.

G GR R E E N H I LL TO GETH ER

don myers

“I feel privileged to help my colleagues discover who they are as educators and watch as they help their students discover who they are as learners.”

Educational Technologist MS Computer Science & Engineering Coordinator Faculty Leader Don joined Greenhill in 2013 as the Idea Lab Coordinator. He created the Engineering and Design program that is now a part of every division on campus and that will be an integral part of the forthcoming Science & Innovation Building.

"When I started working at Greenhill, I had my students engage in a pair-and-share.

I asked them to turn to their neighbors and tell them about the teacher who had

the biggest impact on their learning thus far. When the student closest to me turned to hear my answer, I realized that I did not have one. I was unable to identify a teacher who really knew me, who helped me find out who I was as a learner, and who inspired me to be something better. In that moment, I knew I did not want anyone else to have a hard time answering that question.

I am driven to teach because I want to make a difference in each student's life. I spent my first few years at Greenhill creating a space where students would feel free to innovate and explore new ideas in science and technology. Since then, my work has expanded to helping teachers in all areas of education technology. I have transitioned from a teacher in the classroom to a teacher of teachers. I feel privileged to help my colleagues discover who they are as educators and watch as they help their students discover who they are as learners."

marty hagmann

Assistant Director of Facility Services Penny Nicholson Award Recipient Marty will celebrate 20 years at Greenhill in November 2021. He and his team work together to handle all school events.

The work his team does is instrumental in making Greenhill a safe and welcoming place.

"I enjoy being a part of this community because it is a family. Families take care of each other by fostering connections and building relationships—and that is exactly what happens in the Greenhill community. I am taken care of by my team, as well as by the students, alumni, and teachers, and in turn, I take care of them. This emphasis on togetherness and connections starts from the early years at

“When something happens, whether it is something to celebrate or grieve, the Greenhill community comes together, regardless of differences, to support and encourage each other.”

Greenhill, with Heart of the Hill groups providing a space for students from all three divisions to grow together. The support we provide even extends to our neighbors; for example, I’ll never forget Greenhill hosting St. Mark's' homecoming after the devastating tornadoes in the fall of 2019. When something happens, whether it is something to celebrate or grieve, the Greenhill community comes together, regardless of differences, to support and encourage each other."

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TOWAR D PLU RAL COM MO NS

plural commons an environment where each person’s whole Self is welcomed, cared for, and seen as essential to the common good Roman playwright Terence is credited with stating, “I am human, I consider nothing human alien to me.” If we agree with Terence, the specificity of our lived experience is both unique to our individual Self and a source of connection to others and their lived experience. This premise is the heart of Greenhill’s expressed desire to grow stronger together, an effort which rests on our ability to cultivate an increasingly inclusive community. This endeavor to enhance sense of belonging can be described as Greenhill’s journey toward plural commons – an environment where each person’s whole Self is welcomed, cared for, and seen as essential to the common good.

The release of Greenhill 2025: Growing Stronger Together alongside

Our refined mission statement declares that, “In a diverse and

diverse and inclusive brand of school life is indispensable to the

lead authentic, purposeful lives.” Thus, our drive to realize plural

refined mission, vision, and core values statements reaffirms that a way Greenhill supports student development and service to the

greater good.

inclusive community, Greenhill prepares and inspires students to commons honors the type of context in which we seek to prepare and inspire our students.

Our strategic plan confirms that the practice of diversity, equity, and

In essence, pursuing plural commons is our route to living out

commitment that animates the spirit of our school. Said differently,

coeducational preparatory school in the country. It is not hyperbole

inclusion is not a fleeting priority but is more precisely an enduring

our vision for a world made more hopeful because of our graduates is inextricably linked to our ability to help students become courageous

and compassionate leaders who can navigate an increasingly diverse, complicated, and connected world.

founder Bernard Fulton’s dream of Greenhill being the finest

to believe that the world needs us to meet our mission, and I trust that we will do it gladly and well, buoyed by Terence’s claim, “I am human, I consider nothing human alien to me.”

Out blueprint for inclusive community, entitled Toward Plural Commons, complements Greenhill 2025: Growing Stronger Together. Toward Plural commons does three things:

(1) it defines a vocabulary for effective communication about inclusion

(2) it offers a conceptual underpinning for our inclusion work; and (3) it outlines a set of ventures to help actualize plural commons.

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by dr. marcus ingram Equity & Inclusion Director

G R E E N H I LL TO GETH ER

GREENHILL SCHOOL EQUITY & INCLUSION 2020-2021 Notable Initiatives STRATEGIC • Hired two Assistant Directors for Equity & Inclusion • Created three new advisory structures - Student Inclusion Council - Employee Inclusion Council - Family Inclusion Council

• Erected scaffolding to support adult sponsors of Upper School Affinity Groups • Invited intentional reflection amongst Middle School leaders and Affinity Group sponsors about supporting identity development with students in the Middle School • Participated directly in the School’s hiring processes and practices

GREENHILL SCHOOL’S

plural commons ventures + Reorganize the Office for Equity & Inclusion + Cultivate data-driven practice and decision-making + Engage in ongoing learning and professional development + Establish polyvalent inclusion goals + Craft institutional statements on inclusion and discourse + Create a PK-12 inclusive leadership development program + Enhance equity in the content and delivery of our academic experience + Create a rhythm and space for learning student joys, concerns, and hopes

• Participated fully in the School’s Admissions election process

PROGRAMMATIC • Organized a 4-part professional learning series for all employees around racial literacy and community in collaboration with the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest (ISAS) • Launched a thematically based programmatic series entitled “So This Is Citizenship?!”

• Continued the Community Conversations program as a

multi-part series facilitated by Greenhill educator Joel Garza and joined by author Clint Smith • Inspired an inaugural “Month of Service” at Greenhill School • Organized a Black educator wellness group facilitated by a licensed external professional • Facilitated a bell hooks reading group • Developed constructive conversation platforms (#graceconversations & #graceandcourageconversations) for employees to engage the relationship between mission and institutional practice • Facilitated the selection and supported the participation of

faculty for the NAIS People of Color Conference and students in the NAIS Student Diversity Leadership Conference

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MASKS OF H UMAN ITY

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MASKS

G R E E N H I LL TO GETH ER

of

HUMANITY “Who is the essential worker?”

As part of the Equity & Inclusion initiative, "So this is citizenship?!," Dr. Valerie Gillespie '98 was commissioned to create an art piece that explores the question, "Who is the essential worker?"

The finished painting, titled Masks of Humanity, serves as a conversation starter about the ways in which this past year has inspired many things, including the resilience of the human spirit.

ARTIST STATEMENT

Dr. Valerie Gillespie ʼ98

Director of Visual and Performing Arts, The Winston School Masks of Humanity presents a layered view of our shaken world. Throughout the course of our global crisis, components of our civilization have been traumatized as we collectively redeem composure in our efforts to rebuild, regain, and salvage remnants of our past stability. A stability that perhaps never was.

Uncertainty continues to endure as we each work to heal our distinct sufferings. All of us touched in varying ways, nonetheless, faced with the same disruption of a supposed calm and collective past. As the world stood still, long enough for realization of the pandemic to actualize, the essential worker persevered. In a time of abnormal conditions, the essential worker kept our communities intact, provided services to ensure our normalcy, and braved the unknown for the safety and security of strangers.

who had a choice to stop but kept going. In our own right, many of us became essential workers—essential to someone or something. In my progression of truth, I came to a point in my artistic process where the figure no longer was enough. White and black pigment soon clouded the canvas, covering the doctor, the chef, the educator, the firefighter, the police officer, and the contractor. The art no longer was about the job, but rather about the greater story of our citizenship. The work became about our humanity and the entities within it that shed light into our troubled past and present.

As I painted each day over the course of the past few months, my sentiments on who the essential worker was changed. Each layer of paint presented itself a challenge as I sought to not necessarily memorialize but symbolize the importance of those who never stopped. I thought about our frontline workers, along with those

We will never be the same. We all experienced something greater than us, together. As we forge ahead, I feel that we might never return to how things were. Perchance, that, all along was what our universe intended.

“ In our own right, many of us

became essential workers.

Essential to someone or something.”

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MASKS OF H UMAN ITY

Masks of Humanity was painted over the course of a few months.

This progression shows the many layers contained within the painting.

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G R E E N H I LL TO GETH ER

CIVIL DISCOURSE

members of the greenhill class of 2021 visiting the united states capitol building during their trip to washington, d.c. in november 2016.

During the 2016 Presidential election, Greenhill's eighth grade students were in Washington, D.C. for the annual social studies trip. Many students who were on that trip are current members of the graduating Greenhill Class of 2021. These students were invited to reflect on their experiences with civil discourse in the days leading up to the 2020 Presidential election, an election in which some of them would be first-time voters. We invite you to read some of their reflections below.

Please (a) describe the atmosphere on the eighth-grade class

trip to Washington, D.C. during the 2016 Presidential election and

(b) explain what your experience in D.C. taught you.

“Election day in D.C. was surreal. On election night especially, even though we all had different backgrounds and political perspectives, being at the center of politics encouraged us to have thoughtful discussions and support one another no matter the outcome of the election. My experience in D.C. taught me to be respectful of other people's opinions, political or not.”

“Greenhill does a good job teaching us how to disagree in a civil manner. In D.C., not everyone had the same viewpoints; however, we were able to disagree in a civil manner. The morning after the election entailed a mix of emotions. Some people were happy, and others were sad. We had a lot of debates and discussions about the election and our viewpoints. That trip taught me how to explain, in a civilized manner, my opinions and viewpoints.”

As you prepare for the 2020 American Presidential election

(potentially as a first-time voter), what wisdom would you offer your eighth-grade self? What wisdom would you offer the

Greenhill School family?

"I would advise my eighth-grade self to understand the importance of the election and try to find ways to reach beyond what I already know. Most importantly, listen more. As much as I wanted to get my own ideas out, listening is one of the best ways to understand why people believe what they believe. Even if you don’t agree with someone, the least you can do is listen to what they have to say before responding.”

“One piece of advice I would offer: your opinion is not the only one out there. Other opinions matter too, and it's the reason that we have such a diverse community filled with unique perspectives.

Greenhill is special BECAUSE of its differences. This election, it is even more crucial that we respect one another for our beliefs. We all need to be there for one another.”

Given your experience of the American political system thus far,

what can/does it teach us about humanity? What can/does it teach

us about community?

“I think it teaches us that if you want change, you have to take action.

I think this especially relates to voting. You can't just expect change to occur without going to vote yourself. You have to take action and make your voice heard.”

“It teaches us that community is SO important and is in fact a prerequisite to a successful American political system. We all need to love and respect each other for our beliefs, and it's even more important that we do so for this upcoming election.”

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COMMU N ITY CONVE RSATIO NS 20 21

community conversations

Life through Story

THE FOURTH-ANNUAL—AND FIRST VIRTUAL—COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS SERIES TOOK PLACE IN FEBRUARY AND MARCH. THIS SERIES IS DESIGNED TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR LEARNING, DISCUSSION, AND SERVICE TO HELP DEEPEN THE RELATIONSHIPS WITHIN AND BEYOND OUR GREENHILL CLINT SMITH AUTHOR OF COUNTING DESCENT

COMMUNITY, PREPARING US TO BE BETTER CITIZENS, LEADERS, AND FRIENDS.

Learn & Discuss The first Learn & Discuss session, led by Upper School English Department Chair Joel Garza, was held on Sunday, February 28. Garza led participants through an interactive session centered around Clint Smith's Counting Descent, a poetry

collection that challenges readers to learn and unlearn ideas about lineage and tradition. Following an introduction to poetry and a recitation of Smith’s poem “Something You Should Know,” participants were given time to embark on a

personal storytelling journey of their own by writing a poem modeled on the structure of Smith’s pieces.

The second Learn & Discuss session featured Smith himself. Garza opened the

session by having participants write a poem, this one modeled on the titular poem,

“Counting Descent.” After briefly sharing the poems in breakout rooms, participants listened to Smith expound on his forthcoming book, How the Word is Passed: A

Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America. He shared his thoughts on the handling of personal topics in poetry and his views on the seeming resurgence of poetry in American culture.

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G R E E N H I LL TO GETH ER

Service March 2021 was designated as Greenhill's first month of service under the leadership of Director of Service Learning and Community Service Angela Woodson.

Historically, there has been a day of service during the

Community Conversations weekend; however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions on large gatherings, an

alternative plan was put in place. Woodson curated five

volunteer events for participants in March in addition to

providing families with a list of 50 local organizations they

could contact to set up their own service experiences.

“An important part of the Community Conversations initiative is helping individuals situate their own story in a collective one. The arc of our feedback from this year's installment suggests that we have accomplished this goal.”

—Dr. Marcus Ingram, Equity & Inclusion Director

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B LO C K SC H E DU LES

BLOCK Schedules

August 2020 saw many changes at Greenhill. In addition to the COVID-19 pandemic requiring the addition of a remote learning option, the Upper School moved from trimesters to semesters and both the Upper School and Middle School began using block schedules in place of the daily class rotation that had been in place for decades. These changes were introduced as part of the effort to provide a more balanced pace for both students and faculty.

Discussions about how to create an environment that fosters decreased levels of stress have been ongoing for more than three years. The adoption of a block schedule and shift to semesters aim to create a more measured pace for students— on a daily basis and across the school year.

To prepare for the transition, the Upper School tested the proposed change for a week in September 2019. They used this trial to gather feedback from students, faculty, and parents to help ensure that, when the new schedule was officially introduced, it would have the intended positive impact on the wellbeing of the community.

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In a letter to families, Head of Upper School Trevor Worcester, outlined what he hoped to see because of the switch to a block schedule: • Less frenetic pace during the day with a typical student having 2–4 classes per day, as opposed to 4–6 • Less work outside of the school day • Time for students with learning accommodations to sit at one time to complete an assessment

• Time outside of lunch to hold club meetings and affinity group meetings

• Flexible timing of all-division community time

G R E E N H I LL TO GETH ER

The Middle School originally planned to transition to block schedules in a year or two. However, they were able to take advantage of the learning and preparation the Upper School had done and chose to also move to block schedules at the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year.

Previously, the daily class rotation schedule saw 55-minute classes that met five out of the six days in the rotation. However, in the block schedule, classes meet for 70 to 80-minutes every other day. Instead of using A and B days to differentiate which classes are meeting on a specific date, as is normal in a block schedule, Greenhill chose to use Green and Gold days.

middle school (6th grade) block schedule

The longer class period allows faculty to delve deeper into their subject areas on a single day. They can focus on communicating their material effectively while also utilizing Greenhill's socialemotional learning guidelines to create welcoming rituals, engaging practices, and optimistic closures to provide structure to teaching blocks.

These changes to scheduling are directly in line with Greenhill's

new strategic plan and the focus on developing the whole student by supporting student health and wellbeing. Read more about the

strategic plan Greenhill 2025: Growing Stronger Together on page 6.

upper school block schedule

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EDU CATION I N A PAN D EM IC

GREENHILL TOGETHER

Education in a Pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic changed every aspect of life at Greenhill. After being remote for five months in 2020, Greenhill reopened for in-person classes two weeks into the 2020-2021 school year. Most students have come to campus every day to learn, while a small group has chosen to stay home and learn virtually. Regardless of location, and in line with the annual theme #GreenhillTogether, the Greenhill community has come together to support each other through the challenges of the pandemic.

While parents and visitors have not been allowed in buildings for a year, Greenhill remains a vibrant, nurturing, and laughter-filled environment. Head of School Lee Hark, reflected, “Each of us has made significant concessions to help ensure the success of our educational enterprise this year. We have sacrificed much of what brings us joy here.

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And yet, amazing things are happening at Greenhill each day. We are maintaining many of our traditions, like Spirit Week and the fall play, and the electric current that occurs between teacher and student when deep learning is taking place is being generated all across campus and online.”

Even with masks, social distancing, and accessing classes via cameras, learning is still the priority. The students remain curious and engaged, and the teachers are continuing to innovate to make their classes fun and informative. Kindergarten teacher Leslie Whitfield said, “It has been a wonderful opportunity to see the students use new technology and navigate new ways of learning and acquiring information throughout this year. It's exciting to think about how these experiences can be translated into teaching methods that we may use in the future.”

G R E E N H I LL TO GETH ER

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EDU CATION I N A PAN D EM IC

SPRING 2020

Learning and Adjusting When students left campus for spring break on Thursday, March 12, 2020, they did not realize that Greenhill’s campus would not open again until the beginning of the 20202021 school year. Greenhill administrators had been following the outbreak and spread of COVID-19 since mid-January and had started preparing for the possibility that Greenhill would have to close its campus for a period of time. They defined new procedures, developed a schedule for both faculty and students, and identified technology that would facilitate the transition to remote learning.

Following spring break, Greenhill entered a two-week phase of remote learning, using Microsoft Teams and Zoom for all synchronous meetings – classes, PE, electives, etc.

The schedules varied from division to division: • upper school: synchronous classes for two out of the normal six-day rotation

• middle school: synchronous classes for each subject once a week

• lower school: one or two synchronous classes, bookended by homeroom

As the pandemic became more widespread and the government continued to update safety recommendations, Greenhill decided to continue remote learning through the end of the school year. Administrators and faculty adjusted schedules and course content based on parent feedback and their own observations during the first two weeks of remote learning. Even now, in the spring of 2021, adjustments are continuing to be made daily to ensure that students are receiving the best education that Greenhill has to offer.

Head of Middle School Susan Palmer, said,

“It’s a testament to the dedication of our teachers that they

are willing to put in the extra time and effort to make their virtual classes engaging and fun, while also informative.”

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G R E E N H I LL TO GETH ER

SUMMER 2020

Preparing for a New Normal Once the 2020 school year ended, a small task force convened to reflect on the spring and identify key elements for a successful 2020-2021 school year. The 16-member group, known as the Return to the Hill Task Force, was comprised of representatives from each of Greenhill’s divisions and spent part of the summer researching, analyzing, and drawing conclusions about how to best move forward. The results of the work—including changes to schedules, guidelines for remote learners, and summer professional development opportunities—were shared with faculty.

Teachers were encouraged to use engaging practices that support social-emotional learning while continuing to convey course content. Director of Academics Jason Yaffe explained,

“The model that Greenhill uses gives attention to both

academic vigor and the personal care that defines us as a school. It was important to develop trainings and guidelines to ensure that community remained a priority. Students need to be in a good place mentally and physically to retain information; it fell on the teachers to ensure that they were maintaining supportive relationships with their students.”

While the teachers were preparing to teach online and hybrid classes, staff and administrators were identifying critical safety protocols for campus. Using guidance from local and national health organizations, the school implemented processes for daily health screenings and close contact notifications, as well as rearranging classrooms and common areas so that students and teachers could stay safely distanced from each other. See page 26 for additional details on campus adjustments for the 2020-2021 school year.

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EDU CATION I N A PAN D EM IC

FALL 2020

Campus Reopens The fall semester brought students back together in person and online. Greenhill remained in remote learning for the first few weeks of the semester. Following those first weeks, students and families were given the option to remain at home or return to campus.

Each division approached the challenge of having students back on campus differently – for example, the Upper School split students up by the alphabet, allowing the first half of the alphabet on campus for one week and the second half on campus the following week.

While Upper and Middle School teachers were able to maintain student engagement in hybrid classrooms (containing both in person and at home students), the Lower School and Preschool discovered that it was more beneficial for our youngest students to be separated into on-campus cohorts and at-home cohorts.

Communication, which was especially important during the fall return to campus, has been critical throughout the pandemic. Even when it was impossible to be together, there was constant dialogue between families and the school. Division heads worked closely with teachers to support students and families. Head of Lower School Michael Simpson explained,

“There is a matrix of trust that has developed and been

vital for this year to be successful. That matrix has been strengthened by each group in our community—parents, students, teachers, administration—trusting everyone else.”

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G R E E N H I LL TO GETH ER

SPRING 2021

Learning in the New Normal This semester has seen the highest number of students return to campus since the start of the pandemic. The school year started with about a third of Greenhill students opting to remain home and engage in remote learning. As of April 2021, that number had dropped to 9% of students.

Every teacher at Greenhill has taken on extra responsibilities over the last year to help care for their students. Yaffe said,

“Our teachers, who are on the front line because of the

nature of their jobs, have had to make choices and sacrifices; they have put the rest of this community before themselves. This selfless behavior has made it possible to continue to provide a high level of education and support to our students.”

Each division has relied heavily on advisories or homerooms throughout the school year.

In Preschool and Lower School, each homeroom has become even more tight-knit because they are together all day—for class, lunch, recess, and everything in between. Students in Middle and Upper School eat lunch and attend all student meetings and club meetings from their advisory rooms.

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EDU CATION I N A PAN D EM IC

Spotlights COVID-19 Response Team During the summer, Greenhill created a COVID-19 Response Team that is responsible for health monitoring, on-campus mitigation (cleaning and disinfecting), contact tracing, and communications.

Greenhill’s nurses Katie Trimmer, Celia Cogan, and Haley Mize have been working closely with and under the direct guidance of Dallas County Health and Human Services, following their detailed protocols for symptom screening and requirements for allowing students to return to campus. The efforts of this team to reduce the risk of infection within the Greenhill campus community have been instrumental in keeping our students, faculty, staff, and families healthy and learning.

MEMBERS OF THE COVID-19 RESPONSE TEAM INCLUDE: Katie Trimmer Director of Student Health Services

Hailey Mize School Nurse

Kendra Grace Associate Head of School/CFO/COO

Vicki Truitt COVID Response Support/ Director of Summer Programs

Stephanie Campbell Director of Human Resources Celia Cogan School Nurse

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Mike Wills Director of Facility Operations and Services

Kerry Shea Director of Marketing and Communications Jarrett Shine Director of Athletics Matthew Blimline Athletic Trainer Kasey Zibton Athletic Trainer

G R E E N H I LL TO GETH ER

FACILITIES The facilities staff worked tirelessly to keep our community and campus safe. In preparation for campus reopening, Associate

Head of School/CFO/COO Kendra Grace and Director of Facility

Operations and Services Mike Wills, walked through every building and began planning for the fall semester. Desks and chairs were moved to create socially distanced classrooms, soft furniture

(couches, cushioned chairs) was placed into storage, plexiglass

dividers were added to Preschool and Lower School classrooms, common area furniture was adjusted and marked to limit large

groups of people from gathering, water fountains were converted to bottle fillers, MERV-13 filers were installed on all HVAC units, classrooms received medical-grade air filters, and more.

Additional cleaning keeps the playgrounds, classrooms,

bathrooms, and common areas hygienic. The facilities team has

worked closely with each division to reduce the spread of the virus

on campus, from cleaning the Preschool playground between each homeroom's allocated time to fixing broken plexiglass dividers.

“Going to school at Greenhill this year has

been a challenging but great experience.

The way that Greenhill's faculty and staff have kept us safe while still providing a close to normal environment for this school year is astounding.”

—dylan robinson, 7th grade

EQUITY A primary concern presented by virtual learning is ensuring that all students have equal access to the materials and tools necessary to participate in class, especially technology. Not every Preschool and

Lower School student had a device they could use for virtual classes,

so Greenhill made it a priority to ensure that every student was given a school-owned device, whether it was a laptop or iPad. This allows

every student to participate in their classes and meetings, even when at home.

Fine Arts supplied every student with individual art kits to eliminate sharing on campus and ensure that remote learners had the correct

supplies. Some teachers have even set up practicums for stay-at-home students on Saturday afternoons for students to come to campus and work in the tech shop without being surrounded by other students.

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EDU CATION I N A PAN D EM IC

FINE ARTS : THEATER Once the decision was made to film and stream the fall play in

lieu of a live performance, the students decided to research and create a piece of art that tackled the justice system. The result

was an original play, titled Race, Fire, Children & Wives, which tells the true stories of exonerations from the points of view of the

exonerees, their children, families, friends, prosecutors, defense attorneys, witnesses, and judges.

The play was rehearsed in-person and online, with students sometimes recording themselves performing their blocking

at home with the help of family members. It was filmed while

observing social distancing protocols with a masked crew, and

then edited to create the final production, which was available to stream in December 2020.

The upcoming spring musical, WORKING, will also be filmed and

streamed in accordance with COVID-19 guidelines. Upper School

theater teacher Valerie Hauss-Smith said, “Adjusting to COVID has

been really complicated with a cast and crew of almost 40 people.

However, we chose WORKING because it is comprised of many

individual monologues, a few short scenes and 13 songs, most of which can be done as a solo or with one or two backup singers.”

The musical will be filmed like a documentary that shows how a theatrical performance is put together in the time of COVID— from audition to rehearsal to performance.

“What Greenhill does so

well is put the students first and make sure that our commitment to them is first and foremost. Our faculty and administration made a commitment to do the best that we could do, not just enough to get by.

As Fine Arts teachers, we are used to being flexible and open to change.

This experience helped us remember that, even though the circumstances were out of the ordinary, we would be able to adapt and solve any problem that came our way.”

—terry martin, Head of Fine Arts

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G GR R E E N H I LL TO GETH ER

“This year has been a new

experience because everything feels so different. Even though we are wearing masks and physically separated, I feel like people in the community have grown closer. That feeling is what’s getting us through this pandemic, we are separate but together.”

—kaavya sampath, 8th grade

ATHLETICS PE and sports faced a unique problem during COVID-19: How do you keep kids engaged and active online?

Head of Athletics and Physical Education Jarrett Shine explained the mindset coming into the 2020-2021 school year:

“We knew we were faced with a lot of challenges, but we knew we would be able to get through them. The goal of our

team was to help our students develop grit and determination because if they’re mentally strong, they are more likely to push through any challenges they face.” The coaches collaborated to design activities that would keep kids moving

while also following all COVID-19 safety protocols. In turn, the students have stayed engaged; they are excited to have the opportunity to play their favorite sports.

Coach Shine said, “Greenhill is a strong community. Everyone wants what is best for the students, so we have had to

make sure that we are balancing COVID safety protocols with the growth of our students. Even if we haven’t been able to have a normal season or championship league, our coaches have done an excellent job innovating to keep our students

active and provide opportunities for our sports teams to compete.”

“One of my highlights from this year has been our advisory lunches. It has

been a great way to connect with both in-person and online classmates.

We play games online like skribbl.io, which is always entertaining and hilarious. My teachers have been great with understanding the current circumstances and helping me succeed in online school. I am very grateful for my teachers because they have gone above and beyond to help me and other students.” —kate ponnambalam, 7th grade 37

EDU CATION I N A PAN D EM IC

PRESCHOOL Preschool’s biggest challenge has giving children the opportunity to be hands-on and explore, touch, and build while still observing

COVID safety protocols. Head of Preschool Rhema Stradford-Dai said,

“Once the COVID safety rules had been set and put in place, our team was challenged to think differently about how to do early childhood

education appropriately without being able to allow our students to

share with each other. Our teachers made COVID restrictions fun. It is great to walk through the Preschool and still hear so much laughter and see the love and strong connections that continue to exist between teachers and their students.”

“Even though I have stayed home all year, the teachers have been doing an excellent job of uniting the differences in learning and including the kids at home and on campus as if it was just a normal year.”

—emerson sebold, 6th grade

ADIRONDACK CHAIRS One of the most noticeable changes on campus has been the addition of Adirondack chairs in outdoor

areas. Existing outdoor furniture, including the round green tables and picnic tables, have close seating,

allowing only a few people to occupy them at a time because of social distancing. The Adirondack chairs

have let students sit together to eat lunch or spend

time together while still being safe and distanced. Ms. Palmer said, “When the Adirondack chairs came after

Thanksgiving, they brought so much joy to the campus!

Students now have a place to be together and enjoy the good weather outside with their friends.”

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G R E E N H I LL TO GETH ER

“Our teachers have incredibly high standards for themselves;

they feel a deep loyalty and commitment to the community.

They have exhibited such a high level of internal fortitude and have worked so hard. Our students are also amazingly resilient.

This experience has been hard on everyone, but we’ve kept the sense of community strong by continuing to support each other through these difficult times.”

—susan palmer, Head of Middle School 39

ALUMN I SPOTLIGHTS

Alumni spotlights dana gross ’08 tell us about your current position.

As a second year Fellow in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the University of Miami, I see a diverse patient population during my rotations at the various hospitals in the Miami area: Jackson Memorial Hospital, the University of Miami Hospital, Sylvester Cancer Center, and the Miami VA Medical Center.

I have been in my current position for almost two years. I enjoy the challenge, the fast pace, and fact that medicine is an amazing field with countless new things to learn daily. It is simultaneously a privilege and very humbling to try and help people who have put their lives in my hands.

this pandemic has challenged healthcare workers in new ways. what are some of the biggest challenges you see in your daily work, and how are you managing them?

Being on the front lines during the pandemic has been mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausting. It is difficult to be doing so much and often feel so helpless at the same time. Sometimes the biggest challenge is being able to pick yourself up after losing a patient so that you can do your best to try and save another.

Dana Gross is a second-year Fellow Physician in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the University of Miami. After graduating from Greenhill in 2008, she received a degree in psychology from Rice University and then attended University of Texas Southwestern Medical School. Dana was the first person to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at Jackson Memorial Hospital.

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I continue to remind myself that I am lucky in so many ways, especially now when so many are suffering. I am grateful that I have the opportunity to help my patients in any small way I can. I have the incredible support of my family in Texas as well as my amazing fiancé with me in Miami—having that support system has made a huge difference in being able to face these new challenges.

how did your greenhill education equip you to face these challenges?

Being part of the Forever Club at Greenhill instilled a strong work ethic that I continue to benefit from to this day. I also learned to continue working toward my goals, no matter how challenging the road may be at times.

G R E E N H I LL TO GETH ER

kecia wright ’00 this pandemic has completely changed the classroom experience. how has your teaching style adapted to manage the challenges the pandemic has brought about?

This pandemic has made me more intentional in building relationships. When I am in the same room with someone, it is easy to learn their mannerisms and personality. Luckily, some of my scholars were in my class last year, so we were able to spend time face to face, but I have never met some of the others in person. I try to communicate with each of my students daily through Zoom, Google Classroom, or email. I have made this a priority because it allows me to get to know the scholars and provide both academic and emotional support.

Once school started back in person, I had to constantly remind myself that I need to give myself and my scholars grace. We are all trying to navigate these challenging times and there is no certainty about anything. We must have grace with ourselves and each other.

how did your greenhill education equip you to face these challenges?

Kecia Wright is a teacher at Duncanville High School Collegiate Academy. After graduating from Greenhill in 2000, Kecia attended Hampton University in Virginia. She has been teaching for 16 years in the DFW-metroplex, including Dallas ISD, Wylie ISD, and Cedar Hill ISD. Kecia enjoys the different challenges that each day brings as well as getting to know her scholars inside and outside of the classroom. tell us about your current position.

I currently work at Duncanville High School Collegiate Academy, an Early College High School within Duncanville High School. The goal for our students is to earn their high school diploma and their associate's degree (or up to 60 college credit hours) by the end of the program.

I currently teach Algebra II and Geometry, but because we are a small campus, my role extends into just about everything that helps the school and its scholars to be successful.

Greenhill taught me what it means to be part of a community. Once I became a student at Greenhill, I received constant support from the faculty, staff, and peers. Throughout my time at Greenhill, I was able to build relationships with different people on so many levels.

Because of this, I know how important it is to have reliable people and relationships for my scholars now.

I opted to do a senior project during the last month of my senior year. This meant that I did not come to campus for about 4 or 5 weeks; instead, I went to "work." Even though I was not on campus with my peers, I never felt lost or left out. My friends called, my teachers called, and my advisor, Mr. Thieret, even came to visit me a couple of times.

Even though this pandemic has caused us to be apart for much longer than four or five weeks, recalling what it was like to be part of a community that kept me involved during the final month of my senior year even though I was not physically around motivates me to do the same with my scholars today.

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ALUMN I WELCOM E LE T TER

Dear Fellow Hornets, As your Alumni Board President, I treasure the

students, faculty, and staff, the plan is

other and foster a positive relationship with

loyal alumni and parent support, and

opportunity to help you connect with each

your alma mater. Since the pandemic began,

many alumni from across the country connected with us through our virtual events, alumni

amazing faculty and staff. You can learn

more about the plan, Greenhill 2025: Growing Stronger Together, in this issue or online at

panels, and industry meet-ups.

https://www.greenhill2025.org/.

We are proud of our robust alumni network and

As we continue to build our community, we

during these distanced days. I am inspired by our

on May 4, 2021. Donations of all sizes add up

the relationships that started and strengthened collective creativity in maintaining connections to each other and to the School in the digital world during the past year.

In considering the safety and wellbeing of our extended Greenhill alumni community, we

made the decision to postpone our in-person reunion gatherings until later this year or

next spring. We recognize the importance of

are looking forward to our Alumni Giving Day to a huge impact for our students, supporting financial aid, academics, athletics, student

experiences, programs, and more. Many thanks to those of you who have supported Greenhill through your donations of time and gifts,

especially those to the Greenhill Fund, the

School’s most flexible, unrestricted source of support for students and faculty.

observing our alumni traditions together, as

Let's continue this amazing tradition of helping

a community. We are hopeful that we will be

education and experience.

well as the value in being together socially as able to do so safely in the not too-distant future.

Speaking of the future, I hope you received the information about Greenhill’s new strategic plan earlier this spring. The plan includes an

updated mission statement, vision statement,

and set of core values. Created with input from parents, alumni, parents of alumni, trustees,

42

built on a foundation of strong traditions,

our students have access to the best possible

May you and your family remain in good health and keep the Greenhill spirit with you until we gather together again.

Per Aspera Ad Astra!

Clayton Lougee ’03

Alumni Board President, 2020-2022

A LUM N I U PDATES

2020-2021 alumni board members President Clayton Lougée ’03

Vice President & President-Elect Governance Committee Chair Laura Ley Staub ’01

Executive Committee: Advancement Co-Chairs Jason Klein ’04 Lee Szor ’03

Programming Co-Chairs David Webster ’02 Danielle Friedman Zietz ’02

Community Chair Shanti Majefski ’95

Immediate Past President Lauren Pritchard Goodman ’04

board members Harl Asaff ’96 Michael Barnett ’90 Matthew Bodzy ’04 Aaron Brown ’01 Jonathan Fine ’11 Anna Galvez ’11 Michelle Wettreich Garza ’95 Alex Gutor ’03 Ryan Kline ’11 Joanna Fulton Lewis ’02 Shannon Harris McSpadden ’94 Charles Norton ’92 Israel Nosnik ’99 Zach Shor ’06 Stacey (Nash) Thompson ’96 Mark Wettreich ’98 Shan Zaidi ’05

Greenhill Alumni Board Updates As a member of the Greenhill alumni community, you have an important stake in our future. Every Greenhill graduate is a member of our alumni association – nearly 5,000 members and growing. The association was established more than 60 years ago and is led by the Alumni Board.

Your Alumni Board celebrates the Greenhill traditions that are important to you, working to keep our programming relevant and meaningful. Reunions are one of the most important ways to connect alumni. This community extends to our former students and parents of alumni. We include them in our annual Alumni Weekend celebrations.

We also want to keep you informed with stories about Greenhill’s current priorities.

We hope you feel inspired and proud of your alma mater. We are constantly inspired by our students, faculty, staff and alumni and we share those stories through print, our social media, and our online resources. With a new strategic plan in place, the Alumni Board is looking forward to building relationships and connections for decades to come.

We are working hard to deeply engage our alumni and bring a sustained commitment

to connecting with graduates around the world. In the coming year, we will be working on ways to help you stay close with alumni who live near you, share your interests, or graduated around the same time as you. Our board is discussing expansion of regional engagement, promoting our alumni awards nomination process, and how we can improve alumni career networking.

This commitment is coming to life through a visionary plan for delivering what our alumni want from Greenhill and our global network of Hornets. Each year new board members are selected through a process that begins with a call for nominations from the entire alumni body. We continue to diversify our board, not only in class years, but also in career and volunteer expertise, race, gender, and sexual orientation.

Thank you to our current Alumni Board for their leadership and commitment in service to the School!

For more information on board service and to apply, visit www.greenhill.org/alumni

alumni from the 1960s stayed connected throughout the year with virtual gatherings

Sophie Levy Zuckerman ’07

Facebook.com/greenhillalumni Twitter.com/alumnigreenhill @GreenhillAlumni

graduates sought advice and created professional connections during the legal industry networking event 43 37

TU R N I NG POI NTS

turning points

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1.

2.

3.

4.

6.

7.

8.

9.

11.

12.

13.

14

.

.

4.

GR E E N H I LL TO GETH ER

Weddings 1.

Shelby Rosebraugh Berzins ’11 and Matthew Berzins January 16, 2021

Michelle Quina Shaw ’10 and Matt Shaw October 4, 2020

3.

Stephanie Rogan ’08 and Andrew Wehrley September 5, 2020

Samantha Strauss Rizvi ’07 and Khurram Rizvi June 29, 2020

5.

Marisa and Travis McElroy ’08 October 10, 2020

11.

Kathryn Vernon Reaman ’07 and Tony Reaman February 22, 2020

Jourdan Neustadt Whatley ’10 and Kevin Whatley July 11, 2020

13.

Sabrina Merchant Morfin ’08 and Alex Morfin September 5, 2020

15.

Meredith Jeanes Lyons ’08 and Greg Lyons ’08 November 2, 2019

8.

Aaron Lester Zuckerman January 13, 2020 Sophie Levy Zuckerman ’07 and Eric Zuckerman

5.

7.

9.

Grace and Matthew Udomphol ’08 June 24, 2019 Catherine Lark ’09 and Stephen Reilly July 10, 2020

Births 2.

Ashton Royce Beardon December 22, 2020 Lauren Beardon and Chris Beardon ’04

10.

4.

6.

15.

Hampton Edmund Massiah September 8, 2020 Kelley Hampton Massiah ’01 and Arvin Massiah

Maxwell Patrick Bunner January 5, 2021 Katherine Hearty ’98 and Jon Bunner Madeline ”Maddie” Lee Fencl April 17, 2020 Jamie Ernst Fencl ’04 and Alex Fencl

10.

Madeline Rose Tonini March 2, 2020 Jennifer Rosemore Tonini ’04 and Andrew Tonini

12.

Chloe Rae Carson February 26, 2021 Jenny Davis Carson ’06 and Donald Carson

14.

Zair Meghani March 7, 2021 Tasneem and Asad Meghani ’10

Jillienne “Jayley” Parker Barber September 24, 2020 Jennifer McGough Barber ’98 and John Barber 45

In memoriam Carol Ablon

Serena Simmons Connelly ’88

Bob Ganino

Mother of Beth Ablon ’84

Sister of Lisa Simmons ’73 and Andrea Simmons Swanson ’83

Husband of Eliza Brewer Ganino ’69

December 3, 2020

Mike Adams ’61

April 22, 2020

March 26, 2020

Jack Corman

David Albert

Father of Michael Corman ’74, Catherine Corman ’80 and Laura Corman ’82 stepfather of Jeremy Besser ’80 and Ethan Besser ’84

Father of Katherine Albert ’78 and Lisa Albert ’79 October 23, 2020

Ken Altshuler Grandfather of Jackie Altshuler ’09 and Dena Altshuler ’16 January 6, 2021

Bernie Andrews Grandfather of Melanie Andrews ’13, Camille Andrews ’15 and Ellen Margaret Andrews ’17 February 8, 2021

Verona Bishop Mother of Whitney Bishop Radia ’96 and former student Tyler Bishop August 30, 2020

Chuck Briant ’74 Father of Chuck Briant ’99, Kelley Briant Ellis ’01, and Kim Briant Donner ’03 September 7, 2020

Thomas Buffin Father of Marc Buffin ’86 November 17, 2020

Harold Byrd ’55 January 7, 2021

Pauline Carp Grandmother of Samantha Carp ’13, Rachel Carp ’15 and Jeffrey Carp ’18 February 25, 2021

Martin Coben Father of Chad Coben ’85, grandfather of William Coben ’10, Gabrielle Coben ’18, and Jack Coben (sixth grade) December 4, 2020

Barbara Coe Mother of Walter Coe ’84

March 8, 2021

Arlene Crotty-Duff Grandmother of Kate Crotty ’15 and Stephen Crotty ’18 May 12, 2020

Jane Davidson Mother of Amy Davidson Williams ’94 November 1, 2020

Tommy Davidson Father of Amy Davidson Williams ’94 June 13, 2020

Rondi Davis Mother of Jenny Davis ’04 and Alice Davis ’06 December 17, 2020

Victoria DeBerry Mother of Richard DeBerry ’85 and Sarah DeBerry-Caperton ’93 May 5, 2020

Bob Dicken Father of Ginna Johnson ’84 and Trey Johnson III ’87, grandfather of Dylan Johnson (tenth grade) and Will Johnson (eighth grade) March 19, 2018

Jeff Dolan ’77

Grandmother of Ana Bonnheim ’99, Julia Bonnheim ’02 and Noah Bonnheim ’07 December 9, 2020

Bob Goldberg

Lois Goldberg

September 29, 2020

October 27, 2020

Grandparents of Shana Finkelstein Bygott-Webb, Lele Finkelstein Sadoughi ’95, Robin Finkelstein Stone ’93, Clay Goldberg ’17, Kelsey Goldberg ’14, Jake Goldberg ’13 Great grandmother of Ben Freedman (second grade), Olivia Freedman (Kindergarten), James Freedman (Kindergarten), Clegg Goldberg (first grade), and Kase Goldberg (primer)

Abe Goldfarb Father of Marc Goldfarb ’78 and June Penciu ’84 February 24, 2021

Rick Gupta, MD Father of Katie Gupta ’08, Alex Gupta ’09, and Ryan Gupta ’14

Uncle of Brian Wiora ’13 and Megan Wiora ’16 April 8, 2020

Kim Hampton Mother of Kelley Hampton ’01 and former student Evan Hampton October 4, 2020

Jim Hayden Grandfather of Hunter Hayden ’11, Madison Hayden ’13 and Torri Hayden ’15 February 17, 2020

Myrtle Hunter

Brad Dudley ’79

Mother of Chip Hunter ’86 and former student Heather Hunter Stobaugh

October 22, 2020

Walter Durham Former Trustee

February 10, 2021

Stefani Silverberg Eisenstat ’85 December 6, 2020

Richard Freling

Leon Cohen

September 28, 2020

August 1, 2020

Joan Geiger

August 15, 2020

August 14, 2020

Grandfather of Louis Andres ’12, Miles Andres ’14 and Elise Andres ’17

February 16, 2021

Father of Robert Freling ’77 and Dana Freling ’79

Delores Funderburk Mother of Glover Funderburk ’77 April 2020

Grandmother of Haylie Stobaugh (tenth grade) and Aiden Stobaugh (tenth grade) July 24, 2020

Rita Ivery Wife of Greenhill Legend Ron Ivery September 2020

Carolyn Kanzler Mother of Lynn Bozalis ’82, grandmother of Thomas Bozalis (tenth grade) and former student Rachel Bozalis March 18, 2020

Norma King Mother of Alexandria King ’20 March 2020

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G R E E N H I LL TO GETH ER

Carl Kinney, Jr

Ted Rickenbacher

Harold Zweig

Father of Jennifer Kinney Parnell ’99, Celeste Kinney Sanders ’00 , Carla Kinney Childs ’02, Brandon Kinney ’04, Father-in-Law of Winfred Parnell ’99 and Byron Sanders ’01

Father of Ann Rickenbacher Thaxton ’84

Father of Louis Zweig ’82 and Brian Zweig, grandfather of Matthew Zweig ’18 and Katelyn Zweig (eleventh grade)

Grandfather of Bryce Sanders (fifth grade) and former student Bailey Sanders September 4, 2020

January 2, 2021

Betty Rickenbacher Stepmother of Ann Rickenbaher Thaxton ’84 August 23, 2020

Joyce Schiff Mother of Steven Schiff ’76

Debra Klar

November 8, 2020

Wife of Malcolm Johnson ’84

David Sears

Beverly Lande

Grandfather of Melanie Andrews ’13, Camille Andrews ’15 and Ellen Margaret Andrews ’17

February 28, 2020

Mother of John Lande ’97 and Kenneth Lande ’99 November 4, 2020

Beth Levine Mother of Rachel Packer ’12 and Ben Packer ’13 June 15, 2020

Ruth Levy Mother of Frada Sandler ’73 and Hope Malowitz ’76

Grandmother of Jackie Levy ’93, Kimberly Pollock Wolff ’02, Tracy Pollock ’03, and Lonnie Pollock ’06 March 12, 2021

Filemon Lopez Grandfather of Monserrat Muñoz ’05, Melissa Muñoz ’11 and Kathleen Muñoz-Lopez ’17 December 3, 2020

Martin Matyas Father of Michael Matyas ’81 and David Matyas ’86

Grandfather of Rebecca Matyas Garbose ’09 and Daniel Matyas ’12 December 15, 2020

Jim Morris Father of Jane Morris ’95 January 15, 2021

Harlan Pollock Grandfather of Griffin Olesky ’15 September 30, 2020

Lee Presby

Tim Short Father of Taylor Short ’08 February 16, 2021

Martin Shosid Father of Susan Shosid Bendalin ’88,

Grandfather of Zachary Weinreb ’08, Carly Weinreb ’10, Kyle Weinreb ’13, Weston Shosid ’13, Abigail Shosid ’16 Molly Bendalin ’17, Katie Bendalin ’19 and former student Jack Bendalin January 2, 2021

Bertie Siegelman Grandmother of Ilyse Hogue ’87, David Gail ’99, Harry Gail ’02 and Ben Siegelman ’03 August 3, 2020

Morris Silverberg Father of Brian Silverberg ’78 August 6, 2020

Israel Solon Father of Daniel Solon ’01 and former faculty member Janary 31, 2021

Van Telford Father of Q. Ellis Telford ’81 and former student Bradford Telford Novembre 24, 2020

David Weiner Father of Sadie Weiner ’05 September 26, 2020

Anina Weinreb

Lorene Richardson

November 5, 2020

Greenhill Legend, mother of Tara Richardson ’87

only greenhill alumni related to the deceased are listed. we do not typically list non-greenhill-related relatives.

October 25, 2020

Grandmother of Gina Mills ’12 May 2, 2020

December 26, 2020

Edwin L. Cox, Sr.

former greenhill board chair, 1967-1971 Father of Chandler (Cox) Mashek ’68 and Berry Cox ’72. Cox assisted in the creation of the Greenhill Fund.

November 5, 2020 Photo courtesy of Southern Methodist University, Kim Leeson

Grandmother of Zachary Weinreb ’08, Carly Weinreb ’10 and Kyle Weinreb ’13

February 6, 2021

Read more about Lorene on page 48.

47

R EMEM B E R I NG LOR EN E R IC HA R DS O N

Lorene Richardson food services manager

Greenhill mourns the loss of beloved Greenhill Legend Lorene Richardson, who passed on Saturday, February 6, 2021, due to complications from the COVID-19 virus.

Richardson, the longest tenured employee in Greenhill history, began working in the cafeteria in 1967. She became the food services manager in 1973, a position she held for 40 years, spending her days ensuring the Greenhill community was well fed. Richardson retired in 2013 after 46 years at Greenhill.

In an era of five-day rotating menus, members of the Greenhill community remember Thursdays fondly because the smell of fried chicken was always in the air. “For generations of Greenhill students, Lorene’s warm and welcoming smile and her uncanny ability to remember all our names fed our spirits, while her Ranger cookies, chicken fried steak, and real-deal cream gravy fed our souls,” Assistant Head of School Tom Perryman ’81 recalled.

Former Head of Middle School and fellow Greenhill Legend, Lucinda Carter, remembers, “I never heard Lorene say a harsh word. She fed us well for many, many years. She had a generous spirit and wonderful smile.”

Richardson was the first person to be named an Honorary Alumna by the Greenhill Alumni Association in 1988, and a Heart of the Hill legacy group was named in her honor in 2011.

Richardson is survived by her husband Robert, daughter Tara Richardson ’87, and grandsons David and Kennard.

48

Lorene's Peanut Butter Bars crust

1 (16-oz.) box graham crackers, finely crushed 1 firmly packed cup brown sugar 2 sticks margarine, melted Crush graham crackers by placing them in a Ziplock bag and rolling over them with a rolling pin. Mix brown sugar with cracker crumbs; then add melted margarine. Mix thoroughly. Spread evenly in a 9 x 13inch pan, firmly pressing the cracker mixture into a smooth layer.

f illing

1 pound jar smooth peanut butter 2 sticks margarine 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted Mix the peanut butter, margarine, and powdered sugar until smooth. Top with your favorite chocolate icing. Cut into squares and serve.

G R E E N H I LL TO GETH ER

middle school band teacher tony lopez captured the beauty of greenhill in the snow during the february 2021 winter storm.

Photo credit: Tony Lopez

53 49

EN DOWM E NT FU N DS

Greenhill Endowment Funds Through generous contributions from families, classmates, and friends, named endowment funds have been established to perpetuate the legacy of these individuals and to provide important financial sustainability for the School.

If you would like to contribute to eligible funds, or create your own fund, contact: ROBERT CLEMENTS, Director of Annual Fund & Major Gifts clementsr@greenhill.org (972) 628-5681 CURRICULUM & PROGRAM FUNDS

Ann & Ray Perryman Archive Fund Barnes Memorial Fund in Memory of Pam Barnes '00 Bernard L. Fulton Lecture Endowment Corbin Doyle Honorary Fund Edward E. Ford Technology Endowment Fund Ken & Becky Bruder Cultural Arts Fund Kim Williams Service Fund Muriel Seldin General Endowment for Cultural Arts Oleta Willard Academic Fund Primer Endowment Fund Technology Endowment Fund

FACILITY FUNDS

Athletic Complex Endowment Fund Great Expectation Facilities Endowment Fund Tennis Maintenance Endowment Fund

FACULTY ENRICHMENT FUNDS

Arun Stewart Memorial Faculty Enrichment Fund Bauman Family Faculty Enrichment Endowment Dorothy Jane Kassanoff Faculty Enrichment Fund Elaine Velvin Faculty Tuition Assistance Fund Frankel/Thum Challenge of Excellence Faculty Enrichment Fund General Endowment for Faculty Salaries Parents’ Association Faculty Endowment Fund Scott A. Griggs Faculty Endowment Fund Trustee Fellowship Grant Endowment Fund Wes Kittleman Impact Award Fund

50

FINANCIAL AID

Andrew Family Financial Aid Fund Christine Eastus Scholarship Fund David Warren Leatherbury Financial Aid Fund Dr. Anson L. Clark Memorial Financial Aid Fund Duncan S. Brown & Gavin F. Brown Scholarship Fund Edward E. Ford Foundation Financial Aid Fund Fulton Family Financial Aid Fund General Endowment for Financial Aid Greenhill Employee Legends Financial Aid Fund Harold & Mae Star Financial Aid Fund Jacob Earle Financial Aid Fund Jane & Wes Kittleman Financial Aid Fund Jennifer Goodnight Maalouf Financial Aid Fund Kathy Wells Memorial Financial Aid Fund Michael L. & Carol B. Davis Financial Aid Fund Parents’ Association Financial Aid Fund Ronnie Freeman Financial Aid Fund Ruth Agnich Financial Aid Fund Scott Buchanan Memorial Scholarship Fund Todd & Mindy Williams Endowment Fund Zale Foundation Financial Aid Fund

GENERAL FUNDS

Alec Reid Becker Endowment Fund for Student Social & Emotional Well-Being General Endowment Fund Julie & David Fields Honorary Fund Phillip G. Foote Endowment Fund

GR EEN H I LL FU N D

Greenhill Fund keeps Greenhill Together Every year, Greenhill Fund supports 5% of the school’s budget. This year, support from our community took on new importance as Greenhill managed increased costs associated with remote learning and reopening campus safely.

From technology enhancements to facility upgrades and personal protective gear, gifts to Greenhill Fund empowered our students and faculty to stay engaged in the learning process. Thank you to our entire community of alumni, grandparents, faculty, and parents, who have supported Greenhill Fund this year. Your support makes the Greenhill experience possible.

we are grateful for our 2020-2021 greenhill fund volunteer team and all of the work they did in helping make this year a success! board chair

co-chairs, major gifts

Holland P. Gary ’93

co-chairs, development committee Adriana Perales Linda Wimberly

greenhill fund leadership 2020-2021 co-chairs

Catie & Aaron Enrico Selwyn Rayzor & Rich Moses Melissa & Matt Rubel Joy & Jordan Sebold

co-chairs, alumni Jason Klein ’04 Lee Szor ’03

co-chair, grandparents

Pilar & Jay Henry Kamini & Malik Mamdani

Debby Ackerman

co-chairs, parents of alumni

co-chairs, new parents

Grace & Stanley Smith

Michelle & Rich Frymire

grade captains

Heather & Ray Balestri Stacey & Jason Beatey Leslie & David Benners Kathy & Gary Bridges Elizabeth & Bill Didlake Saleema Syed & Omer Farooque Michelle ’95 & Joel Garza Karlyn & Grant Herlitz Katie & Andrew Herrmann Geetika Tiwari & Pawan Joshi Rosalind Lynam Sandy & Rob Millimet Leigh & Jeff Morales Julia Selfridge Jennifer & Nate Stinchcomb Michelle & Kaleo Taft Priya & Shyam Venkat Donna & Sebastian Vos

Questions about Greenhill Fund?

Contact Robert Clements, Director of Annual Fund & Major Gifts, clementsr@greenhill.org, 972-628-5681

it’s not too late to give! www.greenhillfund.org

the last family picture of the kastens that includes dan, susan, amy, and jenny along with amy and jenny's families.

WHY I GIVE

why i give

Susan Kasten

Dan Kasten did not know he had an interview for a teaching

position at Greenhill School until his wife, Susan, told him the day before. Susan had answered a phone call from Phil Foote, former Greenhill Head of School, while Dan was out of town. Excited

about the prospect of visiting Dallas and going to Six Flags Over Texas, she scheduled an interview for Dan.

The day before the interview, Susan finally told Dan that he had an interview at Greenhill School in Dallas, Texas. He responded, "Well, this is going to be an interesting day."

The Kastens, including their young daughters Amy and Jenny, left their home in Louisiana at 5:00 AM to get to Dallas in time for

the interview. The day trip to Dallas turned into four days: On the first day, Dan interviewed on campus; on the second day, their

daughters took the Greenhill entrance exam; on the third day,

they found a home; and on the fourth day, they finally made their way to Six Flags Over Texas.

Dan, Amy, and Jenny started at Greenhill in the summer of 1982.

Amy graduated in 1996, and Jenny followed a year later in 1997. In

2014, Amy returned to campus as an Upper School history teacher.

Susan recalls, "Dan was bursting with happiness and pride that

“ Second to his wife and daughters, my

father loved Greenhill. This was a place that gave him an intellectual and spiritual community that he had always wanted.

I have never met anyone who loved their job more than Dan Kasten did. Giving back to the school is a way of thanking the community for the love it gave my father and our whole family.” – Dr. Amy Bresie ’96

This year, Susan became a member of the Fulton Society by

making a planned gift to Greenhill and listing the school as a

beneficiary of her estate. She said, "Nothing would make Dan

happier than to support Greenhill School. He never asked me to, but I know him well, and this is what he would have wanted me

to do." Her gift will benefit the General Endowments for Financial Aid and Faculty Salaries.

Amy chose to teach at Greenhill. When Amy returned to Greenhill, her son was enrolled in the Child Development Center. We had

three generations of Kastens on Greenhill soil at once—it was a special time."

Dan Kasten retired in 2016 after teaching English for 34 years at

Greenhill. He passed away in June 2017 from esophageal cancer.

His service was held in Rose Hall in the Marshall Family Performing Arts Center at Greenhill.

52

We welcome the opportunity to talk with you about your Greenhill experiences and about your support for the School.

Please contact Aaron White, Major Gifts & Planned Giving Officer, or visit www.greenhill.org/giving/planned-giving for more information!

Greenhill Board of Trustees 2020–2021

The Hill in print is published once a year in the spring by the Communications and Advancement Offices.

off icers

COMMUNICATIONS

Holland P. Gary ’93 Chair

Augusto Sasso

Board Chair-Elect

Roy S. Kim ’88

Assistant Chair/Secretary

Grace Smith

Finance Chair/Treasurer

trustees Leslie Benners Joe Chu Albertina M. Cisneros Megan Considine ’97 PA President-Elect, ex-officio Koshi Dhingra, Ed.D. Aaron Enrico David Fox Louis Gennarelli David C. Greenstone Lee J. Hark, Head of School, ex-officio Kenji Hashimoto Jay Henry Karlyn Herlitz Zack Hicks Joan Hill, Ed.D. Rachel Ladin ’91 Lester Levy, Jr. ’79 Jet Li Clayton S. Lougée ’03 Alumni Board President, ex-officio

Marlo Melucci Rich Moses Adriana Perales David Podolsky Tracy Rathbun Jennipher Rice, PA President, ex-officio Ashley Scheer Hardeep Sehgal Bruce Sostek Bharti Subramanian, Ph.D. Beth Thomas Lori Whitten Linda Wimberly Bing Xie Jeff Zlotky

former board chairs electing to serve ex-officio David L. Johnson ’67, Trustee since 1987 H. Ronald Nash, Trustee since 1987 William E. Rose ’85, Trustee since 2003

lifetime trustee

Rusty Jaggers, Trustee since 1994 E. Pierce Marshall, Jr. ’86, Trustee since 1996 Daniel T. Phillips, Trustee since 1997 Molly Fulton Seeligson ’60, Trustee since 2009

Kerry Shea, Director of Marketing & Communications Joe Monaco, Web & Media Services Manager Mashal Noor, Creative Manager

ADVANCEMENT

Annie Carter, Parents' Association Liaison & Director of Community Events Robert Clements, Director of Annual Fund & Major Gifts Clint Dawley, Director of Advancement Services Kristy Joiner, Advancement Services Associate Alina Salgado, Donor Relations Associate Aaron White, Major Gifts & Planned Giving Officer Katie Young, Director of Alumni Relations

COMMENTS? STORY IDEAS? Contact Mashal Noor noorm@greenhill.org 972.628.5488

Facebook.com/GreenhillSchool Twitter.com/GreenhillSchool @GreenhillSchool

Be sure to visit www.greenhill.org for the latest school news, photo galleries, sports scores, and more!

For an online version of this magazine, visit www.greenhill.org/thehill

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