Greens Farms Academy Viewbook

welcome to gfa GFA engages students as partners in an innovative, inclusive, and globally-minded community to prepare them for lives of purpose.

Discover.......................... 2 Academics....................... 8 Community..................... 16 Campus............................26 Beyond GFA................... 30

discover

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message from head of school

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a place to begin Choosing a school is one of the most important decisions a family can make.

Not simply because it determines where a child will spend each day, but because it helps shape how they will see themselves and engage with the world.

inquiry and reflection, creativity and competition, service and leadership. Along the way, they develop the habits of mind and strength of character to embrace meaningful challenges, contribute generously to their communities, and lead lives of purpose.

Childhood and adolescence are years of discovery. Young people begin asking life’s enduring questions: Who am I? What do I love?

What am I capable of? A school’s role is not merely to provide answers. It is to cultivate curiosity, build confidence, encourage resilience, and create the conditions in which students discover purpose in both their learning and their lives.

The pages that follow offer a glimpse into a community shaped by curiosity and a deep belief in the potential of every child. More than a place to attend school, GFA is a place to grow, to discover who you are, and to become who you are capable of being.

At Greens Farms Academy, relationships are at the heart of that journey. Students are known deeply by teachers who challenge and support them in equal measure. They learn through conversation and collaboration,

We look forward to welcoming you to campus.

Bob Whelan, P’24 Head of School

We believe education can be joyful. We invite our students to think big and question often.

We challenge our community to embrace new ideas and tap into new sources of strength.

Bob Whelan, Head of School

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discover

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Academic Philosophy

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Learning with Purpose Education is most meaningful when students understand not only what they are learning, but why it matters. At Greens Farms Academy, learning begins with strong academic foundations and grows through inquiry, dialogue, and discovery.

Teachers work alongside students as mentors, collaborators, and thought partners—asking meaningful questions, challenging assumptions, and encouraging original thinking. Learning

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is shaped by relationships: with teachers who inspire, classmates who broaden perspectives, and ideas that invite deeper exploration.

Across every division, students are encouraged to think critically, take intellectual risks, and engage deeply with the world around them. From a child’s first questions in Lower School to original research and Advanced Inquiry in Upper School, they develop the knowledge, character, and core values to lead lives of purpose.

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discover

fast facts

get to know gfa CAMPUS OVERVIEW

ACADEMICS

FOUNDED IN

1925 770+

30+

Students

Towns represented

44 Acres

8:1 15 70+ 175+

Student–Faculty Ratio

Average Class Size

65+

Annual Grade 8 Capstone Research Projects

20+

May Term Experiences

Students arrive by

OUR MOTTO

Quisque Pro Omnibus

Empathy

Excellence

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Shared Community Read

13

$7M

Grades on one campus

Financial Aid Budget

DID YOU KNOW? Kindergartners and seniors pick apples together on campus each fall.

of our student body identifies as people

Curiosity

Science class sometimes begins with a pair of waders.

FINANCIAL AID

25%

Integrity

1

DID YOU KNOW?

COMMUNITY

train each day

Passion

Inquiry & Advanced Inquiry Projects Presented annually at Symposium

3 unique ecosystems

200+

OUR VALUES

Advanced Inquiry Experiences

of color

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22% of students receive financial aid

$42K 4

Houses in

Average financial aid grant

Middle School

students

Each for All

participating in community service weekly

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Staff & FaculTEAS hosted by parents throughout the year

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academics

lower school

Where Curiosity Takes Root Children arrive at school ready to wonder. Rather than rushing to provide answers, Lower School teachers encourage students to investigate, experiment, build, revise, and stay with a question long enough to discover something new.

Our role is to nurture a child’s natural curiosity and inspire a lifelong love of learning.”

Jane Verlin, Head of Lower School

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Reading, writing, and mathematics provide the foundation for learning, while science, art, engineering, world languages, and music invite students to make connections across disciplines. The salt marsh, school garden, shoreline, studios, and classrooms become extensions of the learning experience, where curiosity is explored through observation, experimentation, and discovery.

Along the way, students grow within a community where they are known as individuals, challenged to take risks, and encouraged to care for one another. Through shared traditions and relationships that span grades, they begin to see themselves not only as capable learners, but as thoughtful contributors whose questions—and voices—matter.

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A CLOSER LOOK

THE SCHOOL GARDEN The Lower School garden invites students to investigate the natural world through hands-on exploration.

By planting, harvesting, and caring for living things, they discover that learning begins with curiosity and grows through experience.

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academics

middle school

Finding Your Voice There comes a moment when students stop asking, “What am I learning?” and begin asking, “What do I think?”

Middle School is where that shift begins.

Middle School is where students begin to discover not only what they can do, but who they are becoming.”

Drew Meyer, Head of Middle School

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As confidence and independence grow, students learn to think critically, communicate thoughtfully, and engage respectfully with ideas that challenge their own. Through Harkness discussions, collaborative projects, advisory, the arts, athletics, and leadership opportunities, they discover that their voice matters—and that listening carefully to others is just as important.

These years are about more than academic growth. They are about becoming a trusted friend, an engaged teammate, a thoughtful leader, and a curious citizen. Supported by teachers who know them well, students discover that confidence isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about having the courage to ask better questions.

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A CLOSER LOOK

FORUM Each week, students gather in the Forum to discuss current events, explore important questions, and practice listening, speaking, and leading with confidence.

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academics

upper school

Questions Worth Pursuing Some questions deserve more than a class period.

Students go further when they have ownership of their learning.”

Ward Abel, Head of Upper School

Upper School students are invited to pursue ideas with depth, independence, and purpose. Students investigate meaningful questions through Inquiry and Advanced Inquiry, Harkness discussion, artistic work, leadership opportunities, and close partnerships with faculty mentors. They move beyond mastering content to creating original work that reflects their own ideas, interests, and discoveries.

The decision to move beyond Advanced Placement courses reflects a simple belief: students learn most deeply when they are trusted with meaningful ownership of their education. They investigate questions that matter to them and to the wider world, conduct original research, collaborate with faculty mentors, and share their discoveries with authentic audiences.

By graduation, students leave with more than knowledge. They leave with the confidence to think independently, contribute thoughtfully, and continue asking meaningful questions.

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A CLOSER LOOK

ADVANCED INQUIRY Working alongside faculty mentors, students pursue yearlong research and creative projects driven by their own interests. They ask original questions, test ideas, revise their thinking, and present work that reaches beyond the classroom.

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academics

beyond the classroom

Learning Beyond the Classroom Some lessons are best learned by doing.

Experience is an essential part of a GFA education.

Across every division, students engage with the world through field studies, community partnerships, outdoor exploration, travel, and immersive learning. From Mini-Term in the

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Lower School to Culminating Experience Week in the Middle School and May Term in the Upper School, those opportunities grow alongside our students, encouraging them to explore new interests, broaden their perspectives, and discover that meaningful learning happens through direct engagement with people, places, and ideas.

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AT GFA, WE LEARN...

THROUGH SERVICE Service learning connects students with their community, fostering empathy, responsibility, and meaningful relationships.

FROM PLACE The salt marsh, Audubon woodland, and Long Island Sound become living classrooms for exploration and discovery.

FROM NEW PERSPECTIVES Visiting artists, scientists, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders inspire students to think more broadly and imagine new possibilities.

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community

a place to belong

Each for All Quisque Pro Omnibus

TRADITIONS THAT CONNECT Community is built in everyday moments and shared experiences.

Whether making cider with kindergarten buddies, cheering on classmates, gathering for Convocation, or celebrating Giving Day, traditions connect students across grades and generations.

These moments create a lasting sense of belonging and remind every Dragon that they are part of a community that extends far beyond their years at GFA.

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GFA VOICES Every voice has a place in our community.

GFA Voices is an event that celebrates the cultures, identities, perspectives, and lived experiences that enrich life at Greens Farms Academy.

Through storytelling, performances, conversations, and shared experiences, students are encouraged to share their own stories while listening with curiosity, empathy, and respect to the stories of others. In doing so, they strengthen a community where every person is known, valued, and empowered to contribute.

Belonging is at the heart of a GFA education. More than a motto, Each for All reflects the way life is lived at Greens Farms Academy—a shared commitment to care for one another, contribute to the community, and recognize that every individual has something meaningful to offer.

From the youngest students to graduating seniors, relationships shape the GFA experience. Students learn across divisions, celebrate traditions together, and build connections with classmates, teachers, coaches, and mentors who know

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them well. Along the way, they discover that belonging is not simply about being welcomed into a community—it is about helping to build one.

In classrooms, on stages, on playing fields, and throughout campus, students are encouraged to share their talents, listen with empathy, and support one another with generosity and respect. In doing so, they come to understand that education is not only about individual achievement, but about becoming part of something larger than themselves.

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community

Visual & Performing Arts

The Courage to Create Creativity invites students to explore ideas, express themselves, and see the world through new perspectives.

Through visual art, music, theater, and design, students learn by making—experimenting, revising, collaborating, and discovering that growth often happens through the creative process.

From the first songs and sketches of Lower School to original compositions, gallery exhibitions, and theatrical productions in Upper School, students develop the confidence to create, perform, and share their unique perspectives with others.

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community

Visual & Performing Arts

I let them lead the way, stepping in every once in a while to adjust the ship on its course. We are both on this journey together and I am learning new things alongside them as a working artist.”

Denis Dalesio, Upper School Visual Arts

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A PLACE FOR EVERY ARTIST Architecture Band Ceramics Chorus Digital Media Drawing Fashion Design Film Graphic Design Music Technology Orchestra Painting Photography Theater

18,000 Square feet in our stateof-the-art Performing Arts Center, including a STEAM shop, a global studies center, and a living roof

5 Theater productions

6 Divisional concerts

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community

athletics & wellness

Growing Stronger Together Athletics and wellness are an essential part of a GFA education, developing confidence, resilience, and character alongside physical strength.

Whether competing in one of our 16 athletic offerings at the varsity or sub-varsity level, or pursuing fitness and wellness, students are

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encouraged to challenge themselves, support one another, and discover the value of perseverance, teamwork, and sportsmanship.

Guided by experienced coaches, teachers, and sports medicine professionals, they build healthy habits that extend well beyond graduation.

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community

athletics & wellness

The work ethic and relationships I built at GFA prepared me for college, athletics, and life.”

Xavier Giles ’24

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GO DRAGONS! FALL Cross Country Field Hockey Soccer Volleyball Sailing (US) Flag Football (MS)

WINTER Basketball Squash Wrestling

SPRING Baseball Golf Lacrosse Sailing (US) Softball Tennis Track & Field Ultimate Frisbee Offerings vary by division and season. Junior varsity teams are formed based on enrollment.

41 League, Regional, and National Championships Won in 15 different sports since 2020

100% Participation in PE & Athletics of Lower and Middle School students

50+ All-Americans in the last five years

130+ Junior Varsity Competitions scheduled each year

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campus

THE AUDUBON

ATHLETICS FACILITIES THE ORCHARD

ATHLETICS & WELLNESS CENTER

SQUASH BUILDING PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

HEAD OF SCHOOL HOUSE

GREENS FARMS METRO-NORTH TRAIN STATION Every morning, more than 200 students arrive by train—a daily tradition that

THE MARSH

starts just 370 steps from campus.

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YOUR PLACE TO GROW

THE SOUND

MAIN COURTYARD AMPHITHEATER

FRONT LAWN

LOWER SCHOOL GARDEN

COYLE GYMNASIUM

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campus

CREATE Studios, rehearsal spaces, and makerspaces invite students to imagine, experiment, and express themselves through visual art, music, theater, design, and more.

PLAY Fields, courts, trails, and fitness spaces remind students that growth happens through movement, teamwork, and play.

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LEARN Ideas take shape through inquiry, discussion, and discovery. Whether around a Harkness table, in the science labs, or in the library, students learn by asking questions and exploring together.

GATHER From Convocation to conversations between classes, shared spaces strengthen relationships, celebrate traditions, and foster a genuine sense of belonging.

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beyond GFA

Prepared for What’s Next College is not the destination—it’s the next chapter.

The reward isn’t the acceptance letter—though of course those are nice.

It’s 10 years down the road when a student is doing work that they find meaningful and living their best possible life.”

Rachel Boyer, Director of College Counseling

At Greens Farms Academy, college counseling is a highly personalized process rooted in relationships. Students are known as individuals, encouraged to explore their interests, and supported as they reflect on the colleges and universities where they will thrive academically, personally, and beyond.

Working closely with counselors, faculty, and families, students gain the confidence to make thoughtful choices that reflect who they are and who they hope to become. The result isn’t simply a list of college acceptances— it’s graduates prepared to pursue meaningful lives with curiosity, purpose, and confidence.

THE COLLEGE JOURNEY GRADE 9 | EXPLORE

GRADE 11 | REFINE

Challenge yourself academically,

Work closely with your college

discover new interests, and begin

counselor to identify schools that

building relationships that will

align with your interests, aspirations,

support your journey.

and goals.

GRADE 10 | DISCOVER

GRADE 12 | LAUNCH

Deepen your commitments, reflect on

Apply with confidence, celebrate

your strengths, and continue exploring

your accomplishments, and begin

opportunities both inside and outside

the next chapter of your journey.

the classroom.

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FIVE-YEAR MATRICULATION LIST

• Amherst College (4) • Auburn University • Barnard College (2) • Bates College (7) • Boston College (11) • Boston University (8) • Bowdoin College (2) • Brigham Young University • University of British Columbia • Brown University (15) • Bucknell University (8) • University of California – Berkeley (3) • University of California – Irvine (2) • University of California – Los Angeles (3) • University of California – Santa Barbara • California Institute of the Arts • California Polytechnic State University • Carnegie Mellon University • Central Connecticut State University • CentraleSupélec • University of Chicago (9) • Claremont McKenna College • Clarkson University • Clemson University (2) • Colby College (7) • Colgate University (4) • College of Charleston • University of Colorado Boulder (9) • Colorado College (3) • Columbia University (4) • University of Connecticut (8) • Connecticut College

• Cornell University (7) • Dartmouth College (3) • Davidson College • Denison University (3) • University of Denver (4) • DePaul University • Dickinson College • Duke University (5) • Eckerd College • Elgin College • Elon University (5) • Emory University (5) • Fairfield University (3) • Fordham University (2) • Franklin and Marshall College (2) • Franklin Pierce University (2) • George Washington University (3) • Georgetown University (10) • University of Georgia (2) • Georgia Institute of Technology • Grinnell College • Hamilton College (3) • Hampton University • Harvard University (5) • High Point University • Indiana University (3) • Iona University • Johns Hopkins University • Lafayette College (8) • Lehigh University (3) • University of Louisville • Loyola Marymount University (2) • Macalester College • University of Maryland (2) • University of Massachusetts – Amherst (2)

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (5) • Mercy University • Merrimack College • University of Miami (7) • University of Michigan (10) • Middlebury College (3) • Muhlenberg College • The New School • New York University (6) • University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill (5) • North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University • Northeastern University (10) • Northwestern University (3) • University of Notre Dame (4) • Oberlin College • Ohio State University • University of Pennsylvania (13) • Princeton University (6) • Providence College (5) • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute • University of Rhode Island (2) • Rhodes College • Rice University (3) • University of Richmond (12) • Rutgers University • Santa Clara University (6) • Scripps College • Skidmore College • Smith College (2) • University of Southern California (2) • Southern Methodist University (3) • University of St Andrews (4) • St. Lawrence University

• Stockholm School of Economics • Swarthmore College (3) • Syracuse University (2) • Temple University • The University of Texas at Austin • Texas Christian University (2) • Trinity College • Tufts University (6) • Tulane University (10) • United States Air Force Academy • United States Military Academy – West Point • United States Naval Academy • Union College (4) • University of Utah • Vanderbilt University • Vassar College (3) • University of Vermont • Villanova University (9) • University of Virginia (15) • Virginia Tech • Wake Forest University (10) • Washington and Lee University (3) • Washington University in St. Louis (8) • Wellesley College (3) • Wentworth Institute of Technology • Wesleyan University (6) • West Chester University of Pennsylvania • Western New England University • Wheaton College • College of William and Mary • Williams College (4) • University of Wisconsin (5) • Yale University (8)

Greens Farms Academy is a PreK–12, coed school in Westport, CT 35 Beachside Avenue | Westport, CT 06880 | gfacademy.org

COME EXPERIENCE GFA Connect with the GFA Admission Team to learn more or schedule a visit: admission@gfacademy.org 203-256-7562