Greenfield Center School

71 Montague City Road

Greenfield, MA 01301

16 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK-8
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on March 22, 2024

Not a safe school. Not a progressive school. The head of the school needs to be replaced, immediately and the school needs to do a real hard look at itself. I had both of my children at this school for two years. I drained my savings thinking that this school was worth its tuition cost. Instead, we received a sub-par education and two children who still upset when we drive by the school sign. No diversity. No languages. No art classroom. No lunchroom. Just no. As a parent of two non-white, lower middle class children, I am not sure if my experience would have been different if I those things weren't true. My children were wildly behind in math and science when starting back up in public school. Their teachers were not surprised when they heard that they had gone to the Center School. My 5th grader (at the time) was taught more about oral sex than math, art or current events. I am a queer liberal person, but, seriously?My younger son, autistic (school knew at admittance) was left to his own devices, kicked out of class whenever he was too much, making him feel shame. We paid out of pocket for an ABA therapist to be with him at school who reported that it was actually my son being picked on, being asked to repeat bad words (echolalia) by peers and then getting sent home for them. I couldn't believe it and yet I still didn't say anything. This school is not safe: I was called by the head of the school on a Friday in August to inform me that a student in my sons pre-k class had used a racial slur months earlier and that it was now being 'dealt with.' When I asked what that meant, I was given an obligatory few lines about 'why we don't say that word' but what I really wanted, even as someone no longer involved with the school, was to know that this was going to be addressed in a real way. This school is not safe: My son was allowed to walk in the rain on the OUTSIDE of a foot bridge at the school with a 3-4' drop. He slipped, was tangled in a ball of twine that 'happened to be hanging off the bridge' (why?) fell and shattered his wrist. No ambulance was called. In fact, when I got inside, the head of the school walked in front of me/my child with her arms outstretched telling me 'he is okay' (in fact his bone was literally sticking out of his wrist and was badly broken - clearly). Thousands of dollars in medical bills later, we never received a single call or note from the head of the school. Never a mention of the emotional or financial cost. Nothing.
Submitted by other on March 13, 2015

I hated my first school so much that I had panic attacks before leaving the house every morning. These subsided shortly after my parent enrolled me at GCS, where I quickly fell in love with school and learning. As a GCS graduate, I found that I was better-prepared for high school, college, and work life than many of my non-GCS peers. I use the lessons I learned at this school every single day, in every area of my life. I am better, happier person for my time there.
Submitted by parent on May 06, 2014

The Center School is amazing--- a totally different experience from the spirit-crushing, toe-the-line, no-cheering, no-talking, do-as-I-say environment of Deerfield Elementary School. At CS, kids sing, cheer, jump up and down, run around, play in the woods, hike, swim, ski, draw, write, and solve problems while learning to accept and celebrate each others differences. My son used to hate school; now he can't wait to go, and often asks to go to school to play on the weekends. He is a happy, articulate kid, who is valued for being himself. The community is warm, welcoming, and fun. Monthly events for parents/staff, and for whole families. The staff always participates in school events, allowing parents and kids to interact with staff outside the classroom. The school cares about kids, learning as individuals, and creating a better community both at school and in the world. I wish every kid could go to a school like Center School!
Submitted by parent on April 30, 2014

The Center School is a wonderful place for children to grow and learn. Academics are rigorous and taught in a way that students feel good about themselves. They are also tailored for each child--so kids can move ahead or get extra support if they need it. Academics also don't just mean "reading, writing and math." Music, art, Spanish, outdoor exploration, storytelling are just some of the things incorporated into their everyday experiences. Children are taught how to be kind, creative, engage with their world, ask questions and allowed time to play. My son is about to finish his first year (K) and we could not be more thrilled with the education he is receiving. The community at this school takes care of another and no one falls through the cracks. I have my PhD in Education and have worked in/visited many, many school. The Center School stands out by far in its ability to nurture and educate our children.
Submitted by parent on April 29, 2014

A friendly, comfortable place for kids who don't thrive in "Core curriculum," stay inside the box public schools. Lots of physical activity, art, music, and encouragement for the kids to follow their own curiosity within the topics studied makes reading, writing, math and science necessary skills to do the kids want to be able to do, and they learn the foundation skills cheerfully. With the BEST parent-teacher communication I've ever encountered, I feel like I really know what and how my son is doing in school and that my interest is welcomed. Amazing, creative use of limited physical resources also takes the kids out into the community more than any school I've seen. My son comes home enthusiastic and eager to talk about what he's learning, wanting more, wanting to explore further, and in third grade he is actively carrying the learning process beyond the school day into his free time. The best of what education can be, and unfortunately all too often isn't.
Submitted by parent on April 29, 2014

The Center School provides a warm and supportive environment for children to learn and grow. Each individual is celebrated and actively participates in the larger school community.
Submitted by parent on April 29, 2014

My kids switched to GCS in first and fifth grades. My older child (fifth grade) is an atypical learner and she was really starting to struggle with self-esteem at her previous school. She was also starting to hate learning, associating it with failure and stress. My younger child (first grade) is more of a typical learner, but he found school overwhelming. GCS is a dream come true for us. All of the teachers and staff really do get to know the students individually and they meet the kids where they are. The work the kids do is developmentally appropriate and the teachers work hard to make the material interesting and the projects fun yet challenging. The curriculum is supported by numerous activities -- skiing, swimming, canoeing, field trips, and the families are invited to participate in all sorts of after school and weekend activities. The best testament to GCS is the kids who go there. Polite, kind, confident, and secure, they're also relentless learners and incredible advocates for themselves. I would recommend this school to any parent looking for a progressive, child centered, incredibly fantastic school.
Submitted by parent on April 29, 2014

Greenfield Center School is the real deal - this is what childhood and school should look like. We drive from Easthampton and would drive further. It's that good.
Submitted by parent on December 19, 2013

I love what this school has provided my child. Not a "one size fits all" approach, rather one that actually sees the individual child and responds to their strengths and challenges. Highly recommend, and very happy with the Center School.
Submitted by parent on October 29, 2013

GCS prepared my child for high school by developing his self confidence and teaching him multiple ways of thinking and viewing the world. He learned how to express his unique personality and also to advocate for himself at school. He is able to show respect for other people's opinions but firmly voice his own, including to adults and teachers. At GCS he uncovered many hidden talents through exposure to diverse arts, culture and independent study. I was a little nervous for him going into a more traditional school from the small classrooms of GCS but he has transitioned very well.
Submitted by parent on May 20, 2013

The Greenfield Center School is just what I hoped for from the school I carefully chose for my son. Its progressive and process oriented approach has offered a creative and inspired academic environment. But the real magic comes from the way the staff cultivates in each child a clear sense of self and a deep respect for the community as a whole. My son, now in the second grade, is learning how to think critically and articulate what he perceives. The school's organizing principal is social justice which is not only a curriculum component but the foundation of how the school functions as a community. The Center School is educating children to be self aware, compassionate deep thinking people. It is a place where the kids have fun, build cities in the woods, choose poems by Walt Whitman to recite to the whole school at All School, design airships that fly, write plays, read complex stories about difficult topics and have the support of a fabulous staff that guides them to go deeper and to feel safe on their journey. My son is happy to go to school every day and I am happy for him to go to a school that is so conscious and conscientious. We drive from Northampton!
Submitted by parent on May 20, 2013

Greenfield Center School is so much more than just a school. Its is an intentional community of change-makers, creators, listeners, supporters, and explorers. My child's last school was wonderful, but she was bored by the last few months of her second year. I didn't believe her until she went to GCS and was flourishing within days. GGC challenges her to be a better person, student, friend, community member, and peer. She is sad when it's the weekend because she can't go to school. I only wish every child could go to such a school.
Submitted by parent on May 20, 2013

Both of my children go to Greenfield Center School. One has special needs, the other does not. One in 8th grade, one in 6th. Each has been given state-of-the-art instruction, tailored to their individual learning styles and needs. They have been challenged academically -- this year, my 8th grader was reading an anthology that is routinely assigned at Hampshire College. They have learned critical thinking skills that have, at times, approached at least a high school level, if not beyond. The instruction is rooted in a social justice curriculum, which means that it is consistently connected to current events, politics, and social studies, as well as a healthy look at the way each individual's behaviors influence the social sphere, even at the kindergarten level. The kids learn how to work with each other, and to respect each other's differences, even when it's difficult. They are proud of their school, and proud of what they have learned in it -- and they are proud of who they are.
Submitted by parent on May 08, 2013

My stepson has gone to the Center School for the last 2 years. He was in a great public school (Conway Grammer Elementary), but his mother has always had her heart set on this school. He loves it and doesn't want to go anywhere else EVER. The projects he works on are pretty awesome. My issues w/ this school is that it forces the "everyone must get along and love each other" way too hard. Some people just don't go together. And that's okay. I'd rather he learn how to work out his differences with people who don't agree with his opinions than just plaster a smile on, fake hold hands and light a peace candle. The real world does not work this way. Iguess what I'm saying is I love that my stepson loves his school; I just wish his school was more honest with him and told him all the sides to every story and not just what their beliefs are. Because isn't the Center School all about acceptance?
Submitted by parent on April 06, 2013

My sons are thriving at the Center School. They go outside several times a day, they do lots of interesting projects, they have friends of both genders. Right now, our 2nd grader is learning about Air and Space and they made real airships that flew in their classroom! The 4th grader just finished a geology unit where they made seismographs. Every week we go to All School and they sing songs and share their learning. The community atmosphere is unusually welcoming and the school does many many community events for families such as game nights, potlucks and picnics. Jane, the admissions director is amazingly knowledgeable and so great to work with, so do give the school a visit if you are looking for something special for your child's education. Lots of Hampshire County families commute every day and feel it is truly worth the time spent in the car. Carpools and other support is available for farther flung families. The After School program is truly unique. Kids beg to go and hate to be picked up at the end of the long day.
Submitted by parent on November 18, 2012

The teachers at the school treat my daughter with respect, compassion and dignity. It means a lot to let kids be partners in their education. She has gone to the Center School from Kindergarten through 8th grade and tells me she never wants to leave. She wants to come back as a teacher someday - the place really means a lot to her.