Greenwood Laboratory School

Greenwood Laboratory School should not be characterized as a normal private school; Greenwood is a family. On the first day of Kindergarten of 2005, I met all of my classmates and some instructors. 13 years later, all of my classmates are my brothers and sisters and we literally have grown up together through all of our ups and downs throughout our lives. Most of my current teachers have watched me grow up for the past 13 years and I consider them as family also. Throughout my time here, I have been challenged in every thinkable aspect and learned to set goals for myself that could be accomplished through citizenship, learning, and a little bit of critical thinking. I strongly encourage every parent who is thinking about Greenwood for their child, to put them on the waitlist after birth to hopefully ensure a spot in the Kindergarten class. Elementary school was some of the best times of my life at Greenwood because you really got to connect with your friends and faculty and got a huge head start in the rigorous curriculum Greenwood has to offer. If I could say one thing to a parent considering about enrolling their child at Greenwood, at any grade level, I would tell them that I have one more year at Greenwood and I am dreading to leave this building for good. I know I have built lasting friendships between my classmates and faculty, but it is going to be very hard for all of us to leave this great atmosphere and not see each other everyday. I have numerous friends my age at public schools, and their aspect on school and aptitude towards learning differs from Greenwood in many ways. Not only have I learned the anatomy of a fetal pig through dissection, became fluent in French, or suscessfully completed Calculus I my junior year, but I have learned much more important life skills. I now know how to give an extensive multimedia presentation, I know how to affectively engage in my community, and I know how to always treat others with respect and honor. I have throughly enjoyed my time at Greenwood, and I am excited to jump into Senior Year and graduate with my brothers and sisters to go off and do great things. Parents- Schedule a tour! To add to my review, I want to state that Greenwoods traditions are 80% of my fondest memories there. On a Wednesday night in September, during spirit week, the student body comes together for the annual Hamburger Fry! The night is filled with competitive games with each class as a team, hamburgers grilled on the grill by Dr. Snodgrass, and of course the entrance of the seniors to start the night(waterballons might be involved). On Friday of spirit week is the annual Homecoming Soccer game with a huge tailgate party in the Greenwood Field parking lot, the crowning of the Homecoming Queen, and of course the action packed soccer game. For Halloween, the Elementary grades parade through the hallway showing off their costumes as the rest of the school watches from the sides of the hallways. Seniors dress up as well and escort the classes. For Thanksgiving, students are asked to dress nicely for the Thanksgiving Assembly in which a guest speaker comes in and gives a nice speech on the things we are thankful for and etc. At Christmas time, everyone packs in the cafeteria to sing Christmas carols with lyrics on the projection board! The Pasta Bowl is in the spring, which is very similar to the Hamburger Fry, except pasta is served from Ott's instead of Hamburgers and the usual games are played. Honor Day is the most beloved tradition at Greenwood and is held in the last week of school. It is held in the Plaster Student Union Theater and grades 6-12 walk across the stage and their honors that they received throughout the year are voiced. They receive a single red rose in honor of their accomplishments, or better known as the "order of the rose" as it was called in 1912. Also in the last week of the year, grades 6 and above gather in the cafeteria for the memories assembly which is a video made by one of the students of numerous pictures and videos sent in by other students for a time of happiness and laughter. Numerous other traditions occur throughout the year, but these were always my favorites!

As an alumni and former parent of Greenwood Lab School students, I feel fortunate we were able to send our children to Greenwood. Our grandchildren are attending there as well and love school. I can honestly say it is a wonderful learning environment and the legacy of learning is Greenwood's strongest tradition. Our children received outstanding college scholarships and excelled at the university level because of the study, writing, research and presentational skills they developed in this competitive K-12 atmosphere. They all got in their top college pick! Most of the high school students conveniently take additional courses at MSU for full college credit. Greenwood students are totally prepared for the rigorous atmosphere of college because they have taken real college courses and have grown up on the Missouri State University campus. The teachers and administration are engaged and the parents actively participate as volunteers. The test scores are excellent and students are well rounded. The curriculum is rigorous and top colleges recognize that. Greenwood was founded in 1908 and the size of the school allows students to participate in multiple sports and academic competitions. If you really want to find out more about this school, I would suggest setting up a visit.

As a student of Greenwood I feel that I am receiving is the best to offer. The music, art, sport, and other extracurricular activities are very good. Greenwood has many academic and athletic awards. At Greenwood we have just added a top of the line science wing. Our facility is on the Missouri State campus which means that you can get college credits while at Greenwood.