The GreenMount School

Our daughter is in her first year at GreenMount in kindergarten. I attended the open house. Students and parents were helping out, and it was immediately clear what a close-knit, warm community GreenMount is. The students were giving tours of the school to prospective parents, and I was impressed by students, some as young as third grade, who were speaking in public with the confidence and poise of adults. GreenMount is very purposeful in fostering these skills in its students. Just two months into kindergarten, I have seen these same skills developing in our daughter, who is generally rather shy. She is showing much greater levels of confidence and an eagerness to express her thoughts. More than anything, I want my daughter to grow as an independent and critical thinker and as someone who loves to learn. I am truly grateful that GreenMount shares that vision and will help us get there.

GreenMount is such a hidden gem! My son transitioned half way through the school year due to safety and diversity-related issues at his previous school. Despite only attending GMS in person for two months before transitioning to online learning, my son feels part of this small, nurturing community. His creative teachers and a very responsive administration quickly got to know what motivates and interests him, which greatly benefits his learning. We've been impressed by consistent, transparent communication about COVID-related pivots, celebrations of achievement, weekly written updates on student's social/emotional/academic progress, and the parent/teacher/student conferences. We also love how the school values family feedback. Most of all, I appreciate how my child is appropriately challenged to take on increasing responsibility for his learning and in his school community. He came home from his shadow day saying that the students take part in cleaning up the lunch area after they've eaten and added "I've learned that my actions impact others". There's a huge emphasis in the curriculum and school culture on kindness, community, equity, service, and social responsibility. I'm elated to have found a school that is an extension of our family's values and only regret that we didn't find GMS sooner!

Last year was our first year at GreenMount. We currently have a 4th grader and a 1st grader attending. The change was exactly what my son needed! Once we switched to the smaller community at GeenMount, he was able flourish. We had always been impressed with GreenMount, even from the first time we attended an open house years before we actually enrolled. The students were articulate and able to interact with adults with ease. I later learned that GreenMount teaches these skills even in kindergarten, where their interactions in community meetings introduce these helpful people skills.At GreenMount, the administration knows your name. The teachers take time to give you written feedback each week on your child's progress, not just academically but socially as well. In addition, since it is a small school, the children all know one another. My then kindergartener was assigned an 8th grade "buddy" at the beginning of the year and as he transitioned to his new school, he reported that his buddy was his favorite part of his new school.Even when we switched to distance learning in March, I was pleased at how much my children continued to learn. The kindergarten teacher had a story hour that she continued through the end of June with the kids.The third grade teacher continued her daily story hour the end of July, months after school had ended. The dedication of the teachers during this transition was outstanding! This school year, the 4th grade teacher has great control of the virtual classroom and the kids are learning and progressing despite remote learning. The 1st grade teacher is new, having been hired on the first day of school, and is clearly a capable teacher, but has had some challenges with the technology. Despite this, she remains in close contact with parents keeping them updated and even makes calls to families to ensure that their child has all the materials ready for upcoming classes.In short, GreenMount has been the perfect fit for our family. Our boys are thriving, excited to wake up and get online to log into school. I feel confident that the time they are at GreenMount will have them ready academically and socially for becoming kind, caring, thoughtful young people.

Greenmount is a wonderful, small school that places a huge emphasis on community (within the classroom, school and Baltimore City as a whole). The class sizes are small, the teachers are creative and innovative, and the curriculum is engaging. The school is academically challenging and has continued to engage the students really well as distance learning became the norm for the remainder of this school year. The commitment of the teachers as well as the administrative staff in keeping the kids learning, engaged, and socially supported during a difficult time was really wonderful to see. I feel very fortunate that my child is part of this community. I hope they will be back to in person school in the fall, but even if they cannot be, I feel confident my child will continue to learn and be challenged. The art program and the after-school activities are really wonderful and the instructors really great at engaging the kids.

The Greenmount School has been a terrific fit for our daughter, now in the 5th grade! The faculty is incredibly creative and the small class sizes allows them to really tailor work appropriate for each child's learning, from those who need more support to those who need more challenge. The faculty know not only their own homeroom students, but the dynamics across grades and ages, and work together to ensure a constructive social and emotional environment. My daughter raves about PE and art, enjoys the high standards set for her in math and language arts, and each story she brings home adds to our conviction that GMS is a place invested in a child's whole self. Her wellbeing is being fostered holistically, her confidence grows through effective feedback, and her intellect and curiosity thrive. GMS is home to many different kinds of kids and many different families. It's commitment to each is engendered not only by its philosophy and pillars but also by the partnership we make to share our time, participate as members of the community, and to be present in the education of all GMS students. We are thankful to have found GMS and to be part of its efforts to prepare young people for engagement and thoughtful independence in today's rapidly evolving and interconnected world.

One of the things that makes Greenmount so special is the community, and the family camping trip is a perfect example. We all pitch in with the planning, cooking and activities, and my family can't wait to go every year. It is a wonderful time to connect with other parents, and our children get to explore the park with each other all weekend! My son also recently went on his third camping trip with his grade and thinks it is one of the highlights of the year. In addition to the academics on the trip, the children take on more responsibility each year, including preparing all the meals and cleaning up afterwards. To me, this is the way cooperative and experiential learning is supposed to be!

My daughter started at GreenMount in 1st grade and graduated in the 8th grade, academically prepared, socially astute and filled with a curiosity and love for the world and people around her. She was more than prepared for high school and is top of her class at a competitive Baltimore private high school. GreenMount is a small school with an active parent body and a unique CO-OP program that provides a deeper sense of belonging. My son has been at GreenMount since kindergarten and is now in the 7th grade. He has grown immensely during his time there, and I have every reason to believe he'll go onto the high school of his choice.

We are immensely thankful for Mr. Fletcher`s leadership and curricular devotion to Service Learning. There is not enough room here to convey the appreciation for the Service Learning program at GMS. My children have experienced the depth of the offerings first grade up and through 8th grade. They have been changed by their experiences. The partnership with Paul`s Place with the monthly visits for 8th graders provides students with repeated opportunities to build on experiences that allow them to see the impact of their service. The anticipation for and the open arms GMS students are welcomed with reveals how they are valued in the communities they serve. The Youth Service Opportunity Project (YSOP) in Washington DC stands out as the most transformative and enduring service-learning project. This intensive multi-day experience brings the 7th graders into immersive settings, places them side by side those they are supporting/serving and asks hard questions of the adolescents. Service Learning is not only my favorite keystone program at Greenmount but it is the most favored and unforgettable of my children as well.

Our eighth-grade son has attended the GreenMount School since kindergarten and we couldn't be happier with the school. Small class sizes were a major factor, as teachers are able to give each student what they need to be successful. I especially appreciate the school's thematic approach to learning. It allows students to dive deep into a subject and apply all of their skills -- writing, math, science, etc. -- to learning about a specific topic, culminating in a theme event where kids get to demonstrate what they have learned. Most importantly, GreenMount is about community. Each parent contributes to the school's operation and success, and in the process develops deep relationships with faculty, students and parents. GreenMount kids leave well prepared for high school, having gained a lifelong appreciate and love of learning.

From the first day of kindergarten, GreenMount has instilled a love of learning in my kids (now 7th and 8th grades) that seems endless and contagious. Tying core classes such as math, science, and language arts to different themes each trimester has been a fantastic way to get them to learn and get them excited to learn. I think they know more about art history, middle east politics, and America during the Revolutionary War than I do!

We are wrapping up our first year at Greenmount. This school has been exactly what my Kindergartner needed in a primary school. The small class sizes, the individual attention each staff member pays to every student, and the focus on the whole child is unmatched. The community is very supportive, the teachers are well trained, and the kids are smart in general education and the real world application of everything they learn.

As soon as we visited The Greenmount School, I knew it was where I wanted my child to go. Now that we are nearing the end of our first year, I can definitely say it was the perfect fit! From the small class sizes, to the amazing teachers and staff, and involved community of parents, we have had nothing but great experiences. Kindergarten at The Greenmount School is really about laying the groundwork for future learning and letting kids develop a love for learning, as well as confidence in the classroom. It has been an amazing process to watch my child (and her classmates) grow so much during this past year, but socially and academically. We can not wait to see what the next 8 years brings!

Greenmount has been a wonderful school for my 7th grader. He's gained so much confidence, the multi-disciplinary curriculum interests him and he understands the relevance of what he's learning in a way that keeps him engaged. Great community, excellent teaching, smart kids!