Greenwood College School KEY INSIGHTS

Greenwood College Day School offers a warm, welcoming atmosphere alongside a challenging academic environment tailored to the individual learning style of every student. That’s no easy feat; it requires the constant, coordinated efforts of administrators, teachers and advisers dedicated to meeting students where they are and encouraging them to “venture further together” in academics, co-curricular involvement and character development.

“We’re focused on seeing every child’s potential and helping them grow into that potential,” says Principal Heather Thomas. “We view that potential as vast, not linear, and not entirely about marks. There are some incredibly high-achieving students here who do amazing things, and they do those things because they've grown in a holistic way.”

Many schools tout a ‘whole child’ educational approach, yet Greenwood is intentional and concrete about this philosophy. From putting service learning in the weekly schedule and doing formal reporting on students’ character growth to creating space in the timetable for well-being  and community connections, there’s a visible commitment to nurturing students’ all-around development. “Everything we do is in support of growing and developing good humans,” says Thomas.

ON THE ACADEMIC ENVIRONMENT

While Greenwood prides itself on developing students’ all-around potential, this mission in no way detracts from the school’s commitment to promoting academic excellence. 

The hallmarks of the academic program are personalized learning and experiential opportunities. “We take personalized learning very seriously,” says Elana Robson, Vice Principal of Student Learning. “This is not to say that every single student gets a different lesson. First and foremost, it’s about getting to know our students really well so that we can give them appropriate challenge and appropriate support.”

It’s also about having a breadth of courses, particularly electives in high school, well beyond the expected offerings of a mid-sized school. “Our huge spectrum of courses allows students extensive choice, so they can personalize their education based on their strengths and interests,” says Principal Thomas.  

Greenwood expands the conventional definition of experiential learning as occasional field trips to encompass real-world, curriculum-connected experiences inside the classroom. “This means having professionals in the field working on projects with our students, for example, and having students doing the work of a discipline in concrete ways, like tackling case studies in business courses,” says Thomas.  
 
In line with the school’s culture of inclusion, the academic program is designed to emphasize diversity of thought and ideas. “We want to create classrooms that represent and respect different identities, beliefs and politics,” says Ryan Vachon, Director of Academics and Pluralism. “Our teachers share various viewpoints on curricular topics and create space for an assortment of reasonable, well-intentioned, informed opinions.” 

ON ACADEMIC SUPPORT

Greenwood offers students tailored wraparound academic support, whether they're seeking to extend past the standard expectations or struggling to keep pace.. “One of the reasons the school was started was to support a broader range of learners,” says Tiara Hillis, executive director of admissions. “Up to one third of our students in any given year have an identified learning difference, such as a gifted designation, a learning disability or ADHD. We don’t modify our academic programs, but we provide a wide range of accommodations to create an equitable learning environment for all students.”

The Greenwood Adviser Program is the foundation of academic support at the school. Every student is paired with an adviser suited to their age, stage of development and personality. Advisers are teachers, yet for their 10 to 15 advisees, they act as advocates and champions for all aspects of the students’ intellectual, social and character development.

“The Adviser Program is absolutely core to Greenwood,” says Principal Thomas. “Unlike at other schools, our small adviser groups are timetabled courses, and our advisers choose to take on the role because they want to work with students on their learning skills and personal growth.”

Advisers facilitate personalized academic support by meeting regularly with teachers to assess each advisee’s current strengths and areas of need, and then formulating individualized learning strategies. This could involve designing customized projects for advanced learners or setting up extra help sessions. 

“As advisers, we are that vital touchpoint with a trusted adult who’s not a child’s teacher,” says Liz Wong, coordinator of the Adviser Program. “It allows us to be the liaison between students, their classroom teachers and their parents.”

The physical hub for Greenwood’s academic support system is the Student Success Centre, a comfortable, inviting space where advisers teach Learning Strategies courses and have one-on-one meetings.

It was obvious in our interactions with Greenwood staff, students and families that academic support is deeply integrated in the school culture. Accessing this assistance, for whatever reason, is considered the norm and seems to carry no stigma. “Our message to students is that we don’t all think and learn the same way, and that’s what makes Greenwood an interesting, creative, innovative community,” says Thomas.

ON EXTRACURRICULAR PROGRAMS

“Involvement in co-curricular activities plays a huge role in finding out what you’re interested in, finding community, and growing and developing as a person,” says Principal Thomas. “So, we really do try to have something for everyone. It’s not mandatory, but the vast majority of our students are very active in co-curricular activities.”

To promote students’ exploration, the co-curricular schedule enables participation in diverse pursuits, from sports teams and clubs to the annual theatre productions. “It’s not just scheduling, though,” says Julie Girvan, director of outdoor education and student life. “It’s a larger Greenwood philosophy that encourages kids to try a lot of things, find new friends and ultimately figure out what they’re passionate about.” 

The students we spoke to confirmed that this approach is working. “Sometimes, at other schools, students might feel the need to define themselves either as an athlete or somebody who's interested in the arts,” says one Grade 9 student. “Here, there are a lot of intertwinements, where someone who loves musicals can also be on two sports teams.”

Like many independent schools, Greenwood has a service learning program. Unlike other schools, however, service learning is embedded in the weekly schedule. “My daughter started off reading to younger students at a local school, and now she visits an older age home,” says one parent. “It’s added so much value to her school experience. On every level, Greenwood encourages students to be good people.” 

ON WELLNESS 

The research-backed principle guiding all of Greenwood’s programs is that students’ social-emotional, physical and mental well-being is critical to their ability to learn. “Caring about every student as an individual is a foundation here,” says Principal Thomas. “We’re always asking, ‘What do they need today? Are they bored? Are they struggling? Did something happen at home?’ Really seeing the students in front of us, working hard together, while having some fun along the way—that's the essence of what we do.” ”

The support system starts with teachers and advisers, who keep a close eye on the daily well-being of their advisees. For more complex issues, advisers (who have all completed Mental Health First Aid training) turn to Catherine Wachter, director of Grades 7 and 8, or Matthew West, director of Grade 9 and 10. “A major part of our role is to ensure students’ social-emotional health, which involves meeting weekly to consult with our two school social workers,” says Wachter. Students in all grades can also make individual appointments with a social worker.

If staff start to recognize trends in the issues coming up among students, for example, interpersonal conflict or academic stress, they organize educational sessions that run school-wide or for specific grades. 

Building students’ social connections is a priority at Greenwood, and the school recently took a bold step to nurture more in-person conversations by banning cell phone use throughout the entire school day, even outside the classroom. “It’s been amazing to see our kids engaging with each other with no technologies around them,” says Sheila Allen, director of athletics. 

ON OUTDOOR EDUCATION

As it does in other areas of priority programming, Greenwood puts outdoor trips on the timetable. Twice per year, in the fall and winter, the school community heads out to some kind of wilderness, with the settings becoming progressively more rugged over the years. “Students, teachers and administrators – we’re all having an adventure at the same time,” says Principal Thomas. 

It's no coincidence that many Greenwood staff have a camp background, whether as campers, counsellors or both. “We attract a lot of teachers who are passionate about the outdoors and believe in the value of camp experience because every teacher is expected to participate,” says Julie Girvan, director of outdoor education and student life.

The aim is to build and reinforce community ties within and across grades, but also to enhance students’ leadership skills, competence in the outdoors and ‘gritty’ character traits such as perseverance. 

“Though my daughter is not an outdoors girl, she’s chosen to do the advanced canoe trip in Grade 10,” says one parent. “She’ll be portaging, which is amazing. The trips have increased her confidence, and she’s tried so much more than I did at her age.”

Greenwood’s campy/outdoorsy theme is even evident in the décor, with Muskoka chairs scattered throughout the building, a massive stone fireplace and a wood-panelled ceiling in the common area