Greens Farms academy · at fostering curiosity and design thinking: e.g., robotics, prototyping, 3D modeling and printing, circuitry, animation, programming, video production, and

Greens Farms academy

Westport, connecticutHead oF tHe LoWer scHooL

JuLy 2015www.gfacademy.org

1The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates [email protected] | www.carneysandoe.com

Mission tHe opportunityGreens Farms Academy (GFA) in Westport, Connecticut, seeks a Head of Lower School to lead Grades PreK through five. A coeducational, independent day school located on a former Vanderbilt estate with a stunning 43-acre campus overlooking Long Island Sound, GFA enjoys an excellent reputation. Recognized as one of the top independent day schools in New England, GFA seeks a Head of Lower School who will maintain and strengthen a forward-looking and dynamic Lower School program. The next Lower School Head will find an engaging professional atmosphere and a cherished sense of community among faculty, staff, parents, and students.

As a key member of GFA’s cohseive senior adminstrative team, the Lower School Head will help provide the school-wide leadership to sustain the school’s continued excellence. The position reports directly to the Head of School, Janet Hartwell.

tHe scHooLFounded in 1925 in downtown Westport by Mary Bolton, Headmistress for 22 years, the school grew quickly into the premier academic school for girls in the Westport area. The move in 1957 to a former Vanderbilt mansion on Long Island Sound created space for expansion of the student body and the athletic facilities. In 1972, the school graduated its first co-educational class. In subsequent years, major additions to the building for academics, arts, computers, and library have created a superb facility that matches the excellent education within its walls.

The teachers and students clearly cherish the pursuit of knowledge and the close connections they foster throughout the years. The sense of trust in students to engage in their studies, to work diligently, to honor their freedom, and to accept their responsibilities is palpable to anyone walking the hallways or talking with students and teachers. The school’s motto, Quisque Pro Omnibus, Each for All, holds true and is clearly demonstrated in the actions and words of the students, teachers, and administrators.

“Greens Farms Academy is a PreK-12, independent day school dedicated to guiding students through a rigorous course of study encompassing academics, arts and athletics. In a supportive community built on trust, we give our students the opportunity to become critical, independent and creative thinkers and encourage them to explore particular passions that will sustain them throughout their lives. We believe that a diverse school environment enriches learning, creates respect for differences and pre-pares students to become socially responsible lead-ers. By practicing good citizenship, demonstrating moral character and actively engaging in commu-nity service, our students embody the school motto, Quisque Pro Omnibus, Each for All.”

Fast Facts

Enrollment: 707 StudentsLower School: 208Students of color: 19.5%Faculty: 109 full-timeLower School Faculty: 42Faculty with advanced degrees: 66%Faculty of color: 14.6%Endowment: $42MFinancial Aid budget: $2.5MStudents receiving FA: 13.6%


Janet Hartwell has contributed leadership that values a traditional, dynamic education and has challenged the community to seek innovative ideas and teaching. Careful, long-term planning for the school is manifested in the Advance Plan and in the Diversity Long Range Plan.

The school now enrolls 707 students, of which 19 percent are students of color, and 14 percent of the student body receives financial aid. The main points of entry for new students are PreK, kindergarten, sixth, ninth, and tenth grades. Students commute by car, van, and train from 30 towns in the area. The Greens Farms Metro North train stop is only a five-minute walk from the campus, and approximately 160 students take the train. The full-time faculty number

is 109, with three part-time teachers and 14 teaching assistants in the Lower School. With an operating budget of approximately $25 million and an endowment of approximately $42 million, the school is well-grounded financially.

The community has a strong sense of itself as one that inspires “moments of grace and connection,” in which students and teachers attend to the particulars of life within the big picture of intellectual and artistic excitement. The joy of learning to understand the self and the world resonates through the classrooms and conversations. Weekly teas for faculty and staff, holiday parties, casual gatherings for teachers, and nights at the theatre create camaraderie among the faculty. Professional development stipends, with support for graduate study, spur teachers to keep their academic lives vibrant. The school was described as “demanding intellectually,” “a school in which everyone loves to be here and feels lucky to work here,” “where everyone works hard,” and “where students and teachers feel trusted to do their jobs and behave responsibly.”

tHe LoWer scHooLA strong sense of community, an intellectually stimulating environment, and close attention to the social, emotional, and physical needs of young children are hallmarks of the Lower School. The richness of the education is enhanced by its unique setting along Long Island Sound, which includes a rich and diverse salt marsh, Audubon trails, and Burying Hill Beach, all of which provide students with a sprawling “outdoor classroom” for hands-on, active learning. The Lower School’s facilities, built and renovated in 2002, provide spacious, light-filled classrooms, a community assembly hall, a dedicated science lab, a library, music and art rooms, a full gymnasium, and four wireless traveling computer labs.

In support of academic excellence and achievement, the Lower School provides a nurturing environment in which children grow intellectually, realize personal creativity and competency, develop self-confidence, and gain respect for the diversity of the world around them. Small group work, hands-on learning, personal challenges and responsibilities, and an appreciation for the connections among all disciplines are integral components of the program.


Building a moral community in which each child makes a contribution is of paramount importance. The Lower School utilizes the Responsive Classroom approach and emphasizes kindness, honesty, cooperation, self-reliance, and compassion, universal values that lead to the growth of inner sturdiness in every child. The Code of Conduct, which every child knows by memory, asks that every member of the community follow three simple rules:

• Be kind to others;• Respect everyone’s right to learn;• Take responsibility for yourself and your school.

Through daily class meetings, family-style lunch, community service, and weekly assemblies, the Lower School emphasizes the joy that can come from working together and being part of a learning community. The Lower School Curriculum Guide and additional specific information about the Lower School Program are fully described on the GFA web site here.

siGnature proGrams

Seed To Table

Working in concert with GFA’s overarching focus on sustainability, the school’s successful garden-based education program, Seed to Table, has expanded and is now fully integrated into the Lower School curriculum. Seed to Table inspires students to develop meaningful connections with the world around them through explorations in the garden, experiences with food, and investigation of the many natural communities that surround the school. GFA makes the most of its backyard, including a salt marsh, beach, and Audubon woodland trails. In pairing edible education with these outdoor classrooms, students learn unique lessons about environmental literacy, culture and global connections, creativity, and community. During the summer months, the program reaches PK-8th grade students from schools in Bridgeport, Connecticut through Horizons National. Horizons students gain experiences that bring them closer to nature while they learn strategies for


better health and nutrition.

Last year, fifth graders harvested, threshed, winnowed, and milled their own wheat to make bread that they shared with their kindergarten buddies. Students have also harvested sea salt, built a sunflower house, explored the scientific method with bean plants, and pickled vegetables for food preservation. Produce from the garden goes directly into school lunch, and cooking lessons have produced light-hearted projects like metric crepe day and apple cider-making. To bring the lesson full circle, the Lower School has its own compost tumbler for returning nutrients to the garden.

STEAM

The School has embraced a hands-on, design-focused approach to integrating STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, mathematics) throughout the Lower School program, and as a result is widely perceived as a leader in the field. Working in close concert with homeroom teachers and arts and science specialists, the Coordinator of Lower School Academic Technology works with every class on a range of projects aimed at fostering curiosity and design thinking: e.g., robotics, prototyping, 3D modeling and printing, circuitry, animation, programming, video production, and music making. A recently opened, dedicated Maker Space in the Lower School serves as a hub for constructionist education and a resource for students and faculty alike.

World Perspectives Program

The World Perspectives Program is an integrated collection of globally-minded curricular and co-curricular offerings. Interdisciplinary experiences in the Lower and Middle Schools give students their first “world perspectives.” By the time students reach the Upper School and are able to take advantage of international study and travel opportunities, they have already studied other cultures, communicated with peers in other countries, and had several years of language training.

cHaLLenGes & opportunitiesGFA’s retiring Lower School Head, Connie Ennis, has cultivated a cohesive, caring, and highly professional environment amongst the Lower School faculty, staff, and students. Parents view the Lower School program and its teachers with great respect, and they demonstrate their commitment by volunteering whenever needed. The next Head of the Lower School will be asked to sustain the strong sense of community that is coupled with a truly professional learning philosophy in which teachers support each other professionally and personally. The next Head of Lower School will seek to pursue these objectives:

• Continue to foster the Lower School’s commitment to high academic standards within a caring, joyful community.

• Ensure that the Lower School program remains informed by best practices while avoiding fads that would distract from its excellence.

• Continue supporting teacher professional development and the empowerment of teacher leadership,


particularly in the areas of curriculum review and refinement.• Maintain and strengthen the strong parent-teacher partnerships that support student growth and

development.• Continue the strong connections among the Lower School and the Middle and Upper Schools, supporting

GFA as one unified school.

proFessionaL QuaLities desiredGreens Farms Academy is interested in all candidates who possess the proven leadership and interpersonal skills to help the school maintain the excellence and vibrancy of its program and community. The most promising candidates will be educational leaders who deeply understand child development within the context of a larger PreK-12 school. The school is most interested in candidates who possess or are able to demonstrate most, if not all, of the following qualities and qualifications:

• An educator who communicates a love of working with children and has a sense of play. • Someone with heart and a strong sense of humor. • A leader with the confidence and wisdom that comes from experience and reflection. • Someone who is deeply immersed in educational best practices. • An approachable leader who is transparent in communication and has an open-door policy. • A collaborative and team-oriented leader who will work alongside the faculty and the PreK-12 senior

administrative team to further strengthen the Lower School and GFA. • A leader who will embrace the family atmosphere of the division. • Someone who is forward-thinking and will enjoy partnering with the faculty to explore new ideas, but

who has the judgment to resist unnecessary or counter-productive changes. • A leader who encourages risk-taking and rejoices in the lessons that can be learned from making mistakes.

searcH caLendar

November 6 Applications DueDecember 5-6 Semi-Finalist InterviewsEarly January Finalist Visits

to appLyInterested and qualified candidates should submit electronically in one e-mail and as separate PDF documents the following materials:• Cover letter expressing interest in Greens Farms Academy Lower School Head position. The cover letter

should connect the candidate’s skills and experience with GFA’s specific needs and aspirations. • Current résumé.• Statement of educational philosophy and practice.• List of five references with name, phone number, and email address of each. References will not be

contacted until later in the search. BoB Fricker

Senior Search Consultantcarney, sandoe & associates

[email protected]

Greens Farms academy · at fostering curiosity and design thinking: e.g., robotics, prototyping, 3D modeling and printing, circuitry, animation, programming, video production, and

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