Preschool & Lower School Information
| All-School Handbook |
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| Every parent/guardian is required to sign the handbook, acknowledging they have read and support the policies and procedures outlined by Wednesday, August 20. Please refer to the email sent on August 6 for your link. |
| Summer Work |
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Be sure to complete your summer reading requirements to stay sharp and begin the year off right: Prekindergarten and Kindergarten | Primer | First Grade | Second Grade | Third Grade | Fourth Grade |
| August Important Dates |
*Preschool First Days Thursday, August 21, and Friday, August 22: The First Days of School Early Release for Preschool (Pre-K and Kindergarten) at 11:00 am (Extended Day will be available) A phase-in period of small-group activities and community building helps our youngest children develop greater familiarity with their new learning environment and stronger relationships with their teacher within a time that they can sustain and be successful. As time in the classroom gradually increases, children embrace the rhythms of life at school. We call our phase-in period First Steps. Our First Steps program begins with two early dismissal days on August 21 and 22. On Monday, August 25, we will start our full-day schedule. Our First Steps program in Preschool includes a two-week-long introduction to the teachers, students, and routines in the classroom. |
| New Family Orientation: August 20 |
| We are excited to host our orientation session for new Preschool and Lower School families before Open House on Wednesday, August 20. It will be at 9:30 am in Rose Hall, and we will end at 10:00 am so you can go visit your child’s classroom during Open House. |
| Preschool and Lower School Open House: August 20 |
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We can't wait to see our families on Monday, August 20, at 10:00 am. Please drop by so your student can see their new classroom, check in with former classmates, and greet new ones. This is truly an open house; there is no presentation by the teacher, and it is not necessary to stay for the entire hour. |
| Extended Day: Registration Closes August 8 |
| Extended Day registration for the 2025-2026 school year is open! Extended Day provides a caring environment for all enrolled students from dismissal through 6:00 pm. Register here. Spaces are limited and fill fast! If you have any questions, please contact DeBorah Henry, Director of Extended Day. |
| Morning Drop Off: Begins at 7:15 am |
| Please note that the earliest we can begin to receive students for free before-school care is 7:15 am. Please do not drop students off before 7:15 am, as supervision will not be available before then. Starting at 7:15 am, we will have teachers on duty on the playground (or in Extended Day when raining or too cold). At 7:45 am, we’ll let the students enter the building. Classes begin at 8:00 am. |
| Student Supplies |
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During the first week of classes, students will receive the school supplies needed for their specific grade. You may be asked to replenish some consumable supplies throughout the year. In addition to the supplies provided, all students will need the following to be clearly labeled with their name:
For Physical Education class: Students are not required to bring shoes to store in the gym. However, we encourage students to wear shoes to school that allow them to be active in. |
| Sage Dining |
| Sage Dining has an app on which you can look up menus, check allergens, and give feedback. Watch a video to learn more. (Greenhill’s zip code is 75001.) |
| Smartphones and Smartwatches |
| We are often asked by families when they should get their child a cell phone. While there are certainly positives in allowing elementary-aged children to occasionally use such devices, we believe children do not need to own their own smartphones. It is our recommendation that families wait at least until Middle School before providing their child with such a powerful device. Smartphones are not allowed at school, and this continues through Middle and Upper School. Smartwatches, powered by Android or Apple, function as extensions of cell phones and, therefore, are not allowed on campus. Permissible wearable technology (e.g., Fitbits or standard digital watches) must meet the following requirements:
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| September Events |
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| After-School Tennis Classes |
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The Greenhill Tennis Center has a year-round, after-school tennis program. Classes are offered Monday through Thursday and start Monday, August 25. Each class costs $27 and is from 3:00 to 4:00 pm (Preschool), 3:30 to 4:30 pm (Lower School), and 4:00 to 5:00 pm (Middle School). You can sign up for each class on a weekly basis with our flexible registration through Campbrain. If your child is in Preschool or Lower School, we will meet them in the Extended Day area and walk with them to the tennis courts. You can pick up your child at the courts. If your child is in Extended Day, we will return them to that area when class is finished. Register your student for tennis classes. |
Middle School Information
| All-School Handbook |
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| Every parent/guardian is required to sign the handbook, acknowledging they have read and support the policies and procedures outlined by Wednesday, August 20. Please refer to the email sent on August 6 for your link. |
| Laptop Pick-Up |
| Laptops will be distributed from Monday, August 11, through Friday, August 15, from 8:00 am to 7:00 pm, and Saturday, August 16, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, in the Technology Office (entrance is located on the south side of the Montgomery Library, facing the Lower School). Students are only allowed to pick up their laptops if parents/guardians have signed the Greenhill Device Agreement. View more information. |
| Summer Work |
| Don’t forget to stay sharp in the last few weeks of the summer! Complete summer reading requirements and optional math practice for a solid start to the year. View summer work on the Middle School tile of the Resource Board. Reminder: Your student received their required summer reading book in May. |
| Important Dates |
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| Middle School New Family Orientation: August 20 |
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All Middle School families new to Greenhill should plan to attend the Middle School New Families Orientation on Wednesday, August 20, from 9:30 to 10:00 am in the Middle School Rotunda. Students and parents/guardians will meet key personnel, review divisional and individual schedules, and learn many of the nuts and bolts of Middle School life. This orientation is for new-to-Greenhill students and parents/guardians in grades 5-8. The Open House will begin at 10:00 am, and students and parents/guardians can meet informally with teachers and advisors throughout Levy Middle School and the Valdes STEM + Innovation Center. |
| Middle School Open House: August 20 |
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Join us at the Middle School Open House for grades 5-8 on Wednesday, August 20, from 10:00 to 11:00 am. Our Middle School open house is a great opportunity to greet your student's teachers and advisor and get ready for a great year. Teachers will be available in advising and teaching spaces throughout Levy Middle School and the Valdes STEM + Innovation Center. Watch for Middle School student guides to help you find locations and teachers. |
| Fifth Grade First Steps for Parents/Guardians: August 28 |
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For all fifth-grade parents/guardians: Please plan to join the fifth-grade team and Middle School leadership on Thursday, August 28, from 6:30 to 7:30 pm in the Middle School Rotunda. This is an important informational meeting about the Middle School and fifth-grade transition. Attendance at this meeting is highly encouraged! We will be sharing a wealth of information about fifth grade to build our initial partnership with you and to support your student. Due to the meeting format, it will not be recorded. |
| Daily Schedule |
| The changes that we have made to the daily schedule are very slight and involve additional Office Hours time for grades 5 and 6. View the 2025-26 Middle School Daily Schedule. The letter day designations will be available in your student’s planner. There is some fluctuation in the letter day pattern for the first several weeks of school to accommodate the number of four-day weeks. Like last year, our academic classes will meet in both 80- and 45-minute blocks. We will also continue to hold Office Hours each day, allowing our students to work with their teachers to develop executive functioning and advocacy skills. The Student Life blocks on A Days will encompass advisory, grade-level, divisional, and school-wide programming and events designed to meet our goals of character development and community building. The schedule is the foundation of a very full and rich program built on awareness of the developmental needs of our students. |
| Advisor and Schedule Release |
| Advisor assignments and student schedules will be posted in My Greenhill on Tuesday, August 19, at 4:00 pm. Please check your student’s schedule before Open House so that you can meet your student’s advisor and each one of their teachers. |
| Carpool Drop-off and Pick-up |
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Drop-off: Middle School students may be dropped off before 8:00 am at the Three Chimneys Circle, the gym overhang, or the MPAC. Grade-level teams will let them know where to wait for building entry and check-in.
Lower School families who are waiting for a Middle School student to be dismissed may be asked to circle around until 5-6 carpool begins or until 7-8 athletic teams are dismissed. Only siblings of Upper School students are allowed to be picked up in the Upper School carpool line, and no students are to be picked up in the cafeteria loading zone. |
| Backpacks and Lockers |
| In Middle School, each student has a designated locker. The lockers are big enough to hold books, a water bottle, a sweatshirt, and several notebooks or binders. They can also accommodate, rather than loose items, a soft-sided carry backpack of the JanSport variety. Some students prefer a rolling backpack, and our recommendation is for a soft-sided one, not the Zuca-style, due to its weight and size. This style will not fit into our lockers and will have to be stored separately. If you have not yet purchased a backpack, please avoid this style. Eighth-grade lockers are located in the bag drop room, which is also the designated area for large sports bags belonging to students in grades 7-8. All other grade levels will have assigned hallway lockers. Finally, locker decorations are not permitted in or on the outside of our lockers. |
| Calculators and School Supplies |
| The Math Department requires that all Middle School students own a Texas Instruments calculator for use in their math courses. The TI-84 PLUS CE Color Graphing Calculator is required for all eighth-grade students and seventh-grade students in the Honors Algebra class. Students in grades 5-7 are required to purchase the TI-30Xa Scientific Calculator. Other makes and models of calculators are not allowable substitutions. Middle School provides students with specific organizational supplies for their academic classes. Other consumable supplies (pens, pencils, highlighters, colored pencils, glue sticks, pencil bag, and loose-leaf paper) should be purchased by the family. |
| Guidelines for The Buzz and Catalyst Coffee |
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Please remember the following guidelines regarding The Buzz and Catalyst Coffee:
Buzz Hours: 7:30 am – 4:30 pm | Catalyst Coffee Hours: 7:00 am – 2:30 pm |
| Extended Day: Registration Closes August 8 |
| Extended Day registration for the 2025-2026 school year is open! Extended Day provides a caring environment for all enrolled students from dismissal through 6:00 pm. Register here. Spaces are limited and fill fast! If you have any questions, please contact DeBorah Henry, Director of Extended Day. |
| After-School Tennis Classes |
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The Greenhill Tennis Center has a year-round, after-school tennis program. Classes are offered Monday through Thursday and start Monday, August 25. Each class costs $27 and is from 3:00 to 4:00 pm (Preschool), 3:30 to 4:30 pm (Lower School), and 4:00 to 5:00 pm (Middle School). You can sign up for each class on a weekly basis with our flexible registration through Campbrain. If your child is in Extended Day, we will return them to that area when class is finished. Register your student for tennis classes. |
Upper School Information
| All-School Handbook |
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| Every parent/guardian is required to sign the handbook, acknowledging they have read and support the policies and procedures outlined by Wednesday, August 20. Please refer to the email sent on August 6 for your link. |
| Laptop Pick-Up |
| Laptops will be distributed from Monday, August 11, through Friday, August 15, from 8:00 am to 7:00 pm, and Saturday, August 16, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, in the Technology Office (entrance is located on the south side of the Montgomery Library, facing the Lower School). Students are only allowed to pick up their laptops if parents/guardians have signed the Greenhill Device Agreement. View more information. |
| Required Summer Work |
| If your child is enrolled in AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Physics 2, AP Physics C, AP Environmental Science, or BC Calculus, they have been assigned some form of summer work. Students should check their emails for more information from their course instructor. |
| Important Dates |
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| Water Tower Painting: August 18 |
| The annual painting of the water tower by the senior class will take place on August 18, in the morning (before it gets too hot!). More details will be shared with seniors and families prior to the event. |
| Ninth Grade & New Student Orientation: August 19 |
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If your student is a ninth grader (new or from our Middle School) or a new student to Greenhill in tenth or eleventh grade, please plan for them to attend our Ninth Grade and New Student Orientation on Tuesday, August 19, from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm in Rose Hall. Lunch will be provided. |
| New Family Orientation: August 19 |
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If you are a parent or guardian of a new or returning ninth-grade student or new tenth- or eleventh-grade student, please plan to join us for your own orientation on Tuesday, August 19, from 8:00 to 10:15 am in Rose Hall. You will hear from Trevor Worcester, Head of Upper School, and select faculty and administrators as we provide you with information to prepare you and your student for the first two weeks of school. |
| 2025-2026 Course Schedules |
| Students received an email from US Registrar Darcy Rosa on August 1 with details about their course schedule for the 2025-2026 school year. An add/drop period runs from Monday, August 4, through Tuesday, August 12, at 12:00 pm. Please sit down with your student and look over the email and course schedule. |
| Daily Schedule: Adjusted for Fall Athletics |
| Due to the extreme heat and humidity, fall athletic teams that typically practice outdoors in the afternoon (football, field hockey, and cross country) will continue to practice in the morning when our school year begins on August 21. While practices are scheduled to end no later than 8:00 am for field hockey and cross country, and 8:15 am for football, we want to provide those fall athletes with enough time to get ready for the school day, including eating breakfast. Thus, we are adjusting our daily schedule to accommodate these athletes and will start our academic day at 8:50 am. View the adjusted daily schedule for fall athletics. We are currently planning on running this schedule through Friday, September 19. Obviously, we will continue to monitor the weather forecast as we approach the date and adjust accordingly. View the Upper School Daily Schedule in place after this weather-related adjustment. |
| First Days of School |
| For August 21 and 22, please note that we have a modified Green and Gold Day schedule to provide more grade-level programming for all students. We will publish the adjusted schedules for these days in the next MyGreenhill Weekly, and these schedules will also be programmed into your student's MyGreenhill calendar. They will be able to access this information when they log in to MyGreenhill. |
| Attendance Platform and Policy |
| We are introducing a new attendance platform in Upper School for the 2025-2026 school year, called Orah. Additionally, we have modified our attendance policies, as stated in the All-School Handbook. Please watch for a standalone email prior to the start of school with details about Orah and the policy changes that impact your student. |
| Mobile Device/Wearable Policy |
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Please watch for a standalone email prior to the start of school about our cell phone/wearable technology policy. It will provide full details on where students can store their devices and how you can communicate with them during the academic day. |