…period trapping them, but we kind of got away from that the last three minutes. We felt like it was in the bag there, and obviously let them pop a couple in, but then we buckled back down and were able to hold on.” With Saline looking for the game-tying goal to complete a crushing comeback, defenseman Beau Brewer ’22 stepped up. His sliding block deflected a slapshot away from the net, ending Saline’s last scoring chance as the seconds ticked down. For Brewer, it’s been a whirlwind of a week. In a win over Allen Park Friday, he earned…
…death of Dan Houle, a beloved bus driver and member of our facilities crew. Dan was a model of generosity and and kindness to our students, faculty and staff. He was quick to support the school, and its athletes in particular, in all its endeavors. With an open heart, Dan generously donated his time and skills well beyond the confines of his job description. He will be deeply missed by the Greenhills community, and our thoughts and support go out to his friends and family. More about Dan and information about services can be found at http://www.colefuneralchapel.com/index.php/obituaries/60-daniel-j-houle. [separator top=”100″ style=”none”]…
…field hockey. But most of us can benefit from occasional extrinsic motivators around certain subjects or tasks.” Extrinsic motivation is just one version of a common educational tactic: turning lessons into games or competitions. When students get their competitive juices flowing, engagement comes a lot more naturally. Goldenberg recommended a related strategy: teaching lessons through debates or controversies. Based on research from the Stanford History Education Group, for instance, seventh grade history students study the Declaration of Independence through a charged question: was the Declaration of Independence about everyday peoples’ rights, or was it for the elites? Whose voices, if…
Don’t tell Count Chocula, but Julie Smith’s Introduction to Biology course appears to be cooking up a real-life Frankenberry. Ok, not really. What they really were doing earlier this week was separating out some strawberry DNA. In the experiment, Smith’s students crushed up some strawberries, treated the resultant mush with detergent to help break up the cell membranes, then added alcohol to isolate the berries’ DNA. The students transferred the resultant solution into test tubes, then watched intently as the DNA began separating from the solution, forming a white substance that divided two levels of solution in their test tubes….
…redecorating, and FaceTiming friends. We discussed the social pressure to respond immediately that can sometimes accompany interactions on social media, especially Snapchat. At the conclusion of our discussion, some students were looking forward to returning to social media, while others were still deciding whether or not they wanted to redownload their apps. Everyone seemed to agree that the week without social media sparked a new awareness of our relationship to our devices, our peers, and the world around us. Feeling inspired to complete a social media blackout? Check out the ideas generated by our students and faculty about what to…
Tweet much? If so, take a second to follow Greenhills Head of School Carl Pelofsky. Pelofsky’s pithy observations aren’t confined to life at Greenhills. Poetry and fiction are frequent targets of discussion, as well–Pelofsky is, after all, an English teacher by trade. Life in Ann Arbor and the Michigan Wolverines are liable to make appearances, as well. But it takes two to tweet. You can share your thoughts with the Head of School if you join the conversation by following him at twitter.com/cpelofsky, or by clicking on the Twitter icon at the bottom of any page on the Greenhills website….
…it can be prevented worldwide — I hope it will open your eyes, too. John Lazarsfeld and Davis Vorva: Greenhills Community Program Greenhills School is comprised of two components, the Upper School and Middle School. Greenhills Community Program (GCP), our senior project, believes that the current divide between the two communities can be bridged in a way that benefits both parties. GCP is focused on establishing connections between the Upper School and Middle School to make the school a more familiar and comfortable environment for all of its students. To do this, we have designed programs to integrate students in…
The Greenhills’ Lawnmowers had a successful run at our season opening district event in Belleville this past week. The theme this year for the FIRST Robotics Competition is ‘Destination Deep Space’ in honor of the 50th anniversary of landing on the moon. Teams compete in two and a half minute matches by filling rockets and cargo ships with simulated hatches and cargo, before returning to a raised launch base for ‘lift off’. Larry the robot is designed for ‘quick fast’ hatch and cargo drops, sensor guided autonomous hatch placement, and awe inspiring climbs to the highest platform aided by the…
…10th Grade: Class members participated in a scavenger hunt through the “We Don’t Want Them” exhibit in the school’s Wege Gebhardt Library. Provided by the Michigan Roundtable for Diversity and Inclusion, the exhibit illustrated the history of housing segregation in Detroit and served as backdrop for dialogue on difference, structural discrimination, and immigration. In a following session, “On the Shoulders of Giants: Advancing Freedom and Liberation in Our Community and Beyond,” students learned how to combat inequity in Washtenaw County. Yodit Mesfin-Johnson, a nationally-recognized speaker and facilitator on diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice, led the session. 11th Grade: In…
…to get along and respect one another. Those skills easily transferred to my work at Christie’s—sure it’s a large, global company, but collaboration, respect, and listening really do matter. Ann Arbor and the Greenhills community are so diverse, and that’s helped me immensely dealing with people from all over the world. Daphne Lingon is SVP, Head of Jewelry, Americas, at Christie’s Inc. She and her husband, Bryan, will be relocating to Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, just outside Charleston, next summer. She will continue as a consultant for Christie’s, but will also be launching her own jewelry consulting and appraisal company….
By Susan Beamish, Mathematics and Computer Science Department Chair and Teacher Based on the research and practices in Peter Liljedhal’s book Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics, several Greenhills math teachers are bringing new strategies to their own classrooms. When you walk by these classrooms, you’ll see students engaging with open-ended “thinking tasks” in small groups while standing at the whiteboards around the room. Liljedahl’s research identified several practices which promote student thinking and engagement. When students stand at whiteboards to work it promotes thinking in several ways. The non-permanent nature of whiteboards allows students to take more risks in their…
By Alex Monte-Sano, Greenhills teacher and Middle School 3D Printing Club advisor A teacher’s greatest joy is to have students who are intrinsically motivated and naturally curious. Like an anthropologist in a distant land, I have discovered a magical band of students who love what they are doing so much that they organize themselves and need little input from adults. This Shangri-La is the middle school 3D Printing Club. The club meets during conference and collaboration (C&C) time and has a few simple rules: Everyone is welcome, Objects that are student designed get printed first, and If your first print…
…for and commitment to young learners. She understands and appreciates them developmentally, and is equally excited to lead our faculty and be a resource for middle school parents.” After earning her bachelor’s degree in English from Colby College, Diaz became a teaching fellow at The Steppingstone Foundation in her hometown of Boston, working primarily with 6th and 7th grade students. Diaz went on to earn her master’s of science in education from Johns Hopkins School of Education, including certificates in Educational Leadership for Independent Schools and Leadership for School, Family and Community Collaboration. “For me, it has always been a…
…Lily Kim (Japanese Shadow Puppet) 2nd Place: Claire Yu (Alebrije Sculpture) 3rd Place: Kelvin Jai (Jewelry Project) Seventh Grade 1st Place: Renia Singer (Pottery) 2nd Place: Nora Handigue (Dolphin & Shell Bracelet) 3rd Place: Alexa Birchler (Action Figure Sculpture) Eighth Grade 1st Place: Veda Patel (Perfect—Just Like You) 2nd Place: Tatum Shoemaker (Ursula G) 3rd Place: Kendall Farris & Abha Saad (Puppet Set Collaboration Design) Photography 1st Place: Nandan Narayanan ’26 (Self Portrait) 2nd Place: Tristan Frasetto ’27 (Double Exposure) 3rd Place: Eder Tijero ’27 (Cars & Coffee) Ceramics 1st Place: Aoife Tang ’26 (Sunrise) 2nd Place: Anjan Singer ’24…
…with Mr. Zellers while in town for a college visit. Over his long career in the entertainment industry, Levy has worked his way up from an assistant position to the executive ranks to producing and then ultimately writing low budget horror films to his perch today as an in-demand writer/producer on major projects. His breakthrough was screenwriting and selling Vantage Point, a drama series collaboration with Steven Spielberg and Tom Clancy. This summer a television series that Levy created and ran will premiere on Apple TV+. Entitled Me, the show tracks the coming of age of a superhero. “Me is…
