The success of our Middle School shows that K-8 schools are an effective learning environment for both elementary and middle school students.
Greenfield School is one of just a few Kindergarten through 8th grade schools in the Pittsburgh Public Schools district. It's a special place that showcases the advantages of the K-8 structure. Students are part of a community that provides great academics - test scores are among the highest in the district - and developmentally appropriate extracurricular activities for every grade level.
Take a look back at Middle School activities in the 2023-2024 academic year with us, and you'll get a glimpse of the many opportunities Greenfield School offers students in grades 6-8.
Leadership Opportunities: Student Council & Student Envoy
Middle School students have the opportunity to become leaders by joining the Student Council Envoy. Students take the lead in planning activities for the middle school with Ms. Sommers' help, such as spirit weeks and social events. Under the guidance of Mr. Gallagher, they also participate in Donut Day fundraisers twice a month to fund their activities.
Student Council members sell donuts twice a month with as a fundraiser for activities with Mr. Gallagher's help.
A few Student Envoy activities from the 2023-2024 year.
STEM Activities
STEM Field Trips & Competitions
Middle School students are able to participate in STEM-focused extracurricular activities with Mr. DiNatale. In 2023-2024, events included a visit to Braskem to learn about polymer science and the Sea Perch robotics competition, in which students built robots and competed in various challenges. Students also competed in the 32nd SECTEM Energy Conservation Awards; three students won prizes in the poster contest, and the school won $500 for its effort in saving energy.
Students visit Braskem and participate in hands-on experiments with experts.
Students compete in the Sea Perch robotics competition. Greenfield won 4th place in the obstacle course event.
Students showcasing their award-winning posters with Superintendent Walters in the SECTEM Energy contest.
Tree Planting & Care
Greenfield School is a designated Tree Campus by the Arbor Day Foundation, and thanks to Mr. Gallagher, middle school students are fully involved in tree planting and care. Students learned from experts at Tree Pittsburgh how to properly plant and prune young trees. In 2023/2024, students visited the Tree Pittsburgh campus and also invited Tree Pittsburgh to visit Greenfield School.
Middle School students learn about tree planting and care from experts at Tree Pittsburgh.
The Arts
Theater Club
Each year, the Theater Club prepares for and performs a musical under the guidance of Ms. Linnert. In Spring 2024, students put on an epic Frozen Jr. performance, complete with a snow machine!
Something unique about the theater club is that 4th and 5th graders can also participate, which prepares them to take on bigger roles during middle school. Younger students learn from older students, and they look forward to their middle school years.
Scenes from Frozen Jr.
Black History Month Events
The EVOS Investment Company Black History Month Contest provides the opportunity for students to creatively reflect on Black History Month. Four Greenfield students won awards for their creative submissions to the contest, which included poetry, nonfiction, and art.
Students also participated in the Black History Bowl, a Black history trivia contest, and met Mayor Gainey when he visited Greenfield School to read to the K-2 grades.
Students met Mayor Gainey during Black History Month.
Sports
Middle School students are able to get involved in a variety of sports at Greenfield School. Coach Casey and Mr. Gallagher head up flag football, cross country, basketball, swim, and soccer. Many students participate on all of these teams. Go Gators!
2023-2024 Greenfield Gators
Fun!
The Middle School has the opportunity to go on several fun outings throughout the year. In 2023-2024, Mr. Gallagher took the entire Middle School to see a Pitt basketball game, where they had seats in the Oakland Zoo! They also went snow tubing at Boise Park and, at the end of the year, spent the day hanging by the pool. Every year, Mr. DiNatale coordinates a spring overnight trip for 7th and 8th graders.
Students enjoying a poolside cookout, snow tubing, and a Pitt basketball game.
Thank You, Middle School Teachers
Greenfield K8 Middle School is successful in large part because of our amazing, dedicated teaching staff! They get to know students and go out of their way to create a challenging and fun middle school experience.
An advantage of being a K-8 school is that students start getting to know middle school teachers before they even enter middle school. This creates a community in which middle schoolers build on relationships with teachers they trust during a developmentally challenging time in their lives.
Middle School teachers & students on Ugly Sweater Day; Mr. Gallagher and Mr. DiNatale create special T-shirts each year to go snow tubing.
Greenfield K8 PTO is proud of our Middle School, where students get an excellent education, have many opportunities to grow, and form lasting community relationships. We see many advantages to the K-8 structure, and we urge Pittsburgh Public Schools to maintain K-8 schools as they engage in the current facilities utilization study.
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