Greenfield’s Head of School Beth Peters is set to retire next week after a nearly 40-year career at the school. And she says she’s loved every minute of carrying out the school’s mission.

“It’s like home to me,” Peters said. “It’s been exciting to see the changes that have happened over the last 38 years. Our diversity is higher than it’s ever been. Enrollment is higher than it’s ever been. It’s just a great staff to work with, and the parents and students are just great.”

Peters, a Greenfield alumnae, was a math teacher at the school for 31 years before she took the reins as headmaster in 2016.

NEW HEAD OF SCHOOL

Debra Rogers, a former Hunt High School assistant principal, will replace Peters as head of school. She starts her new post on July 1. Peters said she is excited for Rogers to take her place and knows Rogers will fit right in while continuing the school’s mission.

“She understands the school,” Peters said. “I’m just really happy with the direction the school is going.”

Rogers has nearly 20 years of education experience in both the private and public setting and worked at Greenfield for seven years as a counselor.

“I love the idea of leading in a small school environment that really puts a priority on connection with students, nurturing students, engaging students ...,” Rogers said.

She said Greenfield is about looking holistically at each student and working with those students beyond the classroom.

Rogers said she has enormous respect for the work being done in public education, and she’s honored to have been a part of that.

“But there is something very special about an environment like this,” Rogers said. “There’s a lot of success the school is enjoying in terms of enrollment, but also in terms of college admissions.”

‘IT’S ABOUT THE STUDENTS’

Peters and Rogers worked closely together for the past month to ensure the changing of the guard is a smooth transition for students.

“At the heart of it all for both of us, it’s about the students,” Rogers said. “It’s about making sure we are taking good care of them, giving them what they need, giving them the support they need and the academic foundation that they need to be successful.”

Rogers said Greenfield educates the whole student.

“There are a lot of things that are being done well here in terms of mentoring students and giving them the academic foundation they need to be successful, but also mentoring them as leaders, as citizens, as athletes, all those things to help them be well rounded and ready for the next phase of life,” she said. “It’s just very exciting to be a part of that.”

Rogers said she’s excited to preserve and build upon Greenfield’s legacy of academic excellence.

“It is a wonderful opportunity to lead at a school like this,” she said. “People really invest in the students here, and that has a huge impact.”

‘I REALLY BELIEVE IN THE MISSION’

Peters said the school’s growth is evident, particularly in the past four years. She said the school has seen a surge in enrollment from the Clayton area.

“But we have students from all different counties coming to Greenfield now,” she added.

Greenfield has a master plan for campus expansion, which is exciting, Peters said.

That expansion will start with construction of a new upper school building, she explained. That could start as early as next year. While campus expansion will continue, Peters said the school will remain dedicated to keeping class sizes small.

“We have a really good mission, and I really believe in the mission,” she said.

Peters said Greenfield employees try to live by that mission in everything they do, which is important.

“I’m just going to miss the people, the atmosphere. I’m sure I will be coming to some games and maybe even get on the sub (substitute teacher) list,” she said with a laugh.