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Head of School Jesse Dougherty The Green Vale School
Welcome to The Green Vale School website: a starting place to learn how our program and culture lead to such consistent future success for our graduates. Our motto is Optima Durant, or ‘the best endures.’ What this means for us is a constant effort to elevate learning through an environment where every child is known and where academic excellence, strength of character, and a sense of fun are actively cultivated.

Our timing in opening 38,000 square feet of brand new academic and common spaces just a year ago was uncanny as we now have more than enough space to spread out and learn safely amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Between the renovated Iselin Center and brand new Bacon & Biondi Building, we unveiled:
Head of School Jesse Dougherty The Green Vale School
  • All-school library
  • Marine science lab 
  • Wonder Lab & Innovation Lab
  • Production studio
  • Center for Teaching and Learning 
  • New science, math, & humanities classrooms
The Green Vale School Head of School Jesse Dougherty with family


The theme of this school year, as selected by the faculty each June, is: “Resilience”. Through these uncertain times, The Green Vale community has never been stronger as we have been guided by a resolve to do what is best for our students.  Starting in February, we began earnest contingency planning for a move to online learning even though the likelihood of  the “new coronavirus” affecting Long Island seemed remote. When the spring term ended up entirely online, the resilience of our community became very, very evident.

While there was so much loss last spring -- of favorite trips, traditions, and events, of sports seasons, of togetherness, and even of a beloved staff member, among so many other deaths-- Green Vale teachers made sure that there would be little to no loss of learning. Our Online Learning program evolved quickly into a close proxy of an in-person GVS education for most grades.

An outstanding admissions season over the summer resulting in wait lists for several grades was a vote of confidence in Green Vale’s ability to rise to the challenge of COVID. Accordingly, the administrative team worked overtime to devise protocols, schedules, and space configurations to allow us to get back together in person, safely. Sure enough, in partnership with Northwell Health, students, teachers, and families came back to campus in September and hit the ground running...with smiles under their masks. This is the true spirit of resilience that we are instilling in our children together.

While this website and our Instagram feed (@greenvaleschool) each offer useful information and a peek into our close community of learners, nothing beats a visit to campus where the engagement, happiness, and maturity of our students will communicate our most powerful message of all.

Jesse Dougherty, Ed.D.
Head of School