The History of Green Chimneys

A Lifetime of Commitment to Children and Animals

At just 19 years old, 灵感来自他童年寄宿学校的经历和对动物的真正热爱, Samuel B. “Rollo” Ross, Jr. 有一个梦想，创造一个环境，孩子和动物可以一起生活在一个农场设置. After a long search in Putnam County, New York, 罗斯家族从纽约州参议员沃德·托尔伯特的遗孀手中买下了75英亩的戴尔-豪农场. Green Chimneys was founded on October 27, 1947.

Early History

绿烟囱儿童学校于1948年开办，有11名3到6岁的学生, with young Samuel Ross leading a small staff to provide academics, recreation, and a loving environment for the children, 拥有与动物互动和照顾动物的独特体验. His father, Dr. Barney Ross, and Adele MacDonald, a nurse working for him, 帮助在这所不寻常的寄宿学校建立了一个家一样的环境. Housemothers were employed to tend to the needs of each child, essentially becoming substitute parents. Night staff brushed the children’s teeth and put them to bed. 老师、员工和孩子们一起吃饭，一起庆祝生日和节日. The school community was one large family.

到1952年，学校扩大到招收2至9岁的儿童. It was just two years later that Ross married Myra Mattes, a teacher, on the grounds of Green Chimneys. 持续的成功导致了1957年的进一步扩张，包括12岁以下的儿童，绿烟囱提供学前教育到六年级.

As the school grew, Ross realized that some of his students, even the brightest and most gifted, had social, behavioral, 或者是情感问题阻碍了他们充分发挥潜力. 这些学生得到了额外的关注，许多人能够克服他们的困难. The focus of the school began to change; it was gaining a reputation for helping children with special needs.

By 1966, 很明显，参加“绿烟囱”项目的孩子们需要一个全年的项目. 校园里增加了一所中学和宿舍，学年延长到12个月.

Transition to Children’s Services

罗斯后来注意到，由于缺乏学费援助，来自纽约州的孩子入学人数急剧下降. By this time, 学校的学生主要是由精神病院转介的有特殊和迫切需要的儿童组成. To increase resources for—and public access to—these services, Green Chimneys became a child welfare and social services agency, allowing all children to attend tuition-free.

By 1976, “绿烟囱”学校的孩子中有很大一部分是纽约州学区推荐的特殊需要学生, and the curriculum was modified to reflect this change. 还建立了一个住院治疗中心(RTC)，以照顾从纽约州社会服务部门和公立学校转来的情绪紊乱和学习障碍儿童.

随着学生人数的增加，动物越来越多地扮演起“治疗师”的角色，绿烟囱农场也变得越来越重要。. 一项创新的动物辅助治疗项目成为“绿烟囱”项目的核心，该项目对有情绪和精神健康问题的儿童进行早期干预. In the early 70s, the farm opened to the community-at-large and, 10 years later, added its renowned wildlife rescue and rehabilitation program.

Green Chimneys Today

Today Green Chimneys serves more than 200 students in renowned therapeutic day and residential school programs. The Farm & Wildlife Center 是近200种家养家畜和野生动物的家园吗, including injured and imprinted birds of prey. 动物辅助治疗在儿童的教育和治疗中继续发挥着关键作用，这些儿童不仅受益于动物的存在，而且在照顾他们方面发挥着作用.

2008年，绿烟囱在纽约州卡梅尔市扩建了占地350英亩的Clearpool校区. Clearpool是绿烟囱学校的第二个校区，也为当地学校和社区成员提供全年的环境教育和户外技能课程, as well as accredited summer camp programs for kids and teens.

In spring of 2011, Green Chimneys opened The Donnelley Family Student Residences, housing 88 students in a state-of-the-art, sustainably-designed dorm complex. 作为特殊需求儿童教育和住院治疗项目的领导者和创新者，绿烟囱在其悠久的历史中也达到了一个重要的里程碑:通过创建一个创伤知情社区，建立了一个全机构范围的模式，以维持一个最佳的安全和治疗环境.

2012年10月27日，“绿烟囱”迎来65周年 The Sam and Myra Ross Institute 致力于教育和研究人类与动物和自然世界的关系. The Institute serves to deepen the legacy, 通过展示与动物和户外有目的的接触如何能增强正规疗法和传统教育，绿烟囱的动物和自然项目的愿景和影响, 并分享知识，为该领域带来持续的增长和领导力.

Samuel B. “Rollo” Ross, Jr. passed away in February of 2018. 我们庆祝他的一生和他对照顾儿童和动物的承诺. Please join us in honoring his legacy

In 2022, “绿烟囱”举办了长达一年的75周年庆典, a span of service made possible through the leadership, partnership and support of so many. 了解为绿烟囱的成功做出贡献的宏伟里程碑和鼓舞人心的个人