This summer, alongside the projects that happen every year, Greenhills made significant investments in the Arbor Hills Campus and began the most ambitious construction project at the Earhart Campus since the original school was built. Much of that work will be obvious when students return. Much more has happened behind walls, above ceilings, beneath floors, and in countless hours of planning intended to make sure school still feels like school when students arrive.
If you’ve ever stopped by Mr. Zellers’s workspace, you may have found yourself wondering about the many squirrel paintings, figurines, and mementos he has displayed alongside photographs of alumni. What began as a backyard feud eventually became a beloved tradition, so we asked Mr. Zellers to take us back to the squirrel who started it all.
Over the summer, the alumni office caught up with alum Amiel Handelsman, who moved with his family back to Ann Arbor from Oregon in 2021. He shared some Greenhills unofficial cheerleading memories, current sidelines that fill his time, and why focusing on minutiae makes him grumpy.
Zerrin Yilmaz arrived at Greenhills in 10th grade and her younger brother, Osman ’02, started in the 9th grade. A self-described math nerd who also liked the sciences, Yilmaz shared, “I really responded to the smaller classroom sizes at Greenhills, with the sustained personal attention from teachers and knowing all of your classmates.”
By the time the Greenhills boys golf team arrived at regionals, much of the work had already been done. The Gryphons had spent months studying courses, refining their swings, sharpening their short games, and learning how to manage every detail of a round.
The record doesn’t tell the whole story of the Greenhills varsity baseball team’s season. A glance at the standings might suggest a difficult year for the Gryphons.
Last spring, the Greenhills track and field team arrived at the state meet with excitement and curiosity. Qualifying athletes had earned their place, but for many, simply reaching the state stage felt like an accomplishment. Then something changed. The Gryphons didn’t just participate—they competed, scored points, and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the best programs in Michigan and realized they belonged there. This season, they returned with a different mindset.
For the Greenhills girls tennis team, the past two weeks have felt less like a breakthrough and more like the arrival of something hard earned and long in the making. On May 9, the Gryphons won the Catholic High School League (CHSL) Bishop Division championship—the first league title in program history, which it split with perennial power Farmington Hills Mercy.