Hackley Review Summer 2024 by Hackley School

HACKLEY IN THE WORLD

United, We Help One Another

Your annual gift to the Hackley Fund provides students and faculty the opportunity to thrive within every academic and extracurricular activity.

Become a founding member of our new United, We Help One Another Donor Society, recognizing first-time donors and those who increase their support.

Scan the QR code to make your gift to the Hackley Fund or visit www.hackleyschool.org/giving

Empowering Students to Explore the World Around Us

Global Context Course – America’s National Parks

Students and faculty share their insights and photographs from these unforgettable experiences.

Student Reflection: The Privilege of the Outdoors

Cassandra reflects on her personal journey to the America’s National Parks class and shares big takeaways from the spring trip.

By Cassandra Stand ’24 36

Small Acts, Big Impact

Exploring the impact of community engagement work in the Lower School.

By Aisha Laspina-Rodriguez, Director of Communications, in partnership with Lower School teacher and Community Engagement Coordinator Roni Kanter 40

Insights from a Conference Experience: A Conversation With Middle School English Teacher Ashlin Halfnight

Ashlin reflects on his recent professional development experience. 42

Hudson Scholars Student Reflection

Rowan highlights the joy of teaching piano in the Hudson Scholars program as a student-mentor.

By Rowan Pedraza ’24

Spotlight on Student Clubs

Student-led clubs play a significant role at Hackley. Here are some of those clubs. 46

Did You Know? Hackley News Articles on happenings around the Hilltop.

End Note

By Dr. Cyndy Jean, Associate Head of School

Editor

Aisha Laspina-Rodriguez, Director of Communications arodriguez@hackleyschool.org

Photography Includes photos by Hackley School Communications, guest photographers and writers.

Design Jason Fairchild, Truesdale Group

Printing Recycled Paper Printing, Inc.

A very special thank you to Rozanne Rosenberg for your editorial support and help in getting this edition to mailboxes. Thanks also to Margie, Cyndy, Charles, Basil, John G., Dave, Dreia, Liz and Elizabeth, Andy, Lisa, Diana, Emily, Roni, Ashlin, Carolyn, Kristyn, Tessa, Wil, Chris L., Chris A., Vlad, Nicole, and to the many more Hornets who shared their time and stories. This publication is possible because of you.

Follow Hackley School on your favorite social networks and on YouTube.

In the previous edition of the Hackley Review, we focused on the concept of “Hackley as home.”

For this edition, we expand our horizons to focus on “Hackley in the world.” Our core value of “Go forth and spread beauty and light ” orients us toward communities outside the Hilltop, and included in the following pages are stories of how our students, faculty and alumni connect what they’ve learned at Hackley with the broader world.

Hackley’s Global Education program is a perfect illustration of “Hackley in the world” as it provides young people with the opportunity to travel to new places and interact with people and landscapes that are unfamiliar. These experiences can be truly lifechanging, opening up a wider appreciation of the world and how one can contribute to a larger mission. The Global Education program offers a distinctive and unique set of trips throughout the year, and this March, students embarked on four exciting adventures.

U.S. History tenth graders and Seniors visited Philipsburg Manor in Sleepy Hollow and New York City’s Lower East Side for their “Big Experience” trip. The “America’s National Parks” class traveled to Joshua Tree and Trial Island as part of the new Global Context Course. Additionally, there were two Casten trips: seventh grade science and biology students explored the Galapagos, while six Upper School students traveled to Tanzania for an inspiring servicefocused trip. See the incredible photos captured by students and chaperones in the photo spread on pages 18 to 31, and don’t miss the student

reflection, “The Privilege of the Outdoors,” by Cassandra Stand ’24, where she details the National Parks trip and shares a fun bonus, a visit with Peter Strauss ’65.

With the Hilltop as their common starting point, Hackley alumni have ventured far and wide after graduation. Our alumni profiles highlight their diverse contributions, from developing transformative medicines to serving as foreign service officers, firefighters, special operations, educators, musicians and more. I hope you enjoy reading about their experiences in the “Alumni Around the World” profiles on page 12.

As we celebrate 125 years here on the Hilltop, I am grateful for the time, care and effort that goes into cultivating this others-centeredness in our students. It is in this manner that we live out our mission’s call to “learn from the varying perspectives and backgrounds in our community and the world.” I am proud of the positive impact the Hackley Community continues to have in our local communities and across the globe.

Charles Franklin P ’30, ’32, ’35

head of school

Editor’s Note:

When I think about “Hackley in the world,” what comes to mind are the ways in which our students and adults utilize the skills they honed on the Hilltop in ways that make significant impact beyond our walls. When we first explored the theme of this Hackley Review, we thought about the student journey and those small moments that spark inspiration. We considered how students pursue their passions and engage in unique and profound learning experiences, both beyond the Hilltop and right here on our campus. This edition celebrates these very elements: the micro-moments that paint a larger picture of growth.

In this Hackley Review, you will discover reflections from our students on global travel experiences, the activities of student clubs, the key takeaways of student-mentors in the Hudson Scholars program, and the inspiration behind the Lower School’s community engagement work. Additionally, you’ll learn about our alumni’s current endeavors and what motivates them to do important work. Don’t miss our Hackley News section, featuring articles on School happenings, such as the real-world ecological studies led by Tessa Johnson, the journalistic integrity of our Dial students, insights from our resident AI expert Steve Fitzpatrick and Round Square student-led networking activities. I hope you enjoy this edition of the Hackley Review. Happy reading!

Aisha Laspina-Rodriguez Director of Communications

2023-2024

Board of Trustees

Harvinder S. Sandhu, M.D., President

Kaveh Khosrowshahi ’85, Vice President

Maria A. Docters, Vice President

David Gluckman, M.D., Treasurer

Eric B. Gyasi ’01, Secretary

Sherry D. Blockinger ’87

Christopher P. Bogart

John C. Canoni ’86

Thomas A. Caputo ’65

H. Rodgin Cohen

Dawn N. Fitzpatrick

Linda Holden-Bryant

Jeffrey A. Libert ’73

Michael H. Lowry

Rachel Mears

Daniel E. Rifkin ’89

Hannah E. Saujet ’94

Jumaane W. Saunders ’96

Sy Sternberg

John R. Torell IV ’80

Sarah Unger ’03

Amy Wong

Maureen Wright

Advisory Trustees

John J. Beni ’51

David A. Berry ’96, M.D., Ph.D.

Robert Grusky ’75

Jason J. Hogg ’89

Michael G. Kimelman ’56

Jonathan P. Nelson ’64

Diane D. Rapp

Conrad A. Roberts ’68

Lawrence D. Stewart ’68

Pamela Gallin Yablon, M.D.

Honorary Trustees

Herbert A. Allen ’58

Daniel A. Celentano

John T. Cooney, Jr. ’76

Jack M. Ferraro H’63

Berkeley D. Johnson, Jr. ’49

Keith R. Kroeger ’54

Philip C. Scott ’60

Hackley Alumni Association, Inc. OFFICERS

Christie Philbrick-Wheaton ’00, President

Sally Parker Nichols ’87, Co-Vice President

Timothy L. Kubarych ’06, Co-Vice President

Daniel E. Rifkin ’89, Treasurer A. Gentry Torell ’11, Secretary

Hackley Parents’ Association EXECUTIVE BOARD

Denise Dushas, President

Jennifer Madison, Executive Vice President

Jennifer Lippman, Administrative Vice President

Irina Zeltser, Treasurer

Seena Karunakaran, Assistant Treasurer

Autumn Derby, Upper School Vice President

Brenda Ayers, Middle School Vice President

Natalia Rozenholc, Lower School Vice President

Orly Miller, Secretary

Senior Administrative Team

Charles Franklin, Head of School

M. Cyndy Jean, Associate Head of School

Basil Kolani, Director of Academic Affairs

Andrew M. King, Director of the Upper School

Shazia Durrani, Director of the Middle School

Lisa Oberstein, Director of the Lower School

Erin Bernstein, Chief Financial Officer

Robert Aldrich, Director of Operations and Campus Planning

Sheila Hicks-Rotella, Director of Enrollment Management

John Gannon, Director of Advancement

Aisha Laspina-Rodriguez, Director of Communications

Hackley School adheres to a long-standing policy of admitting students of any race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity and national origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School.

It does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity or national origin in administration of its educational policies, employment, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, or athletic and other school-administered programs.

Retirements

BILL M c NAUGHTON ’79

After an exceptional 34 -year journey at Hackley, Bill McNaughton ’ 79 retired this June. Bill’s life has been intricately connected to Hackley — he grew up on Hackley’s campus in Allen’s Alley as the son of legendary faculty members Randy and Mary Anne McNaughton, who dedicated their lives to teaching on the Hilltop. Between Bill’s parents (a combined 90 years), Bill’s 34 years, and his sister Margie McNaughton Ford ’85’s 11 years in the Alumni

MIKE QUIÑONES

After 26 years on the Hilltop, Mike Quiñones P ’32 retired this June. Mike has been a fixture at Hackley as part of the Buildings & Grounds crew, a longtime resident, a Hackley parent and a dedicated friend to all. Mike is one of the guys who you see here at all hours of the day and at just about every event on the weekend, and he is always ready with a big wave and a hearty hello. For much of his career at

Office as the Director of Alumni Engagement, the McNaughton family has given 135 years and counting of outstanding service to Hackley. Bill’s contribution to the Performing Arts at Hackley includes everything from house manager of Bridges and Zetkov Theaters to prop master, lighting designer, master electrician, scenic designer, scenic artist, master carpenter, sound designer, production stage manager, director and costume designer. Bill even directed a Middle School production of “Charlotte’s Web” and performed as Wilbur, as well as having performed as the King and the Porter in “Macbeth,” directed by John Camera ’57. Thank you, Bill, for your unforgettable and enduring dedication to Hackley.

Hackley, Mike worked during the evening shift, supervising our custodians and playing an integral part of the maintenance team. There is no better example of Mike’s role as one of Hackley’s unsung heroes than his actions on the night of Aug. 4, 2007, when lightning struck Goodhue Hall. As Mike was out for a late-night walk on campus, he noticed the fire starting to spread from the roof and sprang into action, alerting the fire department and beginning the efforts to contain the fire and save the building. For those who were involved, this is a night that no one will forget. Thank you, Mike, for your friendship and for your years of service to Hackley.

Farewell

KARA FORCELLI

After 17 years of outstanding work for Hackley, Kara Forcelli left our School in the fall to embark upon her next personal and professional chapter. Kara was one of the great unsung heroes on the Hilltop and the glue that made the Advancement team’s work possible. She managed the database with a level of precision, detail and understanding that allowed the Advancement Office to run at peak efficiency. During the course of her time at Hackley, she processed many

COURTNEY KELLEY

After 18 years of exceptional work at Hackley, Courtney Kelley officially left the Hilltop at the end of the school year. Known for being a dedicated and versatile teacher, Courtney taught in both the Middle and Upper Schools. Over the years, she taught eighth grade geometry, algebra I, geometry, algebra II and trigonometry, discrete math, and independent studies in linear algebra.

thousands of gifts, coordinated gift receipts, maintained address records, created mailing lists, generated the lists that appeared in each year’s Annual Report on Philanthropy and so much more. Director of Advancement John Gannon P ’21, noted in an email to employees, “In the course of our professional lives, we cross paths with people who represent the very best. Kara has represented the very best of Hackley. Her leaving is bittersweet. She and her daughter Gianna are ready for their next personal and professional chapters at new schools — Gianna next year in college, and Kara now at Horace Mann, reunited professionally with her father. She may be leaving us as a colleague, but she will always be a Hackley Hornet.”

One year, she joined the History Department to teach economics. Courtney also worked for many years as a boarding associate, where she brought the same care and attention to our boarding students. Courtney’s gifts as a teacher are many. She’s passionate and knowledgeable about her subject area, attuned to her students’ learning styles, creative, organized, prompt and thorough in her communication to deans, advisors and parents. In fact, Courtney’s teaching excellence was recognized with the Parents’ Chair, an endowed chair she held from 2010 -2013. She’s also been a caring colleague and friend to many. In short, we will miss her immensely.

JAMES KILGARRIFF

After two years on the Hilltop, James Kilgarriff left Hackley this June to be with his wife, who is a school administrator in Madison, Wisconsin. James has been apart

from her this year and while he is eager to reunite with her, he is also sad to leave Hackley. His work as the Lower School technology teacher has been impactful in designing a curriculum that blends deep knowledge of technology with the ethical underpinnings of its use. We wish James the best as he moves to become an Assistant Director of Technology and Innovation in Madison.

NORA LEDDY

After nine years of friendship, support and exceptional coaching at Hackley, Nora Leddy left the Hilltop this June. Nora has been an invaluable member of the Advancement team since 2018, taking on a variety of roles and supporting numerous aspects of the team’s work.

Her positive and upbeat attitude, sense of humor, and willingness to help, even with tasks beyond her official duties, have been essential. Nora’s techsavviness and creativity have greatly benefitted the team’s work. As a basketball and softball coach, and through her work with Seniors managing the Senior Rep program, supporting the Senior Class Gift and collaborating on other programming for each year’s Senior class, Nora has truly been indispensable. Thank you, Nora, and best of luck in your next exciting professional chapter!

DEPARTING ASSOCIATE TEACHERS

Associate Teachers are essential members of our Lower School community. Through a mentorship style four-year program, the teachers learn and apply valuable skills in the areas of classroom management and curriculum development on a daily basis. They are an integral part in lessons to help facilitate and lead small groups, especially in reading and math. Thank you and best of luck to our departing Associate Teachers!

Welcome New Employees

ELIZABETH HEALY

This spring, we welcomed Elizabeth Healy to the Hilltop as assistant controller. Liz brings to Hackley 20 years of accounting experience in the not-for-profit sector, specifically education. She started her career as an auditor with Ernst and Young, then Nestle USA as a payroll accountant. After taking time off to raise her children and volunteering her accounting expertise as treasurer of her local

PTAs and Boy Scout troop, she restarted her career in the Controller’s Office at her alma mater, Manhattan College, working with accounts payable before becoming controller at a different alma mater, Cardinal Hayes Spellman in The Bronx. In her new role at Hackley, Elizabeth will be primarily responsible for maintaining the general ledger, reconciling and posting credit card purchases, account reconciliation, audit preparation and reporting to departments on their budget status. Liz lives in Thornwood, New York with her husband Sean. She has four children, Caitlin, Sean, Liam and Aidan, and one granddaughter, Nora. Welcome to Hackley, Liz!

Grace Hill

Allison Lasky

Stef Frolo ’14

Sunny Koo

LaMonique Adom

JOSEPH M c DERMOTT ’14

This winter, we welcomed Joe McDermott ’ 14 to Hackley’s Advancement Office as the Hackley Fund annual giving manager. Joe is already deeply connected to the Hilltop: he graduated from Hackley in 2014 and was named Hackley’s 15th Varsity Football head coach in 2022 . He reflected on what drives his coaching career in the April 2023 Hackley Perspectives piece, “Why I Coach.” A three-sport athlete and one of five from his family to graduate from Hackley, Joe is a Trinity College alumnus. He earned a master’s in business management with merit at Durham

University in England and was awarded an academic distinction for his thesis, “What Motivates Donors to Contribute to College Athletic Programs: How Athletic Departments Address Donor Motivations and Donation Barriers in Fundraising Campaigns.” Joe has been a Hackley Fund volunteer and, until recently, he taught AP statistics and business at Archbishop Stepinac High School. In his new role, Joe is responsible for implementing and executing strategies to raise Hackley Fund gifts, which support the School’s operating budget.

Working closely with members of the Advancement team, Joe will assist with volunteer management, direct mail, email marketing and solicitations, and all forms of interaction with Hackley donors, all while continuing to serve as football head coach. Welcome home, Joe!

ELIZABETH ZAMMIT

This winter, we welcomed Elizabeth Zammit to the Hilltop as database administrator for the Advancement Office. She earned both her bachelor’s and her master’s degrees in business administration from Fordham. Elizabeth previously worked in the music industry, most recently as senior director, research and analytics, global and digital business and U.S. sales with Sony Music Entertainment. At Hackley, Elizabeth is responsible for updating and maintaining the

team’s database and provides direct support to end users, ensuring accurate record keeping, gift processing and reconciliation with the Finance Office. Elizabeth is passionate about education and initiatives that support students’ growth. In fact, she and her husband Michael were recently featured in the River Journal in connection with their volunteer work coaching a group of fourth grade students, including their son Michael, who participated in a FIRST LEGO League Tournament. Their team, The Sneaky Bots, finished in the top 6 and advanced to the Regional Tournament at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The team programmed a LEGO Spike Prime robot to complete missions. Welcome to the Hilltop, Elizabeth!

AISHA LASPINA-RODRIGUEZ

This spring, Director of Communications

Aisha LaspinaRodriguez officially became a member of the Senior Administrative Team.

Aisha leads a team focused on implementing a comprehensive set of integrated communications strategies. She collaborates closely with our highly engaged community to amplify Hackley’s mission and tell the School’s story. Her work includes providing communications counsel and media relations management, cultivating relationships with internal partners and external consultants, leading creative production, and working as producer, writer, and editor-in-chief of several school publications. Aisha notes small and big wins during her time at Hackley thus far, from partnering closely with faculty and students in sharing their unique stories of growth on the

Hilltop to evolving the role of the Communications Office, including enhancing the use of digital media resources and implementing new tools and platforms for myriad initiatives, establishing data analytics within communications strategy and planning, bringing graphic design and photography in house, providing enrollment marketing design and assessment support, and implementing overall strategy from soup to nuts. Her favorite part of the job, she says, is the people.

Prior to joining Hackley in October 2020, Aisha served as the Director of Communications for the YWCA of the City of New York where she developed and executed communications, fundraising and operations strategies for the missionfocused nonprofit dedicated to empowering tomorrow’s leaders. Aisha holds a bachelor’s degree from Manhattanville College and a master’s degree in public relations and corporate communication from New York University, and she is a member of the Public Relations Society of America. She is also a proud member of the “Hackley Hoos.”

JOSH SAMUEL

On July 1, Josh Samuel will officially step into his new role as Assistant Director of the Lower School, a position created this year to expand the Lower School’s capacity for delivering on our mission in our earliest grades. In addition to his knowledge of Hackley, Josh brings a wealth of experience to this role, having served as a homeroom teacher on the Hilltop for the past eight years. Josh holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s degree in education with a focus on literacy. He has led many initiatives and

efforts at Hackley since joining our community in 2016, serving as the faculty representative to the Board of Trustees and co-chairing the Mission and Culture section of Hackley’s most recent NYSAIS accreditation as two examples. Josh has been a Lower School educator since 2003 in both public and independent school settings. Director of the Lower School Lisa Oberstein shared, “I am thrilled for Josh to step into this role and further support our students, faculty and families as they develop and grow in the Lower School. Over the years, Josh has built deep and meaningful relationships across the Hilltop, and I am confident that his passion for education and our community will make him an incredible asset as Assistant Director of the Lower School.” Congratulations, Josh!

HACKLEY IN

THE WORLD

HACKLEY ALUMNI ACROSS THE GLOBE

Our alumni have spread far and wide since they departed the Hilltop. Over the years, they have reached out to let us know where they are and what they’re doing. Below are the countries our Hackley alumni are living in.

Virgin

Puerto

5,257

GRADUATES IN THE WORLD 41 COUNTRIES

Thank you to Director of Alumni Engagement

Margie McNaughton Ford ’85 for the work you do every day and for gathering these submissions for the Hackley Review

Scan the QR Code to tell our Alumni Office where you are and what you’re up to!

And Save the Date: Alumni Day | October 19, 2024

HACKLEY ALUMNI ACROSS THE GLOBE

Our alumni are doing impactful work all around the world. We asked them what they’re up to and the inspiration behind their work. Read what they shared in the following pages.

Scan the QR Code to tell our Alumni Office where you are and what you’re up to!

And be sure to save the date: Alumni Day | October 19, 2024

Eduardo Cue ’69 FRANCE

INDEPENDENT

CONSULTANT AND FORMER JOURNALIST

After 40 years as a journalist, I am now an independent communications consultant living in Paris. My main topics include the art of the interview, public speaking, media relations, crisis communications, journalism ethics, and the relationship between the media and the military. I run seminars for African journalists and I also consult for international organizations, including the World Food Program, UNICEF and numerous African governments. I have privately coached U.S. Ambassadors, African and Latin American government ministers, business executives, and heads of state. My consulting activities take me across Africa, Latin America and Europe. I previously worked as a print and television journalist for some of the leading media houses in the world, including The Washington Post, The Times (London), United Press International, the Associated Press, CNN, Televisa of Mexico and France24. Journalism allows you to enter, even if only for a moment, the lives of profoundly different people, each one with a particular outlook on the world.

My interest in journalism and current events began before my arrival on the Hilltop at the age of 14, but Hackley was instrumental in developing my interests and skills and in helping me acquire the discipline necessary to pursue a career in journalism. My mentor, Walter Schneller, taught me how to analyze current events and the importance of history to put them in context. He taught me to make sure I knew what I was talking about before expressing my thoughts. Arthur Naething taught me discipline. More than anything, Hackley inculcated in me the true values of life — education, curiosity, empathy, the sheer joy of learning and the importance of making a positive contribution to society. For all this and more, I will be forever grateful to Hackley.

Chaja Pole ’90

BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT

FIREFIGHTER

For the past five years, I have worked at the Bridgeport Fire Department in Bridgeport, Connecticut as a firefighter. This was obviously a very late-in-life career choice; however, it encompasses the things that I have always been passionate about — helping people, especially the most vulnerable, and exerting myself physically with particular goals in mind. My background in sports and working as a personal trainer for 13 years is embedded into my soul. My job is multifaceted, and I work on the busiest company in Bridgeport. Most of my calls are medical, treating a huge number of people in a very deprived area. I administer Narcan almost every tour that I am working. My crew and I go to a number of car accidents to assess, extract and administer first aid to patients. We perform elevator rescues, respond to alarms, and install CO and smoke detectors. And, of course, we go to fires. This includes rescuing people and pets, putting out the fire, and overhauling the buildings. While the passion I have for my job didn’t begin at Hackley, my passion for life and opening my eyes to all the possibilities the world has to offer was nurtured and fostered at Hackley School. I will forever be grateful for my experience there.

EDUCATOR AND ARTIST

I am an educator, visual artist, poet, lyricist and singer. I perform my music in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Europe. I’m recording a new album with my band, the Eleventh Planet, and CAN, a German band I played with from 1968-69, continues to keep me busy. My painting studio is in Calgary, Canada; my gallery is in New York City; and I recently exhibited my artwork at a gallery in Dusseldorf, Germany. I teach abstract painting at the Alberta University of the Arts. The painting and the music are ways to express myself. Teaching is a way to give back; it allows me to pass on what I know and to keep up with new perspectives of artmaking. I started writing poetry at Hackley as a way to find my voice, and it’s been amplified over the years through my music. Mrs. Virginia Hawkins, my art teacher at Hackley, was an inspiration and influence. She and my father, a silk screen printer, were a one-two combination that led me on my journey.

Angela C. Huttner ’91 SWITZERLAND

INFECTIOUS DISEASE PHYSICIAN

I graduated from Hackley in 1991 and today, I am an infectious disease physician and professor of medicine working at the University Hospital of Geneva in Switzerland, where I’ve lived since 2007. I work with a team of medical students and early-career physicians to take care of patients at our infectious disease clinic. I teach pre-clinical medical students on the wards and in the classroom, and I conduct clinical trials to help build the infectious diseases evidence base. I am also editor-in-chief of an infectious disease medical journal; the associate editors and I decide whether studies submitted by colleagues around the world are well-designed and well-reported. I take this responsibility seriously and hope it will help move our field forward.

When I was at Hackley, I thought I would study literature and become a teacher. I knew I could be good at the humanities, but I did not have confidence in the sciences. The humanities-heavy foundation I received from Hackley is what drives me today and allows me to be an effective doctor and professor. It is also what built my character and allowed me to stay on an uphill road as a foreign medical graduate learning to navigate both new hospital environments and cultures. As I get older, I remember more frequently the injunction of Arthur Naething, sometimes even daring to say it out loud to my students, though it never sounds as beautiful nor as urgent as when he said it. I certainly tell it to myself (with varying results); I do try to go forth and spread beauty and light

I lead a team advising the civilian leadership in the Pentagon who oversee the organization, training, equipment and billion-dollar budget for the most highly classified programs in the U.S. Special Operations Command (Army Green Berets, Navy SEALs, etc.). I get to work with extremely talented and dedicated people doing hard work that matters. I’ve been an eyewitness to history, experienced the cutting-edge of scientific research, traveled to obscure locations, and even testified before a closed session of Congress. My time at Hackley exposed me to the intersection between science and humanities. The curiosity, critical thinking, creative writing and interpersonal dynamics I learned at Hackley have influenced every aspect of my 31 years in the U.S. Army. I got to learn from legendary teachers at Hackley, and I experienced it all alongside classmates who have gone on to extraordinary success in every pursuit of life.

Trevor Hill ’93

WASHINGTON, D.C.

U.S. ARMY

Malcolm Mooney ’62 CANADA

Alexandra “Sandy” Mattei ’10 BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS

CELL AND GENE THERAPY RESEARCH SCIENTIST

My interest in research began as a young child accompanying my mother at her research sites around Long Island Sound where she studied the biology and ecology of horseshoe crabs. Then at Hackley, I learned how to design wellcontrolled experiments in Mrs. Johnson’s AP Biology class to both ask and answer fundamental questions about biology, a skill that has served me well in my career. I now work as a gene editing research scientist at Vertex Pharmaceuticals, a company that focuses on developing transformative medicines for people with serious diseases. I work in Vertex’s relatively new Cell and Gene Therapy division in the early research stage of the drug discovery pipeline, where we develop cutting-edge technology to treat the underlying causal biology of such diseases as sickle cell disease, Type 1 diabetes and Duchenne muscular dystrophy. I have a lifelong love and appreciation for academic research, however, in my current role, I enjoy the practical application of new ideas and technologies to decades-old unsolved biological problems.

As a team, we can quickly chip away at the toughest problems from multiple angles instead of breaking off bite-sized pieces to work on one dissertation at a time. The potential impact of our work is inspiring day to day, knowing how many patients are out there waiting for cures to each of these diseases.

Sabrina Grandolfo ’84

HONG KONG HEALTH AND WELLNESS COACH

I have been living in Hong Kong for the past 24 years. After several career changes, I am now working as a self-employed National Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coach at Wellness Through Coaching. I partner with individual clients to identify their core values, passions and goals, and work with them to develop a personalized plan to achieve those goals. Clients learn to overcome obstacles and create positive change in their lives. I also run small group health and wellness courses for an NGO that works with refugee women, which has been profoundly gratifying. The opportunity to empower individuals facing health disparities with the knowledge and tools to make sustainable lifestyle changes is incredibly rewarding. Witnessing the positive impact on their lives, both physically and mentally, fosters a deep sense of fulfillment and purpose for me.

Damon Ploumis ’84 GERMANY

OPERA SINGER

I have been an opera singer since 1993 and since 2001, I have been living in Weimar, Germany, the city of Goethe, Schiller, Listz and the Bauhaus architectural movement. I joined the ensemble of the German National Theater of Weimar with my debut role as Papageno in Mozart’s “Magic Flute,” and I have since sung throughout Europe, South America and Asia. I began directing operas in 2008, and this past season, I directed and sang in Belgium the leading role of Puccini’s hilarious opera “Gianni Schicchi.” In 2008, I founded the Lyric Opera Studio Weimar, which has had 1,260 students from 76 different countries. I love to sing, but I must admit that the teaching aspect of my career has often given me more fulfillment. When I was a pupil at Hackley in the ’80s, my passion for opera was fostered by the great Mr. Schneller, with whom I often went to concerts and the Metropolitan Opera. He planted the seed that developed, and Hackley helped that seed sprout. While I was beginning my career as an opera singer, I went back to Hackley in the early ’90s to teach history and ESL part-time. Once again, Hackley offered me enormous support to pursue opera by providing me with a livelihood and understanding of my goal. Dr. Gibbon was the headmaster then, and he not only encouraged my path but showed great flexibility to my schedule when it was crucial to my development as a singer. Without a doubt, had I not had Hackley, I would never have made it as an opera singer.

Almost exactly 20 years ago, my wife and I decided to give our two tiny Manhattanborn sons (we have since had another) the opportunity to experience their childhood in Goa, India, with its unique cultural history as one of the crucibles of what we now call globalization. We arrived “back” in a country undergoing epochal transformation, and I quickly found myself writing about those changes for a slew of new publications, including the Conde Nast stable of magazines, Mint (the financial newspaper set up in partnership with the Wall Street Journal ), the dynamic website Scroll.in, and many other newspapers and magazines. The feeling of making an important impact at just the right time was super exciting, and — somewhat to my surprise — I still remain highly motivated to keep on writing for what has become a loyal and appreciative audience. The world in which I graduated from Hackley in 1986 was very different, but it’s fair to say the School was an essential stepping stone to “finding my voice.” Looking back, Mr. Schneller and headmasters Barr and Gibbon were early sources of validation for my independent ways of thinking and scholarship, and there is a certain wherewithal that grows from being taken seriously by people you respect (of course my friends were also crucial in this regard) that did happen for me “on the Hilltop.”

Vivek L. Menezes ’86 INDIA

PHOTOGRAPHER, WRITER, AND CO-FOUNDER AND CO-CURATOR OF THE GOA ARTS + LITERATURE FESTIVAL

I am the founder and CEO of Too Easy AS — an AI startup simplifying mobility for everyday life — and I am a global professional speaker with expertise in AI and robotics. I love both jobs, but public speaking is my favorite because I have a chance to impact people’s lives on a large scale immediately. Sometimes, I receive requests to give motivational speeches on my life story. That story begins with Hackley. Hackley’s faculty and students took me in, a poor Puerto Rican kid from the Lower East Side of New York City, and enveloped me in love. Since I graduated from Hackley, I have been on a mission to pay it forward. Life advice: Risk everything in what you believe — it’s worth it!

Thomas Anglero ’84

NORWAY

PUBLIC SPEAKER, AI AND ROBOTICS EXPERT

Clara Engle ’11

PAKISTAN FOREIGN SERVICE OFFICER

I am a foreign service officer in the Immigrant Visa Unit in the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan. I’ve also worked for the State Department in Shanghai, China and Hanoi, Vietnam. My next assignment will be in Washington, D.C. Every day, I get to welcome new Americans to the path to citizenship, while the special nature of Islamabad means that I also help to reunite families broken by terrorism and fulfill the promises we made to our Afghan allies. It’s not every workplace that gives you views of the big picture and the little details like the State Department — I solve real problems that impact real people every day, all while supporting U.S. policies overseas. My passion for global affairs started at Hackley when I studied Mandarin Chinese and went on a summer language trip to Beijing. I knew I wanted to continue to work and live overseas, so I looked for jobs that would let me do that in a way that embodied service to society. The State Department gave me that opportunity — I get paid to learn new languages, help Americans overseas, and represent the American ideals and values I learned at Hackley.

Empowering Students to Explore the World Around Us

At Hackley, we believe that empowering students to explore the world around us in various ways, both big and small, is transformative and fundamental to their educational journey. Learning isn’t confined to the classroom — it takes place every day all around us, and sometimes takes us to exciting new places outside our campus. This past spring, Hackley students enjoyed an adventurous March, filled with unique learning opportunities. The month began with an enlightening Upper School U.S. History trip to Philipsburg Manor in Sleep Hollow and to New York City’s Lower East Side. And during spring break, our Global Education Program students packed their bags and traveled on Casten trips to Tanzania and the Galapagos, as well as to the West Coast to visit National Parks as part of the Global Context Course, “America’s National Parks.” In the following pages, students and teachers share their insights and captivating photographs from these unforgettable experiences.

“The experience of cranking the water in the mill or working in the threshing barn shed a light on the systemic integration of slavery into the labor system, which was optimized for profit. Getting to see the hands-on exhibits, threshing the wheat and turning the mill, gave an authentic sensory feeling. The spaces evoked a rustic feel — it was very dark and smelled like what you would expect at a farm.”

ELAN SUTTIRATANA ’26

March 6-7, 2024

U.S. History Big Experience Trip

Students in the U.S. History class embarked on their Big Experience trip on March 6 and 7. On the first day, they traveled to Philipsburg Manor in Sleepy Hollow to tour the colonial estate and work directly with historians from Historic Hudson Valley to learn about the history of slavery in New Netherland and New York. On the second day, students headed into Manhattan to visit the New York Historical Society and to take a walking tour with Big Onion Tours of Lower Manhattan focusing on New York’s colonial and immigration history. This Big Experience falls under the theme of citizenship and democracy and builds on the fourth grade trip to Philadelphia and the seventh grade trip focusing on environmental citizenship. The goal of the History Department was to “connect the U.S. History course back to our students’ community and region by showing them how this larger national story reflects in Manhattan and in Westchester,” noted History Department Chair Chris Loomis.

Photos by Annika Duggan ’26, Jennifer Swan and Vladimir Klimenko

“When we went to Philipsburg Manor, it really took what we learned in the classroom and brought it to life. It helped me understand how what we learned in the class applied to our local area. Something that stood out to me was the mill. We didn’t really talk about colonial technology, but I thought this was super advanced for the time, especially the way it used water and different gears.”

SOPHIE HUANG ’26

“The walking tour of the Lower East Side was maybe the most interesting part of the two trip days. Although it didn’t show anything grand or spectacular, we saw a very cohesive story at every turn. The thing that remained with me was when we were on Wall Street and saw the markers left in the ground where the original wall was built. It shows that New York was once not a great financial powerhouse but faced a different reality: they had to build a wall to keep out the invaders, especially the British.”

JAMES DEVEREUX ’26

Casten Trip –Tanzania Travel

There is nothing more powerful than seeing the passion for learning that makes students come alive. Whether it is advocating to change the narrative around classical music or developing an innovation module, Hackley students are putting their learning into action. This March, six Hackley students traveled on a Casten trip to a Global Impact Conference in Tanzania to deepen their understanding of social innovation and sustainability. While there, students shared how their unique experiences have shaped the kind of impact they want to make in their community and in the world.

“The value and insight of speaking about global issues, such as empowering women with disabilities, natural conservation, mentorship, innovation and social change, with people of different backgrounds is incredibly valuable, and it inspired me to pursue a role in mentorship. … I will be partnering and working with Neighbors Link over the summer to work closely with students of lower economic backgrounds and provide academic support.”

DYLAN GAVIRIA ’26

Photos by Carolyn Enow-Pluchino, Michael Bass and Willie Teacher

CASTEN TRIPS

Created in 2000 through the generosity of the Casten family, Hackley’s Casten Trips support global education opportunities for Upper and Middle School students and faculty. Each year, small groups of students and faculty travel to destinations as diverse as Japan, Malawi, Peru, Denmark and Cuba, where they engage in cultural immersion, service and other experiences as defined by each trip’s mission. In Denmark, for example, students explored the nation’s transformative work in sustainability as well as its leadership in design, while students traveling to Cuba explored the texture of post-Soviet Cuba in the wake of the shift in U.S.-Cuba policies. Program funding supports faculty participation and also provides grants that assure that students on financial aid can participate, consistent with Hackley’s commitment to an inclusive community.

If you are interested in supporting Hackley’s educational travel programs, please contact Director of Advancement John Gannon P ’21 at jgannon@hackleyschool.org or Major Gifts Officer John Halpin at jhalpin@hackleyschool.org.

“The freedom Hackley gives students to explore interests beyond the classroom is a stepping stone for community engagement in the global context. For example, one student who became interested in Hackley’s Pollinator Club is identifying ways in which pollinators contribute to sustainable honey production and economic empowerment for women in Tanzania. Their ability to build out reflections from their own life experiences is a testament to the academic program at Hackley that encourages both self-reflection and personal growth.”

LOWER SCHOOL TEACHER AND TANZANIA TRIP COORDINATOR AND CHAPERONE CAROLYN ENOW-PLUCHINO

Casten Trip –Galapagos Exploration

The intertwining of geological, ecological and human histories that occur on the Galapagos Islands have made them one of the most fascinating places on Earth. The world first heard about the Galapagos nearly 500 years ago; over that time, many different people have influenced the islands — pirates, whalers, fishermen, colonists, scientists and tourists, to name a few. The islands’ popularity comes with serious consequences for the flora and fauna there. But to understand the history of the islands is important to ensure better decisionmaking for the future.

This past spring, Hackley Middle Schoolers had the unique opportunity to channel their inner biologists and explore these fascinating islands through a scientific lens. Students focused on the incredible biodiversity each of the different islands has to offer, detailed their findings and compared their observations to those of Charles Darwin. They learned how the islands developed over millions of years and discovered many geological features unique to the archipelago. They also participated in conservation efforts to help maintain the islands’ ecological integrity and experienced the local culture of the Galapagos, as well as that of Quito, Ecuador, gathering a sense of the people who live there and seeing the islands through their eyes.

Photos by Kristyn Polucha, Trevor Ogden and Anne Weissenberger

“Thank you to the Casten family for supporting my dream of visiting the Galapagos Islands. It was truly surreal to see so many exotic animals — including the blue-footed booby, massive tortoises, frigate birds, lava gulls, sea lions, iguanas, crabs, sea turtles, colorful fish and hummingbirds. Not just that, but I was able to make so many new friends during this trip. I hope to be able to pay this forward someday.” AARON K. ’29

Global Context Course – America’s National Parks

People come from all over the world to see America’s national parks and experience their unique beauty and biodiversity. But what exactly defines a national park and how are they established? This process is complex, and there is much discussion to be had on the politics behind the parks and why the designation is so important for conservation efforts.

In the biology-focused Global Context Course “America’s National Parks,” students explored these topics while developing outdoor stewardship skills and learning Leave No Trace Principles. Through research and presentations this spring, students gained an understanding of these fragile ecosystems and how to enjoy national parks in safe and environmentally responsible ways. The course culminated in a spring break trip to Joshua National Park and Channel Islands National Park, where students examined the key resources of both parks and their endemic flora and fauna.

Photos by Tessa Johnson, Glenn Hasslinger, Merideth Maddox and students.

“This trip was full of so many amazing experiences, like going sea kayaking and seeing three humpback whales on our way to the Channel Islands! But some of my favorite memories are just sitting around the campfire eating s’mores and playing games that really helped us get to know everyone just a little bit better. Not only games, but Ms. Johnson and I convinced ourselves that we would see humpback whales and it worked — we did!

CHARLIE HEIM ’27

“This National Parks trip was definitely one of the highlights of this school year, as well as one of my favorite trips that I have taken. My favorite parts about this trip were meeting the naturalist in Joshua Tree, going sea kayaking with an amazing guide who explained to us the rich history of the Channel islands, and all of the hikes that we went on. It was a really special experience, and I’m glad that I was able to learn a lot about the plants and animals of both parks, but also become closer with my teachers and classmates during this trip. Our big white van will always hold a special place in my heart.”

MAI MALKIEL ’27

“The experiences on this trip are some that I will never forget! I really enjoyed hiking, kayaking, camping and visiting two of the most amazing National Parks. But, most of all, I loved how by the end of the trip, we all felt like one big family. The friendship we all have with each other now is definitely my favorite part of taking the trip.”

ANNABELLA MANCINI ’27

The Privilege of the Outdoors

by Cassandra Stand ’24

There were a lot of experiences that led me to take the America’s National Parks class this year, and many centered around my lack of travel when I was younger. I rarely left NYC, barely knew what was within the city itself, and had no money or foster parents interested in traveling with me until I started living with my family now. Because if there’s one thing Stands are passionate about, it’s travel.

I used to be pretty scared about traveling, and I worried I’d be judged or get hurt because all I knew were stereotypes and all I’d heard about were horrible things happening to people who strayed too far from home. I still remember being shocked about not questioning whether or not I “belonged” the first time I went to the MET and to Teatown Nature Reserve and on road trips out west. Getting to do that for the first time and sharing those experiences with my family really made me grateful and curious about the other things I could explore. Camping and seeing amazing places both in and out of New York with my family led me to feel confident about going out and doing nature-related activities on my own. My Hackley classes have also inspired me.

My Advanced Forest Ecology Research class (taught by the incredible Ms. Tessa Johnson) exposed me to the native flora and fauna of Hackley and the wider New York State. I was amazed at how much diversity there is in the plant and animal life here — I never really stopped to look at and appreciate a tree before AFER. It felt good to be able to name trees off the

“We might not all have the time or means to travel halfway across the country to go to a national park, but we do have the ability to appreciate what we have around us.”

top of my head, and it felt empowering to collect samples and really be in nature.

Each AFER upperclassman is connected with one or two kindergarteners to go on nature walks and do ecology-related activities with. My kindergarten buddy was Charlotte. I remember running around with her through the woods and watching the look on her face when she found something she’d never seen before. Having my buddy to share my enthusiasm about exploring nature with gave me a sense of purpose.

The desire to learn new outdoor skills and share my own knowledge with others influenced my choice in summer jobs. The summer of 2022, prior to my junior year, I worked at Soundview Park in The Bronx learning how to do park maintenance and helping local volunteers plant trees and do other field work. It’s where I learned how to use iNaturalist (an incredibly cool app that lets you identify plants, animals and their sounds through a vast database), and it gave me the tools to learn and explore on my own.

While taking AFER my junior year, I had the opportunity to apply for a job doing park maintenance as a part of the Van Cortlandt Park Alliance in

The Bronx. Given my love of the class and getting my hands dirty, I went for it and asked Ms. Johnson to write me a letter of recommendation. And I got the job! The summer of 2023 was incredible, and I was with a lot of other smart kids who love the outdoors.

All of these experiences led me to choose the National Parks class now in my senior year. I was also excited because I would be able to share a class with my brother, Osiris, and get to visit a state I had never been to during a spring break class trip!

In the class, we created and presented PowerPoints about certain plants and animals at Joshua Tree and the Channel Islands so we would be familiar with them during our trip, and it got us excited about helping each other find them when the time came. We also talked about the history of how national parks came to be, and how this resource we can appreciate today came out of the systematic theft of thousands upon thousands of acres of native land. We learned about the Leave No Trace Principles and the Ten Essentials of outdoor exploration, and had really fun days where we tested out gear and outdoor skills — we learned how to pitch a tent and set up

camp stoves and water boilers, how to use fire-starting tools, and we even had a freeze-dried meal tastetesting day! Learning all of these skills was important because not only would they be useful on our trip, it also gave us the confidence to know what to do when we went on our own outdoor adventures, and it showed us that something which seems intimidating at first — like pitching a tent — isn’t all that complicated. What I loved about this National Parks trip was how we all got along with each other so well; having a small, close group of people really made it feel homey. The camaraderie was great, and we spent van rides making jokes, playing music and having a great time. I appreciated little moments like debating with Grant and Kalin, being chaotic with my brother, eating out of a coconut with Mai, laughing at the wackiness Charlie and Anabella got into, and getting to know Ms. Johnson, Ms. Maddox and Mr. Hasslinger better. This trip could not have been as great as it was without the

connection we shared, and having trips like these are a great way to break the ice and get to know people who share common interests.

Of course, I also loved all the things we got to do on our trip! I particularly enjoyed our long hikes, especially the evening one we did at The Channel Islands because it was an amazing moment of reflection and bonding between all of us. Additionally, there was the satisfaction and excitement of seeing each other and our own plants and animals and knowing what they were, especially during our 7-mile excursion at Joshua Tree. Another fun thing we got to do was visit actor, avid botanist and Hackley alum Peter Strauss ’65. His house, high on a hilltop in the city of Ojai, was stunning. There were beautiful herbs, flowers and citrus trees as far as the eye could see. He even had mini-gardens for each of the deserts of North America and for some in Mexico. Mr. Strauss and his energetic Jack Russell Terrier “ZuZu” led us

on a tour around his estate and even allowed us to pick and taste some navel oranges, blood oranges and clementines. He gleefully answered all of our questions about the different plant life around his home, and told us about how he got into botany when he was a high school student after being invited to go collect and look for plants with a group of experts. We also spent time chatting about his time at Hackley and how different it was then. (One wild fact I learned was there used to be a HUGE marathon at Hackley that all the Upper School students had to run, and it was a really big deal. He even won one year!) His generosity and enthusiasm for his hobby showed in what good care he took of his plants, and it was really inspiring to see how happy he was to share what he had learned over the years. This was a really important part of the trip because it shows how Hackley and the experiences you have here can really stay with us students, and encourage us to “go forth and spread beauty and light.”

Taking advantage of trips like these gives students a chance to push past our comfort zone, learn new skills that we can take with us for the rest of our lives, and meet amazing people that can become

great friends or inspirations. I’m so glad I got to take this class. I know the things I learned this year will lead me into trying out more ecology and outdoor adventure opportunities in college, and maybe even align with my future career. It’s been a long road to get here, and I’m glad that I could have this experience as a high school student.

Here at Hackley, we have such a privilege to create, do and experience things that so many people don’t have the chance to, so we should be grateful and take advantage of the amazing opportunities that we have. We might not all have the time or means to travel halfway across the country to go to a national park, but we do have the ability to appreciate what we have around us. Even if it’s the simple act of walking outside your home and looking at a tree, walking or driving to your nearest park, or even taking care of plants yourself, nature will be there for you.

About the Author:

Cassandra graduated Hackley School in June 2024 and is off to Rochester Institute of Technology to study physics. She hopes to continue making new friends, learning about ecology, and adventuring in the outdoors.

Peter Strauss ’65 had great things to say about his time with the National Parks students: “What an absolute delight to host Hackley students at my home. They were enthusiastic, eager, funny, curious, and just … delightful and special. Curious and enthusiastic … of course — they’re from Hackley! Kudos to Tessa Johnson for being such an inspirational and determined instructor. They are all welcome back in Ojai anytime. I kinda miss them.”

Peter is pictured here holding Zuzu alongside their new Hackley friends.

Small Acts, Big Impact

By Aisha Laspina-Rodriguez, Director of Communications

In partnership with Lower School teacher and Community Engagement Coordinator Roni Kanter

Just before a recess earlier this spring, Ms. Roni Kanter sat with a small group of Lower School children in the dining room and said, “I need help.” Those children did not pause to ask her what she needed help with, and they did not ask if helping meant that they would miss their prized recess. They simply stated, “I’ll help you,” and all eight proceeded to spend their recess counting and boxing food with Ms. Kanter for the Community Food Pantry of Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown.

Every day across our campus, children and adults learn and lead together. While subtracting their numbers and learning about plant life, Lower Schoolers are also finding ways to connect deeply with the people around them. Small acts of kindness and collaboration are the powerful moments that

shape an educational experience, build character and ultimately make us all better human beings. Roni’s experience with the Lower Schoolers during recess is just one example among many that highlight the importance of the micro-moments in a child’s school day.

The Lower School Community Engagement Team helped to run a Character Education assembly in November 2023 where they introduced students to some of the people who help make Hackley such a special community.

We’ve previously shared stories in the Hackley Review about empathy and about what it means to be in community. We have highlighted the incredible displays of public purpose across all divisions and featured moments of collaboration across all ages in varied projects to grow awareness of local partners and the challenges beyond our Hilltop. But as one colleague can often be heard saying (about many things!), “There’s layers to it.” There are layers to the ways in which character education, service-learning, community engagement and the day-to-day curriculum of math, sciences, literacy, art, music, and outdoor and physical education are all connected to fully support every child’s growth.

When we think about ‘Hackley in the world,’ we consider the ways in which our students and alumni go forth and spread beauty and light, but that work begins right here, right now. “The Community Engagement Team — Emily, Ashlin, Guillermo and I — are working toward creating a full cross-divisional experience that intersects what we had previously referred to as ‘service’ work with daily curriculum in a holistic way,” shared Roni. “Our goal is to leave the term ‘service’ behind. This is not a program or a service. Rather, it is the development of the ability and habit of mind to reflect on what ‘community’ is and explore ways to expand and truly partner with those

beyond the Hilltop. And as the Lower School community engagement coordinator, I’m working on bringing that to life in the Lower School.”

The ultimate vision, she shared, is one in which students, families, alumni, employees and our local partners all work collaboratively to uplift and help one another and explore our intellectual curiosity. “This is not a ‘service’ we are doing for others. It goes both ways. We want to live our motto of united, we help one another ”

In the Lower School, community engagement is seen most prominently during bi-monthly meetings with representatives from each of the second through fourth grade classes, character education assemblies, monthly sandwich making for the Upper School to deliver for Midnight Run, and through special projects centered on food insecurity, homelessness and mental health awareness. It began this year by looking inward with a view toward recognizing and connecting with Hackley community members whose work is often right in front of us, but can still be overlooked. Roni shared, “It was incredible to see the students’ eyes light up when they learned about the specific community members responsible for things like ensuring that the campus pathways are safe for them after snow days, keeping classroom supplies well stocked, ensuring our technology works, or coordinating their schedules so they get to go to specials.”

Lower School students count and box food collected during the annual food drive.

Recalling the start of the initiative, she noted, “The students LOVED that project — from developing the questions that the adults answered to rehearsing their lines and presenting at the Lower School Character Education Assembly. There were so many ‘oohs,’ ‘ahhs’ and ‘me toos!’ when they learned who was a former musician or former actor or current nature enthusiast. For weeks following the assembly, students, faculty and families gathered in the Lower School lobby at the bulletin board to view the names, photos and interests of the adults across campus from every walk of life.” In the past few years, there have been other such projects that in many ways were led by our ‘littles’ — as our K- 4 students are lovingly called — and Roni is excited to see this enthusiasm grow as students begin to recognize themselves as powerful community partners.

Creating opportunities for our youngest learners to observe the ways in which we are all connected to one another and to the world around us is crucial to their developing minds. Students enter

Hackley in kindergarten and learn about what it means to enter here to be and find a friend, and in the first grade, they start to consider the difference between needs and wants, what it means to be part of a community and who some of the community helpers are. This lays the foundation for students to understand that they play an important role in the community as well.

In second grade, they begin to learn about the world, including geography and culture, which primes them to learn that our humanity, and those basic needs and wants they’d learned about in first grade, can bridge great distances and differences. This becomes the backdrop for the community engagement work that may be led by their counterparts on the second floor, but which will make more sense because of it. Thus, when there is a coat drive underway, students at all levels can understand its importance because they understand the need to be warm, safe and healthy, and they understand that friends unite to help one another in this way.

Lower School students, with the help of parent volunteers, make sandwiches for the Upper School to deliver for Midnight Run.

Another example of how community engagement is integrated with curriculum took place last year, when third graders created their own “World’s Woes Project,” which stemmed from discussions about The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander. In his author’s note, Alexander dedicated his book to his daughters, wishing that they and society as a whole would accept and embrace all the world’s woes and wonders, including both the struggles of Black people and their contributions to the country. Reading the dedication inspired the students to list what they understood as ‘world’s woes,’ and Roni was amazed to hear them identify, select and consider opposing

When we think about ‘Hackley in the world,’ we consider the ways in which our students and alumni go forth and spread beauty and light, but that work begins right here, right now.

perspectives on community issues, such as deforestation, environmental pollution, disability discrimination, food insecurity and homelessness. The discussion led to them creating a writing prompt and it culminated in the students each crafting insightful five-paragraph essays for their writing curriculum and creative posters to hang in the hallway to inspire others to learn more. “We’re identifying ways to align community-building work with the scope and sequence of each curricular area and demonstrating how it might be incorporated into core lessons across all grades and divisions,” said Roni. “The goal is that the year begins with teachers as guides, but that students quickly assume leadership and carry that spirit

forward into the Middle School and beyond.”

A step in that direction was when the fourth graders on Roni’s Community Engagement Team this year signed up to cook and serve lunch at The Carver Center in Port Chester, New York. “Their parents coordinated the effort, and we all went on a Saturday morning in November. We learned about the great work of the organization, met the people who work and utilize the center, and we left with an enthusiasm to learn and do more, and we are! This integration of students and families with faculty and with local partners is what it is all about.”

As we concluded our conversation, Roni explained that our youngest learners demonstrate every day what it means to be good citizens of our community. She reminisced about a time a few years ago, during AAPI month, when her third graders, upset by recent media coverage of Asian hate crimes, made postcards that went out into the world teaching people about the amazing contributions of those of Asian American heritage; and when they wrote letters of thanks, which they mailed to the heroes on the front lines during the pandemic; and, more recently, when her fourth graders brainstormed ways in which to help the HEAL (Hackley Earth Action League) team raise awareness of a new terracycling initiative and other environmental pursuits that took place during Earth Week.

“Everyone just thinks they’re cute and little — and they are. They are adorable! But they are also at this pivotal point in their lives where they are loving and open and creative and not cynical. And in all their innocence, they see the world with clear eyes and have an ability to simply break everything down to the purest form. And the truth is, it might look like we’re teaching them, but I think it’s really the kids who are teaching us how to be better people and better global citizens.”

Insights from a Conference Experience:

A Conversation With Middle School English Teacher Ashlin Halfnight

In January, Hackley’s Community Engagement Team of Lower School teacher Roni Kanter, Middle School English teacher Ashlin Halfnight, and modern languages teachers Guillermo López-Prieto and Emily DeMarchena, who also serves as director of community engagement and service-learning, attended the Annual Conference of the National Network of Schools in Partnership in Washington, D.C. NNSP, a division of the Close Up Foundation, was created to help schools connect and share best practices and expertise in the design, implementation and improvement of high-impact public-private partnerships that expand educational opportunities for young people.

“The conference gave us time and space to not only talk amongst ourselves — our Hackley group that went — but also to interface with people who are doing this work in other spaces, other schools and in different ways,” noted Mr. Halfnight. “What I found really helpful was two things: big picture thinking and more granular kinds of engagement.”

We sat down with Mr. Halfnight to glean his key takeaways from the conference and chat about how the Community Engagement Team plans to use their learnings to continue to grow and improve Hackley’s community engagement program, particularly in the Middle School.

Q: What were some of your key takeaways from NNSP’s Annual Conference?

The breadth and depth of the conference was pretty impressive. There were two big portions of it — one with adults, primarily educators, who were presenting and discussing the ways in which their institutions engage with their

communities, and running concurrently was a studentcentered piece, which brought primarily high school kids to D.C. to identify issues, shortcomings or problems on their campuses that they could explore and for which they could then propose solutions and/or plans of action.

Middle School students baked desserts in the Johnson Center Test Kitchen after hearing a presentation by Upper School students Linnéa Boettner ’26 and Ike Shaw ’24 about food insecurity and their partnership with Art’s Kitchen in White Plains, N.Y. The event was facilitated by Upper and Middle School Community Engagement Coordinators Guillermo López-Prieto and Ashlin Halfnight, along with HPA parent volunteers.

The culmination of the conference was interesting because we got to hear from the students… the thing they wanted to identify and then how they would go back to their campuses and begin to implement whatever solutions they had highlighted. A lot of it had to do with how to stir up and excite student interest in a variety of causes or social issues that they feel passionately about.

There were conversations about how schools as institutions are leaning into engagement with their communities. People shared whole-institution strategies and theoretical ideas, and then individual teachers presented various projects that they had come up with to excite their students and get them involved with civic engagement of one kind or another.

Q: Were there any particular examples of community engagement that stood out to you?

One thing I thought was really interesting was what we heard from an individual who posited, ‘What would happen if your school disappeared tomorrow?’ This sort of hypothetical is how she approaches thinking about community engagement. Her mission has been to try to develop a private school model where the community is so interwoven with their campus and their activities that if the school disappeared, the local bakery would be affected, the local food pantry, the sports teams that use the fields, the CPR classes and innumerable other constituents. She had imagined a model where rather than high fences, fancy gates and a separation of private schools from the town or the community, there was true collaboration.

I found that kind of big-picture thinking really interesting. I began to consider ways that we’re doing a good job of that, like the Hudson Scholars program or how our students are engaging with surrounding neighborhoods and environments. And then, conversely, ways that we can do a better job and areas where there’s definitely room for growth.

In middle schools specifically, there was a conference attendee from a peer school whose approach has prioritized a long arc of engagement. Their fifth through eighth graders are picking out causes, organizations and social issues that they want to interface with for multiple years — they do research, hear from experts, sustain conversations with the organizations, identify needs, and then figure out how to put some action into place. It’s very intentional, and it’s couched in a lot of learning before putting boots on the ground.

Q: How do you think you can implement some of your learnings from the conference in your role as the Middle School representative on the Community Engagement Team?

We want to make sure that we’re moving toward that more authentic learning and understanding of not just the issues, but also the issues behind the issue — what is often termed “upstream” problems that are institutional or societal or historical. Really meaningful engagement happens when it’s contextualized and understood and deeply rooted in that awareness and learning. Otherwise we’re just running around putting band-aids on problems.

So we’re really trying to be intentional and thoughtful about a lot of this, and we’re prioritizing a longer-term systematized approach. One takeaway from the conference is that we want to have deep relationships with a smaller number of local organizations where Hackley matters to them and they matter to us. Students have more than just one inflection point with them; they might see them over the course of many years and understand more deeply not only the organization but also the issues and some of the people who are working there — prioritizing quality rather than quantity. So it’s not about, ‘We raised this much money for 17 different organizations.’ Ideally, over the course of the Middle to Upper School or across the K-12 experience, students will get to, in an authentic and thoughtful way, be involved with and challenged by these causes, organizations and social issues.

Hackley’s third annual Color Fun Run on June 2 raised funds for Westhab to help them continue their mission of addressing homelessness in Westchester County.

Hudson Scholars Student Reflection

Hackley’s Hudson Scholars is a transformative academic enrichment program elevating the educational journey of low-income middle school students from our local Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown communities, as well as that of our student-mentors. Every summer, Hackley Upper School mentors and the middle school Scholars come together on the Hilltop for four weeks of relationship-building, learning and fun. Together, they engage in activities that foster the development of a strong work ethic, character and leadership skills. This collaborative environment not only inspires creativity and confidence in our Scholars but also offers a similarly impactful experience for our mentors. Recently, Upper School students began to further enhance the Hudson Scholars experience by developing programming that aligns with their creative interests and demonstrates the unique role of Hudson Scholars as a catalyst for student reflection and growth. Here, Rowan Pedraza ’24 reflects on bringing his love and passion for learning piano to the Hudson Scholars.

Rowan Pedraza ’24 — Hudson

Scholars Piano Program

To study at Hackley is to surround yourself with peers who elevate your goals and friends who encourage you to think in new ways. As a junior, I remember learning about an array of different subjects my friends were teaching in the Hudson Scholars program. The way my friends described their experiences opened my mind to a

realization — it must be incredibly rewarding to teach something you’re passionate about learning. I found myself wondering what I might bring to this program. I was enthusiastic about teaching math, maybe English, possibly both. But then an idea emerged. What if I could teach piano, my favorite thing to learn, to Scholars?

I was certain that piano was what I wanted to bring to Hudson Scholars, but I wasn’t sure how. When I brought the idea to Mr. Sykes in the spring of 2022, he was happy to help. At the time, there wasn’t a framework in place that would allow me to just start teaching the following day. Mr. Sykes and I would have to work to establish one.

Soon, we set up logistics and identified several interested Scholars. I still remember the first day. I was nervous. It was my first experience teaching piano, but I wanted to give these three middle schoolers a really good lesson. I sketched out a lesson plan, one that would both guide me confidently and allow me to respond to the needs of each student. When I met the three Scholars, I knew very quickly that this was going to be awesome. They were so excited to learn something new — one of them had taken piano lessons before, one of them had never touched a piano, but all three Scholars were thrilled to be at this piano lesson right after their full day of school.

While working with the Scholar who hadn’t touched a piano before that day, I introduced to him the concept of a scale. I described an idea that sparks my imagination, hoping to spark his: “While playing ascending notes, imagine building a tower out of blocks — a tower of sound, built out of each note on top of the one before it.” However fundamental scales are as a concept, building a seamless, beautiful tower is truly one of the most difficult tasks in music, requiring patience, concentration and careful listening. As I’ve worked with this student on building different towers, I’ve learned that the most wellbuilt ones start very quietly, close to the ground. Like my idea of bringing piano to Hudson Scholars, growth is gradual — little by little, the sound gets stronger. Not skipping steps, each note patiently follows the one before it, connecting to the one after it.

Struggling to articulate concepts I thought I

knew very well has allowed me to connect with these ideas on a deeper level. My experience of teaching crystallizes what I learn from my own teachers. Sometimes I even leave lessons with the Scholars feeling like they have taught me just as much as I’ve taught them, if not more.

The Scholars have also inspired me to be a better learner. They’ve shown me that a person can be focused, curious and truly excited about learning at any point in the journey of learning any subject.

Creating Hudson Scholars Piano has been one of my most deeply rewarding experiences at Hackley, having reinforced my passion for music and kindled a new one for teaching it.

I believe that as a program, Hudson Scholars manifests a crucial Hackley belief — that teaching and learning are not necessarily two stratified actions, but two journeys, deeply intertwined, with a synergy that has the potential to change your life.

About the Author:

Rowan graduated from Hackley School in June 2024 and is off to Dartmouth College. While he plans to study physics and philosophy, he is excited to continue with piano and hopes to teach it as well.

Scan the QR code to read additional reflections submitted this spring by Hudson Scholars student-mentors Fiona Pedraza ’26, Claire Esposito ’24 and Mason Lee ’26.

Student Clubs

Participation in student clubs plays a crucial role in enriching the educational experience on the Hilltop. These clubs offer students the chance to explore interests, develop leadership and organizational skills, and foster collaboration beyond the classroom. At Hackley, student-led clubs enhance campus life by uniting individuals with shared passions and goals, all while promoting mutual support and growth and embracing Hackley’s core values, especially “United, we help one another.”

The Hackley Lake Keepers , for example, dedicate their efforts to partnering with the Tarrytown Environmental Advisory Council (TEAC) in order to monitor the ecosystem around the Tarrytown Lakes Parkland and keep its surrounding waterways and trailways clean. Intraspectrum fosters inclusivity and understanding by focusing their efforts on raising awareness for autism in partnership with “Project Ready” — an organization that supports autistic individuals. Hackley Earth Action League strives to make Hackley a more eco-friendly place by educating students about the importance of conservation and sustainability and gradually implementing strategies for environmental conservation on the Hilltop. Soup Kitchen provides meals to those in need in the spirit of social responsibility. And there are so many more mission-driven student-led clubs. Here are a few …

AAPI Student Union

AAPI Student Union’s goal is to provide a safe and educational environment for students of the AAPI community and allies.

Active Minds

Active Minds is a national nonprofit organization that supports mental health awareness and education for young adults.

Alzheimer’s Awareness Club

Alzheimer’s Awareness Club hopes to raise awareness about Alzheimer’s Disease, the seventh leading cause of death in the United States.

Amnesty International

Amnesty International is an international organization that makes a difference on social justice issues.

Black Student Union

The Black Student Union is an organization that fosters a safe space for the Black community.

Breakfast Run

Breakfast Run brings food to various homeless shelters in NYC once every month.

Chess Club

The Hackley Chess Club fosters students’ intellectual growth while improving chess skills and strategies.

Gender and Sexuality Allied (GSA)

Gender and Sexuality Allied (GSA) is dedicated to creating an inclusive and supportive community for individuals of all genders and sexualities.

Girls Who Code

Girls Who Code is on a mission to excite girls about coding and inspire them to explore coding opportunities at Hackley.

Guiding Eyes for the Blind

This club’s mission is to help the Guiding Eye dogs on their journey.

“I run the Guiding Eyes for the Blind club with my peers Alessia Sorvillo ’25, Carly McKirgan ’25 and Donia Karandikar ’25 because it fosters a sense of community by bringing together all grades in the Upper School for a greater cause. By helping the shelter wash their dogs, we are able to get the dogs ready to be trained as a set of guiding eyes. Volunteering brings together all we have learned at Hackley, including helping one another to create an impact on those around us.”

–GIULIA SORVILLO ’25

Hackley Earth Action League (HEAL)

HEAL’s purpose is to raise awareness about environmental issues on the Hackley campus, and to take action to help alleviate these issues as much as possible.

Hackley Yogis

Yogis aims to foster a positive and fun environment for Upper School students through yoga!

Hackley Teen Task Force

This club’s mission is to expose students to a wide variety of community service opportunities and to help them find projects that they are passionate about.

“Nima Jones ’26 and I created the Hackley Teen Task Force to encourage students in our community to actively engage in volunteer work. We hold hygiene kit-making activities at school to make community service highly accessible to our members. Leading my club has helped me understand that organized community efforts have a tremendous impact on those we serve.”

–SOPHIE HUANG ’26

Hearts and Homes for Refugees

Hearts and Homes for Refugees shares awareness of the global displacement crisis and aims to encourage the Hackley Community to offer support and open arms.

Intraspectrum

Intraspectrum targets the support of autistic individuals.

“From an early age, I fostered a connection with children with autism by teaching them the Rubik’s Cube and exposing them to their cognitive experiences. This personal involvement inspired me to take a further step at high school, where I founded the autism support club, IntraSpectrum, to raise awareness and offer assistance within the community. IntraSpectrum became a platform for fostering understanding and inclusivity, reflecting my commitment to neurodiversity advocacy.”

–ETHAN DENG ’26

Jewish Affinity and Culture Club

The Jewish Affinity and Culture Club celebrates Jewish culture and provides a safe space for Jewish students to meet and talk about their culture.

Hackley Lake Keepers

The Lake Keepers partner with the Tarrytown Environmental Advisory Council (TEAC) to monitor the ecosystem around the Tarrytown Lakes Parkland.

“Many members of the Hackley Community (such as students, faculty and sports teams) have used the Tarrytown Lakes parkland and trails, as it is so close to the Hilltop. The Hackley Lake Keepers was created to host seasonal cleanups throughout the year by recruiting volunteers to collect trash around the lakes. We do this to partner with the Village of Tarrytown (specifically the Tarrytown Environmental Advisory Council [TEAC]), to help preserve the environment, to give back to the community and to keep the area clean, as it is frequently littered with a lot of trash.”

Model United Nations

Model United Nations aims to expose students to the world of Model UN and engages students in conversations about the wider political, cultural and diplomatic world.

Morgan’s Message

Morgan’s Message is a national organization that strives to eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health in the student-athlete community.

One Love @ Hackley

The One Love at Hackley club is part of the One Love foundation, a national non-profit organization dedicated to ending relationship abuse.

Outdoors Club

The Hackley Outdoors Club aims to bring members of the Hackley Community into the outdoors in a safe, welcoming and educational environment.

Pollinator Club

Pollinator Club’s mission is to bring pollinators to the Hackley campus, as well as educate people about the importance of pollinators in our ecosystem.

SASA

The mission of the South Asian Student Association is to bring together the South Asian community at Hackley.

Soup Kitchen

Soup Kitchen supplies meals to families in the Westchester area (White Plains).

“Leading Hackley Soup Kitchen has been an amazing experience because it allows me to truly make a difference in the lives of people from my community. Having learned about the poverty issues, such as food insecurity, found across Westchester in class and then being able to be a part of the solution is very eye-opening. I love this position because I get to take the skills I learned at Hackley, such as Spanish, and use them in real situations when communicating with people, creating a real connection between what I learn in the classroom and the real world.”

–LINNÉA

Students Demand Action

Students Demand Action is a national organization that advocates for bipartisan gun laws and gun safety in schools.

Students for Reproductive Health Rights

The Trail Keepers club focuses on spreading awareness on the barriers those in the United States encounter when it comes to seeking reproductive health care.

Trail Keepers

The Trail Keepers club focuses on rehabbing a few trails and some other exciting large-scale projects, all while getting outside and helping our Hackley Community.

–MASON LEE ’26 AND THE HACKLEY LAKE KEEPERS

BOETTNER ’26

AP SPANISH STUDENTS HAVE BEEN CONDUCTING A LETTER-WRITING CAMPAIGN TO ADDRESS POVERTY’S EFFECTS ON EDUCATION?

AS A PART OF THEIR SERVICE-LEARNING component this year, Dr. Avraham Sosa-Velasco’s AP Spanish Language and Culture students have been studying poverty and its effects on education both globally and locally. They researched how poverty affects the Spanish-speaking world and then took a closer look at its effects in the United States and Westchester County, in particular. Earlier this year, students made a PSA, watched the documentary “The Harvest/La cosecha” (2010) by director Robin Romano, and wrote a letter in Spanish to New York Governor Kathy Hochul where they reflected on the impact of poverty in education and child labor in our state. Students also offered suggestions on how to solve the issue and how to educate the public about it.

A few months later, students continued their outreach campaign and wrote and sent letters to the United Nations Permanent Missions in different countries of the Spanish-speaking world. The students researched current events, paying particular attention to issues related to poverty and its effects on education, as well as sustainability in the different countries. They shared with U.N. officials their suggestions on how to solve the problems and educate the countries’ people about the issues. They even heard back from some missions!

AP Spanish students also had the opportunity to hear from Raimi Ade-Salu from the Robin Hood Foundation and Ciara Mulligan from Feeding Westchester — two of the local nonprofit organizations that AP Spanish classes partnered with this year. Students asked questions about the nonprofits and explored different ways that they will be able to contribute to the work of these organizations in New York City and Westchester County.

Students also had the pleasure of meeting Thomas Ridges, executive assistant district attorney for investigations at the Richmond County District

Attorney’s Office. Mr. Ridges also sits on the board of directors for HelpUSA, a nonprofit organization that assists homeless civilians and military veterans with transitional housing. He spoke about the importance of education in the fight against poverty and about his own personal journey.

In class, students had the opportunity to discuss and reflect on these experiences.

DID YOU KNOW…

HACKLEY’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER, THE DIAL, HAS HAD AN AWARD-WINNING YEAR?

IN MAY, THE DIAL WAS AWARDED A GOLD MEDAL from the Columbia University Scholastic Press Association for its 2022-2023 edition. The Dial entered the competition as a “hybrid” publication, meaning that it was judged and recognized for excellence in both print and online coverage. As part of the critique that came with the award, the judges praised the Dial for its inviting design, clear journalistic writing and careful editing.

This achievement reflects the efforts of outgoing Editors-in-Chief Maura McGlarry ’24, Ashley Currie ’24 and Annabel Hardart ’24; newly appointed Editors-inChief Rebecca Ingles ’25, Charlie Perlman ’25 and Sejal Virk ’25; the rest of the Dial staff; and advisors Upper School history teacher Michael Bass and Upper School computer science teacher Anne Budlong.

And earlier this year, two Dial articles — “Innocence Project Speaker Shabaka Shakur Rivets Upper School Students at Roundtable” by features/sports editor Charlie Perlman ’25 and “Academics in Action: PostAP Spanish Takes Service-Learning Trip to Neighbors Link” by opinion editor Rebecca Ingles ’25 — received Best of SNO awards. Best of SNO showcases the best student journalism from members of the SNO (School Newspapers Online) Network.

Visit hsdial.org to read the Dial ’s coverage and to sign up for the email newsletter. You can also follow the Dial on Facebook and Instagram.

The Dial often highlights the impactful work Hackley students are doing both on and beyond the Hilltop.

Scan the QR code to read the Dial’s profile of recent alum Massimoto Soto ’23 and his work to champion social justice through photography and videography.

DID YOU KNOW…

ISRP STUDENTS PRESENTED THE CULMINATION OF THEIR HARD WORK OVER THE PAST TWO TO THREE YEARS AT THE WESTCHESTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING FAIR (WESEF) AND THE NY STATE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING FAIR (NYSSEF)?

HACKLEY STUDENTS WON A TOTAL OF 14 AWARDS, including two finalist spots for the International Science and Engineering Fair.

More than 700 student science research projects from the region presented their research at the nation’s largest regional science fair, WESEF, on March 16. Nine students from Hackley’s ISRP participated — juniors Matthew Gluckman, Vivek Malik, Jimmy Mulosmani and Alicia Zhu, and seniors Allison Chin, Remi Myers, Sam Nadol, Eliza Podvalny and NJ Roc-Sennett.

Juniors Matthew Gluckman, Vivek Malik and Alicia Zhu, and seniors Aniketh Arvind and NJ Roc-Sennett also qualified to present their work with 175 other students at the Lightning Round of the New York State Science and Engineering Fair (NYSSEF), held on March 25.

Additionally, Hackley senior Katherine Chen joined approximately 250 students from around the country to present her investigation on evading natural immunity to better deliver therapeutics for genetic diseases at the National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium. Her poster won second place in the category of Biomedical Sciences. In order to qualify for this fair, Katherine won first place at both the regional and state level JSHS. On Feb. 28 and 29, she presented her work at the state level Junior Science and Humanities Symposium. She qualified for the state level symposium on Jan. 20 by placing first in her room at the regional Westchester-Rockland Junior Science and Humanities Symposium, in which more than 250 students from around the region participated. Katherine again won first place in her room at the state level symposium, Her project was one of the top five (out of 43) in the state, and she earned a spot to present a poster at the National Symposium from May 1 to 4.

ISRP is a three-year program designed to give students first-hand experience in conducting research and the opportunity to experience real-world scientific discoveries. Students accepted into the program spend each summer after sophomore and junior years working closely with research scientists to conduct selfdesigned experiments in academic, medical or industrial labs. The program culminates with students submitting their results to regional, national and/or international science and engineering fairs.

Want to know more about the Independent Science Research Program?

Scan the QR code to read an article by Upper School science teacher and ISRP coordinator Dr. Andrew Ying, written for the Summer 2021 edition of the Hackley Review

DID YOU KNOW…

HACKLEY RUNS SEVERAL ECOLOGICAL STUDIES THROUGHOUT EACH YEAR — MANY OF WHICH HAVE BEEN COLLECTING DATA FOR MORE THAN A DECADE?

“WE STARTED THESE STUDIES BECAUSE ONE OF THE great things about ecology versus some of the other sciences is that you could do citizen science, where you set a protocol and then anyone can participate in collecting the data,” noted Upper School science teacher Tessa Johnson.

One of Hackley’s first such studies was the Salamander Project , which Ms. Johnson adapted for the Hackley Forest from a National Park salamander study. Advanced Forest Ecology Research (AFER) students partner with their kindergarten buddies to check the 100 cover objects outside and the 100 cover objects inside the deer exclusion zone. AP Biology and biology students sometimes help too, since all 200 cover objects need to be looked at in one day. Students measure the salamanders they find using digital calibers and also record weather conditions and other environmental factors. Data is collected twice a month in the fall and spring so as not to disturb the salamanders too much.

For the water quality study, students run tests on oxygen, nitrates, alkalinity, pH, temperature and depth in Deer Pond and Peeper Pond (formerly Salamander Pond). They also measure the circumference by walking around the ponds and then measuring how many footsteps in a meter. The study has run for about 12 years, and students have collected a lot of data, as it is collected every week or every other week in the spring.

The leaf pack study, while similar to ones conducted in streams by other ecology labs, is unique at Hackley.

“I don’t really know of too many studies that have been doing it in vernal pools, so it makes our study kind of cool that we have this data,” noted Ms. Johnson. The study looks at the macro invertebrates that collect on leaf packs in the pools for two to three weeks and find such organisms as dragonfly larvae, caddisfly larvae and worms. Hackley students typically let the leaf packs sit for a month and get data in April and May each year. AFER students and their kindergarten buddies, as well as the Lower School’s afterschool Nature Club, count the bugs.

The Cornell Project Feeder Watch study was brought to Hackley by former science teacher Andy Retzloff, who learned that at Cornell, you can enter

your bird feeder data in a nationwide database. So, from November to March, students go out to note the bird diversity they see in the Hackley Forest, which, according to Ms. Johnson, has been pretty consistent over the years.

The percent tree regeneration study looks at how the forest is regenerating both inside and outside the three-acre deer exclusion zone. There are ten 15-meter transects in both areas. Students count the number of small trees in a meter on either side of the transect line and also note any forbs. There are a much greater number of trees regenerating inside the deer exclusion zone and much more native tree diversity. Normally this study would be done in the spring, but AFER is mostly seniors and they leave for senior projects in the spring, so the study is completed in the fall.

The newest study, started this fall, is part of the Great Sunflower Project and involves counting the number of pollinators in the Hackley Orchard. “We’re going to fix it up and then probably start entering data next year,” Ms. Johnson said. “Sometimes with some of the projects it takes a season to figure out the data sheet and how you can have it be foolproof. Because if there’s a problem with it, the students will find it.”

DID YOU KNOW…

FIRST GRADERS ARE RAISING AWARENESS AROUND TWO ENDANGERED ANIMALS IN NEW YORK STATE AND COMING UP WITH SOLUTIONS TO HELP THEM?

FIRST GRADE TEACHER NICOLE D E NINO USED AN iGrant last summer to build on a project-based learning professional development she took several years ago and bring an exciting new project to her first grade class.

“I had this idea of trying to create an extension of the Animal Research Project,” Ms. DeNino shared. The Animal Research Project is an interdisciplinary experience for first graders. Science teacher Heather Gold teaches them about habitats, prey and predators, and they select local animals that are within the New York State area to learn more about. Then Lower School librarian Anna McKay teaches them research skills and they use PebbleGo to learn how to take notes. And then the classroom teachers continue the project in Writers’ Workshop, where students write about and illustrate their animal.

After looking into what kinds of animals would be near endangered or endangered in the New York State area, Ms. DeNino found two: the eastern mud turtle and the redheaded woodpecker. “I used Book Creator to create two books for each animal. They have videos and I recorded myself reading them and I added little pictures just to make it a little bit easier to understand, because it’s so much information that they have to learn.” The books Ms. DeNino created discussed the animals’ habitats, diets and locations. Students used the skills gleaned from their interdisciplinary project to conduct research and discuss the problem these animals are facing, why they are becoming endangered and what possible solutions there are to help them.

The project kicked off with a visit from Upper School science teacher Regina DiStefano as the resident expert. Ms. DiStefano introduced the idea of what endangered means and what environmental conservationists do to help protect wildlife. Students also heard from Farmer Andrew at Hilltop Hanover Farm on how the farm uses sustainable farming methods, a possible solution to helping the red headed woodpecker, which is affected by pesticides from farming.

To share their research and spread the message about these animals and how to help protect them, students created commercial PSAs from the point of view of their animal and shared them with the people who helped them throughout their project. They also wrote descriptions of the problem their animal faces and created three-dimensional models of a possible solution.

“The whole point of the project-based learning projects is that they 1) hear from experts like Ms. DiStefano and Farmer Andrew and then 2) we invite those people back to look at students’ final work, and then also that their work has a purpose. So, if we could place their commercials somewhere where real people would look at it and raise awareness for the plight of these animals, that would be amazing,” noted Ms. DeNino.

DID YOU KNOW…

UPPER SCHOOL HISTORY TEACHER AND DIRECTOR OF DEBATE STEVE

FITZPATRICK HAS BECOME THE HILLTOP’S RESIDENT GENERATIVE AI EXPERT?

MR. FITZPATRICK RECEIVED AN iGRANT LAST summer to explore all facets of generative AI and its implications for teaching and learning. By his own account, he has “experimented and signed up for almost every AI tool publicly available, spending many hours playing with a variety of platforms and software.”

“I’ve extensively researched the merits and perils of generative AI through blog posts, books and academic papers. I’ve taken multiple online and in-person courses and AI workshops run by teachers, college professors and business experts,” Mr. Fitzpatrick added.

During a professional development day in November, he shared with Hackley faculty his insights and demonstrated some of the most common-use cases and popular AI tools available, including text generation, image generation and presentation generation.

To learn about Mr. Fitzpatrick’s three major takeaways on generative AI, scan the QR code to read his article “Navigating the Future: The Role of Generative AI at Hackley” on Hackley Perspectives

Image generated by Mr. Fitzpatrick using artificial intelligence site ChatGPT-4.

HACKLEY’S MIDDLE SCHOOL COMMUNITY EMBARKED ON A COLLABORATIVE POETRY PROJECT THIS FALL?

INSPIRED BY THE POEM “SMALL KINDNESSES” BY Danusha Laméris and the three-way collaboration between Laméris, the New York Times and more than 1,300 teenagers from around the world, the Middle School worked together on its own “Small Kindnesses” poetry project, coordinated by English teacher Ashlin Halfnight. Students, faculty and families submitted single lines that described small kindnesses — something they appreciate, a generous interaction they witnessed, an act that brightened their day; those moments and interactions that add a little decency, love, respect or joy to the world.

The lines were reviewed and compiled into six different, but related, collaborative poems that spoke in the voice of each constituency and collectively shined a light on these often overlooked moments of humanity and grace. The pieces, which were displayed outside the Middle School Office, highlighted the tiny gestures and actions that are worth recognizing and celebrating as we move forward to spread beauty and light, both on and off the Hilltop.

DID YOU KNOW…

HACKLEY ROUND SQUARE STUDENT DELEGATES ARE COLLABORATING CLOSELY WITH PEER SCHOOLS ACROSS THE NORTHEAST ON STUDENT-LED DISCUSSIONS YEAR ROUND?

ON APRIL 6, HACKLEY ROUND SQUARE DELEGATES joined their peers from Trevor Day School, The Hotchkiss School and Nightingale-Bamford at the Nightingale-Bamford School to discuss their membership in the international organization and the ways in which their respective schools live up to the Round Square IDEALS — internationalism, democracy, environmentalism, adventure, leadership and service. Together, they brainstormed how they can encourage schoolwide engagement with the program. Hackley students noted that they would like to see Round Square become more deeply ingrained in school culture and that they’d like to raise awareness about the program so that the community has a deeper understanding of what Round Square is as a whole. Students then listened to peer presentations about the current issues facing migrants coming to New York City and discussed ways they can help, including raising awareness and volunteering. The group noted that help takes shape in various ways and together came up with six ideas:

• “We can offer services to nonprofits working in this space.

• We can ensure we are knowledgeable about what’s going on because there’s a lot of disinformation in our communities.

• We can change the conversation about the migrant community.

• We can be kind to and humanize migrants, especially in our neighborhoods, and treat them with respect.

• We can donate books to local libraries and make sure that every social program is well-stocked and well cared for.

• We can donate to public schools because these institutions struggle to afford materials.”

One Hackley student left the group with more to think about: “When there’s no federal funding, social programs are cut. So, what can we do with our education and what we’ve been given and the resources we have to support others? What kind of people do we want to be? How can we be influential to help make change?”

After the discussion, the group visited the Little Shop of Kindness, where they put their words into action and worked together to pack approximately 200 hygiene kits that would then be distributed to migrants arriving in New York City in the spring.

Round Square is a consortium of more than 150 independent schools around the world that share a commitment to discovering the world and making a difference. Through this membership, Hackley students and faculty are able to participate in a wide range of travel, exchange and hosting opportunities.

Scan the QR code to read “Global Education: What We Learn by Traveling Around the World” on Hackley Perspectives, where contributor Basil Kolani, Director of Academic Affairs, reflects on Hackley’s Global Education program and the September 2023 Round Square trip to Africa.

End Note

DR. CYNDY JEAN, P ’34, ’36 ASSOCIATE HEAD OF SCHOOL

It is an exciting (and often terrifying) time to be a teenager. As young people navigate their daily lives, they become accustomed to the facility of access to new ideas, new cultural trends, and new ways of thinking made possible by technology and world travel. With this access comes the thrill of new opportunities available to our Hackley students. This year, many of our students took domestic and international trips that connected them to national parks, world renowned golf courses and historic cultural sites. Our students engaged in more service work — often leading many of their own projects — and represented Hackley at various conferences and academic competitions. Their learning took place in and beyond the classrooms, and employees across the School supported the projects that became wellsprings of joy and passion for our students.

As the global reach for our students becomes shorter by virtue of technology and travel, the challenges and complex questions they encounter become more present in their daily lived experiences. The conflict in the Middle East this year brought upon us a more acute awareness of humanity, as students read online comments and saw videos tainted with antisemitic and Islamaphobic rhetoric. Like many adults in our community, many of our students became keenly aware that hatred poisons college campuses, and in some cases, our own backyards. The fear and confusion across our community feels palpable. It is always hard to see our students struggle, and the motivation to help them

develop the tools necessary to navigate these challenges becomes more urgent. It is for this reason that our curricular and co-curricular programs are essential to our mission in caring for students. Because Hackley believes we have a place in a more global context, the Global Education Team curates an incredible list of offerings for student travel and exchange. Additionally, our endowed lecture series affords us the privilege of bringing in experts and alumni to campus to broaden our students’ worldview. Experiential learning opportunities provide our students with opportunities that help them form new ways of thinking and to grow in varying perspectives. From Lower School sandwich

making, Middle School Round Square Conferences, Upper School volunteer opportunities, and special schedules that allow for such programs as International Holocaust Remembrance Day or visits from distinguished professors like Professor Akhil Amar, our students are exposed to the new vocabulary, ideas and skills they need to more confidently enter a world beyond the walls of Hackley School.

Our standard of care for our students is measured by how well they are prepared academically, socially and behaviorally to engage as critical thinkers and leaders. The incremental moments of learning, or what I like to call “micro-moments,” that take place in the classrooms or in club meetings allow students to develop new passions that inspire them to live our mission and move boldly into the world. And as Hackley students step out into the world as high school graduates, we celebrate their return to the Hilltop as alumni and welcome the chance to work with them as guest speakers, mentors and parents.

The word “autotroph” is used in biology to categorize plants that are “self-nourishing.” This word comes to mind when I think of the relationship

between what our students acquire in the classroom and how they choose to leave a mark on the world. When our graduates move out into the world and elect to return to the Hilltop to share their gifts with current students, that “autotrophic” experience benefits adults, students and alumni alike. Our responsibility to provide the resources and tools for students to tackle the challenging questions benefits not only the global world in which they will become citizens, but it also benefits the current students in our care, particularly the younger ones looking for indications of who they might become in the future.

The micro-moments in the classroom and the big experiences beyond the Hilltop are defining moments for our students in character and intellect. When I think of Hackley in the world, I think of the impact our students leave on others, the choices and actions they take to bring about positive and meaningful change to their communities. I also think about their willingness to be open to new ways of thinking. What a tremendous privilege to witness it all begin to unfold as an educator at Hackley. Our students’ talent, passion and drive certainly give me hope for a brighter and more unified future.

When I think of the countless magical moments that go on inside and outside our classrooms, thanks to our faculty and staff, and the impact our students and alumni have on our community and the world, which I think of as disproportionate to our numbers, I am so proud to be a member of the Hackley Community.

— JOHN GANNON P ’21, DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT

CENTER FOR THE CREATIVE ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY UPDATE

We have made great progress with the construction of the Center for the Creative Arts and Technology — heating and air conditioning systems are installed, walls are up, concrete is poured and floors are polished, and the exterior brickwork is complete with new glass panels. With more than 120 people on site each day, the construction crews have been working multiple shifts, six days a week in order to give us the best chance of opening early in the fall. The new Center will be crucially important to the life of our School as it will not only affirm our belief in the power of the performing arts, visual arts and computer science, but it also will serve as our main community space for assemblies and gatherings — spaces where shared experiences and traditions will flourish.

There are naming opportunities available for rooms and spaces in the Center, and if you are interested in supporting the School in this manner, please reach out to Director of Advancement John Gannon P ’21 at jgannon@hackleyschool.org to learn more.

Scan the QR to read recent Hackley Review coverage of the Center for the Creative Arts and Technology.

Hackley is celebrating our 125th anniversary during the 2024-2025 school year! Stay tuned for more details about this yearlong celebration.