Observations from Jess Hill

Thispast year, as the world turned upside down and our lives twisted with new complexities, we considered what truly mattered to us — and we clung to it. For me, that was our school community. Harpeth Hall is not simply a collection of classrooms in a cluster of beautiful brick buildings. Our school community stems from something much deeper. It is built around a sense of place, a shared purpose, a feeling of belonging, and the strength of our connections to each other and the world. We are a collection of complex individuals who hold true to the idea that girls deserve an excellent education full of possibilities, and in the hardest of times we have come to truly understand what makes community special at Harpeth Hall — the knowledge that we are here for each other. We know that our students are always better together, and our girls found new ways to connect this year. They absorbed and built on each other’s strength. They tackled their hardest subjects, worked side-by-side for presentations, and inspired each other to do more and be brave in their pursuit of excellence. When one student questioned an assumption or chose not to acquiesce to the opinion of the group, she inspired another student to do the same. Our girls and young women demonstrated how to lead confidently as part of our community. Our faculty did too. Faced with the unknown and unfamiliar, they were heroic. They learned to teach both in-person and online simultaneously. They rewrote lesson plan after lesson plan to ensure that, even in hybrid or quarantine, learning never stopped. They moved their classrooms to reimagined spaces to be physically distanced and yet intellectually connected as a class. Together, our community of faculty adapted and achieved. And then, our alumnae showed their strength. These women — a community of 5,600 strong — represent the very best of Harpeth Hall. When their alma mater needed them, they came. Our alumnae readily stepped in as teacher assistants, helping in classrooms when faculty were sick or quarantined. They joined us as school nurses, serving as the steadying force in the face of a disease that left us with more anxieties than answers. Our alumnae delivered joy in the form of notes of gratitude and treats to help fuel our faculty through the fatigue of uncertainty. And they shared with our students personal experiences as innovators, educators, and community builders near and far. All of this when so many other communities, from families to businesses to schools, were split apart this year. The gestures big and small reaffirm the significance of this place where girls thrive. The stories you will read in this issue of Hallways will inspire you and touch your heart. They will remind us what community at Harpeth Hall means and how adversity makes it grow stronger. I am reminded of Margaret Wheatley’s words during this year when many school missions have been questioned and many school communities remain fragmented, “There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about.” We care about supporting girls and young women in their growth and education throughout their unique journeys. As we emerge from this challenging year of worry, questioning, and confrontation, we have equipped ourselves with new tools, new understandings, and new reasons to stay connected. We are all different in our thoughts, opinions, and beliefs, yet our care and respect for each other are what remain at our core. And that’s what truly matters.

Jess Hill Head of School