At Hill, It’s The Path

At Hill, It’s The Path

By Leonard Shapiro

Treavor Lord, the Head of School at Middleburg’s Hill School, was attending the wedding of a former student when he ran into a couple of other young men who had been in the same class. And for one of them, it had not always been easy.

Still, he had managed to survive, and eventually thrive. “The school taught us what was important,” he told Lord that day. “It helped us learn how to do things the right way.”

Hill has been doing that since 1926, when the Junior Kindergarten through Eighth Grade school was first founded. And over the years, it has also adapted an important philosophy, best summarized as “preparing the child for the path, not preparing the path for the child.”

Photo by Dorsey DeButts

Hill Head of School Treavor Lord, Director of Enrollment Kelly Johnsonand teacher John Daum.

It’s a slogan and a concept that both Lord and Kelly Johnson, Hill’s Director of Enrollment, often talk about when they meet with the parents of prospective Hill students. And, Johnson said, they both often hear from former students that, “Hill School was always there for me. It’s where I learned the value of hard work and the effect that it can have on the rest of your life.”

“Kelly and I both meet with nearly every prospective parent,” Lord said. “It’s a little unusual, but very important. I want to be certain that we are clearly communicating what Hill’s mission and philosophy is so that families can make the right decision about whether we are the right school for their family.

“Our mission is simple – to help children grow into happy, successful adults. It’s really what all parents and good teachers want. Our program of Total Education (strong academics surrounded by meaningful participation in the co-curriculars of Music, Art, Theater, and Sports) helps to build a strong foundation for our students. They get to participate in programs they have a natural interest or passion for and, equally important, they participate in programs that might not come as easily to them. That helps them develop the character traits of determination, perseverance, and humility that will be important to them in their adult years.”

Johnson added “When the adults in a child’s life are aligned – their parents, their teachers, their extended “family” - children thrive. This partnership with parents and providing children the skills to navigate the path versus making the path easy to navigate will help children face joy, accomplishments, challenges, and setbacks, with equal enthusiasm and resolve.

Abby All, a 2016 Hill graduate and now a sophomore at Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Va., knows about struggling.

“I was in the public school system from kindergarten to third grade,” she said. “I really was struggling academically, and then my parents enrolled me at Hill, which really helped me grow.” She also found her own particular paths over the next five years. “I was exposed to so many different things—theater, art, music, sports, and that was really crucial in being able to transition to high school (Foxcroft). It showed me the importance of academics, but it was also important to do other things that will help structure who you are.

“As I got into the upper school, you also had to push yourself to succeed. But there was such an incredible support system. The people there just will not allow you to fail.”

Will Driskill’s path to get to Hill seemed almost pre-determined, if only because his mother, Lizanne, and his uncle, the late Chip White, were both graduates of the school. But he also cherished his own experience going from kindergarten all the way through eighth grade.

“The biggest thing was that, aside from the academics, you were able to participate in a wide variety of activities,” he said. “Some schools just shove things down your throat. Hill allows you to decide what you like, what your passion is, and then gives you an opportunity to make it happen.

“I was never pushed to do certain things. They guided me and helped me and eventually provided a bunch of different paths I could follow.”

Will, now 23, has taken a path since college to pursue a real estate career. And to do it in his hometown.

“Hill School helped me understand that Middleburg was a place to be loved and cherished and a place where I really wanted to be.”

Abby and Will clearly were prepared for the path at Hill, and they took it.