By Rozanne Rosenberg, Assistant Director of Communications
Ask any member of the Hackley community, and they are likely to tell you that people are what make Hackley, well, Hackley. Throughout its storied 123-year history, the students, alumni, families, staff, administrators, coaches, and faculty have made this institution what it is today. It is those same people who continue to champion Hackley’s legacy.
By Aisha Laspina-Rodriguez, Director of Communications
A lot can change in a decade, and we see that in the educational, experiential and physical growth right here on our campus. In the Communications Office at Hackley, how we share stories with and about our community has also changed.
On July 1, 2023, Hackley officially welcomed the School’s 13th Head of School Charles Franklin to the Hilltop. Additionally, former Assistant Head of School for Community and Inclusivity Cyndy Jean assumed the role of Associate Head of School, and former Middle School history teacher and dean Damon Hall stepped into the position of Assistant Director of the Middle School.
By Richard Robinson, PhD, Upper School English teacher
In March 2023, a group of Upper School students and chaperones visited Rome, Florence, Venice and Milan in Italy. In this Hackley Reflections piece, Dr. Richard Robinson, Upper School English teacher and one of the trip’s chaperones, reflects on his experience traveling throughout Italy.
In this month’s blog post on Hackley Perspectives, adapted from his Chapel Talk to the Class of 2023, Director of the Upper School Andy King encourages students to find the balance between doubt and certainty by living “a life marked by confidence with perhaps a new way of thinking about confidence. The pursuit of confidence is not the eradication of doubt nor the attainment of certainty. A confident person is someone who understands their doubts and manages them enough to move from doubting to doing and from questioning to acting.” Read the post here.
Congratulations to Jenny Leffler, the recipient of this year’s Anton and Lydia Rice Inspirational Teaching Award! The award is presented each year to a member of Hackley’s faculty who, in the estimation of the Senior Class, "has lit and sustained the fire of learning and inspiration, stimulated their intellectual curiosity, and inspired them in positive ways to seize the day and grasp the challenges they will face in the years ahead."
Charles Franklin has been named Hackley's new Head of School, beginning July 1. The Board of Trustees unanimously approved the appointment of Mr. Franklin based on the recommendation of the search committee and the hundreds of survey responses and feedback received from members of the Hackley community, including faculty, staff, families, students, and alumni.
In this month’s blog post on Hackley Perspectives, Joe McDermott '14, Varsity Football head coach, writes, "I've learned that the most fulfilling part of being a coach is the hope that the discipline and perseverance my players learn from being on this team will ultimately be applied to the other areas of their lives.” Read the post here.
By Krysta Dudley ’01, P ’32, ’34, Lower School teacher
In this month’s blog post on Hackley Perspectives, Lower School teacher Krysta Dudley '01, P '32, 34, writes, "When I sit down to consider the why — why do so many people return to the Hilltop, some after decades? — there is one undeniable answer: the community and the way that it makes us feel." Read the post here.
By Tuo Liu, Modern Languages teacher, Middle School DEI Coordinator
In this month’s blog post on Hackley Perspectives, modern languages teacher and Middle School DEI coordinator Tuo Liu writes, "Art allows us to better understand each other’s experiences, not just within the Hackley community but in a global context. Art not only embodies the Hackley ethos of learning from different perspectives, but also challenges us to take risks — another key Hackley tenet.” Read the post here.
Hackley School is proud to share that we have won two InspirED School Marketers Brilliance Awards for works published on the School’s blog—Hackley Perspectives. (Click above to read the judge’s comments.)