Recent News

Hackley ROV Team Wins Best Product Demo at MATE Regional Competition, Heads to Worlds Championship in June

The submersible ROV engineering team recently competed in the 2025 Marine Aquatic Technology and Engineering (MATE) Regional competition and took home first place for best product demonstration and second place overall. The team also was nominated for and accepted to compete in the 2025 MATE Worlds Championship this June in Michigan!

Hackley Perspectives: Imagination and Cultural Connections

By Qiong (Katie) Jan, Chinese language teacher

In this month’s blog post on Hackley Perspectives, Qiong (Katie) Jan examines the role of imagination in Hackley’s Chinese language program. “In our classes, imagination flourishes through such engaging activities as making traditional foods, like dumplings, mooncakes and tanghulu, and watching cinematic masterpieces. Students actively participate in storytelling sessions, crafting their narratives inspired by folklore, debating contemporary cultural issues and collaborating on projects that explore traditional arts, such as papercutting, ink painting and origami,” she writes. “These hands-on experiences vividly immerse students in Chinese culture, igniting their curiosity and deepening their cultural understanding.” Read the post here.

Athletes of the Week – Week of May 5

Every week, the Athletics department highlights some exceptional Hackley Hornets who are helping to spur on their teams.

Hackley Sixth Grader Awarded Third Place in Robotics and Engineering at Westchester Regional Middle School Science and Engineering Fair

Sixth grader Akash K., a sixth grade student, was recognized on May 1 at the inaugural Westchester Regional Middle School Science and Engineering Fair (WRMSSEF) awards ceremony. This new regional competition is the middle school counterpart to WESEF and ISEF, the premier science fair that Hackley students have participated in through the Independent Science Research Program.

Gillian Stewart ’94 Visits Hackley’s ISRP and Chemistry Classes

Marine geobiochemist Dr. Gillian Stewart ’94 returned to the Hilltop on April 17 to speak with Independent Science Research Program and Chemistry classes. Dr. Stewart is a professor at Queens College, with a research interest in the interactions between organisms and elemental cycling, particularly in the ocean. She is also the author of a new textbook, Oceanography: An Interdisciplinary Approach, set to release this fall.

Athletes of the Week – Week of April 14

Every week, the Athletics department highlights some exceptional Hackley Hornets who are helping to spur on their teams.

Athletes of the Week – Week of April 7

Every week, the Athletics department highlights some exceptional Hackley Hornets who are helping to spur on their teams.

Hackley Perspectives: How Books Can Reignite Our Imaginations

By Jen Hubert Swan, Library Department Chair

In this month’s blog post on Hackley Perspectives, Library Department Chair Jen Hubert Swan shares her concerns about the health of our imaginations, and how books can help. “Once we realize our imaginations have been withered by social media, is it too late to resurrect our inventiveness? As a librarian who has witnessed and experienced the creative power of reading, I’m here to tell you that it’s never too late,” she writes. “Ironically, as social media has exploded, so has publishing. According to some sources, there are between 500,000 and one million new titles traditionally published each year. ... But with so many options, how do we choose? Dear reader, I thought you’d never ask.” Read the post here.

Global Education Trips Take Student Learning Beyond the Hilltop

Over Spring Break, some of our intrepid Upper Schoolers and faculty traveled far beyond the Hilltop to immerse themselves in research and the rich history, culture, sights and experiences of global locales.

ISRP Students Recognized at Regeneron Westchester Science & Engineering Fair

During spring break, 12 Independent Science Research Program students joined more than 750 students from the region to present their research at the Regeneron Westchester Science & Engineering Fair. We are so proud of our students’ dedication and hard work over the past two to three years, which culminated in presenting their projects to scientists at these fairs.

Hackley Perspectives: Code as Canvas

By Melissa Tranchida, Computer Science Department Chair

In this month’s blog post on Hackley Perspectives, Computer Science Department Chair Melissa Tranchida reflects on the artistry of computer science. “Artists exist in many capacities within the field of Computer Science,” she writes. “Whether students are digitally editing images, showcasing interactive games, exploring connections between code and graphical elements, or making decisions about a gradient within the user experience of their mobile application. In every one of these projects, the students are artists in their own right, using code as their canvas. Hackley students epitomize the joy of learning, and the art of coding is one they enroll in without checking off a graduation credit.” Read the post here.

Middle and Upper School Debaters Have Strong Showings Across Recent Competitions

Hackley’s Middle and Upper School debate teams have been busy! In February, seven Upper Schoolers represented Hackley at the National High School Ethics Bowl and 10 debaters competed in the fourth and final event of the 2024-25 HSPDP regular season. And on March 8, 27 members of Hackley’s MS debate team competed at a tournament hosted by the Fieldston School.

Athletes of the Week – Week of Feb. 24

Every week, the Athletics department highlights some exceptional Hackley Hornets who are helping to spur on their teams.

PostAP Spanish Students Lead Parent Education Workshops for Community Partner Neighbors Link

The PostAP Spanish: Language and Culture class recently completed the service component of their month-long service-learning project in partnership with Neighbors Link’s Adelante Juntos parent education program.

Athletes of the Week – Week of Feb. 10

Every week, the Athletics department highlights some exceptional Hackley Hornets who are helping to spur on their teams.

Hackley Perspectives: The Power of Kindness

By Sue Harmon, Lower School teacher

In this month’s blog post on Hackley Perspectives, Lower School teacher Sue Harmon reflects on the power of kindness. “As an educator, I have been able to weave kindness throughout the curriculum and our everyday lessons and activities. The students quickly learn to embrace a classroom where kindness, respect, and friendship are the cornerstone and expectation.” Read the post here.

Middle and Upper School Debate Teams Compete in January Tournaments

On Jan. 25, Hackley’s Middle School debate team attended a tournament at Dalton, while the Upper School team competed at Applied Tech in New Jersey for the third regular-season event of the High School Public Debate Program.

Athletes of the Week – Week of Feb. 3

Every week, the Athletics department highlights some exceptional Hackley Hornets who are helping to spur on their teams.

Hackley Hosts Second Annual Round Square Northeast Schools Forum on the Hilltop

On Saturday, Feb. 1, Hackley Round Square delegates and representative Ms. Maddox partnered with Community Engagement student-leaders and Director of Community Engagement and Service-Learning Ms. DeMarchena to host the second annual Round Square Northeast Schools Forum.

Hackley Parent Dr. Daniel Andor Speaks to Independent Science Research Program and Computer Science Students

Dr. Daniel Andor P ’37 came to the Hilltop to give a guest lecture to Hackley’s ISRP and AP/Post AP Computer Science students. During his visit, Dr. Andor discussed his career trajectory from being in a music school to studying physics for his Ph.D. dissertation and becoming a software engineer at Google.