By April Williams, Physical Education Department Chair, Hackley School
“Teamwork really does make the dream work!”
Hackley challenges students to grow in character, scholarship and accomplishment; to offer unreserved effort; and to learn from the varying perspectives and backgrounds in our community and the world. Across our core values and Portrait of a Graduate, the ideals of togetherness, collaboration, friendship and character are emphasized again and again. At the center of it all is teamwork, and it resonates deeply within the Physical Education Department.
Merriam-Webster defines teamwork as work done by a group acting together so that each member contributes to the efficiency of the whole. In Physical Education, we see this definition come to life every day, not only in the gymnasium but also in how students learn to function within teams, communities and society.
Ask anyone in the Physical Education Department about the value of teamwork and they’d probably talk your ear off for hours about how teamwork fosters important life skills, such as communication, empathy, accountability and cooperation. While we strive to create physically literate individuals, we also take seriously our responsibility to support students' overall well-being. We help students develop skills sets that will support their successes as they transition from Hackley to college and beyond.
Teamwork is not a new concept. It’s been around for hundreds of years and taken many forms, yet the essence of it hasn’t really changed. Considering Merriam-Webster’s definition, one can understand how teamwork extends beyond the gymnasium and athletics fields to classrooms, labs, orchestra pits and the stage. People rely on one another to reach shared goals. The same is true in the professional world. It’s hard to imagine a surgical procedure, for example, without a surgical team working together, checking monitors, and passing devices and instruments to save a person’s life.
At Hackley, the Physical Education Department develops teamwork skills in intentional and meaningful ways, beginning as early as kindergarten. Each school year begins with a unit focused on cooperative games designed to build social skills, such as sharing, taking turns and collaborating positively with peers. Students are encouraged to recognize, acknowledge and respect the different ways their classmates contribute while learning how to work together toward a common objective. Carefully selected activities challenge students to step up, speak up and take on roles that may feel unfamiliar, all within a supportive environment.
One example is Castle Ball, also known as Hula-hut Throwdown. Classes are divided into two teams and tasked with protecting their castles, or hula-hut structures, from being knocked down by the opposing team. Students huddle to assign roles, including builders who maintain the structures, defenders who protect them from flying foam balls or strikers who attempt to knock down the opposing team’s castle. Throughout the game, teachers pause play to guide students with such questions as: What is working? What is not? Are the roles effective? Are you communicating with your teammates? Are you asking for help when you need it?
As the game progresses, something shifts. Roles begin to blend as students recognize that helping one another strengthens the entire team. Builders help defenders. Defenders help builders. Strikers help both. Communication and collaboration become a natural part of the game with some guidance from teachers but increasingly driven by the students themselves. When the activity ends, students reflect on what helped them succeed, how they can improve and what it felt like to support teammates before, during and after the game. These conversations help them connect teamwork in the gym to teamwork “off the court” and in classrooms, extracurriculars and at home.
Teamwork at Hackley is not limited to students. It is equally visible among adults across departments and divisions. Our motto, Iuncti Iuvamus, meaning “United, we help one another,” is lived out daily. When a member of the community needs help, we step up and step in. We cover classes when someone takes leave, we collaborate on outdoor learning experiences in the Hackley Forest or Orchard, and we serve as mystery readers in a kindergarten classroom. Sometimes, this also means coming together for Hackley Hacks to teach students practical life skills, such as changing a tire, doing laundry or sewing a button.
For the Physical Education Department, teamwork means jumping into the pool to help young students learn important water safety skills, or collaborating with colleagues to introduce those students to sports they are unfamiliar with, such as wrestling or squash, and learning from one another along the way. We do it here at Hackley, every day, all day. These moments reflect our shared commitment to creating a school experience that is thoughtful, supportive and exceptional.
It may not always be labeled teamwork, but that is exactly what it is. And here at Hackley, it is how we strive to build a school like no other. Teamwork really does make the dream work.
About the author: April Williams is in her fifth year as the Physical Education Department Chair at Hackley, where she teaches kindergarten and sixth grade physical education, co-coaches Middle School girls' basketball, and assists with the Varsity Softball team. Prior to joining Hackley, April served as the Director of Student and Family Affairs and later as Co-Curricular Instruction and Culture Director at Harlem Village Academy, following earlier work in the corporate fitness industry and as an assistant coach for the women’s basketball team at her alma mater, Hunter College. A former member of Hunter’s women’s basketball and softball teams, April credits those experiences with inspiring her commitment to physical education and coaching.
