Upper School

Upper School Welcome

Hackley Upper School students may best be described as "engaged" -- working closely with teachers and peers within a challenging and diverse curriculum that balances required courses with elective offerings. Our community’s larger values also contribute to the vibrant and enriching academic experience.
Hackley Upper School students exhibit an enthusiasm for learning, a curiosity about their school work and the wider world, and an eagerness to ask challenging questions of their teachers, their classmates and themselves. Our students learn that asking questions and seeking out assistance in order to gain a deeper understanding of their coursework is a sign of academic strength, not a sign of weakness.

The values of the broader Hackley community are also central to the academic life of the Upper School. We encourage a culture of respect and integrity. The words most frequently chosen by Upper School students when asked to describe Hackley are “Community,” “Friendly,” and “Home.” As one of our recent graduates remarked, “It’s cool to care at Hackley.”

Andy King
Upper School Director
     
     

News

List of 12 news stories.

  • Dr. Gillian Stewart '94 returned to the Hilltop to speak with ISRP and Chemistry students.

    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.
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  • Jen Hubert Swan, Library Department Chair

    Hackley Perspectives: How Books Can Reignite Our Imaginations

    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.
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  • Twelve ISRP students presented their research at the Regeneron Westchester Science & Engineering Fair

    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.
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  • Melissa Tranchida P ’34, ’36, ’37, Computer Science Department Chair

    Hackley Perspectives: Code as Canvas

    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.
  • Hackley's Ethics Bowl team: Rohan Krishna ’26, Charlie Napach ’27, Peter King ’26, Ben Iaderosa ’26, Sarah Rotenberg ’26, Macey McLane ’26 and Hailey Won ’25

    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.
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  • PostAP Spanish: Language and Culture students Maggie Yalmokas ’25, Arjun Virk ’25, Jack Magidson ’25, Fox Quattrone ’25, Annika Duggan ’26, Calliope Yannuzzi ’26 and Isaac Ahn ’26 at Neighbors Link.

    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.
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  • Members of the Middle School debate team at Dalton on Jan. 25.

    Middle and Upper School Debate Teams Compete in January Tournaments

    On Jan. 25, Hackleys 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.
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  • Hackley students were joined by groups from the Pennington School in New Jersey and the Nightingale-Bamford School in New York City for the 2nd Annual Round Square Northeast Schools Forum.

    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.
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  • Dr. Daniel Andor P ’37 (center) with ISRP and AP/Post AP Computer Science students

    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.
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  • Computer Science Students Host Inaugural Hack-a-thon in New Center

    Computer Science student Phoebe Dungca ’25 — with a group of her peers and Computer Science teachers — spearheaded Hackley’s first-ever hackathon, Hack Squared, on Jan. 11 in the Center for the Creative Arts and Technology.
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  • Josh Samuel, Assistant Director of the Lower School

    Hackley Perspectives: The Parent-Teacher Partnership – A Shared Support System

    In this month’s blog post on Hackley Perspectives, Assistant Director of the Lower School Josh Samuel shares his thoughts on the importance of the parent-teacher relationship. “At Hackley, we believe in working with parents. Parents and teachers may not always agree on every approach, but when we assume positive intent — especially during the toughest of conversations — and come to the table with open hearts and minds, the partnership is stronger for it.” Read the post here.
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