Hackley Review Summer 2023

A CELEBRATION OF GROWTH

HONOR A TEACHER BY MAKING A

GIFT IN THEIR NAME.

For almost 125 years, Hackley faculty have nurtured and inspired students— often forging relationships that extend beyond the Hilltop. Our campus has changed over the years, yet the core of a Hackley education remains the same. Enter here to be and find a friend. United, we help one another. Character is higher than intellect. Go forth and spread beauty and light.

The Hilltop exists today because of the contributions made by so many before us. Help continue this incredible legacy by supporting the Hackley Fund today.

Making your gift is easy!

Scan the QR code for online giving. Donate over the phone at 914-366-2631.

Or visit our website at www.hackleyschool.org/give

Editor

Aisha Laspina-Rodriguez Director of Communications arodriguez@hackleyschool.org

Photography

Primary photos by Hackley School Communications. Includes photos by guest photographers and writers.

Design

Jason Fairchild, Truesdale Group

Printing

Recycled Paper Printing, Inc.

Special thanks for editorial support goes to Communications colleagues Rozanne Rosenberg and Wade Tonken, and Advancement colleagues Teresa S. Weber and Margie McNaughton Ford ’85. Thanks also to the many Hornets who shared their time, stories, and ideas.

© Copyright 2023 Hackley School. All rights reserved.

On the cover: A mature tree is used as a symbol of ‘growth.’ The illustration depicts the original publishers of the Hackley Alumni Review in the center flanked by their readership through the generations. The miniature publications are realworld copies of past editions in chronological order.

42

The Networking Initiative

In this Q&A, Margie McNaughton Ford ’85 discusses the ways in which the Networking Initiative has grown in the last decade.

By Aisha Laspina-Rodriguez

44

A Legacy of Learning: Faculty Mentorship on the Hilltop Honoring the transfer of knowledge among faculty over the decades.

By Rozanne Rosenberg

51 Decade of Growth Reflections

Ten students reflect on Hackley over the past decade and what the future might be 10 years from now.

58

A Culture of Philanthropy

Laspina-Rodriguez

Exploring Hackley’s philanthropic roots and how philanthropy continues to impact the Hilltop today.

By Teresa Weber

62 Accreditation, Self Reflection, and Community

A look inside the School’s accreditation process.

By Diana Kaplan

———————————

66 End Note

By Chris Sheppard

“High on the Hilltop where the seasons tell their stories…” This line from Hackley’s alma mater has always resonated with me because I believe that schools are built around stories and narrative. Not only do the seasons tell their stories at Hackley, but so too do the people who learn, work, and live here.

Regardless of the grade in which a student enters, Hackley soon becomes a central part of their life’s story. It becomes their social home every bit as much as their intellectual home. And for some, whether boarders or the children of employees, it can be their literal home. On the Hilltop, students learn important lessons that stimulate academic growth and foster the development of their character. Each student leaves their imprint on the Hackley community and, in turn, each is shaped by their experiences. Evidence of these stories abound, perhaps none as visible as the commitment of our alumni to the School, returning year after year to reconnect with one another and their favorite teachers, coaches, advisors, and mentors. In these important moments, stories are told and retold, affirming the importance of shared experiences and creating artifacts of Hackley’s culture, community, and values.

Narrative exists just as strongly for the faculty, staff, and administrators who do so much for Hackley. These professionals contribute to the ongoing, ever-changing story of the School through their work, while simultaneously allowing Hackley to become part of their life story. They provide years, sometimes decades, of loyal service, educate their children here, live here with their families, and offer unreserved effort to make Hackley a better place. The School’s history is filled with legendary figures, many of them adorning the hallways of the main building to celebrate the significant milestone of 20 years of service. A select group has given so much to Hackley that they have been made a part of the very fabric of the School, as evidenced by the six gargoyles embedded in various buildings. Taken together, the story these monuments tell is one of dedication and service, a reminder that the Hackley we enjoy today was built by so many who came before us.

Notably, this edition of Hackley Review marks the 60th anniversary of this publication, a device used to chronograph and tell our School’s story. The articles celebrate Hackley’s journey throughout that time, while also allowing the reader to encounter a number of voices, both familiar and new. Across this span—and dating back even further—the Dial, Hackley’s student newspaper, has been integral in telling the School’s story through the voice and perspective of students. In recent years, the Dial has moved into the digital world, migrating online, while also continuing to publish a print edition formatted like a news magazine. Another form of storytelling has grown in popularity in recent years: video. Wade Tonken, Assistant Director of Communications, Multimedia, explains the increasing use of video to share what is happening at Hackley through our various school channels, including social media.

In addition to these pieces on storytelling, Upper School history teacher Vladimir Klimenko writes about Hackley’s first-ever Global Context course, which he developed and led. Inspired by Redefining Excellence: Learning Beyond Boundaries, Hackley’s strategic plan, Vlad developed the Global Context: Southern Odyssey course to engage students in the history of the southern United States, inclusive of its geography, art, and culture, as well as the more difficult aspects of its history related to the legacy of slavery and the birth and growth of the Civil Rights movement. Narrative and storytelling are very much a part of this interdisciplinary course, making this piece a natural fit within this edition.

Even as Hackley is written across the early pages of a student’s life, many individuals continue writing chapters and expanding their Hackley narrative as alumni. From serving as guest speakers in classes to hosting and participating in events and volunteering on behalf of the School, our alumni are central to delivering on our mission and spreading the word about the lasting impact of a Hackley education. In “Choosing to Stay Connected— Alumni on the Hilltop,” readers can learn more about all the ways that alumni are involved in the Hackley of today, as well as about ways to get involved themselves.

Alumni regularly name memorable faculty as integral to their Hackley experience. In addition to their direct impact on students, many of those teachers promoted a legacy of outstanding teaching and learning on the Hilltop through mentorship of younger teachers, using stories to pass down wisdom across their decades of service to the School. There is little doubt of the importance of figures like Dave Allison, Art King, Maag Mitton, Doris Jackson, Pavel Litvinov, and Carl Buessow in recent Hackley history. What you may not realize, however, are the ways in which these educational giants mentored colleagues, who, in turn, are the giants of today’s faculty. Knowledge about teaching and learning, pedagogical approaches, and working with students is handed down across generations of teachers, as told in “A Legacy of Learning: Faculty Mentorship on the Hilltop.”

As my own Hackley chapter—at least my day-to-day engagement with the School—is drawing to a close, I look back with appreciation for my time at the School. On July 1, I will leave this Hilltop for another, joining the St. George’s School community in Middletown, Rhode Island, as Head of School. It has been an absolute privilege and honor to serve Hackley for the last seven years. During my tenure, I have met and worked with incredible colleagues, students, families, alumni, and volunteers. These people have partnered with me, challenged me, helped me grow, provided support, and made my work here joyful. I entered here to be and find a friend, and indeed I have found friends. I will always be grateful that Hackley brought these people into my life and my story.

Forward together,

Michael C. Wirtz

Board of Trustees

OFFICERS

H. Rodgin Cohen, President

Maria A. Docters, Vice President

Harvinder S. Sandhu, M.D., Vice President and Treasurer

Eric B. Gyasi ’01, Secretary

Sherry D. Blockinger ’87

Christopher P. Bogart

John C. Canoni ’86

Thomas A. Caputo ’65

Dawn N. Fitzpatrick

David I. Gluckman

Linda Holden-Bryant

Kaveh Khosrowshahi ’85

Jeffrey A. Libert ’73

Michael H. Lowry

Rachel Mears

Dan Rifkin ’89

Hannah E. Saujet ’94

Jumaane W. Saunders ’96

Sy Sternberg

John R. Torell IV ’80

Sarah Unger ’03

Amy Wong

Maureen Wright

Advisory Trustees

John J. Beni ’51

David A. Berry ’96, M.D., Ph.D.

Robert Grusky ’75

Jason J. Hogg ’89

Michael G. Kimelman ’56

Timothy D. Matlack ’70

Jonathan P. Nelson ’64

Diane D. Rapp

Conrad A. Roberts ’68

Lawrence D. Stewart ’68

Pamela Gallin Yablon, M.D.

Honorary Trustees

Herbert A. Allen ’58

Daniel A. Celentano

John T. Cooney, Jr. ’76

Marv H. Davidson

Jack M. Ferraro H’63

Berkeley D. Johnson, Jr. ’49

Keith R. Kroeger ’54

Philip C. Scott ’60

Hackley Alumni Association, Inc.

OFFICERS

Christie Philbrick-Wheaton ’00, President

Sallyann Parker Nichols ’87, Vice President

Dan E. Rifkin ’89, Treasurer

Timothy L. Kubarych ’06, Secretary

Hackley Parents’ Association 2022-2023 EXECUTIVE BOARD

Chitra Dhakad, President

Denise Dushas, Executive Vice President

Jennifer Lippman, Administrative Vice President

Marcy Wade, Treasurer

Irina Zeltser, Assistant Treasurer

Autumn Derby, Upper School Vice President

Tricia Joseph, Middle School Vice President

Natalia Rozenholc, Lower School Vice President

Orly Miller, Secretary

Leadership Team

Michael C. Wirtz, Head of School

M. Cyndy Jean, Assistant Head of School for Community and Inclusivity

Basil Kolani, Director of Academic Affairs

Andrew M. King, Director of the Upper School

Shazia Durrani, Director of the Middle School

Lisa Oberstein, Director of the Lower School

Erin Bernstein, Chief Finance Officer

Robert Aldrich, Director of Operations and Campus Planning

Sheila Hicks-Rotella, Director of Enrollment Management

Teresa S. Weber, Director of Advancement

Hackley School adheres to a long-standing policy of admitting students of any race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, and national origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school.

It does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or national origin in administration of its educational policies, employment, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, or athletic and other school-administered programs.

2022-2023

Head of School Announcement

Michael C. Wirtz

This summer, the Hilltop bids farewell to Michael C. Wirtz, Hackley’s 12th Head of School. On July 1, Mike will officially begin his tenure as Head of School at St. George’s School in Rhode Island.

Since 2016, Mike has been devoted to the people of Hackley and to the betterment of the School and its programs. Mike’s legacy includes his commitment to Hackley’s mission and culture, the courage to make difficult decisions, a deep recognition of how community and connection have a positive impact on student and employee wellbeing, and compassionate and unsurpassed leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Andy King noted, “Mike was a visible and vibrant Head of School and community member during his tenure. Heads of School can often be remote figures within a school. Not Mike. You saw him all over campus. He was there opening doors and carting musical instruments out of cars at Lower School drop-off in the morning. During Middle School assemblies, he was there. If there was a Chapel Talk being given by an Upper School student or teacher, Mike was there. He ate lunch in the dining room, sitting and chatting with colleagues. He was a fixture at concerts, plays, musicals, Stings, Coffeehouses, and more.” Andy added, “While leadership requires far more than showing up, it’s very hard to lead credibly and effectively if

you don’t show up. And Mike showed up and led us every day for the past seven years.”

During his seven years on the Hilltop, Mike was responsible for critical programs at Hackley, including an emphasis on interdisciplinary and experiential learning. Under his leadership, the School developed innovative electives, joined Global Online Academy, piloted The Big Experience and outdoor education opportunities, and elevated Global Education and the Hudson Scholars program. Mike also led the development of Hackley’s strategic plan Redefining Excellence, the Portrait of a Graduate, the Hackley Competencies, the School’s first-ever multi-year DEI plan, and the physical transformation of the School. In his early years on the Hilltop, Mike oversaw the completion of the Johnson Center for Health and Wellness and the addition of 16 new faculty housing units. Building upon a focus on interdisciplinary teaching, he recently initiated the construction of the Center for the Creative Arts and Technology, which will bring together the performing arts, visual arts, and computer science departments.

Mike’s belief in people, the power of education, and the strength of collaboration is also demonstrated through the launch of Hackley’s Teaching Fellowship program; his focus on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging initiatives; and support of the Hackley Fund and Beyond Boundaries campaign. Mike’s commitment to retaining, attracting, and hiring diverse talent is exemplified by what is now the most diverse leadership team in Hackley’s history. He often says that “more than any program, plan, or building, Hackley’s greatest strength lies in its people. Integrity, empathy, unreserved effort, creativity, passion, and character radiate from Hackley’s students and adults.”

Cyndy Jean shared, “My appointment as the inaugural Assistant Head of School for Community and Inclusivity is so much more than just a new role at this institution—it is a historic one. We institutionalized the importance of community

engagement across this campus, and we introduced and centralized the work of inclusivity and belonging at Hackley.” She added, “It isn’t lost on me that I am the first person of color and the first woman to hold an assistant headship at Hackley School, and I was able to do this because Mike believed in me and advocated for me as my sponsor. That’s what great leaders do.”

Cyndy explained that leaders must be unapologetic about the work they believe in and serve as fierce advocates of that work. “Mike shines in these moments—he is clear and direct about what needs to be done for the good of individual students and employees and for the collective good of the entire community. His leadership is centered on uplifting the community.” We thank you, Mike, for everything you have accomplished for Hackley, and we wish you, Hilary, Charlie, and Frances all the best on your new journey.

Hackley Farewell

Brad Walters

After 15 years of esteemed contributions to Hackley School, Brad Walters, Assistant Director of the Middle School, will leave the Hilltop at the end of this academic year to move to Singapore for his next adventure.

Brad first joined Hackley in 2008 as a Middle School English teacher and eighth grade dean. His commitment to faculty and students was unwavering, and after just three years in those roles, he was appointed the Assistant Director of the Middle School. In fact, Brad has served in a number of capacities in the Middle School, including Interim Director of the Middle School and Middle School advisor.

Brad infused a sense of fun and joy into the Middle School as the Assistant Director. He was critical in helping expand the Community Council and worked with the deans to develop and implement the HIVE system, now a central part of the Middle School experience. As an advocate for middle-level education, Brad also assisted in implementing oneto-one devices in the classroom and fostered a dynamic and stimulating learning environment for

all students. He also helped develop student-led conferences in partnership with Cyndy Jean, creating a significant opportunity for students to reflect on their learning and set their own goals.

No matter the task, Brad’s commitment was nothing less than exceptional. He always worked tirelessly to ensure the Middle School ran smoothly, from arranging class coverage to running after-school clubs, recruiting club sponsors, managing registration, and supervising programs.

“It isn’t easy to put into words all that Brad has done for the Middle School or for me personally,” shared Shazia Durrani, Director of the Middle School. “He keeps things running, tackling all that comes his way in the calmest and most collected way, and often with a witty comment to keep things light. He has been a partner, friend, mentor, and leader for anyone who has come through the Middle School, whether as a student, colleague, or parent. To say we will miss his wry humor, unwavering support, and steadfast presence would be an understatement.”

Hackley Retirements

Peter Latson

After 26 years on the Hilltop, Peter Latson, Director of College Counseling, will retire at the end of this academic year. Hackley has always been fortunate to have Peter, a versatile and passionate educator with impressive experience in many aspects of School life, in our community.

When Peter joined Hackley, he served two roles: Assistant Director of the Upper School and Co-Director of College Counseling.

Peter’s influence on the Upper School as Assistant Director was vast, and he worked closely with Beverley Whitaker and Andy King to ensure smooth operation of the division. His contributions included proposing and leading the creation of the Senior Project program through the Academic Committee, building the foundation of advisory and peer advisory programs, and facilitating a smooth transition to the (then) seven-day schedule and the trimester system. No matter the task, Peter brought to his work his trademark thoughtfulness, creativity, wit, and focus on students and teachers.

While helping to lead the Upper School, Peter also helped to run the College Counseling Office. Bringing extensive college experience both as a counselor to high school students and as an undergraduate admissions officer, Peter introduced new

systems, processes, and communications to the work of the college program. In 2017, Peter stepped down from his role as Assistant Director of the Upper School to become the full-time Director of College Counseling.

College counseling has always been a dynamic field, but the college admissions landscape has experienced dizzying changes in the last few years, and

Peter has skillfully led Hackley’s efforts to keep abreast of trends and to ensure that our students are receiving outstanding guidance and support. He also developed and served as teacher of the eleventh grade Intro to College course, and he has coached faculty members about college recommendation letters while writing and rewriting policies to keep Hackley current with the changes to undergraduate admissions.

Peter has been a steady and skilled hand, never losing sight of the fact that his most important role is to counsel students. “Peter’s career is a gift to our community, an incredible legacy of support and service to students,” shared Andy King, Director of the Upper School. “In many ways, Peter embodies Hackley’s mission. In his work and dedication, he challenged students to ‘grow in character, scholarship and accomplishment.’”

Steve Frolo

After 31 years of service to Hackley, Steve Frolo, Lower School physical education teacher, will retire at the end of this academic year. Steve, his wife Eileen, and their children Matthew ’08 and Stefanie ’14 have been a part of the Hackley community since his arrival to campus in 1992 . Beginning his Hackley career in the Thomas E. Zetkov Athletic Center, Steve has been a mainstay in the Physical Education and Athletic departments.

Throughout his tenure, Steve has had a great impact on the lives of his students. “He is always cheerful and upbeat in the classroom, striving to make physical education a positive experience for all students, regardless of their ability,” shared colleague Francis Stanek.

During his time on the Hilltop, Steve has coached basketball, baseball, and football; served as Assistant Director of Athletics; and pioneered a June summer camp. He was the Boys’ Varsity Basketball

coach for 10 years and had more than 125 wins. As the Varsity Baseball coach, he had more than 250 wins and has seen many young athletes move on to play at the college level. In his 25 years as the Assistant Athletic Director and member of the Senior Coaches Council, he was a true ambassador of our School.

Steve’s message to our students has always been, “If you had fun, you won.” And when asked about his work, Steve noted, “I haven’t worked a day in my life,” implying that his work as a physical educator and coach has been full of joy and fulfillment.

Pat White, former Physical Education Department Chair, shared, “Steve always presented with a calm and professional presence. He set high expectations for his students, focusing on developing good character, citizenship, and leaving class with a strong sense of achievement. He wanted students to work hard and be their best in all that they did.”

Hall of Fame

Phil Variano

Former coach and Associate Head of School for School

Operations Phil Variano has been inducted into the Ivy Preparatory School League Hall of Fame! He is the third coach from Hackley School to become a League hall of famer, after Hackley legends Dave Allison and Robert Pickert.

Phil joined the Hackley community in 1980 and dedicated 41 years to the Hilltop before his retirement in summer 2021. In his earlier years, he served as an English and psychology teacher, while also coaching girls’ and boys’ soccer, boys’ squash, baseball, and softball.

In Phil’s time as a Boys’ Varsity Soccer head coach, his teams went 82-17- 6, winning four Ivy Championships in seven short years. In 1989, Phil took his skills into administration and stepped down from his roles on varsity-level teams, but he returned to sports in 2005 to spend 15 years coaching three seasons of Middle School athletics while acting as Associate Head of School.

His love for coaching helped to build the foundation of what Hornets Athletics is today. Phil’s support of Hackley Athletics, love for coaching, and dedication to the School is truly remarkable. Congratulations, Phil!

A CELEBRATION OF GROWTH

Celebrating 60 Years of the Hackley Review

This edition of the Hackley Review marks its 60th anniversary. The publication— which launched in fall of 1963 —was originally created by Hackley alumni and named the Hackley Alumni Review. “Although the Review is hardly an innovation in the area of independent secondary schooling,” wrote E. Nicholson Stewart ’59 in the first Editor’s Note, “the potential for the magazine is unlimited.” A vision that remains true today.

The publication originally focused on alumni readers and shared a handful of highlights about student life and a “Class Notes” section, which provided updates on alumni throughout the years. It became the Hackley Review in the fall of 1970, serving alumni, students and their families, employees, and friends of Hackley. As student life highlights increased, so did the publication page

count. The first edition was only 16 pages, and the 50 th anniversary edition in 2013 was 140. Color printing was added to the cover in 1984, and full color was added to the inner pages in 2015.

In 2015, the Hackley Review saw its biggest change: a complete redesign that split the content into two separate publications focused on targeted readers—the Class Notes publication was created as an alumni-specific magazine, which publishes each spring, and the Winter and Summer issues of the Hackley Review share the stories of Hackley people and programs. This change allowed the School to share content more effectively with audiences— alumni, parents of alumni, students, current families, grandparents, and friends. Today, the Hackley Review reaches the entire Hackley community through both print and digital mediums, and is heavily promoted across the School’s social media channels—Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn—thereby increasing its readership beyond the Hilltop.

Did You Know?

The Hackley Review has had only a few editors in its 60-year run!

1963 to 1967

Co-founders E. Nicholson Stewart ’59 and Martin Padley ’59

1968 Philip H. Hamerslough, Jr.

1969 to 1976 Martin Padley ’59

1977 to 1987 Peter Gibbon (the 1987 issue includes an opening letter from Gibbon as the newly appointed Headmaster)

1988 to 1995 Carol Gibbon (Peter and Carol bid farewell to Hackley in 1995)

1995 to 1996 Marilyn Meszaros (editor in a transitional year) and co-editor Patrick Miller

1997 to 2020 Suzy Akin

2020 to Current Aisha Laspina-Rodriguez

The Advancement Office is responsible for four publications each year—the alumni engagement team produces Class Notes in the spring, the development team produces the Annual Report in the fall, and the communications team produces the Hackley Review in the winter and summer.

The Hackley Review also brings readers the Commencement Supplement each summer, a separate publication that celebrates the graduating classes of each division and includes award lists and commencement speeches. More articles about the people and programs at Hackley are published monthly on the School’s online blog, Hackley Perspectives

The mission of the Hackley Review is “to capture the story of Hackley School and its community year to year. Its readers come to know the School today, the ways in which it has evolved, and, most importantly, how it remains true to the founding values reflected in the words ‘Enter here to be and find a friend ’.”

Behind the Headlines

By Sami Rowbottom ’23 and Chloe Yancovich ’23, the Dial Editors-in-Chief

Ten years ago, Pete Barrett ’11 published a reflection titled “Renaissance Again: Hackley’s Dial” in the 50th anniversary edition of the Hackley Review. Barrett’s piece covered his experience with the Dial, his opinion on its growth, and its progress over the previous 85 years. Barrett began his article noting, “Eightyfive years after it first went to print, and forty years after its Golden Age, the Dial is preparing to make a strong move into the digital world.” Looking back at this article, it is clear that not much has changed.

Yes, the “14 Macintosh Desktops” of Barrett’s era have morphed into eight 21-inch, flatscreen iMacs, each equipped with all the tools a Dial writer could need, but other than the technology, the anecdotes and quirks Barrett detailed are undoubtedly the same. Any writer, freshman or senior, recognizes the dread of reading an already-published article that contains an error, which Barrett outlines in great detail. In 1966, White-Out was readily available to fix errors before print, while today we just press the delete button on our keyboards.

Although seemingly not long enough ago to provoke a significant change in the Dial and its culture at Hackley, as Barrett highlighted, the Dial has seen a shift. Today, increased emphasis is placed on the online Dial and its timely articles, while the print edition engages student readers across campus once a trimester with select stories printed on glossy magazine paper. This shift is seen in the culture within the Dial, with students tending to

lean either toward skills in print or online journalism. The Dial’s online presence has grown over the last 10 years with the improvement of technology and graphic design platforms, new software, and the ability for faster publishing. Still, the Dial’s print and digital platforms complement one another and together create the ability to reach a maximum audience. The Dial online has not put Dial print out of business; both are popular and powerful, and both allow writers and editors to get stories to readers however they best enjoy catching up on news.

Advisors Michael Bass and Anne Budlong are crucial to the success of the Dial and are devoted to it being the best it can be. Bass served as an advisor on the school newspaper at another school before joining Hackley and the Dial in 2013. At the time, the Dial did not have a magazine (those were implemented during the 2019-2020 school year)— it was a tabloid published once a month with a great deal of work needed to lay out the newspaper.

There weren’t spreads (pairs of left- and right-facing pages in publications) like there are now, which is why there is a lot more work on spreads currently being taught. The website was also relatively new. In fact, there were two different groups working on each component: one focused on print and the other focused on the Dial online.

In 2015, advisor Anne Budlong—who joined the Dial more than a decade ago—along with the then Editors-in-Chief, attended a Columbia Scholastic Press Association Summer Journalism Workshop where they learned more about online journalism. They then incorporated takeaways from the workshop into the operations of the Dial, eventually

procuring a domain name and moving to a new website host. The Dial started using SNO (School Newspapers Online) products to host the new website and for easy updates, web-based software SnoFlow to track the development of staff stories, and newsletters to push out content to readers.

To officially become a staff member of the Dial, which is “a pillar of Hackley,” according to Bass, there are two prerequisite courses: Electronic Publishing I and II, where students develop their writing skills and learn about digital publishing. Due to the complexity of course selection as students move through the Upper School, there are only five seniors for the 2022-2023 school year.

The vision for the Dial is to have a newsroom atmosphere, with many voices contributing to the creation of the publication. Top and bottom right: Dial staff and editors collaborate in the classroom. Bottom left: Advisors Michael Bass and Anne Budlong guide the class.

The group is very capable and passionate about the course. The vision for the Dial is to have an atmosphere of a newsroom with many voices to create the best publications possible. The current group of staff writers from the Class of 2025 has thus been a great addition to the team. With the joint work of the senior Editors-in-Chief, junior editors, and sophomore staff writers, a high-quality product is being produced in print and online this school year.

Great successes of the Dial in recent years include the coverage of the protest after the 2018 Parkland school massacre, with many kids gathering on Akin Common. The article, “Hackley School Students Host a Walkout in Conjunction With Schools Nationwide,” was published relatively quickly and was a shining moment for Hackley and its students. Bass was proud that the Dial was able to push the news out to parents and alumni, who otherwise may not have known that Hackley students were such a big part of that activism and event. Another example of students highlighting important and timely topics on the Hilltop is a piece titled “Administrators and Students Wrestle With Recent Juul Trend in the Upper School.” It was an impactful article that the writers used to educate the Hackley community about the risks of vaping, a danger to high schoolers across the country. The article was so well done that health teachers in the Middle School used it in health education classrooms.

The impact of the Dial is felt across divisions. Approximately one or two years ago, Lower School Psychologist Dr. Amanda LeTard brought a Lower School student to Bass’s office for a conversation about journalism because the young student was obsessed with the Dial. Bass thought it was very unusual that a Lower School student knew what

the Dial was, which is an indication that Dial staff are leaders of the School, and that permeates into other places on the Hilltop. It is an important reminder of the impact the publications have on the community. The community has been moved by many Dial editorials throughout recent years, including such articles as “Why Does the Upper School Only Have One Black Teacher,” “A Hate Symbol Promotes Conversation at Hackley, But Action Must Follow,” “Hackley’s Sex Ed Program Must Be Improved,” and “Let’s Talk About Dress Reforming Hackley’s Dress Policy,” all of which are available on the Dial’s website hsdial.org.

Much like the connection between the Dial and the community, connections are nurtured within the Dial classroom, where mentorship between editors and staff writers plays a significant role and is highly encouraged. There are meetings once a cycle for this very purpose, to make sure articles are continuing to make progress and are of the highest quality. A successful mentorship story is that of the unofficial graphic design team.

Former design editor Max Calman ’ 22 was very experienced in creating spreads and graphics for the magazine during his time on the Dial and worked closely with his then assistant, current senior and Editor-in-Chief Emily Koch. About her experience with her mentor, Emily shared, “Max taught me everything that I know while also allowing me to figure things out for myself so I could learn to troubleshoot and have independence. He taught me the basics for making spreads but wasn’t overly hands on, which allowed me to build my own skills.” This year, Emily, who specializes in high-quality spreads, has become a mentor to two proteges: sophomores Alessia and Giulia Sorvillo.

Alessia says, “Emily is a great leader, and she has helped me learn in so many ways, like creating a magazine in a timely and efficient manner with great content.” In fact, when Emily was out sick and with a deadline-to-print quickly approaching, Giulia stepped up to the plate and ran around the whole class period fixing everyone’s problems, showing how well she had been mentored by Emily. It was inspiring to see someone who just a few months prior was completely new to the Dial have a real impact on everyone. Emily noted, “I try to do the same thing for Giulia and Alessia [that Max did for me]. I taught them the bare bones, and they are using what I taught them to come up with their own ideas and techniques.” It is remarkable to see the line of experience being passed down and evolving from one generation to the next.

Practicing good journalism based on facts, good research, interviewing the right people, and writing in a journalistic style will continue to drive this journalism course and the articles its students produce. There will also continue to be a passion for growth and evolution. The Dial has elevated the

online publication and strives to find ways to further enhance its content and capabilities, while also embracing the traditions and reach of the print publication. Part of the culture of the Dial is allowing staff writers to forge their own paths when thinking about what aspect of journalism they are most interested in, whether print or digital.

“Hackley is a traditional school, and we honor our traditions,” said Budlong when asked about the Dial’s print editions.

Meeting readers where they are is an important part of the growth of the Dial. These 10 years have taught us that whether readers click to open the Dial online or pick up a printed magazine, the most important point is that news is shared and read. The print edition, for example, engages many students, most of whom will only ever keep up with student news through the magazine. As a result, Dial staff and advisors anxiously await the delivery of the magazines, and Dial staff ensure that copies are easily available and scattered all around the School across division offices, student lounges, common areas, libraries, and more.

Practicing good journalism based on facts, good research, interviewing the right people, and writing in a journalistic style will continue to drive this journalism course and the articles its students produce. There will also continue to be a passion for growth and evolution.

When asked how they most prefer to read Dial stories, students expressed interest in both print and digital editions. Avery Leighton ’ 23 said, “I don’t visit the Dial website unless I see an article in the newsletter about one of my friends or something cool, but I read [the print version] when someone hands it to me, which happens a lot when they first come out.” Remy Becker ’ 25 is a reader of the Dial both online and in print. He emphasized that he is more likely to read the print copy as it is very accessible and widely distributed when first released; however, he shared that he has “definitely visited the Dial website to read about sports or articles about my friends.”

The Dial, like its tagline says, is the voice of the student body. At an independent school like Hackley, it is important to keep the student publication alive and to ensure students feel heard. The online website has many visitors, gaining traction when monthly newsletters are released. And the pride of the Dial, a staple of the course, is the print publication. The skills of writing, editing, and designing

spreads is what the course is about, but members also learn to be leaders and mentors. And most of all, we all learn to be flexible. The Dial classroom is an opportunity for the entire staff to work together, step out of our comfort zones, and learn new skills. And the Dial publication, whether in print or online, is a product we can all be proud of.

About the Authors

Sami and Chloe ’ 23 were EICs for the Dial in their final year on the Hilltop. In partnership with fellow Senior EICs, they proudly oversaw the work of staff writers across varied news beats in both print and online formats. They shared that they were inspired every day by the work of their peers, and by the recent work of EICs past, such as Marc Rod ’ 16 (now a professional journalist who covered the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and who visited the Dial staff virtually in May 2021) and others who have gone on to work in their college newspapers and/or currently have careers in journalism at publications including the Wall Street Journal and Forbes

From Paper News to the Ultra-Small Screen

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. Storytelling tools have evolved over the years, from traditional resources like this printed magazine that arrived in your home by way of snail mail, to the sneak peeks into the daily life of the School via photos or mini-videos on Instagram through a function that is literally called ‘stories.’ Storytelling has become instantaneous, and the use of highly visual content is no longer a fun bonus but an expectation of a school’s news cycle. These changes may seem like they happened all at once on the Hilltop, but the truth is that the magic of visual storytelling has been present for many years—and it is amplified through video.

Roaming our campus with his video camera in tow is Wade Tonken (Hackley’s Assistant Director of Communications, Multimedia) whose work is focused on video production. Today, Wade is a fulltime member of the Communications Office, but before 2021, he was also part of the Performing Arts Department as the coordinator of the Music Institute. His earlier work included teaching seventh and eighth graders songwriting, music production, and music technology, and providing support for such initiatives as the Upper School Coffeehouse. In fact, Wade’s roots are in music production, but a little Hilltop charm brought him to Hackley approximately 15 years ago.

The boom of computer technology meant more storytelling opportunities for schools. “I went from focusing on audio at Hackley to also filming video. I recorded shows and concerts for the Performing Arts Department and found myself with the flexibility to do more for the School,” shared Wade. “The Communications Department—before it became part of the Advancement Office—began to have a need for video clips of students taking lessons and kids ‘in action’ around the campus. It was a way for them to show, rather than just ‘tell’, the community how the kids were learning. This coincided with schools recognizing that they could invest in three videos produced by external companies for about

$30,000, or they could hire video experts who could really get to know the culture and the people, film at a moment’s notice, capture the essence of student life, and produce 60 or more videos each year.”

Wade had the skills and flexibility to meet the School’s needs, so he began to split his time evenly between Performing Arts and Communications.

The Communications Office, under the management of former director Suzy Akin, was publishing incredible written works highlighting the happenings of the School across print publications and Hackley’s website, and, even before the social media craze, recognized the value in video storytelling. “A picture paints a thousand words,” expressed Wade. “You can better demonstrate

community, culture, quality of teachers, philosophy of sports, and more in a two-minute video…or you can do that in a 15 -page article. But not many people today want to read through that article.” And so Wade expertly crafted video-telling narratives, which the Communications team added to website news articles and shared via email with families, friends of the Hilltop, employees, and alumni.

At first, Wade filmed mostly interview-style videos that featured what he calls “talking heads”—a description used internally for such videos as closeups with Department Chairs sharing information about curricula. But, talking about the curriculum to engage audiences is one method, while seeing students in the science lab conducting an

As part of Hackley’s Communications Office, Wade captures the essence of student life on the Hilltop.

experiment or watching them as they rehearse for a play figuratively places the audience on campus and in the room. “With a wink and a nod,” and a less formal approach, the School empowered Wade to enhance the ways in which to highlight what makes Hackley a special place—the people, the opportunities, the education, and the friendships— in a way that really moves viewers.

Today, Wade’s work includes man-on-the-street video journalism, B-roll footage capturing moments of fun and learning in the classroom and around campus, classroom clips used for such digital mediums as social media and weekly e-newsletters, amusing content like snow day videos that inspire joy for their comedic style, and, of course, all the serious stuff. Wade’s work elevates the published digital works of the Communications Office and adds exciting elements to traditional storytelling.

“When we look at ourselves and laugh a little, there’s a lot of learning that goes on. And in an institution like this one, that is so highly esteemed and can be perceived as very ‘serious,’ you can ease people into the culture and community by putting a smile on someone’s face as they watch a video of kids enjoying the campus or each other’s company, and of interactions between students and teachers beyond the classroom,” Wade shared.

Never losing sight of his love for music, Wade’s incorporation of popular music into his videos is a hallmark of his work, to which he credits the public licensing made possible through YouTube and Google. Wade’s use of music within video elevates the visuals that dance across the screen and nurtures feel-good vibes. And newer technology, such as drones, creates cinematic storytelling for more interesting videos.

With roots in music production, Wade also served as the coordinator of the Music Institute.

Wade’s vision for the future of school video, he shares, is already being realized today. He believes that students will begin producing more videos themselves and sharing the School’s story through their own lens, which we are witnessing now through such content as student social media “takeovers.” And Wade indicates that student journalism curricula across schools might expand to include video components that allow students to interview their peers and adults about student life through on-screen newscasts. “When I interview students around campus for any video project, lots of psychological tricks go into helping them relax on camera. But when a student interviews their peers, that approach is not necessary; they are already comfortable and genuine,” Wade added.

School video has unlimited potential. Cameras in designated spaces may be powered on with the click of a button to livestream events and provide ondemand coverage of important moments. The manipulation of aerial video is also advancing with enhanced drone capabilities. Our mobile phones can capture photo and video like never before, but Wade opines that it will still be a long time before amateur filming can replace the instinct and skill of professional videographers. While the need for large, heavy video cameras and compact digital cameras is rapidly going away, replaced by mobile phones, the intuitiveness of the operator is still necessary, he shared.

Casual videos that show a lighter side of things are on the rise. Experiential videos that don’t quite have a formal point other than to impart feelings of joy still tell a great story and most authentically can demonstrate the human experience. “We’re trying to make different sorts of connections with people and pull heartstrings, and, in doing so, we’re capturing the real story—the one that matters above all else—the story of a love of learning and respect for one another.”

Wade films on campus every day. You can find him covering the fun at many events or in the classroom capturing the experience. Some of his videos feature students sharing their “day in the life” of the classroom or division. Others include overviews of the campus captured with the use of his drone. And all of his videos utilize music to evoke emotion. Video and digital storytelling is changing how we communicate. The glimpse into the classroom through video and the stories heard directly from students will continue to lead the way and inspire a strong sense of community for generations to come.

About the Author

Aisha joined the Hackley community as the Director of Communications and editor of the School’s digital and print publications in October 2020. About her daily work on the Hilltop, she says, “I cannot do the work of storytelling without the incredible contributions from members of the Hackley community—faculty and staff, current students and their families, alumni, friends, and my amazing Communications team.” Aisha has worked in marketing, public relations, and communications for 16 years in the fields of entertainment; education; and nonprofits focused on health, social justice, and youth programming.

“When we look at ourselves and laugh a little, there’s a lot of learning that goes on.”

A CELEBRATION OF GROWTH

Did You Know?

In 2009, Wade was a composer creating music for television and advertising from his midtown New York City studio called “Noize Factory,” working for such clients as HBO, Nickelodeon, and PBS. As technology evolved, he began also using his creative skills as a video editor for these same clients. In the meantime, Wade founded the Manhattan Producers Alliance (an organization of more than 40 Oscar-, Emmy-, and Grammy-winning producers, composers, and engineers), began lecturing at the National Academy of Television, and developed music programming for Bank Street College of Education.

Wade and his musical partners added educational work to their repertoire—lectures, hosting education weeks where kids could learn to create music in a real studio, and filming the learning process for “making of the song” videos. It was around that time that Metropolitan Opera violinist Shem Guibbory and then interim Music Department Chair Elizabeth Fitzpatrick P ’18, ’21 visited Wade in his studio and persuaded him to offer part-time classes at Hackley. And so he brought his 20 years of music experience to the Hilltop, where the department’s new chair, Orlando Pandolfi, convinced him to stay at Hackley full-time to run the music lessons program. “It’ll be a pay cut,” said Pandolfi, “but you might be happy.” And he is.

With the constant evolution of video storytelling in schools, Wade founded the Independent School Video Producers Alliance whose mission is to create the space for collaboration and the transfer of knowledge between school video producers and to establish best practices across the field. Before the pandemic, the ISVPA included approximately a dozen member schools, including Rye Country Day and Riverdale. Today, the work of the ISVPA is temporarily suspended due to the challenges of COVID-19, but a way forward is imminent. Connecting with likeminded experts has many benefits, including discussions around how storytelling might evolve in the next decade.

Wade at his NYC studio, Noize Factory.

Wade started at Hackley offering part-time classes, then stayed on to run the music lessons program.

Blues, Beignets, and Bayous: A Southern Odyssey

By Vladimir Klimenko, Upper School history teacher

“Are you excited to be finally going on your Southern Odyssey trip?”

The question from colleagues and students echoes repeatedly in the days leading up to spring break. I manage to rouse up a nominal “yes” without elaboration. I save a more honest response for Wil Lobko, Allstrom Chair in Foreign Affairs and Director of Global Education. Hackley wizard of all things travel-related, Wil is my direct trip supervisor.

A gator is pictured on a log during a swamp kayak tour. Photo by Gabriella Parasnis ’23.

“To tell the truth, Wil, I never allow myself the luxury of feeling ‘excited’ about any trip until the plane actually lifts off. My mind is all about planning and ticking off checklists until the plane gets airborne. And even when I finally feel the landing gear lose contact with the tarmac, my initial response is not so much excitement as the simpler feeling of relief when I know that the trip has literally and metaphorically taken off.”

Of course, my excitement does kick in when my Visual Arts Department colleague Sarah Coble, six students, and I reach Louisiana and Mississippi during that first Sunday of spring break. But this feeling is less about my own response to a region I have visited multiple times than it is the thrill of witnessing a small coterie of teenagers see new places with fresh eyes. It is the vicarious enjoyment of watching students, some of whom have never traveled this far without parents, make new discoveries for themselves. It is the joy of sharing in the privilege of experiential travel education.

The excitement has a twofold dimension, for this trip has been long in coming. Originally conceived in the spring of 2020 as an integral part of the Southern Odyssey elective seminar, the course enjoyed enthusiastic support from the Hackley administration, which was eager to see us fulfill our three-year mission as a pilot Global Context course. Unfortunately, the larger global context— the worldwide COVID pandemic—scuttled travel plans during the first two years. Now, after much delay, we are using the last available year to finally bring to life the initial vision of supplementing our classroom investigation of the South with a weeklong travel-study experience in the region itself.

Southern Odyssey itinerary March 19-25, 2023

Participants

Vladimir Klimenko — History teacher, Southern Odyssey minor elective

Sarah Coble — Art teacher, trip chaperone

Michael Abbey ’23

Walter Hoffman ’23

Gabriella Parasnis ’23

Arjan Sandhu ’23

Aiden Wasserman ’24

Arri Posey ’25

Itinerary

Day 1: Sunday, March 19

Fly from NYC to NOLA

Day 2: Monday, March 20

(bus travel New Orleans to Vicksburg)

9:30 a.m. Whitney Plantation

1 p.m. Lunch at Cajun Cafe in Baton Rouge

Afternoon hike in Homochitto National Forest (Mississippi)

Day 3: Tuesday, March 21 — Vicksburg, Mississippi

(bus to Jackson, Mississippi)

Morning: Bike tour of Vicksburg Battlefield site

Afternoon: Van to Jackson to visit Mississippi Civil Rights Museum

Day 4: Wednesday, March 22 — New Orleans & environs

Morning: Jean Lafitte National Park swamp boat tour

Night: New Orleans Ghost, Voodoo, Vampire & Mystery tour of French Quarter

Day 5: Thursday, March 23 — New Orleans & environs

Morning: Bike tour around New Orleans

Afternoon: Manchac swamp kayak tour south of NOLA

Day 6: Friday, March 24 — New Orleans

World War II Museum

We start our first full day on the ground with a visit to the Whitney Plantation, some 45 miles upriver from New Orleans. In the antebellum years, this was one of several hundred sugar-growing plantations along the banks of the Mississippi. Today, Whitney is an outlier among Southern museum-plantations. Popular among tourists, the vast majority of these antebellum estates lavish attention on the quasiaristocratic lifestyle of the owners: their luxurious parlor rooms, imported European pianos, exquisite flower gardens, and so on.

Whitney Plantation, by contrast, places its focus on the enslaved—the laborers whose toil enabled the

planters’ opulence in the first place. Here, instead of hearing about upper-class soirees, debutantes, and Latin tutors, we learn the stories of the enslaved, who otherwise may have been forgotten.

The students take this in quietly in a manner appropriate to the site’s somber tenor, the beautiful sunny weather notwithstanding. Outside the main building, senior Michael Abbey pauses in front of an elongated gray wall. He studies a black marble plaque whose surface is inscribed with a roster of the enslaved. It lists first names only, along with their approximate year of birth, presumed country of origin, and ethnic ancestry in West Africa.

Whitney Plantation. Photo by Gabriella Parasnis ’23.

In this photo, captured by Mr. Klimenko, Michael Abbey ’23 is reflected against a marble plaque listing the roster of enslaved people of the Whitney Plantation and their origins.

We walk along the edge of a field, past a smithery that forged enormous iron pots for stirring harvested sugar cane. We stop to peek our heads into a residential shack and a kitchen. On this gorgeous, sunny day with blossoms in bloom, we are surrounded by the ghosts of people who performed arduous tasks, endured brutal punishments, and, in many cases, met premature deaths.

I notice sophomore Arri Posey examining a circular bas-relief sculpture depicting the Middle Passage— the agonizing ordeal endured by the 12 million West Africans who were shipped in chains and unbearably tight quarters across the Atlantic. She gazes without commentary and then says, “I think I need some more time to absorb this.”

The group wraps up its visit at an indoor exhibit adjacent to the bookstore.

Arjan Sandhu, a senior enamored of geography, gravitates toward a wall map showing how all large Mississippi River plantations were laid out in long rectangular strips. Each property had a thin riverbank boundary that assured the planters access not only to nearby New Orleans, but also to distant markets, often in Europe.

Guided by relentless curiosity, junior Aiden Wasserman, pauses to study the contents of a large glass display featuring the wording of an 1825 state law. He is stunned to discover that pre-Civil War Louisiana forbade enslavers from emancipating any enslaved individuals until they had reached the age of 30.

“Touring the Whitney Plantation showed a new perspective of plantations that is not present anywhere else,” says senior Gabriella Parasnis. “It allows us to

“One of the things that was most memorable for me from the trip was the geography of the places that we visited. Specifically, Louisiana was really flat for the most part. It is really close to the water table. While visiting a cemetery we’d see how it was only about 7 feet or so above sea level. Learning about all of that was really interesting. It helped us see how the geography is tied into the culture and history of Louisiana—specifically New Orleans because of its proximity to the water. And then there are the ramifications of Hurricane Katrina, which really affected the socio-economic condition of Louisiana.”

Michael Abbey ’ 23

connect back to our conversations within Southern Odyssey and our other courses.”

We clamber aboard our Ford Transit rental van and head north to Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Yelp has whetted our appetites with a promise of down-home Southern cooking. Google obligingly directs us to Bellue’s Fine Cajun Cuisine, which, when we see it, resembles a slightly oversized trailer. A roadside joint that appears barely three times the size of our van, Bellue’s looks so improbably small and manifests so suddenly that I overshoot it and have to make a U-turn to park in front of the unlikely structure. But then again, we are seeking out local flavor.

Piling out of our vehicle, we find ourselves inside of a small wood-paneled dive. The walls in the main room are festooned with wrought iron hand tools. Directly in front of us is a freezer stocked with local delicacies, including vacuum-packed rabbit.

We retreat to a back room where, under the gaze of a poster extolling law enforcement, we crowd around a table and run our menu options past senior Walter

Hoffman. In addition to other vital trip functions like Google navigator and in-van DJ, Walter shines as our little group’s recognized gourmet. That, plus his legacy of bona fide Southern family credentials, impels us to defer to him on all cuisine-related matters, particularly if the dishes in question originate below the Mason-Dixon line.

Walter attempts to enlighten our motley crew about the distinctions between the menu’s Crawfish Etouffe (which comes with two side orders, and, for only one additional dollar, can be served with cornbread dressing) and the Crawfish Etouffe Supreme,

“My highlights include our bike tour around New Orleans in which I learned that the city park is bigger than Central Park. We went to Café Du Monde and got beignets, which were excellent. During that visit to Café Du Monde, I had one of the most southern conversations ever that started due to my football shirt. I [started talking] to this guy about football, where he played, and then the conversation switched over to religion, and then we had a 10 -minute or so faith-based conversation, which fit right into the scenery.”

Walter Hoffman ’ 23

which presumably comes loaded with an even heftier dose of cholesterol.

The owner, a middle-aged woman with a pronounced sing-song voice, walks over to answer questions. After taking our orders, she quickly returns and floods our table with a tidal wave of Southern hospitality in the form of appetizer samples.

Our group briefly ponders the exact nature and identity of the ingredients, which consist of small solid chunks suspended in sauces ranging from the gooey to the translucent. But any lingering doubts about the food in front of us are quickly subordinated to teenage hunger pangs. By the time the main dishes arrive a few minutes later, a lively discussion is underway regarding the difference between red beans and tasso versus white beans and tasso, or whether you can actually taste the venison in the deer and chicken sauce picante.

Walter utters the final verdict: “Bellue’s is an excellent restaurant with homey vibes and great Creole food.”

A kayak rendezvous in the bayou. Photo by Sarah Coble.

Two hours later, and dozens of miles across the state line, we make a spontaneous decision to walk off our lunch-induced stupor with an afternoon hike. At least one-third of the students doze off in the back seats. Rolling along the verdant, occasionally hilly terrain of backwoods Mississippi, we navigate our way toward the entrance to Homochitto National Forest. We hope to get there before the waning signal from Google Maps also decides to take a nap.

Homochitto offers everything that spring-starved New Yorkers might want: ample foliage adorning the oak and hickory, bird calls accompanying our walk along a ravine, a muddy streambed for the boys to get their sneakers wet. The footpath reaches an overlook above a waterfall, behind which lurks a shallow cave. Sarah Coble and the girls take some photos. The boys head straight down to the waterfall to test out the cave’s sheltering qualities. The girls mostly prefer to stay on the high ground. I give the lads a few minutes of Tom Sawyering before summoning them back. The lazy afternoon sun, after all, is preparing for bedtime.

Throughout our drive to Vicksburg, Mississippi, we see farms, small towns, and the white plumes from refineries, fertilizer plants, or chemical producers. The ubiquity of various forms of fuel and chemical processing derives from more than regional geography. It also reflects a low-regulation political culture conducive to industries whose environmental footprint might earn them greater scrutiny in the Northeast or Pacific Northwest.

As a New Yorker having a first encounter with the Deep South, Aiden initially feels perplexed by what he sees as a paradoxical juxtaposition of people in

“I feel like you learn more, and so much differently, outside and in the world than you do in a classroom. You learn so many things not just about wherever you’re traveling to, but about yourself along the way. You also gain more experiences and things are so much more memorable when you’re not staring into a screen or into a textbook.”

Arri Posey ’ 25

poor living conditions having conservative political preferences. At first glance, Aiden thinks that the rural South is extremely poor and extremely conservative. Yet more travel time gives rise to more reflection. Driving, biking, and walking past people’s homes, Aiden begins to notice additional details that temper his initial impressions. These, in turn, help him imagine why some people might oppose the kind of active government role that others might welcome. “I neglected the fact that Southerners are proud and seem happy in their situation. They have flower pots and signs of love visible all around their houses.”

As the sky turns to night, Walter shifts the playlist from Outlaw Country to Delta Blues. A voice from a back seat recalls Aiden’s presentation on Mississippi blues legend Robert Johnson. As the students snooze or retreat into their own thoughts, the haunting tunes from Walter’s phone remind us of stories, tall tales, nostalgia, and broken dreams traversing the nighttime space around us.

And I went to the crossroad, mama, I looked East and West I went to the crossroad, baby, I looked East and West Lord, I didn’t have no sweet woman, ooh well, babe, In my distress.

In planning the trip, I operated according to several principles. One of these: teenagers need to stay active.

Every day, we build in something: walks, bike rides, time on the water. The days and hours begin to fly.

We rent bikes and pedal uphill on a self-guided tour of the Vicksburg battlefield. In 1863, General Ulysses S. Grant’s strategy had been to seize the fortress overlooking the Mississippi in order to solidify the Union’s control over the continent’s most important river artery. We reach a high point on the ridge line and dismount. The blue and red markers that delineate each side’s positions converge at a perilously close distance.

Arjan decides to scout around on foot. He half-jogs his way up and down a short segment of hillside. He returns with more labored breath.

“Charging uphill must have been hard work,” he says. “Now imagine doing that in July,” I say, “while wearing a wool uniform and carrying a rucksack.”

We get back on the bikes and glide past dozens of statues and marble pedestals, many paid for by states, South and North, whose units had fought at Vicksburg. Other memorials, at times more imposing, were put up by the Daughters of the Confederacy, hagiographers of the so-called “Lost Cause.” This is a major Civil War battlefield park in Mississippi, yet I can’t help but notice the conspicuous absence of the Stars and Bars. I wonder when

Confederate battle flags began to disappear from the park. What comes to mind is Faulkner: “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.”

The battle over past memory comes vividly alive for us later that afternoon in Jackson as we visit the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum. Located in the heart of the city, the museum is jam-packed with displays, photographs, and mini-theaters screening minidocs. We hear recorded train whistles and blues songs, watch clips of famous speeches and infamous police brutality, peer at an enormous panel of blown-up mugshots of arrested civil rights activists from the early sixties, a time when the civil rights struggle, much of it in Mississippi, topped the news cycle.

The living legacy of those issues becomes apparent after we return to our van. We take a spin around the neighborhood to glance at the state house. As we drive a few blocks further, we see another reality: one after another, every retail shop appears to be a local, more downscale version of the Dollar Store. It’s only 5:20 p.m. or so, but every shop appears to be closed.

“I have always been an advocate for hands-on experiential learning, and this trip just furthers my point. Hearing and learning in a classroom is one thing; it allows for a surface-level understanding of different subjects. However, when one is actually present in the location that is being talked about, students are able to retain information and better understand what is being said. Being in the South helped challenge any stereotypes I had in mind.”

Gabriella Parasnis ’ 23

Another day, another breakfast. By sheer luck, our New Orleans hotel happens to adjoin The Ruby Slipper, a delightfully decadent breakfast joint whose menu celebrates the idea that you can’t possibly overdo the amount of eggs, avocado, cream, chicken, bacon, or beignets at 7:30 a.m. when doors open. (In true New Orleans fashion, the same principle evidently holds true for morning spirits, which occupy the entire reverse side of the menu.)

“The restaurant employees treat us like guests in their home,” says Arjan, marveling at the service. He’s right, of course, and he is describing several eateries, not simply The Ruby Slipper. But here, in

particular, there is scarcely a table hostess or waitress who doesn’t greet us with a warm smile and a disarming, “How ya doin’ today, baby?”

Walter and Aiden have publicly made a bet to see who can gain the most weight during this trip. Neither one is willing to forfeit. Aiden condenses his philosophy into fewer words than a haiku: “Vegetables are just wasted calories.”

At some point, Sarah Coble and I make an executive decision to take a short break from feasting. Things are escalating to a danger point; it’s only a matter of time before someone nods off and plants their face into a bowl of leftover cream and berries on the table. Besides, I don’t know if our travel insurance covers these types of contingencies.

A motorized swamp boat beckons us from the bayou country south of the city. Everyone faces forward as the vessel slowly grinds its way forward underneath a leafy canopy. The waterway looks unusually straight. Our skipper/tour guide, who has made it clear that he revels in cheesy humor, interrupts his own banter with a public service

“The culture of the South is deep-rooted, interlinked among all the locals, and is something that defines America as a whole—from the shared struggle of Katrina among the locals of NOLA, to the descendants of enslaved people who still live and prosper in the South, to the rough and hardy bayou folk who have no problem getting muggy to catch some fish.”

Arjan Sandhu ’

announcement of sorts by informing us that the channel is, in fact, artificial, having initially been dredged by oil and gas drillers. This, like most things pertaining to water safety and petrochemicals in Louisiana, is not a joke.

We observe long strands of Spanish moss, majestic cyprus trees, thick patches of swamp grass, and the occasional turtle or egret, but the star attraction is undeniably the alligator. Quite a few, in fact. Senior Gabriella Parasnis is particularly quick on the trigger with her camera. It is awe-inspiring to realize that there are bigger, wilder, and more dangerous things to see than some out-of-towner stumbling down Bourbon Street.

The memorial for executed participants of an attempted slave rebellion in the region. Photo by Walter Hoffman ’23.

“Upon arriving in the South, the only time I have felt in danger was when I was 5 feet away from a gator in the bayou, and even then I knew my tour guide, a Louisiana native, would keep me safe. Asking people for directions always turns into a 10 -minute conversation. Store clerks and hospitality workers are eager to talk to you about anything. I feel very accepted and cared for in the South.”

Aiden Wasserman ’ 24

As for the city itself, we postpone any serious postbayou exploration until nightfall. My reasoning is that it would be more culturally and environmentally appropriate to go on a “Ghosts, Voodoo, and Vampires” walking tour of the French Quarter after sunset. At the very least, we might get more of our money’s worth.

The tour turns out to be more factually grounded than supernatural, albeit in a grisly manner—the way history tends to spin when it wants to grab some headlines for itself.

This tour stokes Arri’s visual curiosity. Sure, she is fascinated by the eccentric and the gothic, but she is also struck by the more ordinary details of the city’s facades. “The history behind New Orleans architecture and some of the buildings themselves is fascinating,” she notes. “The differences between galleries and balconies, the ornate designs of each of those, as well as the beauty and intention behind each of the building design features is beautiful.”

We see more of this the next morning as we tour a wider swath of the city on bikes. Our guide, a feisty elderly lady who alternates between no-nonsense street safety instructions and fast-paced entertainment narration, leads us from the embankment through French Quarter street traffic, then up spacious, tree-lined Esplanade all the way to the city’s majestic central park.

Having seen more of the city, we regroup and head out into another section of the bayou for a late afternoon kayaking expedition. We get into our kayaks and follow our guide Smitty, a witty, knowledgeable local who grew up and lives in the swampland. Smitty is undeniably charming and, what’s better, is himself under the spell of his chosen subject, vocation, and environment: the southern Louisiana swamplands.

We climb into open-cockpit kayaks and follow Smitty into a space where primeval-looking trees draped in vines and moss make a home for eagles, owls, and many other creatures that lurk in the grass and shadows. The alligators, incidentally, understand their place in the food chain and therefore don’t bother lurking. They bask on rocks and tree trunks. So confident are they in their neighborhood supremacy that they don’t even bother to acknowledge our little human flotilla as it paddles past them.

Smitty has us pause by a bend in the river while he uses bird calls to usher an owl out of hiding. “I really shouldn’t be doing this because I’m probably disturbing its sleep,” he says, but his curiosity and desire to share his enthusiasm with his visitors gets the better of his ecological sensibilities.

The owl is indeed a sight to behold, but not as much as the bald eagle perched some 50 feet or more above the water. We sit silently in our boats, our eyes marveling at the signs of life in the stillness of early evening.

The following and final full day of our trip takes us to the World War II Museum. It’s a bit of a misnomer because the exhibits are almost exclusively focused on the U.S. role in that global conflict. That aside, the storytelling is accessible and the exhibits of planes, landing craft, communications gear, and

other equipment highlight that rich history a bit more vividly in our imaginations.

Our imaginations and memories are saturated in less than a week of travel. In their variety and by virtue of their direct, immersive nature, the trip experiences leave powerful impressions. “I loved that we kept dipping in and out of the city of New Orleans, into the bayou, off to Mississippi, around the edges of the city on bikes,” says Sarah Coble. Every student takes home something particular to their interest. For some it is the enduring memory of a joking camaraderie in the van or on a trail. For others it might be a particular sight or piece of history.

Michael felt moved by interpersonal connections. “We heard a lot of stories about people’s lives.” Some of these, he recognizes, might be exaggerations. “I’m not sure how much of it is fact, but it did help us learn about people.”

And in learning about other people, we also learn about ourselves. We realize what it is in the world that

excites or repels us, what draws us in, what makes us feel inspired, confounded, comforted, or sad.

“Many a trip continues long after movement in time and space have ceased,” wrote John Steinbeck in Travels With Charley.

As long as that adage remains true for those of us who wander far from the Hilltop, then we have every reason to hope that, by extension, our own community, and the world at large, will be better places upon our return.

About the Author:

A member of the History Department since arriving at Hackley in 2005, Vladimir Klimenko is a veteran traveler and storyteller. He is a former foreign correspondent who still occasionally writes journalistic pieces, most recently about Ukraine. Among other things, Vladimir helped lead seven Casten trips, including a 2006 visit to New Orleans to assist in post-Katrina rebuilding efforts. Southern Odyssey was offered for three years as a pilot project for Hackley’s travel-oriented experiential learning program.

Hackley bikers look down a street in the French Quarter. Photo by Sarah Coble.

Monday

Top row:

At Bellue’s from left to right— Michael Abbey ’23, Arjan Sandhu ’23, Aiden Wasserman ’24, Walter Hoffman ’23, Vladimir Klimenko, Gabriella Parasnis ’23, and Arri Posey ’25.

Arri Posey ’25 at the Homochitto National Forest.

Second row:

A kitchen structure at the Whitney Plantation. Photo by Walter Hoffman ’23.

Waterfall scouts in the Homochitto National Forest.

Walter Hoffman ’23, Aiden Wasserman ’24, Michael Abbey ’23, and Arjan Sandhu ’23. Selfie by Walter Hoffman ’23.

Tuesday

Third row, clockwise from left:

Walter and Michael prepare to load Arjan into a civil war cannon at Vicksburg Battlefield Park. Photo by Sarah Coble.

Mississippi Civil Rights Museum. Photo by Vladimir Klimenko.

Walter, Aiden, Arjan, and Michael in Mississippi en route to Vicksburg. Photo by Vladimir Klimenko.

SOUTHERN ODYSSEY TRIP PHOTOS

Photo by Sarah Coble.

Photo by Vladimir Klimenko.

SOUTHERN ODYSSEY TRIP PHOTOS

Wednesday

Top row: Jean Lafitte National Park swamp boat tour. Photo by Vladimir Klimenko.

Walter Hoffman ’23 and a gator head during swamp boat tour. Photo by Arri Posey ’25.

Thursday

Second row:

At the New Orleans Ruby Slipper Cafe—Arjan and Walter, breakfast Olympians.

Photo by Vladimir Klimenko.

Sarah Coble and Vladimir Klimenko kayaking in Manchac swamp. Photo by Gabriella Parasnis ’23.

Third row: Hackley bike tour in the French Quarter. Photo by Sarah Coble.

St. Louis Cemetery No. 3.

Photo by Gabriella Parasnis ’23.

Friday

Bottom row:

At the WWII Museum— Arjan with Franklin D. Roosevelt by Vladimir Klimenko (left) and Arri with Dwight D. Eisenhower by Sarah Coble (right).

Choosing to Stay Connected — Alumni on the Hilltop

By Aisha Laspina-Rodriguez, Director of Communications

As you walk across the Quad and through the main entrance door above which is inscribed “Enter here to be and find a friend,” one cannot help but feel instantly moved by a sense of welcome and comfort. Perhaps that warmth was the goal more than a century ago when Mrs. Hackley first envisioned the School. One thing is certain: for many, Hackley is where the heart is.

Across decades, the campus has come alive with the spirit of giving—through both philanthropy and the giving of personal time to various efforts. The community’s commitment to doing more is born out of a passion for education and a connection to the Hilltop. From current families to alumni and employees, the people of Hackley provide unwavering support for the growth of the School and the enrichment of student life. Alumni, specifically, do so much for their beloved Hilltop. The ways in which they give back to their alma mater, and the reasons they choose to stay connected, are as diverse as they are inspiring.

Some alumni choose to give back to the School by participating in fundraising efforts and community events; others volunteer as class reps, responsible for keeping their peers engaged. Many share their expertise with current students in ways that demonstrate how the lessons they learn in the classroom come to life across professions, or they

Christie Philbrick-Wheaton ’00 (left) on Alumni Day with the Hornet and Michelle Annunziata Hambright ’94.

welcome students into their workplace for senior project internships. And others offer mentorships for fellow alumni that can be invaluable for those just beginning their careers. No matter how they choose to give back, Hackley alumni are united by a shared passion for the School, a deep respect for one another, and an emphatic commitment to the next generation of students.

“We have our shared tenets of Enter Here To Be and Find a Friend and United, We Help One Another,” shared Christie Philbrick-Wheaton ’00, President of the Hackley Alumni Association (HAA) Board since 2007. “[Alumni] remember that whether they graduated last year, or 10 years ago, or 50, keeping a connection to the School is vital to the educational experience of current students. We grow up and develop our careers and do cool things, but when we go back to visit our Hackley, we remember the young people that we were when we were students on the Hilltop. We get to meet these current students who are incredibly poised, graceful, and impressive, and having the opportunity to interact with them is so rewarding.”

For alumni, a connection to the School also means a deep connection to the students who walk the halls today. When students travel abroad, for example, the Alumni Office will connect them with alumni living in the areas to which they are traveling. Students and alumni overseas have been known to meet for a meal or coffee, elevating the abroad experience. These interactions also have a positive impact on the participating alumni.

During a conversation with Fred Hochberg ’ 70 former chairman and president of the ExportImport Bank of the United States and author of

Trade is Not A Four Letter Word —about his recent guest lecture in David Sykes’ Economics class, Fred shared, “I benefit from seeing how students see things today and how they understand [the world around them]. … It is easy to be siloed in terms of our experiences. Generational diversity is important. We are experiencing a real divide and a generation gap as severe as it was during the Vietnam War. A lot of it comes down to issues of race and gender. Getting into the classroom is a good way to get in touch with that. Getting exposed to another generation and hearing their point of view makes us better-rounded people.”

Guest lecturer Fred Hochberg ’70 presents to David Sykes’ Economics class in the Chapel.

Fred began visiting the Economics class virtually in 2020 and returned to the Hilltop in person this fall. Other alumni guest speakers on the Hilltop this year included former Independent Science Research Program student Josh Saha ’20, who visited current ISRP students to discuss the importance of internships, and Olivia Zalesin ’13, who spoke with the Food and Power class about her work as a Presidential Management Fellow with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service. Reflecting

on a December 2021 ISRP visit from Dr. Hilary [Cohen] Gallin ’05 in which she discussed her Fastline Device project to assist anesthesiologists performing central line procedures, one student remarked, “I was starstruck,” while others referred to her as an “idol” and shared, “[Dr. Gallin’s presentation] taught me more about how navigating one’s interests is more important than sticking to a concrete plan because, in the end, it could lead to you combining your passions to make a deeper impact.”

Dr. Kenda Kittrell Chavis ’91 addressed the crowd at the Dave Allison Memorial Soccer Game the evening before Alumni Day 2021.

No matter how they choose to give back, Hackley alumni are united by a shared passion for the School, a deep respect for one another, and an emphatic commitment to the next generation of students.

This form of giving back to the School is about more than presenting to students how the lessons learned in the classroom come to life off-campus; it’s also about introducing careers to students that they may not have considered a possibility and exposing them to other lived experiences. Students see themselves in the alumni that visit the classroom in much the same way that Lower School students look up to Upper Schoolers.

Early intervention physical therapist Dr. Kenda Kittrell Chavis ’91 reminisced, “I joined Hackley in the sixth grade, and I remember about five or six African American students, older students who I admired and considered mentors. Tanisha Landry, Courtney Oliver, and Dana Thomas all come to mind. I remember that those conversations and connections with those older students were really meaningful. We did not have deep conversations—Dana must have been in high school— but knowing that she was coming and that I would see her in the gym and the excitement of wondering what was to come were really inspiring moments for me. I can only hope that my presence can be impactful for students and that I can be a source of inspiration for them.” Kenda gives back by actively engaging alumni peers as a class representative and, for the first time this year, as a regional host in the D.C. area. She has also attended virtual gatherings and delivered a speech to the Hackley community in honor of Dave Allison, or Mr. A. as students called him, during a Dave Allison Memorial Game in 2021. “My availability and giving back to students is extremely important to me.”

“The range of things that our alumni do is impressive,” shared Christie. “I’m honored to be able to be part of facilitating discussions and connecting people, and then bringing them back to Hackley to talk to our students about what it is that they’re doing. We have a really tremendous network of alumni in every

Did You Know?

Alumni are part of student life at Hackley, while also contributing in large ways to the alumni experience. Students learn from alumni through classroom visits and Senior Project internships. They will also soon connect through the new Just-in-Time Mentors Program. Once students graduate, they, too, join the vast network of Hackley alumni and enjoy incredible events. Alumni give back to the School by volunteering their time in myriad ways, including as:

class representatives

master class hosts

committee members

event panelists

networking mentors

And as volunteers at events, such as book talks, regional social and networking events, alumni discussions, and more.

It is inspiring to observe the ways in which alumni connect with, provide guidance for, and mentor one another. There are many ways to stay connected. Contact Margie McNaughton Ford ’85 at alumni@ hackleyschool.org to learn more about alumni events, volunteer opportunities, and to get involved.

Read about the Networking Initiative— the alumni mentorship program— in the Q&A on page 42

profession doing all sorts of amazing things, from the founders of code.org to race car drivers, wine makers, doctors, and lawyers.”

Those networking moments yield great engagement opportunities. Through the School’s Varying Perspectives in Action speaker series last year, HAA board member and military veterans psychologist Dr. Gentry Torell ’11 conducted several panel discussions for current families, students, and alumni about what it means to be in the service and how people recover from being in combat zones. As part of those panels, she invited Hackley alumni who are military veterans to share their experience. This type of event allows our community to learn directly from people who have lived through experiences others have only read about.

Alumni feel deeply connected to the Hilltop every day, and conversations with today’s students create opportunities for shared learning. “Our networking initiative offers alumni events that have a specific focus,” Christie noted. “We’ve done health care, law, real estate, finance, and more. And what’s different these last seven or eight years is that we also invite families, students, and employees. Our panel discussions are an incredible opportunity to build that network of connections across our entire community.”

Any amount of time volunteering is helpful and beneficial to the students, to the School, and to alumni. Interested in getting face-time with students for a more direct impact? Connect with the Upper School about Senior Project internships.

Fred Hochberg ’70 (right) catches up with Raleigh D’Adamo ’49 in the Johnson Courtyard during the 50+ Club Reception in June 2022.

Or mentor students through such programs as the new Just-In-Time Mentors Program. You can also visit any division’s classrooms or clubs to talk about how you do what you do. Such efforts by alumni and their families, along with our community of current families, have helped our students thrive.

So, why stay connected to the School community? Christie says that she simply has a love for having the opportunity to stay involved. “I came to Hackley as a ninth grader, and it was incredibly challenging for me,” she reminisced. “I was not sure if [Hackley] was the right place for me because it was such a challenge. I failed my firstever quiz in Chris Arnold’s class. But [Hackley] helped me grow and find my strengths and confidence in a way that I never could have imagined. By the time I graduated, I was so prepared academically and emotionally for life beyond the Hilltop, and I think that played a really big role in becoming who I am now. … I give back to Hackley because it makes me happy.”

Kenda noted, “I really can’t think of a time that I wasn’t connected to Hackley in some way. I’ve been volunteering since I graduated. … It feels good to be helpful to those who are still there. I have really fond memories of teachers who saw my potential and helped me reach it. I stay connected because I’m appreciative of that and because it’s important to come back and let the students see

our faces and know that we care. Hackley doesn’t end after you graduate. There’s a whole world of Hackleyites who are doing amazing things, and we all support each other.”

The ways in which alumni give back to the Hilltop are a testament to the enduring impact of education and the power of community. By giving back in whatever way they can, they help to shape the future. As Fred reminded me, “Bill Clinton said there are three things we should do in life:

1. Leave things in a better place than we found them; 2 . Working together we can get more done than working alone; and 3. We have more things in common than separate us. And I think those three things are true. If you think about those on a regular basis, you know what…this will be a better place for all of us to live.” Alumni may have graduated from the School, but their enduring support elevates Hackley’s legacy every day.

This article is about the ways in which alumni give back to the School, but we would like to take this opportunity to thank the extended community for the ways in which you, too, give back. The contributions from current and past employees, families of alumni, and current families are many, from classroom visits to daily volunteering and so much more. We see you. And we thank you.

Alumni feel deeply connected to the Hilltop every day, and conversations with today’s students create opportunities for shared learning

Connecting Communities: Hackley’s Networking Initiative

Last summer, a young alum of the class of 2020 contacted the Alumni Office to ask if the office would connect him with someone in finance. The alum was interested in launching a career in the finance industry, and he believed that the best place to start this journey was to contact Hackley for help. Soon thereafter, the alum scheduled his first meeting with an industry expert, himself an alum of the class of 1987. That initial meeting was a success, and the young alum made a lasting impression. So, when an internship position became available at the organization, the mentor offered the young alum an interview.

All it took was a willingness to help and be helped, and a platform to make the connections that span generations of alumni. This is just one story from the many such connections forged between alumni through the Networking Initiative—a mentorship program that grew organically within the Alumni Office.

We sat with Margie McNaughton Ford ’85, Director of Alumni Engagement, to learn more about the Networking Initiative and how the program engages alumni daily, and also how families can get involved.

Q: In a nutshell, what is the Networking Initiative?

Margie: One of the great benefits of attending Hackley is that graduates become part of an accomplished and vibrant alumni community. The initiative is a networking program that aims to build connections between alumni, where they participate as either mentees or mentors. Through the program, we strive to be helpful to alumni throughout their post-Hackley lives.

Q: How did the initiative come to be?

Margie: It was officially established approximately 23 years ago within the Alumni and Development Office (now called the Advancement Office) by Director of Development and Alumni Affairs John Gannon P ’ 21 and former Alumni Director Haleh Tavakol ’84, P ’ 17, ’ 17. At the time, alumni reached out to the office with such questions as, “I’m pursuing my graduate degree. Do you know anyone at the school to which I’m applying?” or “I’m considering a career in law. Can you help connect me with someone who may answer questions about that field?” The Alumni Office would tap into its vast alumni network to help schedule networking interviews between the alumni who sought information about specific fields and those who have considerable expertise in those industries. There was only one rule—you could not ask the person for a job or an internship, a rule that remains in place today. Over time and with increasing interest, it became clear that a formal alumni networking program was brewing. It has since grown and today continues to be a pillar of alumni engagement at Hackley.

Q: How did you become involved in the Networking Initiative?

Margie: When I returned to Hackley as an employee 10 years ago, I assisted John with connecting mentees and mentors. I learned so much from him in those early years—he has a passion for networking and a talent for connecting people. Now, I manage the program as the person charged with all things alumni engagement. I continue to be amazed by the commitment of our alumni to this program—they always say yes! Hackley alumni are always willing to lend a hand or share advice. John, Advancement Associate Nora Leddy, and I have the opportunity to meet with many young alumni who share their goals and interests with us. We then find other alumni or current parents who work in associated fields, and we make those introductions. They are always thrilled to have those conversations. It’s a part of the job that I really enjoy.

Q: What drives the program?

Margie: When it launched, the goal of the program was to provide alumni with a way to connect with one another and to grow their network, and for us to be as helpful as possible in that process of creating relationships. Today, at the core, this work is still about providing relevant information, helping our alumni find one another, and building relationships. We take ‘find a friend’ very seriously. We don’t promise that you will end up with an internship or a new job, but you will certainly have an impactful conversation with someone whose words may inspire you as you start on a new path. These connections have the potential to become lifelong mentorships.

Many of our mentors today were our mentees yesterday. The success of the program is in large part due to a pay-it-forward approach. There are people who get involved in the initiative because they want to become mentees, and they want to find someone who can provide guidance. Sometimes, those mentees are deeply impacted by their experience, so much so that when they have that opportunity, they pay it forward by becoming mentors within the program.

Q: How has the Networking Initiative evolved over the years?

Margie: It has certainly grown. Today, there’s an improved process to join the network. In 2016, we launched Hackley Connect, our networking platform located online at hackleyconnect.org. Alumni opt into Hackley Connect and indicate if they’d be willing to be contacted for help. When alumni are interested in learning more about career fields, we encourage them to browse the Hackley Connect directory, identify the people they’d like to connect with, and call or send them a message to set up a networking interview. If necessary, the Alumni Office can provide further assistance. Hackley Connect also includes event listings, job openings, and relevant articles—it’s a one-stop-shop.

Q: How can someone get involved as a mentor?

Margie: Beyond joining Hackley Connect and clicking on the box that indicates you are open to helping, alumni interested in becoming mentors can contact the Alumni Office directly (email alumni@hackleyschool.org). That’s it! And to increase access to our vast community, families may also join Hackley Connect and note that they’d like to help. Visit hackleyconnect.org and click on the relevant boxes—there are such options as ‘willing to help,’ ‘become a mentor,’ ‘resume and cover letter help,’ and more. Life is busy, but if you can, please share an hour of your time with someone who needs your help.

Q: What’s your vision for the next 10 years of the Networking Initiative?

Margie: We hope to grow the program to include Seniors. It would be a remarkable value for graduating students to be able to use the Hackley Connect platform to connect with

alumni who are attending or have graduated from schools of interest. I hope for our students to be able to type in the name of the school they’re interested in and automatically see a list of alumni connected to those schools. It would be fun if Seniors and college-age mentors could connect on their campus for a day and explore together…the Senior would then already know where to find the best place to get pizza and where the library is when they become a first-year student. There’s a lot of potential for growing our Networking Initiative within Hackley Connect.

Q: Is there anything else that you would want readers to know about the networking initiative?

Margie: We receive a lot of calls from alumni asking for an internship—the Networking Initiative is not an internship program. This is a service of building relationships and starting conversations. Those conversations may open the doors to much more, but you join the network to ask questions, to explore your curiosity about a career field, and to get insights from experts.

The Networking Initiative is strong at Hackley, and we do it well. But with your help, it can be even better! More mentors mean more opportunities for young alumni. Please participate if possible. And if you can’t mentor, join our networking events. Hackley Connect lists many opportunities to stay connected with one another—from such industry-focused gatherings as real estate, medicine, and cyber security, to affinity groups and speed networking events for college-age alumni.

Q: What is your advice to mentees?

Margie: A thank you note goes a long way! And there are so many ways to send those now. Make your connections, and then stay connected.

Thank you to Margie McNaughton Ford ’ 85 for joining us in conversation. Margie is the Director of Alumni Engagement, parent of a Hackley graduate, a Hackley Lifer, and daughter of Hackley legends Randy and Mary Anne McNaughton. She has been part of Hackley’s Advancement team since 2013, where she applies her deep knowledge of public relations, marketing, and Hackley history.

A Legacy of Learning: Faculty Mentorship on the Hilltop

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 123year 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. The concept of “legacy” is interesting to explore, particularly as it relates to a place. How does one build and maintain the legacy of an institution? In this piece, we explore how several iconic and beloved Hackley faculty have preserved the legacy of exceptional teaching and coaching that was imparted to them by several iconic and beloved Hackley faculty who walked the Hilltop before them.

GROWING A LOVE FOR THE OUTDOORS

Upper School science teacher Tessa Johnson met Andy Retzloff her first year at Hackley. At the time, he was a Lower School science teacher. “He liked the outdoors, and he was very friendly. So over the next few years, our friendship grew. And then he moved into the Middle School and we started teaching forest ecology together. … Basically, he started taking me into the woods and teaching me pretty much everything I know, because my background at the time was marine biology.

Tessa Johnson (left) and laboratory assistant Lynn DeMichele (right) visited Andy Retzloff (center) in the Adirondacks last summer.

So, I could tell you about every single invertebrate in the tide pool, but I barely knew the difference between my oaks and maples.”

“You know, she may call me a mentor, but it was really both ways for sure,” remembered Andy Retzloff, who taught at Hackley for 31 years before retiring in 2016. “I think she [moreso] mentored me than the other way around,” he laughed. “But I think that I made her more comfortable outside and helped fuel that piece, too. I know she spends a lot of time teaching outdoors now with her ecology kids, where maybe it was more of a lecture before when she was teaching it.”

Tessa also credits Andy for helping her become more flexible and fun in her teaching. “A lot of learning can happen just in the process of being outdoors and inspiring kids to be comfortable outdoors. So you don’t have to spend all of your time teaching—part of it is just being. I feel like that’s something that Andy really taught me in so many ways. Like, that’s the magic part of teaching.”

And while Andy’s influence and mentorship are evident in the ways that Tessa approaches her science classes, as times change and technology

“A lot of learning can happen just in the process of being outdoors and inspiring kids to be comfortable outdoors. So you don’t have to spend all of your time teaching—part of it is just being.”

—Tessa Johnson

Tessa leads alumni on a nature hike around campus during Alumni Day.

evolves, the ways in which students consume information also change. One way in which Tessa has adapted her teaching to keep students engaged is by incorporating videos that students can watch and take notes on rather than taking notes directly out in the field. This began as an adaptation for distance learning during COVID, but she has continued to use it as part of her curriculum.

“Andy used to keep all the facts that he compiled in a red binder about the different plants on campus. During COVID, I didn’t know if we were going to be here, so I started incorporating them into movies,” Tessa explained. “So that’s how I have a video on about 60 different plant species we have on campus. And now I have the community record their voices—I have people read scripts and I put them in the videos…and it’s really neat.”

For about 50 or 60 years, students have been making natural history binders for ecology class—“It’s both a beloved and hated tradition,” Tessa laughed. Students used to take notes in the field, which

made it more challenging to be able to take in all their surroundings as they worked outside. Now, Tessa takes them out to collect leaves and tells them about the nature around them. For homework, students watch the videos and take notes, then they have plant taping days where they press their leaves and tape them into the binders. “So, I’d say that works better for this generation of kids than what we used to do.”

When it comes to their friendship outside the classroom, both Tessa and Andy mentioned how much they enjoy each other’s company and how much they make each other laugh. “Even now, when I don’t know something, the first thing I do is text Andy,” Tessa said.

“We’ve become lifelong friends, and she still comes out to visit me here [in the Adirondacks] and we just laugh until our belly hurts,” added Andy.

BUILDING ON A ‘HISTORICALLY’ STUDENT-CENTERED APPROACH

“I don’t think John would’ve said overtly in 1998 that he was taking me under his wing, but I think looking back 25 years later, it is pretty evident that’s what happened,” said Director of the Upper School Andy King about his mentor John Van Leer ’65, Hackley alumnus, parent, and long-time Upper School history teacher who retired in 2014 after 39 years of teaching on the Hilltop.

Andy began his teaching career at Hackley in July 1998 as a history teacher and part of the Admissions Office. At the time, John’s son Ed ’99 was a senior. “Ed was Community Council president, and I was the 22-year-old teacher who didn’t

Tessa heads into the Hackley Forest with a group of AFER students.

know how to say no to anything,” Andy noted. “I grew pretty close to Ed, but even before that,…JVL came into my orbit.”

“[Andy] had this great attitude,” John recalled. “He’d ask questions, and he’d listen. He’s a fast learner.” When asked if he ever considered himself to be Andy’s mentor, John’s response was an emphatic “No!”

“I never saw it that way,” he elaborated. “You have a lot of give and take with a lot of different colleagues. … We did a lot of things together and we were in the History Department together. He was one of these people who you came to respect because he’s in for the long haul. He’s not mailing it in—this guy is doing it. And that’s the other thing, he didn’t just pull out after three or four years; he didn’t just use it as a springboard.”

“[John] was clearly a grownup, and I was a kid in a shirt and tie pretending to be a teacher,” Andy reminisced about his first year at Hackley, noting that John was generous with his time, often offering support both in and out of the classroom. “Because my parents were two hours or a phone call away, sometimes the dad advice you needed was from John,” Andy recalled.

“I learned a lot from John, but one of the things I liked about him was you always knew in a classroom space that it was important for the kids to feel that it was a conversation, not a lecture,” Andy continued. “I think anybody who was paying attention to John’s message, it was about students first. Before we used phrases like ‘student-centered,’ that’s what John was about: ‘We’re here to support the kids.’”

“I think anybody who was paying attention to John’s message, it was about students first. Before we used phrases like ‘student-centered,’ that’s what John was about: ‘We’re here to support the kids.’”

—Andy King

John Van Leer ’65 and Andy King found time to catch up on one of John’s recent visits to the Hilltop.

Andy also credits John with being the “anchor” of Hackley’s U.S. history course, encouraging students to learn from many different voices and varying perspectives. “There’s something so fundamentally mission-centric about the way John taught history… and I don’t think I realized that until years removed and more so when I moved into this job,” he added.

Close to the end of John’s tenure on the Hilltop, Andy took on the role of Director of the Upper School. “I was like his biggest booster,” John said. “I said, the faculty respects him, the kids respect him, he understands how to deal with the parents— yeah, he would be great. … And he was terrific to work for. … He was in the trenches with us. So those people, you have a lot of respect for because they’re doing it every day. … Someone like that, you become close to because you respect them so much. It’s an honor to call them friends, it really is.”

“He was a monstrous presence here,” Andy noted about John, “and he is a hugely influential figure in my professional and personal life.”

CONTINUING A TRADITION OF POSITIVE COACHING

Upper School history teacher and Girls’ Varsity

Lacrosse coach Melissa Stanek ’90, met Dave Allison, lovingly referred to as Mr. A., when she came to Hackley in the sixth grade. Dave, who worked on the Hilltop for 30 years as a Lower School Physical Education teacher and coach for multiple sports before retiring in 2004, was her Middle School basketball coach and then later Upper School basketball, soccer, and lacrosse coach. “He really was the first coach I played for who I felt saw me as an athlete,” Melissa noted fondly. “And I think a lot of the girls who played for him will say that. We had coaches who we played for who we respected and we liked, but a lot of them probably just saw us as girls who were playing sports. He just first and foremost saw us as athletes.”

“He was very creative and innovative in his teaching,” added Francis Stanek, Lower School Physical Education teacher and coach for Middle School football and Varsity Wrestling. “I learned a lot through just watching him be creative with his

John (center) catches up with fellow alumni and former students Jackie Leitzes ’93 (left) and Zan Variano ’09 (right) on Alumni Day 2022.

Andy addresses students on Class Day 2022.

classrooms. He had the time to do it, but he also had the energy and the want to do that.”

By the end of her time in the Upper School, Melissa knew she wanted to be a faculty-coach, “so I paid more attention to the coaches and teachers I had,” she said. “What I really appreciated then was that what [Mr. A.] valued in his teams was this sense of ‘team.’ And what he valued in his individual athletes was their heart and their effort above all.” Melissa noted that Dave had a tendency to spotlight the student-athlete on the team who he felt gave their all, regardless of skill level. This, in turn, encouraged his players to perform at their personal best. “You didn’t want to let him down, you didn’t want to disappoint him—and the only way to disappoint him was if you didn’t give everything you could give.” She has carried this ethos through to her own coaching. “Remembering to value each member of your team for what they contribute is something that I held onto.”

Melissa and Fran both highlighted Dave’s work ethic and the fact that he loved being outside and having fun. “At the end of the day, he was just so devoted to the kids,” added Fran. “That’s what mattered most to him. ‘Give me an open space and a

bunch of children, and we’re going to have a blast’—that’s what he was all about.”

“He loved all kinds of different people and really found room for all kinds of different people in his life,” added Melissa.

The lessons taught and example set by Dave stand the test of time. “I think he was ahead of his time,”

“What I really appreciated then was that what [Mr. A.] valued in his teams was this sense of ‘team.’ And what he valued in his individual athletes was their heart and their effort above all.”

—Melissa Stanek ’ 90

Melissa Stanek ’90 applies a ‘positive coaching’ approach with her Girls’ Varsity Lacrosse players.

Melissa said, recalling a recent workshop she attended that focused on the shift to a more positive coaching model. “But A. was always about positive coaching,” she added with a smile. “He only wanted to lift up, and he got the most out of all of us by being creative and by reinforcing growth, not achievement. … He kind of didn’t see anything about who you were physically or where you came from, he just saw your potential as an individual. So, I think he actually was where everyone needed to be then, and people are catching up to him finally today.”

Sadly, Dave passed away in December 2004 after a long battle with cancer. Hackley’s cross country trails were named in his honor, and a Girls’ Varsity Soccer Dave Allison Memorial Game is played the evening before Alumni Day each year.

“I definitely miss him,” said Fran, “but I’m so glad I met him and so glad I got to learn underneath him.”

Whether it’s in the names that don the buildings or trails, a tradition of student-centric conversations, positive coaching, or a love of the outdoors, the legacy of those who walked the Hilltop over the decades lives on. It is a legacy that was passed on to them from those who came before—like Walter Schneller, Paul Szabo, and Art King, who John Van Leer and Andy Retzloff listed as their mentors— and one that continues to influence and impact the faculty making their own mark on the Hilltop today.

About the Author

Rozanne joined Hackley as Assistant Director of Communications in August 2022. Previously, she worked as an elementary educator for 10 years in New York and New Jersey independent schools, and in the publishing industry for five years prior to that.

Francis Stanek incorporates what he learned from Dave Allison in his role as Varsity Wrestling coach.

A DECADE OF GROWTH

In celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the Hackley Review, we asked our students to reflect on a decade of growth.

Lower and Middle School students looked ahead to the next 10 years, and four Hackley ‘lifers’ looked back to their favorite Hilltop memories.

Scan the QR code and flip through the next few pages to see what they had to say.

[In 10 years,] I think there is going to be a new tire swing and it’s going to expand just a little bit. And there’s going to be like a new building right there and another slide right there. I think there’s going to be a rollercoaster going around the whole playground.

—Kiran S. ’33

I’m staying until 12th grade at Hackley. The language I want to learn is Chinese because my mom, her culture is Chinese. So, in 10 years, probably I’m going to be learning Chinese and math in the Upper School.

—Aidan P. ’33

Well, I think I’m going to be on the Hackley swim team, and maybe I might be on the basketball team because I’m really good at swimming and basketball. And I think maybe Akin Common, there will be a garden or something down there—like something for the Middle Schoolers or [Upper] Schoolers to play on. And probably when I’m in 10 th grade, the new building is going to be built, and I’ll get to see all the things that are in there.

—Serena J. ’33

What do you look forward to at Hackley 10 years from now?

I definitely see Hackley being an even more welcoming community than it already is. So, there’s going to be a lot of new students coming in when we’re in [Upper] School, and even at the end of Middle School, and I think we’re going to be […] making everyone already feel at home once they get here and broadening our social groups and bringing all of them into our friend groups and kind of just becoming friends with everyone.

—Katie Y. ’ 28

I am really excited for the Upper School because of the new classes, new teachers, and by the time I’m there, there will probably be new buildings to work in. [...] I’m mainly excited for the new classes because there’s […] just a huge variety of what you can learn, and I’m really looking forward to that.

— Tian Cheng W. ’ 28

I see myself in the new performing arts center and being around a variety of different friends that I haven’t been with throughout the Middle School.

—Solomon W. ’ 28

What is your favorite Hackley memory looking back at the past 10 years?

[As] a ‘lifer,’ I would almost consider Hackley being like ‘the nest.’ A lot of people talk about how leaving for college is like you’re leaving ‘the nest,’ but for me, it’s almost like I’ve got basically two homes. I’m a day student, not a boarder, but I feel like I have a really close connection to Hackley. When it comes to thinking about a memory, [...] I remember when I was in kindergarten, there was a large push toward helping us understand the arts, so we would do a lot of things, such as cubism, pointillism, and learning all sorts of artistic techniques and stuff.

I honestly think if I didn’t learn it in kindergarten, I don’t know when I would have learned it, because it’s just not the kind of path that [we normally see] in classrooms with younger children. And we would always have a vocab word of the week or vocab word of the day, and for the most part, I did not remember them. But whenever I think of the word ‘cherish,’ the only thing that I can think of—aside from when I’m actually using it—is the fact that I saw it first that day, on a piece of paper, and I learned what it meant. And I guess that is always going to be a very fond memory for me because whether it’s my knowledge of arts, my knowledge of how to work with yarn or other crafting material, and the language that I use, I think a lot of that ties back to Hackley.

—Arushi Kaushik-Chandra ’ 23

My most memorable experience at Hackley in the past years—I guess it’s sort of a recurring memory—would be each of the Stings, the Spring Stings, Fall Stings, and Winter Stings that we have. That’s sort of like our homecoming, and it’s a great way for the community to come together and celebrate Hackley. I remember as a Lower Schooler going and engaging with all the activities that they had, like face painting and everything that they had set up for us, like bouncy castles, and then sometimes staying late to watch the big football game or soccer game. And then in Middle School doing something similar, like playing on the field before the game set up with my friends. And then in [Upper] School, finally playing in those [athletics] games. It’s just a really fun experience and a way for the whole community to come together and have a good time.

—Michael Abbey ’ 23

What is your favorite Hackley memory looking back at the past 10 years?

A Hackley memory I will remember, probably for the rest of my life, is the Dave Allison Soccer Game, which happens every fall. It’s our night game. And every Hackley Girls’ Varsity Soccer player gets to play in this game, under the lights, with so many people surrounding them. And it’s a really special game because it’s dedicated to Dave Allison, who was a really influential girls’ soccer coach for Hackley. He instilled so much confidence and strength in young women athletes, and it’s really special to partake in this game because of that reason. And I’m truly going to miss playing under the lights for him as I leave the Hilltop.

—Welyn Waterhouse ’ 23

Growing up, I lived at the top of a steep hill, so I never really learned how to bike ride—it wasn’t a part of my routine. I think I was just a little too scared because the hill was so steep. But I think what makes Hackley so great is the ability to branch out to do things [that] are out of your comfort zone. Looking back, the summer between eighth grade and ninth grade on a Casten trip was an amazing experience— Mr. Sheldon, [former] Chinese teacher, took a group of students to China; it was an awesome trip. I learned so much about the culture and everything that was going on in a completely different part of the world. I remember looking at the schedule and seeing that we had to do a nine-mile bike ride on Day 3 . And I just remember getting this chill down my spine because I was too scared to bike down my driveway. So, I think going into it, I was super nervous, and I was constantly trying to think of excuses of how to get out of bike riding because I was too scared to do it. I remember we got to the top of a wall, [through a] gate, climbed to the top, and the group started biking. And I remember Mr. Sheldon said, ‘Come on, you gotta go. You just gotta give it a try. It’s going to be worth it.’ So, I started peddling—I tried to ask for a third wheel to make it a little easier, but they wouldn’t give it to me, so I started going a little slowly. I worked my way up, and, by the end of it, I got through it and biked nine miles. And I think that [memory] goes a lot to what Hackley is— pushing you to become your better self and to branch out and escape your comfort zone, and to experience new possibilities.

—Reece Weinberger ’ 23

A Culture of Philanthropy

By Teresa S. Weber, Director of Advancement

Philanthropy is a thread weaving together the past, present, and future; it can be seen and felt across our campus. When you peer into a classroom and experience teaching at its very best, you know that faculty are taking advantage of the ample professional development opportunities available to them—opportunities that are made possible through philanthropy. When you walk around campus and see the soaring Johnson Center for Health and Wellness or the beautiful handcarved totem pole in our new orchard, you know that the culture of philanthropy is strong at Hackley. And when you speak with current students and alumni, and hear that their education was made possible through financial aid, you know that philanthropy is critical to ensuring that we uphold our mission to “learn from varying perspectives and backgrounds.”

Hackley’s history is filled with stories of generosity, starting with the very founding of the school. Mrs. Frances Hackley donated her Tarrytown estate to the American Unitarian Association for “the purpose of establishing a school for boys.” Her generosity was matched the following year by her good friend Sarah Goodhue, who donated $ 40,000 to build Goodhue Memorial Hall, housing the first classrooms on Hackley’s current campus. In the nearly 125 years since, many donors have followed Mrs. Hackley and Mrs. Goodhue’s example.

The generosity of our community can be seen across campus—the Kathleen Allen Lower School, the Sternberg and Santomero Libraries, and the newest units of faculty housing, made possible through the collective giving of the community, are

just a few examples. These investors in our school have left a visible legacy on our physical plant—one that benefits current and future generations.

While buildings create a wonderful environment for our students to learn and faculty to teach, other gifts have provided programmatic support in perpetuity. Gifts to establish endowed funds provide a nuclear fund from which interest earnings are drawn each year in support of specific School initiatives. Hackley is able to bring exceptional speakers, such as Broadway actress LaChanze, documentarian Abigail Disney, and former University of Chicago President Robert Zimmer, to campus through several endowed speaker funds. One of the key initiatives of Hackley’s current campaign, Beyond Boundaries, is to build an endowment to

fund signature programs, such as Hudson Scholars. Endowed funds also directly support Hackley’s faculty and students.

Faculty benefit in several ways from the generosity of donors from years ago. When you walk into the Lindsay Room, the wall above the fireplace is adorned with plaques recognizing the generosity of philanthropists who created endowed chairs in subjects ranging from the arts to math and science to foreign affairs. Each year, faculty vote on the recipients of these chairs, which serve as a recognition of teaching excellence. Separately, faculty have the opportunity to enrich their own learning through professional development grants made possible by endowed funds. Additionally, the creation of new courses is often funded through such opportunities as iGrants, which also come from an endowed fund.

Many families and alumni have endowed financial aid funds over the years, recognizing the importance of accessibility and affordability to creating a campus community with a wide range of lived experiences. Students can also tap into the generosity of past donors through programs like the Russ Hogg Endowment for Creative Expression. Through Hogg Grants, students are able to pursue passion projects over the summer that unleash their creativity. Sam Nadol ’ 24 was one of the first Hogg Grant recipients in 2020 and started his nonprofit RebootPC, Inc.—an organization that refurbishes old computers and donates them to individuals in need—through his grant.

A number of the School’s endowed funds have been established through gifts made as part of our Copper Beech Society, a group of individuals who have included Hackley in their estate planning.

The generosity of our community can be seen across campus in such buildings as the Johnson Center for Health and Wellness.

“Since our daughter’s first week on the Hilltop, we have marveled at the extraordinary environment the teachers create for our children every day. Including Hackley in our estate plan was our way of ensuring that the School can maintain these high standards for generations to come,” shared Nick and Cristina Savasta P ’33. Nick and Cristina became Copper Beech Society members last year when their daughter joined Hackley’s first grade.

While endowed funds contribute to the everyday life of the School in perpetuity, it is really contributions to the Hackley Fund, the School’s annual fund, that fuel life on the Hilltop on a daily basis. It supports everything from teacher salaries and classroom supplies to paying the electric bill. We typically refer to the Hackley Fund as the School’s greatest philanthropic priority because it accounts for more than 7 % of our budget each year. Often when we hear the word “philanthropist,” we conjure up images of those long ago titans of industry whose names adorn so many buildings in New York City. The truth, however, is that we all have the capacity to be philanthropists. Annual giving—in our case through the Hackley Fund— democratizes philanthropy and allows each donor to make a significant contribution to the life of the organization.

It is incredible to know that nearly 1,400 people came together last year to raise a record-setting $3. 5 million for the Hackley Fund. Importantly, more than half of those gifts were $100 or less. These are meaningful dollars that impact Hackley’s ability to fund every aspect of the School’s operations—many of which we take for granted but would be devastated to lose if funding no longer existed. Our collective ability to support the people and programs of a Hackley education—no matter how big or small our gift amount—is the very definition of a culture of philanthropy, one that is strong and growing with support from every corner of the School.

Without the incredible volunteerism that exists at Hackley—particularly within our family and alumni communities—this culture of philanthropy would not be possible. Every year, volunteers in every division and across nearly every alumni class year dedicate hours to ensuring the success of our fundraising efforts. They come with unbridled enthusiasm, ideas for new approaches, and a roll-up-your-sleeves attitude. They make calls, organize events, send letters, and encourage friends and classmates via social media to make a gift to Hackley. These volunteers are all-in, committed to the ideal that together we can make a difference for Hackley.

Without the incredible volunteerism that exists at Hackley—particularly within our family and alumni communities—this culture of philanthropy would not be possible.

Whether you are looking back to Mrs. Hackley and Mrs. Goodhue, or you are looking forward to alumni like Maxwel Lee ’ 22 , the first person in his class to make a gift to the school following graduation this past June, you can see the thread of philanthropy is one that ties us together for the good of Hackley. We have strength in our collective commitment, and we can take pride in all that the community’s philanthropy has made possible in the past and the present, and will continue to make possible for the future.

About the Author

Teresa joined Hackley in 2018 as Director of Advancement. Prior to her current role, she spent 10 years at Manhattanville College where she served as Vice President of Institutional Advancement for her last three years there. A first-generation college graduate, Teresa believes deeply in the power of education to transform lives and the fundamental right of all children to have access to high-quality educational opportunities. She has spent her career fundraising for schools and non-profit educational organizations.

Contributions to the Hackley Fund fuel life on the Hilltop on a daily basis.

Accreditation, Self Reflection, and Community

By Diana Kaplan, Mathematics Department Chair and Accreditation Steering Committee Chair

Hackley’s mission challenges us 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.” Learning from the perspectives of others requires a community effort, and it is important for us, collectively and individually, to reflect on our practices and core values. With this in mind, Hackley recently undertook a year-and-a-half-long self-study as part of the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS) accreditation process, which happens once every 10 years. According to NYSAIS, “The key element in this kind of accreditation is to involve its members in a process of self-evaluation. If this process is undertaken consciously and insightfully, it can reflect the past, the present, and a look into the future through a critical analysis of all aspects of the School, resulting in an informed sense of strategic goals for the future.”

Joys in learning and collaborative work are on display in the Sternberg Library, a common workplace for Upper School students.

Friendship, joy, and encouragement permeate the air at the annual Fall Sting.

Every member of the Hackley community was involved in the accreditation process, including faculty, staff, administrators, the Board of Trustees, students, and families, resulting in a 120 -plus page report. The report is broken down into six sections: Mission and Culture, Teaching and Learning, Governance, Financial Sustainability, Operations, and Student Life and Community. The School allocated time on multiple professional development days for all employees to come together and discuss the various reflective questions posed by their sections of the report.

The self-study process was a valuable tool for assessing the strengths and opportunities for growth at Hackley. In the words of one committee chair, “It allowed us the time to think about the positive things we are doing—the ways in which we are ‘walking the walk’—and also highlighting the areas where we can do better.” The process was particularly helpful in terms of creating more coherence across the range of initiatives recently instituted at the School.

Over the course of the past six years, Hackley has spent time cultivating competencies and developing the Portrait of a Graduate and a new strategic

plan, Redefining Excellence: Learning Beyond Boundaries. The self-study provided an opportunity to bring those various initiatives into clear focus, and to discover the ways in which all the pieces fit together. Due to the pandemic, the past few years have been somewhat fragmented and have left some people feeling siloed. The accreditation process gave the School the opportunity to come together to reflect and to reaffirm our values.

One specific highlight was the way Hackley approached the task of selecting 10 photographs that richly convey the mission and culture of the School. Students K-12 took part in an activity to brainstorm ideas regarding which photographs to include in the report. At all levels, students were excited and energized by this activity, and it was wonderful to see how much they value their experiences at Hackley and what Hackley means to them. This same energy was matched by employees, who also took part in selecting photographs during a professional development day.

The conversations around selecting photographs that each group felt best represented Hackley were rich, and the enthusiasm was palpable. As a senior advisor, I was not sure if my third trimester seniors

The Color Fun Run in May 2022 helped to raise money for Hearts and Homes for Refugees, highlighting one of Hackley’s core values: United, We Help One Another.

Hackley’s outdoor education showcases teachers extending beyond traditional classroom instruction.

would be excited about this activity. To my surprise, it was one of the most spirited and lively discussions that we had, with students clamoring to add their own ideas about what photo would best represent Hackley. Some students wanted to include physical representations of our culture, such as the inscription “Enter Here to Be and Find a Friend,” while others wanted the friendships and collaboration of people on the Hilltop to take center stage.

Remarks and feedback from employees mimicked those of students, with many feeling strongly about the “messages” each photo conveyed. Although the task of selecting photographs was a small part of the report, it served as a rallying point and

highlighted how invested all constituents are in the life of the School.

One interesting insight that came out of the process was the tendency for Hackley faculty and staff to focus on areas for growth rather than strengths. While it is occasionally more straightforward to generate critiques, it does put into perspective the culture of the School and the desire to never quite be satisfied with the status quo, constantly striving to be better. The self-study process was a good reminder of Hackley’s rejection of complacency, and in light of this revelation, the School continues to strive to make the strengths of the institution increasingly visible to all.

The Lower School’s “Trip Around the World,” held every other year, helps students engage in global cultures in an authentic way.

Small classes provide opportunities for students to receive direct support and facilitate risk-taking in their learning.

Students and teachers genuinely connect while preparing for a dramatic performance. Students are encouraged to show unreserved effort, and are tasked to develop grit, take on challenges, and hone their work ethic in and out of the classroom.

I have been involved in the accreditation process in smaller ways throughout my 31 years at Hackley, but this was my first time chairing the Steering Committee. This process of self-reflection as a School had an incredible impact on me—it provided me with a deeper understanding of Hackley, its people, its culture, its strengths, and its opportunities for growth. In addition to the inherent look into the inner workings of the School, this accreditation process also unexpectedly created new opportunities for me—I connected with people from all walks of Hackley life and built connections and friendships in ways that I never expected. We often talk about our community at Hackley, but through this process, I realized how much I live it every day. I am grateful to have had this

opportunity for self reflection, both for myself and for us as a school. I’ve gotten to see firsthand how interconnected our community is, and I am more convinced than ever that at Hackley, we truly live our mission.

About the Author:

Diana joined the Hackley community in 1992 as an Upper School mathematics teacher. She has served as the Chair of the Mathematics Department for the past 25 years, and she is the parent of a current Hackley student. Diana was the recipient of both the Akin Family Chair (2002- 06) and The Head of School’s Chair (2012-16). She has worn many hats at Hackley, but her greatest joy has come from teaching hundreds of amazing Hackley students.

The self-study process was a good reminder of Hackley’s rejection of complacency, and in light of this revelation, the School continues to strive to make the strengths of the institution increasingly visible to all.

Fourth grade students and their kindergarten buddies came together in the name of environmentalism to help create the Hackley Orchard.

Casten Trips provide opportunities for students to experience new ways of thinking and living around the world and to learn from varying perspectives.

CHRIS M. SHEPPARD, CLASSICS DEPARTMENT CHAIR, MIDDLE AND UPPER SCHOOL CLASSICS TEACHER

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO APPLY IUNCTI IUVAMUS (‘UNITED, WE HELP ONE ANOTHER’) TO TEACHING AN ANCIENT LANGUAGE?

This question is of great interest to me because help from others has played a significant role in my life. I grew up in a working-class neighborhood in New Jersey and was the first person in my family to graduate from a four-year college. When I began high school, I associated “the classics” with Bruce Springsteen, not Cicero or Vergil.

Our public school had assigned Sophocles’ Antigone as summer reading for ninth graders, and I recall struggling to make sense of it. Practicing guitar seemed a more enjoyable way to spend my remaining days of summer vacation.

I had little idea at the time that I would eventually choose to major in Classics, receive a summer research grant to study Sophocles’ Antigone in ancient Greek and write about it (it is now one of my favorite works to teach), pursue graduate study in England, and come to hold a dream position as Classics teacher and department chair at Hackley.

There is a long list of people—family, friends, teachers, professors, colleagues, and, of course, students—who helped make my journey possible and who continue to inspire me. It is important to me to bring out their contributions in the work I do in the classroom. On the surface, neither the ablative

case nor perfect passive participles might seem to have much in common with one’s sense of interconnectedness to other people, but our core values invite us to think again, to discover interpersonal worlds within the minutiae of Latin grammar.

You may recall that the Latin word for “to read” is legere, which means “to bring together,” and “to pick out/choose.” The English words lecture, election, legacy, and legend are related to this word. Joined together, or “united,” these two definitions of legere provide a more useful way to think about the process of reading than either definition on its own—reading involves actively gathering and picking out information. Similarly, each class meeting we gather around the Harkness table and choose what to make of the readings in front us, both textual and interpersonal.

In order to help one another, we must first listen to each other. When I reflect on the first Classics course I ever taught (a section of ancient Greek for first-year undergraduates), I wonder how much listening I did. I suspect that, in my eagerness to share the fruits of my studies with my students, and feeling pressure to go through a lot of material in limited time, I talked more than I listened. I have since recognized how important it is to model and continuously hone the skill of listening in my teaching.

In the classroom, I try to create conditions in which listening to one another—to each and every person in the room—becomes central. I ask students not to raise their hands to speak, but instead to have a conversation together. We use a variety of exercises and tools for reflection to help us share the airtime and make the most of each class meeting. Of course, I also contribute to our conversations, but I

purposefully moderate my contributions so that students have room to voice their ideas. I often take notes on students’ contributions, which helps me listen more carefully, and, in turn, learn from the students (debaters recognize the importance of this practice and call it “flowing”).

One of my favorite exercises involves writing down the questions students ask one another of the Latin or Greek text we happen to be discussing. I then project all the questions we asked onto the board so that the students and I can identify patterns in the data, reflect on the kinds of questions we are asking, and together determine next steps to push our ideas further. I have found that students

sometimes hesitate to raise their questions, so one of my hopes with this exercise is that they see how their questions and moments of uncertainty are essential to driving our conversations forward. Quintilian, who was born in Spain around 35 CE and wrote the Institutio Oratoria (“The Orator’s Education”) in Latin, advocated for using games in which students ask questions of one another. He added that this kind of pedagogy allows character to reveal itself.

Iuncti iuvamus challenges us to collaborate even in our most technical moments. A student once expressed bewilderment at my decision not to provide “the answer” immediately to a challenging set

Faculty members Chris Sheppard (right) and Richard Robinson (left) pictured in the Sternberg Library during a D.E.A.R (Drop Everything and Read) school-wide event coordinated by the Hackley Libraries.

of lines in a passage from Vergil’s Aeneid. The class was close to solving a structural puzzle in the passage—distinguishing the main clause from multiple subordinate clauses, each of which depended on knowledge of advanced syntax. While students may perceive receiving an answer from the teacher in such moments as a form of help, I encouraged the class to try a different approach—to work together and reason through the different answers they were providing to determine which one was correct. With encouragement from his peers, the student (and the class) agreed to try it.

I enjoy offering guidance for students in stuck moments, but I also did not want to become the only person in the room to determine what was correct. Iuncti iuvamus encourages students to provide affirmation of their peers’ ideas or ask questions about them—to go beyond getting something “right” individually and learn from one another. The capacity of ancient texts to generate a wide variety of interpretations and questions across more than two millennia is one reason why we keep coming back to them. When the class successfully put the pieces of the passage together, I nearly leapt out of my seat with joy. I thought about a moment in my sixth grade Latin class earlier this year when I was about to provide a suggestion, and a student told me not to enter the conversation, exclaiming, “We want to figure it out, Mr. Sheppard!”

Iuncti iuvamus is an ongoing endeavor, and it extends far beyond the duration of a single class. At a time when “doubts about book-learning” remain part of society, to borrow a phrase from W.E.B. Du Bois (he mentioned using a speech by

the ancient Roman orator Cicero to help him challenge such doubts as a teacher), Classics at Hackley enjoys a position of strength today because of the efforts of so many since the founding of our school. In particular, I wish to name current students of Latin and Greek, members of Classics Club, alumni, my colleague Kate Barnes, and former department heads Adrianne Pierce and the late John McAuliffe. John shared with me that an older version of our motto used the translation “United, We Rejoice”—another meaning of the Latin verb iuvamus —and he helped revise it to the current version, “United, We Help One Another.” To return to the theme of valuing the plural, which is embedded in iuncti iuvamus, it occurs to me that both of these meanings apply to our collective endeavor at Hackley. There is much joy to be found in helping one another. I feel so lucky to be part of a school whose core values serve as ongoing sources of pedagogical inspiration, where students are eager for the challenges toward which those values drive us.

About the Author

Chris joined the Hackley faculty as a Middle and Upper School Classics teacher in 2020 and became department chair in 2021 (after failing to convince Adrianne to postpone retirement). At Hackley, he also serves as a boarding associate, advisor to the Upper School debate program, advisor to the Middle and Upper School Classics clubs, and secretary for the Cum Laude Society. For multiple summers, he has taught Classics, coached rowing, and served as head of a dormitory at Phillips Exeter Academy. When he’s not teaching or reading a book, you might find him running, practicing guitar and Italian, or watching live theater in New York City.

A Lifelong Impact on a Unique Learner

By John D. McGarr ’63

John D. McGarr ’63 reflects on the educational impact Hackley had on his life and why he has chosen to include Hackley in his estate plans.

To commemorate 60 years since leaving the Hilltop, I’ve chosen to include Hackley in my estate planning because of the lifelong impact it had for a unique learner like myself. I hope my story will encourage you to consider remembering Hackley as a beneficiary.

A great teacher is someone who has the patience and understanding to teach you everything, any number of times. This saying could not be truer of the teachers who mentored and helped me during my years at Hackley.

Growing up, education was a cornerstone of my family. My mother received her bachelor’s degree at a time when few women attended college. My father was a registered architect who specialized in educational facilities. My sister—my first teacher—had a natural talent and spent nearly three decades as an elementary school teacher on Long Island. As a freshman boarder in 1959, I struggled to keep up with the gifted students around me. My curiosity and thirst for knowledge was evident, but my grades did not always reflect that. The faculty at Hackley recognized areas I needed support in. My Latin teacher, John McAuliffe, along with Lower School teacher Mary Jane Dexter, came together to create a learning environment that helped me thrive.

While I listened intently and processed the material, I wasn’t the kind of student who asked a lot of questions. When my hand shot up with interest over the 1907 economic panic that forged the creation of the Federal Reserve Bank, my history teacher, Walter Schneller, suggested I do a paper on it. His proposed action led to my lifelong interest in economics. The non-traditional teaching approach used by my math teacher, Robert Jensen, sparked my curiosity in probability and

statistics. While some of my teachers at Hackley might have been aware, I wasn’t diagnosed with dyslexia until the late 1980s. Those who educated me at Hackley honed my problemsolving skills, unleashed my curiosity, improved my confidence as a student, and instilled my love of learning for life.

The attention and assistance I received from my teachers and the interests sparked by Hackley’s curriculum directly impacted the course of my life: I received my bachelor’s degree in economics with honors, an MBA in finance with distinction, and spent nearly four decades working for IBM. My community involvement also began at Hackley (Black and Grey Key, Student Council, Corridor Monitor, Infirmary Waiter) and paved the way for my service in Westchester County over the past forty years as a town councilman, board member, and nonprofit officer.

Teachers are the bedrock of a child’s education, often going above and beyond to help a student succeed. I know first-hand the impact Hackley teachers had on my life and my daughter’s, and I want to ensure we continue to care for and attract that kind of talent and compassion to the Hilltop for future generations. My endowment will provide continued learning opportunities for current teachers and faculty, as well as provide the necessary resources to continue to attract top-tier educators for generations to come. By designating Hackley as a beneficiary, I wish to give back to the teachers in ways their predecessors gave to me more than sixty years ago.

For more information or to talk about the possibility of including Hackley in your estate plans, please contact John Gannon P ’21, Director of Development & Alumni Affairs, at jgannon@hackleyschool.org or 914 -366 -2654

Being a part of a community is so important and sharing my fondness for Hackley with my daughter, Katey McGarr ’03 (pictured here at a Hackley alumni event in Chicago), has been something very special to me as an alum and dad.

Picture: Alumni and student ambassadors together on the Kroeger Arch stairs during an Alumni Day tour.