Hackley Review Summer 2021

HACKLEY HACKLEY REVIEW SUMMER 2021

C R E ATIVIT Y I N AC TI O N : TH E STE M E XP E R I E N CE

A Hackley education is about going all-in.

At Hackley, every student from Kindergarten through 12th grade is seen, heard, and known.

With small class sizes, a diverse student body, and a culture of caring, students are challenged to explore across disciplines, learn from varying perspectives, and pursue all of their interests.

More than a school, Hackley is a community of people with shared values who support one another. We cultivate deep connections in learning and life that inspire students and adults alike to reimagine accomplishment. “ By the end of my first week at Hackley, not only had I made friends, but I discovered that I was now part of a community with teachers who really care and activities that extend well beyond the classroom. All around me, I see qualities in students that I admire and want to emulate.”

Sam, 8th grade “ What I love most about the students I teach and coach is that they always bring their best effort — not for their own benefit but because they never want to let their classmates and teammates down. Hackley students go all-in — they put in the work both in the classroom and on the athletic fields. They do everything with heart.”

Sara Budde, middle school teacher, coach

Learn more about applying to Hackley for the 2022-2023 school year at www.hackleyschool.org/admissions

HACKLEY REVIEW SUMMER 2021

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From the Head of School

Hackley’s Independent Research Program

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Highlighting the IRP from program growth to the student-learning experience.

Hilltop Updates

14 Elevating Creativity: The Computer Science Classroom Exploring the digital arts at Hackley.

By Andrew Ying

48 Giving Voice to Our Youngest STEM Students

By Aisha Laspina-Rodriguez

A look into the Lower School science journey.

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By Regina DiStefano

Sink or Swim: A Deep Dive into Aquabots Students rise to the challenge and create underwater robots.

By Melissa Boviero

52 End Note A student reflection.

By Akshi Khowala ’23

26 Photo Story Students at work in science classrooms.

Editor Aisha Laspina-Rodriguez Director of Communications alaspina-rodriguez@hackleyschool.org Special Thanks to the many Hornets who dedicated their voices, time, and expertise to the making of this issue.

38 Hackley Beyond the Hilltop: Alumni in STEM Reflect Alumni reflect on how the lessons they learned at Hackley impacts them today.

By Aisha Laspina-Rodriguez

Design Alphabetica, inc.

Photography Photos contributed by members of the Hackley community.

© Copyright 2021 Hackley School.

All rights reserved.

FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

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Traditional notions of “creativity” conjure images of art and artists. Movement, music, theater, film, and fine art stand out as examples of creativity, with artists—those responsible for creating these works—pushing through boundaries, developing new styles, and doing what has never been done before.

At Hackley, we value the creativity inherent in all disciplines, and we are actively expanding opportunities for students to be creative within the arts and beyond. This foundational belief lies at the heart of Hackley’s proposed Center for the Creative Arts and Technology, which, as announced in May, will be supported in part by the incredibly generous $30 million gift from Herbert A. Allen ’58. With the construction of this building, Hackley will provide a facility for the visual arts, performing arts, and computer science programs that are commensurate with their exceptional nature, while also fostering the opportunity for interdisciplinary collaborations between these departments. With media-enabled studios, digital classrooms, a makerspace, a scene shop, an art gallery, and rehearsal and production spaces for the music and theater programs, Hackley will have a facility that promotes and showcases the many forms of creativity present on our campus.

Creativity is not the sole dominion of the arts, however.

The STEM fields—science, technology, engineering, and mathematics—rely on creativity and imagination every bit as much as the arts. Recent news headlines showcase major breakthroughs in the STEM fields, none of which would have been possible without marrying creativity with the expertise necessary to solve problems.

From NASA’s Perseverance project landing and operating a rover on Mars to the rapid and safe development of multiple COVID-19 vaccines and treatments in record time, creativity was required and applied to do the once unimaginable. As sophisticated as our scientific and technological advances have become, nothing matches humans when it comes to creativity.

Through the ideas and initiatives expressed in Redefining Excellence: Learning Beyond Boundaries, Hackley’s strategic plan, we emphasized and elevated the importance of creativity within our curriculum and programs.

In this edition of Hackley Review, we highlight the STEM disciplines and the ways in which creativity is fostered inside the classroom and beyond, and the ways in which students learn to creatively address problems within a STEM context.

The feature story, Elevating Creativity: The Computer Science Classroom, highlights the growth of Hackley’s computer science program and the ways in which unlocking students’ creativity is central to learning about everything from introductory programming to machine learning. Similar themes are echoed in Sink or Swim: A Deep Dive into Aquabots—a profile of Hackley’s Aquabots program authored by Middle School science teacher Melissa Boviero. This engaging extracurricular activity challenges students to apply their engineering skills to develop underwater robots for competition in the Marine Advanced Technology and Engineering Competition. What could be more creative than Middle School students building working submersible robots?

At Hackley, we value the creativity inherent in all disciplines, and we are actively expanding opportunities for students to be creative within the arts and beyond.

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2020–2021 Board of Trustees

Andrew Ying, Upper School science teacher, wrote an article about Hackley’s Independent Research Program, highlighting the impressive work that students complete in this course, gaining research experience and addressing novel problems. In each of these context-based learning environments, student imagination and creativity remain just as critical as their content knowledge and skills; Hackley’s STEM curricula provides another channel for the expression of creativity in our students.

In a K-12 school like Hackley, much of the foundation of this work begins in the Lower School. Giving Voice to Our Youngest STEM Students, an essay by Regina DiStefano, Lower School science teacher, articulates the pathway that students follow in their science education, building off the innate curiosity and creativity of our youngest learners. Contrasting this piece with a profile of three alumni working in the STEM fields, titled Hackley Beyond the Hilltop: Alumni in STEM Reflect, one can see that the lessons learned and creativity inspired here on the Hilltop last a lifetime.

Creativity is a defining human quality, one that manifests itself not only through individual and artistic expression, but also through the application and extension of technology and technical knowledge and skills.

In a dynamic world, one with many intractable problems, it is critical that a Hackley education inspires student creativity across all the academic disciplines.

Doing so ensures that Hackley students leave the Hilltop ready to Go Forth and Spread Beauty and Light.

Officers

Hackley Alumni Association, Inc.

H. Rodgin Cohen, President

Officers

Sy Sternberg, Vice President

Christie Philbrick-Wheaton- Galvin ’00, President

Harvinder S. Sandhu, M.D. Vice President and Treasurer Maria A. Docters, Secretary

Sallyann Parker Nichols ’87, Vice President Daniel E. Rifkin ’89, Treasurer

Sherry Blockinger ’87 Christopher P. Bogart John C. Canoni ’86 Thomas A. Caputo ’65 Dawn N. Fitzpatrick David I. Gluckman Eric B. Gyasi ’01 Jason J. Hogg ’89 Linda Holden-Bryant Kaveh Khosrowshahi ’85 Jeffrey A. Libert ’73 Michael H. Lowry Rachel Mears Hannah E. Saujet ’94 Jumaane W. Saunders ’96 John R. Torell IV ’80 Sarah J. Unger ’03 Maureen Wright Pamela Gallin Yablon, M.D. Honorary Trustees

Timothy L. Kubarych ’06, Secretary Hackley Parents’ Association 2020-2021 Sally Kesh, President Chitra Dhakad, Executive Vice President Sandra Socastro, Administrative Vice President Jeffrey Mook, Treasurer Roya Riazi, Assistant Treasurer Marcy Wade, Upper School Vice President Jennifer McQuaid, Middle School Vice President Andrea Vitale, Lower School Vice President Charles Sichel-Outcalt, Secretary

Herbert A. Allen ’58 Daniel A. Celentano John T. Cooney, Jr. ’76 Marvin H. Davidson Jack M. Ferraro H’63 Berkeley D. Johnson, Jr. ’49 Keith R. Kroeger ’54 Philip C. Scott ’60

Leadership Team

Advisory Trustees

Peter McAndrew, Director of Finance and Campus Planning

John J. Beni ’51 David Berry ’96, MD, PhD Roger G. Brooks Robert R. Grusky ’75 Michael G. Kimelman ’56 Timothy D. Matlack ’70 Jonathan P. Nelson ’64 Diane D. Rapp Conrad A. Roberts ’68 Lawrence D. Stewart ’68

Michael C. Wirtz, Head of School Philip J. Variano, Associate Head of School for School Operations Steven D. Bileca, Assistant Head of School for Academic Affairs

Andrew M. King, Director of the Upper School M. Cyndy Jean, Director of the Middle School Lisa Oberstein, Director of the Lower School Sheila Hicks-Rotella, Director of Enrollment Management Teresa S. Weber, Director of Advancement

Michael C. Wirtz P ’29 ’31 head of school Visit www.redefiningexcellence.org to read about Hackley’s strategic plan.

Hackley School adheres to a long-standing policy of admitting students of any race, color, 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, color, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or national origin in the administration of its educational policies, employment, admissions policies, financial aid and loan programs, or athletic and other school-administered programs.

H I L LT O P U P D A T E S

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Thomas Chin Retires

After 23 years of service to Hackley, Thomas Chin will retire at the end of this school year.

For more than two decades on the Hilltop, he taught a wide range of Middle and Upper School Visual Arts courses, namely all of the photography courses in the Upper School. Thomas designed the scaffolded Upper School photography sequence that allows our students to take courses ranging from an introductory course to an advanced offering where they can create their own AP Photography portfolio. Thomas adapted his course and pedagogy as photography evolved, teaching both darkroom and digital photography. For most of Thomas’s tenure, he also served as the faculty advisor to The Hilltop, Hackley’s yearbook, as well as an academic advisor.

He has organized and chaperoned countless domestic field trips and several trips to China.

Bill Davies Retires

After 45 years of teaching, including the last 21 years at Hackley, Bill Davies will retire at the end of this school year. During Bill’s tenure at Hackley, he has taught a wide array of courses with distinction. His wit and sense of humor are always there to keep the classes lively. As a department chair, a role he held since 2005, Bill worked with the history faculty to teach rich and varied content as a means to hone core skills essential for historians—namely reading, writing, and research. Bill oversaw and supported colleagues’ work to bring notable curricular changes to both the Middle and Upper School. His teaching was recognized formally in 2007 when he received the Oscar Kimelman Award and in 2008 when he was awarded the Davidson Family Chair in History, one of the school’s endowed chairs saluting classroom excellence.

In addition to his work as a teacher and department chair, Bill served in a number of other roles. He was a class dean for the Class of 2006, leading them from grade 10 to grade 12. He was an academic advisor in the Upper School for most of his 21 years. Bill has served on many committees, bringing his experience and insight to shape thinking and planning on schedules, ethics and character education, civic engagement, and more.

Pat White Retires

Pat White will retire at the end of the school year after leading Hackley’s Department of Physical Education since 2005. For 15 years, Pat has brought to the Hilltop her deep knowledge of—and passion for—the health and physical education of students, and has led her department in creating and delivering an outstanding program for generations of Hackley’s students.

During this time, she has been a valuable member of the Academic Committee and the Health and Wellness Committee, an impassioned advocate for student well-being, and an expert on aquatics. Hackley is honored to have been Pat’s “final stop” in an astounding 42-year career in education.

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Adrianne Pierce Retires

To know Dr. Adrianne Pierce P ’18 ’21 is to know a world of inquiry, adventure, and a fierce commitment to social justice. In 26 years on the Hilltop, Adrianne has been a classics teacher, a class dean, the Allstrom Chairholder, a Round Square representative, a diversity coordinator, a department chair, an advisor, a faculty rep, a mentor, a colleague, and a friend.

Adrianne led many of the pioneering efforts with R.E.A.P. (Rwandan Education Assistance Project) and the Duha Complex School. In her role as the Allstrom Chair for Foreign Affairs, she oversaw the NAIS Challenge 20/20 Rwanda program. She managed exchanges between Green Hills Academy and Hackley teachers, and was instrumental in developing Hackley’s Global Education program over the years. She served on the Round Square team from its inception, helping Hackley host the Americas Region Middle School Round Square Conference in 2017, bringing countless exchange students to Hackley, and chaperoning our own students to annual conferences in Switzerland, South Africa, and beyond.

Diane Remenar Retires

After 25 years of distinguished work at Hackley, Diane Remenar will retire at the end of this school year. She has been an outstanding and versatile Spanish teacher in the Middle and Upper School teaching a wide range of classes and age levels during her tenure. She demonstrates her joy, passion, and sense of humor every day. Always open to innovation, Diane introduced a service-learning element to her AP class with great success. In addition to her teaching, Diane has been an attentive, caring, and firm academic advisor, and once served as the Director of Boarding. For several years, she and Margaret Randazzo co-directed the Senior Projects program. Diane’s teaching was recognized formally in 2016 with the Parents’ Chair, one of the school’s endowed chairs saluting classroom excellence. The Class of 2021 presented Diane with the Rice Award in the spring of 2021, recognizing her for inspiring their intellectual curiosity and preparing them to seize tomorrow’s challenges.

Linda Sadler Retires

After 20 years, Linda Sadler P ’16 ’18 will retire as Hackley’s Director of Student Support Services at the end of this school year. Since 2001, she has led Hackley’s Student Support Services with expertise, compassion, wisdom, and a singular focus on student well-being.

During her time on the Hilltop, she has been a compassionate presence, a trusted voice, a school leader, a counselor, a friend, and a champion for many community members. Linda provided all of the learning and counseling support for Upper School students during her first 16 years at Hackley, and helped create the Learning Specialist and Upper School Counselor positions. She helped establish the Upper School Peer Advisory Program and created the annual student Stress Down Days in the Upper School—complete with massages, therapy dogs, and healthy comfort food. She also helped found the Tri-State Learning Partnership, a group of learning professionals in independent schools who provide resources to support best practices in educational testing, accommodations, and learning support.

H I L LT O P U P D A T E S

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Doug Clark Retires

After 41 years on the Hilltop, Doug Clark P ’15 ’17 will retire at the end of this school year. Doug is a gifted, versatile, and engaging math teacher. His knowledge of mathematics and love for teaching math are evident and impressive when you visit his class or talk to him about his work.

In recent years, he has primarily taught AP Calculus classes but throughout his tenure, he’s taught every level of Upper School math. For many years, Doug served as chair of the Math Department. He has also served as an academic advisor to Upper School students.

Doug also enjoyed an impressive coaching career at Hackley including varsity girls’ soccer, boys’ basketball, and golf. Those who work with Doug know that there are certain “Doug-isms” that carry special meaning for his students and our community. As his gargoyled self attests, “It’s good to know stuff.” We have also heard Doug encourage us to “Do the math” when problem-solving. More recently, he’s been exhorting his students to “be part of the solution.”

Colleagues and students alike appreciate Doug’s wisdom, wit, and insight.

Doug’s teaching has been recognized formally as a two-time recipient of the Oscar Kimelman Award, once in 1997 and again in 2005. Colleagues and administrators honored him as the long-time holder of the McLean Chair in Mathematics and Science, one of the school’s endowed chairs saluting teaching excellence.

Scan this QR code to read the alumni tributes to Doug Clark

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Phil Variano Retires

After 41 years on the Hilltop, Phil Variano P ’09 ’11 ’14 will retire at the end of this school year.

In honor of his outstanding work, dedication, and longevity, Phil’s gargoyle (completed fall of 2020) will welcome many generations of Hackley students as they enter Saperstein Arch.

Phil joined the Hackley community in 1980, first hired to teach Middle School English and Upper School psychology. Early in his career, he also worked alongside Randy and Mary Anne McNaughton for several years at Hackley Summer Camp. In 1989, Phil was appointed Director of the Middle School, succeeding Mort Dukehart. During his tenure in that role, he created support services, technology support, and the advisory system while also bringing health education to Hackley classrooms. In 1994, Phil was appointed Assistant Headmaster and then in 2017, he was named Associate Head of School for School Operations, overseeing Buildings and Grounds, Athletics, the Infirmary, Auxiliary Programs, and supervising staff.

Over the last 27 years, Phil has served as a senior administrator for four different headmasters/ heads of school, providing valuable counsel and advice, and served as Acting Headmaster during Walter Johnson’s last year as Headmaster. No matter the role or responsibility, Phil operates in the best interest of the Hackley community, always with warmth, kindness, and a wry sense of humor.

In addition to his teaching and administrative roles, Phil has had a major influence on Hackley’s athletic programs. He coached more than 100 seasons of Hackley athletics, including varsity tennis and varsity soccer, and also started Hackley’s varsity squash program.

Scan this QR code to read the alumni tribute to Phil Variano

H I L LT O P U P D A T E S

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Erich Tusch Pivots

After 41 years as a full-time educator, the last ten of them at Hackley, Erich will transition from his full-time role as Hackley’s Director of Instructional Technology at the end of this school year, continuing part-time as technology support. During Erich’s tenure, he helped transform Hackley’s approach to academic technology, assisting our faculty in expanding computer science offerings to reach more students, and co-led the process that created Hackley’s first Makerspace.

Erich’s invaluable role during the pandemic ensured that an entire community of teachers could quickly pivot to navigate the uncharted waters of distance learning. Erich is not just a teacher and administrator, he is a leader, a confidant, and a friend.

Cyndy Jean Becomes Assistant Head of School for Community and Inclusivity

Currently in her fourteenth year at Hackley, Cyndy Jean will become Hackley’s inaugural Assistant Head of School for Community and Inclusivity, effective July 1, 2021. In this capacity, Cyndy will serve as Hackley’s first ever senior-level diversity, equity, and inclusion leader, overseeing DEI, community service, and service-learning programs. Establishing and staffing this role fulfills a key objective of Hackley’s DEI plan.

Cyndy has distinguished herself as an educator and leader committed to partnering with students, families, alumni, and colleagues. Her roots as a teacher—first as a Lower School Assistant Teacher and then as a Middle School English teacher and dean—ground her understanding of the school and our culture in the classroom. She is widely admired and respected, earning a “Hilltop Award” presented by senior “lifers” in 2018.

Central to her new role, Cyndy is always eager to understand issues, events, and people. As a lifelong learner, she consistently participates in professional development experiences and shares her expertise with others at numerous state, regional, and national conferences. Most recently, Cyndy began work on a doctoral program at the University of Pennsylvania and is pursuing a dissertation topic directly related to DEI work.

Head of School Michael C. Wirtz recently shared, “I have great admiration for Ms. Jean’s accomplishments and her personal sense of integrity, and through our work together, I know I can depend on her judgement, counsel, and candor. Ms. Jean understands Hackley’s culture and lives out our core values: 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. Her current leadership of the Executive DEI Team and her schoolwide purview as a member of the Leadership Team will be tremendous assets in this new role.”

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Shazia Durrani Joins Hackley as the Director of the Middle School

Following a nationwide search, Shazia Durrani will become Hackley’s next Director of the Middle School, effective July 1, 2021. Shazia’s expertise, commitment to the academic and socio-emotional development of middle school students, and alignment with Hackley’s core values made her an outstanding choice to lead the Middle School.

Most recently, Shazia served as the Assistant Head of Middle School at Riverdale Country School, while also working as the 7th Grade Dean and teaching 7th grade English. In these roles, Shazia hired faculty and supported their professional development and evaluation, worked closely with grade-level advisors to coordinate support and programming for students, and actively partnered with the Parents’ Association to connect them to life in the Middle School.

Additionally, Shazia coordinated Riverdale’s Middle School Project Week, demonstrating the skills and experience that will help her partner with Hackley faculty as we continue implementing Redefining Excellence in our Middle School.

Prior to Riverdale, Shazia taught middle school English and served as a dean at The Archer School for Girls in Brentwood, CA. Experiences there, such as serving on their Character Committee and Honor Code Committee, demonstrated her longstanding commitment to the development of character within a middle school context. Shazia began her career teaching at Pomona Middle School in Suffern, NY. She earned both her BA in Secondary English Education and her EdM in Educational Administration from New York University.

Robert Aldrich Joins Hackley as the Director of Operations and Campus Planning

As the Director of Operations and Campus Planning, Robert “Bobby” Aldrich will assume a range of operational responsibilities at Hackley. In his role, Bobby will provide oversight for buildings and grounds, campus safety, technology, auxiliary programs, and food services, while also overseeing construction projects and sustainability initiatives.

In the last decade, Bobby served as the Director of Operations at Miss Hall’s School, an all-girls boarding school in Pittsfield, MA, where he supervised buildings and grounds, campus safety, custodial services, culinary services, and led the COVID-19 Task Force. He was integral to the success of several large construction projects totaling over $20 million, including a new dormitory and math and science building, and he successfully partnered with the Board of Trustees Facilities and Compliance Committee to develop a comprehensive facilities condition assessment. Committed to continuous learning, Bobby became a Certified Educational Facilities Professional through the Association of Physical Plant Administrators, an organization in which he remains an active member by presenting at numerous conferences.

Prior to Miss Hall’s, Bobby served as the Programs Manager in the Office of Campus Safety at Phillips Exeter Academy for five years, following his six-year tenure as chief of police for the South Hampton Police Department. Impressively, Bobby was the youngest chief of police in New Hampshire history. Bobby holds a BA from Saint Anselm College, an MBA from Franklin Pierce College, and completed coursework for his Doctor of Arts in Leadership at Franklin Pierce.

Bobby brings to Hackley deep expertise, leadership experience, commitment to professional growth, a relationship-based approach to his work, and an all-in work ethic.

H I L LT O P U P D A T E S

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Hackley Welcomes New Endowed Chairs, Department Chairs, and Coordinators

Rachel Mwakitawa

David Sykes

Melissa Tranchida

Christopher Loomis

Christopher Sheppard

April Williams

Jen Hubert Swan

Merideth Maddox

Anne Weissenberger

Emily Washington

This spring, two faculty members were named as the next holders of Hackley endowed chairs. Rachel Mwakitawa —Lower School teacher and DEI Coordinator—succeeds Oshon Temple as the Caputo Family Chair, endowed by Thomas A. Caputo ’65 and members of the Caputo family to honor distinguished achievement in Lower and Middle School teaching. David Sykes—Upper School history teacher and Director of the Hudson Scholars Program—succeeds Stacy Kaegi as the Alumni Humanities Chair, endowed by the Hackley Alumni Association to honor distinguished teaching in the humanities. Our endowed chairholders represent passion for their discipline and enduring belief in the power of education.

This upcoming 2021-2022 school year, we also welcome new Department Chairs who will become part of the Academic Committee, lead the process of evaluations, refine curriculum, incorporate new courses, and participate in the hiring process for their respective departments. Melissa Tranchida—Upper School computer science teacher—will become the Department Chair of Computer Science and succeeds Erich Tusch as the

Director of Instructional Technology. Christopher Loomis — Upper School teacher and Dean—will become the Department Chair of History. Christopher Sheppard —Upper School classics teacher—will become the Department Chair of Classics. And we welcome two new members to the Hackley community: April Williams will become our new Department Chair of Physical Education and Jen Hubert Swan will become the Upper School Librarian and Library Department Chair.

Also this year, we welcome new coordinators responsible for overseeing initiatives in key areas: Middle and Upper School performing arts teacher Merideth Maddox P ’33 will become the K-12 Round Square Representative. Middle School modern languages teacher Sarah Budde will become the Middle School Global Education Coordinator.

Dr. Anne Weissenberger will become the Coordinator of Student Support Services. And Upper School Spanish teacher Emily Washington ’94, P ’30 became our inaugural K-12 Service-Learning Coordinator during the 2020-2021 year.

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Hackley Welcomes a New Friend to The Quad: The Chestnut Oak

On April 23, 2021, in celebration of Earth Week, the Hackley community united virtually for a dedication ceremony welcoming our Chestnut Oak to the Hackley quad. The dedication was hosted by Head of School Michael C. Wirtz and K-12 HEAL (Hackley Earth Action League) representatives. In a heartwarming demonstration of kinship, student, alumni, parent, and employee representatives took turns watering the Chestnut Oak. The Chestnut Oak was planted in memory of our old friend, the Old Oak, which fell on August 4, 2020 during Tropical Storm Isaias.

Scan this QR code to watch the ceremony video

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WHEN STUDENTS ARE ABLE TO APPLY THE TERMINOLOGY AND THE LESSONS FROM THEIR SCIENCE AND BIOLOGY CLASSES TO REAL LIFE SITUATIONS, IT BRINGS MORE MEANING TO WHAT THEY ARE LEARNING. – Kristyn Polucha, Middle School science teacher

F E AT U R E

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By Aisha Laspina-Rodriguez director of communications

Elevating Creativity: The Computer Science Classroom Technology in the classroom encourages kids to think about what is possible. It nurtures determination. It sparks an inquisitive mindset. It inspires. And it has taken its place as an art form at Hackley: the digital arts.

A teacher walking along rows of computer stations will observe her students sitting at their desks, monitors aglow with activity, heads bent together (though not in a pandemic year), all working in partnership. They would likely be immersed in collaborating to solve a programming dilemma, learning a new programming language, or testing game concepts. No matter what the topic of focus may be in that moment, one thing is guaranteed: they are teaching and learning from each other and setting a foundation sure to pave the way for success in a tech-driven world.

In computer science classrooms at Hackley, teachers create a space for students to explore their growing interests, enabling each to pursue passions that can be applied to future tech careers. And the students, in turn, are fully engaged. By the end of their course, regardless of their grade level, students learn that they are capable of things they might not have imagined before… all while also learning problem solving, critical thinking, design, innovation, and so much more.

“Many of my students who did not initially believe computer science would be so interesting have gone on to ask ‘will we have this in the Upper School?’... And that’s the best feeling: knowing that they really enjoyed the lessons and that they hope to continue exploring those skills,” says Rishika Jain, Middle School computer science teacher and Makerspace Coordinator.

Ms. Jain teaches students in fifth through eighth grades.

This year, she is also teaching the new Upper School elective course: Machine Learning With Music and Art, which she indicates is an important paradigm of objectoriented programming that allows students to explore their creative potential. Her Middle School students— largely working on programming—learn about the history of computing and hardware, and focus on blockbased programming using Scratch (a programming language where children can program and share stories, games, and animation) and Snap! (a visual drag-anddrop programming language that works by dragging blocks with different functionalities and connecting them like Legos).

Using these programs, students begin to create tiling patterns, use pre-existing blocks from a library of options, and contribute their own blocks with new functions and procedures to a global library. During their studies, students become familiar with the interface, learn to use animation, and begin to imagine and create their own art projects ranging from games to kaleidoscopes to etch-a-sketch. Throughout their technological growth, Middle School computer science students learn about the impact of computing in the real world and prepare to become responsible digital global citizens because, as Ms. Jain noted, “With great power comes great responsibility. As the kids go on to become computer engineers and scientists, they must remember

Top left: In Machine Learning With Music and Art, Isabel Francis ’21 and Deeya Patel ’21 created a digital instrument.

A digital game camera is placed on the floor which reads the placement of the user’s leg. That data is fed into the Machine Learning model and responds with either a musical pitch or an audio sound effect. Bottom left: Upper Schoolers Aniketh Arvind ’24, Calista Santomero ’22, and Iulia Andrews ’23 work on their final projects—a game programmed in the Java programming language using the Greenfoot IDE—during Melissa Tranchida’s Programming Simulations and Design class.

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“ When I was considering the future, and more specifically my future, I realized that embracing a new opportunity such as computer science would be an amazing learning experience. Not only is technology impacting our day to day lives now more than ever, it will also likely be an integral part of many careers in the working world that I will enter. So, I’ve decided I want to dive head first into this new world and begin to learn about coding.” — sophie thomas ’21

that their technology affects real people all of the time.

And so the biggest takeaway is awareness.”

Students go on to learn more advanced computer science language in the Upper School—learning Python, C# (pronounced C Sharp), JavaScript, Java, and Swift— while also working on visual gaming platforms and building their own mobile iOS apps. Perhaps most intriguing for students is the prerequisite for AP Computer Science, Programming Simulations and Design, where they begin with hands-on guided projects such as interactive multiplayer games and computer simulations of the human bloodstream before moving on to their own game design. Upper Schoolers elect to enroll in computer science courses at Hackley, sometimes uncertain if they have real interest in the subject; for those students, this exploration of computer science as a design art form is stimulating.

“I want the kids to be comfortable. I want them to freely express themselves. It nurtures their inquisitiveness with the content. And the more they become comfortable with each other and with their place in the class, the more dramatic their growth. They then want to learn more and more. It cultivates the whole experience for them and then they end up wanting to go further,” says Melissa Tranchida, Upper School computer science teacher and—as of July 1, 2021—Computer Science Chair and Director of Instructional Technology.

In addition to Programming Simulations and Design and AP Computer Science, Ms. Tranchida also teaches

Game Design and Post-AP Mobile App Development.

Her students pivot between an array of programming languages and software programs, such as Unity and Xcode, as they use consoles and simulators to debug.

They pitch their designs to peers using mock-ups and hierarchical flowcharts, and progress through the program development lifecycle as they develop. They also explore the art of collaboration, participating in peer reviews and a game of musical chairs where they display their games on their computers, each taking turns playing each other’s games and leaving feedback and words of encouragement on post-it notes stuck to monitors.

“My favorite thing about the [Mobile App Development] class is the people and the way we collaborate. This is a class that we are excited to come to every day. It doesn’t feel like a normal school class because we don’t have to be here, we choose to be here… so we work better together,” shares Katerina Popova ’22. During these exercises of collaboration, students may uncover bugs or, better yet, that they truly enjoy their peers’ games. By the end of their Upper School computer science courses, students have created their own game or developed beta versions of a mobile app and are on their way to explore computer science as a possible career track.

“I want them to have a good foundation. To gain comfortability with a technical vocabulary and the foundational concepts of computer science. But most importantly, I want them to have the confidence to know they can succeed as computer scientists. As long as they have that confidence, it does not matter to me if they

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Upper Schoolers Ben Korengold ’23 and Tibet Yakut ’23 at work in the Goodhue Computer Lab.

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retain every single topic we worked on in all of the hours we spend together…as long as they believe they can, they will be successful,” says Ms. Tranchida. And it shows in student engagement and in the connections formed between students and the Computer Science Department. In the last decade, the department saw a 60% growth in enrolled students. And notably, 40% of enrollees in the 2020-2021 school year identify as female—more than double the national average. For Ms. Tranchida, technology at Hackley means that students receive exposure and the confidence to feel that they belong in the computer science space.

Hackley’s students come alive in the computer science classroom. They use programming to explore their creative potential. They deepen their learning hands-on as they tackle real-world technological issues—using

tech tools to find solutions along the way—and strengthen character as they work successfully with the people around them, operating in teams to discuss possibilities.

On the Hilltop, computer science forms one-third of the creative arts trio (alongside performing arts and visual arts). Our students learn to do new things on computers: they explore programming languages, create their own digital arts projects, design their own video games, develop their own apps, and even assemble miniature robots (see Aquabots on page 22 by Middle School science teacher Melissa Boviero.) Technology inspires.

Technology is a creative art. And while students gain a new medium by which to explore their creative nature on the Hilltop, they also inherently prepare for professional lives in a tech-driven world.

Q&A with Ms. Tranchida Q: As you transition into your new role[s] this summer, what is one goal for the computer science program?

A: Students opt into Comp Sci classes. And when some do, they are not sure if they would be interested in the courses long-term, but there’s piqued interest to at least give it a chance. Those Comp Sci students are at an advantage when they graduate. They have exposed themselves to technological skills that play a large role in day-to-day life in the real world. And they are then likely

to do well in their professional lives. But they are sometimes unsure of how they can use their skills as a career.

I hope to invite alumni who work in the field to visit our classes and demonstrate what some of these possibilities are. Students are inspired by our alumni… and so what better way to bridge that small gap?

If you are an alum and would like to contribute to the CS classroom in this way, please email mtranchida@hackleyschool.org.

Scan the QR code to read about Computer Science in the Lower School.

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Hackley’s Girls Who Code The Hackley Chapter of Girls Who Code (GWC) has a single mission: to close the gender gap in technology for females. The GWC, now in its third year, currently includes 28 Upper School female members and was recently led by Kiki Abbey ’21 and Audrey Pizzolato ’21.

“I will never forget the moment I walked into my first university Computer Science course. I quickly realized that I was not only lacking a solid foundation, but was 1 of 3 females in the room. I want the female population at Hackley to have the experience of walking into their room with confidence in themselves and in their skillset—their focus should remain on their education, not on being underrepresented or unprepared. Building a support system of females helping females prepares each student with the tools to thrive.”

— Melissa Tranchida, Girls Who Code Advisor

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Student Innovation A Russ Hogg Grant for Creative Expression provides an opportunity for Hackley students to further their interest in creative expression and innovation.

Recipients of the Hogg Grant research, design, and implement independent projects in the creative arts, science, entrepreneurialism, global challenges, and interdisciplinary inquiry.

This year, Sam Nadol ’24 expanded his project, Reboot, with the support of a Hogg Grant. He collected old computers from community drives and donations via his website (https://rebootpc.org), then repaired and donated them to people who need them. To date, he has impacted 134 lives and counting.

Siblings Deeya Patel ’21 and Divek Patel ’22 were awarded a Hogg Grant in 2020 in support of their patent-pending product, AI4VI (Advanced I-Sight for the Visually Impaired). Using ultrasonic sensors to detect obstacles above shoulder-length height, the team designed AI4VI to help prevent injuries among the visually impaired population.

“We will never forget the moment when one of the students around our age at the New York Institute for Special Education approached and thanked us with the biggest smile. The institute was the first place where we tested our device. This interaction motivates us to continue finding solutions for real world problems and make even the smallest positive changes in people’s lives.”

— deeya and divek

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Sam Nadol ’24 works on repairing a computer which he will later donate.

By Melissa Boviero middle and upper school science teacher 22

Sink or Swim: A Deep Dive into Aquabots Aquabots? Aqua-robots? When I first brought Aquabots to the Middle School, it sounded like an unusual program: students would create robotic submersible vehicles (ROVs), from scratch, to complete real world simulations. It meant teaching Middle School students to use soldering irons, car battery jumpers, and trust their electrical circuitry skills to build a vehicle that would perform tasks in, of all things, water! Hackley’s Aquabots program has been as unusual a program as it sounds, and it has been a powerful experience for the students involved, and for myself. This program has evolved from a quirky and challenging after-school offering in the Middle School, to a new Upper School minor set to begin this coming fall for the 2021-2022 school year. Aquabots reinforces what can be built, created, and achieved when students work together on a common goal.

Through Aquabots, and the current Upper School version of an independent study, students work at creating an underwater robot to compete in the Marine Advanced Technology and Engineering (MATE) competition.

During the course of preparing for MATE, students fully design, build, and electrically program and wire their vehicles from their imagination to fruition, adding tools to help their ROV complete missions that simulate the real-world applications of submersible ROVs, and which follow a problem or theme presented by MATE. Teams operate as a company, developing a mission statement, budget, and company report and then present their vehicle in a sales pitch and performance

presentation to industry experts at regional and national competitions held every spring.

While the purpose of the competition is to score points in various categories, what has always stood out has been the process before competition: the planning and work, the disagreements and compromises, the successes and failures, and the frustrations and laughs.

Students rise to the challenge of building and sharing their vehicle with industry experts, and earnestly and reflectively describe the experiences that get them to that moment. Former Middle School Aquabots member Kami Lim ’22 shared, “It was enjoyable to learn how to solve problems as a team. All of the difficulties we faced were a great example of how none of the problems were solved by a singular person. The time that we spent working on the ROV was often the most productive when everyone was looking to help each other.”

Aquabots empowers students to practice perseverance and grit, often solving sophisticated problems on the spot, like rewiring a malfunctioning motor or replacing a non-working claw with a clever last minute replacement of a wire hanger. Students also use the competition as an opportunity to learn and grow, often speaking to older and more experienced teams to learn how they can improve their vehicle for the following year. As a result, our teams have grown in their competitiveness within our region, and our students continuously impress experts and judges.

Right: Tenth grade Aquabots students make sparks fly as they work on completing their ROV frame.

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Aquabots empowers students to practice perseverance and grit, often solving sophisticated problems on the spot, like rewiring a malfunctioning motor or replacing a non-working claw with a clever last minute replacement of a wire hanger.

Arav Misra ’21 shared the following: “Aquabots was one of the most memorable experiences I have had on the Hilltop. The inaugural team, which I was a part of, was a cohort of students who had a passion for building things from scratch, and using our imagination as the premier guide of creation. I loved getting hands-on experience with wiring, design work, documentation, and all sorts of engaging projects that were part of the engineering and design process.” What makes Aquabots special for Arav is the agency over his work to bring his creation to life. Tasked with creating a submersible robot out of PVC pipes and cut-up foam, Arav was amazed to see a fully functional robot emerge after weeks of hard work. “What truly made the program special,” he says “ was that along with getting a hands-on experience in real engineering principles, the team and Mrs. Boviero created an environment that one can only dream of being surrounded by. The program was incredibly fun,

engaging, and provided me with the foundation that encouraged me to pursue engineering even beyond Hackley.”

Together with the support and enthusiasm of the Hackley community, including the Aquabots students and their families, the program has grown and students have had the ability to dream big and access different materials to develop their robots. As the program has expanded into the Upper School, students have developed vehicles that are cutting edge and a far cry from our humble PVC pipe beginnings. But despite all of these wonderful changes, what is still key, and the heart of what makes Aquabots (and Hackley students in general) special, still remains: the pride these students have in presenting their work, the drive and ingenuity they have to problem solve, and the teamwork they share to achieve their goal.

Revisiting the Magic Squares “Have you ever wondered about the two puzzle squares carved into Hackley’s architecture above the Quad?”... So began a February 2020 article on our Hackley Perspectives blog written by Hackley’s former Director of Communications, Suzy Akin. The squares are a fascination for many visitors to the Hilltop. In her article, Suzy connects with Middle School math teacher Dianne Fahy ’92 and Doug Clark—Upper School math teacher and designer of the Centennial Magic Square above Goodhue Memorial Hall—to find the meaning behind the magic. To uncover the origin of the mysterious original square, scan the QR code above and read the article. “The answer is “32.” But what was the question?”

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An Update on our Makerspace: The Hackery

The Makerspace in use over the years: • 8th graders built and programmed simple robots drawing inspiration from art pieces. Students used the Makerspace’s hummingbird bit microcontrollers to program their creations to sense light, distance, and sound. Their robots were built from various materials found in the space using tools such as laser cutters and 3D printers.

“A lot of joy can come from creating something from scratch. It is exhilarating to observe students lose themselves in the act of invention, undaunted by mistakes, giddily refining prototype to get it to work,” wrote Assistant Head of School for Academic Affairs Steven Bileca in an article about Hackley’s pilot Makerspace for the Summer 2018 issue of Hackley Review. In “The Hackery: Making, Doing, Learning,” Mr. Bileca shares the Pilot Makerspace development story, from idea to reality. Now a few years in, the Makerspace continues to be a place for creation, where students use inspiration and design thinking in full-on, hands-on making.

Above: Young learners become creators in the Makerspace.

• 6th graders studying Roman history used the Makerspace to sew tunics while they learned about daily life in ancient Rome and also the lifecycle of a t-shirt.

• 11th and 12th grade bio students built models of various joints of different animals as they worked towards building physical simulations of the joint mechanism.

• Students enjoy Open Making Time where they can explore their curiosities in the Makerspace during recess or breaks. Students have used the space for special individual interest projects such as sewing to create pouches for stationery.

As the students explore the Makerspace, they evolve and grow into experts in their favorite tools. Under the guidance of Makerspace Coordinator Rishika Jain and their teachers, students develop their talents and learn to use machines safely while exploring their interests.

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SCIENCE IS ALWAYS HAPPENING. IT IS A PROCESS THAT HAPPENS IN THE WORLD AROUND US ALL OF THE TIME. Regina DiStefano, Lower School science teacher

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On March 11, the Lower, Middle, and Upper School came together virtually to celebrate our 8th annual STEM Night. The evening began with a keynote address followed by two sessions of workshops led by Upper School Advanced Physics, AP Physics, AP Biology, Advanced Biology, and Food and Power students, as well as Middle School Lego Robotics students. Lower School students also participated via Zoom, using the home kits created by their US counterparts for a fun, hands-on experience.

1. Upper Schoolers demonstrate the siphon.

2. Elephant toothpaste.

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3. A P Biology students demonstrate skittles gel electrophoresis for LS STEM night. Daniel Cai ’22 holds the camera while Alex Kirchgaessner ’21 distributes the dye from the skittles that Austin Benedetto ’21 extracted.

4. Courtyard experiment: Mentos explosion!

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Opposite page: Real-life Minecraft on the Hackley Hilltop! Melissa Boviero’s sixth grade science classes gathered rock samples from around campus as part of their Geology unit. Students recently learned how to safely handle a hammer and chisel, and worked hard at retrieving many types of quartz, micas, granites, schist, and even red shiny garnet gemstones!

This page: Bill McLay’s Advanced Physics students learned the physics of various bridges: truss, arch, and suspension/cable stay. They then built their own versions using materials that were attained through an HPA Faculty Grant. Students attached sensors to their bridges and loaded them to see where the bridges create the most support. They finally moved on to creating their own small version out of spaghetti and hot glue (and put them to the test!).

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1. O livia Rowbottom ’21 carefully puts a redback salamander back under a cover board. Advanced Forest Ecology Students have been counting and measuring the abundance of redback salamanders both in and out of our deer exclusion zone since 2009.

2. A lex Bileca ’22 and Brooke Lopez-Ryan ’22 measure a Redback salamander in Advanced Forest Ecology Research.

Students measure and count the Redback salamanders under 100 cover boards inside and outside our 3 acre deer exclusion zone right in the middle of our nature study area.

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3. M iddle School students in Kristyn Polucha’s 8th grade science class calculated their reaction time using yard sticks, verbal cues, and mathematical equations. In this unit, the students learned about the nervous system, specifically stimuli/response and reflexes.

4. W ill Rifkin ’21 and Austin Benedetto ’21 measure the dissolved oxygen during an AP Biology water testing lab. Students have been measuring the water quality of two vernal pools–Deer and Salamander pond–since 2007.

Dissolved Oxygen is one of many tests they do.

5. A P Bio students Sebi Doctors ’21, Sadie Nipon ’21, Arjun Dayal ’21, and Daniel Rivera ’12 prepare water samples for testing at Deer Pond. Dissolved oxygen, nitrates, pH, and alkalinity are some of the samples taken.

6. U pper School Biology students Brendan DiStefano ’22 and Mac Wyman ’22 analyze blood typing during lab work in Tessa Johnson’s classroom.

7. S adie Nipon ’21 patiently waits for her sample to settle as she tests the dissolved oxygen at Deer Pond during an AP Biology field lab.

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Opposite Page: Students in Andrew Ying’s AP Physics class build small speakers in a competition to build the loudest and most light-weight speaker.

1. F rom left to right: Seniors Audrey Pizzolato, Lily Napach, and Alex Kyimpopkin light a bulb using speaker wire and a battery...a test stage on their way to building their speaker!

2. T he winners of the competition test their mini speaker.

This Page: Young scientists at work.

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3. L ower School KDB Social Studies students recently boarded the Growth Mindset Express! Their journey started out by learning that our brain is a muscle and there are billions of neurons working every day to build connections that make us stronger. In this picture, two students pretend to be neurons tossing different sized ropes across the space to make a connection, realizing that learning new things takes practice and effort. Our Kindergartners love learning how their brains can stretch through perseverance!

4. L ower School 4th graders sift through bones and teeth during Regina DiStefano’s owl dissection class.

5. Y oung learners try their hand at Snap Circuits!

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Middle School students in Melissa Boviero’s Science 6-3 class created a prototype for a building frame design as part of the Earthquakes unit. In this unit, students study the importance of earthquake building engineering and architecture, and they design and develop building frames using specifications and a limited amount of building materials. They then test their building frame ideas on an earthquake shake table which simulates the vibrations of earthquakes. Students learn what design ideas and features help buildings become more earthquake resistant.

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1. M arine Biology student Layan S. ’27 showcases her invention, The Aquatic Langa. Marine Biology students learn about the different zones of the ocean, invent an animal that could survive in that zone (considering light, pressure, and more), build a model, and then film a documentary.

2. L ego Robotics student Farah G. ’28 builds a SumoBot which will then be put to the test in a battle against others!

3. N ico Z. ’28, Marco A. ’28, and Kayla R. ’28 build paper marble rollercoasters in Dan Lipin’s science class.

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Gabrielle D-A. ’25 logs collected Response Time data during Ms. Polucha’s science 8-2 class.

By Aisha Laspina-Rodriguez director of communications

Hackley Beyond the Hilltop: Alumni in STEM Reflect Hackley’s students embrace exploration and creativity in the classroom in all of its forms. They tell stories through the strong characters they have written into complex creative narrative. They dive into history and draw parallels to modern day life. They uncover meaning between numbers and find solutions to challenging equations. They also write programming code, meet the species living in Hackley’s forest, and build impressive architecture using unlikely materials such as uncooked spaghetti noodles. While on the Hilltop, students explore the possibilities in their learning experiences… and look forward to what that might look like in their lives beyond the Hilltop.

As our students transition into alumni, they remain deeply connected to the Hilltop and to the everlasting relationships formed while here. Some also return as often as possible to share their post-Hackley experiences with the next generation of graduates through various events such as the Guest Speaker Series in Hackley’s Independent Research Program. Regardless of how many years have passed since their time at Hackley, alumni reflect on their Hackley experiences as the spark that ignited the passion for their career.

For Alexandra Mattei ’10, lifelong learning began at Hackley. Alexandra is a PhD candidate at the Meissner Lab of the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics in Berlin, Germany where she is continuing her studies in developmental biology—the study of genetics and epigenetics. Biology was an interest for Alexandra since

childhood, and so she dove enthusiastically into science at Hackley, drawing inspiration from former teacher Manna Ohmoto-Whitfield’s Biology class and Tessa Johnson’s AP Biology.

“What sustains my interest in biology today through the ups and downs of a PhD is continuously connecting the studying back to the real world...making sure that what I’m doing and what my interests are relate to something tangible,” lessons she channels from her time on the Hilltop.

From Ms. Ohmoto-Whitfield, Alexandra learned to connect her studies to real-world examples, such as how consuming food translates into biological processes within our bodies. During a lab experiment in Ms. Johnson’s classroom, Alexandra studied small insect behavior in a controlled environment. Using a petri dish with a piece of paper wet with chemicals, Alexandra learned that to properly control the experiment, she would have to use a second petri dish with an additional paper (wet with plain water) to arrive at an accurate comparative analysis of the insect’s response to a ‘wet’ environment. This lesson in controlled experiments prompted her to think about how to conduct proper experiments and correctly interpret the data gathered, and has helped her be more efficient and productive in her work today.

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“One of the most impressive things about the Hilltop,” says Jordan Rapp ’98 “was always the number of opportunities that I had to learn and do on campus, and the caliber of teachers that facilitated those opportunities. Things like that were really remarkable.” Jordan is a Technical Game Designer for Respawn Entertainment (part of Electronic Arts aka EA) whose game Apex Legends reached 100 million players in April.

Jordan’s very first line of code was written in the Hackley computer lab (because there was only one lab when he was a student here!). And while Jordan’s interests then were in mechanical engineering and athletics, he often found himself programming for fun on the Hilltop and in his free time. “I taught myself HTML programming in the Hackley computer lab because I had dial-up at home. And in the early days of the internet—about 1996 or 1997—Hackley had set up a computer lab with highspeed internet… There’s work that I do all of the time now where my first exposure to it was at Hackley.”

His story includes many pivots from engineering to rowing in college to a very long and successful career as an endurance athlete before landing in gaming.

But before there was all of that, there was Hackley, and Jordan celebrates his connection to the school.

Jordan remembers building a GeoCities website at Hackley, which he then referenced during a college admissions interview. During the meeting, Jordan mentioned the website to his interviewer and, having found common interest (and the office itself being equipped with high-speed access), the two together visited the website. Jordan was accepted into the college.

He noted the power of the moment: “I got in. I didn’t ultimately attend the school, but I got in. I was able to show him this thing that I built…during an interview… because of Hackley.”

For Jordan, working on games is equal parts creativity and fun, and he notes that while the programming bar is set much higher nowadays, students graduating from Hackley today have robust opportunities in a much more mature field of technology.

Jordan and Dr. Jonathan Packer ’11 evidenced examples of the importance of interdisciplinary studies, spanning from STEM to English. For them, English classes at

Hackley prepared them to communicate complex concepts to diverse audiences.

Jonathan is a Senior Scientist in Genomics Discovery at Foresite labs, which he explains is a hybrid between a biotech startup incubator (focused on drug discovery and healthcare technology) and a research lab conducting human genetics research to understand how genes affect disease. His interest in the field developed during his college years when he connected with President, Chief Scientific Officer, and co-founder of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Dr. George Yancopoulos P ’12 ’14 ’16 ’18 and subsequently completed two internships at Regeneron. Today, Jonathan uses genomic technologies such as single cell RNA sequencing to guide drug target discovery, and recently worked on an immunology project to find drug targets with possible relevance to multiple autoimmune diseases.

He shares, “What I found in my career is that people seem to appreciate the ability to write about code in a cogent way. You’re always communicating to someone who doesn’t speak the language that you developed as you’re researching your topic. Whether you’re programming or doing scientific research, it’s a matter of giving people the vocabulary they need to understand your work.” For Jonathan, the skills he learned from writing essays, more than even computer science, helped him distinguish himself as a programmer.

Our alumni in STEM are scientists, gamers, programmers, and engineers. They create biotech companies and study human genetics to help understand and solve biological issues. They are lifelong interdisciplinary learners, consistently applying their skills learned at Hackley to their current day work. They frequently revisit the Hilltop to speak with students through various guest speaker events. And they reflect on their time on the Hilltop and the deep connections to learning and life that they developed while here.

Not all alumni set out on a career path first explored at Hackley. Some journeys are filled with twists and turns.

Still, alumni will always have the memories of their lessons from which to draw, and an open door to reconnect to the people that made an impact on their lives and with the students still on the Hilltop who excitedly await their return.

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By Andrew Ying upper school science teacher & coordinator of independent research

Hackley’s Independent Research Program

I remember starting at Hackley about a decade ago and being immensely impressed with the scientific curiosity, enthusiasm, and initiative that my 9th grade Physics students expressed each day. At the time, students like Wenkai Qin ’14 and Jules Oppenheim ’15 applied for a variety of summer science internship programs to no avail. I was surprised to learn that these incredible students were rejected by these summer programs. It became increasingly important for me to find ways to do more in support of our science research-oriented students; if our athletes and musicians had a venue to explore and perform their passions, then so too should our future scientists. I vividly remember my excitement after the late Headmaster Walter Johnson and Director of the Upper School Andy King asked me to pursue my idea of a research program. A year later, the Independent Research Program (IRP) at Hackley School was born.

Fundamental to their long-term success, the goal of the IRP was (and still is) to enable students who are passionate about science to pursue high-level, authentic scientific research in any field of their choosing. The program encountered many challenges in its earliest days including how we would provide space, time, and other resources for each student to pursue their studies.

After all, how could the school provide state of the art equipment for students with varying degrees of interests when one person may want to research the next treatment for cancer or Alzheimer’s while another wants to pursue plasma physics and another is interested in desktop-sized micro-satellites? Incidentally, these were the projects of the IRP’s first four students.

Our students aim for the stars, and who are we to tell

them their goals are too lofty? To address these challenges, students partner with off-campus mentors and research facilities to carry out their experiments.

When most people envision scientific research, they are flooded with images of scientists in lab coats mixing chemicals, or peering into microscopes or telescopes.

However, that is just one, albeit important, facet of scientific research. All research, regardless of the field, starts with reading and understanding what studies have been done in the past. Based on literature review, new experiments and tests can be designed so that the “experiment” can be carried out. There is then data to be analyzed, results to be inferred, all of which must be communicated to the public or scientific colleagues.

In our goal of enabling students to pursue scientific research, we aim to teach them about these other equally important aspects of the research process.

The IRP ultimately expanded into a major course offering for students in their sophomore to senior years.

In our inaugural 2015-2016 school year, four sophomores entered the program. As with all new programs, the first few years of IRP involved tough growing pains, including students dropping out and concerns about the future of the program. Still, the program persevered.

Vinay Bijoor ’18 was the only student from the inaugural class to complete all three years, conducting a research study investigating the stimulated demyelination (insulating layer around nerves) in the striatum (part of the brain that regulates motor function) in a mouse model for Multiple Sclerosis. In completing his work, and despite losing his mentor in his second year, Vinay learned to design and conduct a study involving mouse models,

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Left: Josh Saha ’20 presents his work at the 61st Annual Meeting of the American Physical Society - Division of Plasma Physics in the Fall of 2019. Right: William Crainer ’19 was invited to speak at the Northeast Natural History Conference in the spring of 2019.

and image and statistical analysis. He was also able to present the work at the Westchester Rockland Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (WR-JSHS).

William Crainer ’19 partnered with a mentor from Virginia Tech to investigate cutaneous and environmental microbial communities of pre- and post-metamorphic North American frogs. William collected microbial swabs of over 200 frogs and tadpoles during an intensive two-week period at Mianus River Gorge each summer, and he helped to create the data tables that were ultimately used to cumulate the data that he and his mentor used. His work won 2nd place at the WR-JSHS, and he was invited to speak at the Northeast Natural History Conference, the largest regional forum for researchers, natural resource managers, students, and naturalists to present current information on the varied aspects of applied field biology (freshwater, marine, and terrestrial) and natural history for the Northeastern United States and adjacent Canada.

It would be easy to use the end result of a project like Will’s as a metric of success for the IRP. However, the IRP’s worthiness as a pursuit should be measured instead by the learning process that Will, and other students, went through. Will’s research process led him to learn computer programming in R (a standard statistical programming language) and statistics—two subjects he likely would not have pursued otherwise—and he went on to study AP Statistics and AP Biology in his senior year. It was during his project that I truly recognized the power of IRP in a student’s learning experience. Will had a passion for frogs and according to him, “IRP gave me a chance to explore learning where I was the motivation and I could focus on what most interested me. The aspect of self-driven learning is so critical in college because no one is checking up on you like they are in high school so learning this skill starting from 10th grade has been integral in my college experience.”

Josh Saha ’20 spent his sophomore and junior summers working on a project at Columbia University’s HBT-EP plasma physics laboratory on a project that showed the correlation between a high-speed camera and local magnetic sensors in a tokamak (a magnetic confinement device for producing controlled thermonuclear fusion power) when a neutral gas is injected into a stable plasma. The project culminated in Josh presenting his work at the 61st Annual Meeting of the American Physical Society - Division of Plasma Physics on Tuesday Oct 22, 2019. This is the largest meeting of Plasma Physicists in the world, and he was the sole high school student presenting his work at their poster fair. Similar to Will, the metric of success of IRP is not that Josh was invited to speak at an international conference, but rather the journey and learning experiences that Josh had. “IRP allowed me to research nuclear fusion and plasma physics, topics never covered in high school. Scientific research, while possible to do outside of IRP, became very accessible through IRP and very understandable with Dr. Ying’s help. And beyond just nuclear fusion and plasma physics, through my internship I was able to learn how to solder, how to design circuits, how to program in MATLAB, and I was able to go to Florida [to present my work].”

The most daunting and challenging part for the students in IRP then and now is not the high-level research they are investigating, or finding the time to pursue it, but it is finding the mentor and research lab to work in. Students reach out to professionals in their respective fields (doctors and research scientists) and convince the potential mentors that they should take the risk to mentor our students. What they learn, aside from the science, are the vital “soft skills,” such as resume and cover letter writing, that prepares them with the communication skills necessary to apply for future jobs, and with the confidence to interact with topics and people at high levels in varying scientific

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Left: Vinay Bijoor ’18 presents his work at the Westchester-Rockland Junior Science and Humanities Symposium in the Winter of 2018. Right: The Independent Research Program has grown from just 4 students in 2016 to 19 students in 2021.

When most people envision scientific research, they are flooded with images of scientists in lab coats mixing chemicals, or peering into microscopes or telescopes. However, that is just one, albeit important, facet of scientific research. professions. Ava Troso ’23 “used to get anxious whenever I had to call a medical professional to ask about their research, experiences, and the opportunity for them to mentor me in my own research. But now, I call medical professionals with ease, and in fact, I prefer it over an email.”

Beyond individual research studies, a cornerstone of IRP is the opportunity to connect today’s students with alumni and friends of Hackley through our Guest Speaker Series. Alumni and friends have returned to the Hilltop to describe their research, ranging from modeling of acoustical systems to immunotherapy for cancer research. While our students are fascinated by the cutting-edge research that is described, the life experiences and advice that are offered to the students is what makes these visits so powerful. Lily Napach ’21 finds that “after almost every guest speaker, I leave class wanting to learn more about what they do whether it be cancer immunology or ophthalmology and…I am inspired to pursue a similar career path. Dr. Prescott was a particularly meaningful speaker to me. Her perspective on the value of an MD/PhD was inspiring and makes me want to pursue that path.” Our students form deeper connections to science from these visits, and we are forever grateful to each of our visitors. (see a list of our impactful speakers on our website.)

The IRP is where students get to independently pursue their passions. Where Dionne Chen ’22 can explore the psychology of mental illness and anxiety. Where Akshi

Khowala ’23 can “pursue a particular science topic that would not necessarily be taught in a traditional class setting.” And where Lily Napach ’21 can connect with peers who are equally passionate about science on topics such as quantum mechanics, Huntington’s disease, or subarachnoid hemorrhages. Jinlin Cai ’22 wrote: “The best part of IRP is the motivation I see driving every student every day. At its core, it’s a course that belongs to the students fueled by the students’ passion. I come to class to be a part of a community of people who truly love, nay are obsessed with what they study. It is a family of people who love different things which forged the perfect academic community.”

In 2015, the IRP launched with four students. Five years later, we have grown into a program of 19 students, with more applicants to the program every year. Our students have worked on projects in a variety of fields spanning from biological to physical sciences, collaborating with scientists locally, nationally, and overseas. The IRP in science inspired another research program at Hackley— the IRP in English and History. Together, these research programs support a key pillar in Hackley’s strategic plan Redefining Excellence: Learning Beyond Boundaries, to “Redefine a Liberal Arts Education.” It is an exciting time as this program continues to grow. All of this success has been possible because of the dedication and motivation that our Independent Research Program students (our future scientists) demonstrate each day.

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Independent Research Program Information Philosophy

Approach

A traditional high school science curriculum focuses on theories and concepts that have been established by the scientific method tens to hundreds of years ago. Often, the theories are presented as scientific “fact” while the rigorous and exciting process in which they became prevailing theories are overlooked. Yet scientific research is a collaborative process in which hypotheses are constantly tested and revised based on the outcome of experiments. The Independent Research Program at Hackley was designed to bridge this gap, so that our high caliber, enthusiastic, science students can develop the skills and experiences necessary to pursue scientific research careers with confidence.

Students apply to the program during their freshman year and are evaluated on their academic accomplishments and essays that demonstrate their passion for science. The program accepts students who are rigorous in their work, curious, and highly motivated in their pursuit of completing scientific research. They are eager to dedicate 6 - 8 weeks of their summer to conduct authentic and novel experiments, which will be formative for their future careers as scientists.

Description The Independent Research Program at Hackley provides students with a passion for science the opportunity to participate in authentic scientific research in a genuine setting. This three-year program is designed to give students first-hand experience in conducting research, thus bridging the gap between a traditional high school science curriculum and the process behind real-world scientific discoveries. Students accepted into the program spend each summer after sophomore and junior years working closely with research scientists to conduct self-designed experiments, either in academic, medical, or industrial labs. The program culminates with the students submitting their results to regional, national and/or international science and engineering fairs.

Students prepare for the challenges of conducting research during their sophomore year by learning foundational skills such as performing proper literature reviews, reading and analyzing data, and presenting results. The program aids students in identifying and contacting potential mentors at universities and research facilities. Once a student has paired with a mentor, they work together to design an experiment to be carried out over the summer. Ideally, the mentor and student find the experience mutually rewarding, so they can continue working together throughout the academic year in preparation for future experiments during subsequent summers.

Our students enjoy learning from our alumni. If you are an alum actively involved in research, please email Dr. Ying at aying@hackleyschool.org to schedule a visit.

Scan the QR Code to visit the IRP webpage

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Left: Track and Field athlete Skyler Safriet ’22 learns how to do the “clean”—an Olympic lift that improves explosiveness, strength, and coordination. Right: Football athlete Jason Campbell ’22 with an impressive 50” inch box jump.

For The Love of the Game: The Science in Athletics Before Hackley’s athletes make an impact on the game and their teams, they learn about the technique and science behind training well to prevent injury.

• Students are introduced to Olympic weight-lifting to develop explosiveness, coordination, and the ability to absorb impact.

• Upper School students develop understanding of training protocols and the importance of a well-balanced, planned program.

• Emphasis is placed on injury prevention during the pre-season, with special attention to the ACL. To help prevent ACL injuries, students focus on balance work, breaking down while running, deceleration/acceleration, and cutting drills.

• Our ninth and tenth graders learn the foundations of weight training and the impact on their general health while focusing on specific movement patterns to help protect against imbalances (overtraining or undertraining specific areas) that can lead to injury.

• Students learn techniques to help prevent concussions, focusing on neck stability and strength exercises.

“ Coach Lisa* and myself train our students to focus on their outcomes, rather than how much weight they are lifting. It’s important for them to learn why form matters and how they can protect their bodies from stress injuries, especially as they go on to begin their athletics seasons. In our weight room, students learn about the mechanics first and develop lifestyle knowledge that they can apply beyond the Hilltop.” sam patierno, director of exercise science and programs *Lisa Pavarini, Strength and Conditioning Coach

By Regina DiStefano P ’20 ’22 ’28 lower school science teacher 48

Giving Voice to Our Youngest STEM Students Children are born scientists. From the moment they enter the world, they begin making observations, absorbing information, learning from and about their surroundings. As they grow, they are curious about everything around them.

With each new color and shape they see, texture they explore with their fingers and toes, and object they eagerly investigate with their lips and tongue, they are collecting data, making hypotheses, and looking for evidence to support their new theories. My job as an educator of our youngest STEM students is to encourage this curiosity, to help them focus their questions, and to amplify their voices.

Lower Schoolers are concrete in their thinking. They need to experience the world in order to learn about it.

In science class, we provide opportunities and guide their experiences so they can build their understanding and knowledge. At every grade level, our young scientists engage in real, inquiry-based science, and they learn and employ the scientific method and design thinking process.

The curriculum in kindergarten and 1st grade reflects what is most important and interesting to the students— themselves and their place in the world. When they learn about the solar system, they don’t just learn about each individual planet (although they do love that aspect of it)... they learn about how the motion of the planets affects them, how the rotation of Earth causes night and day, how it changes the way their shadows look, and how the tilt of our planet on its axis and its revolution around the sun cause the seasons we experience each year. The curriculum isn’t static; it changes with student interest and questions, and with our changing world and our

knowledge of it. This school year, in response to the global pandemic, the kindergarten teachers began with a unit about healthy habits—something typically covered in the winter during cold and flu season— thus ensuring students were equipped with the information they needed to make informed decisions and healthy choices.

From their first years in the Lower School, our STEM students are experimenting, designing, and learning how to research and communicate their findings with a wider audience. First and second graders research the animals and trees native to the Hackley campus. They corroborate their findings with information from multiple sources and learn how to properly cite their references. They share their learning by writing and illustrating nonfiction texts and creating multimedia presentations. Their projects are interdisciplinary, incorporating literacy, technology, library and art, as well as science. This year, the 1st graders engaged in conversations about their learning with Upper School biology students through a series of Flipgrid videos. They were eager to learn from the older students and loved sharing their own experiences with their new buddies.

By second grade, students work together to design their own experiments, learning to control and manipulate variables. They participate in engineering challenges like building magnetic locks and designing umbrellas that can give shade at the beach without blowing away in

Right and Next Page: Lower School 3rd graders built their very own catapults... and launched marshmallows!

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From their first years in the Lower School, our STEM students are experimenting, designing, and learning how to research and communicate their findings with a wider audience. the wind, designing and redesigning to meet the goals of the challenge. The students are motivated to explore and learn because the challenges relate to their lives.

They are eager to try different approaches and solve real problems. They see themselves as inventors and innovators and discover that there is often more than one way to solve a problem.

The third graders spend a full year investigating the physical world. They learn about matter and forces and motion. Their learning is experiential; they construct meaning from the experiments they conduct and increase their understanding of how their world works.

These lessons culminate with two building projects: a catapult and a mouse-trap car. I don’t give the students building instructions. I teach them how to safely use hand tools, specifically designed to keep small fingers safe, and I give them goals: to launch a marshmallow as far down the hallway as possible, and to design and construct a car that will travel the furthest distance.

The students draw blueprints before they begin their builds. For many, this is their first opportunity to use saws, drills, and hot glue guns. They practice measuring and live the old adage, “measure twice, cut once.” They build and test their creations, improving their machines’ performance with each adjustment. They learn to cope with frustration when structures break, which some inevitably will, and persevere through setbacks and challenges. Most years, they work with partners so they make compromises and share responsibilities.

Ultimately, they create a functional machine which they are often eager to bring home to share with their families.

By the 4th grade, students have more autonomy over what they learn and how they share. Each month they choose a science news article to summarize and share with their peers on our class blog. They engage in conversations with one another about STEM topics that interest them. In the winter, each student works independently on an experiment or design project, solving a problem that will help improve their lives or the lives of someone they know. Projects have ranged from how to create a more productive home workspace to which type of mask best prevents the spread of droplets to how to best help a younger sibling to sleep.

As a culminating project, 4th graders work in teams to research case studies where an apex predator has been removed from an ecosystem. They investigate how predator loss affected the biodiversity of the ecosystem and create a video explaining the case study. In the end, the students are not just responsible for sharing their research but also tasked with making a recommendation as to what should be done to improve or maintain the biodiversity and equilibrium of the ecosystem.

STEM in the Lower School is ultimately a way for students to find meaning in the world. Children are naturally inquisitive and we help them find ways to look for answers. In these early grades, we help students explore the world around them. These young scientists go on to their Middle School years prepared to deepen their knowledge and to explore beyond boundaries.

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What do STEM kids today have in their backpacks?

As for what STEM kids have in their backpacks, I’d say curiosity, creativity, the ability to collaborate. They are able to ask relevant and focused questions and use different approaches to tackle problems. They are resilient and persistent; they learn that you can always make improvements.

Regina DiStefano, Lower School science teacher

END NOTE

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Exploring My Future

By Akshi Khowala ’23 School is a place that enables students to explore their areas of interest without the repercussions of failure.

Hackley ensures that everyone has the support and opportunity to do so through a variety of courses. Though Hackley is a smaller school community and it may feel like we are in our own little bubble, this is not at all the case. Speaking for myself, the incredible support that I receive here is not only limited to my high school career but extends to my future beyond the Hilltop as well.

For me, the courses that are most intriguing are related to STEM; specifically those in science such as physics, chemistry, and biology. These courses have ingrained in me and my classmates various skills from critical thinking to meeting deadlines to teamwork. These skills are essential to creating the leaders of our future and I am fortunate to have this exposure early on.

I am a student in Hackley’s Independent Research Program, and I feel it has prepared me for the future in the shortest amount of time. It allowed me to pinpoint my particular area of interest and pursue it. In this program, it is up to me to scour for materials that will help me expand my knowledge on the subject. I find that this is especially important as I would have to be proactive in finding resources in a professional environment.

A large part of the program is designed with the goal that students will acquire mentors to work with over the summer. This particular aspect is what I feel has exposed me most to the world beyond the Hilltop, and having completed the process of creating a resume, emailing scientists in my field of interest, and interviewing, I will go on to work with my mentor this summer.

In the moment, this process was daunting, but I quickly realized that it served as a trailer for my future experiences when it comes time to find a job. With the support of my teacher, I was able to see the finish line.

I am grateful for the opportunities presented through Hackley’s IRP. They have paved the way for me to experience a professional work environment over the summer within a competitive high school mentorship program at world-renowned pharmaceutical company Regeneron, right here in Westchester.

I applied in early December and went through a rigorous process to be accepted into the program. My topic of interest is CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing as a means to curing genetic diseases. It is almost like something out of a science-fiction novel.

To put the technology into layman’s terms, CRISPR is a technology that works as genetic scissors that cut out the mutated part of the genome sequence responsible for diseases such as sickle cell anemia and cystic fibrosis.

This technology is not perfect. It can cause off-target changes in the gene sequence that can cause other diseases like cancer to arise.

Throughout the summer, I will be exploring CRISPR activity and design, where we will find the different parts of the gene in need of correction and use a form of the CRISPR gene-editing that will best work with a particular mutation. This will allow for increased specificity of correction. It is not something that all students can do, but Hackley has made sure to create unique opportunities.

There is so much I have already learned, but a major takeaway is that school is not easy and you really have to work hard. If you take the time to step back and look at the bigger picture you will realize how close you are to your goal.

The Copper Beech Society Jim Dickson ’54

It has been over 65 years since I left Hackley, but throughout the intervening years, Hackley has never left me. I arrived on a scholarship—as a sophomore day student in September 1951 not only to “Enter Here to Be and Find a Friend,” but more importantly...to be and find myself… and THAT I certainly did! Through the heart-felt dedication of a talented and nurturing faculty and staff, I became a more mature, confident person, well-grounded and ready to handle all that life would deal me in the future: academically, socially, or professionally. I owe the foundation of my character to the Hackley faculty almost as much as I owe it to my parents.

During my years on the Hilltop, I was continually challenged to stretch my mind, and to delve deeply into the subject matter to see if I could uncover deeper meanings

Juanita and Jim Dickson ’54 at their home in San Rafael, CA.

that I might have overlooked by a superficial reading or understanding. I learned to constantly question myself as to what facts I might have overlooked, and to feel proud of myself when I knew I had done my best. In Polonius’s

I am indebted to what Hackley gave me and what it

famous soliloquy in Hamlet (with its litany of platitudes!),

brought out of me; it is why I always have and always

he (correctly) proclaims, “Above all, to thine own self be

will include our school in my annual charitable giving.

true.” Truer words could not be spoken: and in my years at Hackley I learned to make this a lifetime mantra.

I encourage all alumni/ae to consider including the

school in their estate plans, joining with me to ensure

I truly believe that whatever modicum of success I have

that future generations might be fortunate enough to

achieved—be it in my University years at Yale, my mili-

experience what the Hilltop has offered and given to us.

tary service in the U.S. Army Counter-Intelligence Corps,

Ave atque vale.

my 36 years at Merrill Lynch, and in my family life—I can truthfully ascribe to my seminal years at Hackley.

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 914-366-2654 or jgannon@hackleyschool.org.

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