Hackley Review Winter 2018-19

HACKLEY H A C K L E Y R E V I E W W I N T E R 2 0 18 - 1 9

Redefining Excellence: Learning Beyond Boundaries is Hackley’s contribution to the national conversation on the changing nature and future of education

Will you be on Cape Cod in August?

Please join fellow Hackley alumni,

Do you summer on the Cape? Or are

Summer Cape residents, please let us

parents, grandparents and friends in

you planning a trip up in August? Do

know your summer address to ensure

Chatham, Massachusetts.

you have Hackley friends who would

proper delivery of your invitation!

love to reconnect with others on the

Sunday, August 4th 2:00 – 4:00 PM

Cape? Let us know!

Contact the Office of Advancement at alumni@hackleyschool.org

See you at the beach!

H A C K L E Y R E V I E W W I N T E R 2 0 17 -18

Contents 2 From the Head of School

4 Redefining Excellence: Learning Beyond Boundaries A Strategic Plan for Hackley School. Hackley’s contribution to the national conversation on the changing nature and future of education.

18 Into the Woods: Research, Collaboration, and Adventure in Hackley’s Forest • Teach Us to Honor All Thy Paths of Beauty: Learning in the Hackley Forest • Adventure in Hackley’s Backyard Among the goals of Hackley’s strategic plan is to “Utilize the Hackley Forest and surrounding natural ecosystems to their fullest educational capacities and foster environmental stewardship.” Programs supporting this goal are growing and flourishing on the Hilltop.

By Suzy Akin

28 Pavel Litvinov: Raising a Toast to Our Hopeless Cause Hackley challenges students to grow in character, scholarship and accomplishment, to offer unreserved effort, and to learn from the varying perspectives and backgrounds in our community and the world.

In August 1968, a 28-year-old physicist and fellow political dissidents protested the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia with a demonstration on Red Square. That protest landed Pavel Litvinov in Siberia, and down the path that eventually led to Hackley School.

This past August, he returned to Moscow to commemorate the anniversary.

By Vladimir Klimenko

32 Alumni Day 2018

Suzy Akin Editor Chris Taggart Primary Photography Alphabetica Design

Thank you to all 350 alumni who returned to campus on October 13 to celebrate Alumni Day with your Hackley family.

By Margie McNaughton Ford ’85

40 Endnote Founder’s Day

By Liesel Vink

© Copyright 2018 Hackley School.

All rights reserved.

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from the head of school

Think outside the box. Use blue sky thinking. We have all heard—or offered—similar advice amidst attempts to resolve challenging issues. The premise is simple: bounded thinking limits our perspective and in turn, narrows the range of solutions and outcomes. The same could be said for education and schooling. What would it look like to “learn outside the box?”

which is found in this edition of Hackley Review, should be viewed as a framework for school priorities and ongoing efforts over the next several years. The initiatives expressed in Redefining Excellence will appear both new and familiar, growing from the seeds of programs, ideas, and values that are important to Hackley. (You can also find more information on the plan at redefiningexcellence.org.)

Boundaries in education are both familiar and useful.

Education is organized into schools, grade levels, subjects, departments, lessons, semesters (or trimesters at Hackley), and classrooms. And the organization created by clear boundaries is critically important to help learners order their work, their thinking, and aspects of what they are learning.

Yet there are ways in which boundaries such as these may limit student experience and learning. At Hackley, learning beyond the boundaries of the classroom has long been integral to the school, whether through participation in athletics, living as a boarder, traveling internationally, or participating in clubs. These opportunities exist in recognition of the broad, complex, and interesting world that lies outside of the classroom and beyond the Hilltop. If the school’s mission “challenges students to grow in character, scholarship, and accomplishment, to offer unreserved effort, and to learn from the varying perspectives and backgrounds in our community and the world,” our students would be well served to do more of that learning out in the community and the world.

In addition to presenting Redefining Excellence, this edition of Hackley Review contains stories that expand the definition of school and illuminate aspects of our future.

Two stories feature the Hackley Forest, an expanse of trails and undeveloped land that figures prominently on campus, and increasingly, in the experience of our students. The Forest also holds great possibilities for future educational offerings as articulated in Redefining Excellence. One story features the burgeoning outdoor education program and the work that Glenn Hasslinger, physical education teacher and coach, has done to get this off the ground. The story highlights the experiences and learning that we hope will become a more regular feature of the student experience, as we seek to help students connect with local ecosystems and serve as better stewards of the environment. Interestingly, the groundwork for Glenn’s programming was created by Hackley students (now young alumni) as part of their Senior Project. The success of Senior Projects was the genesis of “The Big Experience,” an initiative found in Redefining Excellence. By providing students in each division moments in their Hackley education to work on a sustained project or experience, we look to cross the boundary of the classroom and help connect students to the world that lies beyond our campus.

In many ways, the dynamic tension between the useful and limiting forces of boundaries and the acknowledgement of the complexity and pace of change in the world lies at the heart of Hackley’s new strategic plan, Redefining Excellence: Learning Beyond Boundaries. This plan, which was generated with significant input from the Hackley community during the 2017-2018 school year, seeks to expand the boundaries of the school’s curriculum and learning environment, while retaining current strengths and culture. The plan document,

In addition to profiling the outdoor education experiences of our students, there is a second story on the Hackley Forest and the ways in which it supports scientific research and cross-divisional collaboration. The story, “Teach Us to Honor all Thy Paths of Beauty: Learning in the Hackley Forest,”

Think outside the box. Use blue sky thinking. We have all heard — or offered — similar advice amidst attempts to resolve challenging issues.

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2017–2018

notes the ways in which Upper School students in Advanced Forest Ecology Research partner with kindergartners, forging meaningful mentoring relationships as “Upper School Buddies” and enhancing their understanding of science and research concepts. As Redefining Excellence takes shape, we seek to expand our understanding and definition of the “classroom” and the places in which learning occurs. These stories are excellent examples of that concept, marrying the current Hackley to its future, all while promoting a deeper understanding of and care for the natural environment.

The strategic planning process also affirmed and celebrated the enormous contributions of Hackley faculty. Inspired by the school’s tradition of teaching excellence, Hackley seeks to be a training ground and incubator of outstanding teaching practices for independent schools across the country. Hackley also seeks to recruit, hire, and retain a faculty that represents the diversity of our student body, welcoming an increasingly global perspective. A story on legendary physics teacher and Soviet dissident Pavel Litvinov—written by current Upper School history teacher Vladimir Klimenko—encapsulates this history and global perspective wonderfully. Vlad’s profile of Pavel centers around the 50th anniversary of Pavel’s march on Red Square, reminding all of us about the importance of moral courage and of bringing “varying backgrounds and perspectives” to the Hilltop.

Board of Trustees

Hackley Parents’ Association

Officers

Officers

John C. Canoni ’86, President Sy Sternberg, Vice President John R. Torell IV ’80, Treasurer Maria A. Docters, Secretary

Erica Napach, Executive Vice President

David A. Berry ’96 MD, PhD

Sally Kesh, Administrative Vice President

Sherry F. Blockinger ’87 Christopher P. Bogart Roger G. Brooks Thomas A. Caputo ’65 H. Rodgin Cohen Dawn N. Fitzpatrick

Alex Sarro, Lower School Vice President

Eric B. Gyasi ’01*

Calvin Chin, Treasurer

Linda Holden-Bryant

Nora Shair, Assistant Treasurer

Keith R. Kroeger ’54 Kaveh Khosrowshahi ’85 Michael H. Lowry Harvinder S. Sandhu, M.D. Jumaane Saunders ’96* Sarah Unger ’03* Maureen Wright Pamela Gallin Yablon, M.D. *Alumni Trustee Honorary Trustees Herbert A. Allen ’58 Daniel A. Celentano John T. Cooney ’76 Marvin H. Davidson Berkeley D. Johnson, Jr. ’49

Leadership Team Michael C. Wirtz, Head of School Philip J. Variano, Associate Head of School Steven D. Bileca, Assistant Head of School Peter McAndrew, Director of Finance and Campus Planning Anne Ewing Burns, Director of Lower School M. Cyndy Jean, Director of Middle School Andrew M. King, Director of Upper School

Philip C. Scott ’60

Christopher T. McColl, Director of Admissions

Advisory Trustees

Teresa Weber, Director of Advancement

James L. Abernathy ’59 John J. Beni ’51 Harold Burson Mark R. Gordon Robert R. Grusky ’75 Koichi Itoh ’59 Michael G. Kimelman ’56 Timothy D. Matlack ’70 Jonathan P. Nelson ’64 Conrad A. Roberts ’68 Lawrence D. Stewart ’68 Susan L. Wagner Hackley Alumni Association, Inc.

Officers Christie Philbrick-Wheaton Galvin ’00, President

Michael C. Wirtz P ’29, ’31 head of school

Kaye J. Duggan, Middle School Vice President

Fran Rowbottom, Secretary

Diane D. Rapp

Until next time on the Hilltop…or beyond.

Diana Tapper, Upper School Vice President

Jason J. Hogg ’89

Jack M. Ferraro H’63

As you reach the end of this edition of Hackley Review, which also includes highlights of Alumni Day 2018, be certain to read the excellent essay by Hackley archivist, Liesel Vink, who skillfully captured the significance of Mrs. Frances Hackley’s legacy as a philanthropist and founder of our school. I am pleased to see the ways in which Mrs. Hackley’s original intentions live on in the Hackley of today and will be further enhanced by Redefining Excellence. The community here on the Hilltop remains strong and true to those enduring values, even as we expand the boundaries of the learning environment for our students.

Deborah-Ann Linnett, President

Sallyann Parker Nichols ’87 Vice President Daniel E. Rifkin ’89, Treasurer Timothy L. Kubarych ’06 Secretary

Susan E. Akin Director of Communications Hackley School adheres to a long-standing policy of admitting students of any race, color, religion, gender identity, and national and ethnic 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, or national or ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship or athletic and other school-administered programs.

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Redefining Excellence: Learning Beyond Boundaries A Strategic Plan for Hackley School

Hackley is an exceptional school. With a strong and distinct school culture, Hackley places great value on character and on relationships formed on the Hilltop. The faculty is passionate, talented, and dedicated to their students and the school. The campus is beautiful, enrollment strong, and the community is generous in all forms of their support. In light of these strengths and numerous others, why does Hackley need a strategic plan? A Hackley education must constantly evolve to meet and anticipate the demands of a constantly changing world. Simply put, learning—as individuals and as an institution—should know no boundaries.

Hackley has now admitted and enrolled the first classes of the 2030s. While it is hard to imagine dates so distant, one only has to look at these students as they walk our halls each day to know that their time on the Hilltop will come to an end sooner than we realize. To ensure that we are maximizing learning for current students and those who will follow, Hackley must engage in—and in places lead—important conversations about what it means to educate, to be educated, and to be a school.

Although teaching and learning have changed immeasurably since Frances Hackley founded the school in 1899, many timeless competencies, areas of knowledge, and experiences are as important today as they were then. Teaching students

to communicate clearly, to think deeply, to master difficult subjects and skills, and to work together are—and will remain—hallmarks of a Hackley education, whether taught in the classroom, the studio, or through athletics. We affirm the importance and strength of these programs, while also recognizing and embracing the dynamic context in which today’s students are educated, a context that is markedly different than it was for those who came before them. In a world that is more interconnected, more complex, and evolving more quickly than ever before, students require an education that provides them with tools new and old to thrive, adapt, and make a positive impact in their community and beyond.

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Redefining Excellence: Learning Beyond Boundaries is Hackley’s contribution to the national conversation on the changing nature and future of education. Our plan contains four major strategic priorities:

I. Redefine a Liberal Arts Education Articulate and broaden the curriculum in terms of competencies and experiences to meet the needs of tomorrow’s learners and citizens.

III. Build for the Future Promote lifelong professional learning within Hackley’s faculty and assume a leadership role in cultivating the next generation of independent school educators.

H II. Promote the Hilltop as a Learning Hub

IV. Nurture a Culture of Wellness

Increase learning opportunities beyond the boundaries of disciplines, classroom, and campus, and serve as an educational leader and incubator to push the boundaries of existing programs

Establish wellness—both at the student and institutional levels—as cornerstones of a healthy learning environment and school community.

C

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Embedded throughout these strategic priorities are signature programs that will shape Hackley’s future. They include (i) developing an approach to K-12 curricula that centers on enduring and emerging competencies, (ii) elevating creative expression in all its forms and improving our performing, visual, and digital arts programs and facilities, (iii) integrating service work and Service-Learning, including developing a sustainable model for Hudson Scholars, (iv) creating culturally immersive opportunities for students domestic and international, (v) integrating the Hackley Forest and surrounding natural ecosystems into our program, (vi) creating a series of culminating “Big Experiences” at important transition points for students, (vii) affirming our national leadership in teaching excellence, and (viii) fostering a culture of individual and institutional wellness.

Redefining Excellence was conceived to provide Hackley students and faculty with the tools, experiences, and learning environment necessary to cultivate the habits of “character, scholarship, and accomplishment” defined in the Portrait of a Graduate. And by virtue of our history and current strengths, Hackley is poised and ready for the educational vision expressed by this plan. Like the school it describes, “Redefining Excellence” will be an active and vibrant conversation, and its implementation will be as dynamic as the ideas it contains.

Together, we will create an approach to learning that transcends boundaries, further strengthening a Hackley education and its enduring value in the lives of our students.

Go forth!

Michael C. Wirtz head of school

FAILU

FRIENDSHIP

PORTRAIT OF A HUMANITY COMMUNITY GRADUATE

PERSPECTIVES HONESTY

RESPECT QUESTIONS

A HACKLEY EDUCATION...

RESPONSIBILITY

HONESTY

Creates habits of scholarship that lead students to:

Elevates students to form habits of accomplishment, uniting character and scholarship to:

•T reat others with respect, honesty, and generosity in thought, word, and action

•E xperience joy in learning while navigating the challenges and failures that are integral to growth

• Demonstrate the personal courage to attempt new things, the intellectual courage to consider new ideas, and the moral courage to stand for matters of principle

• Act with humility, integrity, and a sense of responsibility toward the greater good

JOY

•E xplore the breadth of their intellectual curiosity, stimulate their creativity, and pursue meaningful questions

COURAGE

•R espect and strive to understand varying backgrounds and perspectives, fostering empathy, friendships, and community

GROWTH

•C ommunicate ideas, arguments, and analysis clearly and persuasively

CREATIVITY

• Collaborate to sharpen thinking and broaden perspectives

•C reate a sense of purpose, orienting talent, service, and actions to transcend individual success

•R einforce the immeasurable value of a life marked by friendship, balance, and joy

BALANCE

COMMUNICATE

Cultivates habits of character that help students choose to:

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Background and Context During the 2017-2018 academic year and under the direction of the Board of Trustees, Hackley School launched a comprehensive strategic planning process. The strategic plan, Redefining Excellence, was developed to provide a long-range view of future school priorities and was created through a highly inclusive and participatory process.

A steering committee was formed and focused on research, environmental scans, SWOT analysis, committee exercises, and trends in the independent school and the education sectors. The school community—parents, students, faculty and staff, alumni, and trustees—offered their thoughts on priorities for the future through surveys conducted at the outset of the process. As the work unfolded, the community received monthly updates on the process.

To build a base of sound information and to guide the planning process, the school enlisted the assistance of a research and planning firm, Ian Symmonds & Associates (ISA). ISA invested time and effort to learn about Hackley through a comprehensive research effort that included stakeholder surveys, competitive and educational landscape analysis, market segmentation, and demographic trends. This information laid the foundation for sound assumptions about the future.

The strategic planning steering committee worked collaboratively through a series of exercises designed to establish priorities based upon the research findings. This process culminated in the summer of 2018, with the steering committee developing a small set of priorities for future focus. With input

from a series of representative working groups, the steering committee expanded upon emerging priorities to outline specific initiatives, action plans, and a final series of sequenced priorities.

Each strategic goal contains several initiatives and numerous action plans. While not elaborated upon within this document, additional implementation details, such as costs and metrics of success, will continue to be developed and refined throughout the implementation process.

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I. Redefine a Liberal Arts Education Articulate and broaden the curriculum in terms of competencies and experiences to meet the needs of tomorrow’s learners and citizens.

PHOTOS

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Orient the Hackley program towards enduring competencies in areas of “character, scholarship, and accomplishment.”

By marrying the development of timeless academic and personal skills (e.g. oral and written communication, research, critical thinking, teamwork) with the generation of curriculum that cultivates emerging competencies (e.g. creative expression, systems thinking, data fluency, scientific and mathematical literacies), Hackley’s program will continue evolving to serve the future needs of our students.

S E L E C T E D AC T I O N S T E P S :

1. Identify and ensure the continued emphasis of enduring knowledge and skills throughout the curriculum.

2. Develop emerging competencies aligning with the Portrait of a Graduate.

Create opportunities for interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary teaching and learning.

Interesting and complex problems and questions often lie at the intersection of disciplinary boundaries. While continuing to develop deep discipline-based knowledge, Hackley will expand curricular offerings across academic boundaries to better prepare students for a life of continuous learning.

S E L E C T E D AC T I O N S T E P S :

1. Explore real world project-based learning K-12 to create formative interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary experiences throughout the curriculum.

2. Prioritize the development of interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary courses in the Upper School.

3. Identify the time and resources needed for additional interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary collaborations, including those supported by distinctive course models (e.g. trimester, pass/ fail, “J-Term”).

Develop research centers within and across disciplinary boundaries, based on the multi-year model of Hackley’s Independent Research Program.

Expanding on the Science Department’s Independent Research Program, Hackley will develop opportunities for Upper School students to pursue research in other disciplines with support from Hackley faculty and other experts. This approach strengthens the curriculum while developing independence and promoting academic scholarship.

S E L E C T E D AC T I O N S T E P S :

1. Develop a network of mentors/experts to help students see research projects to fruition.

2. Identify opportunities to create research centers in additional disciplines informed by student interest.

Deepen Hackley’s focus on students’ local, national, and international responsibilities.

Hackley will develop a student’s sense of responsibilities as a member of a democratic society and integrate these into the K-12 curricula. Through experience-based opportunities including service, travel, and engagement with local government, Hackley seeks to teach and cultivate a sense of civic and global responsibility independent of political views.

S E L E C T E D AC T I O N S T E P S :

1. Create a comprehensive approach devoted to civic and global responsibility in alignment with Hackley’s mission.

2. Enhance K-12 engagement in political and social discourse to help students learn and practice communication skills across differing viewpoints and perspectives.

Examine and reframe assessment practices to best support desired learning competencies and experiences.

Through a holistic examination of assessment practices, faculty will consider and implement additional modes of assessment (e.g. project-based learning, portfolios) to reinforce curricular competencies and encourage deep learning.

S E L E C T E D AC T I O N S T E P S :

1. Identify in-house best practices and create dedicated time for faculty to learn from each other.

2. Research best practices and trends in assessment, examining the link between mastery, depth, wellness, and assessment.

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II. Promote the Hilltop as a Learning Hub Increase learning opportunities beyond the boundaries of disciplines, classroom, and campus, and serve as an educational leader and incubator to push the boundaries of existing programs.

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Elevate forms of creative expression and the creative arts—visual, performing, and digital—to engage Hackley students and link them with the broader creative community.

domestic or abroad, at least once between grades 9 and 12. Students will have the opportunity to share their learning with peers and promote the sense of empathy and wonder cultivated by travel.

Creativity and creative expression will be elevated by bringing the visual, performing, and digital arts programs together in a new facility that promotes collaboration across disciplinary boundaries.

Hackley students and faculty will learn from and work with visiting artists and professional artists and artisans from the surrounding area, leveraging the vibrancy of the greater New York City area art community.

1. I nvestigate existing programs abroad and leverage Round Square membership to create student and/or faculty exchanges for extended periods.

S E L E C T E D AC T I O N S T E P S :

1. Reimagine the physical plant and human resource requirements necessary to inspire and elevate teaching and learning of the creative arts and the creative process.

2. Establish opportunities for students to collaborate with artists and artisans within and beyond the greater Hackley community.

3. Develop an artist-in-residence program.

Create a series of culminating “Big Experiences” for Hackley students at important transition points.

Students and teachers across the K-12 spectrum will collaborate in developmentally appropriate ways to define and develop a series of culminating experiences at key transition points. These “Big Experiences” may range from year-long Service-Learning projects in 4th grade to environmental stewardship work in 8th grade to travel and internships in the Upper School. “Big Experiences” will differ in length, depth, and complexity as would be appropriate across the divisions, yet will align with and reinforce the curricular competencies, serving as signature learning experiences at Hackley.

S E L E C T E D AC T I O N S T E P S :

1. I dentify and develop the vision for the “Big Experiences” program and its requirements, aligning them with the competency-based approach.

2. Analyze academic calendar and student schedules to allow for more flexibility to accommodate the “Big Experiences” program.

3. Create a collaborative process for students and teachers to design these experiences.

4. Explore varying methods of assessment and reporting for these experiences.

Expand present travel experiences to create opportunities for culturally immersive experiences domestic and abroad.

Each Hackley student will have the opportunity to participate in an immersive travel experience to a unique cultural environment,

S E L E C T E D AC T I O N S T E P S :

2. Identify and secure resources to ensure that each Hackley student can participate in an immersive travel experience to a unique cultural environment, domestic or abroad, at least once between grades 9 and 12.

Develop a school-wide Service-Learning program and create a sustainable model for Hudson Scholars.

Service-Learning—the blending of classroom-based learning and community service—will be expanded in developmentally appropriate ways. Additionally, we will develop the necessary structures to sustain Hudson Scholars, strengthening Hackley’s connection with the local community and reinforcing the centrality of service to others in a life of accomplishment.

S E L E C T E D AC T I O N S T E P S :

1. I dentify the structures and support required to build Hudson Scholars into a four-year program.

2. Cultivate an authentic and nuanced understanding of the concept of Service-Learning as a teaching and learning strategy across all three divisions.

3. Engage current community partners to discuss the ServiceLearning framework, understand present and future needs of organizations, and identify the possible curricular connections for new opportunities.

Utilize the Hackley Forest and surrounding natural ecosystems to their fullest educational capacities and foster environmental stewardship.

The community will steward and better integrate the Hackley Forest and surrounding natural environment into the program, including establishing professional development resources for other educators and developing relationships with partner schools.

S E L E C T E D AC T I O N S T E P S :

1. Study the potential for the creation of the Hackley Institute for Forestry, Agriculture & Resource Management (Hackley FARM).

2. Connect and create a “friendship” program with schools that have proximity and developed programs focused on environmental education (e.g. the New York Harbor School).

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III. Build for the Future Promote lifelong professional learning within Hackley’s faculty and assume a leadership role in cultivating the next generation of independent school educators.

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Affirm Hackley as a national leader in teaching excellence.

Hackley will further a tradition of teaching excellence by recruiting, hiring, and retaining a diverse, talented, and passionate faculty. Exceptional faculty will be attracted to—and will remain at—Hackley through the strengthening of an environment that affirms the professionalism of teachers and encourages lifelong learning and the sharing of effective teaching and learning practices with colleagues and the larger community of educators.

S E L E C T E D AC T I O N S T E P S :

1. R ecruit, hire, and retain a faculty that advances Hackley’s tradition of teaching excellence and mirrors the school’s diverse student community.

2. Identify unique areas where Hackley can promote teaching excellence (e.g. STEM research, creative expression) to professionals beyond our campus.

3. Explore opportunities (e.g. summer professional development, institute models) to leverage Hackley’s campus and location in promoting educational practices and programs to other educators.

Strengthen a culture of professional development and promote lifelong learning, creativity, and collaboration.

Hackley will prioritize collaboration and peer-to-peer learning to further develop faculty creativity and strengthen a culture of continuous professional learning. Time, support, and professional development resources will complement individualized professional growth plans for faculty.

S E L E C T E D AC T I O N S T E P S :

1. D evelop opportunities for ongoing, internally-led professional development during the school day, including pre- and postschool year sessions.

2. Partner with faculty to develop individualized professional growth plans that promote continuous growth and enrichment throughout the arc of a career.

3. Build out initiatives that encourage faculty to collaborate and model creative and innovative thinking, including iGrants, Ex Days, The Hackery (makerspace).

Develop networks and relationships beyond Hackley to enrich faculty professional growth and the student learning experience.

Leveraging Hackley’s location, physical plant, and community network, Hackley will create opportunities for faculty to connect with other educators and professionals to facilitate the sharing of ideas and practices. Exploration of mentoring relationships, teacher exchange programs, and connections with regional graduate programs will deepen the professional learning environment of the school in support of student learning.

S E L E C T E D AC T I O N S T E P S :

1. B uild a mentoring model to connect teachers at Hackley with one another and explore expanding to area schools.

2. Develop relationships with regional graduate programs to establish Hackley as a center for practical experience and credentialing.

3. Explore short-term teacher-in-residence and teacher exchange opportunities for Hackley faculty to teach and learn in other environments and vice versa.

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IV. Nurture a Culture of Wellness Establish wellness—both at the student and institutional levels—as cornerstones of a healthy learning environment and school community.

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Promote individual wellness throughout the Hackley community.

Mindful of connection between health and deep learning, Hackley will continue to promote wellness in all its dimensions: physical, emotional, cognitive, social, and spiritual. Throughout the athletics and academic programs, wellness competencies will be integrated to diminish unhealthy forms and causes of student stress and ensure the development of lifelong habits and understanding.

Sustain the health of Hackley at the institutional level.

Hackley’s culture and values, including the emphasis on a diverse and inclusive community, remain central to the mission and health of the school. Continued careful stewardship and analysis of existing resources, a focus on growing the endowment and moderating the expenses, and the development of a long-term tuition strategy will ensure Hackley has the necessary resources to successfully implement Redefining Excellence and strengthen school culture and the sense of community.

S E L E C T E D AC T I O N S T E P S :

1. I dentify and promote wellness practices that enrich the teaching and learning environment.

2. Identify opportunities to improve student and employee wellness as articulated by the community and highlighted in the Health and Wellness Audit.

Reimagine the rhythm and use of time within the school day and academic year to optimize student and faculty learning.

The academic schedule and calendar will be redesigned to better support the priorities of Redefining Excellence, including those approaches that require longer stretches of time.

S E L E C T E D AC T I O N S T E P S :

1. A ssess strengths and weaknesses of current daily schedules and academic calendar in light of priorities in Redefining Excellence.

2. Build community through creative use of time outside of the classroom and the construction of meeting times and necessary physical space.

3. Explore a unique learning period (e.g. expanded Ex Days, “J-Term”) to support additional experience-based learning opportunities.

S E L E C T E D AC T I O N S T E P S :

1. P reserve and protect Hackley’s unique school culture and values amidst implementation of Redefining Excellence.

2. Analyze school programs, services, physical plant, and organizational structure to ensure continued prudent financial management.

3. Increase the endowment to protect Hackley’s competitive position.

4. Develop long-term tuition model that supports full implementation of strategic initiatives and recognizes the centrality of socioeconomic diversity in Hackley’s culture.

Execute Redefining Excellence with boldness, transparency, and with a focus on the student learning experience.

Hackley will set concrete goals and measures of success for the plan and will regularly update the community on progress related to its implementation.

S E L E C T E D AC T I O N S T E P S :

1. P ublish and promote Redefining Excellence to all Hackley constituencies and implement it with conviction and clarity.

2. Set concrete goals and metrics for progress, prioritizing student, parent, and faculty feedback.

3. Update Redefining Excellence annually and share progress with the community.

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By Suzy Akin

teach us to honor all thy paths of beauty:

Learning in the Hackley Forest On May 8, 1998, the Tarrytown Daily News reported that Hackley had purchased 172 acres of woodland from Rockefeller. The Hackley administration spoke of a new nature center, trails, and athletic fields, and [Headmaster Walter] Johnson assured the public that “whatever happens to the rest of the parcel, a 30-acre buffer zone will be created around the section adjoining the Tarrytown lakes.” The school now had a campus of 285 acres, one of the largest of any independent day school in the country.

Walter Schneller Where the Seasons Tell Their Story: Hackley School’s First 100 Years Page 245.

Twenty-one senior classes have graduated from Hackley since the Board of Trustees made the landmark decision to purchase the adjoining acres being offered for sale by the Laurance S. Rockefeller Fund. Graduates of those years now have children at Hackley. To the new generation, and to all the families coming to Hackley since, Hackley has always had this expansive campus. It’s easy to take it all for granted.

Hackley’s decision was helped along by some key factors.

Two friends of Hackley – Herbert A. Allen ’58 and former trustee and parent of alumni Paul Gould – made interest free loans of part of the purchase price. The seller, Laurance S. Rockefeller, similarly made an interest free loan of the balance, and committed to forgive $1 million if the loan was paid on time.

Trustee Tom Caputo ’65 reflects, “When the Board of Trustees first considered the idea of the land purchase, there was a good deal of excitement and a good deal of trepidation. Hackley didn’t have the resources to buy the land, yet we knew it was an opportunity that, once passed, would be gone forever.

We went for it.”

Tom Caputo reports, “This gave Hackley three years to decide if we could afford to keep all the land. If not, we had three years to determine if we might be able to sell half the land to a residential developer or worst case, sell the entire parcel of land to the highest bidder.”

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The land became the canvas upon which to paint the future of Hackley’s campus and many of its programs. Most visible, of course, are the expansive fields and trails and the magnificent Johnson Center for Health and Wellness. The land also made other visible benefits possible, including the campus ring road, the pedestrian campus center called Akin Common, and the layout and design of the Lower School, Middle School and Science building.

side the deer exclusion zone. Students count all the woody growth two meters on either side of the transect to quantify the biodiversity and density of the forest in each location. We see approximately twelve different species of trees inside the deer exclusion zone, and only the American Beech outside it.”

Students analyze the data using Simpson’s Diversity Index, and come to understand the condition of the forest and environmental impacts more deeply.

Yet to discover the most significant benefit our open spaces support, you have to get beyond the buildings and the roadways. Hackley’s tradition of nature studies, with pedagogical roots dating back to teaching masters Art King and Carl Buessow from the 1950s through the 1980s, is a vibrant K-12 program, and it takes place on Hackley’s acres, our largest classroom.

Field research takes place all year long, as students measure water quality weekly in Hackley’s vernal ponds in the spring, and count the macroinvertebrates (dragonfly larva, worms) in leaf packs in the pond, and the data they collect by conducting winter bird counts at the woodland bird feeders goes into a the Cornell Project FeederWatch, an actual study that tracks long-term trends in bird distribution and abundance. In another winter research project, students manage a camera trap study, where infrared cameras, baited with a lure, capture images of local predators. Tessa says, ‘We mostly see coyote, deer and opossum, but we’re hoping for a fisher, which is like a big weasel on steroids. It’s nocturnal and very shy, and we think we will need to bait the cameras with steak!”

Upper School Biology teacher Tessa Johnson was drawn to Hackley in the first place by the potential she saw for ecology study in Hackley’s woods, noting that “We can support field research in a way no other school can.” For over a decade, Tessa’s students have been pulling on rubber waders and setting off into the woods. Her Advanced Forest Ecology Research (AFER) students are advancing longitudinal studies that collect meaningful data on environmental impacts.

For example, their twelve year study of salamander transects inside and outside of Hackley’s deer exclusion zone reveals important data about the health of the forest, as salamanders, which are at the bottom of the food web, are a major food source. The dramatic difference between the counts inside and outside the deer exclusion zone illustrates the impact overpopulation of deer is having on the forest.

AFER classes have also launched a percentage regeneration study. Tessa says, “We have ten transects inside and ten out-

In AFER, students experience “science” outside the lab. “It gives students the opportunity to get comfortable in the woods, and it teaches independence,” Tessa notes. Students head off into the woods to do transects or check cameras on their own, and they take on the challenge of independent and collaborative problem solving. She says, “One of the sayings in AFER is ‘How can I help?’”

Perhaps the most powerful collaboration to arise out of our forest study, however, is the ongoing partnerships between Lower School, Middle School, and Upper School students and faculty. “About ten years ago,” Tessa recalls, “I mentioned our

Below: Waders waiting for students; Upper School AFER student with Lower School buddy.

Opposite: Middle School students set out for geology exploration in the woods.

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“ONE OF THE SAYINGS IN AFER IS ‘HOW CAN I HELP?’” Tessa Johnson

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Above: AFER students set out beyond the trail.

forest studies to [Kindergarten teacher] Mary Funchion, and she said, ‘Can we help?’” Since then, Upper School Biology students and Kindergarten students collaborate throughout the school year on salamander counts, working together at least twice a month.” In addition, the big kids and little kids work together to plant tulips, they watch “The Lorax” together and discuss environmental themes, and they conduct various experiments together. They even play games. “We have leaf scavenger hunt races, and then we play ‘Duck, Duck, Goose,’ and they all love it!” Tessa says.

Lower School teacher Regina DiStefano, and Middle School teachers Emma Olsen, Melissa Boviero, and Dan Lipin lead their students through active forest research work as well, and the team of teachers coordinates across divisions, meeting regularly to keep track of what each group is working on and to assure they are supporting each other’s efforts. Regina, Emma, and Tessa earned a Hackley “iGrant”— funds to support creative program expansion — with which they developed campus-wide markers identifying campus flora.

Each tag has a QR code that, when scanned, provides access to photos and student research, creating an accessible narrative students of all ages can appreciate. In addition, Regina’s

first graders research the animals native to Hackley, and write nonfiction narratives about the animals they study, which Hackley fourth graders then read aloud to create audio “trail stories” linked to QR codes. The second grade, meanwhile, uses the information Hackley AFER and organic chemistry students have added to the PlantsMap collections as they research tree species located on campus and create “lap books” for the trees whose leaves they have collected.

Hackley students come to know the forest very well, bestowing unofficial names on locations they frequent. There’s Lost Pond, Pickert Pond (by Pickert field), and the Tree Graveyard.

Peeper Pond. Deer Pond. Most of the field study locations are located in and around the nearby Buessow Trail, long a destination for K-12 science named in honor of Hackley naturalist and science teacher Carl Buessow.

While the science program does not use the Rockefeller land purchase for its research, that acreage is essential to the biodiversity that supports the work. First, as Tessa notes, had we not had the added land to develop, it’s likely that Hackley’s expanded program needs might have required reduction of the original forest. And, significantly, Tessa notes, “The local

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animals don’t know Hackley land from Rockefeller land. The northern acres create a corridor for nature, connecting our research centers with all of the Rockefeller Preserve. Had that land been developed, we would not experience nature as we do. We wouldn’t see Pileated Woodpeckers, as we do now.”

When part of the Buessow Trail required rerouting due to campus construction, science teacher Andy Retzloff (himself a Buessow protegée) and K-12 Hackley “lifer” Molly Harmon ’16 set out to expand the Buessow Trail system as Molly’s senior project. The trails are now clearly marked and color-coded, ensuring that no one gets lost. And “Carl” continues to teach on his namesake trails. Tessa says, “We have a statue out there which is used to help birds become comfortable with the human form — they eventually come to eat from our hands. We named the statue Carl.” Each year, the AFER class does a “Carl Scavenger Hunt,” searching out the “Top Ten Carl Facts,” and culminating with “selfies with Carl.” It’s a fun homework assignment, Tessa says, and, she believes, “Students should know about the namesake of the trails.” Bits of Hackley tradition, carrying forward.

No one is more thrilled than Tessa, however, by the brush with tradition that comes in the form of legendary science teacher Art King. Now in his 90s, Mr. King returns for Alumni Day and helps Tessa lead Alumni Walks through the woods. “I’m totally in love with him,” she says. Tessa continues the tradition of student field notebooks, which dates back to Mr. King’s classroom. Some of Mr. King’s indices have been preserved, framed, and now hang in the science corridor, and Tessa observes, “Looking at them, we can compare what he found to what we see now, and we see different things.

It’s a great historical record of our forest.”

The historical record underscores the importance of this work and the knowledge Hackley students take away. Tessa explains, “We talk about our connection with nature, and how the way we see nature has evolved over time.” She explains that in a healthy forest, you should only be able to see approximately 20 feet ahead of you. “In our forest, where deer have heavily grazed, you can see for miles. Deer have overpopulated. Our forests aren’t healthy.” Each year, her students participate in a “Deer Summit,” in which they research all the special interests involved in the deer problem — hunters, local government, PETA, etc.— and they learn from scientists at nearby Teatown Reservation. They come to understand “forest stress,” and the gains made by deer-resistant invasive species which take hold when native species are under stress.

“Invasives are the ‘peas’ of the forest,” she exclaims. ‘No one eats their peas!”

Along with this deeper knowledge comes appreciation, and each year, Hackley students show that appreciation with an annual trail clean up project. Tessa says, “We say thanks to the woods.” In the days following Thanksgiving in November or early December, the entire K-4 Lower School, the seventh grade, and every Upper School Biology and AFER student takes to the trails. Coordinating schedules so that younger and older students may work together, they clear the trails, reline and remark them, and remove fallen limbs blocking the trail. “The older kids do the sawing and cutting of invasive lines,” Tessa says. “The younger kids clear sticks and leaves.”

A wonderful, annual affirmation of the Hackley motto, “United we help one another,” it’s also another pathway to the invitation at Hackley’s core: “Enter here to be and find a friend.”

Opposite: The forest provides diverse opportunities for discovery.

The northern acres create a corridor for nature, connecting our research centers with all of the Rockefeller Preserve.

— tessa johnson

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Middle School students enjoying their camp out.

Adventure in Hackley’s Backyard How to set up a tent. How to build a fire. Lessons on “Leave No Trace.” While science research flourishes in one sector of the Hackley forest, Hackley Middle School students are discovering learning of a different kind in yet another corner of the woods. And while calling it “survival learning” might be a stretch, given that no one is more than a 15 minute walk from shelter, when it’s really cold and snowing, and you’re 12 years old, and you don’t even know how to start a fire, the comforts of home feel very far away.

Glenn Hasslinger, teacher and coach who also serves as Middle School Global Education Coordinator, has renewed a tradition, launched years ago by Andy Retzloff, of Hackley Camp Outs, providing students in grades five, six, seven, and eight (ages 10 through 14) a signature experience right here on the Hilltop.

It all started in 2017 when seniors Jamie Leonard, Angus Parton, and Jordan Schwartz proposed to build three camping platforms in Hackley’s forest as their Senior Project. The three seniors were motivated to build this campsite because they deeply valued the experiences gained in the outdoors and wished to promote the spirit of adventure right here at Hackley. The campsite, located about 10 or 15 minutes deep in the

woods along the Dave Allison Trails, supports groups of up to 24 participants. After initial forays last year, the program now offers at least four trips each year (with hopes to continue to grow), for each Middle School grade level, with the option of a fifth mid-winter expedition for the heartiest adventurers.

The adventure begins after school, usually on a Friday afternoon. “It’s a big prep to get all the gear out there!” Glenn notes. “The kids carry all their own stuff out to the site.” With 25 Home Depot plastic buckets set up in a circle at camp center around a fire pit, the students pitch tents and then gather in a circle to learn about responsible camping. They learn the principles of “Leave No Trace,” and why it is important to minimize their impact on the environment. Glenn notes, “The kids each earn a ‘Leave No Trace’ tag for their backpacks, and it’s impressive how well the message stays with them. It’s so upsetting to see trash on a beautiful mountain top. Sometimes kids ‘forget’ to throw away wrappers and cans from the Tuck Shop — and that impact is even worse in sensitive environments.”

The set up requires much learning and even more collaboration. Just figuring out how to pitch a tent for the first time, often on a dark and cold night, is a challenge, and students

need to listen and work together. Glenn stresses that “everyone has a role, however big or small.” The favorite part, of course, is getting the fire going. The group cooks and eats dinner around the campfire, followed by roasting marshmallows for S’mores. It’s amazing how good everything tastes in the outdoors! They share campfire stories and learn about the local environment. And then, Glenn smiles, “We take a night hike — to the comfort station back by Pickert Field!”

Hackley colleagues Doug Sawyer, Sara Budde, Sean Harrington, Dianne Fahy ’92, and Sarah Coble, as well as alumna Camille Butterfield ’17, have joined Glenn on these expeditions, mentors who not only share Glenn’s love of the woods but who, as in their capacity as coaches, athletic trainer, Spanish teacher, Math teacher and Art teacher, expand the opportunity for interdisciplinary learning on these trips just by bringing their particular lens to the way they see the woods and the stories and experiences they share.

The sixth grade was the first group to head “into the woods” this fall, with an early-October camp out. The date coincided with a Middle School activity night, so the campers joined classmates for laser tag and pizza in the Johnson Center before gathering their gear, turning on their headlamps, and trekking into the dark night. Glenn reports, “The kids were giddy with excitement. As we walked, someone thought they saw an animal and instantly a student belted out a loud scream. It was a teachable moment: in the great outdoors we try to have as little impact (sounds included) so that we don’t disrupt nature in progress.” Tents set up, soon all sitting around the campfire roasting marshmallows. “The kids must have used up all their energy,” Glenn says, “because everyone slept through the clear, cool night.” By sunrise, everyone was awake and worked together to pack up. Leaving the campsite as clean they found it, they hiked out to meet parents waiting with snacks and hot chocolate (and much needed coffee for the chaperones!). Glenn smiles, “The hungry kids gobbled up as much food as they could while sharing stories from their night in the woods, a night most of them will remember for years to come.”

Seventh and eighth graders will have their opportunity this winter. Fifth graders, as the youngest of the Middle School cohort, wait until May, when they are a bit older and more

comfortable with the experience of Middle School. Glenn says, “The parents tell me they are grateful! Their kids have been begging to go camping and they’re appreciate our taking the lead.”

The seventh and eighth grade trips are, of course, the most challenging, given the weather. The camping program is well supplied with gear, thanks to the generosity of a Hackley family, including tents, sleeping bags rated down to zero degrees Fahrenheit, and even with snowshoes. Glenn says, “I love the winter trips the most. The group is smaller and you really get to know the kids.” During one winter expedition, however, the group was forced to cut things a little short and ask parents to pick the students up early due to snow. Not, mind you, because the campers had an issue with snow, but because all were concerned that the roads would be dangerous when families drove the kids back home.

These adventures present students with the opportunity to truly “unplug” and listen to the world around them. Glenn reports, “At each campout, at some point when the whole group is huddled around the campfire, we always try to see how long the how group is able to stay silent and just ‘listen to nature.’ Just hearing the trees rustling in the wind is cool, and if the group is quiet long enough, we have heard animals in the distance.” It’s not easy for Middle School-age children to remain quiet for five minutes, Glenn observes. “After hearing the sounds of nature, the kids often say that these are sounds they don’t often hear because they just don’t listen for them. They recognize that these sounds are special.”

Hackley is a member of the Round Square international consortium of schools, which centers its mission around six “IDEALS”— Internationalism, Democracy, Environment, Adventure, Leadership, and Service. Hackley has a long history of programmatic strength in most of these areas, and “adventure” is an area where the program is now seeing exciting growth. Along with the camping program, Middle School teacher Don Eleck has launched a rock climbing program and colleague Trevor Ogden has recruited a passionate group of fisherman who have ventured out to field, stream, and sea.

But as Hackley’s campers will tell you, sometimes you don’t need to go very far to find a great adventure.

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By Vladimir Klimenko

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pavel litvinov

Raising a Toast to Our Hopeless Cause The day Vladimir Klimenko interviewed for a job as a Hackley history teacher in 2005, he heard this phrase a half-dozen times: “You must meet Pavel Litvinov.” Even if they couldn’t accent the syllables correctly (“PAH-vel Lit-VEE-nov” for those, unlike Vladimir, uninitiated in the mysteries of the Russian idiom), he could tell that his colleagues held the man in awe. After his final meeting in Headmaster Walter Johnson’s office, he encountered Pavel in the Admissions corridor. Warm, straightforward, and utterly unpretentious, Pavel wished Vladimir good luck and promised to take him kayaking on the Hudson later that summer if Vladimir landed the job. From that first kayak trip on, Pavel and Vladimir have built strong bonds based on layers of shared connection: Russia, civic and environmental activism, and love of the outdoors. They reconnected for conversation this fall.

For Pavel Litvinov, 2018 has been a busy year. In fact, the 50th anniversary of the Prague Spring and its subsequent suppression by Soviet troops has once again put the spotlight on the famous former Soviet dissident who, subsequent to his expulsion from the USSR, taught Physics and Math at Hackley for 30 years. Now, twelve years into his retirement, Pavel finds himself shuttling across multiple time zones and countries, immersing himself in countless gatherings, conferences, interviews and reminiscences about that late August day when he and seven other Soviet dissidents unfurled banners in Moscow’s Red Square against the USSR’s invasion of Czechoslovakia. KGB agents immediately arrested Pavel and the other seven demonstrators, most of whom were soon convicted and sent off to forced labor camps or punitive treatment in psychiatric hospitals. Yet this tiny group of peaceful resisters soon became legends in their own country and abroad. Half a century later, discussing the lessons of that historic anniversary has become almost a full-time occupation for Pavel in his retirement.

Anybody who knows Pavel understands that this soft-spoken hero was never on a quest for celebrity. Despite his aversion

to grandstanding, “he was such a natural with storytelling,” recalls Upper School Director Andy King, who often invited Pavel to discuss the Soviet politics and the dissident movement with students in his History and Government classes.

“There was such humility. I was always humbled by the bravery of what he did, as if it was a commonplace in the Soviet Union.”

Julie Lillis, who taught Modern European History before moving on to College Counseling, made a special point of combining two of her sections for a session with Pavel in the Chapel.

“He would give an hour-long brilliant speech – without notes, of course. And it was so well organized that, if you had written it down, you would have not seen anything out of place.

The kids sat quiet as mice because it was so interesting.

He included everything – Siberia, samizdat. He never held anything back. I appreciated that he was always so candid.”

Two of those Modern European History students who heard Pavel’s talks later ended up working as Hackley faculty. Recalls Middle School Math teacher Dianne Fahy, Hackley Class

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Clockwise from left: Pavel and his wife, Julia, at Hackley on their wedding day; Pavel at Red Square with Hackley students and faculty on the 2003 Casten Trip to Russia. Pavel, center, is seated next to his mother, who joined the group from her Moscow home; Pavel at Red Square in 2003 retelling the events of August 1968.

of 1992: “I remember when he spoke about being imprisoned and having to go work in Siberia. When he spoke about it, I remember thinking, as a kid, ‘That’s a real thing.’”

“He told stories about this life-altering decision as if that was simply what one did,” says Melissa Stanek, Hackley Class of 1990, now a Hackley teacher, coach, and dean. “That struck me even then, but I don’t think I really processed the meaning of that properly because he was so understated that I didn’t understand the sacrifices that his decision entailed.”

Pavel made his fateful choices within a context that most Americans find difficult to fathom. “We were not afraid, although we didn’t expect to win. During a mealtime gathering in Russia we would say, ‘Let’s raise a toast to our hopeless cause.’ It was said somewhat in jest, but it was also serious. It was a Russian form of existentialism. That kind of personal moral choice exists everywhere. It’s just that in Russia, it comes at a high cost.”

The trajectory of Pavel’s life begins with family lineage.

Pavel’s famous grandfather, Maxim Litvinov, was the Soviet Foreign Minister in the early-mid 1930s, when the USSR struggled to break out of its diplomatic isolation and forge an international coalition against Hitler. (Historical footnote: Stalin’s decision to replace Pavel’s grandfather in 1939 with loyalist Vyacheslav Molotov foreshadowed the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, the brief spell of Soviet-German rapprochement that coincided with the outbreak of WW II.) By the 1940s Maxim Litvinov had fallen out of favor with Stalin but, miraculously, managed to avoid arrest, imprisonment, or execution. During the late Stalin era, Pavel’s own parents, who lived among the Moscow elite, took a dim view of the aging dictator. But to protect their young son from the ever-vigilant secret police, they studiously avoided voicing their skepticism aloud in his presence.

Pavel’s own political awakening came later during the Khrushchev-era “thaw,” when a loosening of censorship and cultural restrictions enabled his own age cohort to learn about Stalin’s crimes. Yet this new generation’s hopes for greater freedom would soon be dashed. Soon after Leonid Brezhnev’s team ousted Nikita Khrushchev as the Communist Party leader in 1964, a new cultural and political freeze set in.

Many of Pavel’s peers among the shestidesyatniki (“Sixties youth”) felt disappointed by this turn of events. Out of this frustration emerged a small but dedicated dissident movement, which Pavel, then a budding young physicist, joined.

Asked about his decision to become a peaceful oppositionist, Pavel reflects on embarking on a path that soon cost him a professional career and, not long afterward, his freedom.

“I expect a lot from myself,” he says. “I have not had to violate my principles. When I believed that something was necessary, I did it whether or not people joined me. So going out into Red Square for me was entirely natural. I had to say that not all Soviet people supported the invasion of Czechoslovakia. It felt natural; I didn’t have to think about it.”

Pavel explains that the members of his small group wanted to preserve their honor by carrying protest signs in Red Square, directly outside the Kremlin walls. Their demonstration was intended to publicly show the world that not all Soviet citizens approved of their government’s crackdown on the liberalization of Czechoslovakia. Pavel and his fellow-dissidents understood that theirs was a token gesture and that official punishment was liable to be harsh.

“I knew what might happen. In fact, I even expected worse.

But I didn’t feel afraid. [We] chose this path ourselves. Our attitude towards others was, if you want to join us, fine. If not, we don’t judge. For us it was all about preserving our own

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sense of civic dignity. And yes, we were sent off to camps or locked up in psychiatric hospitals as punishment.”

His own punishment was five-year stint in a labor camp in the Soviet Far East. Remarkably, Pavel discusses those years without resentment or bitterness.

John Gannon, Hackley’s Director of Development and Alumni Affairs, remembers discussing this ordeal with Pavel over dinner. “[My wife] Elizabeth and I once asked him, ‘What was it like living in Siberia in exile?’ He paused and thought. ‘I met a lot of interesting people there.’”

Release from the camp, however, did not mean that Pavel’s travails were over. Soon after returning to Moscow he was confronted by KGB agents who threatened to re-arrest him unless he agreed to emigrate. Thus began an odyssey that took him to the US and, two years later, a teaching position at Hackley.

The newly-arrived former political prisoner owed this unexpected professional opportunity to the vision of Donald Barr, who was hired to lead Hackley at approximately the same time. Pavel remembers his first Hackley Headmaster as “an old-school traditionalist and a staunch political conservative” who had great faith in the inherent nobility of the teaching profession. Pavel highlights Barr’s determination to elevate Hackley’s status and improve its reputation, strengthening the culture of philanthropy and setting higher expectations for student achievement. He characterizes the changes since he first arrived in the 1970s as “a massive improvement.”

“What changed was an attitude towards studying,” he says. “Everybody wanted to do well. It made teaching more pleasant.”

A rising endowment also enabled the school to attract better teachers. This, in turn, caused a snowball effect: an increased applicant pool boosted the academic caliber of the student body.

“Hackley began admitting stronger applicants. Over my last 10 years in particular we witnessed far more effort among the students: a stronger desire to study, earn good grades, and get admitted into more competitive colleges. Prior to Walter Johnson’s time, I hadn’t notice this kind of drive among students. I think that Walter deserves credit for this.”

Those strong students, as well as faculty colleagues, continue to revere the memory of the former exile who made Hackley his home.

Melissa Stanek remembers him as her own most memorable teacher when she herself attended Hackley. Having been

taught by Pavel in both Physics and Pre-Calc, she offers an authoritative perspective. “He is brilliant. Pavel could figure out 1,000 different ways to convey the same concept. He had a knack of being able to speak to everyone.”

Melissa believes that Pavel’s pedagogical wizardry was based on a combination of creativity, challenge, kindness and engagement all fused together. “He knew how to hold people accountable without making it personal. He did that as a teacher and as a human being. In fact, Pavel was so nice that kids who did slack off wouldn’t try to deny it.”

To top it off, says Melissa, “he would throw out stories about interacting with brilliant physicists such as Andrei Sakharov.

Or he might go off on a tangent about how you might construct a long-range ballistic nuclear missile.”

Physics teacher Andrew Ying, who runs the Independent Research Program initiative originally inspired by Pavel, regularly invites Pavel back up to the Hilltop in order to address the students.

“He always comes back with great messages,” says Andrew.

“The main theme of his visits are how the students who are in this program now are the next generation of thinkers. As such, they need to learn to question everything. This obviously comes from his political experience and viewpoints.”

According to Andrew, Pavel’s salient messages revolve around themes of the value of healthy skepticism mixed combined with a moral and intellectual responsibility for the future.

“We have to question what’s out there. Can we trust it?” says Andrew, paraphrasing Pavel. “He tells them that they are future scientists who will make future changes. This is very empowering for the kids.”

By now, Pavel’s legacy spans across multiple generations of Hackley students. Andrew notes, “We have these [alumni] guest speakers who are scientists come back and say that their ability to think is due to him.”

• • • • • • Pavel and I have been Skyping in Russian for over 30 minutes. He and Julia Santiago, his wife of 25 years, have been fighting back illness since their flight back from a Russiathemed conference in Las Vegas. I feel vaguely guilty for encroaching into his recovery period, but can’t resist a final question that addresses the multiple dimensions of the man: “To what degree does your love of nature influence your own moral or spiritual credo?”

Pavel’s reply flows out as easily, as if it were some oft-recounted story.

“ Pavel is an important figure in the lineage of great Hackley faculty.

Yes, his teaching inspired many budding scientists and mathematicians. However, I see signs of his life story — the way in which he lived his life, his global perspective — that have left a larger and perhaps more lasting impression on the school as a whole. Pavel was part of a cohort of legendary teachers that sought to ‘pop the Hackley bubble’ and today’s students continue to enjoy the benefits of his legacy.” — Michael Wirtz, Head of School

“Our link to the Earth is something that’s ingrained in our very nature. As people we inhabit these little boxes, but we ourselves are actually living organisms on the Earth. The more we feel the planet to be our own environment, the happier we will be.”

He recalls how, as a child, he would accompany his father, a climber, on high-altitude treks in the Caucasus Mountains.

Pavel credits that experience with learning to “breathe differently.” This marked the beginning of a decades-long abiding love for trails and mountains, something that became evident to me when I would get Pavel’s early week reports of how many miles he managed to cover on foot over the previous weekend.

I point out that our present predicament on the planet clearly shows that not all homo sapiens share his perspective.

“Is our situation terrible or not so terrible?” he asks rhetorically. “That depends on what we choose to do to protect the planet. Of course there is a danger of humans destroying a big part of the world.”

He pauses.

“I now feel about this problem the way I used to feel about human rights. Defending the environment is a part of human rights.”

Nowadays he and Julia maintain a regime of hiking at least a six-mile loop through local parks near their house. “Even this minimal walk helps me feel that I’m in a different place, living a different life.”

Pavel frames this point across both issues and generations.

He recalls the time in 2013 when Russian authorities imprisoned his son Dima Litvinov, a Greenpeace activist, for protesting against a Gazprom oil drilling venture in the fragile Arctic environment. At that time Pavel flew to San Francisco to address an audience of several thousand environmentalists.

Pavel’s love of nature is what joins his civic activism, passion for exercise, and intellectual curiosity.

“There was a lot of talk about the dangers posed by Arctic drilling to polar bears,” he recalls.

“I started reading a lot about evolution and biology after retiring. I feel that we are all connected to the trees, insects, animals. We carry many of the same genes.”

“I said that we always need to stand up for the weakest. Towards the end of World War II, Soviet officer Lev Kopelev, the father of my ex-wife, was arrested for defending German women who were raped by Red Army troops. I - for defending the Czechs. My son Dima - for defending polar bears. What did all three categories have in common? They were all vulnerable.”

He pauses briefly before melding scientific musings with poetry: “We are all one blood, so to speak.”

Pavel says that he intuitively felt that all creatures on Earth were linked by a living thread even before reading the works of Richard Dawkins.

“I feel connected to all livings things,” he says. “I would even include rocks and cliffs, but that’s a matter of pure aesthetics.

Insects, birds, and trees, on the other hand – those I consider my relatives.”

His comments mark a fitting finale – a send-off worthy of a movie postscript. By now Pavel himself, his voice getting hoarse, appears vulnerable to me. Before logging off I invite him and Julia to join us this winter for dinner and hot drinks around my outdoor fire pit. “Let’s not pass up the chance,” I said, “to raise another toast to our hopeless cause.”

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A L U M N I D AY

By Margie McNaughton Ford ’85

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october 13, 2018

Alumni Day 2018 Alumni Day has always been my favorite Hackley tradition.

I have always felt there something special about the day, and I look forward to it every year.

This past October, we welcomed back alumni from the Classes of 1948–2018 to celebrate milestone reunions, reconnect, and to relive their Hackley days. Many explored campus and rekindled friendships; those who returned brought with them undeniable excitement.

Alumni joined faculty, coaches, students, and parents for the Dave Allison Memorial Soccer Game & BBQ on Friday night. Many of Mr. A’s players reunited to remember and pay tribute to their former coach, who championed girls’ sports at Hackley. Emily Colwell Meyers ’88 welcomed the crowd and spoke eloquently about him. She remarked, “Mr. A taught us that we could trust our staying power and believe in ourselves no matter what moments of uncertainty we face.

What better skills to cultivate in teenage girls than this!”

She ended with, “So here’s to our beloved Mr. A and to the resilience and confidence that continue to be reflected in our lives because of him!” All the HGVS players wore “Fearless” warm-up jerseys in honor of Mr. A, and fearless they were — they beat Fieldston 2-0!

Saturday morning’s rain did not dampen anyone’s spirit.

Alumni gathered in King Chapel for the Annual Meeting of the Hackley Alumni Association. Association President Christie Philbrick-Wheaton-Galvin ’00 welcomed everyone home and spoke about creating new opportunities for alumni to get involved with Hackley in meaningful and personally rewarding ways.

The new slate of Directors elected to the Alumni Board includes Jackie Leitzes ’93 and Brad Roberts ’12. Head of School Michael Wirtz presented Hackley’s new strategic plan and gave an overview of the previous year. The Alumni Board surprised Bill Roberts ’75 with the Alumni Service Award, the highest honor the Alumni Association can bestow on an alum. When presenting the award to Bill, Haleh Tavakol ’84 noted, “Bill serves with kindness and generosity of spirit. He

consistently takes a step back to allow others to shine. He shows his appreciation in meaningful ways, quietly, without mentioning a word to anyone, without asking for any praise or recognition. In a world filled with ego and narcissism, Bill stands out and embodies Hackley’s mottos: Enter here to be and find a friend, United we help one another, and Go forth to spread beauty and light.”

The highlight for many was exploring and attending events in the impressive Walter C. Johnson Center for Health and Wellness. Alums and former members of the Hackley swim team attended the Alumni Opening of the Pool. After opening remarks from Michael Wirtz, former Olympian Mani Sanguily ’50 swam the inaugural alumni lap. Mani, who had long been waiting for this moment, was overcome with emotion as he stepped onto the pool deck.

Bill McLay (Upper School Science Teacher), Richard Robinson (Upper School English Department Head), and Bettie-Ann Candelora (Director of Performing Arts) treated alums to Chapel Talks in King Chapel. Each year, members of the faculty present “Chapel Talks” to members of the senior class, offering thoughts on a theme the speaker finds personally meaningful. Alumni also enjoyed tours given by Student Ambassadors and the Boarding Open House, which gave them a snapshot of today’s program. Beloved English teacher Anne Siviglia ran her creative writing workshop and later visited reunion dinners to hand out papers to her former students. Biology teacher Tessa Johnson led the annual nature hike, providing a glimpse into what her students experience on a daily basis. Cookie decorating in the Johnson Center’s teaching kitchen was also a big hit with alums of all ages.

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From left to right: Mani Sanguily ’50 and Berk Johnson ’49 at the Alumni Opening of the Pool. Kim Nichols ’93 and her children had fun decorating and eating cookies in the teaching kitchen of the Walter C. Johnson Center for Health and Wellness.

The sun came out just in time for the varsity games. All of the teams played hard against Fieldston and gave the crowds something to cheer about. Field hockey won their game, the girls’ tennis team also won their match, the boys’ soccer team tied, and the football team lost in overtime. Following the games, alumni headed to Allen Memorial Hall for the Head of School Reception with former and current faculty and coaches. Classes ending in 3’s and 8’s then made their way to their reunion dinners to continue the celebration. Members of the 50-Plus Club were invited to Gage House, the Head of School’s home, for cocktails prior to their dinner in the Lindsay Room. After dinner, Chair of the 50-Plus Club Toby Dunn inducted members of the Class of 1968 into the Club, and John Camera ’57 spoke about the late Bob Johnson ’57, former 50-Plus Club Chair, and his passion for Hackley. Toby then announced he was stepping down as Chair with Tom Karger ’63 rising from Vice Chair to Chair.

cheered with the announcement of their class gift. They were passionate about providing student financial aid for language immersion trips, allowing them to give back to their alma mater in a tangible way.

Thank you to all the alumni and friends who returned to campus to celebrate Alumni Day with your Hackley family.

I look forward to welcoming alumni back to the Hilltop next year for Alumni Day on October 19, 2019.

Margie McNaughton Ford, a member of the Hackley Class of 1985, is Director of Alumni Engagement and the parent of a Hackley student.

Throughout the day, alumni roamed Upper School corridors like students again, friends reunited, and generations of alumni and teachers engaged in deep conversations. These moments are what makes this day special. The most memorable moment for me was when 50 members of the Class 2013

From left to right: Dick Hodgson ’51 and the Hackley Hornet. Class of 2018 alums cheer on their hornets.

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Clockwise from top left: Hackley English teacher Anne Siviglia enjoyed catching up with the Class of 2003. Bottom row, from left to right: Mat Bridwell, Alli Pataki, Marya Parr Myers, Cornelia Kolman Kelly, Kyle Hackshaw.

Top row, from left to right: Zack Oakley, Alyssa Cherif Oakley, Mike Canterino, Katey McGarr, Dede Philbrick-Wheaton, Matt Hammer, and Anne Siviglia.

Members of the Class of 1958 gathered for a pre-reunion celebration at the Sleepy Hollow Country Club. Bottom row, from left to right: Toby Dunn, Pete Rostenberg, John Ketteley, Hal Kroeger, and Herbert Allen. Top row, from left to right: John Gannon and Bob Censier.

Gabby Urken ’13, Allie Coppola ’13, Sarah Cassidy ’13, Meredith Keller ’13, Francesca Delia ’13, Roland Rizzi ’13, and Kristen Daly ’13 returned to the Hilltop for their 5th Reunion!

“If this is your first trip back to the Hilltop in several years, the specialized buildings, expansive manicured grounds, and best-in-class athletic fields may be the most striking change. The new learning spaces, both indoor and out, offer current Hackley students things many of us never dreamed would be part of a K-12 education. Yet the learning spaces themselves are insignificant if not filled with the exceptional characters who have breathed life into a Hackley education for over a century. Regardless of generation, all of us can cite the material impact that legendary Hackley educators, whether they be gargoyled, Hamletized, or have their caricature hanging in the woods, had on our development.” christie philbrick- wheaton-galvin ’00 president, hackley alumni association

Future Hackley hornet Luisa Lion Van Leer, daughter of Ed Van Leer ’99 and granddaughter of John ’65 and Anne Van Leer, enjoying “open gym” at the Johnson Center.

Rosalind Yale ’78, Beth Bennington ’78, Lauri Weiser ’78, Earl Leach ’78, Coach Rob Pickert and Joe Brooking ’72.

Class of 1988 classmates Saman Awan, Lara Litvinov, Gary Ling, Marco Davis, Lucas Rubin, Deborah Raider-Notis, and Claire Kaplan celebrate their 30th Reunion.

Art King with former students, Chris Wackman ’63 and Brian Carney ’64.

Michael and Hilary Wirtz greet Tom Karger ’63 and his wife Mary Jane at Gage House.

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“Even though the school has changed so much over the past 20 years, it’s nice to come back and feel like you never left.

The community, the faces, and the feel of the Hilltop were the same as in 1998.

That’s a true testament to the people who have been leading things.” brent lowinger ’98

Clockwise from top left: Alumni hikers explore the trails on the nature hike.

Jerry Grossman ’93, sporting his Varsity H jacket, brought his family back to campus for the Alumni Day festivities.

Touch down Hackley!

Teammates gathered to honor their former coach at the Dave Allison Memorial Soccer Game. From left to right: Susanna Colwell Madden ’89, Emily Colwell Meyers ’88, Claire Kaplan ’88, Jeanine Rynne ’89, and Suzanne Rynne-Ostermiller ’91.

Alums from the Class of 1968 take a trip down memory lane in the Alumni Archives Room.

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www.HackleyConnect.org HackleyConnect.org is our one-stop shop for posting jobs, news, photos, event updates, and for networking with fellow alums in your field or region. Current Parents and Parents of Alumni are encouraged to join and provide professional guidance to young alumni.

Join today at www.hackleyconnect.org.

Questions? Email mford@hackleyschool.org.

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Save the Date for Alumni Day 2019: Saturday, October 19 We’ll celebrate special reunions for classes ending in 4’s and 9’s. If you’d like to serve on your reunion committee, contact Margie McNaughton Ford ’85 at mford@hackleyschool.org

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Clockwise from top left: Alumni Service Award winner, Bill Roberts ’75 with his family and friends. Top row, left to right: HAA Director Brad Roberts ’12, HAA Director Conrad Roberts ’68, Alex Roberts ’09, Rick Roberts ’70. Middle row, left to right: Brett Roberts ’67, Annalise Roberts (Conrad’s wife), Cynthia Steffe (Rick’s wife), Head of School Michael Wirtz. Bottom row, left to right: HAA President Christie Philbrick-Wheaton-Galvin ’00, Cynthia Roberts (Bill’s wife), Associate Director of Advancement Haleh Tavakol ’84, Lydia Roberts ’13, and Veronica Qu ’13.

Board of Trustees President John Canoni ’86 with Trustee Keith Kroeger ’54 outside King Chapel Mike Halas ’98, Dr. Todd Martin ’98, and his wife Fonda Martin catch up at the Head of School Reception.

Old friends and Hackley legends, Pavel Litvinov and Tanya Schneller.

HGVS in action.

Roya Mohajer Corbley ’93, Jackie Leitzes ’93, Kim Nichols ’93, and Mary Anne Kurucz ’93 back together again.

Ray Titcomb ’48 was joined by his sons, Brooks and Gordon, to celebrate his 70th reunion.

They are pictured here with Head of School Michael Wirtz.

end note 40

By Liesel Vink, Hackley School Archivist

Founder’s Day 2018 “From the foundations laid by Mrs. Hackley our school has risen strong, retaining the principles of education that Mrs. Hackley infused into the early school, adapting itself to the swiftly changing demands of modern society…It would be a valid inquiry to ask why we observe with much circumstance this anniversary of Mrs. Hackley’s birth. We might pass this inquiry off with the mere assertion that decorum requires such observance, that all schools and colleges accord their benefactors and founders this honor and that we too should fall in line. A partial answer lies in this reasoning; a stronger one can be found in the belief that drinking from the fountain of the experiences and lives of people like Mrs. Hackley we gain new strength to fortify ourselves in our way through Life. Perhaps this is one of the chief services that due reverence for the past performs for us. New ardor and determination are infused in us when we reflect on those who proceeded us here on the Hilltop. We thus serve Hackley better by pausing each year at this time to pay homage to our founder.”

to Booker T. Washington and the Tuskegee Institute, as well as other black colleges in the South. She created a vocational school in Scranton, PA, and, at one time, maintained seven kindergarten programs, including one in New York City in memory of her late daughter. According to the Hackley history, Where the Seasons Tell Their Story, “Kindergartens for disadvantaged children were a special interest of hers.” She was an early benefactor of Barnard College, along with John D. Rockefeller, J. Pierpont Morgan and Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt, expanding higher education options for women. Her last endeavor was starting Hackley School in 1899. Mrs. Hackley was not just philanthropic — she was a committed social activist whose efforts advanced the welfare of so many.

– Speech found in Mrs. Hackley’s file, believed to be written and delivered by “Doc” Lawrence Newell, circa Founder’s Day in the late 1940’s

As a woman in 2018 and working in the archives here on the Hilltop, I can’t help but read about Mrs. Hackley and be in awe of her accomplishments. A woman, among mostly men in her social circles and later, the mostly male faculty that made up the majority of the school (just look at the cover of our beloved history book Where The Seasons Tell Their Story) who was known to stand her ground and stay true to what she thought was right. Were there implications? Was there backlash? When I look at a photograph of her in the archives, I don’t just see an elegant woman sitting in front of the camera but I see someone that founded and donated to many important institutions that continue to have an impact on society today.

Hackley Girls Varsity Soccer team at the Dave Allison Memorial Game, Alumni Weekend 2018

All across the media and throughout contemporary discourse, we’re talking about the impact that women have, the ways in which we may be silenced, the challenge we have as a society in finding ways toward equity and inclusion. With all this in mind, it’s inspiring to think that Hackley School exists because of the commitment and generosity of a visionary woman: our Founder, Frances Hackley. We celebrated her 198th birthday on Founder’s Day 2018.

Frances Hackley was one of the best known philanthropists of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. She was a regular donor

It comes as no surprise that until her death in 1913, yearbooks were dedicated in her honor. Her birthday, October 27, in 1911 was declared Founder’s Day and each year, the classes sent her flowers, picnics were held on the grounds, and she was applauded. There was no doubt that “her boys” as she was known to call the students of the school at that time, were fond of Mrs. Hackley for what she had done and continued to do for the school on the Hilltop.

Over the past few years, I’ve wondered why we don’t do more for Founder’s Day. Perhaps with the excitement of the fall — Spirit Week, various athletics events, class trips, Alumni Day, Open House — it just slips our minds. Let this be a gentle reminder as to why we even have Founder’s Day at all.

This year, I’ve tried to shed more light on Mrs. Hackley with the hope that each and every one of us stops and takes a moment to look around them. This beautiful campus that houses enriching education and encompasses a greater sense of community than I’ve ever experienced is all due to a woman who lived by herself in the Plaza Hotel, who wanted to find a way to give back.

On this day, let’s not just celebrate our founder, but acknowledge and continue the example she set forth when she founded Hackley School. Give back. Believe in your convictions. Stand your ground. Care for others. Enter here to be and find a friend.

View more Hackley Perspectives at: medium.com/hackley-perspectives

The Copper Beech Society Planning Ahead for Hackley

“The future depends on what we do today.” — Mahatma Gandhi

It has been about 60 years since I left Hackley, and yes, a lot has changed, but for the most part, the core and soul are unchanged.

On a recent visit I saw many of the same intimate (impossible to hide) small classes of liberal arts and advanced science training. My past was present in those classrooms.

My moral values and knowledge of competitive consequences were honed in Hackley classes and on its playing fields. In triumph and failure I learned an important lesson: it feels better to learn from triumph.

We who graduated would all have to agree that much of our ability to read, analyze, and express ourselves was developed at Hackley.

Yes, we went on to great colleges and universities, but the “hooks” upon which we hung our future learning and livelihood were set by Hackley and its great faculty. Some would say that the wealth of a country is measured by its forest, fields, mines, and personal wealth, but the real capital of a country is in the ability of its people. And Hackley builds human capital.

Jacques Wertheimer ’60 came to Hackley one summer in the late 1950s to take a driver’s education course, and liked the place so well he decided to apply, enrolling as a five day boarder. An annual donor to Hackley in nearly each year since graduating, he credits Hackley with teaching him to read and write, and says, “I’m motivated purely and simply by a desire to give back.” Jacques and his wife Lynne live in Beverly Hills, California, and decided years ago to include Hackley in their estate planning.

We have a debt to the past and a responsibility to the future and to our children and their children, which is why my wife and I have included Hackley in our annual giving and charitable trust programs. For, as a great man said, “The future depends on what we do today.”

— Jacques Wertheimer ’60

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

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From art to computer science to sports to nature adventures to rockets to rock climbing to performing arts — your children are sure to find something special on the Hilltop next summer. Hackley programs are taught by professional educators, almost all of whom are Hackley faculty. Hackley Summer Programs are structured for maximum flexibility, quality, ease, and of course, lots and lots of fun.

Programs are open to all and begin Monday, June 10, 2019.

www.hackleyschool.org/summer

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