MISSION To ignite the academic and creative potential of students with dyslexia and other languagebased learning differences.
VISION The world class educational program at HRS is a catalyst for students to discover the joy of learning within a rich, comprehensive school experience.
CORE VALUES
Respect, Responsibility, Purpose, Perseverance
EQUITY STATEMENT
The Hamlin Robinson School community strives to ensure each student and their family has access to the supports they need within an inclusive environment that recognizes and honors all aspects of identity. We aspire to create an equitable environment for each student, family, faculty and staff, and all members within our community where everyone thrives and knows they belong. We are committed to this journey which requires continual self-reflection, vulnerability, intentionality, and accountability from each of us.
The Scoop is a publication of the HRS Advancement Office and is mailed quarterly.
Letter from the Head
As you receive this issue of the Scoop, Hamlin Robinson School will have wrapped up our summer program and shifted fully into launching a new school year. These in-between times are perfect for taking a breath, reflecting, and anticipating.
By taking a breath, we can slow our pace and appreciate the world around us.
I appreciate the privilege of working at a school with such a clear and needed mission. I appreciate how incredibly hard our teachers, staff, and families work to provide the best possible learning environment for our students. I appreciate the support of alumni families and community partners who believe in and continue to support our programs.
By reflecting, we can take stock of the successes and areas of growth that go hand-in-hand with living life and working together.
When I reflect on the past year, I see the success of our graduating students, each navigating a unique educational journey and future. I see the accomplishments of our teachers, who equip students daily with the building blocks of learning. I see the commitment of families to support their students and our programs. I see the growth of the HRS Learning Center as it becomes a national resource leader. I see a Board of Trustees and school community engaged in the work of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
By anticipating, we become energized by what we know is possible through planning and action.
When I anticipate the possibilities for our future, I envision a community of learners who never stop trying to grow. I envision parents committed to community-building opportunities. I envision that alumni will have lifelong engagement with our school and the Learning Center because they understand the impact of our programs. I envision increasing equitable access to necessary resources. I envision a vibrant, diverse community where everyone knows they belong.
This issue of the Scoop contains many reflections and much anticipation. As you take a breath and read through its contents, I hope that three things will be clear:
• Our commitment to the mission of the school and our students
• Our commitment to creating a community where each person knows they belong
• Our commitment to building equity and access to educational resources
You are all a part of this community. I invite you to take action by joining our efforts and spreading the word about all that HRS has to offer.
Stacy Turner Head of School
In June, the HRS community gathered at beautiful Benaroya Hall to honor the graduates of the Class of 2024. This year’s 53 graduates took the stage with thoughtful speeches about purpose, identity, responsibility, and leadership, showcasing the values and skills they developed at HRS. The ceremony was complemented by student
musical performances and a memorable class gift—a super-sized ceramic friendship bracelet symbolizing their strong bonds and happy memories as a class.
At the annual Celebr8 gathering on the morning after graduation, the class of 2024 could finally relax and
commemorate their time at school with a slideshow and heartfelt speeches from beloved faculty and staff members.
Cheers to the class of 2024—you’ll always have a home at HRS!
Hamlin Robinson School is proud to be a founding member of the Association of LD Schools (ALDS). ALDS was founded in 2023, with the mission to connect and support schools that specialize in education for students with learning differences such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, and executive dysfunction. HRS Head of School, Stacy Turner, played a key role in founding this organization and currently serves as Vice Chair of the ALDS Board of Trustees.
ALDS supports member schools in their goal of advancing practice through individual and collective growth. By bringing together the people, resources, and events of over
Introducing the Association of LD Schools Alumni Day 2024
70 schools across the U.S. and Canada, ALDS enables member organizations to strengthen their collective reach and impact in support of students, families, and educators.
Stacy Turner, along with Middle School Head Josh Phillips and Lower School Head Jessica Ruger, attended the ALDS Leadership Retreat in Richmond, Virginia, this past July. Stacy led a very well-attended workshop about how to operationalize a school diversity statement.
In the summer of 2025, Hamlin Robinson School will host the 2025 Leadership Retreat and will welcome nearly 200 LD school leaders to our campus. The work we do at HRS –
through our classrooms and Learning Center – will be showcased and shared with these collaborative organizations. Opportunities such as this move HRS forward with one of our key strategic initiatives: to strengthen our impact locally and nationally.
There is much to learn from our fellow LD schools – and great power in working together. We encourage you to visit ldschools.org to learn more!
This past May, we were thrilled to welcome former HRS students back to campus for Alumni Day. Over 80 alumni reconnected with friends and former teachers, swapped stories, played games, toured the new Middle School building, and waxed nostalgic on memory tours of the Lower School. It’s always wonderful to hear about what our Eagles have been up to since they flew the nest—their diverse accomplishments speak to the uniqueness of every HRS alum. We look forward to many more alumni gatherings in the future!
ARTS & SCIENCES
Igniting the creative and academic potential of our students is core to the mission of Hamlin Robinson School. At this spring’s annual Arts Fest and STE(A)M Fairs, our students’ creativity, talents, and ingenuity were definitely on display!
ARTS FEST
Visitors to Arts Fest could experience multiple artistic mediums, including 2D and 3D visual art pieces, dropin art activities, creations from the Middle School Makerspace elective, digital art concepts, poetry books, and performances of singing, drama, and musical instruments.
STEM + STEAM FAIRS
At the Middle School STEAM Fair and the Lower School STEM Fair, students presented their work in science, technology, engineering, and math.
The Middle School fair showcased science experiments, innovative designs and prototypes, and hypothesis reports. The Lower School event featured Level 4 and 5 project showcases and activity stations such as the Catapult Challenge, Penny Boats, Optical Illusions, and the everpopular Owl Pellet Dissection.
The comprehensive educational program at HRS allows students to learn in ways that work for them, express themselves through art, science, technology and other avenues, and gain confidence from taking creative and academic risks.
Thank you to everyone who attended this year’s events and supported the creativity and curiosity of our students!
CULTIVATING BELONGING
The Hamlin Robinson School community strives to ensure each student and their family has access to the supports they need within an inclusive environment that recognizes and honors all aspects of identity. We aspire to create an equitable environment for each student, family, faculty and staff, and all members within our community where everyone thrives and knows they belong. We are committed to this journey which requires continual self-reflection, vulnerability, intentionality, and accountability from each of us.
Hamlin Robinson School Equity Statement
Belonging is one of the essential values on which Hamlin Robinson School was founded. For many students with learning differences, belonging can be hard to find in a traditional school environment. HRS understands the ache of exclusion that can follow a student who is regularly pulled out of a general-ed classroom for tutoring or who feels a daily need to hide their academic struggles. Our school was founded to provide an uplifting, supportive educational environment where every student can belong and thrive.
How do we create a feeling of belonging?
During the school’s recent diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) evaluation process, the lens of belonging guided conversations and the purpose of the work. Hamlin Robinson School’s DEIB Action Plan outlines four goals (each supported by actionable steps) that will build a community of belonging:
Goal 1: Create an inclusive and equitable educational environment.
Goal 2: Foster a culture where diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are integral to the staff’s development and interactions.
Goal 3: Enhance diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging amongst school leadership.
Goal 4: Strengthen our school community engagement practices.
What’s happening now?
• Jonathan Lee was hired as the school’s first Director of Equity and Belonging.
• HRS faculty and staff developed in-house information sessions for all employees, exploring topics like structural racism, identity, and power dynamics. The lessons serve a dual purpose: heightening education around DEIB topics and strengthening community ties among faculty and staff as they learn from one another and engage in honest conversations.
• The HRS community took part in the AIM Survey in Spring 2024, where each person could offer input regarding inclusivity and multiculturalism.
• The HRS Board of Trustees is actively engaged in DEIB discussions, attending workshops, and continuously reviewing the Action Plan.
Who is Jonathan Lee?
Jonathan Lee joined HRS as the Director of Equity and Belonging in May 2024. He has worn many hats within independent schools, serving as Director of Admissions, Dean of Students, Dormitory Head, and more. Having been a student, teacher, coach, and administrator in these schools, Jonathan understands the challenges that a person of color can face within a predominantly white institution (PWI). He carries those experiences with him as he mentors students, engages colleagues, and creates programming. Informed by his work in independent schools, Jonathan founded Bridging Legacies Across Campuses (BLAC) in 2021, an initiative that spotlights people of color who graduated from PWIs.
Jonathan’s leadership is critically important. However, DEIB work at HRS is a collective institutional effort, spanning our school’s departments and involving all members of our community. All systems are being reviewed and enhanced – from curriculum, to communications, to hiring practices, and more.
How do DEIB efforts at HRS support the greater community? ?
Dyslexia and other language-based learning differences do not discriminate – they impact students everywhere, regardless of race, religion, disability, socioeconomic status, or gender identity. Though learning differences can affect anyone, not everyone has the same access to an educational program suited to their needs. Access to an education that gives every student an opportunity to succeed should be a right afforded to all students, not a privilege for the few.
DEIB efforts at HRS are not limited to the internal HRS community. Through the HRS Outreach and Learning Center, our community can expand the reach of our equity initiatives and further promote access and opportunity. Efforts are already underway (see HRS Learning Center updates, page 8)!
As a collective, we can ensure that Hamlin Robinson School is a place where everyone knows they belong.
IS THE LINK!
The HRS Learning Center serves as the community outreach hub for Hamlin Robinson School. In addition to offering tutoring services for students across the region, the Learning Center offers many programs that equip and empower students, families, and educators. We encourage you to spread the news about Learning Center programs to anyone who would benefit.
INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
The HRS Learning Center rolled out a new internship program during the 2023-2024 school year. Our first interns, Henry (HRS class of 2020) and Andrew (member of the Teens in Public Service program) digitized resources to improve accessibility for the nationwide network of HRS Learning Center tutors. They also researched and connected with local organizations relevant to HRS’ mission – laying the groundwork for future partnerships.
HRS will continue to partner with local nonprofit Teens in Public Service (TIPS) to offer internships. We also hope to work with more HRS alumni as interns. Their lived experiences and perspectives can be valuable assets to our work in the Learning Center.
LITERACY LINK
The Literacy Link program – made possible by a grant from Pitch Your Peers (Seattle) – will launch in September 2024. This program will provide free literacy screenings for up to 300 King County students in grades 2-5. The program will also offer free educator workshops, focusing on administering and interpreting literacy screenings, building support strategies for students, and delivering more effective instruction for students with dyslexia.
Equity and access are at the center of the Literacy Link initiative. We encourage our HRS community to share the news about Literacy Link with anyone who may benefit!
NEXT STEPS INITIATIVE
The HRS Learning Center is building a support network for former students so that they can access resources through high school and beyond. The Learning Center is excited to introduce the Next Steps Initiative, in partnership with Franklin Academy in Connecticut. This college/ workplace readiness program is designed to support students with learning differences through classes on executive functioning, self-awareness, problem-solving, self-advocacy, and more. For more information, please visit the HRS website.
PAT (PARENTS OF ADOLESCENTS AND TEENS)
This fall, in partnership with local nonprofit PEPS (Program for Early Parent Support), the HRS Learning Center will offer the PAT (Parents of Adolescents and Teens) program. This research-backed initiative brings together parents of adolescents aged 10-18 through parent support, advocacy, and social connection. In a small-group setting, parents can connect with peers, learn from experts, and benefit from valuable resources.
VISIT OUR WEBSITE TO LEARN MORE!
On the Learning Center site, you can find guiding information on topics such as diagnostic testing and accommodations, watch educational webinars from the HRS Speaker Series, explore parent education opportunities, and much more. Discover all the HRS Learning Center has to offer by scanning the QR code. Please share these resources with anyone who might benefit.
Rod Walton joined Hamlin Robinson School in August 2023 as the Director of Outreach and Learning Center. In his role, Rod focuses on expanding the reach and impact of the HRS Learning Center through strategic community partnerships, events, programming, services, and more. During the 2023-2024 school year, Rod formed partnerships with 16 new mission-aligned organizations and introduced several new Learning Center initiatives—with more on the horizon! If you are interested in getting involved, reach out to Rod at rwalton@hamlinrobinson.org.
MEET ROD WALTON
While some schools stay quiet over the summer, Hamlin Robinson School hums with the activities of HRS Summer Academy.
For Students:
Over 190 students from schools throughout the region participated in this year’s Slingerland morning classes and afternoon enrichment camps. Though the first day comes with many emotions – excitement, nervousness, uncertainty – students soon settle into a rhythm. For many, entering the summer Slingerland class may be the first time they don’t feel like an outsider in the classroom. Learning
in a room of peers who share similar struggles empowers them to take risks and learn new skills, setting them up for a more successful school year ahead. The sense of camaraderie and mutual understanding is a hallmark of the HRS experience, whether a student is enrolled in HRS or the Summer Academy. Additionally, the summer program connects new families to the many supports the HRS Learning Center provides.
For Teachers:
While students took lessons in oral language and writing, teachers were also back in the classroom. All new HRS faculty (as well as educators from outside HRS) receive a month of specialized, comprehensive training in the Slingerland® Approach to literacy instruction. Experienced Slingerland teachers also have the opportunity to take advanced training during HRS Summer Academy.
For Parents:
Parents of students attending HRS Summer Academy can participate in multiple learning experiences during the month of July.
• HRS hosts a parent information session on the first day of the program, sharing information about dyslexia, the social-emotional impact of a learning difference, and how multi-sensory, sequential, structured literacy instruction can help.
• Parents can attend a summer session of Walk In The Shoes – a workshop which simulates the frustrations and challenges that students with learning differences can experience in a traditional school setting.
• On the last day of HRS Summer Academy, parents can attend a classroom observation. This experience gives them the opportunity to see what happens in their student’s classroom and the excitement shared by the students as they demonstrate their new skills.
HRS Summer Academy empowers students, families and teachers – and it’s fun! Hats off to the faculty and staff who manage this mini-school year and to the families who commit to this program.
