Cultivating Wonder
2015 – 2016
Cultivating Wonder
John Cissel, Head of School
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iam and Alexis walk off the bus together every morning, talking intently as they swing the door open for school—never skipping a beat in their conversation.
Seth, Harrison and Trinity spent ten minutes in the rain before entering school one morning, picking up worms off the driveway and placing them in the brown mud puddle next to the crape myrtle tree. Hunter reports the latest Islanders hockey score:“Mr. Cissel, did you hear? The Islanders made the playoffs.” Max greets me with,“How you doing, Mr. C?” each morning, along with a firm handshake, looking me square in the eye. “Nicolette, only three handshakes each morning; I have others I need to greet, right?” She would stand there for hours shaking my hand. Denise gives her daughter the biggest hug before sending her off to kindergarten. (Tough duty, this headship stuff.) Another day dawns at Harbor, and the wondering, growing and learning begins yet again. It may seem incidental and routine to arrive for school and shake the Head of School’s hand, but in a small but significant way, the morning ritual signifies something more important. This warm and safe transition to each new school day tells the children that they are welcomed and accepted unconditionally for who they are. This environment we create for your children gives them the confidence to question, challenge and explore—to cultivate the wonder that is inherent within them. These words—“cultivating wonder”—are central to the mission of the school. Yet how often do we stop to think about what this phrase really means? As defined by Merriam Webster, cultivating wonder means, “to foster the growth of… rapt attention or astonishment at something awesomely mysterious or new to one’s experience.” Simply put, it means children at Harbor are given the confidence and support to question, challenge and explore the world around them. And when that kind of discovery is taught and cultivated, alongside a child-centered 21st century academic program that is steeped in character building, the end-result is a graduate who is fully prepared to take on the world. In this issue of Harbor Highlights, you will see images of children deeply immersed in inquiry-based learning, engaged in activities that build character and integrity and enjoying the friendships they’ve built at Harbor. You’ll also read about some of our alumni, and how their time at Harbor played an integral role in the people they’ve become. In the end, we hope that you will take away a renewed appreciation for the many ways we strive to cultivate a lifelong quest for knowledge and wonder in all of your children.
Sincerely, John Cissel Head of School
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Harbor Highlights • 2015 – 2016
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ecently, my older daughter was telling me about an historical mystery being discussed in 4th grade: who was the sixth member of the Setauket spy ring, and could it be a woman? Intrigued, I asked her to tell me more. She explained she couldn’t... because there is no primary source material on the subject. I was thunderstruck— I didn’t learn about primary sources until AP US History in high school! But here was my fourth grader, full of wonder, telling me something profound about learning: some things can be known and verified, some things can’t, and ambiguity is OK. Parenthood has been a great education for me, and one of my most treasured lessons is that no two children are alike. My daughters, close in age and appearance, are a case in point. They are different learners, have different interests, and different topics spark their imagination—but Harbor has cultivated wonder in each of them continuously based on their unique needs. The faculty and staff consistently look out for ideas that excite and challenge them. Just this year, my older daughter has found joy in running the basketball scoreboard and learning ASL. My younger daughter loved laminating fact sheets to help the teacher prepare the classroom and getting to spend quality time with a younger student during the after-school program. Harbor will also always be a shared memory for them, such as when they watched together in amazement as the preschool chicks hatched, holding hands.
Cultivating Wonder
Corinne Hammons, Member, Board of Trustees
Being a Harbor trustee is very different from being a parent, but carries a similar type of responsibility— to ensure the institution lives its mission, is sustainable for the future, and is always child-centered. Like all of the other volunteers on the board, I find this work to be a privilege. This year, I have particularly enjoyed helping support the development of our exciting Strategic Plan. As a parent, an independent school graduate myself, and a proud community member, I know our family has found its place in Harbor. My older daughter has a favorite Harbor teacher, though she’ll never tell you who. Years ago, that teacher taught her “changes have to happen one way or the other.” It turns out the teacher was talking about weather patterns, but my daughter applies this idea to a lot of things in life, especially when facing challenges. The other day I overheard her giving this advice to my younger daughter. They agreed change does happen, and then went back to riding their scooters. Thank you, Harbor, for cultivating their wonder, and ours. With appreciation, Corinne Hammons Member, Board of Trustees
2015 – 2016 • Harbor Highlights
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Cultivating Young Minds 4
Cultivating Yound Minds
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ince the very first day of school in 1958, Harbor Country Day School has been different. All it takes is one peek into a classroom, one stroll through the hallways or one visit to a children’s performance to experience that difference. Children at Harbor are happy. They are confident. They are child-like, yet mature beyond their years. And they love to learn. Harbor’s mission to “cultivate wonder” permeates every aspect of the school, and it’s at the heart of its academic program. Every teacher’s curriculum at Harbor is built around the idea that children are inherently wondrous, and that it is an educator’s job to tap into that wonder and cultivate it so that it grows into a lifelong sense of curiosity and love of learning. Teaching at Harbor is a partnership between teacher and student, a shared quest for knowledge and understanding, a mission to understand and nurture whatever it is that drives each child to learn and explore his or her world.
Harbor Highlights • 2015 – 2016
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Cultivating Young Minds 6
Harbor Highlights • 2015 – 2016
Cultivating Young Minds 2015 – 2016 • Harbor Highlights
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Cultivating Integrity & Character 8
Cultivating Integrity & Character
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ntegrity and character are rarely part of a school’s professed curriculum. Yet at Harbor, they are an integral part of every day. Students begin every day with a handshake and personal greeting from Mr. Cissel, learning the art of interpersonal communications. Athletic events and Nissequogue/ Nesconset competitions teach students the importance of healthy competition and teamwork. Multicultural events demonstrate first-hand the ways in which we are part of a global community. All-School Meetings and after-school events give students the opportunity to hone vital life skills such as public speaking and performing. Overnight trips teach Upper School students the value of friendship, trust, challenging themselves and engaging with the world around them.
Harbor Highlights • 2015 – 2016
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Cultivating Lifelong Friendships 10
Cultivating Lifelong Friendships
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riendships formed at Harbor are unique, and lifelong. Certainly, small class sizes encourage deeper connections between students. Yet these connections are the result of more than simple logistics. While at Harbor, students go through such growth of character together that the bonds they form are based on a genuine understanding of one another. And Harbor’s advisory program, which encourages interaction among students of all ages, gives them the chance to learn from and befriend children they rarely would encounter otherwise. One look at the pictures below demonstrates just how strong and lasting Harbor friendships are.
Harbor Highlights • 2015 – 2016
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Cultivating Seeds
Cultivating Seeds
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he experiences students have while they are at Harbor far surpass their time here.The lessons they’ve learned, the character they’ve built, the friendships they’ve cultivated—all are the seeds they have planted in order to grow to be the very best version of themselves. When they leave Harbor, wherever they go, Harbor Hawks enter the next stage in their lives fully prepared for success and happiness.
Eighth Grade Class of 2016
Eighth Grade Class of 2016 (left to right): Sophia Garcia, Nuh Tastan, Quinn Trafas, Harrison Dubroff.
Eighth Grade Class of 2012
Colleges & Universities Attending
(as pictured with Mrs. Decker and Mrs. Grass, seated left to right)
Sarah Hickerson..................................................................................................................... Villanova University Sydney Essex.................................................................................................................University of Pennsylvania Thalia Konstantopoulos...................................................................................................Taking one-year break Brendan Clarke............................................................................................................. Farmingdale State College Natalie Butkevich.......................................................................................................................Cornell University Kimberly Cataudella............................................................................................................. American University 12
Harbor Highlights • 2015 – 2016
Cultivating Seeds
Class of 2016 Then
Class of 2016 Now
2015 – 2016 • Harbor Highlights
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Cultivating Seeds
Harbor Alumni Profiles
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idney Kirkpatrick, ‘70, is an accomplished author and filmmaker. His passion for writing was encouraged and nurtured at Harbor. In fact, in the seventh grade, Sid wrote a book about the history of Harbor Country Day School. He remarks that his skill and passion was supported and celebrated by Harbor’s teachers. He adds that the librarian considered books to be sacred and taught that they should be respected and loved. Public speaking, personal poise, and presentation were also skills that were taught and cultivated. Sid enjoyed reminiscing about the small school size and the benefits for students of all ages to do things together, see one another in the hallways, and grow as a family. He remarks that there was a sense of continuity and feeling that everyone at Harbor was walking along the same path. Sid particularly loved the school’s architectural character, its nooks and crannies and interesting passageways. He said Harbor gave him a comforting sense that he was part of a team; that it was safe to take risks and indulge passions. Harbor gave him a solid foundation, he says. His anchor was at Harbor.
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avid Morris, ‘80, now an Emergency Room physician in Framingham, Massachusetts, says that his experience at Harbor formed the foundation for many positive things in his life. David describes his journey at Harbor as one of inspired learning and lasting friendships. He says that the Head of School at the time, Mr. Irving and then Mrs. Sorrentino, steered Harbor with a vision of excellence. All Harbor teachers, he adds, emphasized the importance of being independent learners. Harbor’s extracurricular activities were equally engaging, instructional, and gratifying, recalls David. Competitive sports and physical education were enjoyable, challenging, and promoted camaraderie. While he was not particularly interested in singing before an audience, David recalls the lessons learned by performing in the School’s musical and plays. He notes that he “got lucky” by attending Harbor and says that it is a special place where he developed close friendships, was inspired by passionate teachers, and received a foundation for a happy life.
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ydney Essex, ‘12, will enroll at University of Pennsylvania this fall after having just completed high school at the Marymount School of New York. A passionate leader with a variety of interests and talents, Sydney praises the teachers at Harbor and the opportunities she was given to try new things, be a leader, and form close bonds with faculty and friends. Her aptitude in mathematics was celebrated and nurtured by her still-favorite teacher, Mrs. McKenna, who made the subject understandable and enjoyable. The writing portfolio that was part of sixth and seventh grade history honed her skills in topical research, expository writing and sentence structure. Sydney says that her teachers encouraged her to be a leader both in athletics and the performing arts. She quickly adds that she would never have had these opportunities at another school and praised Harbor’s small class size and dedicated teachers. Sydney, who is also a passionate dancer practicing six days a week, looks to her future at U Penn with an excitement for learning and lifelong friendships founded in the classrooms at Harbor.
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Harbor Highlights • 2015 – 2016
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arbor’s seventh and eighth graders were fortunate to take field trips to visit the workplaces of two of our alumni. Bob McCarroll ‘78, graciously gave the students a tour of the Lake Grove restaurant he owns and manages, The Good Steer, on May 20th. Earlier in the year, the students visited Emma Hicks Pearce ‘88, Attorney, at the Suffolk County District Court House, where they were able to visit a courtroom, court offices and the county jail. Many thanks to Mr. McCarroll and Mrs. Hicks Pearce for sharing their time with us. We invite other alumni to share their success stories with our students. If you are interested in hosting a field trip or coming to Tulip Knoll to visit with the students, please contact Heidi Giffuni at (631) 584-5555 or at hgiffuni@hcdsny.org.
Cultivating Seeds
Harbor Alumni Hosted Fieldtrips
Bob McCarroll, ‘78, gives students a tour of his restaurant.
Emma Hicks Pearce, ‘88, gives students a tour of the Suffolk County District Court House. 2015 – 2016 • Harbor Highlights
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Cherishing childhood, Cultivating Wonder and inspiring confident learners and leaders.
17 Three Sisters Road, St. James, New York 11780 • 631-584-5555 • info@hcdsny.org • www.hcdsny.org