Hill welcomes springtime with favorite annual traditions

By ANNA CARROLL ’23 & SRINIDHI PASUMARTHY ’26 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & STAFF WRITER

Spring at Hill is a time of awakening and rebirth. As trees turn green and flowers show their sprouts, the Hill campus is growing out of its winter blues. From picnics on the pitch to J-ball tournaments, sixth form dress down to late check-ins, yard games on the pitch to sunsets at the Head of School Garden, the spring term at Hill is filled with fun and expectations. For those who are unaware, here is a breakdown of some of the cherished Hill traditions that students can look forward to during the spring.

Seated Dinners

Like during the fall term, in the spring, students and faculty come together each Tuesday night with seated dinners. And sixth formers can look forward to tea in the Class of 1971 Garden following the end of dinner. Remember that dress is academic casual!

J-ball

While spring at Hill is a time of relaxation and community-bonding, it is also a time of intense competition and drive, as it’s J-ball season. J-ball is baseball, but with a tennis racket and a tennis ball. Students will make teams and register for the school-wide bracket. Teams will be scheduled to play against each other throughout campus before study hall on set weeknights. Students of all ages and forms are invited to take on this unique yet timeless game, competing for the winning trophy. And with Toon Squad graduating, the winning trophy is up for grabs...

Cookouts

In addition to our Tuesday evening bonding, the community will also enjoy delicious cookouts with their dorms. There will also be plenty of everyone’s favorite yard games. The days of cookouts will be communicated via the calendar and Today on the Hill.

6th Form Dress

For their final year upon the Hill, the class of 2023 will enjoy a

FEATURES | Page 5 modified dress code that will adequately fit the season. Both the starting dates and the specifics of the dress code are up to the current administration’s decision, but it usually resembles academic-casual dress.

Later Check-in and Study Hall

What?! Yes, check-in and study hall will be pushed to a later start time of 8:00 p.m. to accommodate the nicer weather, longer days, and, of course, J-ball games that go into overtime.

6th Form Dance

For 5th and 6th formers, they are invited to the 6th Form Dance, which is held, this year, on

Springtime at Hill Photo Captions:

May 25th, 2023. This dance celebrates the end of the spring term with a DJ, dinner, dessert, photos, and everyone’s favorite tradition, prom-posals.

The Strawberry Festival

The Strawberry Festival is one of the most well-awaited events by both students and staff alike. The Strawberry Festival marks the official end of the school year. During the Strawbery Festival, students will receive their Dials, be able to buy old Hill athletics merchandise, and enjoy live music, food trucks, yard games, bouncy houses, petting zoos, and ziplines. Of course, students will also sign their yearbooks and spend time reminiscing on the

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Benji Wang ’23 said that he is “really excited for Strawberry Festival, especially as a Sixth Former.” He is also “excited for the nicer weather and Jball.”

As Ms. LaMarca, Director of Student Activities, says this year’s spring students should “expect more outdoor activities” courtesy of the nicer weather.

Ms. Eilberg shares her enthusiasm as she describes spring at Hill to be, “a different vibe on campus, with more of us spending time outdoors, and there is always a certain emotion around seeing sixth formers getting ready for commencement.” Yet she did not fail to remind new students to learn how to play Jball.

Rodriguez-Vargas adjusts to her new role as interim Head of School

By LAYLA CHOUDHRI ’26 STAFF WRITER

In the wake of former Head of School Zach Lehman’s sudden departure, the quick adaptation made by Sylvia Rodriguez-Vargas is often overlooked by the community. In just the span of a few months, Rodriguez-Vargas transitioned to being the new interim Head of School, while also continuing to fulfill her responsibilities as the associate Head of School.

A prominent position such as the Head of School comes with more than a few responsibilities. On such a short-term transition, Rodriguez-Vargas had to be resilient, while keeping in mind the interests of the larger community.

In an email, Rodriguez-Vargas shared her experiences with her acclimation.

“Any transition requires thoughtful and careful attention to the needs and experiences of the community,” Rodriguez-Vargas stated. “I am fortunate to have already had good relationships and meaningful partnerships with many faculty and administrators on campus. So, rather than obstacles, I have been met with a level of trust that has allowed me to step into the work with tremendous support.”

Although Rodriguez-Vargas held her position for just a few months rather than years, she informs that she still plans to make a strong impact on the Hill community. With Kathleen Devaney imminently becoming Head of School, Rodriguez-Vargas’ ability to achieve long-term goals has been limited; however, she outlined a clear agenda for the rest of her time as Head of School.

“The primary goals currently are to be attentive to the current needs of the school for the remainder of the year, to support the upcoming leadership transition this summer, and to further strengthen and develop the wonderful programs and opportunities available to our students and community,” Rodriguez-Vargas stated in an email.

Before becoming The Hill School’s interim Head of School, she held the role of Associate Head of School. Her experience in that position since the start of the 2020 school year, and her earlier role as Head of School at the Brownell Talbot College Preparatory School in Omaha, Nebraska, made her well-equipped for this new experience.

“I am doing two jobs simultaneously, with the support of the senior leadership team. I continue to oversee and collaborate with all the deans and directors of programs across campus in my work as Associate Head. I am also concurrently working closely with all operation team leaders on the business side of running a school,” Rodriguez-Vargas explained in an email.