Year 5 Accomplishments: (2022-2023)
As we reflect on the achievements woven throughout Year 5 of Redefining Excellence: Learning Beyond Boundaries, we celebrate our successes and learn from challenges, finding inspiration in the unwavering support of our students and families, faculty, staff and alumni. Together, we achieved the following:
To orient the Hackley program toward enduring competencies in areas of “character, scholarship, and accomplishment,” the Academic Committee developed a plan to reintroduce the Portrait of a Graduate and the School Competencies into student and faculty discussions about teaching and learning. The plan centers the Portrait of a Graduate as a student-facing document and the School Competencies as part of faculty evaluations and new course development.
To deepen Hackley’s focus on students’ local, national and international responsibilities, we formed a Roundtable Committee of faculty and Upper School students and hosted three Roundtable sessions. Students led conversations on the topic of midterm elections during the first two sessions and posed questions for guest speaker Dr. James Graham Wilson on the legacy of the Cold War during the third session.
Our Middle School history faculty also developed and prepared a new History 8 course, “History of the Americas,” for launch in 2023-2024 aimed at aligning our history curriculum with the Hackley competencies and contextualizing the history of the United States and the New York region in the broader story of the Western Hemisphere.
To elevate forms of creative expression and the creative arts — visual arts, performing arts and computer science — by engaging Hackley students and linking them with the broader creative community, we:
Hosted visual arts Creative Artist-in-Residence Thomas Doyle in fall 2022 as part of the Creative Residency Program.
Organized a transformative arts and culture AP Studio Art trip with nine students and three chaperones from the Visual Arts Department to Tokyo, Hakone and Kyoto, Japan during spring break.
Enjoyed the second annual Visual Arts and Science Departments interdisciplinary day at Storm King Art Center with 25 adventurous Upper School students.
Partnered with the St. Thomas Orchestra for an open rehearsal at the Zetkov Theater to introduce middle and high school-aged students to the instruments of the orchestra and the live music experience.
Resumed work on the Lower School art sculpture (postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic). Final work will continue in fall 2023 with cross-division collaboration and preparation for casting in a foundry in Queens, New York.
To create a series of culminating “Big Experiences” for Hackley students at important transition points, we:
Planned a fourth grade trip to Philadelphia where students explored how the founding of our laws and government helps drive positive change and how laws and policies are established from national to local and state levels.
Developed a seventh grade science Big Experience trip, in collaboration with AFER (Advanced Forest Ecology Research) students, to Sterling State Park where students implemented data-gathering methods, determined the necessary factors to preserve a healthy environment, and analyzed if Hackley’s forest is healthy and biodiverse.
Developed plans for a series of tenth grade Big Experience day trips to explore government in New York City and the Hudson Valley.
To expand present travel opportunities to create culturally immersive experiences domestically and abroad, we:
Opened applications for the new Global Context Course, “America’s National Parks.” The “Southern Odyssey” Global context Course completed its three-year cycle in 2023.
Resumed global education journeys and created opportunities for Round Square International Conference student delegates to strengthen relationships with international peers and revisit pre-pandemic connections.
Piloted “Traveler Teach-Ins” wherein Casten traveling students share their experiences with their peers across divisions.
To develop a schoolwide service-learning program and create a sustainable model for Hudson Scholars, we:
Piloted a small-group faculty program in which to reflect on the Hudson Scholars experience and share feedback on ways to enhance Hudson Scholars and engage the broader Hackley community.
Initiated conversations with local organizations — Union Free School District of the Tarrytowns, TASH farmers market, Feeding Westchester, local town executive’s offices (Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow), Warner Library, and Taconic Outdoor Education Center — about partnerships to support our Scholars.
Resumed Hudson Scholars in-person tutoring and developed a report on the mentor and faculty experience and impact of the program.
Held programming for Hudson Scholars mentors, which all Hackley faculty also were invited to attend, around educational inequality and access with Anthony Jack, author of The Privileged Poor.
To affirm Hackley as a national leader in teaching excellence and strengthen a culture of professional development, we:
Explored opportunities for Hackley Teaching Fellows to closely engage with the Hudson Scholars Program.
Supported a cohort of faculty in completing the brain science-based Neuroteach Global Online Program through our efforts to strengthen a culture of professional development and promote lifelong learning, creativity and collaboration.
To develop networks and relationships beyond Hackley to enrich faculty professional growth and the student-learning experience, we:
Became a partner school with the Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning and co-developed a professional development day in which all K-12 faculty spent a day learning about the latest in research-informed teaching strategies.
Connected with a local university to discuss research and hiring and to explore the possibility of future collaboration.
To promote individual wellness throughout the Hackley community, we:
Hosted the JCK Foundation for a series of health discussions with Hackley families, eighth grade students, K-12 faculty and athletics coaches.
Trained all faculty, coaches and employees with high student interaction in QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer), a one-hour, evidence-based, emergency mental health intervention training. This training provides the tools to identify, interrupt and direct a person experiencing a crisis to the proper care. Additionally, training was offered to Hackley families and eleventh and twelfth grade students.
Developed an Upper School Sexual Misconduct Policy and trained all Upper School faculty members and coaches on said policy.
Administered the High Achieving Schools Survey (HASS), shared HASS findings with Upper School families and Middle and Upper School faculty, and identified areas of focus.
To reimagine the rhythm and use of time within the school day and academic year to optimize student and faculty learning, we reconfigured and modified the 2023-2024 school schedule with feedback from faculty, students and families via surveys, discussions and parent coffees.