Hamden Hall Country Day School
Academic Profile 2020-2021
1108 Whitney Avenue
Hamden, CT 06517
www.hamdenhall.org
T: 203-752-2639
F: 203-752-2622
CEEB: 070258
Robert J. Izzo
Head of School
Kiki Carlson
Director of College Counseling
kcarlson@hamdenhall.org
Carole Bird
Associate Director of
College Counseling
cbird@hamdenhall.org
T.D. Tucker
College Counselor
tdtucker@hamdenhall.org
Mission Statement
Hamden Hall Country Day School, an independent, college preparatory, co-educational PreSchool through Grade 12 day school, fosters the individual growth of every student. We challenge students to develop a strong sense of personal integrity, social responsibility, and a global perspective, while preparing them for demanding academic programs at the collegiate level.
The School
Hamden Hall enrolls approximately 575 students in grades PreSchool through twelve, with an average senior class size of 75 students. Upper School classes meet 225 minutes per week, 35 weeks per year, and homework exceeds three hours per night. Average class size is thirteen students; student-faculty ratio is 7-1. Participation in a full range of extracurricular activities is expected of every student. Generally, 99% of graduates enter selective four-year colleges.
Signature Programs
Honor Code and Core Values
All students are expected to abide by the Honor Code. In addition, they strive to embody the five core values of Excellence, Support, Participation, Accountability, and Respect.
Global Online Academy
Hamden Hall is a member of Global Online Academy, a consortium of the world’s leading independent schools whose mission is to translate into online classrooms the intellectually rigorous programs and excellent teaching that are hallmarks of its member schools. 27 Hamden Hall students will undertake 21 different courses from among GOA’s offerings in the 2020-21 academic year. All GOA courses are considered to be honors level.
Princeton Peer Leadership
“Princeton Peer Leadership” is an Honors-level, full-year academic course in leadership training which entails rigorous writing, planning, presentation and evaluation components as well as group leadership and programming for the freshman class. The faculty instructors select six male and six female seniors based on their demonstrated leadership, their potential as role models, and their diversity as representatives of the entire school community. For over 30 years, Hamden Hall has benefited from the dedicated service of our Freshman Mentors as highly visible role models to younger students and builders of our school community.
Middle School Advocates and Lower School Mentors
The Middle School Advocates are senior volunteers who are chosen to mentor 7th and 8th grade students. They facilitate discussions and activities addressing challenges of adolescence and other issues of importance to middle-schoolers. Advocates also prepare assemblies, assist faculty members with daily study halls and clubs, and help coordinate annual Middle School events. No academic credit is awarded, and their responsibilities require a commitment from each of about two hours per week throughout the school year. The Lower School Mentor Program creates an opportunity for Upper School student volunteers to learn leadership skills, gain knowledge of working with children, and serve as role models for students in PreSchool - Grade 5. As classroom assistants, Mentors participate in a wide range of interactions, including small group instruction in reading and math; support in art, science and music classes; recess help and after-school tutoring.
Arts
Hamden Hall boasts a vibrant visual and performing arts program, a testament to student commitment to extracurriculars. In fact, a quarter of upper school students qualify as Thespians, having taken part in three or more theater productions, and an equal amount are members of the choir and orchestras and bands. In the past three years, 40 percent of the chorus members earned all-regional honors and 20 percent earned all-state.
Science, Innovation and Design
SID is an extracurricular, interdisciplinary program that encourages highly motivated and intellectually curious students to excel as they develop a panoply of skills in scientific research, technology, public speaking, and more as they pursue and study research topics of their own choosing.
Athletics
Hamden Hall students compete on 18 Varsity teams, as well as a number of JV and club teams. Hamden Hall teams regularly compete in league and New England tournaments, and Football, Girls Soccer, Boys Basketball, Boys Lacrosse, and Girls Lacrosse all boast titles during the past two years. In addition, more than ten percent of seniors go on to play sports in college each year.
Accreditation and Memberships
Hamden Hall is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and approved by the Connecticut State Department of Education. Hamden Hall is an active member of the following organizations: National Association of Independent Schools, Connecticut Association of Independent Schools, Cum Laude Society, Rho Kappa Honor Society, Global Online Academy, National and New England Associations for College Admission Counseling, ACCIS, Fairchester Athletic Association, New England Preparatory School Athletic Council