Q: We understand that the number of applicants for this school year was pretty remarkable. How does that speak to the quality of student Hamden Hall enrolls?

A: I reported to you last year that we had a record number of applicants and am happy to announce that again this year, we’ve hit a record high! We had more than 400 applicants for the 2014-2015 school year with more than 130 new students. These numbers truly speak to the value of a Hamden Hall education and the caliber of student Hamden Hall enrolls. According to our Admissions Officers, it has been an interesting and challenging Admissions process because of the higher volume of applicants. Hamden Hall maintains a high standard of excellence and enjoys an outstanding reputation; however, I would be remiss if I didn’t note that the statistics are surely a testament to the quality of our faculty, alumni, and school community as a whole.

Q: Speaking of our outstanding faculty, would you care to comment further?

A: We have added seven new faculty members to our ranks, bringing our numbers to 80 full-time and 8 part-time educators. Mind you, it always leaves me awe-struck when I think about the longevity of so many of our Hamden Hall faculty members and the wealth of experience all bring to our school community. New faculty members Karen Markman Newburg 2003, Michael Calzolaio 2009, Matthew Harrison, Leah Mucciarone, Shayna Segal, David Sokoloff, and Kevin Warnock join an enormously talented and dedicated group of educators. Click here to learn more about each of our new teachers and their individual credentials.

These new folks join an amazing group of committed educators and scholars. Hamden Hall is known as truly an innovative school, and in order to be innovative, our teachers need to be eager learners themselves. In fact, our faculty as a group pride themselves as being lifelong learners. Summertime is not simply a long vacation for them, they actually use that time to take courses, attend workshops, and work on independent projects related to their areas of expertise. To give you a sampling of what they did this summer: College counselor and history teacher Sue Toole participated in The Gilder-Lehrman Institute of American History where she studied in depth the Battle of Gettysburg; Latin teacher Sara Morris was part of a two-week Latin program in the South of France; Theater and English teacher Charlie Alexander attended The Michael Chekhov Association acting and teaching workshop in Maine; Arnie Sabatelli traveled to Venice, Italy, and gave a talk at the International Hemingway Society; and chemistry teacher and Director of Hamden Hall’s Science, Innovation & Design Program, Frank Gasparro, presented his research in photochemistry and photo biology at a symposium in California. Others stayed closer to home and worked on campus. For example, first-grade teacher Terry Porto and sixth-grade teacher Kim Porto spent an enormous amount of time re-writing and modifying some of our reading and language arts curriculum. We had many of our teachers engaged in learning new instructional technology so that they can provide the best possible educational experience for their students.

Q: We often highlight the real-world, experiential learning opportunities that are integral to the Hamden Hall experience. Can you expound on some of that programming?

A: We have real world, experiential learning occurring at every level, but I am particularly excited to share three new initiatives we have been working on for this year:

Partnership with Global Online Academy – Online learning is part of our 21st century lexicon and can truly provide exclusive and diverse educational opportunities. As such, Hamden Hall has become a member of Global Online Academy, which is made up of leading independent schools from around the globe. According to GOA, “the schools that are members of Global Online Academy are well known nationwide and globally for the strengths of their curricula and the excellence of their teaching.” Courses offered by GOA are intellectually rigorous and are infused with multiple teaching strategies and methods. For the 2014-2015 school year, Hamden Hall will offer GOA course to juniors and seniors in the areas of Bioethics, Neuropsychology, Game Theory, Medical Problem Solving, and The Graphic Novel, to name just a few.

*Click here to learn more about Global Online Academy.

Middle School 1:1 iPad Program – To augment our strong academic program and to facilitate 21st century learning goals, our Middle School has embraced a 1:1 iPad initiative requiring all seventh and eighth graders to bring an iPad to school. This initiative has been two years in the making, with much forethought and professional development. Moreover, with their inherent latitude in terms of function, iPads are wonderful classroom tools – which is why Hamden Hall has espoused tablet use throughout all of our levels and commissioned mobile iPad classrooms for many years. From fourth graders writing their own fables and recording their stories, to Middle Schoolers creating multimedia presentations and upperclassmen utilizing the camera and movie studio functions, iPads allow our students to effectively expand their horizons exponentially while preparing them to be global citizens. I am very proud of Middle School Director Brian Christman and the entire Middle School faculty for this “grassroots” 1:1 iPad initiative. It will truly benefit our Middle Schoolers!

*Click here to learn more about our 1:1 iPad Program.

In our Lower School, we are partnering with Project M3 (Mentoring Mathematical Minds). Project M3 is a national curriculum and research study to nurture math talent in younger children. It introduces advanced math content focusing on critical and creative problem solving and reasoning. We have an extraordinary math curriculum at Hamden Hall, and it is our commitment to support all students in reaching their full potential. Our Middle and Upper School math teams have distinguished themselves in regional, state, and national competitions. That said, the work begins in our Lower School and Project M3 will help challenge and engage our youngest mathematicians!

Q: Any final comment or message to students and parents?

A: One of the reasons why Hamden Hall is such a unique school is because of its size. We are big enough to offer many opportunities for our students, both in terms of curriculum and extracurricular activities, but small enough to encourage students to participate in a wide range of activities. I want to encourage students to try something new this year. Maybe it is an art class or club for an Upper Schooler, or a new sport for a Middle Schooler, or a new musical instrument for a Lower Schooler. Also, I’ve said many times that Hamden Hall is a special place in part because of parent participation. As a parent of two Hamden Hall graduates, I know how quickly our children grow so get involved in your child’s school! Some ways to get involved include becoming active in the Parents’ Association or the Athletic Club, volunteering to chaperone field trips, offering assistance in a particular area of expertise, and fundraising.
And finally, I want wish everyone a wonderful and productive 2014-2015 school year.