Educational Excellence Since 1912
Hamden Hall Country Day School
Educating students in PreSchool through Grade 12

What's New Under the Pines? Here's Our Annual Top 10 Highlights for the 2020-2021 School Year

What's New Under the Pines? Here's Our Annual Top 10 Highlights for the 2020-2021 School Year:

1.)  Three Campuses / One Community!
Hamden Hall is in the unique position of owning three campuses and we are utilizing all of them this school year. Our Lower School is on our main campus at 1108 Whitney Ave., our Middle School is at our Skiff Street Athletic Complex, and Upper School students are in a variety of locations on our main campus and our new 20 Davis Street property - the Castle! In fact the front porch of the Castle is reserved for our seniors. We call it the Senior Porch! Click here for more information on our density reduction plan.

2.)  150 new students now grace our campuses! For the third consecutive year, the school received more than 500 applications and again set a school record for total number of applicants. Congratulations to our entire Admissions team, faculty, and staff for creating such a dynamic school program!

3.)  New faculty members include Arijan Ager, Middle School associate teacher; Ann Marie Antinozzi, registered nurse stationed at the Beckerman Athletic Center; Paulomi Aldo, Middle School science teacher; Kristen Given, PS/PK Early Childhood Program co-lead teacher; Alex Manevitz, Ph.D., Upper School history teacher; Stanley Miller, Upper School English teacher; Sarah Reed, Middle School music teacher; Caroline Shelton, Grade 6 teacher; Janae Staltaro, Early Childhood Program associate teacher; Matthew Thomsen, Upper School support teacher, tutor, advisor, and coach; Kristen Thornton, Grades 5-8 art teacher; TD Tucker, Ph.D.,  College Counseling Office and Upper School history teacher; Maeve Vitale, Upper School history teacher and coach. Click here to view a brief bio on each. 

4.)  We've created safe lunchtime seating for 250 students including specially made Plexiglass dividers for tables in Lender Refectory and Taylor Gymnasium. Students are able to sit together at the same lunch table and remove their masks because they are separated from one another with the plastic barriers.

5.)  Our Lower Schoolers are stars! We've incorporated stars around the Lower School classrooms and outdoor spaces to delineate proper social distancing for our students - 150 of them to be exact. 

6.)  Eight exterior tents set up in various locations throughout our campuses allow for outdoor learning and socializing to take place. 

7.)  We've appointed Dr. Lisa Hill as our new Director of Inclusion, Equity and Diversity and Krysi Crimley as the new Associate Dean of Students/Student Equity Advocate. Click here to view more on our Commitment to Diversity.

8.)  A partnership with Flik Dining Service has students and faculty enjoying pre-packaged, single-serve portions prepared in the school’s kitchen facilities. Upper School students have “Grab and Go” stations while lunches are delivered to students and faculty in both the Lower and Middle School.

9.)  All classrooms have been outfitted with HD web cameras and high quality omnidirectional microphones to enable students to engage in remote learning if they choose. The wide angle lens of the camera is able to capture a good amount of classroom space while the microphone provides clear audio of both the teacher and students in the classroom. 

10.)  Individual science labs are taking place in our Upper School classes to allow for safe, effective first-hand learning experiences. Students work individually - as opposed to four students in close proximity around a lab table - with their own set up to conduct experiments and gather data. Our eighth-graders have also received their own science kits.
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Hamden Hall Country Day School

About Us

Hamden Hall Country Day School is a nurturing and inclusive community with a dynamic learning environment that promotes academic excellence by understanding each child and fostering their individual growth.