In this month’s blog post on Hackley Perspectives, Library Department Chair Jen Hubert Swan shares her concerns about the health of our imaginations, and how books can help. “Once we realize our imaginations have been withered by social media, is it too late to resurrect our inventiveness? As a librarian who has witnessed and experienced the creative power of reading, I’m here to tell you that it’s never too late,” she writes. “Ironically, as social media has exploded, so has publishing. According to some sources, there are between 500,000 and one million new titles traditionally published each year. ... But with so many options, how do we choose? Dear reader, I thought you’d never ask.” Read the post here.
Over Spring Break, some of our intrepid Upper Schoolers and faculty traveled far beyond the Hilltop to immerse themselves in research and the rich history, culture, sights and experiences of global locales.
During spring break, 12 Independent Science Research Program students joined more than 750 students from the region to present their research at the Regeneron Westchester Science & Engineering Fair. We are so proud of our students’ dedication and hard work over the past two to three years, which culminated in presenting their projects to scientists at these fairs.
By Melissa Tranchida, Computer Science Department Chair
In this month’s blog post on Hackley Perspectives, Computer Science Department Chair Melissa Tranchida reflects on the artistry of computer science. “Artists exist in many capacities within the field of Computer Science,” she writes. “Whether students are digitally editing images, showcasing interactive games, exploring connections between code and graphical elements, or making decisions about a gradient within the user experience of their mobile application. In every one of these projects, the students are artists in their own right, using code as their canvas. Hackley students epitomize the joy of learning, and the art of coding is one they enroll in without checking off a graduation credit.” Read the post here.
Hackley’s Middle and Upper School debate teams have been busy! In February, seven Upper Schoolers represented Hackley at the National High School Ethics Bowl and 10 debaters competed in the fourth and final event of the 2024-25 HSPDP regular season. And on March 8, 27 members of Hackley’s MS debate team competed at a tournament hosted by the Fieldston School.
The PostAP Spanish: Language and Culture class recently completed the service component of their month-long service-learning project in partnership with Neighbors Link’s Adelante Juntos parent education program.
On Jan. 25, Hackley’s Middle School debate team attended a tournament at Dalton, while the Upper School team competed at Applied Tech in New Jersey for the third regular-season event of the High School Public Debate Program.
On Saturday, Feb. 1, Hackley Round Square delegates and representative Ms. Maddox partnered with Community Engagement student-leaders and Director of Community Engagement and Service-Learning Ms. DeMarchena to host the second annual Round Square Northeast Schools Forum.
Dr. Daniel Andor P ’37 came to the Hilltop to give a guest lecture to Hackley’s ISRP and AP/Post AP Computer Science students. During his visit, Dr. Andor discussed his career trajectory from being in a music school to studying physics for his Ph.D. dissertation and becoming a software engineer at Google.
Computer Science student Phoebe Dungca ’25 — with a group of her peers and Computer Science teachers — spearheaded Hackley’s first-ever hackathon, Hack Squared, on Jan. 11 in the Center for the Creative Arts and Technology.
By Josh Samuel, Assistant Director of the Lower School
In this month’s blog post on Hackley Perspectives, Assistant Director of the Lower School Josh Samuel shares his thoughts on the importance of the parent-teacher relationship. “At Hackley, we believe in working with parents. Parents and teachers may not always agree on every approach, but when we assume positive intent — especially during the toughest of conversations — and come to the table with open hearts and minds, the partnership is stronger for it.” Read the post here.
In November, three of Hackley’s Independent Science Research Program seniors, Alicia Zhu, Rafael Castro and Vivek Malik, joined more than 2,000 students nationwide to submit their individual research projects to the Regeneron Science Talent Search.
This year, 10 students have been awarded a Russ Hogg Grant for Creative Expression. Congratulations to Aran Basu ’25, Vivek Malik ’25, Jasper Quattrone ’25, Isaac Ahn ’26, Zion Bennett ’26, Rohan Krishna ’26, Mason Lee ’26, Cara Minello ’26, Elleana Derby ’28 and Ali B. ’29!