A New School Year

Authored by Head of School Dr. Fran Bisselle

I’ve always felt that the beginning of school is the most exciting time of year - except when I dropped off my oldest at college a few years ago! If you have not yet done a college drop off, it is coming…even if your child is in the Early Childhood program! 

I remember packing the life of my precious child in my car and dropping her off in a dorm room I had never seen with another child I did not know, with teachers I may never meet, and in a town far away. I realized that I would not know what time she came back to the dorm or even where she may be going. I would not see the food she ate, the clothes she wore, or the friends she kept. I read long ago in a parenting book, “You do not raise them to keep them,” and that line kept going through my head. A large part of my work was done - or it had better be done because I had no more time left! The wings I strengthened for 18 years had to be strong enough to endure whatever might come her way on her college campus. (Both my girls are now out of graduate school having recently finished masters programs!)

In education, we have a saying: “backward by design.”  If we know where we want them to be at 18, what do we need to develop in them at the stages along the way? How do we make sure they get the skills they need intellectually, socially, organizationally, and intrapersonally to succeed? Our Signature Learn for Life program at Hathaway Brown does this at every step with distinguished academics, empowered students, knowledge in action, and celebrated community. Our students actively and uniquely engage in the learning process, and we teach girls that there is enormous potential and power in being a girl. Our values and our mission prepare our students not just for school, but for life.

We have an extraordinary group of educators and an incredibly supportive staff who have been preparing for the start of this school year - our 146th - and we are excited to welcome all of them to our HB family for the 2021-2022 school year. Many of our Upper School mentors, Middle School advisors, and ITC, EC and Primary teachers have reached out to families this last week to begin our partnership for this school year. We know there may be challenges with COVID and construction, but even so, there will be precious moments and opportunities for learning, sisterhood, joy and celebration!

Welcome to an exciting new school year!