Hathaway Brown
April 20, 2020
 
Dear Hathaway Brown Community,
 
It has been a joy to witness the steady resolve of our faculty and students as they have encountered and overcome challenges in this new normal we’re all navigating together. But even more inspiring has been the palpable joy that you can find in each Zoom classroom and community gathering. All across #HBatHome, in places throughout Northeast Ohio, students of all ages have been celebrating sisterhood and spreading kindness. These past few weeks, we’ve all had to learn to be a little more patient with each other and with ourselves. I appreciate the grace and gratitude that are on steady display. It’s been an honor to be together apart with all of you. We look forward to the day when we can all be on campus again, and we’re monitoring very closely Governor DeWine’s directives and the counsel of public health professionals. Any return to school for our faculty and students—whenever that might be—will be handled with the utmost care and prudence, with necessary safeguards and precautions in place.
 
This past week marked the establishment of more routine, with additional real-time coursework and interactive events. Our students’ creativity was front and center during the Middle School Talent Show—in fact, there’s so much talent in that school division that they had to split the show into two parts. Not to be outdone, the members of our Varsity Lacrosse team played a fun virtual game of catch, which you can catch on @HBAthletics Twitter. Early Childhood Director Kristin Kuhn lovingly inspired her EC students by reading the book “Home,” Primary School Music Teacher Mary Margaret Robinson led the Prime in Hawaiian-inspired songs (in spite of the spring snow!) and Performing Arts Department Chair Laura Main Webster ’91 conducted a truly inspiring Vocal Arts Showcase. Additional community building is in store for this week, with continued highlighting of our spring athletes, Spirit Week in EC, Zumba Fun Friday in Prime, and more. Look for an email tomorrow with details about our reimagined Carnival/5K and Blazer Breakfast celebrations and make plans to join in the fun on April 26 and May 2.
 
HB girls and their teachers continue to put knowledge in action as part of our Institute for 21st Century Education, which is being transitioned to a new framework called Fellowships in Applied Studies. On April 15, HB senior Jessica Chang was the City Club Youth Forum moderator for a conversation about the state of sustainability in Cleveland, featuring HB’s Director of the Center for Sustainability, Torrey McMillan ’90, as a panelist. You can watch the program here. The Centers are featuring various lectures for students nearly every day at lunchtime. Already, the Osborne Writing Center welcomed visiting writer Hanif Abdurraqib, and Director of the Center for Technology & Invention Leah Ridgeway Jackson ’99 produced a video tutorial for creating fabric face masks. Future programs include a presentation by Director of the Center for Business & Finance Molly Krist and HB Trustee Paul Danes on economics, the stock market, and consumer trends in the time of COVID-19.  
 
What has been proven in this unprecedented situation is how strong Blazer spirit is, how deeply our faculty care, and how strong the partnership is between parents and the school. I am grateful to every member of our community for their commitment to one another, and for their heartfelt kindness and patience as we navigate this together. Our school was founded by five girls who banded together in support of the cause of education, and those same founding values are thriving as our spring unfolds. We will continue to prioritize distinguished academics as well as the health and safety of our students, and although we know that remote learning cannot precisely replicate the bricks and mortar experience, our faculty and staff are demonstrating innovation and excellence in all they are doing.
 
It’s always a distinct pleasure to convene experts and share with our parents that wisdom and advice. I want to thank pediatrician Dr. Beth Hellerstein and HB’s consulting psychologist Dr. Mark McConville for joining me last week and presenting their clinical perspective on HB’s approach to remote learning and how families can best navigate this virtual framework with their children. If you missed the webinar, you can view a recording here.
 
I hope you’ll also join me tonight, Monday, April 20, at 6:30 p.m., for the HB Parent Association General Meeting. HBPA Presidents Ellen Cannon and Nicole Chauvette will present the HBPA updated mission statement as well as the slate for the Executive Board for 2020-2021. I will share a slideshow with our renovation plans for the Classic Building, and Torrey McMillan and four Upper School students will present "A Community Conversation about HB's Traffic Flow, Parking and Safety.” Join the meeting with this link. Password: 4uhWZ8.
 
Best wishes for a wonderful week ahead.
 
 
Fondly,
 
 
Fran Bisselle
Head of School



Hathaway Brown School  ••  Girls K-12/Coed Early Childhood
19600 North Park Boulevard  ••  Shaker Heights, Ohio 44122  ••  216.932.4214
     
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