My ANNUALFUND Experience

Barbara De Natale

Trustee, PP 1999, 2003, 2011

 
"My husband and I participate in the Hamden Hall Annual Fund because the education, support, encouragement, and care given to our students resonates positively with us." Click here to read more.
 

Alumni Buzz

Hamden Haller on the Google Map!

Chris Colihan-Grillo, Class of 2004, is living in Berkeley, Calif., and has joined the ranks of Google! Chris commutes daily to Google's main campus in Mountain View where he helps to manage a group of UX designers and researchers responsible for redefining and redesigning the user experiences for both advertisers and consumers. Click here to read more on Chris. 

School Song Creates Sibling Bond

Emblazoned with the Green and Gold. We'll keep our faith in all that's good. Those two lines of the Hamden Hall School Song have kept our school in the hearts of two alumni siblings from the 1950s. And recently, thanks to a reconnection with our Lower School, the two siblings sang the entire song together, proving that a good singalong is exactly what the doctor ordered! Click here to read more on Katharine Hovland Walvick and her brother, David Hovland.

Save the Date!

  • Now-Nov. 17: In Search of a Story / Amanda Kate Walker Exhibit, Moira Fitzsimmons Arons Art Gallery.
  • Nov. 7: Photo Retakes, Swain Library Conference Room, 8:30-11:30 a.m.
  • Nov. 8: Parents' Association Meeting, Swain Library Conference Room, 7 p.m.
  • Nov. 10: No Classes, All Grades. LS/MS/US Parent Conferences.
  • Nov. 10: Fun Day, 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
  • Nov. 15: Pie Pick Up, Lender Refectory, 2:30-5:30 p.m.
  • Nov. 15: Upper School Athletic Assembly, Taylor Performing Arts Center, 2 p.m.
  • Nov. 16: Admissions Coffee and Campus Tours, Dolven Admission Center, 9-10:30 a.m.
  • Nov. 16: Middle School Athletic Assembly, Taylor Performing Arts Center, 2 p.m.
  • Nov. 16: World Language Dinner, Lender Refectory, 6 p.m.
  • Nov. 16-18: Upper School Play, The Theban Cycle, Taylor Performing Arts Center, 8 p.m.
  • Nov. 17: PreKindergarten Parent Coffee and Thanksgiving Play, Lender Refectory and Taylor Performing Arts Center, 8 a.m.
  • Nov. 20-24: Thanksgiving Holiday, School Closed.
  • Nov. 20-21: Fun Days, 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
  • Nov. 22: Fun Day, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. 

Hallers of Fame

John Bazaar, a sophomore, has finished first overall for the boys' cross country team at two recent events - including the CISAC Championship. John won a first-place medal at the South Kent Invitational and was first overall at Westover School in the CISACs. Also receiving top 15 medals at that meet were Alex DiVincentis, Sam Applegate, Chris Izzo, Steven Zhang, and Rosa Wang.
Tait Brencher, a senior, attended a day of workshops recently at the CT Thespian Conference. Tait was one of nine students who presented scenes, monologues, and music theatre solos for adjudication. Her monologue was rated "superior" and qualifies her to attend and perform at a national conference.
Shaun Hillis, a senior, will perform in Sacred Heart Academy's production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Performances take place Nov. 3-4 at the Shubert Theatre.
Deming Rohlfs, a senior, has been recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Program for academic excellence.
Charley Tiernan, a senior, attended a day of workshops recently at the CT Thespian Conference. Charley was one of nine students who presented scenes, monologues, and music theatre solos for adjudication. Her solo was rated "superior" and qualifies her to attend and perform at a national conference.
Yuchen Yang, a senior, has been recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Program for academic excellence.

PARENTS' ASSOCIATION

Photo Retakes!

Photo Retakes are set for Tuesday, Nov. 7, in the Library conference room between 8:30 and 11:30 a.m. If the student was absent, is new, or did not have his or her picture taken on the original photo day, there is no charge.
If there was an issue with lighting or the student blinked in the original photo, there will be no charge for a retake.
If the student just wants to take another photo because he or she did not like the first one, a $10 retake fee is due when the new picture is taken. Original packages must be returned with a new completed form at the time of the retake. If a package selection is not made at this time, the lab will return the form.
Click here to download photo forms. Questions? Contact Laurie Vingiano at laurievingiano@gmail.com or 203.710.7200. 

Next HHPA Meeting

The Hamden Hall Parents' Association meets at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 8, in Swain Library. Family involvement has always been a long-standing tradition at Hamden Hall, and it is one of our greatest strengths. The more you engage yourself within our community, the more rewarding your family’s experience will be. All parents are welcome and encouraged to attend, as every parent is considered a member of the Parents’ Association.
 

Pick Up Your Pies!

Pies sold to families during the annual Pie Sale Fundraiser will be ready for pick up Nov. 15 in Lender Refectory from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. Questions? Contact Laurie Vingiano at 203.710.7200 / laurievingiano@gmail.com.

HORNET HAPPENINGS

Varsity Football laid claim to a third straight FAA title in their recent victory over Kingswood-Oxford School and extended their historic undefeated run to 19 games after defeating Albany Academy at home last week.
Click here to catch up on all athletics news and thanks to Bud Kohler for reporting!
Volume: VIII  Issue: 4
Nov. 3, 2017

New Department Co-Chair is Hooked on History

As a child, Dr. Lisa Hill says she was fascinated by museums and often spent time reading the accompanying plaques displayed at each exhibit.

Her passion for history didn’t diminish during her college days; in fact, it grew and garnered shape by her interests in race relations, women’s history, the Civil War, and civil rights.
 
“Those two areas: the Civil War and civil rights, are my favorite eras to teach,” explained Dr. Hill. “I am currently working on a history of a 19th century African-American physician from New Haven and Yale, Dr. Cortlandt van Rensselaer Creed. It’s fascinating as his story folds neatly into the overall book I’m writing on Reconstruction in New Haven.
 
Now back in the city she grew up in, Dr. Hill is Hamden Hall’s new co-chair of the History Department. While the 2017-2018 school year is her first foray “under the pines,” she is certainly no stranger to the classroom.

“I started teaching in 1991 when I was a graduate student at Emory University,” she said. (Dr. Hill has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Maryland, and a master’s and Ph.D. from Emory.)

From there she graced the halls of the History and English Departments of George Mason University, American University, and Bowie State University. In 2007 she became the Assistant Chair of History, Government and Politics, and African American History at the University of Maryland; and in 2011, she was invited to join the faculty at Tuskegee University as the Chair of History and Political Science.
 
Click here to read more about Dr. Lisa Hill.
 

Middle School Robotics Team Swimming in Real-World Challenge

Watered-down learning in the form of engineering, coding, and designing is taking place twice a week after school for members of the new Middle School Robotics Team.

Hamden Hall is competing in the FIRST LEGO League Challenge for the 2017-2018 season, which tackles a new real-world issue each year. The theme this year is Hydro Dynamics, meaning that participants will learn all about water – how we find, transport, use, or dispose of it.

“This year's game has the theme of Hydro Dynamics, so the team has been working on a robot to tackle water-themed challenges as well as a presentation on global water access problems,” explained team advisor Ian MacDonald.

Eleven students in Grades 6, 7, and 8 are designing, building, and programming an autonomous robot that will complete a set of tasks. The team’s first competition in the FIRST League, which stands for: For Inspiration & Recognition of Science & Technology, is in New Haven on Nov. 11.
 
Click here to view more on this story.
 

Giving Back One Sock at a Time

In their first community service project of the school year, Lower Schoolers collected nearly 400 pairs of socks that will warmly cover the feet of those less fortunate in the Greater New Haven area.

Hamden Hall for years has donated socks to Christopher Martins Restaurant in New Haven, which provides meals and home packages of toiletries and clothing each year on Thanksgiving Day. Up to 500 working poor and homeless people take advantage of the restaurant’s generosity.

The Lower School will continue to put its best foot forward with additional community service projects, such as the annual Stuff a Bus in November and a toy drive in December, both of which benefit Hamden Community Services. Also in November, students will create Thanksgiving cards for the Homebound.
 
Click here to read more on this story.