School News - St. Hilda's & St. Hugh's School

Alumni Profile: Janos Martin ’96 Campaigns for Public Office, and for Kindness

A lawyer and criminal justice reformer, Janos Marton ’96 most recently led the campaign to close the Rikers Island Jail Complex. Janos is still driven by the values his teachers imparted—morality, civics, and service to community. “It’s so important to remember how far you can get by caring about the people around you and showing a little kindness,” Janos says.

Second Graders Bridge Disciplines, Cultures, and Continents through Technology

Technology classes at St. Hilda’s & St. Hugh’s build upon the curriculum of each grade. As the second grade embarked upon their year-long study of the world, their technology class went along on the journey, with a stop-motion movie project to illustrate the movement of the continents, and a re-creation of the Q'eswachaka Rope Bridge in Peru, which is the last remaining example of the Incan handwoven bridges that were built within the Incan road system.

November Traditions Inspire Service “Neighbor to Neighbor”

“Our commitment to service comes out of a religious imperative to serve the needs of the poor, just as our patron saints did,” said Head of School Virginia Connor. “It’s why their feast days are marked by days of service—both Hilda and Hugh dedicated their lives to caring for others.”

Play to Learn: Early Childhood “Play Experts” Teach New Skills in Creative Settings

“When children have immersive play experiences, early academic skills—such as literacy, numeracy, vocabulary, and language—all emerge naturally,” says Dr. Lisa Wright, director of the Hollingworth Center at Teachers College Columbia University.

Always a Hawk: Student-Athletes Play with Pride

“‘Always a Hawk’ means doing your best every day. It means that when it’s time to represent your school in uniform, you know how to be a supportive teammate, to be coachable, to work hard, to balance academics, and to represent us with pride.”

Cambridge Ridley Lynch: Museum Educator Inspires Students to Make History

Drawing on her experience as a museum educator Ms. Lynch crafted an innovative, design-thinking research project that asked students to redesign an exhibition of the Native American galleries in the American Museum of Natural History.

Cross Country Hawks Win NYCAL Championship!

Congratulations to the Cross Country Hawks! Several student-athletes achieved personal best performances as the team clinched the NYCAL Middle School championship in their final meet on Thursday, Oct. 25.

Prospective Parents Meet ‘Three Heroes’ in the School’s History

At the annual Admission Open House on Oct. 17, prospective parents “met” three somewhat obscure figures who loom large in the school’s past and present: Hilda of Whitby, Hugh of Lincoln, and Ruth Younger of Harlem, the 20th century nun who founded St. Hilda’s & St. Hugh’s to create a school community that would invite children from all ethnic, socioeconomic, and religious backgrounds to learn together.

Technology Focus: “A Lens to See the World”

“We are providing the building blocks of what technology is and will be. Coding languages change, tools change, but the skills and ways of thinking remain the same. We don’t know what technology will look like in the future, but we will be ready.”

First Graders Learn Stewardship Lessons in the Greenhouse and Beyond

Lower school social studies, science, and greenhouse lessons teach about stewardship, sustainability, and the many ways of being a good neighbor.

DEIL Team Takes the Lead in Continuing Mother Ruth’s Revolutionary Mission

A new leadership team has been charged with amplifying our founder’s revolutionary mission and the values of equity and inclusion that remain a crucial part of St. Hilda’s & St. Hugh’s mission.

Alumni Spotlight: Nellie Peyton ('06)

Nellie Peyton (‘06) covers human rights and development as the West Africa Correspondent for the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Her career has taken her all over the world, reporting on significant issues ranging from water access to women’s rights. Her recent work has taken her to mining towns in Sierra Leone and displacement camps in Burkina Faso.

You can read Nellie’s articles here. Click below to read our full interview with Nellie.

Playdeck Car Sends Students on Imaginative Journeys

“It was Head of School Virginia Connor’s vision to create a physical anchor for complex play that would elicit the type of creative scenarios that every child loves, and that build upon children’s innate inventiveness and playfulness,” said Lower Division Director Emily Holt.

Librarian Angela Perna Joins New York Times Discussion on “How to Raise a Reader”

In a school full of book lovers, Angela Perna is the “head reader.” As the school librarian, she presides over the C.V. Starr Library and Learning Center and its collection of nearly 24,000 volumes, a host of online resources, and lists of book recommendations for every occasion: summer reading, holidays/cultural celebrations, grief and hardship, and more.

Alumni Profile: Sam Cook ’06 ‘Living a Dream’ Born in Middle School

After graduating from Drexel Medical School last spring, Sam Cook ‘06 was thrilled to see a congratulatory note addressed to “Dr. Sam Cook.” The senders? Two important figures from his elementary years: Upper School Science Teacher Steven Schwartz and Head of School Virginia Connor.

A Joyful Return: Faculty, Students, and Parents Celebrate a New School Year

Faculty welcomed new and returning students and families to St. Hilda’s & St. Hugh’s for the first day of the 2019-2020 school year this Monday, Sept. 9.

How To Find The Right Early Childhood Program For Your Child

Finding the right early childhood program is an experience that will include your entire family -- not just your child.

6 Things Parents Can Do To Enhance Their Children's Learning During the Summer

Every spring, St. Hilda’s & St. Hugh’s division directors provide parents and students with resources to
help students prepare for the transition to the next grade. Summertime should be a time for relaxation and fun - but it should also be a time for exploration, growth and learning!

“Work Hard, Dream Big, and Be Kind” Graduation 2019 Celebrates the Gifts of Scholarship and Friendship

“The world is a better place with each of you in it, and we are all terribly proud of you, today, and every day.”

Brass Band Director Conducts a Greenhouse Symphony

“The design of the installation was inspired by the spirit of play and exploration that permeates all aspects of the curriculum and educational philosophy of St. Hilda’s & St. Hugh’s,” said Mr. Nester.

Class of ’19 Students Decide What’s Next: Secondary School Placements

The students in St. Hilda’s & St. Hugh’s class of 2019 have made their final decisions about which secondary schools they will attend, while the class of 2015 will soon move on to an impressive array of colleges and universities.

Track Athletes Set School Records and Exceed Personal Bests

“The runners represented us proudly with their skill but also with the strong bond they developed, supporting one another through highs and lows in the months they have been together,” said Patti Lesser, Director of P.E. and Athletics.

Alumna Author Shares Story Set in Revolution-Era Iran

Alumna author Rabeah Ghaffari ’89 offered a reading from her recently published novel, To Keep The Sun Alive, in the C.V. Starr Library at St. Hilda's & St. Hugh's on May 23.

Upper Division Students Face Off in First-Ever Geography Bee

St. Hilda’s & St. Hugh’s inaugural Geography Bee challenged students’ knowledge of U.S. and world geography, with two upper division teams facing off in an exciting quiz show-style format.

Student Legislators Represent at Model Congress

“While all of our delegates performed admirably, one eighth grader won a special distinction as our only student to earn a ‘Golden Gavel’ for his legislating skill in his committee,” said advisor Duane Bailey-Castro.