If you haven’t been to Flag in the last two weeks, you are missing out on a great new tradition. Under the guidance of Middle School Head Joe Connolly and Secondary School Counselor Eden Maisel, each 8th grader is sharing a two-minute reflection on what is important to them. So far we have heard about one student’s love of the research paper, how track and field taught perseverance, and fond memories of a 7th grade movie-making project. One student told an extraordinarily moving story of her father who has Alzheimer’s Disease, and how this has helped her to understand the awful impact of the casual use by people of terms like retarded. Two students sang a duet, written by one of them, that focused on lying. You can see these presentations in the School-Wide videos section on your Front Page.
These short presentations provide a powerful glimpse into the extraordinary young men and women that the 8th graders are becoming—thoughtful, talented, funny, serious, articulate, passionate, confident, and willing to take a risk by standing in front of more than 350 people and share something personal. They are not done maturing and growing—they are, in the end, still only 13 and 14—but they are clearly an exceptional group of young people well on their way to finding success in high school and beyond.
As we enter the first few days of May, it is the time of year in which we, as a school, start to step back and reflect upon the year that will soon be over and how, overall, we are doing. We ask questions about the successes we have had, the challenges we have faced, and the opportunities in the year ahead for us to grow, evolve, and improve. We seek to measure the year and our program in myriad ways, recognizing that no one measurement fully captures the Hillbrook experience.
Certain measures are statistical in nature. Applications for admission are strong, attrition was the lowest it has been in more than five years, and we are fully enrolled for the coming year, all signs that people want to be part of our community. The results of our ERB tests show that once again, in the aggregate, our students score better than students from other independent schools on the vast majority of the ERB sub-tests. Click here to see the comparisons for grades 5-8. These results confirm what we know—we provide a rigorous academic program that in turn provides students with a strong educational foundation.
Our 8th graders continue to earn admission into selective private schools at significantly higher rates than other students applying to these schools. As Eden Maisel shared at the HSPC meeting in early April, our students are attending the top schools throughout the South Bay and beyond, with students matriculating at nationally recognized boarding schools like Thacher and Cate, excellent independent schools including Castilleja, Harker, and Kehilla, all the top Catholic schools in the area including Archbishop Mitty, Bellarmine, Notre Dame, Presentation, and St Francis, and a few of our excellent local public schools including Los Gatos High School. Secondary schools want our students and, they consistently report, our students do extremely well once they are enrolled.
Another way to measure how we are doing is through our annual audit process, when we take an intensive look at a specific aspect of our program. This year we audited two components of our program: technology and inclusivity. The results affirmed what we know—we are doing many things well in both of these areas, and yet we can continue to get even better. As an example, we are finding ourselves increasingly on the forefront of the digital citizenship conversation. We have recently developed a close partnership with Common Sense Media, the leading organization helping families navigate the digital world. This conversation is important—and complex—and we continue to see our digital citizenship program evolving, growing, and improving. I invite you to attend two coffees after Flag—first on May 6 to learn about the Technology Audit and then on May 13 to learn about the Inclusivity Audit—to learn more about the important work we are doing in these critical areas. The results of both audits will also be available in executive summaries soon after the presentations.
Yet another way to measure how we are doing is through our annual survey. Each family will be receiving links to an All School survey and then to Grade-specific surveys in the next few days. Please take the time to fill out these surveys carefully. Each year, we utilize the results of these surveys to help us understand parent perceptions of our program and to help us as we continue to strive to offer the best possible program. Last year we had a 50% response rate, and we’re looking to improve that rate this year. I encourage you once again to take the time to respond so that everyone’s voice can be heard.
In the end, however, I want to return to where I started this letter. Ultimately, as much as we try to quantify and qualify the Hillbrook experience, the final measure is not something that is easily captured. We are educating children, after all, not manufacturing widgets.
Last week, I had an opportunity to visit with the 7th graders as they shared inventions they created as part of their Sustainability Symposium in Ms. Pak’s classroom. Students worked in groups to invent sustainable products for people living in China that were tied into the culture and religions found there. The products were extremely thoughtful, creative, and inspiring. One group created a set of biodegradable children’s building blocks with seeds inside. The idea was that the blocks would be educational and useable for several years and then, ultimately, instead of being thrown away, the blocks could be planted in the ground and would grow into a plant. I asked the students a few questions and then finished by asking if I could have early access to stock options. See photos of the event here.
Every day similar experiences happen throughout our campus. Our students are being challenged to be their best as students and as people, and, in the process, they continually impress, surprise, and delight us with what they are able to do. Ultimately, how do we measure success? One child and one day at a time.