News

On Wednesday, December 7, Michelle Kinder, Executive Director of the Momentous Institute, joined parents to share Brain Focused Strategies for Developing Social Emotional Health. If you missed this fabulous session, you can find her presentation, handouts, further recommended reading and information about the work of Momentous Institute on the Parent Education Speaker page on the Resource Board. Learn more about Momentous Institute.

Join us on Monday, December 12 at 7:30 p.m. in the Nancy A. Nasher and David J. Haemisegger Family Center for the Arts for a performance of Gloria by Antonio Vivaldi featuring the Hockaday Concert Choir and Professional Orchestra. Additional performances by the Madrigals and Show Choir. Click here to view the invitation.

To access, please log-in to the Parent Resource Board and check out your class’ specific Class Page. Check back on the first of every month for updates! Also, the online calendar is always up to date with the latest all-school, all-division, class and HPA events.  

Success in the 21st century is defined by the strength of our social emotional health. Skills like self-regulation, optimism, empathy, gratitude and grittiness make all the difference and are predicative of long term success. On December 7 at 8:15 a.m. in Clements Lecture Hall, come hear Michelle Kinder M.Ed., LPC, Executive Director, Momentous Institute share Brain-Focused Strategies for Developing Social Emotional Health with Hockaday parents. Register here.

The new and improved Volunteer Site is still accepting volunteer positions in certain areas, including Bookstore, Winter and Spring Athletic Team Parents, and the Hockaday Benefit. There are many ways to contribute, so be sure to sign up for one that interests you!

The theatre season in The Nancy A. Nasher and David J. Haemisegger Family Center for the Arts, will comprise 4 shows, which will utilize all 3 new performing arts spaces.  Click here for show and audition details for this year’s theatre season.

Award winning Dallas Photographer, Gail Nogle, visited an advanced photography class.  During the visit, she showed her work, talked to the girls and observed the girls working in the lighting studio.

 

Advanced Photography students will be visiting the fashion photography exhibition of fashion/art photographer Geof Kern at Photographs Do Not Bend gallery. The exhibit highlights one of Geof Kern's most recognized periods of innovative fashion, advertising, editorial photography in his career. www.geofkern.com

The Nancy A. Nasher and David J. Haemisegger Family Center for the Arts opened to rave reviews from students, faculty, and staff who were delighted to discover wonderful new spaces designed specifically for the extraordinary fine arts program at Hockaday. Our entire community is invited to tour the Center at the Community Open House on Sunday, October 16 from 3:00 – 5:00 pm. This will be a fun family event with student performers, classrooms in action, and entertainment in the Margaret Doggett Crow Amphitheater including a DJ, photo booth, caricature artists, balloon artists, and face painters. We hope to see you there! PLEASE REGISTER NOW!

Please pick up your pre-ordered O-Rings in the Bookstore. If you didn’t pre-order, we’ve got you covered. Pop into the Bookstore and pick one up for $55. Proceeds go to The Ela Hockaday Fund for Faculty Excellence. Order now!

Fourth grader Leya Glazer loves to cook, eat, and share her recipes with her family and friends. This may not be terribly unusual, however, Leya is a vegetarian and found that she and her friends wanted to find delicious options that were nutritious, well-balanced and not so high in carbohydrates and sugar like many vegetarian diets.  Over the summer, Leya and her mom developed several recipes and compiled them into a book to provide both kids and adults, who are vegetarians, new and tasty dishes.  Hey Mom … I’m a Vegetarian is available in the Hockaday Bookstore for $15, and all profits will be given to the School. Additionally it is available on Amazon with a five-star rating: https://www.amazon.com/Hey-Mom-Im-Vegetarian-Cookbook/dp/1537046772/ref=cm_sw_em_r_awdo_w_p_8-ZZxbH4D3MZZ_tt. 

 

All parents are invited to join the first Hockaday Parents’ Association meeting of the 2016-17 school year on Wednesday, September 14. Liza Lee, Eugene McDermott Headmistress, will provide an update on the state of the School and highlight the professional development opportunities funded by The Ela Hockaday Fund for Faculty Excellence. Please register today. Read more

Thanks to the generosity of hundreds of donors, The Hockaday School has opened The Nancy A. Nasher and David J. Haemisegger Family Center for the Arts. The incredible Center features the state-of-the-art Nancy A. Nasher and David J. Haemisegger Theater with The Ed Long Stage given by The Eugene McDermott Foundation and Hoffman Lobby given by Marguerite Steed Hoffman. Read more

This summer has seen the continued building and finishing of our impressive new facility, The Nancy A. Nasher and David J. Haemisegger Family Center for the Arts. We are very excited to be teaching, learning, rehearsing and then performing in this amazing new space throughout the coming year. Theatre, dance, orchestra and choir all have impressive seasons planned, which will utilize the multitude of facilities within the center. 

 

 

Hockaday is excited to announce the 2016-2017 theater productions that will be held in the new Nancy A. Nasher and David J. Haemisegger Family Center for the Arts. Read more

The Centennial Sculpture is complete! It hangs in the Science Center adjacent to the Foucault Pendulum. The suspended sculpture, designed by Hockaday students and donated by the Class of 2014, is thirty feet tall. It is a cross-divisional STEAM project that includes over 800 glass tiles made by students, faculty, and staff during Hockaday’s centennial celebration! Suspended from the ceiling, it can be viewed from all three stories of the Science Center. 

Thank you, everyone, who helped us welcome 75 new and returning boarders back to Hockaday! These girls are outstanding and add so much to our community. We still need help decorating for events throughout the year. We have several to choose from, so don’t feel like you have to help with every event. Interested? Contact Tracy Stringfield or sign up on The Volunteer Site under the All School Volunteer Section (Residence – Snacks and Parties).

To access your class page, please log-in to the Parent Resource Board. Check back on the first of every month for updates! Also, the online calendar is always up to date with the latest all-school, all-division, class, and HPA events.  

Dear Hockaday Parents,

 

Welcome back! We hope you had a wonderful and relaxing summer vacation. The members of the Hockaday Parents' Association Board have been busy this summer preparing for the many activities that are set for the 2016-17 school year. Read more

Do you have photos of HPA volunteers in action at any of the many back-to-school activities?  If so, please forward them to Katharine Friguletto so we can post them on the HPA page! Be sure to check out the photos throughout the year!

Volunteers needed to help hang student artwork for all grades August 22-24, 3:15-5:30 p.m. Art will be on display for the All School Art Show opening on September 6 in the Ann Bower Gallery and the Ownby Family Lobby. Contact Denise Jones with your availability. Your help is greatly needed, no art talent necessary!

Hockaday students won the US Rowing Central Championships this weekend rowing for Founders Rowing Club and earned a spot at the Youth National Rowing Championships in June. 

Please visit the resource board and scroll down to see your class icon. Class-specific dates and information are updated!

The Fourcast attended The Dallas Morning News High School Conference and Competition on March 30, 2016. 

Bespoke Hockaday towels, lucite trays, BKR water bottles, and necklaces are still available. They make wonderful end of year gifts, birthday party favors, or hostess gifts. The Sterling Silver Daisy tag necklaces are engravable with your daughter’s initials! All limited edition and selling fast in the Bookstore! Be sure to  get your daughter’s Saddle Shoe portraits that are still available for purchase. Middle and Upper School portraits can be found in the bookstore. Lower School portraits will be available by The Lower School Office. Remember, proceeds from all sales benefit the Ela Hockaday Fund for Faculty Excellence.

Grace Cai (Class of 2017) was chosen as a First Place Winner of the American Protege International Music Talent Competition Spring 2016.

Hockaday/St. Mark's Celebrate their 10th Habitat for Humanity House Dedication

 

The Dallas Film Society announced the North Texas High School Shorts Showcase. All three Hockaday films submitted were accepted.

Delivery! by Lexie Chu and Whitney Middlekauff

Foxberry by Sadie Lidji

Just Like Me by Destanye Brooks

 

A number of Hockadaisies attended TPSMEA Solo and Ensemble on Saturday, February 20. 13 medals were awarded to the talented singers:
 

Gold:

Adelaide Brooks (Class of 2017)

Ameya Chavda (Class of 2018)

Cheryl Hao (Class of 2018)

Morgan Lutz (Class of 2019)

Joy Nesbitt (Class of 2017)

Angela Shi (Class of 2018)

 

Silver:

Sunita Hu (Class of 2018)

 

Bronze:

Katie Harmon (seventh grade)

Inez Johnson (seventh grade)

Kemper Lowry (seventh grade)

Isabella Page (seventh grade)

Nina Weeldreyer (seventh grade)

Marymegan Wright (seventh grade)

All 11 Hockaday seniors who had been named semifinalists in the 61st annual National Merit Scholarship Program have been chosen as finalists.

 

Destanye Brooks' (Class of 2016) short film, “In the Driver’s Seat,” was awarded second place in the inaugural NTARuPT Student Film Contest on Sunday at the Angelika Theatre.

 

Destanye’s short film will be shared with the greater community to raise awareness and start a dialogue about teens and sex.

 

NTARuPT is a non-partisan, non-profit organization that seeks to improve the quality of life for children, families, and communities by reducing teen pregnancies in North Texas. Its vision is for every young person in our community to have the opportunity to set goals, plan education and careers, and become self-sufficient before entering into parenthood. 

Please congratulate these Latin Club students for representing Hockaday at the Junior Classical League Area C Regional Competition held on Saturday! Over 500 students participated for public and private schools all over North Texas. Place numbers indicate an award in the top five for that category and level. Other results (i.e. club sweepstakes and places 6-10) have not come out yet.



Name	Place and Contests	Level
Noor Adatia	Latin Derivatives 3rd/Roman Life 3rd	V
Lori Jia	Decathlon 1st /Reading Cmprhnsn V (Prose) 1st	V
Catherine Jiang	Grammar V 1st /Reading CmpV (Poetry) 1st	V
Sidra Siddiqui	Latin Derivatives 4th /Sight Recitation 1st	V
Emily Christopher	Greek History 5th /Ancient Geography 3rd	IV
Mercedes Helm	Mythology 2nd	IV
Wendy Ho	Latin Derivatives 3rd /Decathlon 5th /Watercolor 2nd	IV
Amy Jia	Reading Cmprhnsn IV(Prose) 2nd /Decathlon 2nd	IV
Heidi Kim	Oil or Acrylic Painting 1st	IV
Katherine Lake	Grammar IV 3rd	IV
Jenny Zhu	Decathlon/Roman Life	IV
Rhett Anderson	Mythology/Greek History/Vocal Solo	II
Tanvi Kongara	Ancient Geography/Decathlon 2nd	I

The Columbia Scholastic Press Association announced the 2016 Gold Circle Awards for the 2014-2015 yearbook. The awards are offered to recognize superior work by student journalists usually as individuals but sometimes as an entire staff working with either print or online media. These media are published in schools or colleges throughout the United States and in overseas schools following an American plan of education.

Because CSPA dates its awards by the year in which they are given, they are known as the 2016 Gold Circle Awards for Yearbooks. The 2014-2015 Cornerstones received the following Gold Circle Awards:

Cover: 1st Place - Cornerstones Elizabeth Michel '15 and Barrett Smith '15

Opening and Closing Spreads: 3rd Place - Elizabeth Michel '15 and Barrett Smith '15

Sports Reporting : CM. Anna Buford (Class of 2016), “The Great Divide”

Personal Profile: CM. Elizabeth Michel '15 and Barrett Smith '15, “Andre Stipanovic”

Theme and Concept: CM.  Cornerstones 

Advertising Layout: CM. Bridget Colliton '15

 

Congratulations to the Cornerstones staff!

Nine Hockaday athletes were named on the 2015 NFHCA / Keith Waldman – Optimal Performance Associates High School National Academic Squad. The High School National Academic Squad program recognizes high school seniors and juniors who have achieved a minimum cumulative, unweighted GPA of 3.5 out of 4.0 or the equivalent through the first quarter of the 2015-16 school year.

The following Hockaday students were recognized: Sloane Castleman (Class of 2016), Melanie Kerber (Class of 2017), Gigi Lancaster (Class of 2016), Alexandra McGeoch (Class of 2016), Caroline McGeoch (Class of 2016), Talia Meidan (Class of 2016), Ilana Perkins (Class of 2016), Maddie Skaife (Class of 2017), and Eleanor Wilson (Class of 2017).

 

These students represent the finest private school musicians across the state of Texas. Among them, Vivian Zhou (class of 2016’) received 4-Year All-State Orchestra recognition during the concert.  

Congratulations to the following students: Lin Lin Lee (Class of 2018), Sharon Zhang (Class of 2018), Jenny Zhu (Class of 2017), Tasneen Bashir (Class of 2017), Vivian Zhou (Class of 2016), Dana Choi (Class of 2018), and Jasmine Jin (Class of 2016). 

Students won first place in the high school level of the 8th Annual Youth Duo-Piano Competition.

Christine Ji (Class of 2018) won the second annual DFW Regional Brain Bee, which took place at Hockaday in early January. Christine faced tough competition, with participants from Hockaday, Cistercian, TAMS, and Jesuit. Claire Marucci (Class of 2018) won third place. Christine now has the option to compete at the national level in March at the University of Maryland in Baltimore, as she did last year. Special thanks to Heather Xiao (Class of 2016), Cristina Chavez (Class of 2016), Suzette Kane (Class of 2016), and the Neuroscience Club officers for helping make this another very successful event.

Courtney Skerritt, Associate Director of College Counseling, has been selected to be a scholarship reader for The Point Foundation, the leading national organization that provides scholarship funding, mentorship, leadership development, and community service training for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth. 

Sixteen Hockaday students competed at the 13th Annual Metroplex Mathematics Contest at St. Mark’s this January. The students competed against local schools including Cistercian, Ursuline, Parish, Trinity Valley and Oakridge.  They did an outstanding job representing Hockaday. The Hockaday participants were Cirrus Chen (Class of 2019), Clara Shi (Class of 2019), Meghna Jain (Class of 2019), Eva Batelaan (Class of 2019), Sharon Zhang (Class of 2018), Elizabeth Guo (Class of 2018), Tanvi Jakkampudi (Class of 2018), Elli Lee (Class of 2018), Effie Guo (Class of 2018), Mira Mehta (Class of 2018), Wendy Ho (Class of 2017), Elizabeth Zhou (Class of 2017), Kate Keough (Class of 2017), Maggie Ying (Class of 2017), Jasmine Jin (Class of 2016), and Vivian Zhou (Class of 2016).

The following students received outstanding awards:

Elizabeth Guo:  1st Place Geometry Open and 2nd Place Precalculus Closed

Clara Shi:  2nd Place Geometry Open

Effie Guo:  3rd Place Geometry Open

Hockaday Team (Elizabeth Guo, Effie Guo, Wendy Ho, Elizabeth Zhou, Jasmine Jin and Vivian Zhou):  2nd Place Team Test

Hockaday also won 3rd place for the Sweepstakes Award.  

Three Upper School students were selected to participate in the TPSMEA All State Choir this weekend. Congratulations, Ameya Chavda, Quinn Brodsky, and Sara Held!

With updates to the website, we have also improved access to the Parent Portal from mobile devices. Please bookmark www.hockaday.org/app as it is the updated access point for all current information at Hockaday and can be viewed on any size screen with the latest information. Please note that any previous downloads from iTunes or the App Store will no longer work.

Daisy Dance . . . A Classic Remixed is fast approaching. We are having a blast planning it. Click here to get a taste of what we have in store for you by viewing some FAQs! We’ve got your answers here!

Help us recognize our amazing parents! If you have any photos of our HPA volunteers in action or of any HPA events, we’d love to post them to our HPA page. Check out the Fun Day photos, the Holiday Bazaar photos and other photos already uploaded to our newly revamped page! Please email your photos to ariana.held@sbcglobal.net.  

Erika Kurt ’98 is the President and CEO of the Small World Initiative (www.smallworldinitiative.org), which is an innovative program formulated at Yale University that allows students from around the world to take part in the discovery of the next generation of antibiotics. (SWI) is an innovative program that encourages students to pursue careers in science while addressing a worldwide health threat – the diminishing supply of effective antibiotics. It centers around an introductory biology course in which students conduct original hands-on field and laboratory research in the hunt for new antibiotics. Read the complete story here.