"The 'Mane' Idea" - December 2011

Posted December 14, 2011

The ‘Mane’ Idea:

Reflections by Head of School Wanda M. Holland Greene

December 14, 2011

FIVE GOLDEN THINGS!

I am going to try to make this quick. No one seems to have more than five minutes to spare in December. Everywhere I look, people are rushing from one destination to another. Baking sweet treats, decorating homes, sending greeting cards, lighting candles, juggling multiple invitations to holiday parties, shopping for loved ones, wrapping gifts, planning to attend religious services, visiting friends and family...phew! Thank goodness we don’t have to shovel snow here in San Francisco. That might put some of us over the edge of holiday sanity.

I promised I’d be quick, so here are the FIVE GOLDEN THINGS I need to tell you before our winter vacation begins. (Please don’t forget that there is an early dismissal on Friday, December 16th at 11:00 a.m.)

ONE.
SPECIAL THANK YOU to Director of Constituent Programs and Special Events Stephen Bowden, to all of the enthusiastic Winterfest volunteers, and to event co-chairs extraordinaire Marie Hurabiell and Marty McGraw. Winterfest was a joyous and festive time to build community and raise necessary funds for the school.

TWO.
THE PILGRIMAGE TO SACRAMENTO was an amazing success. Thank you to Hamlin’s dedicated faculty and staff, especially Tyler Fonarow, for his planning, organization, and execution of such a powerful day for the girls. Please be sure to watch the video to get a sense of what the day was like. Contact Director of Marketing and Communications Sandy Mateus if you’d like to order a free DVD.

THREE.
HAMLIN’S SELF-STUDY DOCUMENT, required for the 2012 re-accreditation process, was completed and submitted to the California Association of Independent Schools on November 30, 2011. We owe a great debt of gratitude to Director of Curriculum and Instruction Ginny Morsman for her excellent project management and faithful leadership. The self-study is well over 200 pages of data, thoughts, and reflections about the present and future of the school, and it represents the contributions of many people. Our Visiting Team of outside educators will arrive on Sunday, February 5th and will spend three full days on campus. In June 2012, I will be informed officially about the status of our re-accreditation.

FOUR.
TEACH WITH AFRICA: Hamlin is committed to being a school that helps its students to develop global perspectives; toward that end, we have joined with several other Bay Area independent schools (i.e. Burke’s, Town, Branson, Drew, Children’s Day School) to host two teaching interns from South Africa. From Tuesday, January 17th to Friday, February 3rd, the interns will be mentored by two Hamlin teachers and will help teach daily classes. We will have much to learn and share through this cultural exchange and partnership. I need one more host family that would be willing to welcome an intern as a houseguest. Please email me as soon as possible if you are willing to host, and I can furnish you with more details.

FIVE.
COMINGS AND GOINGS: I am simply delighted to announce that Tyler Fonarow, Director of Community and Character Education, has been appointed the new Middle School Principal at Rowland Hall, an outstanding independent school in Salt Lake City, Utah. He will begin his tenure there in July 2012. Tyler has spent the past 17 years at Hamlin in various roles, and he and his family are excited and ready to enjoy life and work outside of the Bay Area.

Prem Lathi, Stanwood Hall receptionist, was away on medical leave in November; she will not return to work at Hamlin, and we wish her all the best.

Welcome back Danielle Denton, Lower School Assistant, who returned from maternity leave last week.

Extended Day Program Assistant Cathy Bixler has decided to resign her position, and her last day at Hamlin will be Friday, January 6, 2012. Cathy joined us in August 2010 as a maternity leave substitute teacher, and her warm and wise presence has benefitted the school.

Special thanks to Erika Noel for her excellent work in Lower School science while Konika Ray has been on maternity leave. Konika will return to Hamlin on January 3rd when school resumes.

As Middle School English teacher Katie Mossuto nears her due date, we are delighted to welcome Katrina Madsen to the Middle School as an English teacher and advisor! Katrina's strong teaching skills and experience span both Lower and Middle School grades, and we look forward to her second maternity leave coverage of the school year! Katie's last day for the 2011-12 school year will be Friday, February 17, 2012. To facilitate a smooth transition, Katie and Katrina will begin co-teaching and co-advising when school reopens in January.

Happy holidays from my family to yours!

Peace and Joy to the World,

Wanda M. Holland Greene
Head of School