And we're back! Teachers are excited to welcome students to homeroom and specialist classrooms to read, listen, discuss, solve, create and enjoy. Students are quickly getting the hang of school routines and norms with lots of support here and at home. Thank you!

How do middle schoolers connect their interests to people, places, & issues beyond campus? Weekly Reach Beyond Block Cycle 1 is underway! In 5 groups on different topics we are inquiring, experiencing, and meeting guest experts on questions like: who makes our clothes & how?

How do schools review & evolve their program? Our Science Audit team began their year-long work today! We will generate questions, collect data internally & externally, analyze, learn and discuss. We're excited to share our findings at year's end with the entire community.

How do we partner? Last night members of our staff joined Breakthrough Silicon Valley's 11th annual fundraiser to cheer on our Hillbrook students, & raise money and spirit for all the kids in SJ and LG communities who will be #firstgen with BSV's support! Thanks Breakthrough Silicon Valley

What models do adults & students have for how to make a difference? Grateful to Dr. Eddie Moore, Jr. | Dr. Diversity for talking with parents, employees, & students about how we can better live our antiracism values! Check him out on our CTE Podcast: hillbrookcte.org/posts/talking-…

Today, we hope you join us in honoring Indigenous Peoples' Day. May we move past colonialist myths and move toward celebrating the historic and contemporary contributions of Indigenous peoples—and toward true reconciliation for past harms.

How do schools differentiate learning? Co-teaching in each of our Lower School homerooms creates opportunities for extension, review, & just-right support. Teachers also learn from each other, deepening their strategies for questioning, conferring & addressing misconceptions.

What models do adults & students have for how to make a difference? Across campus students meet with experts like guest author Kathryn Otoshi, and fashion entrepreneurs Justin & Stephanie of CO Collections to learn how they do their work and why it matters to them.

How we study & evolve our program? Our Science Audit team has filtered all our questions down to 5 that will drive our internal & external data collection. Resident & Lead teachers conduct Lesson Study, observing colleagues & providing targeted feedback on language & strategies.

How do we connect our community & help Trustees tell our story? Trustees join three sessions of Instructional Rounds-style visits this year, exploring aspects of our program design connected to focused classroom visits, then debriefing their observations alongside school leaders.

Know any great people seeking to develop as early-career teachers in an independent school next year? Hillbrook's Center for Teaching Excellence is hiring its next cohort of Resident Teachers, with positions open across JK-middle school! Join us! docs.google.com/document/d/1aU…

How do schools design inclusive & antibias learning for young children? We create "windows & mirrors" for students by connecting our staff's and family members' traditions and values with students' lived experiences. Here we make tamales with playdough-- How do you celebrate?

What models do students have for making a difference in the world? Our 8th Gs join author Jacqueline Woodson to learn about her life, inspirations & work. She shares, "the thing that makes us brilliant is the brilliance inside, and then someone to recognize and draw it out."

How do middle schoolers "reach beyond themselves"? 8th graders are preparing their independent, capstone Social Impact Project! Adults across campus meet to mentor and guide them in a wide variety of projects that each endeavor to impact a global issue. They present May 26

How do educators inspect their beliefs & evolve their responses to student behavior to emphasize belonging & repair? We are grateful to learn from Loren, Ruth & Betsy SF Day School about their journey implementing Restorative Practices alongside robust Responsive SEL programming!

How do we mirror our students' identities & connect them to new perspectives? We're excited to infuse a set of gender expansive titles into our 5-8th G libraries! Thx to our Employee DEI Cmte for the research & to Human Rights Campaign Rapid Response Welcoming Schools & Gender Inclusive Classrms for the recs!

We are still seeking two early-career teachers to join our Resident Program 2022-23! These 1-2 year co-teaching positions are great for anyone entering the field! The remaining openings are in JK/K and our Hub Design & Maker Space. docs.google.com/document/d/1jz… docs.google.com/document/d/10A…

How do schools build their culture of collegial feedback & optimize faculty growth? We surveyed peer schools, research articles, & had dozens of small group convos with our employees, then used the findings in a "design sprint" to reimagine the Fac Growth Process for next yr!

How can schools support their Trustees to be program ambassadors? This year we hosted 3 Board of Trustee presentations + Instructional Rounds style visits to classes on a theme. Trustees learned, observed, then debriefed together & w/ school leaders on key elements of our program

How do schools help students build & belong in their local community? Today 3rd graders met in-person with year-long pen pals from nearby schools. We connected about the commonalities we've discovered through our letter-writing & practiced inclusive play at a local park!