A Welcome Back Letter from Head of the Hamilton School at Wheeler Bill McCarthy
Dear Hamilton School Families,
I hope this welcome back message finds you and yours healthy, relaxed, and excited for the upcoming start to the new school year. Perhaps you flocked to the beach or spent time somewhere cool to avoid the intense heat that besieged us at different times this summer, or you made a sizable dent in that growing stack of books that have occupied your bedside table for some time. Maybe you picked up a new hobby or discovered a hidden talent and are using these summer months to hone your skills. Perhaps you carved out special times to connect with family and friends, or you found ways to sneak in an afternoon nap, when possible, for a necessary recharge. Whatever your preferred method of relaxation and fun, I hope your summer has been a wonderful mix of peaceful and enjoyable moments.
I am quite pleased with how I spent my time this summer, which was a healthy balance of time away from school to unwind and time at school to catch up and plan. One of the aspects I love most about working in schools is the ability to have the summer break to reflect and take stock, and to give considerable thought to how the coming school year can and should take shape. The start to each school year affords students, teachers, and school leaders the ability to start anew and approach the opportunities that lie ahead with curiosity, excitement, and, perhaps, a bit of apprehension for what is unknown. After being in the profession for more than 25 years, this feeling is still unchanged for me from year to year, and I am looking forward to all the adventures and possibilities that lie ahead for your children in the 2024-25 school year.
This summer, we enjoyed a highly successful second year of the Hamilton Summer Program, which took place on campus over the course of four weeks, from July 8-Aug. 2. This half-day program offered Orton-Gillingham instruction along with daily instruction and practice in the areas of reading fluency and comprehension and written expression. In addition to the program’s language arts focus, the children took part in hands-on, experiential arts classes throughout the week. We hosted 35 children in four small groups guided by our talented teaching faculty, and the program was expertly overseen by Jeanette Epstein, director of the Hamilton Institute for Public Outreach and Advocacy. We are proud of the success of our Hamilton Summer program and pleased by its expanded enrollment during its second year.
This coming school year, we are welcoming 18 new students to the Hamilton School at Wheeler in 1st through 8th grades. All of our Hamilton School faculty and staff are returning this year, and we are thrilled to welcome a new team member to Hamilton, Haley Breisblatt, who will be our full-time 3rd-grade assistant teacher. Our Hamilton Middle School and Polaris Program learning specialist, Meg Adler, had a planned surgery earlier this summer and will be recovering on medical leave through the end of November. During her absence, Maddie Green will be covering Meg’s teaching and supervisory responsibilities, and we are grateful for having Maddie in this extended leave coverage role as she has experience working in our Hamilton Middle School Program and knows our students and teaching faculty quite well.
As you begin to prepare for the start to the school year, please review our Hamilton School Student and Family Guide. This guide highlights a number of important logistical details specific to Hamilton, and it also includes links to the Lower and Middle School handbooks as well.
Here are some key details to add to your calendars regarding the start to the school year:
- Wednesday, Aug. 21 from 6-7pm: New-to-Hamilton Family Orientation. This event is for parents of children that are new to the Hamilton School this year. It will be held in the Whittaker Building’s (Hamilton Lower School) Hale Family Hall.
- Tuesday, Sept. 3: Hamilton School Classroom Visits and Middle School Orientation Events. Hamilton Lower School students are invited to meet their classroom teachers on the morning of Tuesday, Sept. 3 at from 10:45-11:15 am. Your child’s teacher will be in contact with you later this month to say hello and to share an invitation with more details. Hamilton Middle School students will take part in a variety of orientation events during the morning. The Middle School teachers will reach out in the coming weeks with more detailed information about these events and the start times and locations.
- Tuesday, Sept. 3 from 11:15am-12:30pm: Hamilton School Community Welcome Back Luncheon. This event will be held in Hale Family Hall and in the area just outside of the Whittaker Building. All Hamilton School community members are invited to join us for this luncheon. This social event is a great way for new and returning families to connect with one another. Please bring members of your immediate family to this event if possible!
- Wednesday, Sept. 4 at 8am: All Hamilton School classes begin. Morning arrival will take place between 7:30-8am. I’ll share additional information about the structure of this first day of school in my next communication.
I hope these remaining weeks of summer bring lots of joy and inspiration to you and your family. See you soon!
All my best,
Bill McCarthy
Head of the Hamilton School at Wheeler