By Malauri Uhl, middle school English teacher. Vanderbilt was my mom’s signature scent for many years. She first purchased it at Dillard’s, using earnings from her job delivering root beer floats on roller skates at the local A&W. Over time, finding a bottle nestled in her Christmas stocking became a cherished tradition. The small, round atomizer, adorned with the delicate outline of a swan, graced her vanity on a mirrored tray. I recall leaving fingerprints on the shiny gold lid as I lifted it to inhale the familiar aroma — a blend of floral, citrus, and musk.…

By KNA and Tom Neal, upper school teachers Greetings from Oaxaca! After a full four days acclimating to the dry mountain heat and taking in the endless sensory delights of this stunning city and cultural epicenter, we are excited to report back on an itinerary that has been packed with amazing experiences so far.  Appropriately, our adventure began with an exploration of the ruins of Monte Albán, once the epicenter of a thriving Zapotec civilization that predated the Aztecs. Students climbed the steep stairs of ancient temples, contemplated 360 degree vistas of the Oaxacan valley, and learned about…

By Brad Waugh, upper school Math teacher. This semester, our students embarked on a new Aperture class called Worldviews: The History & Philosophy of Science where they dive into pivotal moments in scientific history, unraveling the philosophical and social impacts of groundbreaking discoveries. The aim is to foster an understanding of the dynamic, and often fractious, interplay between philosophy and science. We kicked off the Aperture by delving into the concept of “the scientific method.” Students were intrigued to find that there are numerous interpretations of this method across various sources – including their own experiences…

By James Rufo-Hill, upper school Science teacher. “Should Winslow growth go up or out?” That question ran above the fold in a recent issue of our local paper, the Bainbridge Island Review. At the same time, debate raged on a local Facebook group over whether a local business should sacrifice some of its property for bicycle infrastructure. Perhaps you scrolled through that thread while sitting in roundabout construction traffic along SR 305? Or maybe you just looked out your window and wondered whether or not they really needed to cut down all those trees? Those are…

A Hyla Tradition Continues by Cindy Schacht, middle school Math teacher A History of Service at Hyla Community service has been a strong tradition and core value since Hyla was founded. For many years, Hyla students have contributed to the Bainbridge, Kitsap, and Seattle communities through a variety of programs, just a few of which include stocking shelves at Helpline House, donating time and supplies to Coffee Oasis in Bremerton and Poulsbo, and serving meals at a women’s shelter in South Seattle. Starting with the words of our school motto, “we take care of each other,”…

by Brad Waugh, upper school Math teacher. Human-Centered Design for a Better World is an Aperture course at Hyla’s upper school that utilizes the design thinking framework pioneered by the Institute of Design at Stanford. This course is grounded in the idea of learning through doing by: With an emphasis on empathy, the design framework ensures that both the process and the outcome of the projects prioritize the human needs of those impacted and cultivate strong, sustainable relationships with them. Introducing the Design Cycle Students got their first insights into the design process by examining a…

By Cindy Schacht, middle school Math teacher. 3-D geometry, volume & surface area through architecture: The international architectural challenge is complete! Our student architects were hired to design and build homes all around the world. Working in teams, they reviewed a list of commissioned homes and associated specifications, like a canal home in Amsterdam, an eco house in New Zealand, a mud house in Zambia, a log cabin in New Hampshire, a Chinese Hakka house, and an Iceland turf house, among others. Specifications for each commission took into account the number of people living in the…

A conversation with David Maron, middle school History teacher. One globe. One question. That’s what 6th graders faced in history last week. “It’s not a test,” David explained, “but it does launch a process that reinforces one of our guiding values in the history classroom, and that is to embrace that we all have incomplete knowledge.” As students worked in teams to figure out when their globes were made, David learned a lot about his students. The globe challenge drew out what students already know about geography, human history, and research techniques. But for David the challenge…

With “history chills” and gratitude in our hearts, we share that our beloved humanities teacher Jennifer Haase has taken a new teaching position that fulfills her life-long dream to live in Gettysburg. When Jennifer told us about her brave new plans after the end of the last school year, we of course wholeheartedly supported her. Anyone who knows Jennifer knows that she lives and breathes history. Even when she’s not teaching during the school day, she’s still teaching history through living history demonstrations as a Civil War nurse tending to Union soldiers, as an interpreter at…

Student Voices: One Senior’s Perspective on Perspective. On June 10th, we hosted our first ever commencement ceremony to honor the first group of seniors to graduate from Hyla’s upper school program. Each senior had a role in the ceremony and used their voice to express appreciation, gratitude, pride, and wisdom for the future. Seniors recognized each other’s accomplishments as academics and athletes; they told stories about how they chose Hyla and the difference that choice made in their lives. They gathered teachers and fellow Hyla student musicians on stage to perform an inspiring version of “Come…