The Hague School

Creativity abounds around our campus. Caught a glimpse of the seniors shooting the next episode of Hague Headlines.

The bright yellow goldenrod in front of THS isn’t just a feast of autumn color for us; if you pause and take a closer look, it’s humming with activity from many types of pollinators. Integrating native plants like goldenrod into our campus is part of THS’ commitment to improving natural habitats and contributing nature-based solutions to the flood waters in our neighborhood. 💙🔱

Yesterday, candidates for Student Government capped off their campaigns by giving speeches before the student body, laying out their visions for the year. It was a difficult choice between so many strong public speakers, but 11th graders swept the elections, taking positions as President, Vice President, and Treasurer.

What higher aim might a school achieve than creating a space where students love school, where they feel energized by rigor and empowered by hard work. More students volunteered to represent our school at the St. Patrick's High School Recruitment Fair last week than we could possibly bring with us, which speaks to our success in creating just that sort of space. These kids jumped at the chance to share their experiences with interested students and families and impressed many at the fair with their well-spoken confidence, warmth, and enthusiasm.

The IBMA College Fair is an incredible opportunity for students to learn about colleges and universities across the country (and across the world) that value the IB curriculum's rigor and global perspective. Students get to speak directly to recruiters and admissions officers, sometimes shaking hands with the very people who will soon review their applications.

Another familiar face greets our seniors at George Mason University! We are fortunate to have Hague School alumni at so many top Virginia colleges and universities.

Inspiration is around every corner when 10th-grade art students step outside to practice drawing landscapes with a viewfinder.

On their way to the IBMA College Fair, the seniors toured the beautiful campus of William & Mary and got the inside scoop on college life at W&M from a Hague School alum. There's nothing like walking across a college campus in the fall to give you a feeling of excitement for the future.

Episode 3 of Hague Headlines, a senior video series covering current events at THS, is live. Watch at https://youtu.be/ydcoRWNz4cw.

IB Art students advanced their portfolios this week!

Students in Scientific Research Methods went outside to set up quadrats around the campus in order to count species. They discussed why biotic and abiotic factors would lead to greater diversity in one location over another. The class later researched mathematical methods of determining species richness.

Drama Club got some lessons in acting for the camera from Norfolk City Producer Jeannette Rainey of the Hampton Roads 48 Hour Film Project. Students learned how to "cheat out" for the camera, how to sense the light with their eyes shut, and to tone down expressions depending on how close the shot is framed. They also got a primer in how to compete in the 48 Hour Film Project and a few insider industry tips! We hope to have Jeannette return this fall to lead students in a hands-on camera project!

This senior CAS Project (Creativity, Activity, Service for the IB) prompted a moment of community as students worked together to install a Little Free Library (topped with a planter) in front of the school. Neighbors of all ages (and their dogs) enjoying the beautiful fall weather stopped to chat and peek at the book selection. Stop by to take or add a book!

Ms. Boncal's Research and Composition students traveled outside for a writing exercise based in the five senses. They each chose an object or a being somewhere near the school and studied it, then wrote in their journals from the point of view of that being, conveying the setting and perspective using concrete, specific, vivid language. Several students took on the voices of the ducks that dipped and paddled around the Hague. One wrote from the point of view of a tree trapped in a pristine circle of mulch outside the Chrysler Museum. Another imagined the feelings of uncertainty that the footbridge experiences when the tides rise. All this inspiration right outside our doors with

Actress and producer Kathy Strouse from the led our Drama Club in a workshop on stage movement, blocking, and stage management. Students read through scenes and learned how to annotate a script for staging. This coming Thursday, Generic will host a workshop for Drama Club on acting for the camera. Calling all film and IB film students!

At Parents' Night, Hauge school families had a chance to meet some of our new faculty and ask questions of our Head of School, Mike Spencer. Mr. Spencer described his lifelong devotion to education and to teachers and laid out his vision of The Hague School as existing on "the cutting edge" of trends in education. In coming years, globally and nationally, schools will scale down population and classroom size, emphasizing the skills emergent technologies most demand from the future workforce: interpersonal communication, critical thinking, public speaking, and community-building. As an established model with a curriculum that fuses the global and the hyper-local via Harkness and IB, The Hague School is leading the way into the future of education.

The 11th Grade IB English Lang and Lit is studying street art as a text-type. In order to better define and understand the characteristics of street art, the students took a walking tour of the Neon District.

Ms. MJ's Chemistry class went outside on this beautiful fall day to conduct some experiments and study the differing states of matter. Students created an oobleck out of corn starch and water and observed how it shifted from liquid to solid when they applied pressure, and caught dry ice in a balloon as it sublimated from solid to gas. Warm water made the process happen even faster, creating clouds of fog. Hands on learning at its best.

We are so proud of the students who were inducted into the Hague Stillman chapter of the National Honor Society yesterday. Previously inducted members of NHS led a beautiful ceremony, calling our community to pause for a moment and acknowledge the hard work and accomplishments of their fellow Tritons.

Students in Mrs. Walker’s ninth-grade English class are spending their year exploring the concepts of Identity and Story as they read and discuss short stories, novels, plays, and poetry. To help build our classroom community, each created an Identity Box filled with objects most representative of themselves, without revealing their names. During a Gallery Walk, students tried to identify the owner of each box using their observations and clues. When the owners of each box were revealed and explained their choices, we learned so very much about each other and the many connections we share. We are building the Harkness Table one day at a time

Some of our seniors have started a video series "Hague Headlines." It's a delightfully funny student-eye view of life at THS. Follow them on Instagram or on Youtube below:

Hague Headlines Episode 1: Introduction This is the first episode of Hague headlines!Special thanks to the crew that made HH possible: Anchors - Ollie Sedwick, Cam SullivanEditing - Cam SullivanSou...

Students in Mr. Mulligan's Scientific Research Methods class walked over to the The Chrysler Museum of Art to collect qualitative and qualitative data to compare in the classroom. Data was collected from interviews and students then determined the changes in the ratio of sculptures to paintings over time. Our location next to the Chrysler is just one of the reasons that

A reminder that the school is closed on Monday September 4th for Labor Day.

Day 3 of orientation began with discussions on readings related to AI and its impact on education. Students broke down the ethical concerns and problems AI presents for students and teachers in the classroom but also reflected on AI's potential to solve problems and improve our quality of life. Students collaborated to develop a policy for classroom use of AI at The Hague School, and then groups shared their ideas with the student community. While 9th took time to write a letter to their "future selves," 10th and 11th broke out for a discussion on . After working on their college lists and personal statement essays, the seniors shared the short films and presentations they created on the Student Handbook with the rest of the school. The day ended with an ice cream social. We cannot wait to get back into the classroom on Monday!

Day 2 of Student Orientation positioned students as guides and mentors to each other, a trend that would continue throughout the day: 10th-graders designed a training session in annotating texts which they delivered to the 9th-graders with examples and exercises that would make Ms. Walker proud. While the 11th grade spent time preparing for the IB, the 12th grade created presentations to inform students about our Student Handbook. They put their IB Film skills to use, shooting short films on policies such as dress code, academic integrity, and conduct at the table. Students returned to their mixed-grade discussion groups to create murals inspired by 's , incorporating aspects from each of their individual artworks. These murals will hang on our walls, a visual metaphor for the beauty we create when we come to the table prepared, willing to share, collaborate, and listen to each other.

It was a joy to hear these students' voices filling up the classrooms and commons once again. Our first day of student orientation was packed with fun icebreakers and deep discussions. The day began with an outdoor team-building activity. Then, our 9th graders got to observe and take notes on mixed-grade Harkness discussions about the summer reading by . 9th graders gathered to share observations with their classmates, then returned to the mixed groups to ask questions of the discussion participants, who seemed eager to share their wisdom, advice, and encouragement with our newest class. After lunch, students chose two passages from Born a Crime to use as a basis for creating an original work of art. 9th graders engaged in their first discussion and were impressed by the balance, quality, and lines they earned their first time at the table. The excitement and pride in the faces of new students, the laughter and confidence of our returning Tritons, and the willingness of new faculty and staff to jump in and take part in our school culture make it clear this is going to be a great year.

On Monday, the Hague School faculty gathered for an intensive two-day Harkness training. Faculty were welcomed by our new Head of School, Mike Spencer, who shared some highlights of his experiences as principal of Maury High School and his more recent educational experiences in Morocco. Thank you to the students who came to school on their last days of summer to demonstrate what a Harkness discussion looks like. Our new faculty members were impressed by the enthusiasm and focus these Harkness Heroes bring to the table. And thank you to Alvero Lopez of the Harkness Institute for facilitating the opening discussion. Later sessions covered preparation, grading, and integrating IB and Harkness. Our new and returning faculty had fun getting to know each other and sharing their ideas and observations. We are looking forward to an exciting year!

Save the date! Our Model UN team is preparing to host this fall's HagueMUN event for middle school students interested in competing in November. It will be a fun event to learn more about the Model UN process while enhancing critical thinking and public speaking skills.

Students enjoyed the Vincent van Gogh Dreams exhibit during their last day in Puebla. A magical ending to an amazing trip... Harkness Institute campus San Luis Potosí Harkness Institute

Enjoying the Chautla lakeside estate, students spent the day ziplining, fishing, and taking in the beautiful views from paddle boats. Unplugged and thriving... Harkness Institute campus San Luis Potosí Harkness Institute

Students walked through history today as they toured the massive Cantona archaeological site and museum. Studying Mexico's history in the morning, and seeing it in the afternoon as students expand their worldviews... Harkness Institute campus San Luis Potosí Harkness Institute

Wow! Hiking, waterfalls, and a memorable swim as students took in the beauty of Ahuehuetla today. Harkness Institute campus San Luis Potosí Harkness Institute

What a lovely day in Val'Quirico! Inspired by Tuscany and Spain, this town is full of beautiful nooks, shopping, and restaurants. Harkness Institute campus San Luis Potosí Harkness Institute

Coffee anyone? Students enjoyed an outing to the Coffee Museum Córdoba where they learned about the history of coffee and had a tasting. Learning something new every day... Harkness Institute campus San Luis Potosí Harkness Institute

It's another fun day in Veracruz! Students toured the historic Fort of San Juan de Ulua, followed by a delicious lunch of grilled chicken, chorizo, and steak platters and empanadas on the way back to Puebla. Harkness Institute campus San Luis Potosí Harkness Institute

Today was a day to remember as our inaugural Class of 2023 graduated. In a bittersweet ceremony full of love and accolades, we ushered them into the next chapter. Thank you to Mayor Alexander for addressing our students with words of wisdom and encouragement. Thank you to the families, faculty, and staff who have believed in the school's vision and celebrated these amazing students with us today. We will miss these trailblazers and wish them the best of luck and much success. Our inaugural class will always hold a special place in our hearts!