Sixth Grade Girls Practice Writing with Personal Memoir
Vicki Koehn, middle school English teacher, offered a creative approach to practicing writing. At a critical point in learning to write, she gave her sixth grade girls an assignment to write a ten-chapter book about the subject they know best – themselves.
In their memoirs, Mrs. Koehn asked the girls to explain how they got their names, and then offer an account of their early childhood and family, as well as family traditions, places they love and pets, incredible experiences they've had, their passions, and the future. She gave each girl freedom of expression for the assignment, allowing for various different content, designs, and methods of putting the book together.
The preparation for the project included research, time-management practice, and work with technology for formatting.The culminating portion involved a presentation to the class, and the girls had an opportunity to read the writing of their classmates and find out a little more about them.
After listening to other girls’ stories, Eleanor Merchant ’23 said, “Once you find out what a person is like behind the scenes, it can change your perspective on them. When you start to hear everyone’s stories, you realize how much you might have in common with them.”
Projects like these allow Hutchison girls to polish academic writing skills and foster creativity while getting to know their peers better. The girls expressed their gratitude to Mrs. Kohen in a class-wide reflection: “We are proud of our writing, and we realize that we will treasure these books for many years to come!”
On October 29, five Hutchison seniors and two upper school teachers left school to go exercise their rights as citizens and vote in the upcoming midterm elections.
Even though history is not her favorite subject, Amanda Layne Miller ’14 discovered her life’s passion at Hutchison in Nancy Smith’s history class in the sixth grade. Miller had a research assignment and was required to present it using Windows Movie Maker. “I learned how to use it for the first time and loved it. I started documenting my life with my camera and editing my own videos, and it turned out that I loved film and loved making it.”
In her senior speech, Caitlin Robinson ’19 encouraged her classmates to be courageous by saying “We should stand up for what we believe in, even though we may face adversity.” Robinson believes in equality, and it shows in the work she does in the Memphis and Hutchison communities.
Hutchison has been an ideal match for the diverse talents and interests of National Merit Semifinalist Sally Crow ‘19. With her extensive knowledge of economics and expert skills as a theatre lighting designer, Sally has distinguished herself as a thoughtful, curious, behind-the-scenes leader.
Charlotte Merchant '19 has immersed herself in theoretical computer science for several years, tackling complex computer concepts that most students don't encounter until their junior or senior year of college. "I just really like math. I wanted to find a topic that intersected with my interests in math and computer science, and that's where theoretical computer science comes in. It's the math behind everything."
Earlier this spring, Kiya Brown ’21 won second place in the 2018 Tennessee Poetry Out Loud Competition in Nashville. The win came with a scholarship cash prize for her and a stipend for Hutchison from the National Endowment for the Arts for the purchase of poetry books and supplies. Poetry Out Loud is a national arts education program that encourages the study of poetry through a recitation competition in high schools across the country. It has grown to reach more than three million students and 50,000 teachers from 10,000 schools in every state across the country. This year, Tennessee had nearly 3,000 students participate.
Whether the effects are large or small, every person will make an impact in their community, and through their community, the world. At Hutchison, we teach our girls the importance of making a difference in the world from the start. And our first graders are doing just that through their Bridging Gaps in Our Community project!
This has been a big year for the city of Memphis. From remembering and celebrating the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on the 50th anniversary of his assassination to appearing in the network TV show This Is Us, our city has so much to show and tell. As much as the third grade students and teachers loved our Colonial America unit, we realized there was another unit of study that deserved attention… our city.
Middle school girls have been shaking things up in science class this year! FIFTY THREE of our budding scientists and engineers in Middle School received awards at the Memphis and Shelby County Science Fair at Christian Brothers University.
A couple of years ago, there was a bright-eyed girl who had never played golf in her life before 6th grade. She had a pretty natural swing, but it needed refining. Her coach taught her the game and gave her the tools to improve her swing; but more importantly, helped her develop an intense love of the game. This passion is what drove her to continue to improve her skills. She worked week after week, even while playing other sports. A year later she won the middle school league championship.
Senior student athlete Elizabeth Farnsworth was named High School Athlete of the Week by the Commercial Appeal after scoring 23 goals in three victories last week. Elizabeth is a three-time All-American, an Academic All-American, as well as Best of Preps Lacrosse Player of the Year in 2015. In 2016, Inside Lacrosse Magazine named her #6 on their list of Top Gun Juniors from across the nation.
If we could boil down all of the overwhelming challenges schools face in promoting literacy to a single disheartening statistic, it might be this: As students age from elementary school to high school, the majority of students who previously read frequently for enjoyment give up the practice (Scholastic, 2015). Simply put, as students grow up, they read less.
Hutchison girls earned an impressive 32 awards at the recent Southeast Regional Scholastic Writing Awards. These girls submitted writing which was judged against that of students in grades 7-12 from 11 states; Hutchison's winners substantially outnumbered those of any other Memphis school.
A half dozen seniors stand on one side of the room, ready to disagree with the statement a junior in Global Studies is about to make that clarifies the U.S. position on chemical weapons in Syria.
Hutchison girls competed in the 2018 Regional Scholastic Art Awards where they received 64 awards: 22 Gold Keys, 13 Silver Keys, and 29 Honorable Mentions.
Samantha Tancredi ’18 spent her summer participating in a Hutchison Leads Fellowship that took her all over the world. From Geneva, Switzerland, to Seville, Spain, and Washington, D.C., Samantha spent her time researching the role of law in the business, political, and cultural worlds.
"I believe Hutchison has prepared me so well for any college experience, academically. Through my participation in the Science Research Fellows program, I have also discovered the areas of STEM that truly interest me beyond the classroom." - Monica Fleck '18
Emily Faber ’15 is currently a junior at Rhodes College and serves as the executive director of The Bridge, a student-run newspaper that benefits the homeless.
Our middle and upper school girls are involved annually in Model United Nations (Model UN), a program that gives the girls opportunities to participate in debate and open discussion of international issues while helping them to become more knowledgeable global citizens.
“I have to thank my eighth grade advisors for believing in me and showing me that there isn’t just one style of leadership. Anywhere else, a girl like me could have been lost in the background, but because of their help, I learned that a listener can be a leader and that I have a voice. I never would be the student I am today if it weren’t for the faculty.” - Anna Murrey '18
The atrium of Labry Hall buzzed with excitement as upper school girls spilled in after lunch to eagerly smell, feel, and test lip balms and body butters made by the co-founders of Hutch Honey.
Hutchison is proud to announce that senior Owen Hergenrader has been named a finalist for the Wells Scholars Program at Indiana University Bloomington and a semifinalist for the Coca-Cola scholarship.
When the lights go up next weekend for Hutchison’s production of the musical Once on This Island, senior Madyson Bolton will take the stage in the lead role of Ti Moune. Once on This Island is a unique show driven by African-Caribbean music and French colonial culture. The show weaves a new myth from plot elements of The Little Mermaid and Romeo and Juliet with a Caribbean flair.
I waited a few seconds as my friend stared pensively into the distance, processing my explanation to his questions about my job. When I came back into his focus, he replied, “Gosh, I wish someone had asked me that question when I was in high school.”
This is a busy time of year in the Hutchison college counseling office. As we prepare and send recommendation letters, transcripts, and work with girls as the application deadlines quickly approach, it is important to reflect on the relationships we build with each girl. Because of our one-on-one college counseling, we are able to vividly describe each girl in our letters of recommendation. Yet, our work does not start a few weeks before an application deadline; it starts years before. In fact, our relationship with each girl begins during her freshman year. This is the Hutchison difference.
"The best examples of inclusion take place in the classrooms as girls are learning how to become critical and independent thinkers equipped to engage in civil discourse."
To bring learning to life for our girls, we often invite in working professionals to share their experiences. Recently world-renowned photographer Ebet Roberts '63 visited our digital media class to discuss how her career got started in New York in the 1970s.
Samantha Tancredi ’18 is troubled. Eyes squinting and brow furrowed, she stares into her computer screen at the rough draft of Signpost, Hutchison’s school newspaper.
Many years ago, I sat in my office anxiously waiting for a parent who had signed up to see me during parent-teacher conferences. This particular student was doing great — straight “A”s in my AP Spanish class, so her father’s visit puzzled me.
At Hutchison, we recognize that extraordinary things can happen for a young girl when passion, talent, and opportunity meet. Therefore, it is our aim to present your daughter with numerous opportunities to discover and pursue her unique interests. With hard work and dedication, our girls are learning that their passion and talent can take them anywhere they can imagine. Just ask the young women spotlighted.
How do Hutchison upper school girls spend their summers? Senior Heather Guglietti spent hers exploring urban planning with a Hutchison Serves fellowship!
It seemed like a no-brainer. The beehives on Hutchison’s farm regularly yield a good supply of honey, and the upper school girls in the entrepreneur class, part of Hutchison Invests, were learning how to create and run businesses.
Cesar Salazar, one of Hutchison’s middle school Spanish teachers, recently received the “Microsoft Best Classroom” award for his outstanding and innovative integration of Colombian culture curriculum into the Spanish language education of his classroom.
Our varsity lacrosse team ran away with their seventh consecutive state title this weekend, finishing strong in the championship by defeating Harpeth Hall, 18-7.
As the end of the year approaches, we wanted to express our excitement for our seniors as they say goodbye to Hutchison and begin their journeys at colleges and universities across the nation and around the world. We are so proud of the class of 2017!
Hutchison senior Sophie Merchant ’17 has been named a semifinalist in the 2017 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. Sophie is one of 722 semifinalists selected from nearly 5,100 candidates. She is one of only three Memphis students to be named a semifinalist. Final scholars will be named later this month.
Five Hutchison students were among seven Memphis-area students honored at The Salvation Army’s Founders’ Day program for their leadership in volunteerism and fundraising.
We would like to extend special thanks to the golfers, sponsors, and tournament planning committee who supported Hutchison athletics through our annual Golf Scramble this year.
Upper School girls applied their world language abilities to win fourth place in their division at the Tennessee Junior Classical League (TJCL) Latin Convention. Several girls also recently won Awards for their achievements on the National Latin Exam.
We are proud to announce that the Hutchison theatre department’s production of Beauty and the Beast has been nominated for four different awards this year by the Orpheum High School Musical Theater Awards.
Famous female political leaders, musicians, dancers, athletes, chefs, actresses, and more made their appearances in 4th Grade recently. Even Lucy from I Love Lucy stopped by!
For Julie Rim Huygen ’87, Hutchison’s 2017 Distinguished Alumna recipient, attending law school and working in politics were always in the cards. It turned out, however, that her route there was somewhat circuitous.
Girls in Little Hive, pre-kindergarten and junior kindergarten biked in Hutchison’s annual Trike-A-Thon to benefit St. Jude. This year’s event raised more than $14,000, exceeding all previous years.
Middle and upper school girls competed in the Annual Foreign Language Fair at the University of Memphis, where they won 34 individual and group awards.
“Hutchison Serves is trying to embolden each and every one of you to live out the potential and the abilities that you have,” said John Carroll, the executive director of City Leadership and founder of Choose901 and keynote speaker at the Hutchison Serves Assembly.
Lower School Spanish Teacher Kenna Chelsoi and Middle School Spanish Teacher Caesar Salazar served as presenters at this past weekend’s Memphis in May International Teachers' Conference, an event designed to bring international culture to every classroom in Memphis.
Hutchison girls of all ages visit our working farm regularly for a variety of unique learning opportunities. Today, in honor of International Women's Day, several classes joined school Horticulturist Mary Riddle for an early spring inspection of our school apiary where 50,000+ female honeybees currently reside.
Nineteen upper school girls traveled to Nashville last weekend to participate in the Tennessee YMCA Youth in Government Program, an annual conference designed to offer high school and middle school students a hands-on experience with state government.
Three Hutchison upper school girls, including Monica Fleck '18, Ansley Stamper '19, and Anne Grinder '19, were selected to attend the St. Jude Science Scholars symposium recently.
Senior Cooper Matthews has been selected as a finalist for Southern Methodist University's Hunt Leadership Scholars Program. She is one of 76 finalists chosen from more than 700 applications.
It's finally here! Our Center for Excellence and SPARK Day Camp summer offerings catalog is now available on our website at cfe.hutchisonschool.org. Register online today!
Twenty-four high school girls from seven different schools are participating in the fourth annual Hutchison Leads Summit at the Kroc Center of Memphis as part of the Center for Excellence at Hutchison.
Through our Hutchison Leads program, senior Gracie Meeks participated in an internship at Baptist Memorial Hospital for Women with a goal of gaining a real-life perspective on the daily life of a nurse in a hospital.
The Hutchison RoboBees finished 14 out of 23 teams at St. George's VEX Robotics Competition under the guidance of middle school science teacher Sherri Sobczak.
As part of our Hutchison Leads program, Gwen Jones '17 participated in a marketing internship with Official Mississippi RiverKings Hockey where she developed a strategy for improving attendance, participated in sales training, and became more familiar with fundraising. She was the only high school student among the cohort of interns.
After a successful varsity fall sports season, six of our Sting athletes were honored by being named to The Commercial Appeal's Best of the Preps team in one of four sports: soccer, volleyball, golf, or cross country.
During the fall semester, upper school girls competed in the local Knowledge Bowl competition under the guidance of upper school science teacher Robert Lofton.
Fifth grade girls recently participated in Genius Hour, a movement that allows students to explore their own passions and encourages creativity in the classroom.
Dr. Becky Deehr, middle school science teacher at Hutchison, was featured as the Educator of the Week on the National Geographic blog in early January.
Francie Sentilles ’17 had the opportunity to work with some of the best doctors in the world during her Hutchison Serves fellowship, which meant internships in Memphis, New Orleans, Cleveland, and even Seville, Spain. Her research allowed her to explore her passions for medicine and community service and gain valuable real-world experience.
Hutchison takes a unique approach to preparing our girls for college, starting with each girl in ninth grade to chart their paths through the Upper School and through the end of their senior year and the completion of the college selection process.
More than 1,900 people came out to see our production of Disney's Beauty and the Beast in November. Congratulations to the cast and crew on a spectacular run!
A partnership between Hutchison Serves and the Hutchison Farm sparked the lower school girls' interests to participate in a hands-on project so they can give back to the community.
Hutchison senior Griffin Gearhardt has signed her NCAA National Letter of Intent to play lacrosse at Vanderbilt University. Griffin's passion for lacrosse began at an early age and has only grown since then.
Sarah Austin '17, Madyson Bolton '18, and Becket Monaghan '19 have been selected to perform with the prestigious 2016 All-Southwest Senior High Honor Choir.
Perre Magness, a historian and writer, came to campus on September 12, as a visiting scholar and met with junior kindergarten girls and girls from upper school who are writers and editors of the Signpost student magazine as well as members of the digital media class.
Bonner Williams '12 was interviewed by MSNBC for its series "Women in Politics," which looks to foster a larger discussion on women candidates and women's issues on a national level.
Girl Scouts Heart of the South honored a select group of women who have made major impacts in their respective industries including Dr. Annette Smith, our Head of School.
“I’m really glad I took the debate class, because now I can argue my points effectively without feeling self-conscious. I initially dreaded public speaking, but halfway through the semester, I was so comfortable.” - Lauren Livesay ’16
Our Varsity Sting Lacrosse team, reigning state champions, earned their 6th consecutive state title in May, finishing strong by defeating Ensworth School 15-5.
Hutchison 9th grader Kendall Morgan was honored by the Memphis Fire Department during upper school convocation for her level-headed response in a crisis.
Middle and upper school girls competed in the Annual Foreign Language Fair at the University of Memphis, where they won an incredible 69 awards. Upper School Spanish teacher Rosa Carter was named Foreign Language Teacher of the Year.