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An Update to the Community 

June 19, 2020

Last week I wrote to the community updating you on the efforts we are making toward Harley becoming a more diverse and inclusive school. If you haven’t had time to give it read, I hope you will and it’s below—there’s a lot here, and I invite you to both support the work and, importantly, hold us to the commitments. 

Since then the faculty has re-engineered its summer reading and professional development program to include DEI work, with our teachers reading either How to Be An Anti-Racist or White Fragility and forming book groups. Parents are also forming book groups around those titles. In addition, summer programming is unfolding, with our first evening event just announced: 

  • “Hate Crimes and Justice: Rebooting the Fight against Systemic Bias and Violence.”  Presented by Harley parent Andrea Gluckman P ’24, hosted by Karen Saludo P ’27. Monday, June 29 from 6:30-7:30pm live via Zoom 

And we are planning for more.

In this national moment of racial reckoning, we have taken Juneteenth off this year, and we have gathered some resources for those who would like to learn more about the occasion:

That last piece is from the National Museum of African American History & Culture, and there’s a line in it—”Juneteenth marks our country’s second independence day”—that reminds us of a bit of Rochester history: it was here, in Corinthian Hall, where Frederick Douglass delivered his seminal speech, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” 

–Larry

June 2020

Larry Frye: Communications to All School

Monday morning I wrote to all of you with a reflection on the events of the weekend, both in Rochester and throughout the United States. In today’s follow-up, I am including the voices of the entire leadership team of the Harley School. There is so much to say and do. 

Let’s start with saying a few things: 

  • Discrimination on the basis of race is unacceptable, not to mention antithetical to the mission of Harley. The steady procession of black Americans killed by white police officers is a pox on the core American ideals of justice, fairness, and equity. 
  • Discrimination and racism of this kind is also, tragically, central to the American story. It is our original sin narrative, animating more societal ills than one can count—from housing to poverty to the police violence that has led to today’s protests. And, yes, access to education like the one we provide at Harley. 
  • These events affect different members of the Harley family differently. In particular, the school is about 32% students of color right now: this moment is different for them than it is for the majority white students. It just is. 
  • But these events diminish us all. 

 

We at Harley stand with all those who are affected by recent events, especially the families of our students of color. “Stand with” is better than “stand against,” of course, but not enough. What are we going to do? 

  • Respect the student voice and keep it at the center of our work. The Upper School SOCA (Students of Color & Allies) is hosting a dialogue this week as a place to start. The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee of the Harley Board is meeting with them Friday to process what is going on right now and to chart a collective path forward for students and adults in the Harley community. This may lead to ongoing conversations, town halls, a place in Summer Learning Connections …. 
  • We are beginning plans for a Commons Speaker Series type of event for later in the summer. 
  • Self-examination. Harley has done some good educational work when it comes to power, privilege, and equity—in fact, we have presented at conferences on our Rights & Responsibilities curriculum—yet we feel we have much more to do. 
    • We need to do better in connecting curriculum to the world around us
    • We will audit Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in our curriculum this coming year and make changes where we find gaps. 
    • We will conduct the Assessment of Inclusivity and Multiculturalism (AIM) from the National Association of Independent Schools this coming fall, the planning for which was interrupted by Covid-19. 
    • We will examine the “hidden curriculum”—it’s one thing to study these issues in class, but what about the lunchroom, hallways, and athletic fields? 
    • We will continue with gatherings of our parents of students of color and seek to build connection in our community
    • The DEI Committee of our Board of Trustees has charged the School with seeing that our faculty and staff becomes more diverse: 10-15% people of color within four years. We will make progress in this area next year and ultimately achieve the goal we have set. 
    • We will continue to build bridges between the Harley community and the Horizons at Harley community for both children and adults.  

When people visit Harley, we always spend time talking about the mission of the school and the philosophy that drives our work. It can seem a little egghead-y, at times, but it’s crucial—there’s just no more important question than, Why do you do what you do? 

We want to prepare children for the world as they will actually find it, and give them the tools to live with purpose. They will inherit a deeply flawed world. They will need to find their voice and to learn to listen, and they will have to know how to make change. Everything we do at Harley—from Lower School Assembly to the Middle School Advisory to Upper School athletics and the Shakespeare competition—is actually in service of those goals. 

Be with us on this journey, and hold us to our aspirations. 

Yours,  

Harley’s Administrative Team: Larry Frye, Kirsten Allen Reader ’90, Lars Kuelling, Hassan Jones, Terry Smith, Kim McDowell, Whitney Brice, Robin Mitchell, Peter Mancuso, Seth O’Bryan, Beth Bailey, Ken Motsenbocker and Shelli Reetz

Resources

It can be very hard to know how to talk about these issues, especially with children, and we have compiled some resources that we hope you find helpful:

  1. Article from USA Today: George Floyd. Ahmaud Arbery. Breonna Taylor. What do we tell our children?  
  2. How to Talk to Your Children about Protests and Racism,” CNN
  3. Age-Related Reactions to a Traumatic Event” from The National Child Traumatic Stress Network    
  4. Trevor Noah personally reflects on recent events and racism in America here. This is very thought-provoking, powerful and clear.  
  5. Supporting Vulnerable Students in Stressful Times: Tips for Parents” from The National Association of School Psychologists”

USA Today also created a good reading list:

Recommended by TIG: The Consortium on Trauma Illness and Grief in Schools:

  • How to be an Anti-Racist by Ibram Kendi
  • The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander
  • Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome by Dr. Joy DeGruy
  • Automating Inequality by Virginia Eubanks
  • Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram Kendi.
  • Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Ibram Kendi &  Jason Reynolds

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Harley’s Approach to College Counseling is highly individualized and student-centered. Students have direct access to college counselors throughout their Upper School experience, but really, each student is part of a team including faculty, administration, and staff. It’s our job to support each student and we want nothing more than to send students on to the next step of their journey at a right fit school for them. The student centered and driven process is wrapped in care, expertise, and professionalism.

We host college reps during times students are available (no need to miss a class) so they can make connections and learn more about potential schools. We also arrange campus visits for classes as field trips, host an alumni college day (where recent Upper School graduates return to share advice and answer questions), and help connect students with our international alumni network. In fact, representatives from schools all over the world actively seek opportunities to come to Harley and meet with our students!

Our college counselors are accredited and are part of national/global conversations on admission trends. They also attend and present at conferences across the country.

Beginning with our Grade 11 parent night, we offer informational sessions for parents, including one devoted just to financial aid. Our partnership with families is critical, as the college admissions world changes very quickly and having an expert to guide students and families through the process is essential.

View the downloadable College Counseling Guide

Clubs

“Club Rush” is an afternoon every fall in the Upper School when students have the chance to sign up for clubs for the year, and each year it is very different because new clubs are created based on student initiative and enthusiasm.

A few of this year’s choices: Sports Media, Social Action Club, Journalism Club, Feminism Club, Student of Color & Allies (SOCA), Gay-Straight Alliance, Tri M (music honor society), E-Sports Club, Euchre, Key Club (service), Animation Club, Dungeons & Dragons, Sustainability Club, Jewish Cultural Club, Astronomy Club, Biomimicry, and Beyond Soup (social justice/service).

Athletics

​Each and every year, students at The Harley School participate in HAC Athletics, and their success continues to be impressive, both as students and athletes. Our athletic program is an integral part of Harley, teaching student-athletes invaluable lessons about teamwork, time management, persistence, and competition.  Our program allows them to develop physically, mentally, socially, and emotionally as they represent their school on and off the field. They grow, mature, and work hard to be the best teammate they can, while creating lifelong memories with teammates who often remain friends for life. 

Helping our athletes to reach their potential are some of HAC’s best assets: our coaches. More often than not, they are drawn from the ranks of our faculty and  have a deep understanding of the personalities and abilities of the student-athletes on their teams.  

We strive to find the right balance of academics, exercise, and personal growth for everyone.  By offering a variety of sports at many different levels, all student-athletes find a sport they can be successful in. It is with great pride and pleasure that my team and I work to enrich the athletic lives of all our HAC student-athletes. Go Wolves! 

To learn more check out our athletics page.

Student Leadership

Our Upper School is filled with formal and informal opportunities for students to take on leadership roles. Whether following passions or learning new skills, student-driven opportunities take many shapes.

– Independent study: one trimester, full year, and multi-year projects have included automating our solar chimneys, coding handmade musical instruments, or developing a class on financial literacy for underserved high school students.

– Serving on student council

– STEM: Climate curriculum program, biomimicry program, NASA Hunch program

Clubs

“Club Rush” is an afternoon every fall in the Upper School when students have the chance to sign up for clubs for the year, and each year it is very different because new clubs are created based on student initiative and enthusiasm.

A few of this year’s choices: Sports Media, Social Action Club, Journalism Club, Feminism Club, Student of Color & Allies (SOCA), Gay-Straight Alliance, Tri M (music honor society), E-Sports Club, Euchre, Key Club (service), Animation Club, Dungeons & Dragons, Sustainability Club, Jewish Cultural Club, Astronomy Club, Biomimicry, and Beyond Soup (social justice/service).

Hospice

Unlike this class, death is not an elective. Although it is one of two universal human experiences, our culture often ignores, denies, or misconstrues the true nature of death and dying. What happens when we bear witness to this natural process in the cycle of life and develop our ability to be fully present with others when they need us more than ever? It has the potential to change us deeply and fundamentally while shining a brilliant light on the path of our own lives.

With the support of their classmates, teacher, and comfort care home communities, senior students are offered the chance to care for others who truly need their purposeful, non-judgmental attention. In the home-like setting of a comfort care home, opportunities for learning extend beyond a traditional classroom rubric and conventional methods of evaluation. In this course, students will certainly find tangible “learning outcomes” by studying the medical/physical processes associated with dying and the basic nursing assistant skills of comfort care. The ultimate goal, however, will always be rooted in true relationships and connection, which occurs only through empathy and compassion.

Learn more about the Hospice Program at Harley HERE.

Capstone/Independent Studies

This program utilizes environmentally-focused approaches to education and hands-on learning in order to foster the next generation of leaders through a lens of sustainability and problem-solving.

Food & Farm: These year-long and trimester-long classes are held outside as much as possible, allowing students to become leaders in our various growing spaces. They cover environmental justice issues as well as hands-on work such as planning and overseeing planting, harvesting, and preparation of the gardens.

Past year-long focus projects have included: Creating a native plant shade garden in the Wild Wood area, redesigning our hydroponic system, overhauling Harley’s high tunnel, and improving the irrigation system for the MicroFarm.

Culinary Arts: These classes have a two-fold purpose: to give students practical skills in cooking and the science behind different techniques in the kitchen, learning about food justice, food sourcing, labor topics, and sustainability.

Past topics have included: Examining a plant-based diet, looking at the carbon footprint of different meals and food preparation methods, proposing a low carbon footprint menu to the dining hall, links between food labeling and environmental issues of food production.

Beekeeping: This one trimester class provides hands-on training in beekeeping, how to be a beekeeper, and safety and other techniques for working with bees. Once trained students help with all aspects of Harley beekeeping such as hive inspections, honey collection and extraction, and teaching students in Lower School about our hives.

Students pick a research topic addressing honeybee health and the larger environmental picture.

Social Justice

At Harley, our students learn how to evaluate social systems in order to identify complex problems in society through a lens of social justice. They take a hands-on approach to working for a fair, equitable society by researching, exploring and evaluating different perspectives, and offering solutions—both theoretical and practical.

Our faculty integrate social justice into our broader curriculum to assist students in gaining a foundational knowledge about what makes a democracy function. By gaining skills in ideating supportive pathways they become more exposed and experienced to how communities can undergo healing and restorative actions.

 

Capstone/Independent Studies

Students may create independent studies with supervising teachers throughout their Upper School experience or, during Grade 12, they can design Capstone projects—intensive collaborations with Harley faculty and off-campus mentors—involving rigorous academic study and culminating in public presentations. They are empowered to create their own curriculum, set goals, and work on time management skills in order to accomplish their objectives.

Independent Studies run the gamut from The Psychology of Sports to Furniture Design to The Neuroimaging of Alzheimer’s Disease. Capstones, meanwhile, are as diverse as the students who pursue them: Fictional Rochester, Autobiographical Art, Biomimicry Education, Organic Fuel, and Rochester Refugees. 

Indicative of Upper School curiosity and creativity, pursuits such as these distinguish our graduates in college. Through deep dives of this sort, Harley students master more than speaking, writing, and computing: they learn to communicate, advocate, collaborate, organize, listen, and empathize. 

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