Category Archives: Student Leadership

Influential Women in History Project (2020)

In previous years our Grade 4 students have taken the stage at the Century Club to pay tribute to historic and influential women. This year our celebration moves online, but the project continues with great success.

Grade 4 shares the following:

It is with great honor and respect that we pay tribute to our dear former teacher, Ms. Micha, for bringing this project to life year after year. We feel honored to be the 32nd annual class to present our Influential Women in History Project. We pay tribute, not only to the women who came before us in history, but also to the 1,472 Hamlin sisters in the last 32 years. These challenging times put us on a mission: to show that we can overcome obstacles just like the women we researched. 

This year’s online format features a video of each student speaking in character as their influential woman. Other components include: art artifacts, quotes, lyrics, and fictionalized Instagram accounts with fun visuals and inspiring posts.

This year girls are representing the following women:

Margaret Brend, Inez Milholland, Alice Paul, Julia Child, Melinda Gates, Sheryl Sandberg, Oprah Winfrey, Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, Bethany Hamilton, Florence Joyner, Serena Williams, Misty Copeland, Billie Jean King, Simone Biles, Raven Wilkinson, Cheryl Miller, Mia Hamm, Clara Barton, Amelia Earhart, Rachel Carson, Elizabeth Blackwell, Sally Ride, Helen Taussig, Katherine Johnson, Brit Jepson d’Arbeloff, Grace Hopper, Margaret Hamilton, Julia Morgan, Nellie Bly, Georgia O’Keeffe, Audrey Hepburn, Maya Lin, Jacqueline Kennedy, Janet Mock, Nancy Pelosi, Ruby Bridges, Michelle Obama, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Deborah Sampson, Abigail Adams, Harriet Tubman, Maya Angelou, Helen Keller, Josephine Baker

-The colorful artwork (above) is entitled “Women Pioneers” by Kaitlyn S.

Escape Room Challenge With Grade 7

On Friday Grade 7 students participated in a fun Escape Room activity as a way of celebrating the end of regular academic classes, and the beginning of Rise To The Challenge (a two week intensive group project).

The whole grade was split into 9 teams on Zoom, then girls went into various virtual rooms to complete faculty-led challenges. In the rooms students did things like sing Cyndi Lauper with a spoon on their nose, and play “horse” with balled up socks. Some rooms emphasized creative writing, others focused on teamwork and communication. Whatever the challenge, girls worked to finish the task quickly, because they were timed against each other in a friendly competition. The overall goal was to have fun and escape out of the various rooms using good humor and a growth mindset. The day concluded with a festive awards ceremony complete with heartfelt and laughter-filled student speeches.

The Roar: Hamlin’s Student Newspaper

The second edition of The Roar came out earlier this month. The Roar is led by the following students:

Editor-in-Chief: Reeve C.

Student Opinion Section Editor: Lola C.

Sports Section Editor: Sadie C.

Arts/Entertainment/Style Section Editor: Maddie G.

Hamlin News Section Editor: Adele Y.

Calendar/Events Section Editor: Leslie R.

Layout Team: Annabelle B., Darcy D., Fletcher W., Matilda F., and Morgan K.

This edition features movie reviews, a music play list, poetry, a faculty interview, comics, a crossword puzzle, information about the COVID-19, Mad Libs, and much more!

Below is the music play list by Avery B. to help you stay upbeat during quarantine.

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Hamlin Celebrates Spirit Week Online

Distance learning doesn’t mean that our Hamlin spirit has diminished. This week students celebrate Spirit Week virtually by wearing spirited outfits to Zoom classes. The above photo is of the Banana Biales for Tuesday’s advising theme.

Below are the various spirit day themes:

Red and Gold Monday – Dress up for red and gold day to support your color team from home on Monday!

Advising Theme/Mascot Tuesday – Coordinate with your homeroom/advisory on a theme that you will all dress up as on Tuesday! Consider dressing up as an advising mascot or something that represents the name of your advising. 

 Wacky Wednesday – Dress up in the wackiest, craziest clothes you can find on Wednesday! You can wear funky patterns, mismatched socks, and much more. 

Meme Thursday – On Thursday, dress up like your favorite internet meme! Please make sure it is school appropriate.

Formal Friday – Dress up on Friday in formal attire!

Celebrating Black History Month

To celebrate Black History Month, Lower School students attended an assembly last Friday led by ALANA (Asian, Latina, African, Native American) students. The assembly opened by highlighting the contributions of African Americans like Maya Angelou and Ruby Bridges. Girls focused on the theme that “Black History is Our History,” and therefore touches the lives of all Americans.

Later in the assembly Ms. Cardone showcased outstanding books about African Americans, and Ms. Roseman discussed the importance of gospel music in the history of African Americans. Students then concluded the assembly by singing “This Little Light of Mine” written in the 1920s by Harry Dixon Loes, and later sung during the Civil Rights Movement.

Below is the link to our library’s wonderful Black History Books for Grades K-4:

http://hamlin.libguides.com/c.php?g=811135.

Hamlin Student Wins San Francisco Novel Contest

Emily M. won first place in a citywide novel writing contest called Kids Write Now! hosted by the SF Public Library in partnership with WritopiaLab and NaNoWriMo.  Based at the Richmond District Branch Library, the program challenged kids (10-14 years) to write as much as they could during the month of November. Inspired by writerly advice she received from Katherine Rundell during the author’s recent to Hamlin, Emily dove into this opportunity with great relish. She worked on her book every day, completing 106 pages during November. The novel is in the fantasy genre with a female protagonist named Venus. Emily hopes to finish the book in the coming weeks. The student coordinator and originator of this wonderful program is Hamlin alum, Kaya Dierks ’17 (standing next to Emily).

To learn more about the contest please visit: https://kidswritenowprogram.wixsite.com/kidswritenow/our-program

 

Students March To Address Climate Change

This Friday, our student-led Middle School Environmental Ambassador’s Club (EAC) led a march to address climate change. The optional march took place during recess in support of the Global Youth Climate Strike organized by teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg. Our girls (Grades 3-8) marched down Broadway to Fillmore to Jackson and back, in support of climate justice for all.

Noe Valley Girls Film Festival Continues To Inspire

Earlier this month, Hamlin students powered the Noe Valley Girls Film Festival for a 4th year. The festival showcased short films made by girls from all over the world. The Noe Valley Girls Film Festival is especially unique in that the entire festival is planned and run by girls 16 years and under.

Some key highlights were:

-250 people in attendance

-4 Pixar representatives spoke: Lourdes Alba, Lucy Laliberte, Connie Lee, and Becky Neiman-Cobb

-Ms. Alba, Ms. Lee, and Ms. Neiman-Cobb, brought their Oscar award (shown in the photo) for their animated short film, Bao

-San Francisco Supervisor Rafael Mandelman awarded all of the NVGFF team members a Certificate of Honor for their contribution to the community

-There were 3 Hamlin School submissions this year, with Molly W. (Grade 4) winning 2nd prize for her film, Lady Tiffin’s Travel Secrets. Mollie W. also won the Audience Choice Award and had her film screened at the Noe Valley Town Square movie night on Saturday, September 14

For more information about the festival please visit: http://www.nvgff.com/

Noe Valley Girls Film Festival This Weekend

For the 4th year in a row, Hamlin students are leading the way by sharing excellent female-made films from around the world. There has always been a Hamlin presence in the Noe Valley Girls Film Festival, but this year even more students are avidly supporting this wonderful event. On Friday morning, Claire K. and Mollie W. spoke at our Lower School assembly, encouraging girls to attend the festival. Mollie W. (Grade 4) is a finalist in the competition with her film Lady Tiffin’s Travel SecretsThe film festival is this Saturday 9/7, 4pm at the Noe Valley Ministry.

The Noe Valley Girls Film Festival is very proud to announce that the Key Note Speakers for the 4th Annual Noe Valley Girls Film Festival will be some of the Pixar members from the amazing team behind the Oscar Winning Film Bao.

Bao is a 2018 animated Pixar film released with Incredibles 2 about a mother, suffering from empty nest syndrome, who receives an unexpected second chance at motherhood when she makes a steamed bun that comes to life. The film won the Oscar for the Best Animated Short Film

Speaking at the 2019 NVGFF will be the following movie makers from Pixar Studios: 
Becky Neiman-Cobb, Producer 
Lourdes Alba, Production Manager  
Lucy Laliberte, Production Technical Manager 
Connie Lee, Lead Coordinator 

The Noe Valley Girls Film Festival’s mission is to encourage young girls to make movies with the goals of creating a new generation of moviemakers, promoting Noe Valley, and having fun.

To learn more, please visit: http://www.nvgff.com/

2020 Vision: Hamlin Begins A New School Year

Wanda M. Holland Greene (Head of The Hamlin School), and Maddie G.(Class President), ushered in our 156th school year with inspiring words. Ms. Holland Greene also led the entire room in singing the song Brave (by Sara Bareilles). The opening assembly was concluded by music teachers Will Skaff and Kate Roseman leading everyone in singing the song Make New Friends, a Hamlin tradition.  

You can read Maddie’s outstanding speech here:

We Have 2020 Vision:

Good morning everyone. Welcome to the 2019-2020 school year. I’m so honored to be speaking here today. 

Before we begin with the Pledge of Allegiance, I’d like to recognize that our country is still striving to achieve “Liberty and Justice for all.”  The word “Indivisible” doesn’t accurately describe a place where there is still discrimination based on race, sexuality, gender, religion, and more. As we recite the Pledge of Allegiance, let’s think about what we can do to support those who seek liberty and justice for all as we strive for indivisibility for the United States.  If you feel comfortable, please stand and place your right hand over your heart for the Pledge of Allegiance. 

“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” 

I’m so excited to see so many familiar faces as I start my 9th year here at Hamlin. I am equally excited to see the new faces in the room today. 

Let’s start by welcoming the new administrators, teachers, and staff by kindly asking you all to step forward and wave—we are thrilled to welcome you to the Hamlin community.  Next, I would like to welcome the students new to Hamlin. If this is your first year at Hamlin and you are anywhere from second grade to seventh grade, please stand up — Let’s give these new Hamlin girls a warm welcome! We are so happy to welcome you to our growing Hamlin family. 

Before we welcome the kindergarteners, I want to make sure they get a proper introduction to Hamlin, because they are strong and brave young girls. When the kindergarteners stand up, I want everyone to give them a big round of applause. Instead of cooing or aww-ing at their appearance, let’s give them a hand, because these Hamlin girls are mighty and powerful. So, with that, will the Kindergarten– the Class of 2028– please stand up, turn around, and wave to everyone in the audience so we can properly welcome you all on the first day of school!

      Thank you kindergarteners! You can turn around and sit down now. 

I have a special message for you kindergarten girls. When I started my journey at Hamlin as a kindergartener like you, I was quiet, nervous, and I missed my mom and dad, and the idea of standing up here before all of you seemed impossible. Since then, Hamlin has taught me how to be brave and brought out the best in me. 

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