Last year before the Fall Southern Preparatory Conference tournament, the whole Hockaday community came together in a noisy and jubilant celebration: the Spirit Rally. After the SPC competitors processed through the Penson Athletic Center, an inflatable cow appeared in the center of the gym.
The person in the costume? Interim Eugene McDermott Headmistress Liza Lee.
The spirit rally is one of several One Hockaday events that were first introduced in the previous school year. This initiative, created by Director of Community Relations Stephanie Rhodus, strives to build a greater sense of community throughout the school’s three divisions. In addition to the existing Spirit Rallies and the Day of Service event, two new One Hockaday events will take place in the upcoming school year.
After viewing the results of the self study completed two years ago and identifying successful programs at The Kinkaid School, Parish Episcopal School and Greenhill School, Rhodus set out to create a program to foster more unity within the Hockaday community.
“We recognized in many different realms there weren’t many connections between Lower, Middle and Upper school,” Rhodus said. “Each [division] had their own unique traditions of encouraging school spirit and pride, but we didn’t do anything together as an entire community.”
In addition to the three special events that will occur throughout the year, Head of Lower School Randall Rhodus said that “One Hockaday is bigger than just the things that have been labeled One Hockaday events. It really is just getting students and faculty together across all three divisions.”
For example, Upper School drama teacher Emily Gray addressed Lower School faculty last April about how they can incorporate drama and storytelling into their lessons. In addition, during the previous school year, Upper School art students transformed the pre-kindergarten students’ two-dimensional drawings of monsters into three-dimensional pieces and presented their work to the students, whose eyes lit up as they saw their monsters brought to life, according to Randall Rhodus.
Another new program began this year that pairs freshmen with first-grade students who share similar interests. This “buddy program” allows for students in Lower and Upper School to develop special friendships through monthly activities, such as writing birthday cards to one another and “get-to-know-you” activities.
Even though the program will remain voluntary for both grades, Randall Rhodus said “all of our first-graders want to have buddies.”
The separation between the three divisions has been raised as an issue among Upper School students as well as school administrators.
Kay Johnson, a junior who regularly volunteers with two second-grade classrooms, noted that “the divisions have unity but probably not as much as we should. There aren’t very many opportunities to interact with other divisions outside of the Day of Service unless you make special arrangements like I do.”
Stephanie Rhodus looks forward to growth in the program over the coming years as do all the division heads. When asked how he sees the program growing, Terry Murray, the Head of Upper School shared his vision.
“[In 10 years], hopefully, One Hockaday is not just a pep rally,” Murray said. “I hope it is all of us connected in all of our things, whether it is sports, pep rallies, academics, classroom time, how we do events.”
Head of Middle School Linda Kramer emphasized this point, stressing the importance of the One Hockaday program.
“I just don’t think you ever lose when you bring the whole school together,” Kramer said.
