Hamden Hall Country Day School - Perennial Pine Yearbook (New Haven, CT)

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THE HAMDEN HALL COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL is located on the College Highway about a half mile north of the boundary between Hamden and New Haven. The school, which stands on a hill overlooking Lake Whitney, is surrounded by athletic and recreation fields covering several acres, including a small woodland, a favorite play place. The building is a large, rambling structure which creates a friendly, home atmosphere for efiicient, well lighted class rooms. It contains an adequate gymnasium for indoor sports and a large stage with complete lighting facilities which is much in demand for class and musical projects. A common living room is much used by students and faculty, and scarcely a week passes during the school year that does not find a group of parents gathered before its fireplace. HAMDEN HALL was founded in 1912 by Dr. john P. Cushing as one of the earliest of the country day schools. It had a long and successful career as a boys' school. It is now coeducational and is owned and controlled by the parents of the school who are incorporated as a non-profit organization. All income received is used for the maintenance and development of the school. THE school is organized in five units, each in charge of a supervisor. The PRE-SCHOOL includes the Nursery School, Kindergarten, and Connecting Class. The PRIMARY DEPARTMENT consists of Grades One through Three. The LOWER MIDDLE SCHOOL takes in grades four and live. The UPPER MIDDLE SCHOOL includes the grades from the sixth through the eighth, organized to meet the Secondary Education Board requirements. The UPPER SCHOOL, covering the four years of high school, is organized to meet the requirements of the College Entrance Examination Board. The enrollment is limited in order to give attention to the particular needs of the student. THE main concern of the school has always been the development and integration of the child as an individual. All school activities are planned and carefully coordinated for the accomplishment of this end. Instruction is carried on in small groups. The school program is developed on the principle of a well rounded day. This means that the school balances class room instruction with a noon luncheon and rest and an afternoon period of social activities, sports, and recreation. The pupil is guided and Page Seven

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l IN MEMORIAM Henrietta M. Ehrhart was a beloved member of the Hamden Hall Faculty for many years. Her fine concept of education and the sincere understanding which she expressed contributed richly to all those who had the privilege of knowing her. Teachers and pupils will always remember her gracious presence, quiet composure and high ideals. Her influ- ence will be felt for many years to come and will bear fruit in the lives of those whom she has guided and instructed. Page Six

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aided by the faculty not only in his studies but in his recreation and social contacts with his fellows. With such an organization it is possible to give careful attention to character development and to the physical, social and mental well-being of each student. Every effort is made to help all members of the school to find satisfaction in work well done and in a simple, friendly, Christian way of life. THE art work or creative work is closely integrated with the social science studies, and especial instruction is given in the techniques needed. The fundamental purpose behind the work of the music department is to bring out, develop, and guide the love of and feeling for music which is inherent in every child. Each group in the school has regularly scheduled periods each week for music in addition to the voluntary glee club and orchestra. The work in French begins in the early school years with songs and games and develops through simple reading and composition to formal instruction in the middle and upper schools. THE school recognizes that recreational, social, and aesthetic training is of equal importance with the more traditional subject matter, and should be made a definite part of the experience of all pupils. Opportunity is given to learn the fundamentals of the more organized sports and of many informal games. There is a well-developed schedule of intra-mural contests. Both boys and girls at various school levels have many opportunities to play against teams from other schools. Dramatics is an important school activity, and pupils at nearly all levels have opportunity to participate. In recent years Hamden Hall has produced with great success the Shakespearean plays, As You Like It and Twelfth Night , and the operettas, Mikado and Pinafore . The students in the college preparatory department publish THE HAMDEN HALL PERENNIAL PINE, a year book which contains contributions from pupils in most of the departments of the school. A program of rhythms is offered from the nursery school through the fifth grade. For all classes above the fifth, opportunity is provided for social dancing under excellent leadership, these classes being voluntary. Clubs such as rifling, student editing, photography, cooking, stamp collecting, nature work, sewing, THE WAITING STATION Page Eight