Innovation and Collaboration News

Third Graders in the Science and Social Impact class planted two types of kale, broccoli, and garlic last week in the Lower School garden. 

Social Impact Chemistry has been busy in the lab this week experimenting to determine various metals’ specific heat capacities.

Upper School students engaged in a deliberation yesterday with their advisories on the question, “How should the Hockaday Upper School regulate the use of cell phones by students during the school day?” 

Hockaday’s beekeeper, Teagen Breedlove, recently visited Upper School Biology classes to explain the dynamics of hives, the roles of different species of bees in ecosystems, and the various pressures put on bees.

Middle School Student Council is working together to solve an issue at school – how to help students leave the dining hall less messy after lunch! 

Upper School students along with Eugene McDermott Head of School Dr. Laura Leathers and Upper School faculty members Karen Sanchez and Candace Townsley headed to Pegasus Park to meet OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar.

If you ask a Fourth Grader what her favorite class is, you’ll often hear “CCI!” 

Upper School’s Biology, Impact, and the Zoo class was visited by special guests this week! 

Upper School students modeled their civil discourse training at an assembly in October.

Third Grade was thrilled to have Jess Wilson, Integrative Health Coach and Whole Food Plant-Based/Vegan Personal Chef, speak with the science and social impact class today! 

Cathleen Crews ’00, Abby Hoak-Morton ’05, Fallyn Gray Jones ’00, and Merritt Denton Russ ’01 joined the Daisy 2 Daisy panel for Upper School students this week.

Dallas ISD District 2 Trustee Sarah Weinberg visited Upper School government, a Social Impact class, to engage students in a discussion about the vital role of school board governance, the interplay between local, state, and federal government in shaping education policy, and practical ways for students to get involved in addressing educational issues within the Dallas community.

Eighth Grade students have been growing microgreens in science class as part of their investigation of Earth’s biosphere and ecosystems.

Hockaday Forensics students had an incredible visit from the FBI Evidence Response Team (ERT) and a retired Federal Prosecutor! 

Lower School Science teachers Lara Guerra and Amy Banks spent a great day at DIGS, the Dallas Inner-City Growers Summit.

This Hispanic Heritage Month, Upper School’s Spanish in the Community, a Social Impact seminar class, interviewed five key members of the Hockaday community. 

Upper School Statistics, a Social Impact-designated class, visited an animal shelter this week in preparation for their data project with Dallas Animal Services.

Upper School’s Biology, Impact, and the Zoo class worked on prototypes this week to solve a problem.

Hockaday recently welcomed Winslow Huth, Data Scientist at AT&T, to campus to speak to students about emerging technologies and her experience in data science.

When Ruhi M. (Class of 2027) and Marilyn P. (Class of 2027) participated in Middle School Robotics, they worked on a Social Impact project at Marcus Recreation Center.

Biology, Impact, and the Zoo students met interesting animals in a comparative morphology lab where they recorded similarities and differences among species. 

The annual Student Research Program Poster Symposium was held yesterday in Ownby Lobby.

Kindergarten and Primer girls have been practicing the steps of the Engineering Design Process (Ask, Imagine, Plan, Create, Improve) as they work to engineer a solution for Penny, a dog in need of shade.

In partnership with Close Up, a nonprofit, nonpartisan, civic education organization that informs, inspires, and empowers young people to become active citizens, Hockaday hosted more than 90 students at the ISAS and Close Up Student Facilitation Training on Friday, September 20.

Upper School students in Intro to Python are putting their coding skills to use!

Hockaday’s Upper School held a Dress Swap last week in preparation for upcoming dances and mixers! Around 90 dresses were donated by students, and their peers could come and “shop” for a free new dress.

Hockaday students and faculty traveled to the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory in Crested Butte for a week-long immersion program this summer.

Fourth Grade students planted marigolds in the Lower School Garden in preparation for Dia de los Muertos.

Upper School students in Dr. Cothren’s English class have been reading the novel Our Missing Hearts, a book in which gardens play a large role.

Last year, Hockaday developed a new partnership with the Data Science Department at Southern Methodist University (SMU).

Continuing Hockaday’s partnership with the University of Pennsylvania’s Social Innovators Academy, students met with Reilly Brooks to talk through social entrepreneurship and how they can make their ideas come to life.

After reading the book “Building Thinking Classrooms” last year, Middle School teacher Jenni Stout changed her approach to teaching math to better engage the girls in her classes.

Last summer, Director of Innovation and Collaboration Laura Day worked with Hockaday’s Science Department to bring a beehive and bee hotels to campus.

Upper School students visited Marsh Middle School recently to work with students.

This week, the Biology, Impact, and the Zoo class, a Social Impact class taught by Brandi Finazzo and Laura Day, held the sixth annual BIZ Shark Tank Pitch Contest.

Seventh Grade took a social impact field trip with St. Mark's this week.

Representatives from the Dallas Zoo came to campus last week to check out our First and Fourth Graders’ penguin presentations!

Congratulations to Anika Gopal (Class of 2026), who was named the winner of the 2023 Congressional App Challenge in Texas’s 24th District!

Seniors in Breaking the Glass Ceiling, a Social Impact designated class, headed to Hari Mari headquarters to hear from founder Jeremy Stewart about the ups and downs of entrepreneurship.