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Technology & Innovation

1:1 iPad Program

At Hamlin, students use their iPads to reinforce the basic, formative skills taught through direct instruction.

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Maker Program

Our Maker program is designed to deliver moments of impact where students engage in real-world problem solving.

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Computer Science

Our K-8 Computer Science program emphasizes the importance of thinking, both logically and critically.

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Hamlin classrooms weave a variety of technological tools to support the teaching and learning cycle. We approach the use of technology with a pedagogical lens where we act with intention and use a rigorous decision-making process to select the tools that we incorporate into our program. We believe that technology cultivates curiosity, independent exploration, analysis, and unique creativity, while rooting the educational experience and shaping the lives of today’s digital citizens.

 

Innovation with technology is core to the Hamlin program. We offer K-8 programming while supporting a growing robotics program, ensuring that our students are not only savvy consumers of technology, but more importantly, are creators. As a community, we are moving beyond simply using substitution technology (i.e., digital textbooks) and are working towards redefining teaching and learning with the aid of technology (i.e., student-driven learning).

 

 

Apple Distinguished School

 

Throughout Grades K-8, the iPad is used to reinforce the basic, formative skills already taught through direct instruction. The girls work individually, with partners, and in small groups to explore educational apps. They regularly create multimedia content using apps such as Photos, iMovie, GarageBand, Pages, Keynote, and iBooks Author in order to communicate what they have learned. Students also enjoy publishing their work. The iPad not only increases engagement in the classroom, but also generates a learning environment that is expanded, individualized, and inherently collaborative. During regularly scheduled iPad classes, Lower School and Middle School students explore the meaning of the Hamlin Creed through a digital lens.

 

In 2017, Hamlin was selected as an Apple Distinguished School. You can download our Multitouch Book (iBook) to learn more about our program.

 

 

Apple Distinguished Schools are centers of leadership and educational excellence ​that demonstrate Apple’s vision for learning with technology — and we believe they are some of the most innovative schools in the world.​
Apple Distinguished School leaders, faculty, and the extended community have a clear vision for how their technology-rich environments support learning goals. School leaders have established elements for continuous innovation that include culture, team, capacity, community, finance, and measurement. Supporting their school’s vision is an ongoing process that requires thoughtful planning, practice, and improvement along the way. They use iPad and Mac products to inspire student creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking. And they cultivate environments in which students are excited and curious about learning.

 

 

Digital Citizenship

 

Hamlin’s Digital Citizenship curriculum is a thoughtful and intentional program that begins in Kindergarten and goes through graduation. Digital literacy and citizenship are interwoven throughout the Hamlin curriculum, highlighting our belief that living an ethical digital life complements creativity and creation. We have been recognized by Common Sense Media as a “Digital Citizenship Certified School”, and actively work with our parent community to ensure our students receive a consistent message to encompass a digital world that remains active outside of the school day.

 

We use Common Sense Media’s Scope and Sequence tool as our primary teaching guide while working with students to develop competency for online behavior both at school and at home. Digital literacy and citizenship are continually addressed with a focus on privacy, online safety, communication, digital footprints, proper citation practices, and research skills. Our belief is that every Hamlin teacher is a digital citizenship teacher and our support for staff members in becoming Digital Citizenship Certified Teachers has allowed our school to be recognized as a Digital Citizenship Certified School.

 

 

Tech Advisory Council

 

The goal of the Technology Advisory Council is to provide the Head of School, the Director of Program Innovation, and the Director of Technology with a panel of industry experts to advise and support the school’s technology programs. This group will leverage its experience and expertise to help the school understand current trends in technology; advise school administrators on efficient and cost-effective methods to maintain our technology infrastructure; enlist the help of corporate partners, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders to enhance the educational technology programs; and work enthusiastically to advocate for gender equity in the STEM fields. Cultivating relationships with Bay Area and Silicon Valley technology professionals as well as leading strategic conversations on the future of technology at Hamlin will be essential tasks for the Technology Advisory Council.

 

 

STEM the Gender Gap

 

Although Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) careers are one of the fastest growing and highest paid fields, a significant “STEM gender gap” persists worldwide: only 28% of STEM jobs are filled by women, with only 5% filled by women of color. At Hamlin we are passionate about closing the gender gap, and in 2014 we established an annual STEM The Gender Gap Day. Like so many things in the 2020-21 school year, we re-envisioned STEM the Gender Gap Day as a virtual event in combination with Women’s History month; we were excited to welcome an amazing lineup of speakers via Zoom.This year, we will have a blend of in-person and virtual experiences in March. We believe that introducing our girls to STEM companies/organizations and the women who work there early opens their minds to broader career paths to consider, thereby starting to close the gender gap in STEM fields. This event would not happen without an incredible partnership with the Tech Advisory Council. We are deeply grateful for the flexibility of teachers, administrators, students, and the entire community.

 

Read more on our STEM the Gender Gap page.

 

Tech Team

 

Lastly, Hamlin has a passionate and responsive technology team that serves our student, faculty, staff, and parent community.

Meet Our Technology Team

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Rachel Davis

Educational Technologist

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Lawrence Fung

Information Technology Manager

Nicholas Lam

Tech and Theater Support Specialist

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Jim Lengel

Director of Technology

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Brian Louie P'23, P'28

Maker & Design Teacher

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Mark Picketts P'22

Director of Program & Professional Development

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Caroline Windell

K-8 Computer Science & Robotics Instructor

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Dear Hamlin Community,

As the new Chair of the Board of Trustees, I am thrilled to welcome you to the 2024-2025 school year. It is an honor to take on this role, and I feel a profound responsibility to serve our school and ensure a bright future for our students and community. Hamlin’s unwavering dedication to fulfilling its mission remains at the heart of all we do.

From the very beginning, Hamlin has felt like home to my family. David, Olivia ('27), Juliette ('28), and I were wholeheartedly embraced by a community that cherishes excellence, authenticity, and upholding its core values. As Hamlin enters its 161st year and Wanda Marie Holland Greene begins her 17th year as Head of School, our strength lies in honoring our founder’s mission, preserving enduring traditions, and respecting those who paved the way. Our collective aim is to ensure Hamlin continues to thrive for future generations.

Under Wanda's leadership and in collaboration with the leadership team and Board of Trustees, we have achieved significant milestones over the past five years. We successfully navigated the onset of a pandemic, oversaw a campus rebuild, and reunited our community in person under one new solid roof. Our ambitious strategic plan, Lead with Love, was launched and we earned a second accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). These achievements are a testament to our resilience, vibrant community, and dedication to serving our mission. Let's remember to celebrate all we've accomplished!

We are privileged to educate the 440 remarkable children who join us each year. The devotion of our faculty, administration, and staff enriches our community; our people are our greatest asset and the cornerstone of our institution. Our strategic plan, Lead with Love, places our people at its heart, guided by a steadfast commitment to mental health and wellness, professional development, investment in our curriculum, partnering with our community beyond Hamlin's walls, and strengthening the community inside our school.

As Chair, I am committed to being fully engaged and listening to the needs of our school and community. Our board members are focused on open communication and collaboration, ensuring we address challenges, seizing opportunities, and supporting initiatives that benefit our students, faculty, and families. Your input and involvement are vital to our decision-making process. We encourage you to share your thoughts and ideas with us as they shape the future of our school.

As we look ahead to the fall, the start of a new school year brings renewed energy and anticipation. We welcome a new kindergarten class and new families into our vibrant community. As we embark on this new journey together, let us also acknowledge the challenges we've faced and the resilience we've shown. These shared experiences have strengthened our community and our commitment to our shared values, the pillars of our CREED: compassion, courage, honesty, respect, and responsibility. These ethical principles guide our daily actions and decisions, reminding us, "The Hamlin School educates girls to meet the challenges of their time and inspires them to become extraordinary thinkers and innovators, courageous leaders, and individuals of integrity."

It is a joy to be part of a lioness pride that embodies boldness, inclusivity, and a strong commitment to our CREED. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to all of you—parents, students, faculty, staff, and alumni—for your unwavering support and dedication to Hamlin. Your passion, generosity, and partnership form the foundation of our community, ensuring that our mission and values remain at the forefront of everything we do. I also want to extend my appreciation to our alumni, whose ongoing support and involvement enrich our community and contribute to the legacy of Hamlin. Your contributions are deeply valued and make a significant impact on the life of our school.

Here's to an outstanding school year filled with new opportunities, growth, and success!

Warmly,
Kelsey Lamond P’27, P’28

 

 

 

As a culminating class project, Grade 8 students collaborate creatively on a scripted or devised performing arts production to perform for the Hamlin community in June before their graduation. This musical production offers students an opportunity to develop and share their skills in music, dance, acting, and visual design (with set, props, costumes, and lighting) while bonding together as a class. Students work on their performing arts project over the course of the spring semester. These annual Grade 8 musical productions are based on meaningful content aligned with Hamlin’s mission and Creed and have been a favorite school tradition, and are now even better on the stage in our new performing arts center!

 

Rise to the Challenge (RTC) is our Grade 7 capstone project that encourages students to think deeply about and explore solutions to the challenges of their time. As part of this project, they take service learning field trips throughout the year to volunteer and learn more about the issues facing our local community and our world, and work in small teams to identify, research, and propose solutions to a specific challenge that they are passionate about.

 

Grade 6 ends the school year with an interdisciplinary project focused on presentation skills, team building, and self-reflection, where students create a range of pieces to share their learnings and educate the community on social issues through research, presentations, and art. The project, typically called the Symposium, shifts its format and focus from year to year, but it will remain a multi-disciplinary research and performance project that builds on and extends the skills learned throughout the year, concluding with various performances on historical and current topics to deepen students’ understanding of the challenges in the world and encourage them to be agents of change, as they take action to improve their community.

 

The U.S. Magazine Research Exhibition is Grade 5’s project-based culminating venture, which demonstrates the depth and range of skills and knowledge students have acquired during the school year. Each student writes a unique article about some aspect of their group’s region of the United States, with a variety of focal points including the sciences, arts, history, economics, athletics, and more. By creating and publishing a magazine together, students integrate research, writing, collaborative teamwork, creative risk-taking, and academic skills. Finally, Grade 5 students proudly display their public speaking skills in the projects’ exhibition to the community.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Jan Micha Influential Women in History Program is a way for Grade 4 students to learn about women who have made significant, positive, and often overlooked contributions that have changed the course of American herstory. Research, public speaking skills, and learning about different experiences through influential women’s stories are core principles of this project. Originally called the Famous American Women Program, it was renamed in 2015 to honor one of the program’s founders and beloved member of Hamlin’s faculty for over 30 years, Jan Micha.

In Social Studies, Grade 3 students spend the year focused on California: its people, its geography, and the events that have shaped it. Students study the state’s geography by looking at different regions and resources, as well as the often untold stories of California’s Indigenous People both past and present. They end the year by analyzing the movement of people throughout California and reading books about immigration.

 

Grade 2 students see a mini golf course through from ideation to completion. As part of this project, students work in teams to design a golf hole - they name it, make it challenging using angles, ramps, and obstacles, and even pick its par before creating a presentation for classmates using photos and videos about their design. They also visit local mini golf courses to practice their putting and learn more about the craft. Finally, students bring their visions to life and then invite parents and other grades to come try out their mini golf course! Through this project, students are able to get active while developing skills in math, robotics, creating and delivering presentations, and teamwork!

 

Grade 1 spends the year studying community and neighborhoods. Students ask themselves essential questions such as: What is my role as a community member? How can I help my community or neighborhood? What are my responsibilities as an individual and group member? What does safety within a community look, feel, and sound like? The study culminates with a hands-on project in which students build a model of the surrounding neighborhood, interview community members that contribute to the greater whole (i.e. librarians, mail person), and integrate the interviews directly onto the model using QR codes. Through this project, students learn about the physical aspects of neighborhoods, cardinal directions, community jobs, and developing interview skills.

 

Every spring, our Kindergarten classes begin their Emergent Units. The themes of these units are completely student driven, different between the classes, and vary every year. Themes are based on class discussions around interests and curiosities. Once the theme is determined, homeroom teachers get to work connecting with outside specialists and our in-house specialist teachers to integrate local and diverse activities and guest leaders to heighten the learning experience. The culminating project is then shared with the larger community through performances, public speaking, and interactive, hands on opportunities.

 

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