The JAM: Just a Moment with Hillbrook Head of School Mark Silver

Show Notes Three moments, three divisions, one incredible day in the life of our Head of School. This podcast is powered by Pinecast .

Show Notes Hillbrook is nothing if not resilient. In this episode, Head of School Mark Silver takes a stroll through our history - from long ago to not-so-long ago - when our campus was nearly destroyed by fire twice in our 90 year history. Both times, our community rallied together to build something extraordinary - something so Hillbrook - from the ashes that remained. This podcast is powered by...

Show Notes "The Colonel just melted." As Hillbrook team have been thinking about how best to launch the 2025-26 school year and celebrate our 90th anniversary, Head of School Mark Silver found himself have been drawn back to the school’s early years, and reminded yet again of how the foundations of what we do today are so deeply rooted in that place and time. This podcast is powered by P...

Show Notes After 16 8th Grade Promotions (and counting!) Head of School Mark Silver takes some time to reflect on the flashpoint between history and future. "Promotion powerfully affirms our school’s 90 year tradition and commitment to see, know and understand each and every student, and serves as a beautiful and moving connection with generations of Hillbrook students and families," he...

Show Notes "Engagement" is about so much more more than paying attention in class - it's about truly being a part of a community, with kindness and intention. In this week's episode, Head of School Mark Silver ponders the recent Atlantic article “The Anti-Social Century,” self-imposed solitude, and how schools are a place where students can find both purpose and community. This podcast i...

Show Notes In a special Thanksgiving episode of "Just a Moment," Hillbrook Head of School Mark Silver takes time to reflect on his mother's lessons on gratitude - and how one of the greatest gifts we can give to others is sharing a sense of home, whether it's for an evening or a lifetime. This podcast is powered by Pinecast .

Show Notes I have been thinking a lot about this recently as we have been talking about how to help students engage with the upcoming election. As a school, we believe that it is critical for us to find age-appropriate ways for students to learn about the world around them. We also know there are a few things that make this challenging. In this episode of "Just a Moment," Hillbrook Head...

Show Notes The first few weeks of the school year, I have had the opportunity to jump back into the classroom, co-teaching a 10th grade Immersive course - “Our Voices, Our Rights: Sports, Pop Culture, & Campus Protest.” The agenda was inspiring and challenging, and it pushed students to grapple with complex contemporary questions - how should universities manage campus protest amidst the most...

Show Notes Since I was a young child, I have spent a week or two every summer in Central Oregon. Each time upon my arrival, I feel a change in my body, as I breathe in the pine-scented air, see the Cascade mountain range rising up in the near-distance, and find myself walking paths and trails that I have visited my entire life. There is a small creek that I always visit on my first and last day, a...

Show Notes Over the last few years, many of us have started to refer to this time of year as May-hem or spoken about “the 100 days of May.” I have used those expressions more than once, particularly during the latter part of the month, when I find myself digging deep to find the energy to show up as my best self for a big event. There is certainly something to be said for naming our feelings and f...

Show Notes During Spring Break, I read a book - Co-Intelligence, by Ethan Mollick, Professor of Management at Wharton and a leading voice helping people make sense of the place of AI in business, education and life. I had heard him on a recent podcast by Ezra Klein, and I was struck by the clarity of his message. It was the most accessible and compelling framework I have found yet for trying to un...

Show Notes Do you remember what you did yesterday? Stop and take a moment to think about it. While I certainly hope you remember something, I suspect your day was not nearly as interesting as the days our Middle School students had yesterday and are having throughout this week, as part of our annual Reach Beyond Week. This podcast is powered by Pinecast .

Show Notes In these early days of Spring, with blossoms of all colors appearing daily, there is such a sense of possibility in the air. How joyful and meaningful that our students are able to see and experience the myriad ways that different cultures and religions, including their own, celebrate and recognize this moment in time. This podcast is powered by Pinecast .

Show Notes In an increasingly volatile and uncertain world, it has never been more important for students to feel like they can do something and make a difference. This podcast is powered by Pinecast .

Show Notes So much of what we do at Hillbrook helps students discover who they are and allows them to both tap into their innate superpowers and passions and push themselves to do hard things and grow. It is, in the end, arguably the most important thing we do as a school. It’s a gift, one that keeps on giving as they go into high school, college and beyond. This podcast is powered by Pinecast .

Show Notes Farewell, little dragon: last Tuesday an iconic item on our Los Gatos campus met an unfortunate demise. The Dragon that oversaw students as they crossed over the bridge into the Middle School was destroyed by a branch during a recent winter storm. This podcast is powered by Pinecast .

Show Notes Last week, as part of a series of webinars for families interested in our Upper School program, we offered a session with five 9th graders talking about their experience during the first semester. Here's what we learned. This podcast is powered by Pinecast .

Show Notes “Coming back is like coming home because it’s just a very good comfortable feeling. Feels so good sometimes I like to just stay here and take it all in - just pretend that I never left.” This podcast is powered by Pinecast .

Show Notes Jokes, stories, Instagram posts, and memes about terrible meetings are a dime a dozen, with everyone bemoaning how much time is wasted in workplace meetings. Apparently, they aren’t participating in the meetings I am. This podcast is powered by Pinecast .

Show Notes If you look at the top high schools in the Bay Area as identified by Niche magazine, the top six schools, and nine of the top 10, do not have AP programs. These nine schools, all independent school peers of Hillbrook that reflect the type of high school we are designing, have strong college placement records and offer - without question - academically rigorous programs. This podcast is...

Show Notes Lou Jiménez, a professional artist and muralist who connected with our students in downtown San José last year, helped students understand the role of art as activism, showing students how artists can and have used murals to teach and call people to action. See our mural in action here: https://www.instagram.com/p/C0PrXmYP39v/ This podcast is powered by Pinecast .

Show Notes Monday afternoon we toured a team of educators from Hangzhou Yungu Chinese School around both our Los Gatos and San Jose campuses. They were interested in visiting us to learn more about our approach to education, including our reach beyond programming and our developing competency-based architecture that we are implementing in the Upper School. As we spent time with them, it became cle...

Show Notes HUB teacher Martin Magnana is relaunching HELP - Hillbrook Engineering Leaders Program - which ensures that students are making and building with a purpose. This podcast is powered by Pinecast .

Show Notes In a world that feels increasingly disconnected, turbulent, and polarized, it's more important than ever to be openhearted and to learn the skills that are essential to build friendships and create community. This podcast is powered by Pinecast .

Show Notes Serious scientific research is taking place - in our classrooms. Biochemistry teacher Mike Judge used the recent regional smoky air event from a few weeks ago as an opportunity to collect data about the impact of wildfire smoke on the urban heat island effect. Middle School science teacher Brian Ravizza has also brought the science of wildfires into his classroom, bringing 7th graders t...