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

Show Notes I strongly believe that a piece of our success is tied to our historical roots. From our beginning in 1935, we were a school that dreamt big and that understood that all children are capable of achieving extraordinary things if provided the right environment. And, we were a school that knew how to take a vision and turn it into reality. This podcast is powered by Pinecast .

Show Notes One day in late April, Carla said, “Hey, I didn’t know you had purchased bees this Spring. “ I looked at her, “Huh?” And then went out to look. Lo and behold, there were bees in the hive. Clearly, a swarm from somewhere in our vicinity had found my bee boxes and happily settled into it for their new home. This podcast is powered by Pinecast .

Show Notes This morning at the 7th grade “Year Ahead” coffee, I shared with parents that 7th grade is one of the hardest years in school. “For the children or the parents?” a father quipped. I paused - “Yes,” I replied. This podcast is powered by Pinecast .

Show Notes In our first Immersives, students immediately grappled with relevant and timely questions - “How are civic leaders working to address the challenges for the unhoused community in downtown San Jose?” for example - and then heard from the people who are actually tackling these issues about the steps they are taking and the challenges they face as they deal with ambiguous and complex probl...

Show Notes As educators, we have increasingly come to understand the science of learning, the ways to help us identify each child’s proximal zone of development (the space between what a learner can do without assistance and what a learner can do with adult guidance or in collaboration with more capable peers). The goal with children is to help them develop the resilience to struggle and do hard t...

Show Notes Tuesday morning started off with one of our family’s oldest traditions - the first day of school photo in front of our house. There is only one child left for the photo, as my others are both off at college, but I quietly cheered last night when she reminded me that we needed to get the shot. Standing next to her this morning I flashed back on 15 years of first day photos - initially me...

Show Notes Nearly 90 years later, we remain deeply committed to Mary’s vision - both the belief that learning needs to be challenging and engaging, and that it needs to create the foundation to help students reach beyond and make a difference in the world. You can draw a clear throughline from her vision in the 1930s to Hillbrook today This podcast is powered by Pinecast .

Show Last week the Supreme Court delivered decisions in two related cases challenging race-conscious admissions in higher education. The decisions declared race-conscious admissions programs at Harvard and the University of North Carolina unlawful under the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. The decision ended decades of practice in which univers...

Show Notes Really? Rain in June? In California? Apparently, 30 percent odds had not been in our favor. But everyone stepped up to embrace the moment - and what had started as a normal 8th grade promotion ceremony quickly became one of the most memorable events in my time as Head of School. This podcast is powered by Pinecast .

Show Notes in his book, “Education at Bat: Seven Principles for Educators," Harvard Graduate School of Education professor David Perkins notes that schools are very good at asking students to practice things in isolation - learn your multiplication tables, practice your vocabulary and grammar, write an essay for your teacher, without ever asking children to put the parts together and play the...

Show Notes As we were preparing for this year’s show, I realized that exactly 10 years ago the Class of 2013 produced this same show. As I watched the current cast, I  started wondering - where are they now? Where are those now 24 year old young professionals in 2023?  While I wasn’t able to connect with all of them, I was able to connect with a small group of them. Not only did we get short updat...

Show Notes Can you solve the Zombie Bridge Riddle ? This podcast is powered by Pinecast .

Show Notes High school is an experience that provides tremendous value to them as a student and a person, and not simply a blur of experiences that provide you entry into the college of your choice. Put another way, I hope that high school is not a waiting area before you enter the real world….. But a real-world experience that helps you reach your highest potential in school and in life. This pod...

Show Notes Welcome to the JAM: Just a Moment with Hillbrook School's Head of School Mark Silver! In this semi-regular podcast, Mark shares thoughts, observations, and experiences about education, child-rearing, and more - both from his time here at Hillbrook School in California's beautiful Bay Area and as a lifelong educator, school leader, and father of three. This podcast is powered by Pinecast...