Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Academy Hill School has been engaged in diversity work since our founding. We recognize diversity alone does not lead to inclusion, and we are committed to taking active steps to create an environment in which the identities and cultural backgrounds of our families, students, and employees are valued and respected.
At Academy Hill we believe that diversity, equity and inclusion are essential to achieving educational and academic excellence, and that students’ learning experiences are enriched by the diversity of the curriculum, student body, and adult community. Academy Hill is committed to creating an inclusive and equitable community in which all individuals can participate in and contribute to the life of the school, regardless of race, gender, class, religion, sexual orientation, or any other aspect of their identity. We are actively working to gain a deeper understanding of difference and how we honor it in our daily lives at school.
As a NAIS (National Association of Independent Schools) member school, we believe in and subscribe to the Association’s Principles of Good Practice as they concern Equity and Justice.
The Head of School’s Message
Zachary Verriden
Welcome to Academy Hill! Academy Hill has been a proud leader in the education of enthusiastic, motivated students for over 35 years. We are an internationally recognized independent PK – 8 school that seeks to harness our children’s natural curiosity and help build a lifelong passion for learning and doing in an environment rich in encouragement and opportunities.
At Academy Hill, “Developing Visionaries, Innovators & Leaders of Tomorrow” is not simply a tagline. We believe in our mission to enhance the educational experience for our students through rigorous, engaging, personalized curricular and co-curricular programs. Our teachers harness the talents and gifts each child exhibits and help to guide every child to find new and creative ways to access knowledge, interpret content, and develop and present ideas.
Academy Hill offers our students opportunities to interact with the world as they develop skills that will continue to benefit them, the community and our society. Our “Good Morning Show” and “Forum” programs ask all students from Kindergarten through Grade 8 to conduct research and present publicly on subjects of their choice multiple times each year. Enrichment Clusters allow the entire student body to explore and experience topics with tremendous depth and genuine authenticity. Service opportunities, extension offerings, and participation in academically-based celebrations such as Classics Day encourage our students to experience the world in uniquely tangible ways.
A classical humanities education paired with 21st century readiness skills is at the core of what our students receive at Academy Hill. Spanish, Latin, fine and performing arts, and a systemic approach to research and oral presentation skills separate Academy Hill from other educational environments. Our small class sizes, attention to relationships, and inclusion of families in our programs have combined to create strong, successful early education, elementary and middle school offerings for our students.
We thank you for taking the time to learn about what makes Academy Hill unique.
Kind regards,
Zachary Verriden, Head of School
Our History
The Academy Hill Center (known originally as The Ames Hill Center for Gifted Children, Inc.) began in 1979. The Center was founded by a group of parents and professionals dedicated to providing enrichment classes for intellectually gifted children in the greater Springfield, Massachusetts, area. At that time, parents were driving children to Worcester, MA, for similar programs.
Saturday and summer classes were held from 1979 – 1981 at the MacDuffie School for Girls in Springfield. In December of 1981, Wilbraham and Monson Academy invited The Center to merge with them and move to the Academy’s campus in Wilbraham. A year later, The Center was renamed The Academy Hill Center for Gifted Children. Mary Crist was named executive director of the Center.
Well-known for its popular Saturday and summer classes, Academy Hill Center was often encouraged to open a day school for the gifted. This step was taken in September 1986. The opening day enrollment of 51 grew to 55 by the end of the year. Classes were held in two buildings on the Wilbraham and Monson Academy campus. Members of our first kindergarten class graduated from the school in June 1993.
Academy Hill Center for Gifted Children was incorporated as a non-profit organization under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in July 1988. The Academy Hill School is a division of The Academy Hill Center for Gifted Children. Mary Crist became the first head of school. Its classes continued to meet on the Wilbraham and Monson Academy campus.
In 1993, the Board of Trustees of Academy Hill School voted to return to the original site on the fourteen-acre MacDuffie School campus in Springfield. The school was able to house all students in one building and to utilize the cultural and educational resources of the greater Springfield area.
After several years on the MacDuffie campus, the board determined that the school’s long-term goals could be better met by purchasing a larger building, which was done in the year 2000. The 2000-2001 school year opened in our new facility, located on Liberty Street in Springfield.
In 2003 the Board of Trustees approved the extension of grade levels to include a middle school component.
Seventh grade was added in September 2004, followed by the opening of the eighth grade in 2005. In 2013 – 2014, the Board of Trustees voted to add an early learner (pre-kindergarten) classroom to our program. Our enrollment currently sits at nearly 100 students in pre-kindergarten through grade eight.
Academy Hill welcomed its first student from an alumna in 2019.
An independent non-profit corporation, Academy Hill continues to be committed to providing excellence in educational services.
Experience why our children are HAPPY to learn!
Accreditation
