Novelist and professor Jesmyn Ward visited Hopkins on September 12, giving advice to students and reading excerpts from her national book award winning novel, Sing Unburied Sing. Ward spoke at an all school assembly, hosted two Q&A sessions, and a night session for Hopkins students and faculty. 

Jesmyn Ward, two-time National Book Award Winner, will visit Hopkins on Friday,, September 12, 2025. After speaking at assembly, Ward will hold two sessions for Hopkins students and host an evening event open to the public.

 

Pathfinder, an academically enriching program for New Haven public school students, welcomed new Executive Director Anabelle Marty Jose at the end of June. Marty Jose attended Pathfinder as a child, and after seeing the opening for the position, felt a “deep sense of calling to apply.” Marty Jose reflected on the impact Pathfinder had on her: “It is because of educational opportunities like Pathfinder that [she] has been able to access new opportunities and [become] the educator [she is] today.” 

“Welcoming,” “supportive,” “understanding,” and “friendly” are words Director of Aquatics Jason Nevis used to describe Peg Connolly, a beloved teacher and coach who passed away on March 31 after a two-year battle with cancer.are words Hopkins Director of Aquatics Jason Nevis used to describe Peg Connolly, a beloved Hopkins community member who passed away on March 31 after a two-year battle with cancer. Connolly played a critical role in the Hopkins community for 39 years, serving as health teacher, coach, and friendly face around campus.

 

On May 4, the Hopkins community gathered in the Athletic & Performing Arts Center to honor history teacher and Pathfinder Executive Director Errol Saunders, recipient of the Hopkins Medal in recognition of more than two decades of service.

For the third consecutive year, Hopkins hosted the Connecticut Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC) on April 6. The event, founded by the Connecticut Association of Independent Schools (CAIS) in 2003, aims to bring students from grades 7-12 and adults from independent schools across the state together for a day of dialogue, networking, and community building, according to the CAIS website.

This year, Hopkins is undergoing reaccreditation by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), a process that helps ensure the school meets high standards across academics, resources, safety, and student experience. According to Head of School Matt Glendinning, the reaccreditation study “examines key factors in a school’s success such as resources, admissions, the academic program, the student experience, health, and safety.” Though reaccreditation is required for NEASC recognition, the process also offers opportunities for reflection and growth. The NEASC process essentially forces a school to undertake this kind of work,” said Glendinning, “and that is fundamentally beneficial for the school, its students and families.”

Award-winning poet, novelist, and essayist Patricia Lockwood visited Hopkins on March 31 to share her work and speak with students about her writing. During assembly, she read excerpts from her debut novel No One Is Talking About This (2021), poems from her poetry collection Motherland Fatherland Homelandsexuals (2014), and answered questions about her own experience with writing. Selected by the Hopkins English Department out of a 21st Century American Literature class booklist, Lockwood and her visit serve to introduce students to a professional perspective on literature.

As I savor the last few months of my time at Hopkins, I return to Joan Didion's seminal essay collection “The White Album,” which I first read over Thanksgiving break. The Hopkins Drama Association had just closed Shakespeare's "The Tempest," our last production in the Woodbridge Club before we transitioned into the new Academic and Performing Arts Center. Didion writes, “A place belongs forever to whoever claims it hardest, remembers it most obsessively, wrenches it from itself, shapes it, renders it, loves it so radically that he remakes it in his own image.”

Black History Month at Hopkins serves as a time when students are able to honor and learn about the experiences of Black individuals. Throughout February, Diversity Board (DivBo) and Black Student Union (BSU) organized a plethora of events to celebrate Black History Month (BHM) at Hopkins including Spirit Week, movie nights, an affinity lunch, a showcase, gallery tour, game night, basketball tournament, and a final affinity celebration. 

Nestled into a residential section of New Haven is an ice cream shop called Elena’s on Orange. Elena’s serves three flavors: soft-serve vanilla, oat milk chocolate and a rotating seasonal flavor. Inside the store are bright colors, customers enjoying sweet treats and smiling staff. Elena’s also offers baked goods, hot chocolate and more. Elena’s is owned by Hopkins graduate Elena Grewal ’02, who will speak at assembly on March 28 as part of the Alumni Fellows Program to share her wisdom and perspective. 

Every few Wednesdays, the Weissman Room fills with students discussing political issues. Middle Ground, a student-organized conversation platform, tackles a variety of polarized global topics. Similarly, Students United for Racial Equity (SURE) created Community Conversations as a way for the community to engage in discussions about race, identity, and culture. Recent Middle Ground conversations following the presidential election and the Israel-Hamas war have left many students reflecting on what makes for a productive dialogue.

For the Term Two Democracy Series, Hopkins is welcoming a number of important speakers to campus. As the first speaker of the term, former Nicaraguan pre-candidate for president in the 2021 general election, Juan Sebastián Chamorro, spoke in Assembly on January 24. He also held small group Q&A sessions in the Lower Library in the morning with students and faculties.