Alum Returns to Campus: Part 3 – Hamden Hall’s Future

This is the third and final part of my blog series on returning to Hamden Hall as the new Director of Alumni Relations. I’ve covered Hamden Hall’s past (my past) and present, but I now want to look into the future.

Did you know that George Jetson would be 3-years-old this year, since the cartoon The Jetsons was set in 2062? Is Hamden Hall on track to look like the Little Dipper School or Orbit High School where Elroy and Judy attended? That would be pretty cool, but probably not.

So, what are Hamden Hall’s plans for the future?

I sat down with Head of School Bob Izzo to learn more.

In our 2024 Magazine, you saw photos from the groundbreaking of our Davis Street Campus, which will be the new home of our Middle School. In thinking about this new project, Mr. Izzo compared it to our state-of-the-art Beckerman Athletic Center by saying, “This new Middle School will have the same impact and far-reaching effects on our school, our greater community, and our mission of academic excellence.”

“The new Davis Street Campus will open up growth opportunities for our main Whitney Avenue Campus,” said Mr. Izzo.

With waiting lists for all grades, these open spaces will allow us to expand classrooms and labs for our ever-growing Lower and Upper Schools. Mr. Izzo believes, “by growing our programming, we will keep up with technology, trends, and demand.”

“We are looking to expand space for more music and theater classes, MakerSpace activities, and a dedicated Science, Innovation & Design research center,” said Mr. Izzo. “We will also add a Middle School research center to prepare our younger students for Upper School science classes.”

As times change, Hamden Hall continues to evolve. We recently added more computer science classes, an AP Human Geography class, a second AP Physics class, and Italian language classes. For athletics, our new Upper School Robotics Team is officially a competitive sport, and we added Pickleball and Girls’ Ice Hockey for our students.

Most importantly, Mr. Izzo stated that, “as Hamden Hall continues to grow, we will always continue our commitment to diversity in our student, faculty and staff populations.”

As I talk with more and more Alumni, the common themes of small classrooms, challenging programs, and impactful teachers ring true over the years. Mr. Izzo assured me those qualities will never change at Hamden Hall. “We will continue our commitment to our students. While we are bigger than ever, we will always keep our small school environment.”

I don’t see George Jetson’s flying car landing at Hamden Hall in the near future. However, maintaining that small-school feeling, as we continue to grow, is pretty cool. That’s what brought me back to Hamden Hall.