From the Desk of the Head of School- February 10, 2023

A quick parking reminder: Please do not park beside the cones on the way into Belle Meade Terrace Condominiums. Some cars wait there as they try to time the afternoon hook up for pick up around 3:20-3:25 PM. Please do not wait there, as that is the main entrance to the BMT complex and we want to keep that clear. Additionally, we ask that no one use the fire lane by the Compass Rose as temporary or long term parking. We need to keep that area clear at all times in case of an emergency. 

Dear Harding Academy Learning Community,

February begins the time we begin to think about the next school year and all of the exciting things that will be coming down the pike in the near future. It is also the time when some of our faculty and staff make decisions about the next chapters of their journeys. I want to take a moment to thank four members of our faculty for their service to Harding Academy and wish them great success in their future endeavors. 

Kim Usher, 4th Grade Language Arts, will be taking some time away from the classroom to explore the country and world with her new husband. She also plans to pursue Wilson Program certification so she can continue working with children in a more specialized capacity. We will miss the joy and care she suffuses into any room you find her in, but are very excited for her in this next chapter of her life. 

Clare Manning, 4th Grade Social Studies, will be moving to Knoxville after the 2022-23 school year. Her husband’s work calls them there and Clare and Rosie are excited to create a new life in Chad's hometown. In many ways, Clare has always been a part of the fourth grade team, whether it was as a young Harding student when her mother, Wendy, taught in the same classroom where Clare has been for the last seven years, or as an integral part of the fourth grade team and social studies department. You can always count on a huge smile from Clare whenever you meet with her, and we will miss her excitement at faculty meetings!

Hontas Lowrance, Middle School Math, will be stepping back from her role as a full time math teacher at Harding to focus on her tutoring opportunities as well as spending time watching her children through their upper middle and high school journeys. Hontas has seen all sides of the Harding Academy experience from parent to teacher and pours herself into every role she has been asked to take on. You can see her helping to organize her 8th grade leadership group around the McNeilly Center Drive, to chaperoning spring trips, to making time at all hours to support her math students. We will miss her in the middle school and wish her luck. 

Hugh Downs, Latin, will be shifting gears after the 2022-23 school year to pursue an advanced degree in library science, a passion of his since he arrived in Nashville. Hugh helped to craft a Latin program that was a balance of tradition and ingenuity and was able to connect with our students very quickly. We wish him all the best as moves into this new learning environment. 

We are already engaged in the search process to fill these roles and will be sure to communicate with you all the outcomes of that work.