This year, amongst COVID-19 regulations and making sure students could join enrichment activities safely, Hill decided to try H-Term, which took place from Jan. 3 to Feb. 11. Students were afforded many options, from independent projects to courses at the Hill School. 

H-Term was organized by many faculty, with Head of College Counseling Ellen Deitrich sending emails to students about registration and courses at the beginning of the year. One of the more prominent figures in organizing H-Term, Mrs. Deitrich regarded the experience as “rewarding and challenging.” When asked what could have been changed, Mrs. Deitrich referred to the separation of the forms and said the idea could be revised.   

Many students took on the opportunity to pursue an independent project. Ryann Holladay ‘24 decided to do both an independent project and the H-Term engineering class. When asked about balancing both, Holladay explained that, although she intended to do both equally, engineering “decreased the amount of time I could dedicate to writing.”

Though H-Term was a great respite from Zoom classes, there were still downsides. Geordie Ravara ‘22 wrote and produced her own play for the Short Play Festival. When asked about the balance between weekly classwork and the H-Term class, she said, “It was fine; however, when I added preparing for college and mental health, it became more stressful.”

 Trying to strike the proper balance, between H-Term options, college applications and regular school homework, was a common factor in students’ experiences during H-Term. However, despite the difficulty of balancing all aspects of life, when asked if she would consider doing H-Term again, Holladay said that H-Term afforded her the opportunity to explore her interests without fear of failing and also helped her create a great foundation for her book. This view is shared by many, and Mrs. Dietrich said she hopes H-term “remains a permanent part of the Hill curriculum.”