A Campus Culture Unlike Any Other

With Christ-centered curriculum, a beautiful campus to explore, caring faculty and staff, rich extracurricular offerings, and a diverse and growing student body, HDA provides a solid foundation for our young scholars. Students and alumni agree that what makes HDA unique is found within our campus culture.

Our student body is loved and cared for as if part of one family. 

K - 12th grades share one campus; this encourages peer-to-peer mentorship and a sense of unity among our student body.

Immersive Technology — Not Confined to a Lab!

As the world becomes increasingly reliant on instant communication and personal technology, it's important that young scholars learn to safely navigate and collaborate using these great tools. 

With campus-wide WiFi and Chromebooks in the hands of each middle and high school student, learning can take place anywhere, at any time. Elementary students enjoy access to individual Chromebook labs.

You won’t see a technology lab on our campus — our students are immersed and employ a wide range of digital tools daily. When technology is at our students’ fingertips, creativity unfolds naturally. The devices they need to make their ideas come to life are right at hand.

Our students collaborate and bring their ideas to life across the campus, daily! We’re amazed with some of the things they dream up.

MEDIA & TECH TEAMS

From a rich offering of digital and technology-rich electives to Media team & Tech team, our students have plenty of hands-on opportunities to develop their interests in coding, video, photography, music production, lighting production and sound engineering. Our students serve their campus community and showcase their work at special events and weekly chapel services.

WEB-BASED COLLABORATIVE TOOLS 

Our middle and high school students are using technology daily to discover, collaborate, and learn. We employ web-based collaborative tools that are used by businesses across the globe - not outdated teaching platforms that don’t translate to real world use.

Our students are fluent in modern, web-based tools like Google’s suite of business and collaborative tools, online graphic design platforms and more. 

They collaborate online in day to day learning - from English class to science lab. We believe technology allows our students an enriched and safe learning environment. 

CODING CLASSES 

Beginning in Kindergarten, our students are introduced to computer programming - “coding” for short. The demand for software developers in one of the fastest growing job markets. Coding in an essential tools for preparing young students to easily understand computer programming languages and compete in tech-driven economy.

+ K-1st grades are introduced to coding using Bloxels

+ 2nd-5th grades develop their skills in Makey-Makey

+ 4th-5th grades further advance in Hour of Code

Our coding classes center around creating projects that involve individual creative input - perfect for engaging elementary students.

With plenty of space to get outside and play, outdoor activities are a regular part of campus life at HDA. All students participate in PE classes twice in order to develop optimum personal fitness levels while gaining knowledge, confidence, and self-esteem. 

Students learn how to compete safely and encourage one another's athletic development. Our students are experiencing transformation while learning to love and incorporate an active lifestyle well into their adult years.

As a smaller, community-oriented private school, competitive and team sports are available in response to student interest.

In the past year, our students have participated in:

At HDA, a large part of our 4 stream approach to education emphasizes service: specifically, servant leadership.

Starting in kindergarten, students are taught to care for their classrooms and campus. Elementary and middle school students take part in campus-wide service based projects. As they take ownership of their campus and education, an extraordinary thing happens: character is developed and servant leaders emerge.

Beginning in high school, students are able to apply for positions in the work study program while earning fair wages for their work through our Work+Study@Hampden.

Students are taught an array of valuable skills, essential to building their resume for college and beyond.

From Inspiration to Production!

Students are encouraged to embrace their unique creativity and learn new ways of artistic expression through the Creative + Fine Arts stream. Our Fine Arts instructors are professional musicians and artists working in their respective industries while teaching students to pursue excellence in their own artistic ventures. Students experience first-hand creative entrepreneurship: from inspiration to production.

Building on a strong foundation…

K-8th grade students are offered bi-weekly classes in Studio Art and Music where they explore foundational concepts and create original works. As students enter high school, they are invited to specialize their interests or choose from a growing list of Creative + Fine Art electives:

Access Accelerates Creativity!

From an on campus piano lab, access to audio recording equipment, a newly expanded studio arts classroom, and Mac desktops equipped with the latest Adobe Creative Cloud subscriptions — our students are able to explore their interests.

Each spring, students display their best creations and compositions to the community at our annual Art & Music Showcase.

A key aspect in a well-rounded education, we are expanding our emphasis on the Performing Arts. Our Drama classes are quickly gaining momentum and popularity on campus!

Why participate in Performing Arts?

MUSIC

Guitar, vocal, and music students are offered the opportunity to perform on stage at our annual Art & Music showcase as well as during special chapels and events throughout the year. 

Learn more about our Music offerings in our Fine Arts section above.

BATON & COLOR GUARD

Baton and color guard team members learn coordination, team work, and hand-eye coordination. It’s been suggested that this type of performance promotes bilateral thinking, which can contribute to being able to learn information at a faster rate.

DRAMA

A cross-curricular program, Drama attracts in students of all ages and interests. 

Performances in chapels throughout the year encourage students to overcome anxiety, develop confidence, and express themselves in larger formats like the school play.

Before and after school, our campus is alive with laughter, play, and even quiet places to study in the great outdoors (& indoors too!).

We pride ourselves on a safe, loving campus community. Our students experience these core values before and after school as well as in their daily studies. Our teachers and staff are present on campus to engage with their students, offer a listening ear, or get out and play together! 

Under the leadership of the after care supervisor, our high school work study students are trained and responsible caretakers who engage students in play around the campus. They also provide a structure for students to find quiet study time as needed.  

+ Before Care Hours: 7:00am - 7:55am

+ After Care Hours: 3:15pm - 6:00pm

+ Fridays: 12:30pm - 6:00pm