Community

Hayground School’s mission is simple: to create a community of students and mentors who explore together the central questions of human culture in the natural world. Our shared tools are meaningful inquiry, authentic scholarship, a spirit of creativity, and a respect for different perspectives.

 

 

 

Alumni

Since its first graduating class in 1998, Hayground has graduated over one hundred creative, independent thinkers who know that their ideas and actions can—and will—make a valuable difference in the world around them.

 
 
 

Parents

With seeds planted by the school’s founders, Hayground’s legacy of collaboration and respect remains intact, and parents continue to be a cornerstone of the school’s foundation.  The school’s most basic expectation of parents is to embrace Hayground’s daily life and to work in respectful partnership with one another.

At Hayground, parents are integral members of a robust school community brimming with children and adults all committed to learning, growing and creating together. Hayground families also provide pivotal support, contributing their time and efforts to facilitate everyday activities at Hayground by:

  • Participating in myriad school projects and programs

  • Serving on committees

  • Assisting in the classroom

  • Pitching in at Helping Hands, designated workdays where families work on physical/grounds improvements

  • Volunteering at special events including the Chef’s Dinner

 
 
I am, in fact, preparing to re-educate myself, to go back to school. Not the school to which I was “sent off” at five years of age, but a far brighter, more illuminating place. This time, with my children at my side, with friends and neighbors all around me, I will be learning things that no one cared to teach me last time around. Things like respect, not for facts, but for people and what they can teach you. Respect for oneself, one’s emotional, physical, spiritual and historic self. Respect for one’s capacity for learning and invention and creativity. Respect for all of the members of one’s community—not just the ones who look and sound like me. Together we will be learning how to teach and be taught, how to help and be helped, how to ask questions and find answers. You see, I am doing this for myself, to become a better person. This way, if my kids take after me or I take after them, well, we’ve got it covered either way. Will Hayground School change the world? I don’t know, but it will change mine. I’ll start with that.
— Jeff Salaway (1955-2001) - Hayground Parent & Founder
 
 
 

Faculty & Staff

Hayground believes that great teachers make a great school. Our faculty is composed of teachers who are themselves lifelong learners, not to mention as passionate about a particular domain—history, art, science, literature, mathematics—as they are about the craft of teaching.

Hayground teachers meet every week to reflect on the process of teaching and learning, and to participate in regular mentoring and professional development.  Faculty discussions are guided by the following goals and questions:

  • Are students learning about things that are important?

  • Are they seriously engaged with interesting, rich, and complex material?

  • Are they learning to think rigorously and adventurously?

  • Are they becoming literate in a deep, meaningful way?

  • Are they developing habits of self-restraint?

  • Are they learning to build community?

  • Are they learning to become citizens capable of intelligent action?

 
 

LIST OF FACULTY & STAFF

 
 

Arjun Achuthan

Liz Bertsch

  • BA, SUNY, Stony Brook

  • MS.Ed, Bank Street College

  • Apprenticeship (Senior Learner) Group

  • Since 1996

  • email: lbertsch@hayground.org

Cheryl Buck             

Perry Burns

  • BFA, Rhode Island School of Design

  • MA, Columbia University

  • Art Studio

  • Since 2018

  • email:  pburns@hayground.org

Lucille Czerniuk

  • BS, Brooklyn College

  • MA, Columbia University

  • Middle Group

  • Since 2022

  • email: lczerniuk@hayground.org

Sabra Elliot

Julie Fanelli-Denny

Phoebe Donovan

  • Brooklyn College

  • Culinary Arts

  • Since 2022

  • pdonovan@hayground.org

Javis Gibbons

  • Roger Williams University

  • Early Childhood

  • Since 2024

  • email: jgibbons@hayground.org

Hannah Holmes

  • BA, Bucknell University

  • Scientist-In-Residence

  • Since 2023

  • hholmes@hayground.org


Elijah Jackson

  • BA, SUNY Old Westbury - Anticipated 2025

  • Since 2023

  • email: ejackson@hayground.org

Marcelle Langendal

James Lawless

Lora Lomuscio

  • BA, Vassar College

  • MA, Pratt Institute

  • Early Childhood Group

  • Since 2023

  • email: llomuscio@hayground.org

Scott O’Neill

Marybeth Pacilio

Richard J. Partington III

Mark-Antonio Smith

  • BA, California State University

  • Garden

  • Since 2021

  • email: masmith@hayground.org

Tohanash Tarrant

  • BA, University of Massachusetts

  • Early Childhood Group

  • Since 2020

  • email: ttarrant@hayground.org

Sakiko Togi

  • MS. ED, Bank Street College

  • BA, California State University of Northbridge

  • Early Childhood

  • Since 2024

  • stogi@hayground.org




 
 

 

 

Board of Trustees

 

Arjun Achuthan, Emily Aspinall, Liz Bertsch, Richard Boseley, Cheryl Buck, Perry Burns, Philippe Cheng, Elaine Duff, Justine Engel-Snow, Julie Fanelli, Kim Feierstein, Tony Hitchcock (Treasurer) Marcelle Langendal, Maria Lavezzo, Valerie Marvin (President), Marybeth Pacilio, Susan Ringo, Toni Ross, Jon Snow, Laura Solinger, Tohanash Tarrant, Tinka Topping (Vice-President and Secretary), Doug Weitz.

 
 

Committees

Administrative Team

  • Valerie Marvin, Chair

  • Arjun Achuthan

  • Emily Aspinall

  • Liz Bertsch

  • Tony Hitchcock

  • Marcelle Langendal

  • Tinka Topping

  • Doug Weitz

Committee on Trustees

  • Valerie Marvin, Chair

  • Emily Aspinall

  • Marcelle Langendal

  • Laura Solinger

  • Tinka Topping

Personnel Team

  • Liz Bertsch, Chair

  • Emily Aspinall

  • Cheryl Buck

  • Marcelle Langendal

  • Susan Ringo

  • Laura Solinger

  • Tinka Topping

Finance

  • Tony Hitchcock, Chair

  • Arjun Achuthan

  • Emily Aspinall

  • Richard Boseley

  • Cheryl Buck

  • Marcelle Langendal

  • Valerie Marvin

  • Nick Samuels

  • Fritz Schoenhut

  • Doug Weitz

Alumni Group

  • Tohanash Tarrant, Chair

  • Arjun Achuthan

  • Liz Bertsch

  • Emma Buckner

  • Justine Engel-Snow

  • Elijah Jackson

  • Lora Lomuscio

  • Jon Snow

  • Sarah Stenn

Look and Language / PR

  • Marcelle Langendal, Chair

  • Zara Beard

  • Liz Bertsch

  • Stephanie Bulger

  • Justine Engel-Snow

  • Steve Feuerborn

  • Tony Hitchcock

  • Mike Hogan

  • Madeline Kiss

  • Maria Lavezzo

  • Emily Samuels

  • Julia Travis

Social Media Group

  • Julie Fanelli-Denny, Chair

  • Jamie Diamond

  • Dominique Garstin

  • Madeline Kiss

  • Maria Lavezzo

  • Sun Sinawi

Buildings & Grounds

  • Perry Burns, Chair

  • Alexa Alexa Bredbury

  • Khalia Brophy

  • Matt Brophy

  • Abby Clough

  • Julie Fanelli-Denny

  • Steve Feuerborn

  • Dominick Forlenza

  • Scott Hagedorn

  • James Lawless

  • Emma Snyder

  • Gregory Thorpe

  • Joe Titus

  • Sara Topping

Parent Group

  • Kim Feierstein, Chair

  • Stephanie Bulger

  • Alexa Bredbury

  • Khalia Brophy

  • Julia Conlon

  • Elaine Duff

  • Amanda Johnson

  • Tatsiana Ramanava

  • Vanessa Roth

  • Meredith Shumway

  • Emma Snyder

  • Sara Topping

    All other interested parents

Facility Usage and Events

  • Tony Hitchcock, Chair

  • Arjun Achuthan

  • Marcelle Langendal

  • Doug Weitz

Donor Outreach

  • Tony Hitchcock, Chair

  • Stephanie Bulger

  • Madeline Kiss

  • Marcelle Langendal

  • Ginger Lucas

  • Valerie Marvin

  • Fritz Schoenhut

  • Doug Weitz

Special Committees

Annual Appeal

  • Tinka Topping

  • Laura Solinger

  • Sarah Stenn

 Capital Campaign Endowment

  • Arjun Achuthan

  • Tony Hitchcock

 Beyond Boundaries Advisory

  • Josh Capon

  • Leslie Close

  • Tom Colicchio

  • Brian Halweil

  • Tony Hitchcock

  • Victoria Munroe

  • Scott O’Neill

  • Joseph Realmuto

  • Susan Ringo

  • Eric Ripert

  • Sandra Ripert

  • Clifford Ross

  • Mark Schneider

  • Lori Silverbush

Hayground Founders

  • Arjun Achuthan

  • Elizabeth Bertsch

  • Perry Burns

  • Kathy Engel

  • Susan Engel

  • Kathy Faraone

  • Nicole Feret

  • Anna Gerschman

  • David Gruber

  • Elizabeth Thunder Bird Haile

  • Sarah Stahl Jaffe

  • Gordon J. Klopf

  • Marcelle Langendal

  • Susan Ringo

  • Toni Ross

  • Jeff Salaway

  • Roy Scheider

  • Brenda Siemer

  • Jonathan Snow

  • Lisa Stamm

  • Tinka Topping

  • Lauryn R. Williams

  • Terrie Wilson

  • Richard Wingfield

 
 

Businesses & Organizations

Beyond our school community is an incredible group of local and regional businesses, organizations, and individuals who have consistently offered their support. This network continues to embody the service spirit of Hayground, and we are deeply grateful to them:

Almond Restaurant
American Express
Cavaniola’s Gourmet
East Hampton Star
East End Food Institute
Edible East End
Good Water Farms
Hampton Library
Kathryn Markel Fine Art
L&W Market
Leon Levy Foundation
Marders
Nick & Toni’s Restaurants
Rodney White Foundation
Sag Harbor Express
Sag Harbor Florist
S.Pellegrino
Parrish Art Museum
Watermill Center