Keep It Happening at The Hague School!

Help Us to Keep It Happening at The Hague School!

WHAT is The Hague School?

The Hague School is an independent private high school in Norfolk that I'm proudly graduating from this June. Operating on a system of discussion-based "Harkness" learning and accredited to teach the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, there isn't another school like mine in the Hampton Roads area. 

Visit The Hague School's website to learn more about its innovative approach to learning.

WHY does The Hague School need your help?

The Hague School provides countless opportunities across the globe (think the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Italy, Denmark, Mexico, and more), but these come at a cost. Our independent, innovative school only works through communal effort and support, and without it, we wouldn't be here, providing this unique style of learning to as many students as possible. As the Hague School works to provide these opportunities to myself and other students, we need your help to "Keep it Happening at the Hague!" With your support, I (and students just like me) can continue to learn and grow at the Hague School.

WHO am I to tell you to support The Hague School?

SHORT VERSION My name is Sydney "Sammy" Wetherbee, and I'm a senior at the Hague School. I've been here since tenth grade (the school's third year of operation), and I honestly can't picture myself anywhere else. If you know me, you'll know that I never stop praising the school and all the opportunities it's provided me. Harkness-style discussion learning, the city of Norfolk as my campus, Model United Nations, global exchange trips, and many, many other things have characterized my stint at this amazing school, and I want to do everything in my power to provide this amazing experience to other hardworking students.

LONG VERSION In essence, the Hague School helped me discover myself. Now, this sounds cheesy, I know; but it's true! I'll prove it:

In the fall of 2024, I'll be attending college, majoring in Marine Biology. Without the Hague School, I wouldn't have even known of my passion for the subject. In the summer between my tenth- and eleventh-grade years (that's right, I was given this opportunity during my first year as a student!) I attended a dual enrollment Biodiversity class between the Hague School and Virginia Wesleyan University. I was given the chance to get hands-on scientific experience with all kinds of lab equipment and participate in some awesome fieldwork, including going out on the university's boat to take samples of my own! This class taught me so much, and, as I referenced earlier, gave me a passion for Marine Science so strong it's what I want to pursue for the rest of my life. 

Not only did I discover a lifelong career interest through the Hague School, but I also gained other skills and passions. It might shock you to know that when I entered the school, I was by no means a confident speaker. I liked talking, but I doubted every word I said, and the lack of confidence bled through all of my discussions. I spoke because I had a desperate need to feel included in the conversation at the table, but if you'd asked me what I had contributed to any given discussion, I couldn't have told you. However, this is no longer the truth. I'm proud to say that my experiences at the Hague School have given me a zest for public speaking that simply didn't exist beforehand. One of my favorite things I've ever gotten the chance to do, Model United Nations, was introduced to me by the Hague School, and three months after entering (and winning!) my first conference, I was second-in-command of the Hague School's very own conference for middle schoolers! If I come to the Hague School with an idea and the passion to back it up, they have always stood behind me and given me whatever help and tools they could to see my idea realized. 

The Hague School's commitment to student-driven activity is unique (and believe me, I've attended almost ten schools of almost any variety you can think of; I think I'm qualified to comment) and it's so, so important for student growth. While this may sound like a buzzword-laden catchphrase, the Hague School produces leaders! From its involved Student Government, in which I was lucky enough to be able to build the entirely new position of Vice President (another example of a student's passionate idea being realized by the school), to the student-led events such as HagueMUN (our Model UN conference), our Winter Dance, the Yearbook Committee (student-run, student-designed, student-populated), to student projects like our Little Free Library, our newscast/cinematography group Hague Headlines, our school newspaper Hague Today, and the Hague School Instagram, the Hague School values, prioritizes, and nurtures student leadership in every possible aspect of the school.

I mean it incredibly genuinely when I say that I believe there is no other place like The Hague School. The people I have met here will travel with me for the rest of my life, even if I never see them again. To let this school drift away into obscurity would be nothing less than a downright tragedy, and I hope my story has helped you see why. Please help me support the place which has supported me without fail and without hesitation for as long as they've known my name. 

We need your help to keep it happening at The Hague School! 
Please consider making your gift today!