By Dr. Jack Phillips, Head of Upper School
After completing my first year as Head of the Upper School at Tower Hill, I find myself in the fortunate position of stewarding a division that is thriving, one that has served thousands of students well and will continue to do so for years to come. But one thing that I’ve come to love most about Tower Hill—a place with deep roots and aspirations that stretch skyward—is its willingness to grow and evolve to meet the needs of today’s and tomorrow’s students, families and teachers.
When I arrived, the strategic plan, True to Tower Hill, was already in place and ready to take shape within the Upper School. I find myself often returning to the first two pillars of the plan: “An Engaged Community of Scholars” and “A Destination School.” I’ve been reflecting not only on how we already embody those ideals, but also on how we might more intentionally bring them together. What does it mean to be a destination for an engaged community of scholars? And what kind of culture, curriculum and community must we nurture to make that vision a lived reality?
We’re doing much in this vein already. When we describe Tower Hill as a destination, we mean it’s a school that draws people in and makes them want to stay. Our students and teachers come from near and far because they believe this place is worth the journey. And when they arrive, they find connection, belonging and purpose.
Tower Hill is an engaged community of students who show up, speak up and dive in—inside and outside the classroom. They ask questions, lead clubs, craft essays, run for Student Government office and cheer from the bleachers. They give their best to one another and to the work of learning.
At the center of it all: we are scholars. Our students seek knowledge not just for a grade or college preparation, but for understanding. They embrace learning as a human pursuit—rigorous, creative and lifelong.
This is the Tower Hill value proposition. In a world defined by rapid change, where attention is fragmented and the pull of specialization seems inexorable, Tower Hill stands out. We offer something broader, deeper and more enduring. We honor tradition even as we innovate. We believe in the liberal arts not as a luxury, but as a necessity, because our Artificial Intelligence engineers must understand poetry and philosophy, and our future diplomats must understand ecosystems and equations. We believe a life well lived requires movement and thought; curiosity and empathy; individual focus and collective care.
The question before us now is: How do we deepen and extend the very strengths that make Tower Hill such a distinctive and compelling place to learn and grow? How do we amplify those features in ways that both honor our traditions and meet the evolving needs of students and families? We’re already exploring several promising directions: creating a more coherent and engaging ninth grade experience that intentionally supports students as they transition into the academic and social rhythms of the Upper School; building a research curriculum through which every student develops the skills to formulate questions, gather and analyze evidence, engage with existing scholarship and arrive at original conclusions; elevating the arts and aesthetic pursuits not as electives, but as essential, life-enriching disciplines that nurture creativity, confidence and joy; constructing a unified 9-12 curriculum that supports students in developing a deep understanding of themselves and others—preparing them not only for college, but for lives of purpose and connection; and, designing classroom experiences that are uncompromising in their relevance, intellectual rigor and capacity to inspire.
We believe in Multa Bene Facta—Many Things Done Well. That’s not just a motto; it’s a philosophy. And after one year in the Upper School, I see it coming to life every day—in classrooms, on stages, in labs and on the field. It’s what brought me here. It’s what keeps me here. And it’s what will carry the Tower Hill Upper School forward.
