Pattern of generating more than consuming

Guest blog–by Seth O’Bryan In some ways, graphs are the literature of mathematics, or maybe the graphic novels of mathematics. Graphs tell a story, often quicker than numbers can. At a quick glance, you can begin to see patterns. These patterns prompt questions, and they also help the reader think...

Commons Speaker Series #2–Jack Baron

This past Tuesday, we were honored to have Jack Baron, President and COO of Sweetwater Energy, present on our second Commons Speaker Series evening. The title of Jack’s presentation was “Sugar–the new oil”. Sweetwater Energy is engaged in taking waste forest and agricultural biomass and converting it into useable sugars...

The Mapping Challenge

Guest blog post–by Seth O’Bryan The net zero challenge is a major goal in the Commons. We hope to generate at least as much solar energy as electrical energy we use in the Commons. Ideally, we would have a surplus of energy that can be used to help offset energy...

Oak Tree Nursery in progress

As a follow up to collecting 4,184 acorns this fall, Primary C helped start our Oak Tree Nursery out by the Commons.  Chris Hartman’s Farm and Community class built the raised bed garden frame and squirrel screen. Together, the students from PC and Farm and Community (mostly 10th graders) helped...

Solar panel article in RBJ

The Rochester Business Journal ran a story on solar technology in the October 3rd, 2014, printed issue. The 84 solar panels on The Commons were featured as an example of the return on investment that Harley (and other organizations who have chosen to install solar panels) is seeing. The full article can...

Common Ground – Feature #1

This past Thursday, Connie Moore (5/6 English teacher) and Raj Singaravelu (5/6 History teacher) spent the day in the Briggs Center for Civic Engagement with their 6th Grade students. The classes were combined to discuss Christopher Columbus and Columbus Day was planned with an integrated humanities approach. The students worked...

Seth O’Bryan on teacher flexibility

You’ve already been introduced to Seth O’Bryan, Upper School math teacher and Commons coordinator, in a previous blog post. His work with students in the Living Building class focuses on understanding and mapping the discrete energy systems of the Commons, and working to integrate them to greatest efficiency and sustainability....

Hospice planting for rebirth…

The Project Space was hopping last week! The Environmental Science class and Hospice classes were doubled by the visiting Scottish students who joined their host seniors. The Hospice class spent the day working with past Harley teacher and Garden Club supporter, Barbara Willard. They worked to plant hundreds of bulbs...

Coming Soon!

This newly crafted sign from the Workshop heralds the start of our oak tree nursery. Primary C students collected 4,184 acorns from our Harley campus this fall. Of those, about half are healthy enough to use in our eagerly-anticipated Oak Tree Nursery. The space between Flag Hall and the Field...