A Message From HA Head of School - Rebecca Cummings:

Hello, and welcome to Hampstead Academy!

I am Rebecca Cummings, the Head of School, and the curator of academic success and dreams for the future of our students.

Two years ago, I landed on this campus as the Innovation Coach and STEAM Teacher.  That landing has proven to be what I like to call my “Moon Step.”  After parenting, teaching, coaching, and developing academic opportunities for students of all ages, I now had a venue where the philosophy aligned with my beliefs: we need to do more than teach students, we need to educate our future citizens to be creative problem solvers.

Hampstead Academy, along with its Mission and Vision, have been my home base, but as a community sometimes we like to stay local, but often we go far away.  Last year our middle schoolers created “Bake the World a Better Place,” and became educated about the challenges in running a business and a bakery.  Then, a mere 3 months later, they sent $800 to World Central Kitchen to help earthquake survivors, and even bought some bicycles so that students in Cambodia could get to school.  We have learned about the power of yet and how to be resilient as we walk to and from a home that survived a fire last Fall.  We pair older students with young preschoolers so that they can learn the power of mentorship.  We strive to give our students a reason to engage through inquiry and then keep them engaged by empowering them to act on what they know while learning something new.  This is called having an impact, and when you have a teaching team like we do, the possibilities for minds-on learning are beyond what a few activities can yield.

I hope you enjoy visiting our website, but the real magic happens when you see all that our students are able to accomplish, just because we allow them to.

Rebecca Cummings

A Note From Robert Landau, a Board Member of HA:

As the founder of IMPACT Learning, I’m deeply committed to helping our schools and our students find the right educators who can lead them in learning and follow their curiosity to expand their knowledge.

Two years ago, we added an amazing educator to our team at Hampstead Academy. Rebecca Cummings joined the Academy as our Innovation Coach and STEAM Teacher. I was thrilled to have such an experienced and inspired individual join our faculty. Rebecca’s educational philosophy aligned perfectly with our Mission and Vision: to educate and inspire students to be creative problem solvers who could make our world a better place. 

Since she joined the Academy, Rebecca has spearheaded numerous impactful learning projects for students. From the hands-on challenges of running a business and bakery from the ground up in “Bake the World a Better Place,” to learning about compassion and resilience as they followed and participated in the reconstruction of a classmate’s home that was damaged by fire. In her time here, the students have raised money for numerous charitable causes, created and run their own governments, explored the arts and personal expression, and embarked on numerous other learning expeditions too numerous to list here. Everything Rebecca has brought to the table has enriched our students’ lives, empowered and inspired them to be better people, have confidence as individuals, and work collaboratively with and be compassionate toward others. 

It quickly became clear to me and our board that Rebecca was not only a creative and inspired educator, but a born leader for both the students and the faculty. It was only natural that when the opportunity arose, we tapped her to become our Head of School. Today, Rebecca is the curator of academic success and dreams for the future of our students, ushering in a new generation of students who are holistically educated and ready to make this world a better place.

As we begin a new school year, I invite you to stop in and not only tour our school but take a moment to say hello to Rebecca and talk to her about her vision of education. You’ll be glad you did. I know I am.

Fondly,

Robert Landau