Bringing the Hutchison Acrostic to Life for Middle School Girls

This story involves four generations of Hutchison girls, a testament to the acrostic’s ability to transcend change and remain relevant.

Last year, middle school division head Trey Wilson and counselor Katie Sentilles were brainstorming creative ways to update the social-emotional programming and advisories, staples of middle school life that Sentilles says are constantly evolving to best serve the girls’ needs. Reinvigorating the advisory with a refreshed acrostic was on the table.

“Every lesson starts with The Golden Book. We refer to the explanation of each trait, we pull quotes of women trailblazers included in the book, and we discuss why it is important to a middle school girl,” said Sentilles.”

In creating the curriculum for advisory, Sentilles considered helpful feedback that indicated that it was important to present the acrostic character traits in practical terms that the girls can apply to real-life scenarios, giving each grade an age-appropriate twist. For example, sixth graders are introduced to a recurring cast of characters and personalities that run throughout the curriculum and confront different challenges and scenarios. “We take one trait and layer several themes under it,” said Sentilles. “Instead of doing a lesson just on friendship, or boundaries, now we take a trait from the acrostic, and all of those things come into every lesson.” She explained that a lesson on being “noble” might begin with the example of a student posting multiple photos on social media and then touch upon friendships and boundaries, with discussions about getting consent to post, respecting friends’ wishes, and resolving conflicts. 

Sentilles, now in her 19th year at Hutchison, is adept at creating relatable and age-appropriate scenarios for middle school girls, but she appreciates the focus that The Golden Book brings to this curriculum, particularly the symbols that were created to accompany each letter and trait.

“The concrete nature of the symbols has united our entire advisory curriculum. They’ve given the girls something to grasp onto, and they remember it. We also created charm bracelets with the symbols, which serve as a visible reminder. They have been a hit with the girls,” said Sentilles.

Three generations of Hutchison graduates took part in the acrostic’s middle school makeover, and a fourth generation—from fifth graders to eighth graders (Classes of 2029-2032)—will have the tools to ensure the tradition lives on. 

In May, Hutchison leaders headed to Blue Star Ranch in Cashiers, North Carolina, owned by alumna Dr. Trish Calvert Ring ’77 and her husband, Carl, for a productive retreat focused on refreshing our social-emotional learning program. The team drafted key parts of the Ideal Hutchison Girl program while there, getting great feedback from Trish and Carl along the way. Additionally, work with horses provided meaningful insights about team dynamics and collaborative work on the new program.

Laurie Fraser Stanton Elliott ’65, alumna and longtime faculty member and administrator, was Lewis’ advisor, history teacher, and middle school head. Lewis has vivid memories of Elliott leading the class on the virtues in the acrostic. It made logical sense to consult her when Lewis and Pace embarked on this project. “It has been really special to have the acrostic come full circle and have Mrs. Elliott advise me again on the same topic, but as a parent and as an adult,” said Lewis. “I wanted the same values that she had taught me, instilled in my children.

Lewis and Pace tapped alumna and friend, Lauren Kaiser Malone ’02, to design the ubiquitous acrostic symbols that now live in charm bracelets and were immortalized in faculty and administrator costumes for Halloween.

Proud of the new The Golden Book baby, Lewis checked one more source to validate the timeless nature of what she and Pace had created. She gave her neighbor and Hutchison alumna Betty Chalmers Peyton ’54 a copy of The Golden Book for her birthday. Peyton, who learned about the acrostic at Hutchison’s Union Avenue location, was pleased to see that Hutchison girls continue to strive to be Honest, Understanding, Trustworthy, Courteous, Humble, Industrious, Sincere, Obedient, and Noble. 

Pace is not an alumna, but as a Hutchison parent since her daughter was in pre-K, she has a deep appreciation for Hutchison’s community, which she views through the lens of a longtime educator of family formation at Saint John’s Episcopal Church. She wanted the book to capture that sense of community defined by a shared system of beliefs.

“A shared system of beliefs exists in the Hutchison acrostic. This is already built into the cultural ethos, we just put words around it,” said Pace. In writing the book, Pace and Lewis said one line from the Hutchison prayer was foremost in their mind:

They filtered every trait through those words. This curriculum brings that introspection to life through group exercises and self-reflective “what would you do?” scenarios around everyday issues such as friendships, jealousy, and peer pressure. Regardless of the character trait being discussed, it is easy to spot consistent themes in a quick review of the curricula for Understanding, Trustworthy, and Courteous. 

“We talk a lot about being the Ideal Hutchison Girl, but we’re very careful to say that’s a different journey for every one of you,” said Sentilles. “It’s not about perfection, it’s about authenticity and legacy.”

Time will tell. Hopefully, when the Class of 2032 enters the rank of Golden Bee (alumnae who have celebrated their 50th anniversary with the school), the acrostic will still resonate, like it does for Betty Chalmers Peyton.