Bunny Hill

is honored with a Brick from the Wichita Collegiate Middle School faculty.

To capture the essence of Bunny Hill, a person needs to understand her warmth and love for humanity, her willingness and ability to listen, and the wisdom that flows from her words. She has been the heroine of hundreds of students, parents, teachers, and friends over the past 40 years. Her compassion, sense of humor, and balance have endeared her to those whose lives she has touched. Her vision and creativity continue to inspire.

Born March 28, 1948, on Easter Sunday, Harriet Helman was immediately known to family and friends as Bunny. She and her sister Patty grew up in the quiet strength of the Midwest with her father, an educator, and her mother, a master entertainer and storyteller. Naturally, Bunny took the best of both parents. Even as a child she was a warm, nurturing person who loved reading, did volunteer work, and always found learning to be a real joy.

She attended McPherson College, earning her degree in secondary education. Her love of people and her love of learning made teaching the obvious career choice for Bunny. Her first teaching assignment was at Hutchinson High School, where she taught for three years and was named teacher of the year in 1972. That same year she married Patrick Hill, moved to Wichita, and began teaching at Wichita Collegiate.

There was no way Bunny could ever have known as she walked into her sixth grade classroom that first year, the impact Wichita Collegiate would have on her life or the impact she would have on it. She has now been a beloved figure at Collegiate for over 25 years, having served as Dean of Students, Head of Upper School, and Head of Middle School. In March, 1993, she accepted an appointment as interim Head of Wichita Collegiate and served in this position during the 1993-94 school year. She returned to her duties as Head of the Middle School in 1994. Certainly her visionary abilities have served to make Wichita Collegiate Middle School a pioneer in concepts such as teaming, flexible scheduling, and advising programs.

Under her leadership there has been a surge of growth in the middle school, and Bunny has delved into the study of middle school students and their development and maturity, and presented workshops to parents to help understand this growth. She has studied the differing roles of adolescent boys and girls as they proceed through school, and is now an articulate advocate for the need to help young girls find their identity in society as strong women who will make a statement in their lives. She has also begun a S.E.E.D. (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity) chapter educating teachers to provide a climate of equity for their students in the classroom.

Despite her many accomplishments at Collegiate, Bunny's greatest pride lies in her three children, Hamilton, Harrison, and Katie. Throughout her busy career, her boundless energy has enabled her to weave together professional and family life. She has had the enviable opportunity to watch her children grow from preschool to graduation on the same campus where she works. The inspiration and encouragement which she has shown to her own children extends to their classmates, teammates, and teachers. For all of these, she has been and will continue to be a model of non-judgmental nurturing and a remarkable heroine with a gentle spirit. To know Bunny Hill is to love her.

July 7, 1998