Building the Future: How Harpeth Hall’s Middle School Elevated Girls Education

The 7th grade girls walked through the middle school hallways in 2004, orange hard hats secured over their braids and barrettes, like a crew of curious young construction workers.

For the previous nine months, their educational home had been Harpeth Acre Woods, a collection of portable classrooms on the edge of Harpeth Hall’s 44-acre campus. On that spring day 20 years ago, the girls explored the newly constructed middle school getting a sneak peek of the building that would celebrate its grand opening that fall — the start of their 8th grade year.

“I remember first walking into the new building, standing at the top of the large, bright stairwell, and feeling so excited to explore,” Haley Clare Joyce ‘09 said.

As they wandered through the halls that day, their footsteps bouncy with anticipation, the experience promised a transition from a temporary learning space to a permanent cornerstone in Harpeth Hall’s history. The new building wasn’t just a structure; it symbolized the culmination of a strategic vision that had been years in the making — one that allowed the school to welcome more students to Harpeth Hall and elevate all-girls education in the city.

Two decades later, the Daugh W. Smith Middle School sparks that same excitement as the building celebrates the 20th anniversary of its grand opening on Aug. 24, 2004. The halls that first welcomed the middle school girls in hard hats now welcome the Class of 2032 as new 5th grade students and alumna Elizabeth Townsend Ecker '00 as the new director of the middle school. And the program is thriving.

“I think the middle school building reflects the type of education we want for our girls. One in which lessons involve working together in critical thinking. One in which they pursue learning in such a way that it taps into each girl's talents and helps her work on her challenges,” said Betsy Malone, who was director of the middle school when the new building opened. “This might seem lofty that a building can promote this, but the building gives us space for technology, for working in groups in the classroom, for having space to do individual projects. The building allows for individual responsibility because it is big and open, and the girls learn to handle that freedom.”

Constructing a Vision

Bringing the middle school program to new heights by constructing a new building required a bold vision. Head of School Ann Teaff, who served as Harpeth Hall’s head of school from 1998 to 2014, spearheaded the ambitious effort, driving the "big dreaming" necessary to elevate Harpeth Hall’s educational offerings and presence.

“The original middle school building had been here for quite some time, but we wanted to expand our program,” said former middle

school director Mary Lea Bryant ‘72. “The demand was there for girls in this city to have an all-girls education, and the existing middle school building was just not adequate to meet that charge. It had wonderful faculty and staff, but we needed a building that matched the program that we were developing. Ann Teaff saw that immediately.”

Ms. Teaff worked closely with Jean Ann Banker, now an honorary trustee who served as board chair from 2001 to 2004. The dynamic duo knew that the vision would take significant philanthropy, and they also knew what it took to inspire the community to invest in girls education. The Campaign for Harpeth Hall, co-chaired by Edie Carell Johnson ‘80 and Bob McNeilly, would eventually raise $44.1 million and lead to the construction not only of a new middle school building but also the Ann Scott Carell Library, the Dugan Davis Track and Soccer Complex, and the Patton Visual Arts Center from 2000 to 2005. Notably, however, the middle school construction was the most challenging as it required relocating hundreds of students to portable learning spaces.

“The decision to take down the middle school and build a new building was a hard decision to come to, but it was the best decision for this campus,” Ms. Banker said. “What it allowed was a building to be built where the teachers could give the input for the programs that they were trying to deliver, and the space could be designed to enhance their teaching.”

It was a monumental task, and Ms. Teaff led the process with a steady presence that focused on the girls' day-to-day experiences while advancing the campus. The two women worked closely with real estate expert Elizabeth Nichols, who served as a trustee from 2001 to 2007. Ms. Nichols embraced the challenge of creating the portable learning space Harpeth Acre Woods, giving it a magical feel for the girls, as well as designing and building the middle school on Harpeth Hall’s hilly property. When the building was complete, Ms. Nichols named the courtyard outside the south end of the middle school in honor of her mother, Jean Litterer, Ph.D., a highly regarded Hillsboro High School Principal and civic leader.

“I know the faculty and the students have some wonderful memories from that time,” Ms. Banker said.

Community Built with Thoughtful Design

Their excitement soared when the Class of 2009 walked through the hallways with their hard hats for an advance look at the building before their 8th grade year. And when they stepped into the completed middle school in August 2004, they realized how special the place would become to them.

The students were so excited and in awe of the space, in fact, that Ms. Malone remembers girls turning cartwheels down the halls.

“Seeing our new home away from home for the first time felt like a dream,” Ellen Thomas '09 said. “... The classrooms felt like warm, safe places and were equipped with all the tools and technology we needed to reach our highest potential.”

In the space, wooden lockers stood heads taller than any middle school student. Large, light-filled classrooms provided plentiful space for collaborative desk arrangements and cozy corners for reading. Science classrooms boasted lab tables and ample room for growing plants and raising amphibious creatures.

“Teaching moved from ‘teacher in front — students in desks’ to a cooperative approach of students engaged together in projects,” Ms. Malone said. “The larger classrooms and common spaces accommodated this project-based approach. We were already at the forefront of this interdisciplinary project-based learning, and the building gave us the space to ‘take off.’"

The impact of the building's design went beyond aesthetics — it shaped the students' daily experiences. The shift from the old to the new building enhanced not only the physical space but also the way students interacted and built their community.

“I spent the first two years of my experience at Harpeth Hall in the old middle school building, and it’s clear how much architecture and space design can influence a community,” Ashley Hayden ‘09 said. “Transitioning from the long, narrow hallways lined with lockers to the more open, pod layout made it easier to connect with the entire class, not just those near your locker. The new design truly fostered a sense of community and collaboration.”

Ms. Hayden vividly remembers the carpet — which made the space feel safer and more like home, a contrast to the cold, vinyl flooring that is common in other schools. The pods, designed to encourage collaboration and connection, became central to the middle school experience.

“Friendships were forged in the pods,” Ryllis Lyle ‘09 said. “We snacked (even though we weren’t supposed to), we shared secrets, we crammed for tests, and spent idle time between classes together.”

And the education felt elevated, too.

“I began to see how technology could positively impact my education, even in the humanities,” Ms. Lyle said. “I continue to benefit from this 20 years later, as a writer in STEM and a communicator navigating the advent of AI.”

A Strong Foundation

The space where students learn expands their opportunities to develop new skills and pursue future ambitions, and yet the building is one chapter in the story of Harpeth Hall’s Daugh W. Smith Middle School.

“Celebrating Milestones,” a book about Harpeth Hall’s history, features a quote from Idanelle McMurry, who was the head of school when the Harpeth Hall middle school opened in the original building in 1968.

Ms. McMurry was asked why Harpeth Hall added a middle school. Her answer is as accurate today as it was then, “It seemed the best way to stabilize the backgrounds of all the students entering high school. And it worked.”

As Ms. Bryant, then interim middle school director, said when she spoke to Ward-Belmont alumna at the Milestones Coffee last spring: “Having a student come to Harpeth Hall in 5th grade gives us an eight-year opportunity to watch a girl grow into a confident young woman. It is also eight years of exposure to high levels of academic excellence, athletic and artistic opportunities and what it is like to live in an honorable community.

“Those of us who work in middle school are often asked why we choose these ages to work with these ages — known for ups and downs, strong emotions, and awkward social interactions. My answer to this is that being able to witness the miracle that takes place from the ages of 10-14 is a privilege.”

The middle school program includes the core subjects of math, science, social studies, English, and world languages. Art, drama, dance, physical education, and life balance classes offer time to be active and creative while developing self-confidence and self-understanding. Approximately 91% of middle school students play at least one sport during the school year, and last year, the middle school musical “The Little Mermaid JR” had a cast and crew of nearly 80 girls.

There is a middle school robotics program, an independent study program, Model United Nations, Youth Legislature, Public Purpose, and many more curricular activities. The memories and friendships formed in middle school at Harpeth Hall remain foundational for years to come — just as the building has for generations of students.

“To say we have a full and rich program,” Ms. Bryant said, “is an understatement.” Ms. Bryant said. For all Harpeth Hall students, the middle school is more than just a building — it is a space that inspires a sense of belonging and possibility.

The Campaign for Harpeth Hall from 2000 to 2005 raised $44.1 million. Major milestones of The Campaign for Harpeth Hall:

Constructed the Ann Scott Carell Library
Constructed the Dugan Davis Track and Soccer Complex
Constructed the Patton Visual Arts Center
Constructed the Daugh W. Smith Middle School
Renovated Jack C. Massey Center for Mathematics and Science
Renovated Souby Hall
Doubled endowment to over $21 million
Raised $1 million each year for the Annual Fund during the five-year campaign