Harpeth Hall students make a ‘lifelong commitment of honor’

When a graduate of Harpeth Hall enters the world outside of campus, she is prepared to live a life with integrity, respect, and kindness because of the pillar of honor that uplifts this community.

At Harpeth Hall, girls take on the mantle set by the mission statement to “live honorably” seriously.

“Honor is a lifelong commitment, not a high school endeavor.” Anna Cate Graham, senior and president of the Honor Council, said at the 2024 Honor Assembly. “Harpeth Hall imparts on us a lesson of character that will carry us to create respectful communities. The honor code builds respectful and responsible leaders, teachers, lawyers, and mothers. …If you are a student at this school, you are incredibly privileged to call yourself a Harpeth Hall girl. We share our title and our code of conduct proudly.”

Each year at Honor Assembly, students focus on the meaning of honor at Harpeth Hall — both in the sense of academic honor and more broadly in how they carry themselves in the world. As part of the assembly, students recite and sign the honor pledge, promising to demonstrate academic integrity while they foster an honest and respectful learning environment.

The Honor Assembly also serves as the introduction of the middle school Honor Education Committee and the upper school Honor Council, which includes a select group of students who model and support their classmates in Harpeth Hall’s honorable actions.

For Director of the Upper School Frances Fondren-Bales, the tenet of living honorably in our school’s mission can be challenging to define.

“Think Critically: in the life of a school, that is our jam. Lead Confidently: pretty clear in terms of defined principles of leadership,” she said. “Live honorably? Doesn’t this mean different things to different people? What does honor look like in our everyday lives? For me, it is helpful to think of the [words highlighted in our values statement] and how they play out in our daily lives at school.

Respect in the way we speak to one another. Resilience in the way we bounce back from disappointment or take on hard things. Integrity in the way each of us is unwilling to compromise our moral principles.”

Ms. Fondren-Bales encouraged students to ask for help when they are feeling overwhelmed rather than taking shortcuts and always to keep the ethics of their decisions in mind. She reminded the students of the signs that hang in every classroom on campus depicting a red circle with a line through the word “perfect” — signs that signify that the teachers at our school do not expect perfection. It is normal to make mistakes; the focus is on learning from mistakes and completing work that shows “your thoughts, your critical thinking, your creativity in your work,” Ms. Fondren-Bales said.

In the middle school, the “Honor Education Committee (HEC) is one of the most integral leadership groups that exists in our division,” Director of the Middle School Elizabeth Ecker ‘00 said. “The HEC is charged with incorporating education opportunities for middle schoolers throughout the year so that we all can share an understanding of the expectations of honor at Harpeth Hall. …In my experience, Harpeth Hall’s premium on academic honor sets our school apart — in the best way.”

Helen Weatherford, an 8th grade member of the HEC, explained the importance of signing a universal community Honor Pledge: “We are promising to put in our best effort and honesty in all of our work, and we are promising to be a community of respect and value.”

“I've learned through my past three years at Harpeth Hall that honor is so much more than just the honor code,” Helen said. “Honor also represents all of the girls and women who've come before us and the legacy that they've left. It represents the way our community works together to create a safe environment.”

From the grade-level pod of the youngest 5th grade students to the classroom of the senior leaders of the school, honor can be seen in the actions of every student. 

“As Honor Council President, I have a keen perception of honor at Harpeth Hall,” Anna Cate said. “I see you. I know you are making the hard, right decisions, and I appreciate it. I have witnessed your devotion to each other through your sportsmanship at games, your integrity in the classroom, and your respect in your organizations. …

“Every day, we are afforded the opportunity to enter these halls, be curious, take risks, and try new things in the safety of a community of respect because of our Honor Code.”

The Harpeth Hall Honor Pledge

“As a student of Harpeth Hall, I hereby pledge my full and hearty support to the Honor System. I pledge to be honest myself, and in order that the spirit and integrity of the Honor System may endure, I pledge that I will give no unauthorized assistance to other students. I will demonstrate my integrity in an honest and fair manner. In doing so, I fully commit to fostering an honest and respectful learning environment for my peers, my teachers, and myself.”