At the start of the 2015-2016 school year, Christopher Loomis arrived on the Hilltop as a teacher in Hackley’s History department. In the course of a year, Mr. Loomis has established himself as a devoted and caring Hackley teacher and began his tenure as dean of Hackley’s Class of 2020 on the first day of 2016-2017 school year.

Mr. Loomis has already made an indelible mark on the Hackley community. His love for teaching and abundance of knowledge with regard to people and events of the past has enabled him to make a lasting impression on many of his students.

“He is really helpful, always keeps students engaged in class, seems very passionate, and cares about what he teaches the class each day,” said junior Daniel Hernandez.

The Hackley community will see the passion and drive Mr. Loomis demonstrated last year in the classroom with the commencement of his deanship. Mr. Loomis is aware of the challenges that come along with being dean at Hackley and believes his extensive experience in both teaching and academic advising will help assist Hackley’s Class of 2020 through their time in high school. “I think I bring a certain level of experience in that area [academic advising] to this position, even though it’s not necessarily time spent at Hackley,” he said.

Mr. Loomis’ excellence in teaching and commitment to the Hackley community made him an ideal candidate for the open deanship in the eyes of his fellow teachers. “Mr. Loomis is a great fit for the dean position because he is thoughtful, consistent and truly enjoys working with students in and out of the classroom,” said Mrs. Melissa Stanek, the dean of Hackley’s Class of 2019.

Mr. Loomis joins Melissa Stanek, Jenny Leffler, and David Sykes to complete a team of deans in Hackley’s Upper School. As opposed to viewing their roles in a singular light, Hackley’s deans strive to work collaboratively to provide all students with a rewarding and fulfilling high school experience.

The success of all his students, not just the most academically inclined ones, remains at the forefront of Mr. Loomis’ philosophy as a dean. “At my previous school, I had a group of advisees that I saw through their sophomore year until they graduated,” he said. “Getting to see them graduate was one of the best moments of my teaching career. Some excelled, some had a tough time, but they all made it past the finish line.”

Mr. Loomis plans to employ the same approach and methodology in his teaching and deaning. “The thing that I would like students to think about me as a teacher, and I think this applies to being a dean as well, is that I try very hard to be an empathetic and fair person,” he said.

Mr. Loomis cares about the academic achievements of his students in addition to their compassion and character. Hackley’s emphasis on grooming students in ethics and morals helped foster Mr. Loomis’ interest in Hackley as a whole, as well as the open deanship. Mr. Loomis hopes that Hackley’s message of “Enter here to be and find a friend” will resonate will all his students. “If we can strive for that [living up to Hackley’s mantra] every day, then we’re probably doing okay,” he said.

Mr. Loomis takes his new role very seriously and hopes to establish meaningful and rewarding relationships with all his students. “I’m excited about it, I think it is going to be a great ride for four years,” he said.