Vision

The Hutchinson School community has high expectations for academic excellence for all of its students. Teachers/staff, parents, and students will work together to foster an environment in which students are excited about learning and working at the peak of their abilities. We believe that learning is a lifelong process, and one to which teachers/staff, parents, and students must be fully committed. We will challenge and inspire our children to become creative and critical thinkers. We will motivate our students to be problem solvers, who can work both independently and collaboratively. As a community rich in diversity, we take pride in and celebrate our uniqueness. We expect students to take responsibility for their actions, respect one another, and make ethical choices.

History

The Pelhamville School, a small frame building with two classrooms, was the first public school to open in North Pelham in 1866. The school accommodated approximately 50 students, mostly from families who had moved from New York City when two investors purchased the Wolf farm for $11,800 and turned the land into 100’ x 100’ plots.

Education was highly regarded at Pelhamville. Some graduates by age 13 mastered not only typical grammar school studies but also “algebra through quadratic equations, bookkeeping, and United States History.”

Twenty-three years later, another school was erected and eventually called the North Pelham School. It was expanded to a two-story building some time between 1908 and 1912, just before it was destroyed by fire in the winter of 1912.

The main structure of the present school was built in 1914 by Eugene Lyon for $40,000. Named in honor of Anne Hutchinson, the school contained 10 classrooms, a kindergarten room, a gymnasium, a manual training room and an assembly hall seating 180. It was extended in 1928 as enrollment grew to 410 kindergarten through sixth grade students.

An innovative practice was begun at Hutchinson in 1928 with a “demonstration class” comprised of six boys, from 10 to 15 years old. After the students’ were evaluated, they progressed at their own rates under the instruction of Miss Hazel Brooks. While regular grade work was given during the first part of both morning and afternoon sessions, the remainder of the day was devoted to art, crafts, and manual training.