Life at Miss Hall’s
You are a vital part of us
Miss Hall’s is a deeply connected community, one where each individual counts and everyone contributes
At Miss Hall’s, you will blur the boundaries between learning and living. Your peers will be both friends and colleagues, and you will learn as much from your classmates as you do from your teachers. You will start clubs, strengthen your leadership skills, ride a horse, code an app, and write a song for an open mic night. You’ll learn to cook dishes from your friends’ homelands, and you’ll meet your teachers’ children (and play with their puppies). And in the winter, you’ll grab a sled and take a few rides down Flagpole Hill between classes.
Things are happening here at Miss Hall’s — and you will be a part of it all.
We’re all in this together
We are defined by our community and our relationships. Whether it’s your “Big” surprising you with cupcakes on your birthday, your chemistry teacher attending your piano recital, or Ginger saving your favorite snack for you down in the School Store — well, let’s just say that you’ll never feel more known than when you’re at Miss Hall’s.
And not just known — supported. In a boarding school community, you’ll have incredible access to teachers and staff, so you can seek help at all hours. Older students are always available to answer your questions and show you what they’ve learned, and if you stay in the dorms, one of our senior Proctors will live on your floor and do a check-in every night. Every student also has what we call a Personal Team: a group of four or five faculty and peers who help you through your individual struggles and successes.
No one falls through the cracks here.
“You’ve never learned so much just from having lunch with someone”
At Miss Hall’s, you will live with, learn from, and befriend peers from all over the world. You’ll trade traditions, learn new dances and music, expand your vocabulary, and maybe even share some favorite desserts from home. As one of our students said, “You’ve never learned so much just from having lunch with someone.”
Most important, these relationships are forever — many of our alumnae say that the friends they made at Miss Hall’s have remained the closest in their lives.
To learn more about some of the ways we work toward equity and inclusion with an international community, click here.
Scenes from campus life
Boarding and day students
Almost one-third of our students are day students, but it’s often pretty hard to know who is who. Day students regularly choose to stay late, hanging out with friends in the Living Room, studying in the Library, participating in clubs — we even have a few rooms set aside specifically for when day students want to stay overnight (or in case they just need to store some clothes or extra books during the day). In other words: whether you are a boarding student or a day student, you will be deeply woven into the fabric of our community. You will be a part of us.
“I am amazed every day at my daughter’s confidence in communicating her ideas with students on three different continents. Even spread out as they are, the community has never been more inclusive or more supportive.”
Trustee and parent of Chelsea ’21
Food and local sourcing
We love to eat, and we love to eat well. Our kitchen staff produces some absolutely amazing treats for us, and thankfully the Dining Room is open all day, with drinks and snacks always available. One nice aspect: no devices are allowed at mealtimes, so we can focus on each other and the community.
The Dining Room also hosts a number of important events for us throughout the year — the ISA Banquet, athletic banquets, the all-important smoothie day — along with regular cooking clubs and more informal gatherings.
Of course, we are deeply connected to the region around us. The Berkshires is a rich agricultural community, and our food comes from more than seventy farms in the region. We’ve set a goal of locally sourcing 50 percent of the food served on campus — and it’s all super fresh for us, prepared daily by our in-house culinary team.
As with most things at Miss Hall’s, students have a say in how we eat. The student-led Food Advisory board works with staff to make sure that the menu is varied and meets everyone’s needs.
Learning and leadership
At Miss Hall’s, every student helps shape our culture and our community. If you want to start a club, change a policy, or raise awareness, you can — and you should. You’ll practice many types of leadership, and you’ll make campus better for yourself and for others. Win, win, win.
Traditions
Blue and Gold represent the colors of the School’s Athletic Association teams. At the start of each year, new students are designated lifelong members of the Blue Team or the Gold Team. Blue-Gold competitions are held throughout the year and points awarded to the teams. The team with the greatest number of points at year’s end is recognized with an inscription on the Madge Buerger Blue-Gold Cup.
The Book of the School is a large ledger with the name of every MHS student who has attended the School. Students sign the book when they join the community, indicating their acceptance of the School’s Core Values. Seniors stamp the book before Commencement, indicating that they have met all the requirements for graduation.
Class Rings are presented to seniors in a special Ring Ceremony each fall. There are four types — Meus Honor Stat ring designed by the Class of 2020; traditional Miss Hall’s School seal with carved blue lapis; classic Miss Hall’s School signet with old school crest; Miss Hall’s School ring designed by the Class of 2005. Read more about the Ring tradition at MHS.
Community Meetings are held on Mondays and Fridays to gather and share news about upcoming events. These meetings also feature presentations by student groups, classes, and extracurricular groups; as well as updates from Student Council.
The Fall Harvest Luncheon is hosted by members of the sophomore class, who are responsible for planning, setting up, serving, and cleaning up. An adult member of the community is chosen by the class to carve the turkey.
Founder’s Day is on or near April 21st, the birthdate of our school’s founder, Mira Hall. The school community enjoys strawberries and ice cream, served in the Quad.
The Sending Forth Ceremony is held during the final week of the school year. Each faculty member "sends the class forth" with a special wish or bit of wise counsel.
Senior Blazers are dark blue with the MHS seal and are worn by seniors only. In the spring of their junior year, rising seniors purchase their blazers. The evening before Commencement, the outgoing senior class presents each incoming senior with the new blazer in the Snake Dance Ceremony. Read more about Senior Blazers at MHS.
With teachers who are as supportive as they are experienced, your academic journey will be tailored to your individual interests and passions
Explore our program