MHS Alumnae Council President Mary Atwood ’83 and thirty alums sat down with the Head of...
Our program
BUILD AN A.I., SPEAK IN MANDARIN, SEW A COSTUME
And that’s just Monday. At Miss Hall’s, you’ll reach farther than you thought possible, alongside peers who seek out challenges and thrill to new discoveries
The academic program at Miss Hall’s is really your academic program. You will choose classes based on your interests, teachers will tailor the curriculum to your passions, and many of your projects — whether inside the classroom or out — will be of your own devising.
Ours is a sophisticated and challenging program that fosters and expects growth, not perfection. Wherever you’re starting, we’ll help you find new knowledge, new skills, and new parts of yourself.
Design your own passion projects
At Miss Hall’s, we have built a flexible curriculum that adapts constantly to our students’ passions. An English seminar one year had a number of students interested in theater, so they pivoted to reading scripts; several girls in a Latin course wanted to know more about science, so the class tackled ancient texts related to bodies and medicine; a student in a coding class missed food from her own country, so she programmed a recipe app to share with the community. Within the structure of our program, you’ll be able to follow any interest or question.
You’ll also learn from experts in fields that you’re interested in. Just this past spring, Miss Hall’s students had the opportunity to meet and ask questions of a climate activist, an ecologist and farmer, a radiologist, a screenwriter, and several artists — people engaged at the highest levels in fields that our students want to pursue.
Course Catalog
Click to download the 2020–2021 course catalog
Above all, we know that the most relevant and lasting learning happens in the context of life. Every class you participate in will address real-world issues and include a diversity of voices and perspectives. You will learn with students from around the world and who bring their own histories and experiences. Their stories infuse and shape our program daily — just as yours will.
ACADEMIC STORIES
A virtual homecoming of sorts, celebrating Horizons and girls' leadership. On Saturday, October 17, we celebrated...
Students’ first week of in-person classes was joyous — and packed to the gills. The first...
In a year of particular adversity and uncertainty, Miss Hall’s is providing ever more ways to...
HALLMARK COURSES
Hallmark Courses are the most advanced in our curriculum and entirely unique to Miss Hall’s. These dynamic classes are designed by our faculty and specifically tailored to the curiosity, passion, and intellect of our students. In Hallmark courses, you will engage in deep exploration, investigation, and inquiry of topics that matter to you. You will practice the skills that are sought by top colleges — research and writing, abstract thinking, evaluation and synthesis of complex information — and foster the competencies required to be an active global citizen and leader: vision, voice, interpersonal efficacy, and gumption.
Research
Hallmark Humanities Seminar
Using cross-disciplinary tools from history, literature, and art, you’ll spend the year deeply engaged in a research project tied to one of your personal passions. This course is team-taught by faculty from the English and History departments.
History
Hallmark Democracy
In addition to studying American-style democracy and analyzing many of the issues facing our country as we look to the 2020 elections, you’ll also practice the basic skills of a functioning democracy: polling, activism, and canvassing.
English
Hallmark Creative Writing
Take your writing to new levels as you spend the year developing poetry, spoken-word pieces, short stories, and non-fiction
Artifical Intelligence
Hallmark Computer Science
Build your own artificial intelligence using regression modeling and clustering, code in Python, and learn data science — all while confronting the ethical questions of how we should and shouldn’t be using A.I.
Languages
Hallmark French
Through study, cultural exploration, and independent research projects, you’ll bolster your fluency with both written and spoken French, while also developing your critical understanding of current events, feminism, discrimination, and environmental issues as they pertain to the francophone world
Science
Hallmark Biotechnology
You’ll analyze genes and practice basic lab skills used by professional biotechnicians, while also confronting the ethical questions of how these skills should be used in society.
Expressive Arts
Hallmark Theater Intensive
Tackle every part of stagecraft, from dramaturgy to sound and lights, as you design and design and create a 40-minute one-act play for competition in February at the Massachusetts Thespian Festival.
English
Hallmark Ethics of Literature
Can literature help us live a better life or sort right from wrong? What power structures and social contexts influence the ethics of a work of literature? You’ll explore these questions — and make connections to your own life — as you study everything from Victorian novels to contemporary poetry and more
Lisa Alberti ’73
Dean of Academics and Faculty
“In more than four decades of teaching and leading schools, never have I experienced a more inspiring and inclusive community that believes 100 percent in the power of girls.”
Lisa Alberti ’73
Dean of Academics and Faculty
Academic support
You will lead your learning, but you will never be alone. Our faculty will know you as a person and as a student, and they will check in with you daily to make sure you have what you need to grow academically. You cannot slip through the cracks at Miss Hall’s.
Other formal support systems abound. In our Academic Skills Center, professional learning specialists can work with you on everything from study skills to organizing your time. Visit the specialized math and writing centers to get help outside of class on homework and advanced concepts, and one-on-one mentorship from faculty.
You will have a diverse and supportive group of peers, too. Friends from all over the world will help take your ideas to new levels and will study with you and laugh with you in equal measure.
This peer group is one of the best parts of Miss Hall’s. Our students are curious, active, and hard workers. They love learning, and they laugh readily. They’ll push you beyond where you thought you could go — just as you’ll inspire and support them in turn.
Skills for a better world
Facts are as important as ever in our world, but just as important is the ability to verify and validate the abundant information around us. You’ll leave Miss Hall’s with a deep foundational knowledge of each discipline and the habits of mind that will allow you to persist through difficult questions and elusive answers.
You’ll also learn to use your newfound skills in service of the common good. You might learn the science behind renewable energy, then take that knowledge and advocate for a new solar panel array to be installed on campus, just as Vivian ’18 did. You might use your programming skills to build an app to keep your peers safe from sexual assault, as a group of our students did this year.
ATHLETICS
Not just exercising our minds
Athletics and intramurals are an extension of our classroom learning — whether on the court or in the lab, you’ll collaborate with peers, contribute to common goals, and learn to handle both success and failure. As with all areas of Miss Hall’s, you have the opportunity to explore and try on new interests.
ATHLETICS AT MISS HALL’S
We offer abundant options for intramural sports and recreation. (Competitive sports will not be offered during the 2020–2021 school year because of the pandemic.) Experienced coaches and instructors are available for personal and group instruction.
- Horseback riding (learn more about our partner, the Berkshire Equestrian Center)
- Alpine racing
- Soccer
- Volleyball
- Cross-country
- Basketball
- Step (dance team)
- Lacrosse
- Softball
- Tennis
- Golf
“The school environment at MHS is always positive. Whether you are participating in a team sport or a school play, you always have the support of the entire school community. ”
Grace
Class of 2017
Grace
Class of 2017
It’s your turn
In the words of Dr. Chris Himes, our Director of Engineering and Technology Innovation, “It’s OK not to know, but it’s not OK not to try.” Our program will challenge and stretch you, and our faculty and staff will be there right beside you the whole way, helping you identify new interests, new identities, and new ways of giving back to the world around us.
Whatever your passions, Miss Hall’s will change your perspective from “I can’t do this” to “I don’t know how to do this — yet.” You will learn and grow and change — how much is up to you.
Hear from our faculty and students
In the videos that follow, you’ll hear directly from our students and faculty about some of the specific programs that make Miss Hall’s special.
Technology and Engineering
Math
History
English
Express yourself like never before
Through the Expressive Arts department, you’ll learn brilliant new ways to raise your voice and speak to the world
Work hard, play hard
See how students at Miss Hall’s spend their time when they’re not studying or changing the world
