Between COVID-19, racial injustice, the economy, and climate change, we all are experiencing a cascade of crises. And, our usual ways of coping with stress — hugs, gatherings, human connection — are largely unavailable right now. Teenage girls are especially vulnerable to this disequilibrium, piled on top of the societal pressures of adolescence.

Our job at Miss Hall’s School is to turn anxiety into action, commitment, and inclusiveness: to give young women agency in the world.

In this year unlike any other, we are:

• Putting the power of digital platforms to work to support each other, to heighten awareness about women’s health and wellness, and to celebrate connectedness in the MHS community. On Giving Tuesday, December 1, 2020, we will spotlight the many initiatives and student projects happening around social-emotional wellness and lifting each other up. Our goal is to crowdsource energy and resources to benefit our shared wellbeing.

• Supporting each student’s Personal Team. Every student at MHS has a Personal Team made up of her advisor, Proctor, dorm parent, coaches, deans, and counselors who can be activated to bolster wellbeing and ensure her success. Proctors — five of whom are pictured above — have been trained to have private conversations from a place of care and compassion. Every adult on a student’s Personal Team is checking in more frequently these days to make sure students have what they need, from access to reliable technology to downtime in their schedule.