Miss Hall's Welcome Letter and Important Dates

Welcome from Head of School

Dear MHS Families,

Greetings from 492 Holmes Road! I hope that this letter finds you well, and that your family has been enjoying the slower pace of summer and finding time for relaxation and fun. My summer has included time collaborating with colleagues, local adventures in the beautiful Berkshires, and travels to visit with family and friends. Each year as the calendar turns to August, I experience the familiar mix of excitement and anticipation that comes with the back-to-school season. I find myself counting the days until school begins, and simultaneously wanting to stretch out summer just a bit longer. Perhaps your student is experiencing something similar!

Here at Miss Hall’s, faculty and staff are actively preparing for the new school year. We are making improvements to campus, designing new classes, planning orientation and weekend activities, and much, much more. We are looking forward to meeting new students and welcoming back returning students. Every MHS adult is eager to provide our students with a transformational experience, full of deep learning, opportunities for growth, and friendships that last for a lifetime.

Between now and the start of the school year, you will receive weekly messages from the three Deans that provide you with everything you and your student need to know to be ready to start the year. Thank you to Lisa Alberti, Paula Lima Jones, and Cherèva McClellan for putting this information together.

Here are a few important back-to-school reminders:

All student forms and medical documentation must be completed and submitted before arrival on campus (we ask to be submitted by Monday, August 15th. Students who are missing forms cannot participate in orientation or other activities.
We have a staggered arrival and registration schedule for new and returning students. Please refer to the school calendar for your student’s designated arrival date, and communicate your travel plans to Dean McClellan as soon as possible.
Families are welcome to come to campus on arrival days. Please note that we only allow one family member in the dorm at time. Other family members may gather in one of the designated areas outdoors or in common areas in the Main Building.
For New Families, there will be a New Family Orientation on September 4th at 1:00 p.m., followed by a meeting with your student’s advisor and the New Family Reception at 3:00 pm. We hope you will join us!
Please Save-the-Date for Family Weekend, October 14-15. This is an opportunity to meet teachers, connect with families, and experience the campus in autumn. More details to follow. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. We are so glad that you are part of the MHS community, and we can’t wait to see you soon!

Sincerely,

Julia Heaton

Head of School

Welcome from Deans & Important Dates

The best journey answers questions that in the beginning you didn't even think

to ask. — Jeff Johnson

Greetings, Miss Hall’s Students and Families!

As your Deans, we cannot wait for everyone's return to campus. This is a great

time of year, as the anticipation and excitement builds to welcome all members

to our wonderful community. It is indeed a new beginning — from new staff and faculty for you to meet, to friends to make, to being on campus for the first

time or returning back — each day will be full of new challenges and adventures. We encourage you to treat each day as a new beginning to discover your voice and place at Miss Hall’s School.

We know you have important questions about the start of school. Between this

communication and those to follow this month, we hope to provide the

information you need to begin the school year.

Important Dates and Reminders

Forms: MyBackPack and Magnus forms are all due on Monday, August 15th.
Arrival Schedule:
Sunday, August 28th
New Student International Arrival/Orientation
Invited Pre-Season Athlete Arrival/Training (For returning students only — must have confirmed with Coach Marks-McCall in July)
Proctors (Boarding Proctors to move-in; Day Proctors to join training on Monday, August 29th)
Monday, August 29th
Proctors (Boarding and Day Proctors arrive for training)
Wednesday, August 31st
School Elected Leaders (All School President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer; Class Presidents and Class Vice Presidents; AA co-Heads; Social Committee co-Heads; DivCo tri-Heads Only — Training Begins Thursday, September 1st)
Friday, September 2nd to Saturday, September 3rd
All Returning Boarding Students
Returning Day Students Arrive on September 3rd for Registration
Sunday, September 4th
All New Students
Orientation For All New and Returning Students: Sunday, September 4th to Tuesday, September 6th (You will receive a detailed schedule later this month.)
Includes a new family meeting and reception on Sunday, September 4th

Important Updates from Equity and Inclusion

I am eager to welcome you all to campus and to the beginning of an exciting new school year! The beginning of the year is one of my favorite times, with all the energy that a fresh start brings. As you prepare to arrive on campus, I want to share a few timely reminders from the world of diversity, equity, and inclusion with you.

Please remember to complete the DE&I forms to help us plan for the upcoming year.

New International Student Orientation returns this August (29th-31st). The DE&I Team and International Student Alliance (ISA) co-Heads are excited to welcome the 24 new international students for a three day pre-orientation. Please note these days will not replace the all-school orientation that will take place in September! These days will be filled with opportunities for fun group bonding activities as well as some relevant and practical onboarding that new international students will find useful. If you have not completed the DE&I form sent out in July, please do so by the end of next week so we can be sure to be ready for your arrival.

Cultural & Religious Observations: Excused Absences

Last year, we launched a new policy around excused absences as it relates to cultural and religious observances. To honor the diversity among our student body, Miss Hall’s provides students the opportunity to request time off to continue to observe important cultural traditions and religious holidays that fall outside of planned all school vacation days.

Each student has a bank of excused absences to use for cultural or religious observations — up to 5 days in an academic year (Sept-May). Under this policy excused absences can be taken for observations such as Yom Kippur, Lunar New Year, Good Friday, Eid-al-Fitr, etc. More information about the policy can be found in our 2022-2023 Student-Family Handbook (coming soon).

Enjoy the rest of your summer break! See you soon!

Ms. Paula Lima Jones

Dean of Equity and Inclusion

Important Updates from Academics and Faculty

I am very eager to begin our 2022-2023 school year. During the summer months, faculty have been taking the time to rest and rejuvenate and they have also been working on developing curriculum for our courses. I look forward to our return to classes.

Ordering School Books and Purchasing School Supplies

By now all students have received their courses for the school year and information about ordering books. This was emailed to all returning students via their Miss Hall’s School email account and to all new students and families via the email addresses shared with the School during the admission process. Please use your course information to order books for the upcoming school year through our book vendor, ecampus.com.

The link to the MHS bookstore is https://misshalls.ecampus.com/. When you go to the ecampus site, you will shop using your class list as your guide. Boarding students can certainly have the books sent directly to MHS, if that is easier. Please make sure to use your student’s name in the shipping address, so that we know to whom the package should be delivered. Should you have any questions about your class information that you have received, please reach out to Sarah Virden, Director of Academic Counseling, via email: [email protected].

We do not have a designated supply list, instead consider those supplies you will need for note-taking, staying organized, and being prepared for classes. Certainly, a backpack for carrying books and supplies to classes will be helpful. Our school store has supplies, and there will be opportunities to shop locally when you arrive.

Ms. Lisa Alberti

Dean of Academics and Faculty

Important Updates from Student Life

I look forward to welcoming new and returning families and students! The Student Life Team and I are busy preparing for all the fun moments which begin our year — from Orientation, to Blue/Gold events, to Day Student gatherings, to Boarding Student events, and more. We cannot wait to be part of everyone’s journey at MHS!

Submit Health & Medical Records

As we begin a new school year, student records should be updated. Make sure all student health and medical information is completed via Magnus by Monday, August 15th (Magnus is our new online portal which has replaced SchoolDoc). No student will be able to participate in leadership activities or athletics, begin classes, or other school events until all information is completed and uploaded to the student's Magnus account.

Health and Safety Protocols

As we prepare to welcome everyone back to campus, you will receive updates in an upcoming Health and Wellness communication. In the meantime, we ask all community members to think of our Common Good Guidelines — to actively share the responsibility of keeping MHS healthy and safe, to take proper precautions when traveling or spending time in large crowds, and to be informed about health guidelines in your area.

Making Connections

Please make sure you have completed your MyBackPack Forms by Monday, August 15th. New boarding students, this is important for you as residential life is working on your roommate placement — make sure you have completed your Roommate Questionnaire Form fully to help us select your roommates. Roommate assignments, advisor assignments, and early arrival student leaders training schedule will all be sent later this month. For new students, make sure you have connected with your Big at least once - they are a great resource and support for you as you start your time at MHS. For boarding students, here is a reminder of the packing list.

Have a wonderful rest of your summer! See you in a few weeks!

Ms. Cherèva McClellan (Ms. M)

Dean of Students

Closing Message

As we look forward to the beginning of the semester, we are energized, motivated, and dedicated to ensuring the safety and well-being of all members of our community. We hope you will all partner with us in making this year one to remember!

Every Friday in August, you will receive a communication from Miss Hall’s School including more importation information and updates you need to know to begin the school year.

Please feel free to contact us with questions or concerns.

We cannot wait to see you!

Ms. Alberti, Ms. Lima Jones, Ms. McClellan