Miss Hall’s has provided, since our founding in 1898, an exceptional academic education and the opportunity to develop values core to the human experience: authenticity, respect, honor, and growth. Our students have, since the beginning, become bold and creative contributors to the common good.

These values were embodied in our founder, Mira Hinsdale Hall, a young Latin teacher in Central Massachusetts. Twenty years before the 19th Amendment granted her the right to vote, Mira Hall envisioned something radical: a world in which girls received the high-quality education they deserved.

So, in 1898, she did something bold: she founded a school. As one might expect, it wasn’t easy — according to her niece, Miss Hall “began her venture with little capital beyond her youth, her determination to have the best school she could build, and the strong idealism which directed her.” But, her intelligence, strength of will, and good humor won out: the School grew strong.

Miss Hall’s convictions were tested early on, when the School burned to the ground on a cold February morning in 1923 — a contemporary news article stated “there was nothing left but chimneys and bathtubs.” It would have been easy to walk away, but Miss Hall doubled down and invested her life’s savings into rebuilding. Classes continued off campus, and the “new” school opened the following year.

One other tenet of Miss Hall’s has defined us over the 125 years of our history: a commitment to learning from those who are different from us. A 1932 article in The Berkshire Eagle newspaper celebrated this unusual aspect of Miss Hall’s School: “[Miss Hall] felt that a school which chose its pupils from… different parts of the nation and world would give them a broader concept of life. And she has not deviated from the path which she laid out in 1898. That her idea was a right one is attested to by the fact that today her pupils come from all over the world.” They still do.

Today, Miss Hall’s School still embraces Mira Hall’s vision and empowers girls to use their voices, be their authentic selves, and become bold, creative contributors to the common good.

• 210 students — 70% boarding, 30% day

• 40% of our student body is international, coming from 23 countries; domestic students come from 11 states

• All of our students continue on to institutions of higher learning. From the Class of 2024, 16% of graduates were accepted Early Decision and 82% were accepted Early Action.

• We are accredited by the NEASC

Miss Hall’s School inspires and encourages each girl to pursue the highest standards of learning and character; to contribute boldly and creatively to the common good; and to seek a purposeful life based on honor, respect, growth, and personal authenticity.

Guided by the mission and values of Miss Hall's School, our graduates demonstrate the following core competencies:

VISION is the willingness to dream, imagine possibilities, conceive bold and ambitious goals, and set a course to achieve them.

VOICE is the power to articulate ideas with authenticity and confidence. Young women with voice present themselves with integrity, communicate effecitvely, confidently advocate and negotiate, and demonstrate and command respect.

INTERPERSONAL EFFICACY is the intersection of empathy, self-awareness, and cultural competency. Young women with interpersonal efficacy navigate diverse contexts with ease while maintaining consistency of character and building strong relationships and networks.

GUMPTION is the strength of mind and character to seek out challenges and grow from failure. Young women with gumption take calculated risks to create change, practice self-reflection, and distinguish the pursuit of one's best self from the pressure for perfection.

The principles that guide our program development are outlined in our strategic plan. It prioritizes students at all times, alongside a desire to regularly reimagine curriculum in light of student need, student interest, and world events. Four areas have been our focus:

• Innovative programs that emphasize intellectual pursuit, development of our core competencies, and personalized, experiential learning tailored to girls

• An inclusive community that values diversity as essential to learning and problem solving, as a means to discovery and personal growth, and as a context for cultivating empathy and cultural competency

• Commitment to engagement, service, and leadership that strengthens connections between the School and our local and global communities and provides opportunities for students to discover passions and have influence

• A culture of adaptability, collaboration, and excellence that enables the School to address challenges, maximize opportunities for growth, and remain nimble in a changing educational landscape

• Julia Heaton P’24, P’27, Head of School: jheaton@sj5666.com

• Merritt Colaizzi P’28, Director of Advancement: mcolaizzi@sj5666.com

• Aaron Gordon, Chief Financial & Operating Officer: agordon@sj5666.com

• David Hopkins P’24, P’27, Director of Admissions & Enrollment Management: dhopkins@sj5666.com

• Paula Lima Jones, Dean of Equity & Inclusion: plimajones@sj5666.com

• Kristen Milano, Dean of Wellness: kmilano@sj5666.com

• Meghan Smith, Dean of Teaching & Learning: meghan.smith@sj5666.com

Miss Hall’s is governed by a thirty-member Board of Trustees who ensure the long-term sustainability of the School. This group of alumnae, parents, and friends meets four times each year.

Nancy Gustafson Ault ’73, President, Damariscotta, Maine
Laura H. Harris ’74, Vice President, Vero Beach, Florida
Suzanne Wilson ’64, Vice President, Big Timber, Montana
Katie Grace Deane ’05, Clerk, Medford, Massachusetts
Mary Kay Kosnik P’15, Treasurer, Darien, Connecticut
Caroline Amory ’76, Sarasota, Florida
Mariel Beasley ’02, Durham, North Carolina
Reginald Canal P’21, Maplewood, New Jersey
Lee Carbonelli ’95, Bradenton, Florida
Anne Peterson Conolly ’70, South Burlington, Vermont
Susan Danish, New York, New York
Angela W. Fowler ’73, New York, New York
Elizabeth Welch Gustafson ’88, Basking Ridge, New Jersey
Rebecca Hajjar ’89, Brookline, Massachusetts
Susan Foster Hammill ’69, Richmond, Virginia
Camille Jackson ’90, Durham, North Carolina
Melissa Kilby, Hickory, North Carolina
Susan P. O’Day ’77, Boston, Massachusetts
Nancy Brewster Paternotte ’65, Baltimore, Maryland
Steven Shindler P’15, Darien, Connecticut
Sinclair “Cinnie” Siracusa, Jupiter, Florida
Jennifer Perkins Speers ’71, Salt Lake City, Utah
Sarah Richardson Straley ’71, Tampa, Florida
Elizabeth Zeigler, Cranford, New Jersey
Yiyan Zhou ’91, Brookline, Massachusetts

Lee Auchincloss Link ’61, New York, New York
Jacqueline B. Mars ’57, McLean, Virginia
Bonnie Campbell Perkins ’57, Denver, Colorado
Patricia Manley Smith ’55, Cooperstown, New York
Stacey Sotirhos ’89, New York, New York
Theresa S. Thompson ’64, Lewisburg, West Virginia
Robin Brown Woods ’58, Darien, Connecticut