From the Head of School
January 30, 2018

Dear Miss Hall’s School Families,

As your daughter settles in for the Second Semester, and the start of school now seems light-years ago, I wanted to take a moment to reflect and share some highlights from the first half of the school year. The students have done great work, and we have much to be proud of academically, athletically, and artistically, but I am particularly pleased with the way the year’s theme of Advocacy has resonated in the community. To say the students have signed on is an understatement. Not surprisingly, they have run with it in numerous ways, large and small, on- and off-campus.
Those of you who attended Convocation in October heard students speak movingly on the topic. For those of you who could not attend, you may click here to read the girls’ addresses. Also this fall, after a series of natural disasters hit Dominica, Mexico, and Puerto Rico, students, faculty, and staff organized the Natural Disaster Relief Group (NDR) to raise awareness about the devastation and provide direct financial support to schools in all three countries. That students from Dominica and Mexico currently attend MHS made the cause that much more relevant in the community, and the group has raised more than $3,000 and counting.
Spurred by an interest in solar energy and environmental protection and a desire to share what she has learned with other MHS students, Vivian Hou ’18 spearheaded a solar panel installation on campus for her senior Horizons project. The Panda Solar Project was installed in December near the tennis courts and Linn Hall, which was outfitted with a weather station as part of the effort. The installation, generously underwritten by Vivian’s parents, Ms. Zheng Qin and Mr. Jinlong Hou, includes a curricular component through which students can learn more about the science and math involved in solar energy.

In preparation for Human Rights Day on December 10, the city of Pittsfield’s Human Rights Commission partnered with MHS and, with sponsorship from The Berkshire Eagle newspaper, asked students to write an essay, “Why I Stand Up for Human Rights.” Inspiring essays by Nikky Abreu ’19 and Emily Hunter ’18 were published in The Eagle , giving residents throughout Berkshire County exposure to our girls’ strong voices. Click here to read Nikky’s essay. Click here to read Emily’s essay.
MHS students also made their voices heard as part of Martin Luther King, Jr., Day events in Pittsfield last month. Zoe Hypolite ’19 and Ayla Wallace ’20 presented poems at the “WXW Celebrates MLK” event held at the Berkshire Museum and sponsored by the organizers of the annual WordXWord Festival. Zoe and Ayla followed their powerful performances by presenting to the MHS community at an all-school meeting. Additionally, Zoe competed on January 17 in the Lions Club Youth Speech Competition in Berkshire County. The contest prompt this year is “What is the impact of volunteerism?” Zoe’s outstanding speech and delivery was noted by the local Lions Clubs, and she was selected to move forward to the Western Massachusetts competition on March 3 in Northampton.

As the nationwide debate and fallout continue regarding sexual harassment and assault, students in Rebecca Cook-Dubin’s English IV class wanted MHS students to learn more and have resources for assistance. Ten students—Shae Daley ’18, Aysha Eryilmaz ’18, Gabby Hinkley ’18, Emily Hunter ’18, Irene Kim ’18, Anna Le ’19, Shanti Nelson ’18, Kim Potter ’18, Kristina Wang ’18, and Erica Zhang ’18—delivered a Community Meeting presentation that included information about the “Time’s Up” movement, statistics about sexual harassment, resources for help, and ways to get involved and stay informed.

These are just a few examples. Advocacy, of course, is nothing new for Miss Hall’s students, but to see it recognized and named in such a public way—and repeatedly—throughout the year, reminds us all of the incredible work that takes place every day in this community. In addition to their efforts in the classroom and at Horizons sites, many of which include advocacy in formal and informal ways, your daughters are doing an amazing job advocating on behalf of others and for causes on the MHS campus and in the community at-large. I am excited to see what they will do this semester.

Sincerely,
Julia Heaton signature
Julia Heaton
Head of School