As your Deans, we cannot wait for everyone to be on campus together. 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 new friends to make, to being on campus for the first time or returning — and each day will be full of new challenges and adventures. We hope you will embrace each moment.

Last year, we learned the strength, resiliency, and dedication of all members of the community. Now, we look toward the possibilities a new school year brings. 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 next week's, we hope to answer your concerns.

In preparation for a new school year, here is our full community calendar (You may also download it here.), and below we have a few key updates to share.

I am excited to welcome you — or welcome you back — to campus! As you prepare to arrive, we want to share a few updates from the world of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

In honor of the diversity among our student body, we have updated our policy to support students and their families’ observation of important cultural traditions and religious holidays that fall outside of planned, all-school vacation days.

This year, each student will have a bank of excused absences to use for cultural or religious observations, up to 5 days in a given academic year (September-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 2021-2022 Student-Family Handbook (coming to you next week).

Affinity groups are gatherings of students and/or adults who share a common identity or experience. Groups can be formed around a shared racial/ethnic identity, religious/faith-based affiliation, for members of the lgbtqia+ community, and/or other shared experiences — around adoption or neurodiversity, for example. Groups meet regularly throughout the academic year, led by an adult and/or student facilitator.

Click here to fill out the affinity group interest form. Or, download the form here and email your answers to Ms. Lima Jones (LJ), Dean of Equity & Inclusion at plimajones@misshalls.org, or Kim Boland ’94, D.E.&I. Coordinator at kboland@misshalls.org.

Global Citizenship Opportunity (for 9th and 10th graders)

How would you like to collaborate with and design a project to support the growth of educational opportunities for girls in developing countries? 9th & 10th graders are invited to participate in a project sponsored by the National Coalition of Girls Schools to apply and improve their global citizenship skills through collaboration with peers at an all-girls identified school in a developing country. The Moulton Student Global Citizenship Grant is an opportunity to empower girls/women around the globe, to generate positive change, and help to make our world more interconnected. If you are interested, please contact Sra. Nicholson, Global Citizenship Coordinator at jnicholson@misshalls.org, by Monday, August 23.

Ms. Paula Lima Jones

Dean of Equity and Inclusion

Director of Academic Counseling Sarah Virden has emailed 2021-2022 class information 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 the class information attached to the communication 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 by schedule, using your class list as your guide. You can certainly have books sent directly to MHS if that is easier. Please make sure to use your child’s name in the shipping address, so that we know to whom the package should be delivered. Should you have any questions about this process or the class information that you have received, please reach out to Sarah Virden directly via email: svirden@misshalls.org.  

The Leonhardt Academic Skills Center (ASC) promotes academic, cognitive, and personal growth in students, partnering with students and their teachers to promote a collaborative process addressing individual learning needs. ASC learning specialists also create opportunities for group learning through engagement with grade-level programs and seminar-style course offerings for students who self-identify as needing such support.

This year, we are happy to announce the rollout of a Fee-Free Academic Skills Center for the 2021-2022 school year and beyond! 

The ASC will provide opportunities for all students to connect with learning specialists based on individual needs. For more information, please read this announcement from Chris Ouellette, Director of the Academic Skills Center.

Ms. Lisa Alberti ’73

Dean of Academics and Faculty

I look forward to starting this year with everyone! Whether you are new to Miss Hall’s, like me, or returning to campus, I am excited to be part of your journey. Get ready for fun moments that turn into amazing memories! Stay tuned for information about Orientation, roommate assignments, activities, and so much more.

As we begin a new school year, student records should be updated. Make sure all student health and medical information is completed via SchoolDoc. No student will be able to participate in leadership activities or athletics, begin classes, or engage in other school events until all information is completed and uploaded to the student's SchoolDoc account.

Miss Hall’s is requiring all employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19, and we strongly encourage all students to get vaccinated. Research clearly shows that widespread vaccination is the best way to achieve “herd immunity” and to ensure the health and safety of our community. We ask all students upload a copy of their COVID-19 vaccination card or other proof of vaccination, as well as their immunization record to the Immunizations tab of their SchoolDoc account. You can also submit via email to healthcenter@misshalls.org.

Students who have not had the opportunity to be vaccinated may be vaccinated after arrival at MHS. You will soon receive an email from Kristen Milano, Director of Health & Wellness, with more information about vaccinations for students.

Students traveling internationally may arrive on campus as early as August 26. Returning students should plan to arrive on September 3, and new students should arrive on September 4.

If your student is unvaccinated, we encourage you to schedule their arrival no later than September 1, so they have time to complete quarantine prior to the first day of classes, September 9. If your student will be delayed due to reasons outside your control, we will do our best to accommodate.

If you have not yet done so, please complete and return the travel forms on your MyBackpack account so that we can appropriately plan for student arrivals.

Ms. Cherèva McClellan

Dean of Students

As we look ahead 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 a year to remember!

Please feel free to contact us with questions or concerns.

We cannot wait to see you!

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

Lisa Alberti, Dean of Academics and Faculty, 413-395-7108

Paula Lima Jones, Dean of Equity and Inclusion, 413-395-7117

Cherèva McClellan, Dean of Students, 413-395-7015

Christie Higuera, Director of Residential Life & Student Leadership Coordinator, 413-395-7016

Kristen Milano, Director of Health and Wellness, 413-395-7073

For questions about class schedules: Sarah Virden, Director of Academic Counseling, 413-395-7018