Student Life at White Mountain: Respecting Individuality and Supporting Community

The White Mountain School has designed and implemented an impressive array of programs that help students respect the individuality of others while experiencing the joy of a tight-knit community.

• White Mountain believes that every community member must learn about systems of oppression and has embedded social justice into the fabric of its student life programs. Students are encouraged to participate in the School’s extensive Equity, Justice, and Belonging (EJB) offerings by participating in affinity groups, clubs, co-curriculars, and conferences. Students can also become Equity and Inclusion Student Delegates to ensure student voices are represented in the School’s EJB efforts.

• Alumnae/i, current students, faculty, and staff often point to the School’s “ Uniquely White Mountain ” attributes as their favorite parts of the School experience. These include the regular occasions when the whole community comes together, such as Morning Meetings, New Semester Orientation, Community Weekend, Mountain Day and Beach Day, and Sustainable Community Day.

• Research has shown that students who have strong relationships with their teachers are more likely to succeed. At White Mountain, teachers and students intersect throughout the day in multiple dimensions, from dorm life to work jobs, from our athletic and co-curricular programs to the classroom.

Eighty five percent of faculty live on campus, including in the four dormitories. Through Advisory Program , faculty members typically have five students as advisees each year and check in with them on a frequent basis.

• During most meals, students are free to sit where and with whom they wish. However, White Mountain offers structured meals to build community and forge new, positive relationships between students, their peers, and adults, including Family-Style meals, Advisory Dinners, and Community Dinners. International Night celebrates the cultures and cuisines of the international students. The Cultural Event Series aims to connect students and the surrounding communities through the exploration rich cultural and performing arts productions.

• Students are required to participate in one sport per semester. They can select from adventure sports like whitewater kayaking or snowboarding, traditional team sports like soccer or lacrosse, or other team-oriented activities like robotics or farm and forest. At White Mountain, every student plays, and every student becomes an integral part of the team.

• There are many leadership opportunities for students on campus, both formal and informal. These opportunities include Student Council, Citizenship Committee, Social Committee, the Admissions Ambassadors Program, the Equity and Inclusion Student Delegates Program, proctors, crew supervisors, work job supervisors, athletic and co-curricular captains, and more.

• Students have numerous interestspecific clubs to choose from ranging from electronics, to astronomy, to skating, to LGBTQ.

• Finally, a great benefit of learning and working at White Mountain is experiencing its extraordinary campus on a daily basis. Highlights include a brand new dorm, constructed and opened in 2020; the Catherine Houghton Arts Center, which includes two dance studios, a music recording studio, and an art room; the Fred Steele Science Center; an impressive fitness center with a 3,500-square-foot climbing wall; a “black box”-style theater; a small, organic farm; and the hub of campus— the McLane Building.

Leadership

Interim Head of School Donald Ball

An experienced educator who is completing his doctorate in Leadership and Learning in Organizations from Vanderbilt University, Donald Ball brings to The White Mountain School a rare combination of academic experience coupled with a strong business sense. He began his tenure as Interim Head of School last August and will lead the school until 2024.

A graduate of Princeton University where he received his A.B. degree in Intellectual History, Ball was granted an M.A.L.S. from Dartmouth College and an E.M.B.A from the Drucker School of Management at Claremont Graduate University where he was inducted into the Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society.

With extensive independent school experience, he previously served as Division Director of Miami Country Day School, where he oversaw a division of 450 students and 60 faculty. Prior to his time in Miami, Ball was Dean of Academic Affairs of Innovation at Baylor School, where he led program design, development, and evaluation of faculty. He began his teaching career at the Webb Schools in Claremont, California, serving for 15 years and chairing the History Department while teaching, coaching, and creating strategic programs.

White Mountain Board of Trustees

In addition to completing short- and longterm strategic planning for the School, White Mountain’s Board of Trustees sets day-to-day policy and reviews the implementation of these policies for the School. The Board is made up of 13-15 members, including Honorary Trustees, who are alumnae/i, parents, educators, and professionals in multiple fields—all volunteering their time to advance White Mountain’s mission. Trustees are carefully selected based on demonstrated service to the School and a clear commitment to its goals and philosophy.