Saint Mary's Hall Viewbook

KNOW KNOWN AND BE

A campus for the curious where every child is known.

Founded in 1879, SAINT MARY’S HALL offers students age 3 through 12 th grade a coeducational college preparatory experience.

A rich, rigorous curriculum. Insightful discourse. Expansive opportunities for exploring your world—and discovering yourself. At Saint Mary’s Hall, we create a culture of trust where every student is known—by teachers, each other, and in turn, themselves. They go forth from us confidently, armed with the skills, knowledge, and self-awareness needed to thrive in college and find fulfillment in life.

Situated on 60 beautiful acres near Salado Creek, Saint Mary’s Hall was founded on the principles of knowledge, self-confidence, and respect for others.

Originally established by the Episcopal Church, Saint Mary’s Hall is now an independent and coeducational day school for students and families of all faiths.

KNOW THE WORLD

With a focus on global dexterity and cultural competence, the breadth and depth of study at Saint Mary’s Hall echoes the offerings of a liberal arts college. Our passionate, expert faculty and staff encourage students as they come to know their world through a variety of lenses, guiding their growth as critical thinkers and creative problem solvers.

SAINT MARY’S HALL |

ACADEMICS

“It is not for school, but for life we learn.”

— From the desk of the first Headmistress of Saint Mary’s Hall, Philippa Stevenson

Saint Mary’s Hall offers students a rich curriculum, carefully crafted to flow naturally through the Forms and connect across the disciplines. From their earliest days on our campus, students begin building the essential knowledge and skills that prepare them for challenging, higher-level studies beyond our school.

AN AGILE, INTEGRATED CURRICULUM

Examining ecosystems in science today, discussing the detail of Georgia O’Keefe’s flowers in fine arts tomorrow, learning the Latin names for animals on Friday—constructing an incredible, integrated academic experience like this takes a strategic approach. At Saint Mary’s Hall, we carefully craft a verticallyaligned curriculum while empowering faculty with the flexibility to create unique learning experiences.

A CAMPUS FOR THE CURIOUS

The natural world and modern facilities come together on our campus to fuel students’ curiosity. Classroom courtyards and herb gardens give even the smallest children safe outdoor spaces to explore, while the wonders of the nearby Salado Creek complement the sophisticated equipment in our science labs and the advanced resources in our three campus libraries.

EXTENDED CARE

Our on-campus Extended Care Program offers Lower School students a cheery, relaxed homeaway-from-home environment before and after school. It’s the perfect place to play, form new friendships, do homework, or engage in fun activities.

INSPIRED EXPLORERS

LOWER SCHOOL

Montessori (beginning at age 3) | Kindergarten | Forms 1-5

It all begins with a child’s natural curiosity about the world. By nurturing this innate love of learning in an atmosphere of joy and contagious enthusiasm, we lay a foundation for future academic growth and discovery while building essential skills like concentration, motivation, and self-discipline.

CHILD-CENTERED CLASSROOMS

Students begin their Lower School adventure in our multiage Montessori classrooms, where a child-centered environment promotes independent learning and exploration. Each child is free to progress at his or her own pace as the teacher introduces appropriate materials, offers guidance, and encourages each individual. As children transition to Kindergarten and more structured exploration in Forms 1-5, teachers continue to cultivate each child’s innate abilities and build their self-confidence.

RIGHT-SIZED RESOURCES

The Lower School’s facilities include the Eleanor Duncan Sarratt Memorial Library, which introduces developmentally appropriate resources in an environment tailored specifically to our youngest scholars. Amazing playgrounds and ample recess time encourage physical and social development and give children space to be themselves.

LOWER SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS

› Responsive Classroom Learning, a student-centered, social and emotional learning approach to teaching and discipline. Students begin their day with a Morning Meeting, where teachers and students greet one another, share information about themselves, and engage in meaningful group activities that set the tone for a positive learning environment.

› Daily fine arts instruction rotates through music, art, and drama, offering students multiple avenues for developing their creativity. Interested students can also study dance.

› Spanish instruction as early as Kindergarten exposes students to languages at a young age.

› Technology introduction begins in Montessori with two iPads per class, climbing to a 1:1 iPad-to-student ratio by Form 2.

› Daily physical education classes build healthy students in Forms 1-5.

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING IN LOWER SCHOOL

In the Lower School, our students transfer their learning from the classroom to the real world through activities such as practicing the skills of scientific observation by walking through a local nature reserve, learning principles of fractions by visiting a pizzeria, or understanding the effects of force by flying in a wind tunnel.

EMERGING SCHOLARS

MIDDLE SCHOOL

Forms 6-8

As students advance to our Middle School, they enter a whole new world, full of fresh paths to pursue. Classes engage students in collaboration, investigation, and research amidst a vibrant hands-on learning environment. The critical thinking, organization, and study skills that they develop during these crucial years will serve them throughout their academic careers.

A UNIQUE ACADEMIC JOURNEY

As Middle School students begin developing greater self-awareness, we encourage them to explore their passions and discover new interests—whether it’s through trying a new sport, playing an instrument, or running for an elected office on campus.

The Middle School curriculum offers students a broad range of course options as they continue to explore and define their unique academic path.

READY FOR THE FUTURE

Our approach prepares nimble minds for the challenges of the future, whether they’re learning coding in their Robotics elective, discovering the sophisticated resources at their fingertips in the Middle/Upper School’s Marrs and Verna McLean Library Complex, or working in a flipped classroom, which allows them to engage with complex concepts in class after watching the presentation for homework.

MIDDLE SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS

› French and Latin join Spanish as World Language options, while accelerated courses allow students who continue in Spanish to advance more rapidly.

› Electives in fine arts and physical education allow students to choose the creative direction they wish to pursue, and give students a choice of in-school dance, fitness class, or athletic teams to get their bodies moving.

› Leadership opportunities for elected council officers include the Middle School Leadership Retreat at Camp Lonehollow, as well as leadership skills training.

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING IN MIDDLE SCHOOL

During Middle School, our students gain a better understanding of themselves and deepen their connection with the world through various activities such as participating in a ropes course, contributing to the community by assembling food packs at a local warehouse, walking the historic battlefields at Gettysburg, or team-building in Port Aransas.

EAGER INTELLECTUALS

UPPER SCHOOL

Forms 9-12

Advanced courses, independent studies, and travel opportunities aren’t just for college students. The Saint Mary’s Hall Upper School empowers students to pursue their passions. Our courses expose students to new ideas, promote thoughtful discourse, and enhance skills essential for advanced achievement and personal fulfillment.

DISTINCTIVE COURSES

Whatever a student’s intellectual passion, we offer opportunities for pursuing it. The breadth and depth of our Upper School course offerings enable students to delve deeper into areas of interest while developing knowledge in a broad range of academic subjects. We offer students more than 40 unique courses, as well as 26 Advanced Placement courses.

Sampling of our distinctive courses

› Advanced Sculpture and Design

› AP Spanish Literature and Culture

› Astrophysics

› College Level History of Modern Africa

› College Level Multivariable Calculus

› Feminism and Literature

› Global Studies I-IV

› Identifying, Cultivating, and Exploring Leadership and Character

› Justice and Politics Through Film

› Meteorology

› Unheard Voices in the History of Science: Exploring and Identifying the Power, Contributions, and Experiences of Marginalized Populations in the Discipline of Science

UPPER SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS

› The iL earning Commons provides students with digital research experiences akin to what they will encounter in a university library setting.

› The award-winning Walrus Literary Magazine.

› Advanced science labs introduce students to the latest in biotechnology.

› 3D printers enable students to move their creative ideas from theory to reality.

› The darkroom photography and digital lab helps students understand the principles and mechanics of film photography.

› Issues Day - As part of a longstanding SMH tradition, the junior class selects a salient and often controversial topic for a much-anticipated debate and discussion with local and national experts.

SCIENCE SCHOLAR PROGRAM

This is a course where students learn about the human endeavor of scientific research, foundational laboratory skills, how to evaluate results using statistical analysis, and how to plan, implement, perform, and communicate research findings. There are three components to this program: classroom work, an independent research project, and an off-site internship in a certified laboratory.

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING IN UPPER SCHOOL

Our Upper School students prepare to meet the challenges of the world by knowing the world outside of our campus. They might address issues of food insecurity at a Model United Nations conference, pitch investment ideas to nationally renowned leaders in business, or build leadership skills by participating in a Duke of Edinburgh camping experience. Students may choose to travel to Costa Rica to study the environment, or South Africa to learn about apartheid; they may also spend a year abroad so that they can better understand world politics, speak another language, or grasp pressing socioeconomic concepts.

AMP PROGRAM

The Saint Mary’s Hall Arts Mentorship Program (AMP) provides real-world experience for visual and performing student artists with an interest in the field of arts management. Through an application and interview process, selected students work for a local arts organization to broaden their personal understanding of the arts. With mentorship from faculty and arts professionals, students perform their assigned duties at an area art institution for a minimum of sixty hours, typically during the summer. Areas of learning may include curatorial, research, arts management and administration, development and fundraising, production, art handling, and arts education.

KNOW ONE ANOTHER

A culture of trust permeates our halls – no one is anonymous. Administrators, teachers, and classmates truly know each other and encourage each other to grow. Firmly rooted in this solid ground, students expand their connections to the larger community beyond our gates.

A CULTURE OF TRUST AND ENCOURAGEMENT

EXPRESS CONFIDENCE

Our supportive environment frees students to express their individual viewpoints, participate in an open dialogue, and develop their identities as independent thinkers. Even our littlest learners gain poise and confidence through frequent opportunities to articulate their thoughts in front of encouraging peers and teachers, and at special events throughout the community.

FINDING JOY IN THE JOURNEY

Students at Saint Mary’s Hall love learning. They listen intently and ask thoughtful questions. They possess an inquisitiveness that drives them to want to know why. Spurred by curiosity, students encourage each other to seek solutions and expand their horizons.

HONOR COUNCIL

Our students take ownership of our school’s respectful climate through the Upper School’s elected Honor Council. The council helps classmates adopt a life of integrity, assists the administration by acting as a peer review panel for potential Honor Code violations, and weighs in on matters concerning the honor system.

Guided by our core values, we foster a culture of trust based on mutual respect, honesty, and integrity. Amid healthy competition, there is a feeling of pride, fellowship, and common loyalty shared by the entire school.

IDEAS WE LIVE BY Saint Mary’s Hall teaches core values which are the foundation of who we are, including:

› Courage

› Integrity

› Respect

› Responsibility

› Spirituality

› Tradition

YOU BELONG AT THE HALL

We believe that education for today’s world is best done within a community of belonging. To prepare our students to thrive after graduation, it is essential that they engage in self-reflection so that they understand both themselves and the community they are a part of. This process of self-reflection—a process that is increasingly critical in an everchanging world—gives our students an opportunity to understand various

backgrounds and perspectives, examine biases, and develop empathy. Our diverse community creates dynamic opportunities at every developmental stage to engage in challenging conversations, practice the skills of civil discourse, and internalize the habits of heart and mind that lead to self-awareness.

We seek to create an environment where we can speak safely about our beliefs, disagree respectfully, affirm

each other’s humanity, and love one another by investigating the roots of our disagreement and dismissing ideas that are rooted in oppression. Our goal is to create an atmosphere where every student feels a deep sense of acceptance and belonging, and therefore thrives in academic, athletic, artistic, and social pursuits.

Our learning community at Saint Mary’s Hall is intentionally and authentically diverse.

TEACH US DELIGHT IN SIMPLE THINGS

FACULTY

Every teacher at Saint Mary’s Hall models life-long learning for our students. Our expert teachers average 20 years of teaching experience, and nearly half hold advanced degrees. Small class sizes enable our faculty to give students the individual attention they need to flourish. As they inspire and guide their students, they leave an enduring impression.

CULTIVATING TOP TALENT

At Saint Mary’s Hall, we offer our teachers some of the best professional development opportunities available. Thanks to the Peggy Pitman Mays Fund for Teacher Excellence travel grants, these opportunities include the chance to engage in the current best practices in their fields around the world. The result? Dancers train with a teacher who studied over the summer at the School of the Paris Opera Ballet.

Advanced Placement European History students explore important geopolitical fault lines with a teacher who studied them firsthand in the Middle East. First grade students immerse themselves in the penguin unit with a teacher who has traveled to Antarctica to study the flora and fauna of the region.

CONNECTING ACROSS CAMPUS AND THE COMMUNITY

Knowing one another extends beyond the classroom, and even our campus. As students progress through the Forms, they build a strong sense of community through leadership opportunities, service, and activities that connect them with each other and the larger world.

LEARNING TO LEAD

From Montessori through Form 12, Saint Mary’s Hall develops every student’s innate leadership ability. By focusing on building community, first with classmates then outside our campus, Lower School students learn to become thoughtful leaders. In the Middle and Upper Schools, students have the opportunity to assume formal leadership roles in the school community by running for elected council positions.

EXPLORING SHARED INTERESTS

Time together outside the classroom gives students the opportunity to explore shared interests, make new friends, and build school spirit.

Lower School students can participate in organized activities such as Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, afterschool enrichment, or sports. Middle School students choose from a myriad of clubs and sports. And in Upper School, students explore their interests in H-Block classes, clubs, and councils.

Middle School

Elected Councils

› Community Service Council

› Senate Council

› Sports Council

› National Junior Honor Society Council

Middle School

Organization Sampling

› Certamen Club

› Environmental Club

› Just for Hoops Club

› philARThropy

› Publications Club

› Robotics Club

› Young Adult Fiction Book Club

Upper School

Elected Councils

› Community Service Council

› F ine Arts Council

› Honor Council

› Sports Council

› Student Council

Upper School

Organization Sampling

› Junior State of America

› The Walrus Literary Magazine

› Model United Nations

› National Forensic League

› Student Equity Collective

› Robotics/Engineering Club

› Student Investment Group

SAFE AND SOUND

A safe environment is a prerequisite for productive learning, and at SMH, the emotional and physical safety of our students is a top priority. Our dedicated team of security and wellness professionals work together to ensure that our campus is a safe place to learn and grow.

› O ur Director of School Safety and Security manages a full-time team of School Safety officers, SAPD officers, and others to keep our physical campus secure.

› O ur Health Team consists of two nurses and a sports trainer, and every faculty and staff member is CPR and Stop the Bleed trained and certified.

› O ur Wellness Team includes licensed psychologists, school counselors, a Chaplain, and a Director of Belonging to ensure that every student feels emotionally and spiritually supported and a deep sense of belonging.

KNOW YOURSELF

From each teachable moment in Montessori to finding a college that’s the right fit, Saint Mary’s Hall advises our students well because we know them well. As they discover their courage in the classroom, their voice on the stage, and their strength on the field, we challenge them to persevere. The remarkable results are graduates who know who they are and discover their place in the world.

THE HEART OF THE MATTER

Guided by the core values at the heart of who we are, including courage, integrity, respect, responsibility, spirituality, and tradition—we encourage our students to make good choices, exercise sound judgment, and develop exemplary character as they become their best selves.

A SPIRITUAL BACKDROP

At Saint Mary’s Hall, we believe the guidance, direction, and strength derived from one’s belief system plays a large part in developing ethical students with lifelong moral values. On Mondays, each division gathers for a time of reflection at an inter-faith Chapel service led by our school chaplain.

Although Saint Mary’s Hall retains Christian-based traditions in light of our historical roots, we embrace all religions and do not seek to promote one faith over others. By exposing our children to many of the world’s religions, we expand their acceptance and understanding of different people and their beliefs.

We also celebrate several of the major holidays of the faiths represented in our school community.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

Entrusting your child to our school’s care is a serious business. In choosing us to educate your child, we become partners in caring for their health and well-being.

With a dedicated team of full-time counselors, nurses, and a School Chaplain, the SMH Wellness Program focuses on the concept of wholeness. The goal is to help each individual be socially, spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally “whole,” helping each student develop the mindset and skills needed to live a healthy life, now and in the future. To achieve this, students are taught to care for both their physical and social/emotional selves at every grade level. Operating from the belief that we must model what we teach, the program also promotes staff and faculty health through onsite health screenings, support groups focused on specific health needs, and health education.

ADVISORS AND ADVOCATES

Every student has an assigned advisor, beginning with our youngest students in Montessori. Each year begins with “Hopes and Dreams” conferences, an opportunity for parents to meet individually with faculty advisors until Form 10. Lower School homeroom teachers and counselors serve as advisors to our elementary-aged students, with the advisory program following our students through graduation. Every Middle and Upper School student is assigned a faculty advisor who is responsible for understanding the needs and aspirations of each individual.

Throughout the year, the advisors provide personal guidance and lessons in life skills and core values during weekly small group sessions and individual meetings.

As a trusted advocate and mentor, advisors know their students and help them fulfill their potential.

SHIELDS UP!

ATHLETICS

Whether on the court or around the track, athletics at Saint Mary’s Hall give students of all ages an arena to test their limits, cultivate sportsmanship, and master teamwork. By instilling the classical idea of a “sound mind in a sound body,” athletics help our students discover their own strength as they develop lifelong values of personal integrity, responsibility, courage, and perseverance.

EXPANSIVE LOWER SCHOOL SPORTS OFFERINGS + UPPER AND MIDDLE SCHOOL TEAMS

Fall

› Cross Country (Boys and Girls)

› F ield Hockey (Girls)

› 6-Man Football

› Volleyball (Girls)

› Cheer leading

Winter

› Basketball (Boys and Girls)

› Swimming (Boys and Girls)

› Soccer (Boys and Girls)

› Cheer leading (Co-ed)

Spring

› Track and Field (Boys and Girls)

› Golf (Boys and Girls)

› Baseball

› Tennis (Boys and Girls)

› Softball

› Lacrosse (Boys and Girls)

A PERFORMANCE MINDSET

Mindset is critical to athletic performance and well-being. In addition to training the mind through seminars and book studies, strength training and conditioning are prioritized beginning in Middle School. Additionally, Saint Mary’s Hall is one of the only independent schools in South Texas that employs a full-time licensed athletic trainer. Students also have the opportunity, as an elective class, to work with our professional athletic trainer, learn the kinesthetic aspects of the human body, and assist during athletic games.

FIRST-RATE FACILITIES

› 4 g yms for basketball and volleyball

› fitness center

› 7 regulation tennis courts

› 3 athletic fields

› state of the art track & field complex with covered seating and concessions

› 3 batting cages

› 3 bullpens

› 6 locker rooms

WHO WILL WIN THE CUP?

The Bennetts or the Baileys? Capers or Elliots? Both the Middle and Upper Schools are divided into two “houses” that compete periodically throughout the year to claim their respective division’s trophies—one of the time-honored traditions that make the Saint Mary’s Hall experience a memorable one.

Organized by the divisions’ elected Sports Councils, the Upper School’s competition culminates with Bishops’ Day— featuring a variety of outrageous and athletic events.

FIND YOUR VOICE

TOBIN FINE ARTS SCHOOL AT SAINT MARY’S HALL

Whether students aspire to creative careers or simply singing in the shower, studying the fine arts helps them discover and refine their personal voice and vision. In the Tobin Fine Arts School at Saint Mary’s Hall, we invite students to innovate, take risks, and channel their creative power in exciting ways as they develop an appreciation for the arts on a daily basis, starting from day one.

A BLOCKBUSTER PROGRAM

The Tobin Fine Arts School at Saint Mary’s Hall offers by far the most extensive fine arts curriculum in the region, with nearly 50 different courses across five disciplines. Our annual showcase opportunities include a full-length ballet performance, concerts, elaborate main stage productions, the publication of the school’s yearbook, art exhibitions, and film screenings at top festivals across the country.

During their studies, students develop pieces that translate seamlessly into professional portfolios. Some of our graduates have pursued their creative passions at colleges such as The Julliard School, Maryland Institute College of Art, Rhode Island School of Design, and Savanah College of Art and Design.

AN EXCEPTIONAL CAST

Our impressive fine arts faculty are visionaries in their respective fields. They are classically trained ballet dancers, career artists, experienced speech competitors, and innovative instructors. On any given weekend, you can find them performing with the San Antonio Philharmonic, exhibiting of their work at nearby galleries, or rocking out as part of a local band. Whatever the medium, our faculty is eager to guide their students on their own artistic journey.

EVERY CHILD IS AN ARTIST

All students explore the fine arts throughout their academic careers at Saint Mary’s Hall. In Forms 1-5, our students experience art, drama, and music on a weekly rotation, while dance is offered to those who are interested. Over the course of the year, students perform in plays, concerts, musicals, and one major dance production.

Beginning in Middle School, students determine the direction of their artistic exploration, choosing from 11 different fine arts courses, while Upper School students have their pick of 34 options to satisfy their creative desires and fine arts requirements.

FINE ARTS FACILITIES

› 4 performance-ready theaters

› 2 kilns

› 7 private music studios

› 3 dance studios

› 1 darkroom photo lab

› 1 media arts lab

A SAMPLING OF COURSE OFFERINGS

› Dance (inc luding ballet, hip-hop, jazz, Irish, Folklorico)

› Drama

› Speech and Debate

› Cinema

› Photography

› Sculpture

› 2-D Drawing and Painting

PREPARING STUDENTS TO THRIVE IN COLLEGE AND FIND FULFILLMENT IN LIFE

On College Declaration Day, seniors wear t-shirts revealing their college selection. It’s an exciting day, a culmination of years of personal growth, an expression of self-knowledge that’s been nurtured since their earliest days at Saint Mary’s Hall.

THE RIGHT FIT

Finding and getting accepted into the right college can be daunting. That’s why Saint Mary’s Hall begins familiarizing students with the college admission process as early as Form 9— guiding students through everything from selecting courses and establishing goals to writing admissions essays, requesting recommendation letters, and practicing interviews.

In addition to attending group college-counseling sessions, all Upper School students meet with counselors for individual and family conferences. Using a broad array of resources, our college counselors help students assess their academic and personal strengths to identify colleges that match their needs.

During their time at Saint Mary’s Hall, students discover their place in the world—powerful knowledge that can change the trajectory of their lives.

› Combatted childhood obesity as Texas’ first female Agricultural Commissioner

› Studied for ordination as a rabbi

› Garnered international recognition as a film writer and director

› Worked as a test engineer for Uber in their Advanced Technology Center

The list goes on. Only one question remains: What will you do with your Saint Mary’s Hall experience?

› Rung the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange and the closing bell of the NASDAQ

› Supported a rescue mission that liberated thousands of Sudanese slaves

› Worked as an engineer on the International Space Station at NASA

Armed with their Saint Mary’s Hall experience, our alumni have: #YouBelongAtTheHall

We strongly believe that a student’s power to access a world-class independent school education should not be limited by their family’s ability to pay full tuition.  Saint Mary’s Hall strives to assist families for whom the cost of school tuition is the only barrier to attendance, with financial assistance offered through both financial aid and scholarships.

Please contact our admissions office to learn more about this process.

For more information or to schedule a tour, please contact the Office of Admission at (210) 483-9234 or admission@smhall.org.

VISIT US ONLINE AT WWW.SMHALL.ORG