Whether designing bridges to load and collapse or soliciting input from classmates and adults on their art portfolio, Miss Hall’s students learn by doing.

These remarkable moments of practice are embedded in our academic program, from classroom and lab work to Horizons, our experiential learning program. Throughout their academic journey at MHS, students find opportunities to collaborate with classmates, explore subjects they are passionate about, and sharpen skills they will use long after they graduate.

Students in English Teacher Richard Scullin’s elective Literature, Technology, and Nature grapple with big questions — How does land/landscape (place!) shape our perception of the world? What does it mean to create and think in the age of Generative AI (artificial intelligence)? How do technologies such as digital games or social media influence narrative, storytelling, aesthetics, and/or human relationships?

“These are super-important questions to ask,” says Mr. Scullin, and students tackle them in experiential ways. Yes they read, write, and reflect, but they also explore through exercises, coding, even games. The multidisciplinary course asks them to engage hands-on with the topics they are exploring.

One assignment asked students to consider, “Should AI be used to create art?” So, they experimented with AI. A unit on games asked them to consider their most memorable games from childhood and what games they currently enjoy. They played the video game Donkey Kong and read Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, a novel about two friends who launch a successful video game company. They experimented with the software program Scratch, building their own animations. They read the novel North Woods and built immersive worlds with the popular video game Minecraft.

Ultimately, the class is about critical thought. Students are asked to consider — in a multidisciplinary way — their relationships with technology and nature at a time when boundaries between those relationships are threatened. They researched the proceedings from COP29, the United Nations Climate Change Conference in November 2024, then created “sprint” prototype games to address an environmental/climate issue of critical importance.

“We dive into the flow of what’s happening regarding humankind and technology, and we look into issues related to nature, climate, and the environment,” says Mr. Scullin, who was interviewed for a March 2024 article, “Generative AI and K-12 Education: An MIT Perspective,” by researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The researchers also read several MHS students’ essays on the topic of learning (theory), writing, and generative AI. “These are questions that are current, important, vital, relevant, and timely.”

On the trails behind the Cross Center, 9th graders dig into the history of our 80-acre campus. They measure trees, trying to determine their age and whether they were part of the Cutting Estate — which Mira Hall purchased in 1908 as the new home for her school. Or, did the trees come after, as part of the Olmsted-designed work that still shapes the Miss Hall’s campus today?

These students’ work, guided by Facilities Services Technician and Greenhouse Manager Matthew Grallert P’21 and Greenhouse Teacher Kitty Sheridan ’18, is part of exploring and getting to know the campus and woodland trails in anticipation of a spring archeology project.

As part of their artistic growth, Hallmark Art Intensive students host Review Boards, inviting students and adults to engage in conversations about their artwork. This moment of practice allows student-artists to present their process evolution, while colleagues think critically about ideas, materials, and completed work.

This non-evaluative exercise also helps student-artists understand where they are finding success and where they might go next on their artistic journey. The team gains knowledge of the student’s path and is empowered to support them. Students always find the practice supportive and energizing!

Walking in the footsteps of the indigenous peoples who existed in the Berkshires since time immemorial, MHS 10th graders spent a Horizons Wednesday experiencing Mohican history in nearby Stockbridge. They visited the town archives and cemetery, learned the history of the Red Lion Inn, and explored native properties and homes as part of their study of the Stockbridge-Munsee Community.

The trip is part of their work to connect with the community beyond MHS, in part to prepare for their off-campus Horizons experiences in the second semester, and to plan for the annual Harvest Luncheon they host each fall before Fall Break.