Head Of School

Dear Saint Mary’s Hall Community, 

I hope the opening week of summer has brought you both joy and rest. In this final News From the Hall, we celebrate the close of an incredible school year and the well-earned promotion of all our students. 

In the final week of school, we promoted our Form 5 students to Middle School, our Form 8 students to Upper School, and our Form 12 students to 49 different colleges and universities across 23 states and Washington, D.C. 

Dear Saint Mary's Hall Community, 

At Saint Mary’s Hall, we currently have 781 students; 1,089 parents; 322 teachers, coaches, and staff members; 5,694 alumni; and 229 Trustees and former Trustees…that is a *lot* of Barons! 

Our community is extensive, vibrant, and growing. So how do we ensure that, for every student, we are fulfilling our School’s vision, to know and be known, and activating our mission to prepare students to thrive in college and find fulfillment in life? We are all united in our mission and vision, that is certain—but we all have different ideas for how to get there. 

Dear Saint Mary’s Hall Community,

We are so excited to welcome over 200 alumni to campus tomorrow and Saturday for our annual Alumni Reunion Weekend.  Strong institutions have many voices, and those of our alumni are vital to the work that we do in educating our students.  Our 4,000 SMH alumni have lived lives of special purpose and meaning, and as we share their lifelong accomplishments and stories, they inspire our students.  That our alumni have trailblazed to make such significant contributions to the world gives tremendous confidence to our current students, who know they can aspire to the same lofty ambitions of those students who came before them. 

Dear Saint Mary’s Hall Community, 

It's so refreshing to have our students back on campus after spring break! Today, Southwest Blood and Tissue's mobile blood bank is parked outside my office for a blood drive, and it's been truly inspiring to see so many students step up to donate blood and help others. They are literally saving lives during their free periods. 

Last week, our Upper School students engaged in the time-honored tradition of Issues Day, an annual SMH event that shines a light on our School’s commitment to civil discourse. For over 30 years, our Form 11 students have selected an essential question for discussion each year, and this year’s timely and challenging question was “What are the most effective and humane strategies for managing immigration at the southern US border while ensuring national security and upholding human rights?”  

Dear Saint Mary’s Hall, 

I’ve grown to appreciate the month of February in San Antonio. The seasons begin to shift earlier here than they do up north, and this earlier shift nicely matches the cadence of the school year. While we are still deeply rooted in the work of the current school year, we welcome hints of spring and set our gaze on the future.  Seniors are beginning to hear from colleges, our admissions office is bustling with curious visitors, and current families are beginning to reenroll for the coming year.  

Dear Saint Mary’s Hall Community, 

As the year winds down and we enter this season of light and celebration, I want to take a moment to reflect on the abundance of meaningful moments our community has experienced over the past few weeks. Our campus has been abuzz with delight, connection, and shared traditions as we’ve gathered to honor the holiday season, the various faith traditions of our students and families, and the end of the year.  

Dear Saint Mary’s Hall Community, 

As we quickly approach the end of the year, I want to share a Strategic Plan progress report with our community. Our ambitious Strategic Plan was formally introduced to the community in January of 2024, and we have made considerable progress in this first year. 

The first pillar of our Strategic Plan, to enhance academic excellence through innovative collaborations with global, local, and on-campus communities, is actualized in the new and exciting ways our students experience the world. Within this foundational pillar are strategic goals that have been identified to provide focus as we continue to define future progress: