News from the Hall: May 29, 2025

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. 

Our senior athletes led 14 of our 17 teams to playoff spots, with six teams advancing to the State Championship rounds. Six of these athletes will go on to compete at the collegiate level in six different sports. One senior is a nationally ranked equestrian. Thirty-eight seniors earned the Presidential Volunteer Service Award. Our senior artists and writers were recognized with Scholastic Arts Awards, had their work showcased in galleries, stood both in front of and behind the camera, built a treehouse for our Lower School students, and performed on stage with grace and power. 

Ten seniors earned the prestigious Duke of Edinburgh Award, and two achieved the Eagle Scout designation. Five were named National Merit Commended Scholars, and two were named National Merit Semifinalists. Many traveled the world through our Global and Learning Program — and all will go on to impact the world. We are deeply proud of these graduates, their achievements, and the difference they’ve made at SMH. 

As we rightly celebrate these accomplishments, what fills me with the most pride is this: our seniors understood the assignment. At the start of the year, student representatives from Forms 5, 8, and 12 issued a charge to the student body — a charge now etched in stone: “Look Up, Find Joy, Dream Big.” It wasn’t always easy — but these students looked up, found joy, and dreamed big. 

At Commencement, Senior Class President Ash Menick reflected on that charge, originally presented by Student Body President Evaristo Derby. Evaristo encouraged students to dream big as they defined their personal race. Ash shared: 

“After I asked myself these questions, I realized: we’re all successful because we care about one another… through every step, every twist and turn, one thing has been clear: We weren’t running alone. We cheered each other on, picked each other up, reminded each other to breathe, and — when things got desperate — we showed up. We learned how to move forward together. And that, more than anything else, is our legacy.” 

I am so grateful to our community, to our teachers, and to our students. We all move forward together. 

Have a wonderful summer. I look forward to seeing many of you back in August. Until then, I leave you with our closing Commencement blessing: 

“Go now in peace and hope.” 

Len Miller 

Head of School