Scaffolding for a Successful Year

The School’s 128th academic year kicked off in style on September 4, welcoming new students into the community and celebrating the first of our annual traditions — signing the Book of the School.

Students, faculty, and staff gathered in Centennial Hall for a Convocation ceremony that began with a procession of 9th graders, sophomores, and juniors. The entire community stood to applaud seniors as they processed for the first time as a class, each carrying roses, an MHS tradition honoring their leadership.

School President Idia Enoma ’26 opened the program by ringing the School Bell that belonged to MHS founder Mira Hall. Addressing the community, Idia noted the importance of connection and effort — not polish, not performance. “The quiet, stubborn work of showing up,” Idia said. “Of trying again after failure. Of listening deeply. Of choosing kindness, even when our instinct urges us otherwise. Effort is the scaffolding. Effort is what turns stone into radiance.”

Idia also welcomed new and returning students, inviting them into the journey ahead. “Step into this place where questions take root and bloom,” she added. “Step into this space that stretches us, motivates us, lifts us higher than we imagined. Step into this light that we will shape together — burning steady enough to follow us into what lies ahead. And may the light we carry here, together, transcend long after we have gone.”

After introducing schoolwide and class officers, Idia turned the program over to Head of School Julia Heaton, who opened her remarks by quoting philosopher and educational reformer John Dewey, who said, “Democracy has to be born anew every generation, and education is its midwife.”

Democracy, Ms. Heaton noted, can be imperfect, and requires ongoing work and commitment from every citizen. Schools, in turn, can be places of magic and wonder and power, where teachers set conditions for learning and growth, guiding students to seek knowledge and develop the skills and competencies of empathetic, engaged, inclusive global citizens and leaders. “This purpose is born anew every school year,” she explained. “Each first day of school brings an opportunity to reaffirm our values and recommit to our mission, which like democracy, is a beautiful and imperfect ideal, but not a given.”

In times of challenge, Ms. Heaton continued, it is natural to want to pull away, shut down, or turn inward or against. “And here, at MHS, we get to choose a different way — to turn toward each other, to come together to process and heal, to care for each other, to show up for each other, to have the hard conversations, do the work, to begin anew,” she said. “MHS must be born anew with each school year, and connection is the midwife.”

After new faculty and staff were recognized, and service to the School honored — 30 years for Director of Weekend Activities and International Student Advisor Tanya Kalischer; 20 years for Technical Support Analyst Tim Augé and Lead Nurse Lisa Loehr; and 15 years for Elizabeth Gatchell Klein Expressive Arts Department Chair Ellie Kreischer and Campus Safety Officer Mike Norton — new students were invited to sign the Book of the School, which lists the names of every student to attend Miss Hall’s.

“When you sign the Book of School, you show your commitment to the School’s core values — respect, honor, authenticity, and growth,” Ms. Heaton added. “You become part of the School’s history, present, and future. You become part of the global community of thousands of MHS students and graduates around the world.”

As new students signed the book, their “Bigs,” shared fun facts about them. The program closed with the singing of the Alma Mater, followed by a procession of students through a corridor of applauding faculty and staff.

From there, it was on to the Front Hill for an all-school photograph to mark the start of what we can already tell will be a great year!