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A message from the Head of School,
Mark Stanek

Information is not education.

If we are to educate these children,

it is life we must give them,

not a few informing facts about life.

– Agnes Hocking,

Founder of Shady Hill School

Life inside Shady Hill School
Information is not education...
Agnes Hocking expressed this revolutionary idea more than 100 years ago, at a time long before anyone imagined a future in which answers to most any question could be found just a few keystrokes away.
Today, our world is saturated with information. And our founder’s words — at the heart of how we learn at Shady Hill — ring truer than ever.
...it is life we must give them.
From the beginning, your child’s Shady Hill journey affirms this truth — context makes everything more memorable and meaningful.
Each day and every subject area unfolds as part of an intentionally crafted, multilayered educational experience defined by our signature Thematic Study and Central Subject approach.
Master teachers guide your child through the immersive, imaginative study of unifying topics — each one exciting, expansive, and thoughtfully in step with the pace of childhood. At a glance, what you see in a Shady Hill classroom can look — and even feel — more like play than school. We invite you to take a closer look.
What you’ll see: A school where children master essential ACADEMIC CONTENT
through an immersive EDUCATIONAL ADVENTURE They learn to make sense of what they know;
relate new learning to themselves and the world around them;
analyze, interpret, and curate information;
reason and extrapolate;
and most of all, JOYFULLY explore —
intellectually,
creatively,
and relationally —
the endless unknowns in all the life and LEARNING ahead.
This is more than school, IT’S A BEGINNING.
And there’s no better place to start.
SECTION No. 1
BEGINNING
curiosity connects
playful exploration
with

How does her Shady Hill
journey begin?

in her first years at shady hill, the
luminosity and wonder of childhood enliven
her study of family, the Shady Hill community,
Boston, the Charles River, and self through
questions and conversations, immersive experiences,
play, and investigation.

What do you see?

Life inside Shady Hill: Beginning

We wanted our children to have

a challenging intellectual environment,

but we also wanted them to be kids first.

–LOWER SCHOOL PARENT

SECTION No. 2
EXPLORING
imagination connects
thoughtful inquiry
with

What will he discover
along the way?

In grades III through VI, his imagination
animates his intellect with ingenuity and flexibility.

He explores worlds both real and imaginary, past
and present, first embarking on a 19th-century
whaling voyage, then traveling through time and
space to Greece, China, and Africa.

What do you see?

Life inside Shady Hill: Exploring

An incredible amount of intentionality

goes into every aspect of learning here.

Shady Hill students explore truly profound

concepts and questions,

but they do so with

imagination and creativity.

I’ve never seen such serious learning

look this fun.

–MIDDLE SCHOOL PARENT

SECTION No. 3
PIONEERING
investigation connects
lively debate
with

Where will her journey take her?

She returns from her voyage around
the world to analyze and interpret her own.
In grades VII and VIII she studies the American
story from multiple perspectives, challenging herself
toward ever-advancing, sophisticated thought as her
childhood unfolds into young adulthood.

What do you see?

Life inside Shady Hill: Pioneering
Learning to think with
imagination,
insight,
and ingenuity
is far more important than any amount of rote learning.
Creative thinking leads to success and joy in life; that’s what Shady Hill develops in students.
–MIDDLE SCHOOL PARENT
EPILOGUE: READY TO NAVIGATE UNCHARTED TERRITORY
EMBARKING
undimmed curiosity connects
intellectual bravery
with

What new adventures lie ahead?

as students ready for their migrations from shady hill—
into a wide-open, new world—their ability to harness their
imaginations with acute reasoning and deep perception, to think
quickly and considerately, and to evaluate and reflect on their
decisions and those of others—all prepare them for so much more
than their next schools.They see every problem as an exciting puzzle
to be solved and approach their futures with creativity, insight,
and fearless optimism.

From Shady Hill, children embark into an unknown and evolving
world—agile problem solvers, confident in the face of uncertainty,
pioneering thinkers with integrated and ethical perspectives.
They’ve mastered so much more than schoolwork.
They’ve begun their lifework.

A message from the Head of School,
Mark Stanek
Shady Hill taught my children how to approach a problem
rather than just how to get the answer.
It’s more than an approach to learning, it’s an approach to life.
–PARENT OF ALUMNAE
Your child’s intrepid journey starts here. And this is only the beginning.