As Head of School, I often have occasion to speak publicly about the many wonderful people and programs that make up Dana Hall School, and I find myself repeating the line, “it’s a very special place.” But what is it that makes this place so special?

Perhaps it is the fact that our all-girls environment promotes and teaches leadership, cooperation, and self-expression. At Dana Hall, every class president, club leader, stage manager, team captain, and participant in a class discussion is a girl. All of our students are busy learning, leading, and taking center stage. And while our students have plenty of social interaction with boys and other friends, they also benefit from being in the kind of learning environment that motivates and enables girls to take on new risks and challenges.

Our talented faculty is another thing that makes Dana special.  The smart and caring people that teach here work hard to challenge their students with a strong academic program and to provide the kind of individual attention that ensures success. Our extensive curriculum lays a solid foundation for college and lifelong learning. And teaching at Dana extends beyond the classroom to the playing fields, stage, dormitories, and a wide variety of extra-curricular activities.

There are many, many special things about Dana students. With 17 countries and 17 states represented, students here infuse our community not only with their manifold interests and talents but with their wonderfully diverse cultures and backgrounds. As individuals, each of our girls brings something unique and valuable to Dana Hall. Together, they celebrate our traditions, respect each other, and form friendships which in most cases last a lifetime.

I suppose it is the sum of all these parts, and of so much more, that makes Dana Hall a special place, one filled with a spirit of creativity, active learning, the desire to participate, and to do and be all you can do and be. I hope you will visit our beautiful campus, meet our students and faculty, and discover all the things that make Dana Hall such an exciting community. If you do decide to visit Dana, I look forward to meeting you and your family.

-Blair Jenkins, Head of School