If you've seen students walking around campus with air-quality monitors or light meters, they were likely members of our AP Environmental Science class.
This class, made up of 13 juniors and seniors and taught by Daniel Snyder, spends a full half of its class time in the lab or in the field, both on and off campus.
Mastery Learning
College preparation Beyond the typical classroom experience
Stuart Hall graduates enter college ready to flourish in a rigorous academic environment. They are equipped with self-awareness, motivation, self-direction, and independence. By taking ownership of their learning both inside and outside of the classroom, Stuart Hall students master key skills by applying classroom knowledge to real-world problems. These skills are transferable towards success in college, career, and personal life.
Mastery Philosophy Beyond the traditional assessment
Mastery Learning is an approach to education that focuses on the acquisition of transferable skills rather than rote memorization of content. At Stuart Hall, the most tangible difference is that learning doesn't stop at the end of an assignment or receipt of a grade. Grades are not a judgement, but a tool to help communicate where a student is on their path towards mastery of a skill. Grades are accompanied by highly specific, constructive teacher feedback to help a student better understand and improve performance on revisions and assignments. Even as the class moves on to different subject matter, skills continue to be honed. Furthermore, skills may be developed outside of the academic day, or as part of co-curricular programming, as learning doesn't end at 3:30 p.m.
Stuart Hall's six Graduate Goals of Critical Thinking, Creativity, Communication, Citizenship, Collaboration, and Well-Being remain foundational to our academic program, framing the skills to be mastered before a student launches into life beyond high school.
Mastery Learning in Action
The 29 members of the Stuart Hall Class of 2025 are beginning their final semester on campus, looking forward to what's next while savoring their final season of Stuart Hall student traditions.
The Stuart Hall science elective Human Anatomy is a deep dive into how our bodies work. It's also an opportunity for students in grades 10–12 to grow their hands-on laboratory skills.