Boarding Student Life
Residential Life at Stuart Hall School - A 24/7 Family
Neither teaching nor learning cease with the end of classes each day; they merely take on more subtle forms.
Stuart Hall is a place where students are known and celebrated for who they are as they develop academically and personally. Residential life here s based on the value of living in a community of learners. Seven-day boarding is offered to international and domestic students, and five-day boarding is available for students whose home base is closer to campus.
Students from more than 15 countries attend Stuart Hall as boarding students! Students have ample opportunities to share their culture, language, holidays, and more with friends from around the world. Day students from Staunton and its surrounding towns, domestic boarding students from more than 10 states, and international boarding students all contribute to our vibrant campus culture.
Boarding students participate in co-curriculars at least three times per week, with opportunities ranging from programming robots to learning to knit to building a Christmas parade float. Competitive sports teams are also part of the co-curricular program!
Boarding students also attend study hall every evening, a valuable time to dedicate to academics and check in with dorm parents.
OUR LOCATION: IN-TOWN BOARDING
Stuart Hall's residential life program introduces young people to living on campus, balancing freedom and responsibility with caring guidance. Our students enjoy living in a safe, small town where local coffee shops, restaurants, stores, farmers' markets, and other points of interest are just blocks away from campus.
In-town boarding provides a venue like no other to learn valuable skills of personal initiative, community living, and respect for local culture. We encourage boarders to experience life beyond our campus boundaries as they also engage in the life of the School.
Find out why Smithsonian Magazine has ranked Staunton, Va., as one of the best small towns in America!
Living Here
Our historic, in-town campus features dormitories where boarding students typically share a double room with a roommate. The dormitories are divided into halls, with each hall housing 6-14 students who share a bathroom and a common room. Laundry facilities in each dormitory are free for students to use.
Dorm rooms are furnished with beds (many of which can be bunked), desks, dressers, and closets. Students are encouraged to decorate their rooms to create a comfortable home away from home.
Dorm Parents
At Stuart Hall, teachers are not just your teachers but also dorm parents who live in apartments attached to every hall and are available to students any time.
Just like our Mastery Learning program means that teachers know students well beyond the grades they receive, our boarding faculty develop deep relationships with students to help them thrive academically and socially.
Weekends at STU
Movie nights, local festivals, trips to collegiate sporting events, and hiking and camping trips are only a few of the adventures that await boarding students at STU! Administrators and boarding faculty offer a variety of activity options for boarding students, and day students often come along as well!
Most weekends also include a combination of open gym, open kitchen, or trips to Walmart or Target for boarding students. Seven-day boarding includes weekend meals in the dining hall.
A sample of weekend activities offered in 2023-24:
THE STUART HALL DIFFERENCE
- Average class size: <15
- Student-teacher ratio of 10:1
- 100% college acceptance
- Average collective merit scholarships earned by seniors: $3.8 million
- Student representation from five continents
- Day student and 5- or 7-day boarding options