Mastery Learning in Our Co-Curricular Program

What might you see on a typical Thursday afternoon at Stuart Hall?

• Outside on Fillmore Field, Mr. Sorge’s Woodworking co-curricular is using traditional tools and methods to craft benches, spoons, and even a cider press.
• Upstairs in the library, Ms. Fleming’s Moot Court debaters are reading Supreme Court cases and preparing for another tournament season.
• Down in the gym, the boys’ basketball team is practicing for a weekend game.
• Over in the Eastham Center, in downtown Staunton, Ms. Hyde’s Rise Up! students are in the kitchen perfecting pastry techniques—and learning some food science, too.
• Mr. Arnold’s paper modelers are upstairs calculating the angle of a roof for a scale model and learning to use vector graphics software.
• A few blocks away, at Anna’s House elementary school, Ms. Bartley’s Dragonflies and Dragons volunteers are assisting with recess and homework help.

The winter season of co-curriculars have just begun, so the school buildings are alive throughout the week with students engaged in creative writing, music-making, fencing, and more.

In a few weeks, the dedicated teachers leading these after-school activities will consider how much progress students have made toward competencies including collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity — the Stuart Hall Grad Goals. Activity leaders will share actionable feedback with students, identify opportunities to continue growing, and revisit student progress again later in the season. This feedback model is an extension of Stuart Hall’s approach to mastery assessment in the classroom.

The co-curricular program demonstrates Stuart Hall’s commitment to developing the whole child, in and out of the classroom, by creating opportunities for students to succeed and lead in creative pursuits, physical activity, and real-world applications of their academic skills.

Students are encouraged to try different activities to find out where their strengths and interests lie, and the feedback and structure provided by faculty leaders allow for experimentation, growth, and ultimately student ownership. In this way, Stuart Hall’s co-curricular activities are far from extra; they are key pieces of the holistic education that all students receive before, during, and after the typical school day “midst the hills.”