Our Future: Together
A VISION FOR NOBLE AND GREENOUGH SCHOOL
VISION STATEMENT
Noble and Greenough School envisions a future where our commitment to the power of connections inspires bold, innovative, and mission-driven evolutions. We will invest in cultivating a thriving community by balancing academic excellence with student well-being, expanding access and affordability, and reinventing and reenergizing our facilities. We strive to ensure that Nobles remains an exemplar of educating students to be curious, resilient, compassionate, and impactful leaders in an increasingly complex world. Ultimately, our goal is to graduate extraordinary students who pursue a lifetime of doing good.
A MESSAGE FROM CATHERINE J. HALL, HEAD OF SCHOOL
At the heart of the Nobles experience is an enduring belief in the power of connections—to faculty and staff, to classmates, and to our beloved Nobles campus. With the power of connections, anything is possible. The evidence is everywhere: students discovering, ensembles creating, athletic teams achieving, and educators inspiring. Through a combination of individual strengths and shared purpose, we thrive when we are together. We are invested in community-building every moment of every day.
As we embark upon our next strategic chapter as a school community, our mission is increasingly threatened by a world that is more disconnected and unkind; more unaffordable and anxious; and more specialized and focused on outcomes. Amidst this challenging backdrop, we stand firmly and proudly behind a mission and core values that serve as our compass.
Our vision clarifies our approach to the challenges ahead by identifying the opportunities within them, harnessing our mission, and deepening its stakes in the ground. We approach this next chapter with humility, confidence, and pride. I feel deeply privileged and honored to lead a school so uniquely equipped to embrace this next chapter, one where we can assure our families that we will deliver on the promise of our mission.
We will embark on our next strategic journey as a school the way we always have: together. Thank you for your enduring partnership and support.
Warmly,
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Catherine J. Hall, Ph.D.
Head of School
A COMMUNITY CONNECTED THROUGH
Possibility
A Nobles education is rooted in an academic experience designed to foster intellectual inquiry and lifelong curiosity. We challenge our students to think critically and embrace complex ideas with the support of caring, passionate educators who push and nurture their learning and growth. Teaching and learning are the foundation of our Nobles experience, and it is in our classrooms where our opportunities to evolve and innovate are inspiring.
A CONTINUED EXEMPLAR IN ACADEMICS
Over the last decade, the educational landscape has profoundly transformed, reshaping what and how we teach. Rapid technological advances redefine how we prepare students for their journeys in higher education and the evolving workforce.
With our sights set on the future of exceptional secondary education, we will innovate our academic program to continue to be a standard bearer. Our pedagogical approach will become increasingly interdisciplinary, experiential, and creative, empowering teamwork, peer learning, and student voice. We will cultivate a globally-minded academic program that connects our students to the world and brings the world to our campus, preparing our learners to thrive in and contribute to an interconnected global society. Through these initiatives, we aim to empower learners to embrace intellectual curiosity, innovation, and complex problem-solving, preparing them for a lifetime of learning and discovery. Our efforts will be guided by informed intentionality, remaining firmly anchored in our mission, core values, and research-based best practices.
DEEPENING STUDENT WELL-BEING
Our core values will guide us in supporting student well-being amid rising concerns about adolescent mental health. We believe academic excellence and student well-being are inextricably linked, each reinforcing and elevating the other. When our students have the tools and support to care for themselves and each other, they will flourish in all endeavors. This means we can challenge our students in healthy and meaningful ways, knowing our faculty will support their intellectual and personal growth.
At Nobles, the pursuit of academic excellence embraces moments of safe failure, where students learn through healthy risk-taking, understanding that mistakes and unmet goals are rich opportunities for growth. These occasions are a catalyst for thriving because our foundation in human connections means our students are surrounded by caring adults who will support and guide them through these important life moments. We focus on ensuring every Nobles student graduates with the skills, resources, and confidence to thrive academically and emotionally.
HARNESSING THE POWER OF TEAMS
We believe strongly in the power of teams as vital to fostering learning and growth. Parents and educators have been watching the worrisome national trends of students specializing in activities at increasingly younger ages. The research presents resounding concerns about the physical and emotional impact of specialization. Whether in athletics, the performing arts, an EXCEL trip, or a Model UN group, Nobles teams provide a powerful opportunity for our students to pursue a shared purpose in a collaborative space while gaining critical life skills. Engagement on multiple and varied teams challenges students to be leaders in one setting and supportive collaborators in another while taking healthy risks and forging meaningful connections with peers and mentors. We will deepen our pedagogical commitment to multi-team participation, embracing this counter-cultural moment to best deliver on our mission and provide an unparalleled learning experience.
A COMMUNITY CONNECTED THROUGH
People
Nobles is anchored in the people who shape our community. Lifelong connections among classmates, teachers, advisors, and coaches are a hallmark of our history. However, spikes in the cost of living in our Boston region, with housing and childcare among the most expensive in the country, could make enrolling at Nobles unattainable for many families and choosing a career at Nobles untenable for many educators. Nobles is committed to meeting these challenges to ensure we can continue to attract and support the people who make our community thrive.
EXPANDING STUDENT FINANCIAL ACCESS
We are committed to ensuring exceptional students have access to a Nobles education, regardless of financial circumstances. Broadening access bolsters our connections and deepens excellence for all in our community as we affirm our mission and put our core values into practice. We will significantly increase our financial aid funding to meet the full demonstrated financial need of students admitted to Nobles. Additionally, we strive to support not only the cost of attendance but also ensure every student can afford to participate in the complete Nobles experience.
INVESTING IN FACULTY AND STAFF AFFORDABILITY
Our exceptional educators are the heart of our community. Those who have dedicated their careers to education consider it a calling driven by purpose, not financial gain. To honor their commitment, we are taking bold steps to ensure our employees can pursue their passion while living with dignity and security.
We will address affordability head-on to attract, support, and retain the best educators. We are exploring initiatives wide in scope and deep in impact, including committing to providing a top-of-market compensation package and expanding housing support. Our initiatives will support employees in various stages of their personal and professional lives so they can commit to this meaningful work.
EMPOWERING OUR EDUCATORS
Educators play a vital role in shaping the future of our society, and their impact on students’ lives is immeasurable. At Nobles, we recognize the increasing demands and pressures placed on teachers. As the national spotlight on education intensifies, we see this as an opportunity to redefine and elevate the teaching profession.
We will identify creative and impactful ways to invest in the faculty experience at Nobles, both in their work as an educator and as a member of our dynamic Nobles community. This investment includes substantive opportunities for growth, ensuring our faculty remain at the forefront of educational best practices and that they experience the intrinsic joy of dedicating time to their craft. Additionally, we will identify ways to harness the power of connections to ensure there is no better place than Nobles to work as an educator. We are committed to cultivating an environment where educators can thrive, innovate, collaborate, and find joy and fulfillment in their careers.
A COMMUNITY CONNECTED THROUGH
Place
Whenever we come together, we strengthen our connections. The spaces where we live, learn, and work profoundly influence our experiences. Our environment shapes our behavior, perceptions, and interactions in subtle yet powerful ways. At Nobles, we recognize that thoughtfully designed spaces can inspire creativity, foster collaboration, and enhance learning. We are inspired to reimagine our use of campus spaces to forge new connections, gather, learn, and celebrate together.
REIMAGINE SHATTUCK SCHOOLHOUSE
Shattuck Schoolhouse, the original academic building on Nobles’ campus since 1921, is ripe for reimagination. We are eager to incorporate the best teaching and learning practices in classrooms that light up with discovery and spaces that hum with energy, collaboration, playful problem-solving, and learning. We will reorganize student support services—from psychologists to college counselors to nurses. Our reimagination of Shattuck Schoolhouse will enable these offices to collaborate and coordinate in ways that fulfill our vision around student well-being. The renovated schoolhouse will create and deepen community connections, small and large.
REINVEST IN NOBLES ATHLETIC SPACES
Many of our athletics facilities need renovations to support the next chapter of athletic teams thriving at Nobles. A substantive renovation of our 70-year-old Omni hockey rink is a high priority. We also see spaces where exciting programmatic opportunities abound, including renovating our turf field and adding a track. Our commitment to the power of team experiences will be matched by our commitment to the spaces our students need to thrive on those teams, competing and building camaraderie.
Connections:
Now and Next
Now is our time to embrace an exciting new chapter for Nobles, anchored in our history, mission, and core values and inspired by the opportunities to innovate, iterate, and lead. We strive to be true to who we are while always aspiring to be better. We can show that growth and balance, challenge and support, and rigor and well-being are mutually beneficial. We can demonstrate how an intentional focus on human connections and community is the cause and effect of an excellent education. Most fundamentally, we can help people deepen and expand the connections in their own lives, on and off campus.
This vision for Nobles, which comprises challenges and opportunities facing our mission, serves as the road map for our strategic plan, one that will carry our school forward in bold and empowering ways.
As we always have been, we will be Nobles, together.
A Strategic Plan as Unique as Nobles
After a thoughtful three-year planning process, we are excited to share a clear and comprehensive picture of our aspirations and key areas of focus that will drive our institution forward. This vision document is part one of a two-part process that will shape Nobles’ evolution in the coming years. In spring 2025, we will present our full strategic plan. We are grateful for your support and partnership, which will make it a reality.