Campus Life
Dining At The Hill
In many ways, the Dining Hall is the heart of our campus. It is there, we take pause, five days a week and say 'Thank you for this food.' This act of gratitude and sense of togetherness help to shape our identity as a school.Ellen Nelson P'10 '13, Senior Master of the Arts
The Dining Hall is a pivotal gathering space on The Hill School’s campus and is emblematic of The Family Boarding School ideal. For well over a century, Hill students have used this space to connect during seated meals, build rapport with teachers and advisers, bond with teammates, and gather with classmates and friends after a long day. Although not a formal classroom setting, the Dining Hall is a key space for learning enduring life lessons.
Seated Meals:
During lunch on Monday through Friday and one night a week during the fall and spring terms, the entire school community gathers in the Millhiser Family Dining Room for a family-style seated meal. Most students are assigned to new tables each list for seated meals to allow interaction with different people and the formation new friendships. It is a tradition that all varsity sports teams, as well as theatre and choral groups currently practicing together, sit together in the Dining Room to help strengthen relationships during their session or season.
Halloween is celebrated on campus as students are encouraged to wear costumes to dinner in place of the customary academic dress. A parade precedes dinner and prizes are awarded for creative costumes. We celebrate other holidays together in the Dining room including birthdays, Thanksgiving, Christmas.
Dining Hall Renovation:
As part The Hill School's The Strength of All Campaign, the Dining Hall recently was restored and expanded to meet the growing needs of our vibrant Hill community. In early June 2018, The Hill School broke ground on the $15.1 million renovation of our historic Dining Hall. The doors to the Millhiser Family Dining Room opened on March 19, 2019 when students returned to campus after spring break.
The most noticeable and critical changes were made in the basement to the kitchen prep area and pantry as well as the addition of a scullery; new flooring was installed throughout the entire Hall; seating was expanded (from 624 to 684) into Saunders Room which now is equipped with an updated AV system; air conditioning was installed; and a fully-renovated upstairs meeting room, the Pinpoint Board Room, was constructed.
The Student Center and the Grille
The hub of student life at The Hill School is the Student Center and its Grille. Located on the lower level of the Academic Center, this is a relaxing place for day students to socialize between classes and during free times throughout the academic day and evening.
The Student Center is open from 7 a.m. until the nightly check-in time. The Student Center houses the Grille — a great place to purchase sandwiches, a quick snack, juice or coffee and other refreshments — an ATM, large-screen television, lounge chairs, and group study areas. It is the main location for a variety of on-campus activities including: student band concerts; board game or trivia nights; karaoke; and viewing big sporting events (Super Bowl, World Series, etc.).
