4 reasons to study at Hoosac School

Each of us is an individual–with individual abilities, hopes, dreams, and drives. And to ignore that individuality is to ignore one of the most important aspects of education itself.

Hoosac School is a beautiful, private, co-educational boarding school set in New York State. Along with its stunning grounds, Hoosac emanates a rich history drawn from 129 years of establishment. Throughout this time, the school has learnt not only the importance of academic excellence but the responsibility of education in preparing students for higher education and beyond. Both day and boarding students are valued as individuals who deserve to be nurtured academically, athletically, and spiritually. Here, students receive comprehensive pastoral and academic support to equip them with skills needed throughout adult life.

Here are the things that make Hoosac School unique…

Focus on individual learning

Unlike the traditional school system, Hoosac understands that every child is different – and so are their learning needs. Time is dedicated to assuring that each child’s unique learning style is identified and fulfilled. As such, each faculty member has a range of teaching methods that span way beyond the traditional, including hands-on experiments and group-learning. The school is particularly proud of their SUCCESS program, which stands for Students Uniting Cultures for College Success and Self. The initiative is designed to help children with learning difficulties like Dyslexia, ADD and ADHD, providing opportunities for success through multisensory approaches, operating micro-unit and structure tasks, ensuring automatization through structure and review, providing skill models and including other students in the learning process.

Hoosac School wholeheartedly believes their philosophy of nurturing individual differences is essential to the development of maturity. This is why the school operates a personalised college counselling service, helping every student find their perfect college placement and aiding them in their application.

Rich traditions

Through its 125 years of prestigious academic acclaim, Hoosac has cultivated rich traditions that underpin the true unified spirit of the school. One of the oldest traditions is the annual Boar’s Head and Yule Log Pageant, a pastime that, at 124 years old, is almost as old as the school itself, and marks the Christmas period in medieval spirit. The Pageant includes numerous plays and songs, as well as a celebratory dinner of a traditional boar’s head.

Another important tradition lies in the Dinner Bells; every meal time the traditional song is played on the bells before the Headmaster says Grace. Healthy competition is also encouraged between all students through ongoing tournaments between Antonian and Graftonian Teams. Each student is sorted into one of the teams upon arriving at the school, competing against each other in sports, volunteering and the annual Asado Day. These traditions give students a strong sense of belonging – it’s not just a place for learning, but also a home to be proud of.

Diverse extracurricular activities

Along with nurturing each child’s academic progress, Hoosac School also acknowledges the importance of development outside of the classroom. The school has an engaging program of extracurricular activities to keep your child entertained in the evening and weekends. Every student has the option to partake in competitive sports games that cover everything from hockey to basketball, or to opt-out of competitive sport in the non-competitive fitness program.

Creativity is also fostered through the performing and visual arts. At the annual Boar’s Head and Yule Log Pageant celebration, students have the chance to express themselves as folk characters from the Middle Ages. Artistic mediums such as drawing, painting, photography and ceramics are also taught, allowing students to fine-tune their unique creative calling. And, with New York City and Boston, just a stone’s throw away, boarding students have the opportunity to partake in a range of weekend activities. Past trips have included ski slopes, theatre productions, rollerblading and more. The school calendar is overflowing with extracurricular activities, from soccer games to volleyball to cross country – there’s never a dull moment at Hoosac!

Fantastic facilities in a beautiful location

The school is nestled on a safe and open 350-acre campus. The grounds provide a beautifully green, natural space in which students can grow and reflect. Originally belonging to the Tibbits family, the 850-acre family estate is adjoined to the campus, granting access to dense forest and other forms of food for the imagination. There are also state-of-the-art sport facilities at the Harry Dickie Sports Complex complete with indoor swimming pool, fitness center and weight room, basketball court, four playing fields, six miles of cross-country trails, a pond, and tennis courts. There is also an Early American woodworking shop where students learn traditional carving skills, as well as photography and ceramic workshops – there’s no skill left undeveloped at Hoosac.

Located just a three-hour drive from New York City and Boston, as well as four hours from Montreal, Canada, this school is perfect for parents who want their children to be nearby some of the best universities in the world.

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