Welcome From Our Head of School
Welcome to Belmont Hill School website, which we hope provides you with a dynamic window into life within our community. As a non-denominational school serving approximately 460 boys in the metro-Boston area for nearly 100 years, our mission remains steadfast: developing young men of character in mind, body, and spirit. We believe that an education intentionally crafted for boys, infused by a quest for a nuanced understanding of character, has more value today than ever. At a time when our world and the global economy have become even more connected, our country perseveres through forces that seemingly try to promote division within us. It is with an eye to this emerging landscape that we remain true to a fundamental idea on our campus: Working Together.
Our culture of Working Together is infused not only by good and talented boys but with an exceptional faculty that models our deep belief in a teacher-coach model. By working with our boys across multiple forums, our teachers forge deep relationships that shape each boy’s personal compass--embodied in our school’s symbol, the sextant. Whether it be in the classroom, on our athletics fields, in our performing and visual arts, or through a commitment to service, boys are expected to collaborate and become part of something larger than themselves at Belmont Hill. Our single-sex environment allows boys to explore their passions and ideas in unique and supportive ways. With a commitment to relational learning, healthy competition, structure, and a great deal of physical activity, we relish the challenge of helping every boy at our school exceed their perceived potential when they arrive.
While the notion of the collective is critical at Belmont Hill, we are equally passionate about creating an individual sense of belonging for all community members by seeing and leveraging the difference that exists here. We serve over 87 towns and communities, including approximately 25 five-day boarders each year. We seek to create and foster a diverse community that will prepare our boys for the world of higher education and a global economy. We want our graduates to not merely be aware of issues of the challenges to belonging; we seek to create leaders who can build bridges with those who are different from themselves. To learn more about our comprehensive efforts in fostering belonging at Belmont Hill, please click here.
Our culture also promotes a desire to seek personal excellence in all that we do, and we achieve this goal with gratitude for tradition as well as the continual humility needed to evolve and improve. Traditions like chapel, dress code, and family-style lunches each day all foster a sense of accountability and resilience for our boys. Our faculty and remarkable support staff, including multiple counselors and a Director of Health and Wellness, ensure that we always put the mental well being of our boys as our first priority. We even break every morning to connect and share milk and cookies as an entire school community to pause and support one another in a daily way. Finally, academic partnership programs, our speaker series in Hamilton Chapel, and our Makerspace all speak to a sense of evolution and new ideas. We seek to offer our boys not only an exceptional liberal arts education grounded in the classical tradition but also through innovative new opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and math.
While the experience on campus is wonderful, I am continually reminded that Belmont Hill provides a lifetime of connection and support for our alumni body. While we may not be the right school for every boy, we know that passionate and talented boys with all types of interests and backgrounds are able to thrive here. We hope that you might choose to reach out to our Admission Office to begin your Belmont Hill journey. We continue to seek boys and families who want to help make Belmont Hill an even stronger community in the future. Thank you for your interest in learning more about Belmont Hill; we look forward to learning how your story will connect to our community.
Sincerely yours,
Gregory J. Schneider
Ronald M. Druker ‘62 Head of School
Education
- (1999-2000) Harvard University Graduate School of Education, Ed. M.
- (1992-1996) Amherst College, B.A. in English and Economics.
About Gregory J. Schneider
- 2007-2018 Head of School, Berwick Academy
- 2000-2007 Assistant Head of School for External Affairs at Rye Country Day School in Rye, New York. Also served as Director of Admissions and Financial Aid, Upper School English Teacher, and Head Varsity Football Coach.
- Awarded Klingenstein Head of School Fellowship at Teachers College, Columbia University (2013).
- Sits on the Board of Directors and serves as treasurer of the Association of Independent Schools in New England (AISNE).
- Served on the Board of the Independent Schools Association of Northern New England (ISANNE).
- Served on and chaired various New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) accreditation teams.
- Regular presenter at regional and national conferences on topics including financial aid, governance, and cultural competency. Member of the NAIS think tank to assist planning for the 2015 NAIS Conference in Boston.