A Message from the HOS

Since its founding, Hillside School has committed to offering the best educational experience in a structured, supportive environment. Our boarding and day program for boys in grades four through nine is unique in its ability to meet each student at his learning threshold and then truly maximize his potential. Hillside parents frequently give us credit for providing what is a transformative experience for their sons.

Hillside School was founded in 1901, when two sisters established a self-sustaining school for boys. Practicality and compassion drove the genesis, along with a commitment to providing a structured, supportive, and challenging academic environment. Hillside’s diverse offerings and character education have contributed to the development of superbly well-rounded young men for over a century. Hillside students, then and now, are encouraged to take risks with the knowledge that sometimes they will fail, but the support of their school community will never waver. Basic tenets such as determination, compassion, and tolerance guided Hillside students in 1901, just as they do today. The relevance of Hillside’s founding principles remains, and these values continue to shape the school community.

Today, Hillside is a premier junior boarding school providing exceptional academic opportunities to a diverse population of young adolescent boys in grades four through nine in preparation for secondary school. The school is defined by its culture of inclusivity that fosters close relationships between students and teachers, made possible by a 5:1 student teacher ratio. Students are encouraged to push themselves academically while constantly focusing on the school’s core values of compassion, determination, honesty, respect, and brotherhood.

A successful Hillside graduate evolves from a student who strives for academic triumph and gives his all to his teammates into a man who becomes a valuable member of his community, a worthy colleague and friend, and—someday, perhaps—a dedicated husband and father. A Hillside boy knows that achievement gained at the expense of another is empty, while one born from collaboration is a reason to celebrate.

I became Hillside’s tenth Head of School in the fall of 2015, after serving as a trustee for more than a decade. My approach to education comes from my outsider’s perspective — I believe the best schools are the most dynamic and innovative. Each year, we unveil a series of initiatives that represent my insistence on continued improvement. We refuse to become complacent and the result is a program and campus that continue to strengthen and evolve. Please explore the pages of our website or, better yet, visit us on campus to experience the Hillside difference.

Ed Chase
Head of School