Saint Mary's Hall of San Antonio began, over 100 years ago, as an Espicopal school. Today, SMH is a secular school serving students of all religious faiths, including Muslim and Hindu students. SMH has a beautiful campus that looks like a small college. The library and computer resources are exceptional.
... Read more Classes are small. Students work very hard...perhaps too hard. A typical SMH middle school or high school student puts in 70 hours to 80 hours per week in classes, labs, homework, studying, and in activities such as theatre, speech, debate, or sports. Every student from 7th grade to 12th grade has the opportunity to be on an athletic team each semester, and the great majority chose to do so. Last year, 95% of the graduating class enrolled in college, and many were offered substantial scholarships. SMH grads do well in college because they have learned how to 'out study' most Read less
Posted by a other on 08/20/09
SMH is an excellent school that has a first-class curriculum that is both challenging and timely. The educators truly care about their students and want them to succeed. As to the 'snooty' factor, one will find that anywhere. The 'special parking places' were purchased through an auction fundraiser called
... Read more Passport which is held every three years. Overall, we do an outstanding job in preparing your child for college and for life. Read less
Posted by a teacher on 04/29/09
I began my education at SMH when I was four and continued there until my freshman year when a difficult family situation forced me to switch to Reagan (public, NEISD). Honestly, I was so bored and unmotivated in even an acclaimed public school environment that my parents sent me right back to SMH a year
... Read more after I left. The difference is HUGE: nowhere else do you get the sort of individual attention from instructors, the lifelong bonds with everyone in your class, or the challenging but engaging and genuinely interesting sort of work that SMH provides. Not only does the SMH student body have an insane amount of integrity (we leave our backpacks laying in the halls during lunch and no one steals anyone else's iPod), we also genuinely care about intelligence and actually commit ourself to our education because our teachers have demonstrated that it is both valuable and enjoyable. Read less
Posted by a student on 03/23/09
I'm a senior at Saint Mary's Hall, and the six years that I've been there have been an experience. Not only did I receive a fantastic education in the humanities and sciences, but I also learned how to interact in a certain social setting. I understand that SMH may not be for everyone, but if you have
... Read more the resources you should seriously consider investing in your child's future. The reaction to Saint Mary's Hall depends on when you attend; for example, middle school was probably not the most ideal time for me at SMH. In fact, I don't think middle school anywhere is easy to transition to, socially. Don't worry though--high school tempers the snobby attitude SMH kids are known for. It's still somewhat present though, honestly. As for sports and extracurriculars, the school leads nationally in it's Lacrosse and Tennis programs. I would go on, but there's a world limit. Read less
Posted by a student on 02/17/09
I must say that SMH is a wonderful school with great opportunities. Yes it is true that this school is for the wealthier people. The people who attend this school aren't always 'snooty.' In this years 7th grade, there are only few whom appear as such to me. The food here is wonderful but they have
... Read more changed it and it isn't as wonderful as before. The sports here are great but the only problem is the teams aren't great. This school was designed for high-performance of fine arts and acedemics which I believe that this school lives up to. But on not such a good note, this year we got a new head of middle school whom everyone seems to dislike including myself. She is changing the middle school, some not so good. This is the only reason I dislike SMH. Read less
Posted by a student on 02/07/09
I'm a student at SMH, and have been since I was 3 years old. I'm a senior now, and all I can say is that this school has taught me so much, including amazing study habits. The teachers are, for the most part, wonderful. There are some drawbacks, mainly the incredibly heavy workload, but it's worth
... Read more it in the end. Read less
Posted by a student on 01/18/09
My son attended SMH for 2 years but we did not continue there mostly because of the high tuition. You can get the same (if not better) education for your child at other private schools in San Antonio. Please don't make your entire decision solely on the gorgeous campus and facilities. For the amount
... Read more of money you pay it would seem the school would have a lower student/teacher ratio. Also, I agree w/other comments on here about the'snooty' factor. It is pathetic. Be prepared to be hounded for donations! It's relentless. My son did well with his teacher. He did well transitioning to a new school though and I see improvment in areas that he struggled w/ at SMH. It's hard to convince me there's anything special about this school besides it's brilliant campus and the status of attending. My advice...do your research and keep your eyes open wide. Read less
Posted by a parent on 11/30/08
I am not a parent i am a student and i just thought you should see things from a seventh graders point of view... i do not like saint mary's hall at all if i had any choice i would not be there. the girls are a big problem they are spoiled and are very rude to who ever isnt like them. they also have
... Read more a tremendous homework... Read less
Posted by a student on 11/05/08
The middle school has really strict guidlines with both uniforms and rules, we can't grade intermix, which is annoying...
... Read moreRead less
Posted by a student on 09/19/08
Only 40% of SMH families donate to SMH. This conveys the disappointment many families feel toward the incompetent administration and awful athletic programs in the Upper School. The administration cannot even organize itself well enough to have books available for students at the start of the school
... Read more year (this has been a recurrent problem). They also cater to the wealthy donors by allowing them to have private parking places that are reserved only for those families (i.e., 'snooty' comments of another review are too mild on the issue of financial discrimination and elitism that are rampant at SMH). The athletics department is equally incompetent and leaderless. Every year there are fewer and fewer JV and varsity sports teams fielded. While theses 2 aspects of the school are woefully bad, the academics are excellent. Students are challenged and will be quite ready for college after graduation (but the college counciling is poor). Read less
Math, Science, Social Studies, English, Foreign Language, Computers
*The resources listed are programs that the institution is staffed to support. Staffing for a program does not guarantee that it will be offered. This content is provided by the institution and may be incomplete. The institution may offer programs not listed here. Please contact the school directly for additional details.
Advanced Placement
AP classes are college-level classes offered at the high school level. Once a student completes an AP class and passes a final comprehensive examination conducted by the College Board, the student earns college credit for the course. AP classes are specific and not to be confused with other higher-level classes such as honors classes.
Before/After School
"Extended day" programs where the school day is extended before and after school to accommodate working parents. These programs should not be confused with common after school clubs or athletic activities.
Gifted and Talented
A school system may identify 10% to 15% or more of its student population as gifted and talented. A brief description of each area of giftedness or talent as defined by the Office of Gifted and Talented:
general intellectual ability or talent - high intelligence test score (usually two standard deviations above the mean), and high levels of vocabulary, memory, abstract work knowledge and abstract reasoning;
specific academic aptitude or talent in one area such as mathematics or language arts;
creative and productive thinking, the ability to produce new ideas;
leadership ability, the ability to direct individuals or groups to a common decision or action;
visual and performing arts, special talents in visual art, music, dance, drama, or other related studies;
psychomotor ability, such as practical, spatial, mechanical, and physical skills.
Vocation/Technical Curriculum
Vocational and/or technical courses offered within a comprehensive school, usually a senior high school.
Special Education Classes
A school or program within a school that provides services and training to students with moderate to severe mental and/or physical disabilities.
Adult Education Classes
Programs offering GED or equivalent courses for adults within regular schools, whether classes are held during evening or daytime schedules.
English as Second Language
English language classes for students whose first language is not English.
San Antonio schools — St Mary's Hall is located at 9401 Starcrest Dr, San Antonio TX 78217. 9401 Starcrest Dr is in the 78217 ZIP code in San Antonio, TX St Mary's Hall is a Private school that serves grade levels PK - 12.
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