Welcome to our digital home. Whether you are a prospective student beginning your search for your next school, a parent seeking an environment that will truly see and challenge your child, or an alumna returning to your roots, we are delighted you are here.
Stoneleigh-Burnham School is a place defined by a unique blend of academic rigor, personal resilience, and a community that empowers young women to find and use their voice. Since 1869 we have remained a steady anchor for students, fostering independent thinkers who are prepared to act ethically in an ever-changing world.
Driven by a deep belief in the transformative power of all-girls education, I am honored to find myself living in the midst of this vibrant learning community. Having served as an educator and leader across five countries and three continents, I have seen firsthand that while the world is diverse, the need for a supportive, mission-driven educational home is universal. At SBS, we pride ourselves on being a small, welcoming community where every student is known, challenged, and valued.
For more than fifteen years, we have proudly offered the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme. In 2024, we began the process of authorization for the IB Middle Years Programme and expect to be fully authorized in the coming year. This continuum of IB programmes offers our students powerful opportunities to develop thinking, communication, research, social, and self-management skills.
The powerful combination of the IB and its emphasis on international mindedness, our premier equestrian center building confidence and self-discipline, and our championship tradition in debate and public speaking ensures our students are heard on any stage they choose to step onto. Through our rich performing and visual arts programs, our students find a variety of media to creatively express themselves. Our athletics programs cultivate the skills of team work, good sportsmanship, grit, and physical fitness.
As you explore our website, I hope you catch a glimpse of the vibrant energy that fills our 100-acre campus. We are a school that is evolving, building a foundation as bold and resilient as the students we serve. We invite you to partner with us in this journey.
Thank you for your interest in Stoneleigh-Burnham School. I look forward to meeting you when you visit campus and helping you discover how you, too, can become an “Owl for life”.
Sincerely,
Bett Alter
Bett Worcester Alter
Interim Head of School
Stoneleigh-Burnham School
Owls for Life!
The Nest News: A Head of School's Perspective from Stoneleigh-Burnham School
MAY 2026
Happy Mother’s Day to all who celebrate! We appreciate you. Happy Spearth Day as well! The spirit on campus is high, and of course, it is a gorgeous day. Students took part in community service at Stone Soup, Roundabout Books, and The Learning Knoll in addition to assignments on campus at the Barn, in the art gallery, in Jesser, in the Fitness Room/Gym, and other campus spaces to do some cleaning and helpful sorting.
We are so excited for the Class of 2026, and it is hard to believe that we are within 3 weeks of Commencement. We are thrilled to announce that our graduation speaker is Jordyn Pigott ’15. The senior class chose her to speak, and she said yes immediately.
Jordyn received the Distinguished Young Alumna Award last year at Reunion. Here is her bio from that award: “Jordyn Pigott ’15 is a program management and administrative operations specialist with 6+ years of experience, including two years of management experience. Jordyn received her BA from Carleton College in 2019 in political science and international relations, and her MA from American University in 2023. She has experience conducting a wide range of administrative and project management duties, such as campaign management, graphic design and editing, organization and filing, research, consulting, customer service, staffing, and memo drafting, in federal and local government as well as nonprofit organizations.
Jordyn has worked with USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, US Department of Justice, US Census Bureau, and the NYC Mayor’s office. She also is a professional dancer and singer in traditional African Diasporic tradition, and she teaches and performs with Ni Dembaya West African Drum And Dance Ensemble and Mwendi Traditional Cameroonian Ballet in the greater Washington DC area.
As a student at Stoneleigh-Burnham, Jordyn was a member of StuCo and Blue Key, and she received the full International Baccalaureate Diploma."
Spring into Action: Exciting Results with great appreciation to the Advancement Office and all who donated!
It is with immense gratitude and a heart full of Owl pride that I share the final results of our Spring into Action campaign. Thanks to your incredible collective effort, we officially closed the campaign on Friday, May 1, having exceeded our goals in a truly inspiring fashion. Because of your belief in our mission and our students, we raised a remarkable: $165,595.91 from 258 donors.
The energy on campus during the final week was electric. Our students and staff engaged in a spirited Penny War that brought out everyone’s competitive side for a great cause. Capen House emerged as the victors of the challenge. Collectively, our on-campus community raised $938, proving that every cent truly does make a difference.
Throughout this campaign, you read stories about our students, faculty, and alumnae centered on the theme of SBS opening the window of opportunity for students. These stories reminded us that a Stoneleigh-Burnham education is more than just academics; it is a transformative vantage point from which our students can see—and reach—their fullest potential.
This success would not have been possible without the leadership of our generous alumnae and friends who stepped forward with matching funds and fundraising challenges. Your willingness to put your support on the line motivated our entire community to reach higher.
To every donor who gave, every alumna who shared a memory, and every student who dropped a penny in a jar: Thank you. You haven’t just helped us hit a number; you have ensured that the window of opportunity remains wide open for the next generation of SBS leaders.
JANUARY 2026
Happy snowy weekend! It is indeed still winter. We will have more to come as we work our way through January and February since the prediction was that we would (finally) have a snowy season. Thank you to our maintenance team for all of the snow removal.
On campus, we recognize Martin Luther King, Jr. today and throughout this week in a myriad of ways. We have a required Thursday evening dinner for all that will include some thoughts by Director of Student Life Martha Neubert and student discussions. On Friday, our faculty will be incorporating discussions and lessons focused around the Civil Rights era and the impact that MLK and others made in many subject areas.
As Bett has written in her regular Friday memo to faculty, “We remember the life and legacy of Dr. King. Each year, his contributions to justice and equality seem more profound, and more necessary. Thank you for helping our students understand the Civil Rights movement and important people who are a part of it.”
“The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.” Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Not only is it a busy week, but it is a busy month! We had a wonderful art show last week, academics are in full swing, and the Enrollment Office is busier than ever with the Open House and the events for our 8th graders and families. Congrats to basketball, who beat the Eagle Hill School on Friday night at Eagle Hill and the Upper School Dressage Team, who took third in a competitive home tournament.
DECEMBER 2025
We are in the last week of classes of Semester 1 with final assessments next week. There is no set exam period—just regular classes. We have an away game for basketball on Wednesday, and Clue rehearsals begin in earnest. On Monday next week, we are planning a “Festive Sweater Day” and hot cocoa as a treat (since it will be National Hot Cocoa Day).
Congratulations to the Hunt Seat Teams for being the Champions at Lighthouse on Saturday for the last regular season show. Both the Middle and Upper School teams have qualified for Hunt Seat Regionals hosted by SBS on January 24th. Several riders have also qualified individually. Go, Owls! Our Dressage Team still has shows to attend, including a double header this weekend at home. Again, Go, Owls!
To celebrate the spirit of the season, Student Council hosts two traditions before Winter break. The first is Secret Snowflake, a secret gift exchange. This week students and employees interested in participating will sign up, with name selection happening at the end of the week. Participants then give a small gift to the person whose name they draw. A larger gift is presented during the Reveal on the 18th. Handmade gifts are welcome and encouraged!
The other tradition is our support of the local nonprofit organization. This year, Student Council is holding a Candy Gram fundraiser for Community Action, a Greenfield organization that supports low-income individuals and families in the area, particularly toward food security. StuCo will be selling candy canes and chocolate lollipops, which will be distributed to the community during the holiday meal on Thursday, 12/19. Every student receives a candy cane, thanks to the Alumnae Board!
November 2025
Snow flurries were swirling in the skies on our Open House day on Tuesday last week, where we welcomed about 30 visitors for our second on-campus event of the admissions season. It was a gorgeous day–just chilly. It is coat season now, and I have to get out my hat and scarves if I hope to keep walking down the drive. The bite in the air heralds some good New England weather. Here we go! Stay tuned for more information about possible snow days (and perhaps even a Head’s Holiday down the road).
I am so very proud of our students for living our mission every day in the classroom or the lab with our IB program (both MYP and DP), on the field, ring, or court as athletes, in the dance studio, backstage, or on stage as performers, in the studio as artists, behind a podium in a public speaking or debate competition, or in the myriad of clubs that Stoneleigh-Burnham offers. As a part of the IB learner profile and our mission, we ask students to strive to be caring, open minded, balanced, reflective, and principled. And we ask ourselves as adults in this community to do the same. Character matters, and kindness has an incredible impact. None of us is perfect, but we all need to support each other in a world that is often both challenging and rewarding. I love our school spirit, whether we win one game a season, or end up qualifying for the tournament or Nationals. The relationships that we build together are impactful and necessary, and our Bigs and Littles, Houses, advisory groups, class connections, and shared interests aid in the process of creating those bonds.
Our families are so important as well, and we rely on the wider community to give us feedback and partner with us to serve our students all that much better. Thank you for all that you give to SBS as we move through our 156th year, steadily heading to 2029-2030, our 160th year of preparing girls for a college education. We may not have the fanciest school or the shiniest buildings, but we have far more to offer. Take a look at our outcomes; I can (and often do) compare our college list each year to our peer schools, and we always shine. Most importantly, though, we are sending resilient, confident, and prepared student leaders to the next phase of their lives, always knowing that the Nest is here for them if they want to return (as our alumnae do at Reunion every year–and as Jane, Mina, Kathleen, Sara and many others over time have done as faculty and staff). #OwlsForLife
Congratulations to our new inductees into the National Honor Society! We had a lovely ceremony this past Thursday night with the new and returning members of NHS. Families and faculty were there to support the students. Thank you to Heidi M. for her organization of the event and to Carrie and the dining hall for the delicious brownies.
Congratulations as well to the varsity volleyball team on a terrific season! Winning the SENE championship was amazing. Also, we made it to the NEPSAC tournament for the second year in a row. We were defeated by a very strong Christian Heritage School team that held the #1 seed, but the Owl spirit was strong at the game in Trumbull, CT.
September 2025
After a few days of needed rain, we ended up having a gorgeous Junior Ring Ceremony in the Courtyard. It was a beautiful ceremony, in spite of the fire alarms. There was a faulty switch on one hall that contributed to the alarm being triggered, and all was fixed after having the fire alarm company out on Friday and Saturday. It was definitely a memorable Junior Ring! Junior Class advisor/Director of College Counseling, Heidi Merrill, and Aden ’27 both gave heartfelt speeches, dinner from our dining hall team was delicious, and the courtyard looked amazing with twinkle lights and flowers around the reflecting pool. It really was “an enchanted garden.” Thanks to everyone who helped with the planning, especially our Advancement Office and the entire junior class.
After dinner, a big group headed to the local Big Y plaza to stock up for the weeks ahead. Other weekend activities included an IEA hunt seat tournament at Mt. Holyoke College (with multiple ribbons won), a trip to the farmer’s market in town, two home volleyball games vs. Williston, an evening trip to the Holyoke Mall, a showing of Clue, the musical, at Ja’Duke Theater, as well as a couple of fun art projects with our Resident Assistants.
As we head into October in a few days, it looks to be a pretty regular and busy week with classes, games, and preparations for our first Open House on Saturday morning, Oct. 4th, and our first DANEIS Public Speaking (world qualifying) Tournament at home on Sunday, October 5th. We will welcome former faculty member, Parke Burgess, back for a long weekend (all the way from WA) in order to help with the tournament. Good luck to our speakers and debaters!
For those of you who celebrate, we wish you all a meaningful Yom Kippur later this week on Wednesday evening and Thursday. G’mar Chatimah Tovah.
Tomorrow is Mountain Day! We are excited to celebrate one of our oldest traditions! SBS students and employees will hike Skinner Mountain, enjoy lunch and Housemeeting at the top, and take in the beauty of autumn in New England! The date is always kept a surprise until the day before, when seniors announce the news to their Littles during the last period of the day!
August 2025
I hope you are all enjoying these wonderful summer days as we make our way to late August and Stoneleigh-Burnham School registration and orientation days. Our mission continues to guide us: “Stoneleigh-Burnham School is an academic community that fosters an international perspective. We inspire girls to pursue meaningful lives based on honor, respect, and intellectual curiosity. Each student is challenged to discover her best self and graduate with confidence to think independently and act ethically, secure in the knowledge that her voice will be heard.”
We have been a proud girls school since 1869 when the Prospect Hill School was founded in Greenfield. Fast forward 156 years, and we have merged five times in total with the last one occurring in 1968 when Stoneleigh-Prospect Hill joined the Mary A. Burnham School to become SBS. Our house system is named after our four female founders: Bessie Talbot Capen, Mary A. Burnham, Isabel Cressler, and Caroline Sumner. All of their photos hang in the Blue Room just off the main lobby, and the historic, courageous ladies are joined by our one male founder, Reverend John Farwell Moors.
Of course, the world has changed dramatically, and our students are faced with new challenges and opportunities. We believe that our SBS graduates will leave us with the necessary skills and habits of mind to be successful and happy. The International Baccalaureate Program speaks to learners who strive to be “inquirers, knowledgeable, thinkers, communicators, principled, open minded, caring, risk takers, balanced, and reflective.” SBS teaches students important aspects that AI simply cannot, but we also need to embrace technological innovation and teach students how to use it wisely and well. Our focus on community, on mental health, and on well-being will also prepare our students for a future beyond SBS.
