Dear Hill-Murray Family,

One of the things I’m most proud of at Hill-Murray is the strong sense of community we’ve created – we believe in God, we believe in each other, we believe in ourselves and we believe in Hill-Murray.  We’re believers in an institution that is built upon faith, love and hope. Hope is all around us. 

 Many of you know that we hosted an accreditation visit last month in which a review team came to assess how we meet the rigorous standards of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Hill-Murray is one of only 11 schools accredited as “college preparatory’’ in Minnesota.  Every five years, a team of highly-qualified educators takes an intense look at our strengths and at the opportunities we have for making our school even better.  I was so proud to share with our students some of the remarks made by the visiting team and I’d like to share them with you as members of a community that they described as “remarkable.” 

They said: “This is an incredible place.  This place is so full of spirit.  This place is so full of hope… This is such a strong community – you have built a vessel, a boat if you will, that can weather the most difficult of storms.  And when people fall out of your boat, you go back and get them.  You take care of each other.  There is such an incredible sense of respect and love for each other.’’

They also said, “Your kids are perfect.”  Our students loved hearing that.  The team saw respectful, engaged kids who care for each other and their school.  They saw our students caring about their education.  They observed how our students let each other be who they are, just as they are.

 As part of the accreditation protocol, two “required actions” were provided by the team that focus on opportunities for improvement.  The first is to expand our use of educational best practices in innovative methodologies, assessment and technology so that we can deliver an even better Catholic education.  Principal David Meyer is already working with our instructional staff to strengthen our course outcomes and assessments. A new Technology Integration Team will help set a course for providing the literacy our graduates need for new electronic platforms.  The second requires that we expand our formal decision-making processes to ensure that all voices are heard.  Acknowledging that we are in the midst of so many changes, they urged us to carefully navigate these new waters – “What has been is no longer,” they said, “and you need to help members of your community understand where they fit into the new Hill-Murray going forward.”

 In the written report, the visiting team said they witnessed, first hand, the promise that at Hill-Murray, you are known, respected and loved.  We know that our graduates leave Hill-Murray confident, capable and resilient.  They’re not only ready for the rigors of college study; they’re prepared to strengthen communities beyond Hill-Murray because of their membership in this strong faith community.  The results of our accreditation visit make me very proud.  I believe we should all share in that pride.


Sincerely,



Dr. Susan Paul
President