Happenings (November 25, 2025)
A Christmas Carol Production
Christmas Concerts
Join us for two beautiful nights of Christmas music at the Hill-Murray Auditorium!
Choir Concert
Monday, December 15 at 7 PM
Band & Orchestra Concert
Tuesday, December 16 at 6 PM
Come celebrate the season with our talented musicians!
Christmas Shopping at The Trading Post
The Christmas Trading Post is open for a few more limited shopping hours. Don’t miss your chance to pick up Hill-Murray gear and holiday gifts! Our final day to shop is Thursday, December 18.
Hill-Murray Winter Art Fair
Hill-Murray is proud to announce the opening of our Winter Art Fair, and our brand new 5X7 art show! Artworks are on view and for sale before, during, and after the performances of A Christmas Carol in the main lobby. 85% of all sales go to the talented student artists! See all of the creative artwork on 5X7-inch cardstock created by students, teachers, and staff!
2026-2027 Academic Calendar
Looking ahead to next school year? Click here to view the 2026–27 academic calendar!
We are excited to invite you to our second Coffee and Connection Morning on Wednesday, December 17th, from 8:15 a.m until 9:00am. We will gather in the FLEX space in the counseling office at Hill-Murray.
Our focus for this Connection will be on parenting resources presented to us from Joe Cavanaugh, Founder and CEO of Youth Frontiers, a Minnesota-based nonprofit organization that provides experiences that inspire character, civility and community. These resources are part of his Parent Academy which you can learn more about here: Parent Academy. Plan to leave with some practical ideas and tools that can help your student be successful.
Please RSVP here so we can plan accordingly for coffee and breakfast treats: If you are not able to be part of this Coffee and Connection but have ideas on ways to support this partnership, please fill out this form: Pioneer Way for Parents Input. I am looking forward to connecting with you!
Please reach out to Katie Francis with any questions.
Save the Date!
The Middle School Christmas Party is December 15th from 3-5 PM sponsored by the Middle School Student Council. Activities include a Christmas movie, crafts, games, hot cocoa and cookies. The popular Christmas cookie decorating contest will return with prizes in different categories like Most Creative Cookie and Most Festive Cookie. This event is free!
Busy Times Make Balance Crucial
At this point in the semester and school year, students have become more comfortable with policies and procedures. This can be a positive, but can lead to complacency and inconsistency as well. Students may backslide into poor habits like tardies, disorganization, missing work, and a general attitude of “too cool for school.”
Also, with outside schedules and activities ramping up and busy holiday schedules for families, students can be overly tired and have absences accumulating. This can impact schoolwork, assessments, and assignment completion, as well as increase stress. Finding balance is key.
Here are some helpful ways to support your child in these mid-year circumstances:
1. Students are responsible for knowing what content and assignments they missed when absent. They should connect with teachers. Families can strive to find times, even if it is an hour a day, during busy weekends or travels, to check Google Classrooms, submit work, email teachers, etc. When returning from absences, students should plan to use WIN times to get labs, tests, and other work completed.
2. Help your child prioritize and set healthy boundaries that protect their sleep hours, family time together, and also time to reset and relax with downtime. Being a student is not a full-time job, but it is still a priority.
Lessons learned in middle school around balancing social and academic lives will pay tremendous dividends as your child moves into high school and then adulthood. Please contact your child’s counselor if you would like to discuss further.
Lisa Valentine – Grades 6-7
Katie Francis – Grade 8
ACT Test Prep
On Wednesday, November 19, we welcomed Flying Colors Test Prep to proctor a Practice ACT Test for students in 10th/11th grade. Please click the link below to learn more about additional test-prep opportunities and make-up options.
Practice ACT Test – Follow-up Letter
October World Language Star Students
Click here for the October World Language star students!
Spanish Classes Visit Alebrijes Exhibit
Students in Ms. Runyon’s Spanish 4 class and Dr. Obernolte’s Spanish 5 & 6 classes visited the exhibit Alebrijes: Keepers of the Island, where they learned about this vibrant and traditional form of Mexican folk art. The field trip continued in St. Paul, where students enjoyed lunch at a local Hispanic restaurant!
Senior All Night Party
Thank you again for all of your support with the SANP Butter Braid sale. It was a great success. If you missed out, no worries! Look for our spring Butter Braid sale!
We do not have a meeting in December. Enjoy the holidays with family & friends! Our next SANP Mtg is January 13th at 6:30 at Hill-Murray. We would love for you to join us. Junior parents, this is a great time to learn all about the SANP for your senior next year. If you can’t make it to the meeting, but would like to be kept in the loop, send us an email at HMseniorparty@gmail.com and we’ll add you to our group email list.
Senior Students – we want to hear from YOU! Follow on the Senior All-Night Party Instagram account and participate in the senior group chat. Please take a moment to respond to the survey. BOYS…. We’re talking to you especially! Share your opinions on all things SANP! Senior students, also remember that you’re always welcome to come to the planning meetings as well.
9th Grade Baseball Assistant Coach Needed
Hill-Murray is searching for an assistant coach for our 9th grade baseball team this spring. If you or someone you know would be interested, please contact John Pohl – jpohl@hill-murray.org.
Baseball 2026 Spring Training Camp
Hill-Murray School is proud to offer a 4-week baseball camp for boys in grades 4+. In our Spring Training Camp, players will receive training in Hitting and both Infield and Outfield Defense. This camp is designed to prepare athletes for the upcoming season through skill-development drills and high repetition. Each participant will receive individual instruction from coaches and players from Hill-Murray’s Baseball Program
WHEN: SUNDAYS – (2/8, 2/15, 2/22, 3/1)
WHERE: HILL-MURRAY FIELDHOUSE
Group 1 (Grades 7+) 9:45AM-11:15AM ($150)
Group 2 (Grades 4-6) 11:30AM-1:00PM ($150)
REGISTRATION LINK – CLICK HERE
Hill-Murray Fathers Club Curling Event
Saturday, December 20th
St. Paul Curling Club
4:30pm – Appetizers at Gnome
6:00pm – Curling Tournament
Celebrate the spirit of Christmas in every way, from quiet reflection to joyful connection, at Christmas at the Monastery! Three special events, along with a silent auction, that invite you to slow down, raise a glass, and share some laughter as we journey through the season together. Join us for any or all of these three unique events as we celebrate the joy and warmth of Christmas. For each event you are invited to use the discount code “Pioneer2025” to receive a 25% discount on registration.
“Where the Light Comes In” Advent Retreat, presented by Victor Klimoski, Ph.D. Saturday, December 6 from 9am-11am at the Hill-Murray Chapel. In this extended meditation on light, we will rely on the wisdom of writers and artists to help us find our own words to describe living into the light despite the powers of darkness. CLICK HERE for more information or to register. 25% discount code is “Pioneer2025”
Sippin’ with the Saints | Wine Tasting & Education with the Sisters. Join Jason Kallsen, founder of Twin Cities Wine Education LLC to learn about wines from a Benedictine lens paired with delightful bites from a chef-created charcuterie. December 9, 6:30pm-9pm at St Paul’s Monastery. CLICK HERE for more information or to register. 25% discount code is “Pioneer2025”
Trivia Mafia and Silent Auction Finale on December 13, 6:30pm-9:00pm at St Paul’s Monastery. The Sisters of St. Paul’s Monastery are excited to welcome guests for a fun evening of great food, wine, and trivia games with Trivia Mafia! Yes, Trivia Mafia is back again! CLICK HERE for more information or to register. 25% discount code is “Pioneer 2025”
Uniform Inventory Update
Due to nationwide inventory shortages, the men’s UNRL Highlands Quarter Zip Pullover has been temporarily unavailable in some of our most popular sizes. We anticipate those sizes to be back in stock in December. We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused or may cause. To help with this gap, Game One has added a pullover to our online uniform portal. The new pullover, the UNRL Interlok, is similar to the UNRL Highlands. A bonus, however, with the Interlok is that it is fleece-lined and available in both men’s and youth sizes. The UNRL Interlok is only available in our online uniform portal. The uniform portal is open each month from the 1st-10th and the 15th-25th. You can find more information about uniforms on our website under the Student & Parent Portal. If you have questions, please email uniforms@hill-murray.org.
2026-27 Tuition Assistance and Scholarship Applications are Now Open
* Need-Based Tuition Assistance & Scholarships:
If your family is interested in applying for Need-Based Tuition Assistance, please click HERE to begin your 2026-27 TADS application.
Completion of a TADS application grants a student’s eligibility for all Need-Based Scholarships.
* Non-Need Based Scholarships:
Our Non-Need Based Scholarship application is live for 2026-27. Please click HERE to begin your application.
Families of students applying for Non-Need Based Scholarships are NOT required to complete a TADS application.
The submission deadline for TADS and Non-Need Scholarships is January 15, 2026; however, the Hill-Murray Scholarship Committee will begin reviewing applications and allocating awards as they are submitted.
