What does it really feel like to be an Upper School student at Ashley Hall?
In our newest video, you’ll hear directly from the students themselves as they share what drew them here, what challenges and inspires them, and what makes this community feel like home. Their reflections offer an honest look at daily life in the Upper School—inside the classroom and beyond it.
From meaningful relationships with teachers to opportunities that encourage confidence, curiosity, and leadership, these voices reflect the heart of the Ashley Hall experience. We invite you to watch, listen, and learn more about what makes our Upper School a place where students are known, supported, and empowered to grow.
Each December, as the holiday season approaches, the Ashley Hall community embraces a long-standing tradition rooted in generosity. For thirty years, Ashley Hall has partnered with Chicora Elementary School in North Charleston to bring holiday joy to its students through the Chicora Gift-Giving Project—a beloved expression of compassion and connection that continues to grow stronger each year.
What began decades ago as a simple collection of toys has evolved into a thoughtful and deeply personal effort to meet the unique needs of every child at Chicora. Working closely with classroom teachers, Ashley Hall students, and families ensures that each Chicora student in grades 1–5 receives a personalized gift bag filled with essentials and special surprises—from warm coats and shoes to books and toys—all carefully packed and labeled with each child’s name.
These red Santa bags represent far more than festive wrapping and ribbon. For many Chicora students, the sense of consistency, care, and belonging they bring extends well beyond the holidays. Every item donated is a reminder that someone in their wider community is thinking of them.
Behind the project are two remarkable Ashley Hall community members—Elizabeth Blackman ’05, an educator at Chicora Elementary, and Dana Van Hook, former Early Education Director—who continue to lead this meaningful partnership. Together, they coordinate wish lists, organize donations, and ensure every gift reaches a child who needs it most.
Through this annual effort, Ashley Hall students are reminded that generosity is about more than giving—it’s about understanding, empathy, and shared humanity.
At its heart, the Chicora Gift-Giving Project exemplifies the power of girls working together to create positive change, to lead with compassion, and to make a difference in the lives of others. This season and every season, Ashley Hall celebrates the joy that comes from giving, connecting, and uplifting one another.
The 2024 Ashley Hall Christmas Play
From trimming the tree to baking cookies, holiday traditions powerfully unite us during this special season. At Ashley Hall, our school family’s most cherished (and long-standing) tradition is the annual Christmas Play. On Dec. 12, 2024, 160 Ashley Hall students of all ages gathered in the historic and ethereal St. Matthew’s Church to perform this beloved production for the 100th time.
First presented in 1924 under the direction of school founder Mary Vardrine McBee, Ashley Hall’s annual Christmas Play has brought the medieval Chester Mystery Plays to life with our student’s creativity, passion, and artistic excellence.
From the dancing jesters to the angelic Red Choir, this beautiful retelling of the Nativity story has remained a cornerstone of the Ashley Hall experience for generations of students, families, alumnae, faculty, and the greater Charleston community.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for this unforgettable evening. Your support makes this timeless tradition possible. And, of course, bravo to our hard-working students who shone brightly on and off stage. We’re grateful to have shared this special moment with all who could join us.
Relive the Centennial Performance of The Christmas Play
We’re looking forward to having our students back on campus for a great 2023-24 school year. Please find important back-to-school event information below.
August 14 and 15 | Welcome Days
Welcome Days, formerly Orientation, will be offered by each division and provide families with the information necessary to begin the school year successfully. Each event will also feature designated time for families to mingle in order to get to know each other. Here is the schedule:
Lower School Welcome Day | Monday, August 14 by appointment time. Parents should contact their division assistant to schedule their appointment.
Early School Welcome Day | Tuesday, August 15 by appointment time. Parents should contact their division assistant to schedule their appointment.
Welcome Day for Grades 5-8 | Tuesday, August 15 from 8:30 to 9:45 a.m.
Welcome Day for Grades 9-12 | Tuesday, August 15 from 2 to 3:15 p.m.
August 24 to September 14 | An Evening at Ashley Hall
Formerly Back-to-School Night, these adult-only events will include classroom visits in which we invite families to experience our curriculum. Here is the schedule by division:
An Evening in the Early School | Wednesday, September 13 from 6 to 7 p.m.
An Evening in the Lower School | Thursday, August 24 from 6 to 7 p.m.
An Evening in the Intermediate Program | Monday, September 11 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
An Evening with the Nautilus Program | Thursday, September 14 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
An Evening in the Upper School | Thursday, September 14 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Each December, Charleston’s Post and Courier newspaper recognizes excellence in fall high school sports by acknowledging student athletes and coaches of note. We’re thrilled to share that Ashley Hall’s Vivian Miller ’22 headlines the list as All Low Country Girls Tennis as Player of the Year. Vivian will go on to play tennis at Brown University next fall. Additionally, in her first year at the helm of Panther Varsity Tennis, Coach Charlotte Hartsock has been recognized as Coach of the Year. Way to go ladies!
The complete list of the Post and Courier‘s All Low Country Athletic Recognitions can be found below. PQV to all of our student athletes who participated in a fall sport this year!
CROSS COUNTRY First Team: Kate Coker, Ailish Ward Honorable Mention: Atalie Evans Godly
GOLF First Team: Raegan Propes Honorable Mention: Rhett Maybank, Chloe Ross
SWIMMING Honorable Mention: Maddy Ethington-Carl
Mattie Hood
Bells Martin
Michelle Lam
TENNIS Player of the Year: Vivian Miller Honorable Mention: Jane Goldstein
Mattie Laney
Alice Otis
Lily Sloan
Emorie Stockton
Coach of the Year: Charlotte Hartsock
VOLLEYBALL Honorable Mention: Josie Cotuna
Riley Street
Charlotte Strickland
(Photo courtesy of the Post and Courier.)
by Carrie Singh, Director of Student Affairs
“Looking back at an old appointment calendar, it was three years ago, almost to the day, that Mrs. Muti and I met with an architect to share a vision for a new student center on campus. With the opening of the Lane Student Life Center (SLC), we are thrilled and grateful to so many to see this vision become a reality for our community. Ashley Hall has long been committed to health and wellness as a core component of the student experience; our wellness programming is founded on the belief that a student’s social-emotional learning is crucial to her ability to advance in her academics, athletics, arts, and career aspirations and to lead a fulfilling life, developing into the person she is meant to be. The design of the SLC was to provide a central place for information, community building, support, and sustenance. This repurposed ‘addition’ to campus includes communal areas, study rooms, multipurpose classrooms, a wellness studio, a dedicated student leadership work space, a small café, and the offices of devoted student support personnel (Dean of Students, Director of College Counseling, Director of Student Affairs, the Upper School Administrative and College Counseling Assistant, and the Upper School Counselor), all intentionally designed to support and positively impact the growth and development of adolescents.
By creating a space that emulates a college campus student union, the SLC will offer opportunities for student independence, self-regulation, and agency, providing instances whereby our girls develop and hone decision-making and time management skills. Our café will utilize a point of sale system linked to the student ID cards of ninth through twelfth graders, helping prepare them for the ‘one card’ system used in many colleges. We visualize time for reflection, relaxation, and mindfulness with yoga, meditation, or exercise in a multipurpose wellness studio and chances to commune with friends and classmates in the banquette style seating or the standing desk computer charging stations in the SLC’s commons area. Ultimately, our hope is that this space fosters a sense of belonging for our students, allows them to feel both cared for and independent, and gives them the tools they need to flourish and become the best version of themselves. We believe every student can discover ways to find the professional or peer support she needs for self-knowledge and self-care. Through this kind of agency, she also learns how to be accountable for her decisions and how to practice the critical skills she needs to cultivate inner strength and resilience.
The vision for this renovated space was conceived before the arrival of a global pandemic. Despite our thoughtful design process, we did not anticipate what protocols a pandemic would require. We are making necessary adjustments to ensure the building can be used both purposefully and safely, while still honoring its intended users: our students! Perhaps now, even more than ever before, the health and wellness of our students are of utmost importance, and the literal and figurative space to allow them to practice the skills needed in today’s world in the safe and supportive environment of the SLC will be a most welcome and compelling addition to our campus.”
Ashley Hall is a K-12 independent school for girls, with a co-ed preschool, committed to a talented and diverse student population. We consider for admission students of any race, color, religion, and national or ethnic origin.
