Traditions
Walnut Hill has been in existence for over 120 years. During that time, our incredible students and faculty have cultivated and sustained many unique and meaningful traditions.
Leadership Retreat & Orientation
Who can forget the excitement of the first day of school? At Walnut Hill, we make sure all students are welcomed warmly to campus by our student leaders. Leadership students arrive a week early to help prepare the campus for the arrival of the new students, working hard to ensure that Walnut Hill is an inviting, accepting place in which to live and learn.
Mountain Day
The senior class comes together every year to climb the 3,166-foot Mount Monadnock in Jaffrey, New Hampshire. The gorgeous scenery of this mountain has been immortalized in many poems, the most famous being “Monadnock” written by Ralph Waldo Emerson in 1846. Our artists climb this mountain, following the footsteps of artists and Walnut Hill students before them, pushing toward the top, bonding and finding strength and spirit they may not have known they had. And they do it all—together.
Class Night
On this formal evening, the entire campus community comes together to honor and acknowledge our senior student leaders. Each grade has a family-style dinner, and then we all come together for a special senior ceremony in our Keiter Theater. The Senior Class President and Community Council President speak to us about the goals and dreams for the year, and the junior class gives a gift to the senior class to celebrate the night and get the year started on a positive note.Boar's Head Feast
We invoke the spirit of the Renaissance with a holiday festival like no other. Skits, songs, village flags, delicious food, and a medieval procession are just part of this joyous and entertaining holiday tradition.Patriots' Day
Patriots' Day is an official Massachusetts state holiday commemorating the anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord (the first battles of the American Revolutionary War). It is also the day that the Boston Marathon takes place. Each year on Patriots' Day Walnut Hill suspends classes in order to allow the entire School community to come together for a special assembly, service projects, and fun. The day always involves a chance to walk 10-15 minutes to downtown Natick, which is on the Marathon route, so that students can cheer on the runners.
Tree Day