Knowing A Place
Read on to learn more about life at the Mountain School, hear stories from our alumni, and get updates on campus happenings.
Reflections on Solo, Fall 2026
Straight off the heels of Farm Day, F26 embarked on the three-night, four-day adventure known as “Solo.”
In the past, students have reported the full range of experiences, from “I stayed under my tarp, ate for boredom, and counted seconds,” to “I felt the weight of the world’s expectations lift in a brief moment of peace.”
Much of human technology (combined with the college admissions process) in the last two decades has been in service of eradicating boredom from their lives. While speaking to students before and after Solo, this theme came up the most frequently. One student said that she finally had the time to “actually watch birds and listen to the brook.” The biggest shared reward of Solo this season was in pausing their lives for a second to just catch a breath.
What does academic rigor really mean? Thoughts on challenge and necessity
We are school with academic rigor. I’ve never particularly liked this descriptor – perhaps in part because the only other context in which I think of the word rigor is “rigor mortis.” And, maybe unfairly, I associate those two instances of rigor. Academic rigor makes me think of stiffness, of calcification, of the canon (and nothing but)… and that’s not The Mountain School.
Yet, I want to lay claim to the idea that “academic rigor” reaches for: the sense that academics are present, challenging, engaging, necessary, and more.
The Mountain School Announces Inaugural Director of Development
The Mountain School of Milton Academy is pleased to announce the appointment of Chris Lauricella as the School’s inaugural Director of Development, beginning July 1, 2026.
Chris joins The Mountain School following 18 years as an independent school Head, most recently at Albany Academy in Albany, New York.