Our Traditions Connecting Individuals Through Shared Experiences
Stuart Hall is a place unlike any other, and an experience that builds a strong foundation for life.
Stuart Hall celebrates a number of traditions, filled with symbolism and meaning. These traditions connect individuals to the greater whole through shared experiences.
Knighthood Investiture Program
The Stuart Hall Knighthood Program provides the Middle School boys with a unique opportunity to develop their understanding and commitment to our School’s pillars of Scholarship, Leadership, Faith, and Honor. Our founder, Bill Gallop, created this program to recognize the formative growth of each of our boys over the course of their Stuart Hall career. The Program serves as a culminating process to actively engage with the School’s mission and to support our students as they grow from good boys into great men. A faculty sponsor will serve as a guide and mentor to each Candidate during their journey towards Knighthood.
Passing of the Swords
Since the 1990s, swords have been an enduring symbol of strength, courage, and tradition at Stuart Hall School for Boys.
According to Stuart Hall Co-Founder and Board Member Emeritus Suzanne Phelps, the original swords were chosen as a tribute to the English heritage of the school's namesake, Janet Erskine Stuart, RSCJ, and the image of knights in shining armor.
Each spring, the Passing of the Swords Ceremony marks an important milestone in a student's journey. During the ceremony, Seventh Grade students pass the swords to Fifth Grade students, symbolizing their transition into Middle School and the beginning of their path toward Knighthood.
The swords are brought out again at graduation, where family members hold them aloft to form an arch as graduates cross the threshold of Van Vranken Chapel. This meaningful tradition symbolizes the completion of a student's education and formation at Stuart Hall and his readiness to begin the next chapter of his journey.
Qualities of the Month
Each month, the school focuses on a special quality of character development. During the month in Chapel, in the classroom, and on campus, the faculty and the administration encourage growth in this particular quality by calling the children's attention to various aspects of that quality.
The qualities of the month are Friendship, Compassion, Thankfulness, Peacemaker, Courage, Perseverance, Responsibility, and Honesty.
Morning Chapel
The first day of the school week for Grades 1-7 begins with Chapel at 8 a.m. The Kindergarten class joins our Chapel service in April. The morning Chapel service consists of prayer, a story or theme for the day, prayers of intentions, the Quality of the Month presentations, student recognitions, and school announcements. Parents are always invited and encouraged to join their sons for Chapel.
Our Preschool Knights attend Chapel on Wednesday mornings. Preschool Chapel is a special time where the boys recite the Pledge of Allegiance, discuss our Quality of the Month, and pray together for friends and family.
Kindergarten Tie Ceremony
One of Stuart Hall's most cherished traditions, the Kindergarten Tie Ceremony marks an important milestone in a young Knight's educational journey as he prepares to enter First Grade.
During the ceremony, Kindergarten students receive their first official school tie, symbolizing their growth, responsibility, and transition into the next stage of their Stuart Hall experience.
Guided by Middle School buddies, each boy participates in a meaningful rite of passage that reflects the school's commitment to formation, tradition, and brotherhood.
Community Masses
Throughout the school year, Masses are held to celebrate Holy Days of Obligation and other special occasions. Boys in First through Seventh Grade take part in sponsoring Mass. These Masses are listed in the school calendar, and we invite parents and family to join and participate as a community.
School Prayer
Heavenly Father,
As a man of Stuart Hall, and through the intercession of Mother Stuart, I humbly ask that you:
Help me to be a leader who treats others with love and respect.
Help me to be a scholar who strives to grow in understanding and wisdom.
Help me to have faith and to remember the love of Jesus in everything that I do.
Help me to have honor and the courage to always do the right thing.
School Song
“Stuart Hall, O Stuart Hall A place where blue and gray stand tall. Our spirit glows while knowledge grows As one at Stuart Hall.”
2032 South Carrollton Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70118 (504) 861-1954
Stuart Hall School for Boys does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, or national or ethnic origin in the administration of its employment, admissions, educational, or athletic policies.