Our Values, Our Community, Our Future

At Kents Hill, our strength has always been our community – a place where students and adults learn, lead, and grow together on The Hill. This year, we are proud to share a renewed set of Core Values that reflect who we are, who we hope to be, and how we live with and for one another every day.

These values were not written behind closed doors. They were shaped by students and faculty who worked together over many months – reflecting, listening, debating, and pushing one another to name what truly matters for our community. Their work was grounded in the idea that our values must not only be spoken, but lived.

As Dr. Molly T. MacKean, Head of School, shared, this process required trust and openness: 

"It was messy. It was brave. And it was exactly the kind of beautiful thing that can happen when we trust our students to lead." 

Today, we are proud to share these values with the entire Kents Hill community. 

Curiosity

• We ask questions to deepen learning and connection.
• We embrace the experiences, people, and ideas that broaden our perspectives.
• We extend our learning beyond our classrooms and campus.

Care

• We work to bring out the best in ourselves and in those around us.
• We say thank you, I’m sorry, I see you, and I forgive you.
• We notice the world around us, especially in seeing when someone needs a friend.

Integrity

• We are honest and do what is right, even when no one is looking.
• We understand that the intent and impact of our choices matter.
• We play fair, and win and lose with grace.

Responsibility

• We treat our opportunities with respect.
• We step up, even when it isn’t easy.
• We protect the beauty of the place we inhabit.

Courage

• We stay tenacious, even when our path gets challenging.
• We are willing to be vulnerable, imagining possibilities beyond what we know.
• We lead to make a positive difference in the world.

Motto: If one person of principle can always make a difference, imagine what our community can do.

Curiosity, Care, Integrity, Responsibility, Courage

These five values are not just ideals written on a poster or spoken at school meetings. They show up in the daily rhythms of life on The Hill. In the classrooms, students ask questions not just to get answers, but to understand one another. In the hallways, a quiet “I see you” or “Are you okay?” can change the course of someone’s day. In small, shared moments – resetting chairs after class, staying late to help a teammate, putting phones away to be truly present – these are the threads that hold us together. 

Student Voices

During Fall Family Weekend 2025, students shared what these core values mean to them. 

Reflecting on Curiosity, Scout W. '27 emphasized that curiosity is not just academic – it’s relational, cultural, and central to how we grow together:

"Curiosity is what allows us to not only see the differences, but honor them."

For Scout, curiosity shows up in the small moments: meeting someone new, asking meaningful questions, or seeing the world through another’s eyes. It’s what invites empathy, fuels connection, and helps us shape a stronger, more understanding community.

Speaking on Care, Stefani M. '26 reminded us that care is less about grand gestures and more about attention – the kind that sees someone’s need before they can name it themselves:

"Care is a daily choice. A choice to say thank you, I’m sorry, I see you, and I forgive you."

Stefani’s story showed how students, teachers, and advisors step in during the hard moments – not because they have to, but because they notice. At Kents Hill, care is something we offer one another instinctively, generously, and with heart.

Sharing her thoughts on Integrity, Avery R. '26 told the story of a classmate who found a completed test left behind by a student who had taken it a prior class. Instead of using it to their advantage, they quietly returned it:

"The student could have looked at the answers. But they chose to do the right thing, even when no one was looking."

As Avery reminded us, that’s the heart of integrity – it may not always be easy, but it’s always worth it. These are the moments – quiet, intentional, and human – that show what it means to truly live our values.

Reflecting on Responsibility, Adrian P. '26 spoke to the small, steady choices that strengthen our community every day:

"At Kents Hill, responsibility isn't something we have to be reminded of; it is an expectation. However, it’s one we meet and exceed every day."

Adrian highlighted how responsibility takes shape in everyday actions – following through, showing up, and supporting one another in ways both visible and unseen.

Speaking on Courage, Lucien G. '26 pointed to something often overlooked – the courage to care openly: 

"What’s hard is to be a real person… to be emotional, to be opinionated, to wear your heart on your sleeve. But I can say with certainty: Kents Hill students care."

Lucien reminded us that courage isn’t always loud – often, it’s choosing honesty, empathy, and authenticity, even when it feels vulnerable.

Rooted in History, Growing for Our Future

These values are new – and also not new at all. As longtime faculty member RJ Jenkins shared, these values rise from the same soil that has grounded Kents Hill for generations:

"The original core values were perfect for their time, and yet I believe Rist Bonnefond would be extremely proud that Kents Hill has taken them and transformed them for a new era."

We carry forward what has always mattered here – compassion, courage, honesty, friendship – and we speak them in a way that belongs to our students today, in their voices, in their hands. 

We invite you to watch the video below, as students and faculty share what these values look like in their daily lives. This is who we are, and who we are becoming – and we’re so glad you’re part of it. 

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If one person of principle can always make a difference, imagine what our community can do.