St. Margaret's Press Release Index

Press Release Index contains current and archived press announcements from St. Margaret's School. Press releases are indexed beginning with the most current press releases at the top of the list. Click on the title of the press release to view the document. To view past press releases, visit any of the 2000-2001, 1999-2000 or 1998-1999 Press Archives by clicking the link below; they are organized by Academic Years.

2001-2002 PRESS RELEASE INDEX

August 30, 2002: YEARS OF EXPERIENCE GUIDE NEW SMS TEACHERS
St. Margaret's School faculty possess roughly 250 years of collective experience. This summer, a three-day workshop spread this accumulated wisdom from senior teachers to newer faculty members, which will benefit both them and their students.

August 30, 2002: LOCAL ENROLLMENT AGAIN HIGH AT SMS
St. Margaret's School opened Monday (September 2) with a full enrollment of 158 students from 17 states and 9 countries. Among them were 11 new day students from the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula. They joined 33 local girls who re-enrolled for a tally of 44 - the maximum the school can accept in order to retain its small, 12-student classes and its low 6:1 student/teacher ratio.

June 17, 2002: SMS ALUMNAE HONOR KILMARNOCK RESIDENT
The St. Margaret's School Alumnae Association bestowed its highest honor, the Distinguished Alumna Award, upon local resident and business owner Mary Lloyd Pollard Lay at the school's recent reunion.

June 17, 2002: SMS FACULTY/STAFF CELEBRATE 135+ YEARS OF SERVICE
Ten professionals were recognized at a recent faculty/staff lunch for achieving service anniversaries in 2001-2002 that total more than 135 years.

June 17, 2002: SMS ANNOUNCES HONOR, MERIT ROLL STUDENTS
Ignoring the temptations that nice weather offers to leave books by the wayside eventually leads to something even nicer: finishing the last trimester of 2001-2002 as an honor or merit roll student.

June 10, 2002: LOCAL STUDENT-ATHLETES EARN SMS SPRING SPORTS HONORS
Seven girls from the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula have earned recognition for their athletic accomplishments at St. Margaret's School. They were among the spring season student-athletes who received awards at a year-end sports banquet.

June 10, 2002: LOCAL STUDENTS HONORED AT SMS AWARDS BANQUET
St. Margaret's School students from the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula were among those recognized for their educational accomplishments during the 2001-2002 year at the school's recent academic awards banquet. Honorees included three rising seniors who won college prizes that make them eligible for special scholarship consideration if they apply to and are accepted by the sponsoring institutions.

June 10, 2002: LOCAL STUDENTS WIN SMS COMMENCEMENT HONORS
Girls from the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula were awarded more than 10 of St. Margaret's School's highest honors at early June commencement exercises.

June 10, 2002: LOCAL GIRLS ARE LEADERS AT ST. MARGARET'S
Local students will be helping to lead St. Margaret's School in multiple ways during the 2002-2003 academic year.

May 20, 2002: SCOTTY SPORTS CORNER: TWO TEAMS END SEASON AT TOURNAMENTS
The 2002 Spring tournament season was full of surprises for St. Margaret's School athletes. The crew championships were cancelled due to bad weather. And softball bowed out in the second round of its tournament after losing to a bigger school.

May 20, 2002: SMS RESIDENT ARTIST WINS AWARD
Ruth Lyons, a resident artist at St. Margaret's School, is shown here explaining darkroom technique to some of her St. Margaret's photography students.

May 13, 2002: SCOTTY SPORTS CORNER: SMS PREPARES FOR TOURNAMENTS
St. Margaret's School athletes prepared for a week of tournaments by playing hard during their last week of regular-season games. Sparks will fly in championship action as Scotty softball goes head-to-head with St. Gertrude's School and tennis serves up a weekend of league competition at the University of Virginia.

May 13, 2002: TAPPAHANNOCK GIRL WINS MAY HONORS
Rachelle Diane Slotnick, daughter of Susan Latner of Tappahannock, was elected Maid of Honor at St. Margaret's School during festivities honoring the Class of 2002.

May 13, 2002: CALLAO GIRL WINS MAY HONORS
Brittany Nicole Walker, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. B.J. Walker of Callao, was crowned May Queen at St. Margaret's School during festivities honoring the Class of 2002.

May 13, 2002: SMS STUDENTS HELP NEPALESE GIRLS
Eighth-graders at St. Margaret's School recently raised more than $200 to help at-risk girls in Nepal. The proceeds of the students' car wash will benefit the Bahini Fund.

May 6, 2002: SMS RAISES MONEY TO FIGHT HEART DISEASE
Students and faculty at St. Margaret's School have collected more than $1,600 to fight heart disease and stroke, the two deadliest diseases in the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula.

May 6, 2002: SCOTTY SPORTS CORNER: TEAMS COMPILE WINNING RECORDS
St. Margaret's School athletes compete each week against high schools from across Virginia. Although many opposing teams initially ask, "Tappa-where?," they end up respecting not only St. Margaret's, but also the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula that the Scotties represent.

April 22, 2002: SCOTTY SPORTS CORNER: SMS MAKES MID-SEASON PUSH
St. Margaret's School athletes are thinking strategically and buckling down to continue the rest of their seasons with "can-do" attitudes. With only a month and a half left of school, seniors want to make the most of their remaining high school games.

April 22, 2002: JOIN THE FUN AT KIDS CAMP THIS SUMMER
For nine years, local parents facing the challenge of keeping children busy during the summer have enjoyed the convenience, reliability-and fun-of St. Margaret's School's K.I.D.S. (Kick Into Discovery Summer) Camp.

April 15, 2002: SMS, GIRLS' SCHOOLS ARE INCUBATORS OF INNOVATION
In the space of just a few generations, girls' schools have gone from being the sole educational option for most young women, to a seeming anachronism, and now to living laboratories where innovative educational concepts are put to the test.

April 15, 2002: SCOTTY SPORTS CORNER: SOFTBALL, CREW KEEP UP PACE
St. Margaret's School teams are following strong starts with continued winning performances in Softball and Crew as the spring sports season continues.

April 8, 2002: COMMUNITY INVITED TO PERFORMANCE AT SMS
Area residents are invited to be the guests of St. Margaret's School students, faculty, and staff for "The Belle of Amherst," a one-woman play about American poet Emily Dickinson. The free public performance, sponsored by the SMS English Department, features actress Mary Wadkins. It will take place on Monday, April 15 at 7:00 p.m. in Ball Memorial Gymnasium on Water Lane.

April 8, 2002: SCOTTY SPORTS CORNER: SPRING TEAMS START ON A WINNING NOTE
As St. Margaret's student-athletes came back to campus from spring break, they officially kicked off the final sports season of the year-with a bang. Lacrosse, softball, tennis, and crew participants flocked to the playing fields and down to the river to train. They are already displaying their hard work and talent in what is shaping up to be a winning season.

April 1, 2002: FORMER SECRETARIES OF STATE TO SPEAK ON FOREIGN POLICY
Thanks to a local partnership, Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula residents can still get seats for a Richmond Forum presentation by former Secretaries of State Madeleine K. Albright and James A. Baker III on Saturday, April 13, 2002. The Essex Bank, Rappahannock Community College Educational Foundation and St. Margaret's School have sponsored ticket and transportation packages from Tappahannock for the often sold-out Forum's 2001-2002 season.

April 1, 2002: LOCAL STUDENT-ATHLETES EARN SMS SPORTS HONORS
Four girls from the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula have earned recognition for their athletic accomplishments at St. Margaret's School. They were among the winter season student-athletes who received awards at a late March sports banquet.

April 1, 2002: GIVE THE GIFT OF LIFE AT SMS BLOOD DRIVE
Local residents have an especially convenient opportunity to donate blood, thanks to St. Margaret's School. The student community service organization, Basic Needs, is holding a blood drive on Saturday, April 6 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the SMS gymnasium on Water Lane.

March 25, 2002: SMS ANNOUNCES HONOR, MERIT ROLL STUDENTS
Hard work and good study habits have paid off for students at St. Margaret's School, who have earned spots on the school's honor and merit rolls for the second trimester of the 2001-2002 academic year.

March 25, 2002: SMS TEACHER EARNS NATIONAL RECOGNITION
Outstanding teachers are the number one thing that parents look for in a school. They'll find it at St. Margaret's, where Latin teacher Marshall Lloyd has been chosen for inclusion in "Who's Who Among America's Teachers 2002."

March 25, 2002: SMS STUDENTS STUDY LOCAL COURTS
In a recent course on "You and the Law," students at St. Margaret's School learned how the American legal system works by visiting the courtroom of General District Court Judge Mastin Davis.

March 11, 2002: PARENTING EXPERT TO SPEAK AT SMS
Thanks to a program sponsored by St. Margaret's School, local parents have the opportunity to come together and learn how they can bring out the best in our community's children. That's because SMS is bringing nationally syndicated writer and family psychologist John Rosemond to Tappahannock on Tuesday, March 19 at 7:00 p.m.

March 11, 2002: TICKETS REMAIN FOR GOODWIN AND MCCULLOUGH AT RICHMOND FORUM
Presentation by presidential biographers Doris Kearns Goodwin and David McCullough at the Richmond Forum on Saturday, March 16, 2002

March 11, 2002: SMS STUDENTS BRING WORLD TO SCOUTS
At a time when understanding other cultures has become more important to many Americans, local Girl Scouts recently spent a morning at St. Margaret's School celebrating the global nature of the scouting movement.

February 25, 2002: SMS STUDENTS PLAN CAREERS
St. Margaret's School students got a jump on the world of work when they visited the University Career Services office at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.

February 25, 2002: SCOTTY SPORTS CORNER: WINTER TOURNAMENT TIME
St. Margaret's soccer, basketball, and swimming teams culminated four months of hard work with a series of tournaments

February 18, 2002: SMS PRESENTS EVENING OF GUITAR, SCULPTURE, POETRY
Area residents can listen to Brazilian jazz guitar, view modern ceramic sculpture, and hear poetry read by a published local author-all on one night, right here in the Middle Peninsula. It's "Confluence," an evening of the arts presented by St. Margaret's School

February 11, 2002: SCOTTY SPORTS CORNER: BASKETBALL, SOCCER GEAR UP FOR TOURNAMENTS
These past two weeks at St. Margaret's School have been hectic for busy students darting to and fro in preparation for exams. Even so, SMS athletes gave their all on the court and the fields-and they have the scores to prove it.

February 11, 2002: COMMUNITY INVITED TO SMS LECTURE SERIES
Area residents are invited to join the St. Margaret's School community for seven exciting, informative evening programs beginning on Monday, February 18. "Cultural events are one of the best gifts that a school like SMS can give the community," said coordinator Tobey Taliaferro. "We're excited about having such a wonderful group of performances and presentations to share."

February 11, 2002: SMS EXCHANGES BRING WORLD CLOSER
Students from Australia and New Zealand have been attending St. Margaret's School in Tappahannock as part of a unique exchange program that links schools named for Queen Margaret of Scotland.

February 4, 2002: TICKETS REMAIN FOR DICK CLARK PROGRAM
Thanks to a local partnership, Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula residents can still get seats for music celebrity Dick Clark's presentation at the Richmond Forum on Saturday, February 16, 2002. The Essex Bank, Rappahannock Community College Educational Foundation and St. Margaret's School are sponsoring ticket and transportation packages from Tappahannock for the Forum's 2001-2002 season.

February 4, 2002: SMS STUDENTS HELP AT SPECIAL OLYMPICS
National Honor Society members from St. Margaret's School recently assisted athletes at the Virginia Special Olympics Alpine Skiing Competition.

February 4, 2002: ST. MARGARET'S SCHOOL ANNOUNCES PROMOTIONS
Much of the current strength and stability of St. Margaret's School comes from experienced teachers and administrators. The school's top leaders, for example, have given more than 50 combined years of service to SMS.

February 4, 2002: SCOTTY SPORTS CORNER: BASKETBALL, SWIMMING, WIN BIG
In recent competitions at St. Margaret's School, the Scotty scoreboard reflected months of hard training. Basketball posted some big wins, while swimming left the competition high and dry. Athletes and coaches alike plan to build on these victories as the winter sports season comes to a close.

January 21, 2002: SCOTTY SPORTS CORNER: ALL THREE TEAMS POST WINS
This week at St. Margaret's School, Scotty athletes dove into action as the winter sports season wore on. Varsity basketball broke a losing streak with a decisive win over Trinity, varsity soccer vanquished two opposing teams and Scotty swimmers proved once again their individual skill, placing well in competition.

January 21, 2002: ST. MARGARET'S SCHOOL EARNS REACCREDITATION
A committee of eight leaders in secondary education found "much to commend" in its recent review of St. Margaret's School, and the Virginia Association of Independent Schools agreed. In mid-January, VAIS awarded the school full accreditation for the next five years.

January 21, 2002: SMS PUBLICATIONS WIN STATEWIDE AWARDS
A St. Margaret's School brochure promoting the River Program was one of only six entries to earn an Award of Excellence in the International Association of Business Communicators' recent "Best in Virginia" competition. In addition, the SMS newsletter, "River Views," received an honorable mention.

December 17, 2001: RICHMOND FORUM TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE
Thanks to a local partnership, Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula residents can still get seats for the Richmond Forum presentation, "Faith and Values," on Saturday, January 19, 2002.

December 17, 2001: SMS SCOTTY SPORTS CORNER: SOCCER, SWIMMING HOLD OWN
This week in Scotty sports, Richmond opponents stopped both St. Margaret's basketball and soccer teams. Soccer rebounded to defeat a tough St. Catherine's squad and heads into the holidays on a high note, while SMS swimmers held their own against St. Cat's and Collegiate competitors in several events.

December 10, 2001: SMS ANNOUNCES HONOR, MERIT ROLL STUDENTS
Hard work and good study habits have paid off for students at St. Margaret's School, who have earned spots on the school's honor and merit rolls for the first trimester of the 2001-2002 academic year.

December 10, 2001: CATCH THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT WITH SMS SINGERS
St. Margaret's School choral groups are spreading holiday cheer this season, and you're invited to join them. "Concerts are a great way for us to give back to the community," said Music Director Beverley Gordon.

December 10, 2001: SCOTTY SPORTS CORNER: WINTER TEAMS OPEN SEASONS
St. Margaret's School began its winter sports season last week with the return of soccer and basketball and the introduction of the school's first-ever swim team.

November 12, 2001: RECENT SMS GRADS ARE ADVANCED PLACEMENT SCHOLARS
Two members of the St. Margaret's School Class of 2001 have been named Advanced Placement Scholars by the College Board in recognition of their exceptional achievement on the college-level AP exams.

November 12, 2001: LOCAL STUDENT-ATHLETES EARN SMS SPORTS HONORS
- Nine girls from the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula have earned recognition for their athletic accomplishments at St. Margaret's School. They were among 18 student-athletes who received awards at last week's fall sports banquet.

November 12, 2001: SMS COMMUNITY LEADERS LUNCH
Leaders from the local community attended a lunch at St. Margaret's School last week to learn more about the school.

November 5, 2001: SCOTTY SPORTS CORNER: SMS SPORTS TEAMS WIND DOWN SEASON
St. Margaret's School athletes ran, spiked and dribbled their way to both victory and defeat in recent meets, matches and games. As the end of the season approaches, these girls are gaining both winning scores and rewarding lessons.

October 22, 2001: SCOTTY SPORTS CORNER: VARSITY TEAMS SEE THEIR WORK PAY OFF
This week in sports at Saint Margaret's School, all three varsity teams - volleyball, field hockey and cross-country - saw weeks of hard work begin to pay off. The Scotties captured two victories and performed at consistently high levels on the trail, court and field.

October 22, 2001: THREE STUDENTS NAMED TO NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY
A Middle Peninsula girl and two other students at St. Margaret's School have been inducted into the National Honor Society. Juniors Lindsay Neist, daughter of Terry and Carol Ann Neist of Howertons; Evita Moody of Washington, DC; and Hanna Lee of Seoul, Korea, recently were tapped for membership at a special chapel service.

October 15, 2001: SCOTTY SPORTS CORNER: FIELD HOCKEY, VOLLEYBALL, HOLD OFF RICHMOND OPPONENTS
The St. Margaret's School varsity field hockey and varsity volleyball teams faced big-city opponents last week and did the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula proud, posting a tie and a win, respectively, over large Richmond schools.

October 15, 2001: RESIDENT ARTISTS ENRICH SMS PROGRAMS
Students at St. Margaret's School have a unique opportunity this year to learn advanced art skills from working professionals, thanks to the school's newly initiated resident artist program. Ceramicist Alex Hibbitt, the first resident artist, is teaching pottery.

October 15, 2001: RAPPAHANNOCK RIVER RUN WINNER
Douglas Marshall of Mathews won the Third Annual Rappahannock River Run at St. Margaret's School on October 6, covering the 5K course in less than 16 minutes.

October 8, 2001: LOCAL GIRLS ENCOURAGED TO APPLY TO SMS EARLY: LEARN MORE AT VISIT DAY
Tappahannock, VA (October 8, 2001) - When schools across the country opened their doors to incoming students last month, girls' schools - including St. Margaret's - marked a decade of unprecedented expansion. The word is out, says the National Coalition of Girls' Schools: girls who attend single-sex institutions are more likely to succeed.

October 1, 2001: SCOTTY SPORTS CORNER: VOLLEYBALL, CROSS-COUNTRY OFF TO STRONG STARTS
Tappahannock, VA (October 1, 2001) - Fall sports teams at St. Margaret's School are hitting their stride, coaches say - an impressive feat this early in the season, given that a number of starters are new to the school or to varsity play.

October 1, 2001: COMMUNITY INVITED TO SMS RUN, CRAFTS FAIR THIS WEEKEND
Tappahannock, VA (October 1, 2001) - St. Margaret's School opens its campus to the community this weekend for two days of fall fun. The Third Annual Rappahannock River Run and Crafts Festival on Friday, October 5, and Saturday, October 6, promises to be bigger and better than ever

September 24, 2001: JOIN YOUR NEIGHBORS AT THE RICHMOND FORUM
Tappahannock, VA (September 24, 2001) - Three local institutions have combined forces to make it possible for area residents to attend the often sold-out Richmond Forum. Beginning this fall, the Essex Bank, Rappahannock Community College Educational Foundation and St. Margaret's School are sponsoring ticket and transportation packages for the Forum's full 2001-2002 season.

September 17, 2001: SMS STUDENTS SEEK SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES
Tappahannock, VA (September 17, 2001) - Last year, community organizations benefited from more than 1800 hours of volunteer service by girls at St. Margaret's School - and this fall, students are looking for even more ways to help their neighbors.

September 17, 2001: RUNNERS ENCOURAGED TO REGISTER NOW FOR RIVER RUN
Tappahannock, VA (September 17, 2001) - Area athletes are encouraged to register now for the third annual Rappahannock River Run, said race director Dawn Crowther Biddlecomb of Kilmarnock.

September 10, 2001: NEW SMS TEACHERS, STAFF, OFFER OUTSTANDING CREDENTIALS
Tappahannock, VA (September 10, 2001) - Five new teachers and three new staff join an existing, veteran faculty of more than 30; the school's six most senior educators together have spent over 150 years in the classroom.

September 10, 2001: TAPPAHANNOCK TREASURE HUNT
Tappahannock, VA (September 10, 2001) - Students at St. Margaret's School got a solid dose of local history as part of their orientation last week.

August 31, 2001: "VIRTUAL CLASSROOMS" REACH REALITY AT SMS
Tappahannock, VA (August 31, 2001) - While no one can predict what the next generation of information technology will bring, students at St. Margaret's School are likely to meet its challenges with confidence.

August 31, 2001: LOCAL ENROLLMENT NEARS RECORD AT SMS
Tappahannock, VA (August 31, 2001) - While no one can predict what the next generation of information technology will bring, students at St. Margaret's School are likely to meet its challenges with confidence.

August 27, 2001: RIVER RUN AND CRAFTS FESTIVAL SLATED FOR OCTOBER
Tappahannock, VA (August 27, 2001) - The third annual Rappahannock River Run and Crafts Festival being planned for early October promises to be even better this year than last, according to committee chair Bette Albert. "Our slogan, 'sprint, stroll, shop,' says it all. There's something for everyone in the family," she said.

August 27, 2001: SMS SEEKS "FRIENDSHIP FAMILIES" FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
Tappahannock, VA (August 27, 2001) - Local families who would like to experience another culture are invited to learn more about the St. Margaret's School "Friendship Families" program at a brief informational meeting on Wednesday, September 5.

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