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 2005 through 1998 Press Archives by clicking the link below; they are organized by Academic Years.

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June 17, 2005:   SMS ANNOUNCES HONOR, MERIT ROLL STUDENTS
Head of School Margaret R. Broad is pleased to announce the names of students who have earned a place on the school’s honor and merit rolls for the third and final trimester of the 2004-2005 academic year.

June 10, 2005:   LONG-TIME SMS FACULTY MEMBER HONORED
The old song that goes, “Don’t know much about history,” is not one you’re likely to hear on the campus of St. Margaret’s School. Veteran teacher Louise Velletri mixes high academic standards with a sprinkling of good natured humor and a dash of hands-on learning, with the result that girls not only learn history, most of them end up liking it, too.

June 10, 2005:   NEW AWARD HONORS SMS FACULTY MEMBER
A St. Margaret’s School alumna and Millers Tavern native is the first recipient of the John T. Rice Award for Excellence in Teaching. Chemistry teacher Sara Acree Brooks, a popular advisor who also has served as a class sponsor and coach, received the honor at the school’s year-end Academic Awards Banquet.

June 8, 2005:   ST. MARGARET'S GRADUATES 29 SENIORS
Six girls from the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula are among the 29 members of the St. Margaret’s School Class of 2005 who were graduated on Sunday, June 5.

June 8, 2005:   LOCAL STUDENTS WIN SMS COMMENCEMENT HONORS
Girls from the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula were awarded some of St. Margaret's School's highest honors at June 5 commencement exercises.

June 8, 2005:   STUDENTS HONORED AT SMS AWARDS BANQUET
St. Margaret's School students have won academic prizes that make them eligible, in several cases, for special college scholarship consideration if they apply to and are accepted by the sponsoring institutions. The awards were presented at the school’s year-end Academic Awards Banquet.

June 3, 2005:   FORMER TOP OFFICIAL ENCOURAGES GOVERNMENT SERVICE
Meeting the late Pope John Paul II, traveling with Colonel Colin Powell and a young Donald Rumsfeld, and making the front page of the New York Times were all in a day’s work for Michael I. Burch when he was Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs in the first Reagan administration.

May 27, 2005:   NEW STUDENT LEADERS INSTALLED AT SMS
On Friday, May 20, former leaders at St. Margaret's School passed their light on to newly elected leaders for the upcoming school year at the annual Leadership Chapel, a ceremony where seniors extinguish their candles after lighting those of juniors.

May 20, 2005:   BROCKENBROUGH HOUSE RENOVATIONS NEAR COMPLETION
Members of a British historic preservation organization were the first visitors in two years to the Brockenbrough House on the campus of St. Margaret’s School. More than twenty representatives of London’s Georgian Group made a stop at the historic house, which is in the final phases of an extensive renovation, as part of a recent eight-day tour of Georgian architecture (c. 1730-1800) in Tidewater Virginia.

May 20, 2005:   STUDENT-ATHLETES EARN SMS SPRING SPORTS HONORS
St. Margaret's student-athletes were honored by their coaches and the school community at the recent Spring Sports Awards Breakfast. Nineteen students, including six from the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula, earned special recognition for their athletic accomplishments in crew, soccer, softball and tennis.

May 17, 2005:   STUDENTS LEARN OF LIFE OUTSIDE CLASSROOM
New program of character and life skills having an impact at St. Margaret’s School - the speaker in the crowded room was pulling no punches, telling the sometimes grinning, sometimes grimacing students of St. Margaret’s School in Tappahannock what many knew, but few had heard in such stark terms. Reprinted from The Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star.

May 12, 2005:   SCOTTY SPORTS CORNER: SMS TEAMS END SEASON
St. Margaret’s School varsity softball and soccer teams played tournament games of which they can be proud, including a soccer nail-biter against powerhouse St. Catherine’s that brought back memories of last year’s championship final in the League of Independent Schools.

May 5, 2005:   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 an American Red Cross blood drive on Saturday, May 14 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the school’s Water Lane campus.

May 4, 2005:   SCOTTY SPORTS CORNER: SMS TEAMS POWER ON
St. Margaret’s athletic teams are adding points to the “win” column with late season victories. The novice four finished first in its class in the Eastern Virginia Scholastic Rowing Association championships on April 30, while SMS varsity soccer and tennis teams also posted recent wins.

May 4, 2005:   SMS CELEBRATES EARTH DAY
St. Margaret’s School celebrated the thirty-fifth anniversary of Earth Day with a chapel service organized by the school’s chaplain, The Rev. Dr. Candine Johnson, and the student organization SPEECH (Student Pacifists Encouraging Education to Counteract Hate).

May 4, 2005:   CLOTHING IS HISTORY LESSON FOR SMS STUDENTS
This St. Margaret’s School student got some help with her nightcap from historic costume expert Maggie Burke at a recent all-school presentation. Burke, who has consulted for movies including “Gods and Generals” and “Gangs of New York,” used reproduction clothing as the basis of her presentation about women’s roles during the Civil War era.

April 21, 2005:   BIG WINS FOR SMS SOFTBALL AND SOCCER
Senior pitcher Becky Clark of Lancaster played exceptionally well in St. Margaret’s softball victory against St. Gertrude’s on Thursday, April 21, said Coach Sue Ball. Consistent catching also helped the Scotties hold St. Gertrude’s to one run, she added.

April 20, 2005:   SCOTTIES: STRONG SHOWINGS FOR SMS CREW AND TENNIS
Despite windy conditions that made hitting and rowing even more challenging, St. Margaret's tennis and crew teams recently turned in strong performances during tough competition.

April 15, 2005:   SMS SINGERS RETURN FROM SUCCESSFUL UK TOUR
St. Margaret’s School singers had a once-in-a-lifetime musical opportunity this spring, when they joined their voices with those of more than 180 girls from around the world for concerts in England and Scotland.

April 8, 2005:   SCOTTIES TURN UP HEAT IN SEASON OPENERS
St. Margaret’s School turned up the heat on its opponents in varsity softball, soccer and tennis season openers on April 5.

March 24, 2005:   SMS SINGERS TOUR GREAT BRITAIN - COMBINED QMSGSA CHOIRS
A standing ovation recognized the combined choirs of the Queen Margaret of Scotland Girls' School Association after their first tour performance at the Royal Naval College in Greenwich, England.

March 18, 2005:   SMS STUDENTS MEET GOVERNOR WARNER
Dale Harter’s government class at SMS had a special opportunity to meet Governor Mark Warner.

March 18, 2005:   SMS ANNOUNCES HONOR, MERIT ROLL STUDENTS
Head of School Margaret R. Broad is pleased to announce the names of students who have earned a place on the school’s honor and merit rolls for the second trimester of the 2004-2005 academic year.

February 16, 2005:   WINTER SMS STUDENT-ATHLETES HONORED
Seven girls have earned special recognition for their athletic accomplishments at St. Margaret’s School. They were among the student-athletes who received awards at the school’s mid-February winter sports brunch.

February 4, 2005:   SCOTTY SPORTS CORNER: SMS WINS FIVE IN A ROW
St. Margaret’s varsity basketball team added two wins to its record in back-to-back games against Fredericksburg Academy and St. Gertrude’s School in early February. The double victory stretched the Scotty winning streak to 5 games and lifted the team’s record to 5-4.

January 31, 2005:   SMS HEAD IDENTIFIED AS MODEL LEADER
Recognized as an “effective and exemplary” leader by her peers, St. Margaret’s Head of School Margaret R. Broad is sharing her expertise with the next generation of independent school heads through a Columbia University program.

January 28, 2005:   SMS STUDENTS RAISE MONEY FOR TSUNAMI RELIEF
A “blue jeans day” at St. Margaret’s School recently raised nearly $700 for tsunami recovery efforts in Southeast Asia.

January 24, 2005:   SCOTTY SPORTS CORNER: BASKETBALL ADDS TWO MORE WINS
St. Margaret’s School junior Kara Casey, a top scorer and starting forward, smiles when she talks about the improvement she has seen in the SMS varsity basketball team. The Scotties "started off slow, but now we are really working together," she said.

January 24, 2005:   SMS POLAR BEAR GARDEN
Kelsey Harris of Tappahannock, Christina Beckham of Montross and Hannah Hunt of Colonial Beach were among the St. Margaret’s School eighth-graders who recently planted a campus “Polar Bear Garden.”

January 14, 2005:   SCOTTY SPORTS CORNER: SMS BASKETBALL ON THE REBOUND
The Trinity Titans and St. Margaret’s Scotties split wins in consecutive matches on January 6 and 12. The Scotties lost the first game 42-33 at Trinity in Richmond, but rebounded in the second meeting with a 44-22 victory at home.

January 10, 2005:   SMS PROGRAM EARNS NATIONAL RECOGNITION
St. Margaret’s Co-Curriculum, a character and life skills education program, has earned national recognition as a model for other schools.

December 14, 2004:   SCOTTY SPORTS CORNER: BASKETBALL PICKS UP THE PACE
St. Margaret's varsity basketball team picked up the pace after early season defeats at the hands of St. Gertrude’s and Walsingham Academy, easily defeating Richmond’s Steward School and losing by just 3 points to an aggressive Tidewater Academy team.

December 9, 2004:   SMS ANNOUNCES HONOR, MERIT ROLL STUDENTS
Head of School Margaret R. Broad is pleased to announce the names of students who have earned a place on the school’s honor and merit rolls for the first trimester of the 2004-2005 academic year.

November 18, 2004:   SMS STUDENTS RECOGNIZED BY NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
Two seniors at St. Margaret’s School have earned recognition from the National Merit Scholarship Program as a result of their outstanding performance on the 2003 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test

November 18, 2004:   FALL SMS STUDENT-ATHLETES HONORED
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 student-athletes who received awards at the school’s recent fall sports banquet.

November 10, 2004:   GIRLS LEARN TO AVOID GOSSIP, STRENGTHEN RELATIONSHIPS
“Gossip is like money in ‘girl world,’” speaker Shanterra McBride told students at St. Margaret’s School as they nodded in agreement. By the end of her hour-long workshop, however, students also understood it’s a poisonous currency that isolates girls by weakening their same-sex social structure and increases their vulnerability to violence.

November 8, 2004:   SMS STUDENTS ARE BLANTON SCHOLARS
Two students from St. Margaret’s School were among only 20 statewide selected by the Virginia Historical Society to participate in its sixth annual Wyndham B. Blanton Scholars Forum.

November 1, 2004:   PRESIDENTIAL “CANDIDATES” DEBATE AT SMS
The excitement of the 2004 presidential campaigns reached St. Margaret’s School last week as students in U.S. History teacher Louise Velletri’s classes staged a formal presidential debate for the school community, and in the process, raised awareness of key issues.

October 29, 2004:   SCOTTY SPORTS CORNER: SCOTTIES TOP SEAHORSES IN THREE ENCOUNTERS
Two St. Margaret’s teams added wins to their records in recent matchups against neighboring Christchurch.

October 25, 2004:   INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER TO SPEAK AT SMS
Area residents are invited to join the St. Margaret’s School community when noted photographer Margaret Woodson Nea presents a slide program, “Gifts of the Spirit,” on Wednesday, October 27 at 6:30 p.m. in Ball Memorial Gymnasium.

October 25, 2004:   LOCAL RUNNERS FARE WELL IN SMS 3-MILER
Brisk fall weather and a flat course contributed to fast finishes by local runners in the Sixth Annual Rappahannock River Run at St. Margaret’s School on Saturday, October 16.

October 25, 2004:   SCOTTY SPORTS CORNER: SMS WINS IN RICHMOND CONTESTS
It was another road trip for St. Margaret’s athletes as both volleyball teams faced the Collegiate Cougars and the field hockey team met the St. Catherine’s Saints on Tuesday, October 19. This time, however, two of the three Scotty teams overcame their hosts’ home court advantage.

October 18, 2004:   SCOTTY SPORTS CORNER: CROSS COUNTRY SEASON HEATING UP
The field hockey and volleyball seasons have been underway for over a month, but it's the cross country season that is just heating up! Previous cancellations due to inclement weather kept the team away from competition in September. Now, the running Scotties are proving themselves on area courses.

October 04, 2004:   DIVERSITY ENRICHES COMMUNITY AT SMS
Today’s independent schools, particularly boarding schools like St. Margaret’s, are surprisingly diverse. About 15% of SMS students are American minorities, another 15% are from countries outside the US, and roughly 30% receive need-based financial aid.

October 04, 2004:   REGISTER NOW FOR RAPPAHANNOCK RIVER RUN/WALK
Area runners and walkers can save time and money by registering now for the sixth annual, 3-mile Rappahannock River Run/Walk on Saturday, October 16.

October 01, 2004:   SCOTTY SPORTS CORNER: SCOTTIES CONTINUE TO FIGHT AT MID-SEASON
With only a month to go until league tournaments and the close of the season, St. Margaret’s fall sports teams continue to battle area schools on playing fields, volleyball courts and running trails.

September 27, 2004:   SMS HONOR STUDENTS SERVE OTHERS
Service lies at the heart of the St. Margaret’s School chapter of the National Honor Society. After tapping junior Eileen Tsai of Taiwan for membership at a recent all-school ceremony, a student

September 27, 2004:   SMS STUDENTS REDISCOVER JAMESTOWN
Tonia Rock, educational coordinator for the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities, shared the latest findings from the APVA’s ongoing archaeological work at Jamestown with students at St. Margaret’s School.

September 24, 2004:   SCOTTY SPORTS CORNER: SMS TEAMS BEST ST. CATHERINE’S
St. Margaret’s athletic teams posted two more victories after the field hockey and volleyball teams faced St. Catherine’s on Tuesday, September 21.

September 20, 2004:   SMS HEAD: INVOLVED PARENTS LEAD TO SCHOOL SUCCESS
Being involved in their child’s school is the best way that parents can say education is important to them, St. Margaret’s Head of School Margaret R. Broad told a back-to-school audience at Gloucester’s Ware Academy.

September 16, 2004:   SCOTTY SPORTS CORNER: SEASON OFF TO A GOOD START
The fall athletic season is underway at St. Margaret's School, and the Scotties are showing great promise. A large and vocal student turnout cheered the varsity field hockey team to a 3-0 victory against the Virginia Episcopal School Bishops on Friday, September 10.

September 13, 2004:   TEACHERS BRING EXPERIENCE, INNOVATION TO SMS CLASSROOMS
A faculty with more than 250 years of collective experience has been augmented this year by seven new teachers and two new staff members, bringing a balance of stability and innovation to the classroom at St. Margaret’s School.

September 13, 2004:   BOOK COLLECTION HONORS FORMER SMS LIBRARIAN
St. Margaret’s School colleagues recently honored former librarian Winifred Delano by establishing a state and local history collection for the school’s library.

August 16, 2004:   MAJOR GIFT ACCELERATES BROCKENBROUGH HOUSE RENOVATIONS
Strong family ties and fond memories of summers in the area have led to a $300,000 gift from the Chinn family that will bring the renovation of historic Brockenbrough House much closer to completion.

August 16, 2004:   SMS HOSTS LOCAL LEADERS
More than 50 local leaders gathered in mid-August at St. Margaret’s Community/Technology Center for a luncheon sponsored by the school’s Community Relations Committee.

June 21, 2004:   SMS ANNOUNCES DORMITORY PLANS
A 24-student dormitory is indeed in the plans for St. Margaret’s, school officials have confirmed. In response to community inquiries, Head of School Margaret R. Broad took the unusual step of making a public announcement before all of the necessary funds have been raised from parents and alumnae.