A Monthly News Update From the St. Margaret's Campus
Vol. 4, No. 07 Tappahannock, Virginia, February 2002
CAPTAIN'S CORNER
Dear St. Margaret's friends and families,
February is a month for big decisions! Each year at this time, we adopt next year's calendar, issue faculty and student contracts, finalize next year's course offerings, and establish priorities for maintaining our facilities. This year, we are assisted by strong planning documents: our five-year comprehensive strategic plan (we are now in the third year), our accreditation self-study and visiting committee reports, and the campus master plan adopted by the Board of Governors on January 21st.
Calendars will be mailed with student contracts, but we can tell you now that we will retain our trimester program with Minimester immediately preceding spring break and a long weekend at Easter. A significant change will be our commencement date, as we move to a Saturday for the first time. Mark your calendars for the graduation of the Class of 2003 on Saturday, May 31, at 10:00 a.m.!
I am thrilled that we will retain all key administrators, all department heads, and most of our other faculty and staff. We always bid farewell to a few of the younger faculty who leave for graduate school, marriage, or a career change, but we rejoice that many of those newest to St. Margaret's have found comfortable homes and rewarding work to which they continue to commit. An initiative from the Board of Governors' Personnel Benefits Committee allowed us to significantly increase beginning teacher salaries and provide larger than previously possible increases for those in the earliest years of their careers, areas in which comparative salary surveys showed us to be behind our peer schools.
Plans are only as good as the actions they inspire, and we are definitely inspired to begin implementing the first stages of the campus master plan with a sense of urgency and importance. What could be more important to us than the living and learning environments we provide for our students and teachers? Two buildings share top priority:
St. Margaret's Hall, the original school building and the centerpiece of our campus, holds all of our English classrooms and a number of foreign language and history classrooms, but these rooms are not air-conditioned! Our plans call for electrical upgrading and air conditioning.
Now that we have established that Latané Hall will remain a student dormitory for the foreseeable future, it is time to address the "behind the walls" and more obvious needs of this 50-year-old building and add some enhancements in the common spaces.
This spring, I will be asking for your assistance with these projects. Our Board of Governors strongly endorses and supports these initiatives, and together, we will call upon our current families and families of alumnae to help us provide the funds for this work. Our strong partnership can have an immediate impact on the daily lives of our current faculty and students and help St. Margaret's School attract those who would be strong assets to our school community in the years to come. Thank you for seriously considering how you can help us reach our goals.
Sincerely,
Margaret R. Broad,
Head of School
COMPASS POINTS
Proud Parents - Girls Find Success at SMS
- Two families share their daughters' decision to enroll and re-enroll at SMS
Strong leadership - Strong, Stable Team Guides St. Margaret's
Top administrators bring a total of more than 75 years' experience at SMS to their jobs
Exciting Evenings - Join Us for Exciting Minimester Evenings!
You're invited to attend the February evening lecture series
Parent Reward - New Program Rewards Parents
A new program offers prizes when you refer students to SMS
Parent Program - Parenting Expert to Speak at SMS
"Bringing Out the Best in Our Children," a program by John Rosemond
Alumnae News - Alumnae Gather at SMS Events
Events in Richmond, VA, Washington, DC, and Boston, MA.
THE CURRENT
St. Margaret's calls its student activities and organizations "co-curricular" rather than "extra-curricular" for good reason. They complement the academic curriculum by helping students develop lasting interests and leadership skills-an important part of the education for life that SMS provides.
Space doesn't allow us to list them all! Here are just a few of the options for students this year:
Basic Needs - A service organization that provides assistance to the local community through blood drives and other projects. Co-Heads: Emily Fisher '01 and Sarah Taliaferro '01. Faculty Sponsor: ViAnn Farmer.
The Current - The SMS yearbook. Students sell ads, write copy, take photos, and design the content to produce a memorable volume. Co-Editors: Anne Czechanski '01, Brittany Walker '01. Faculty Sponsor: Shannon Spears.
Poetry Club - A very popular group this year, these students read, write, and share poems. They also sponsor readings and coffeehouses. Leader: Gabby Haselden '01. Faculty Sponsor: Catherine Neuhardt-Minor.
Soulful Voices - Students began this gospel choir, which sings in chapel and at local churches. Co-Directors: Kristina Bethea '01, Jennifer Stuart '04. Faculty Sponsor: Gayle Hicks.
Students Educating About AIDS - An education and outreach organization that aims to increase knowledge and understanding by sponsoring speakers and an annual chapel service. Co-Heads: Kristina Bethea '02, Nicole Lane '03, Shahar McSalters '04. Faculty Sponsor: Liz Musselman.
Vestry - Student members support worship services at SMS by serving as lay readers, service leaders, and acolytes. Head: Heather Porter '01. Faculty Sponsor: The Rev. Ann Reeder Riggs.
THE FORECAST
Important Dates:
FebruaryMarch19 - Minimester begins
22-24 - Closed Weekend
1 - Spring Break begins after 2 p.m.
12 - Boarding Students return by 7 p.m.
16 - SAT's
28 - Easter Break begins after 2 p.m.
