Vol. 12, No. 7 Tappahannock, Virginia, February 2010

Dear St. Margaret's friends and families,

By so very many measures, this has been a sparkling month, very different from other Februarys at St. Margaret’s. On a clear, sunny Sunday, right after the first big snowstorm, I watched from my living room window as girls and faculty children spent much of the day laughing, planning, building, then decorating a five-person snow fort in the drift in front of St. Margaret’s Hall. Aren’t these the collaboration and teamwork skills we’ve identified as essential for the 21st century? And we can never forget the wide-eyed wonder of those who have never, ever seen snow before! They certainly had a treat this year.

Then yesterday, Sarah Wilson and I had the privilege of touring the campus with a representative of the Jessie Ball duPont Fund in the late afternoon about half way through the long Science Teacher Available period. He marveled first at the comfortable diversity of the student body, which we sometimes take too easily for granted and then at the eager questioning and obvious rapport of teachers and girls working together, especially knowing that the girls were their by choice. As we reminded him of the UCLA research indicating that graduates of girls’ independent schools have been shown to be the best prepared for this level of engagement when they begin college, he could see first hand the spark that each of our girls will carry with her into her further studies and career.

Beyond the glitter and cheers of each of the events you see detailed in this issue of River Views, the sparkle I’m most proud to see is the one in the eyes of our students as they complete projects, form exam study groups, and share their determination to succeed. They’ve even been heard to say they’ve had enough of the diversions they turned to first after the snows – ordering pizza and Chinese food, watching movies, keeping up electronically and personally with friends. Studying felt good! What more can we ask for?

How different March will be as we move from our very close community out into the world – in Tappahannock and our local region, to college campuses around Virginia, into career explorations from New York to Taipei, to South Carolina and the Southwest, and down the Nile. New sparks will be ignited. I can’t wait to hear, read, and write about these, knowing from my long years of participation in our Minimester and Independent Study programs that each one changes a life in a measurable way. Thank you for supporting, sharing, and encouraging our adventures during this exhilarating time.

Sincerely,
Margaret R. Broad,
Head of School



 

January and February at SMS:
Combatting Winter Doldrums......

Scotties Take Off:
Varsity Basketball Team Celebrates an Amazing Season......

On Stage - The Wizard of Oz:
Performing Arts at St. Margaret’s......

My River Views:
Features Phoebe Temple ‘13 on choosing SMS......

Did you know! In the shortest month of the year, St. Margaret’s has managed to pack a lot in... 27 inches of snow 2 Snow Days 1 Faculty/Student basketball game 15 bouquets of flowers delivered for Valentine’s Day 10 hours of exam TA 5 Exams 2 theatrical performances 1 Athletic Awards Banquet 1 Fine Arts Night/Candlelit Dinner www.sms.org/calendar

Alumnae Association Upcoming Events Your event calendar is at www.sms.org/alumcalendar