Giving your daughter an outstanding education just got easier, thanks to the Gloucester, Middlesex and King William shuttle bus service that St. Margaret’s School is introducing for the 2006-2007 academic year.

“We’re pleased to offer families an additional option for girls in grades 8 through 12,” said Kimberly McDowell, Assistant Head for External Affairs and Director of Admission. “Now students from all over the Middle Peninsula will have convenient access to everything St. Margaret’s has to offer, from classes to afterschool activities.”

Local girls and their parents can learn more at St. Margaret’s Spring Visit Day on Saturday, April 8. The program includes a campus tour, panel discussions, lunch and admission interviews by advance appointment.

Day students who attend boarding schools enjoy unique benefits, Mrs. McDowell said. At SMS, they can participate in weekend activities and other enrichment opportunities, make friends with girls from across the country and around the world, and get to know teachers outside the classroom. Day students also are well represented in the school’s student leadership, serving this year as Honor Council members, athletic captains, club presidents and class officers.

In addition, Visit Day participants will learn more about the advantages of attending a girls’ school, which include outstanding college preparation. In a recent national survey conducted by an independent research organization, members of the SMS Class of 2004 rated themselves as significantly more prepared for college academics than their peers who attended coed public and private high schools.

The proportion of St. Margaret’s graduates expressing satisfaction with their academic readiness for postsecondary work also was significantly higher than that of girls’ school graduates as a whole. These differences were especially notable in the areas of science (93% vs. 50%), math (73% vs. 51%) and public speaking (87% vs. 69%).

To request your personal invitation to Spring Visit Day, contact the St. Margaret’s School Admission Office at (804) 443-3357 or admit@sms.org by April 5.