SMS Traditions White dresses and red roses… spirited blue and grey competitions… a formal ball on the River Lawn… tartan skirts reflecting Scottish heritage… getting your school ring by lantern-light. Traditions are one of the things that make St. Margaret's School special. Long after your last algebra test is forgotten, you'll still remember the words to "Blue and Grey," signing the Honor Book, and those crazy junior donuts announcements. You'll laugh when you think about the time seniors put flamingos on the front lawn for their class prank. You'll cry when you see the pride on your parents' faces at Commencement. And you'll realize that traditions have given you some of your best St. Margaret's memories. The Wardrobe - Introduced in 2002 by student demand, the school wardrobe is St. Margaret's newest tradition. Plaid kilts symbolize our heritage as a school named for Queen Margaret of Scotland. There are more than 30 other pieces students can mix and match to create their own unique look. Blue and Grey - School colors form the basis for yearlong competitions by two teams. Some are lighthearted, like racing canoes without paddles, while others are serious, like accumulating the highest grade point average. The losing team presents the winning team with athletic and academic plaques at Commencement. Lantern Ceremony - Seniors present juniors with their rings in a twilight ceremony on Spring Family Weekend. Singing a school song, they also pass paper lanterns to the juniors to symbolize the transfer of leadership. Read more about the Story of the SMS Ring. May Ball - A festive combination of prom and debutante cotillion--with the added warmth of a family wedding--May Ball is fun for everyone. Seniors are formally presented to the school community in this elegant celebration under a tent on the River Lawn. St. Margaret's Day - The skirl of bagpipes sets the pace as kilted students and faculty parade to St. John's Church on the third Sunday in November for a service honoring our namesake. A special luncheon follows. Commencement - Students receive diplomas and accept prizes under the shade of ancient trees on the River Lawn. Wearing white dresses and carrying red roses, the senior class moves out into the world to the words of the school hymn, "On Our Way Rejoicing." Traditions at St. Margaret's take three different forms. Schoolwide events like fall and spring Family Weekends, May Ball, and Commencement, bring together the entire St. Margaret's community--students, faculty, parents, alumnae, and friends. Episcopal traditions honor our identity as a church school. They include regular services, like chapel and compline, as well as special celebrations for St. Margaret's Day and Baccalaureate. Class activities like the annual Junior Variety Show, the senior class's Christmas Bazaar, and the sophomore-sponsored Halloween lunch, are fun ways to get to know other girls and build school spirit. "Traditions make me feel like a part of the community. It's cool that we're doing some things that began more than 80 years ago." "The friends I've made at St. Margaret's will be my friends for life. We've shared so many experiences, like our school traditions." Traditions Through the Year September - Blue/Grey games begin October - Sophomore Halloween November - St. Margaret's Day December - Lessons & Carols, Christmas Dinner, Senior Bazaar January - Junior Variety Show, Snow Ball February - It never hurts to ask for a Headmistress' Holiday! March - International Festival April - Senior Charms Chapel and Class Dinner with Alumnae May - Lantern Ceremony and May Ball, Junior/Senior Banquet June - Baccalaureate, Commencement Speaking of St. Margaret's St. Margaret's, like every community, has a special language that reflects its unique history and culture. Here are a few words you'll live by: Big Lantern/Little Lantern - Juniors receive their school rings in a lantern-light ceremony on Spring Family Weekend. A senior (big lantern) asks a junior for the honor of presenting her ring by saying, "Will you be my little lantern?" This invitation often is made in a very creative fashion; it is always a surprise! Compline - Pronounced "comp-lynn," this is an Episcopal evening prayer service that takes place most Sunday nights. Students often lead the prayers. Gourmets - These are not food connoisseurs, but rather, the school's fleet of white mini-buses. They earned their nickname because St. Margaret's formerly had a less desirable yellow bus called "The Cheese" -- and by comparison, these new buses were gourmet cheese. The Grey Lady - Legend has it that Brockenbrough House, home to the school's admission and development offices, harbors an otherworldly resident. The "Grey Lady" is said to appear as a shadowy figure on the main staircase. Most believe that she's Catherine McCall, daughter of the man who built the house in the early 1760's. Headmistress' Holiday - When the winter blahs hit, St. Margaret's students know just what to do. They appeal to the Head of School for a surprise day off. Sometimes, the request has even taken the form of a serenade outside Mrs. Broad's window. Honor Book - Agreeing to live by the Honor Code is a solemn matter. Each fall in a special chapel service, girls add their signatures to those of the hundreds of students before them who have signed the Honor Book. May Queen - Selected by a vote of the faculty and student body, the May Queen is a senior who has made outstanding contributions to the school community. She is crowned at and presides over the May Ball. Raising Rings - Seniors are proud of those St. Margaret's rings and all that they represent. When they raise their ring hands at the beginning of morning announcements, you'd better be quiet! Seated Lunch - No, we don't stand up for other meals -- this just means a lunch with assigned seats. Students dine with their advisors twice a week and with peer leaders or another adult once a week. Sometimes special meals, such as sports banquets, also are referred to as "seated." Vestry - A student group that assists with chapel services, Vestry is led by a girl called the Senior Warden. Members light the candles, carry the cross, serve at the altar, or read Bible passages. Sometimes, a student is licensed by the Bishop to distribute Communion. White Flag - The Honor Code makes life easier at St. Margaret's. Rather than locking the faculty work room, for example, it's "white-flagged" to students with a small slip of paper that says "White Flag: Do Not Disturb." Students may white-flag items also; some have even white-flagged themselves during exam week.