Vol. 12, No. 2 Tappahannock, Virginia, September 2009

Dear St. Margaret's friends and families,

Can you feel the energy of these first weeks of school? From my office chair looking out into the hallway in St. Margaret’s Hall or my spot in the second pew on the right in the chapel or the table just inside the door of the Community/Technology Center where I sit for most meals, I certainly can! Daily, deliberately, thoughtfully, we have moved through the opening traditions of this new school year – leadership week, new student orientation, blue/grey drawing and games, dorm community building, handbook tests and Honor Book signing, the river swim, a first week of classes, chapel services, sports, and activities, then the class trips that we call River Days.

How quickly we have progressed from individuals brought together in anticipation and hope to a community united by shared experiences and mutual respect! This is our foundation. Living in community, we know we are embraced by the spaces we share as well as the people who surround us.

One of my personal goals this year is to help us consider together how deliberately and differently the campus places in which we gather strengthen our sense of what it means to live in a community with a mission like ours. We enter each space as individuals, yet because we are members of the St. Margaret’s School community, what we do in these spaces draws us beyond ourselves to a deeper sense of understanding and belonging.

Just like our teachers, these spaces offer us both challenge and support.

What are the spaces where we all fit together? Here’s a quick glimpse of each and one experience we’ve already shared.
• Monday morning chapel: seated 6 to a pew, advisors with advisees, we begin the week in worship and hear that this Episcopal school welcomes the faith traditions of all of our students.
• Friday lunch in the dining room: pairs of peer leaders lead 8th and 9th graders to the tables they’ll share once a week for the first two trimesters, conscious of the impact their mentorship can have.
• Friday afternoon watching volleyball in the gym: parents, girls, teachers, and guests bump against each other in the bleachers. The room echoes with Scottie cheers.

These encounters will be repeated and varied often throughout the year with a deepening sense of what our shared experiences mean. When you are next on campus, I encourage you to step into some of these spaces. Imagine yourself in your daughter’s place. Consider who would be beside her, what she will be saying and hearing. I invite you to join me in considering the unspoken lessons these very special places are teaching us each day. Together we celebrate all that this education for life means for every member of our community. What a privilege it is to share these years!

Sincerely,
Margaret R. Broad,
Head of School


 

Off on the Right Foot:
Treasuring What Matters......

Long Standing Traditions:
Students Pledge to Uphold Honor Code......

All Along the Rappahannock:
River Days 2009......

My River Views:
Annie Badenoch ‘10......

Alumnae:
Alumnae Association Upcoming Events........

Did you know • Rappahannock is an Algonquin word meaning “rise and fall of water.” • The Rappahannock River flows 184 miles from its headwaters in Chester Gap, Va. to the Chesapeake Bay. • Tidal influence on the Rappahannock stops in Fredericksburg. • Major Tributaries of the Rappahannock include: Hazel River, Thorton River, Mountain Run, Rapidan River, Robinson River, Cat Point Creek, and Corotoman River. • The Rappahannock River Basin covers approximately 6.8% of Virginia’s entire area.

Alumnae Association Upcoming Events Your event calendar is at www.sms.org/alumcalendar
Tuesday, September 15: Alumnae Board meets in Richmond Friday October 16: Fall Family Weekend Crafts Festival Saturday, October 17: River Run 8 am - Pre-Registration online $15 On the day registration $20 between 7:00 and 7:45 am Wednesday, October 28: Golden Thistle Luncheon: Westminster Canterbury, 1600 Westbrook Avenue, Richmond VA - noon	Sunday, November 15: Invited to St. Margaret’s Day Tuesday, November 17: Alumnae Council Meeting and Gathering Wednesday, January 6: Young Alumnae Day at St. Margaret’s Saturday, February 20: Alumnae Association Meeting and Luncheon in Richmond, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

Alumnae Association Upcoming Events
	The Craft Festival is held on Friday, October 16 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in front of Brockenbrough House on the St. Margaret’s School campus.
The 3 mile River Run takes place on Saturday, October 17 at 8:00 a.m. Race-day registration $20 from 7:00 to 7:45 a.m. in front of SMS Hall Pre-register for $15 at www.sms.org/run