Vol. 12, No. 3 Tappahannock, Virginia, October 2009

Dear St. Margaret's friends and families,

Now, just six weeks into this new school year, all of us are used to pulling our chairs into a circle and experiencing how the community we are creating both supports and challenges us. In our sunny, riverfront dining room it is often just 8 chairs around the table, holding an advisor with advisees, peer leaders in pairs with their own group of eighth and ninth graders, part of a team or a club. Usually it is classmates and colleagues, catching up on each other’s days and news, wondering what’s next. Sometimes the circle is a little larger, in a class, on the field, or in a dorm community. Once each week, students gather by grade level and faculty by topic. Because these opportunities are structured into our daily/weekly lives, it would be easy to take these times for granted, yet each of us knows that it is in these circles that we are defining and extending who we are and what we can hope to accomplish in our lives. We look into one another’s eyes, catch an intonation, or hear a perception we’d never considered before.

By now, we’re used to each other and these ever-changing circles, so it was surprising to find ourselves last week in a brand new group. In this circle, time and distance seemed to collapse, leaving our very clear mission of educating young women for life in the middle of the room. The faith and strength behind that mission radiated outward to each person present and stretched around and across the group, creating unexpected ties.

Who was there? Twelve senior peer leaders, twenty members of the board of governors, six senior administrators. Our circle brought together six decades of alumnae, parents of recent graduates, and just under 100 years of school leadership experience, with twelve different reasons why those applying to college this year know they have been changed by their St. Margaret’s years.

Thirty minutes. Twelve girls, each distilling a life-changing observation or experience, looking across at women who had once sat in their seats, parents who could have recounted just such changes in their alumnae daughters’ lives, and the administrative leaders whose every day is focused on creating and supporting the growth of girls. Sarah, now our director of development, had once been one of those girls, as had Lauren our newest member of the board.

And then the circle shifted again, with the girls back in class, the board around the table, every element of our mission living in the middle, and our minds clearly focused on understanding the very special school this is, the precious mix of people, programs, place, and prayer united over generations, now looking boldly, confidently, and passionately towards the future, holding St. Margaret’s in trust.

And Tory, our school president, had left a question in the room, “What’s next?” I can’t wait to let her know!

With appreciation for each member of each circle,

Sincerely,
Margaret R. Broad,
Head of School

Photo: Leadership Circle with both current and former SMS board chairs: left to right: Jill MCuan, Charlotte Frischkorn, Janie Sellers, Margaret Broad, Bill French, and Sarah Belle Parrott.

 

Preparing for College:
A Four Year Plan......

Beginning with the End in Mind:
What we want our students to be......

My River Views:
Nicole Brugel '09 at Elon......

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

Did you know • Did You Know • 25 students have already taken the SAT I or a SAT II Subject test this year • 76 St. Margaret’s students took the PSAT on Oct. 14th • Collectively, St. Margaret’s students wrote 363 summer reading responses • By the end of October, the teaching faculty will have collectively held 1,050 TA's • In that same time period our boarding students will have spent 7,622 hours in evening study hall.

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