St. Margaret's School, Tappahannock

St. Margaret's School is an independent all-girls day and boarding school for grades 8-12 in Tappahannock, Virginia. [ [http://www.sms.org St. Margaret's School, Tappahannock Virginia, a day and boarding school for grades 8 to 12 ] ] St. Margaret's is sponsored by the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia. [ [http://www.sms.org/ad20whys.htm SMS Admission - 10 reasons why students select St. Margaret's for their education ] ] St. Margaret's opened in 1921 with 14 students, and now has an enrollment of 150 girls. Students at SMS represent 17 states and 13 countries, although the majority of students are from Virginia and surrounding states. The heart of the campus is located on the Rappahannock river in the historic center of Tappahannock. A 42-acre athletic complex is located a mile from the academic and residential campus.

The River

The Rappahannock River is central to the St. Margaret's School experience. The river is brought into the academic, social, and athletic programs across and beyond the curriculum. [ [http://www.sms.org/ac70rive.htm SMS Academics The River Program ] ] Each year the entire school takes time in September to celebrate the river during River Days. Each grade level takes a trip to a different part of the Rappahannock River to see how the river changes during different parts of its journey. The eighth grade travels to the headwaters in the Shenandoahs, freshmen go to Fredericksburg above the fall live, sophomores stay in Tappahannock, juniors go to the Chesapeake Bay, and seniors see the ocean at Virginia Beach. [ [http://www.sms.org/ac74rive.htm SMS Academics Typical River Day ] ] Other river activities throughout the school year include kayaking and swimming in the river, the annual River Swim to the other bank, Fall and Spring crew teams, raising oysters in Ecology class, art projects, the Parent Council Rubber Duckie Derby, watching the sunrise over the river during breakfast, and the commencement ceremony on the back lawn overlooking the river.

Academics

St. Margaret’s is a college preparatory school. Students’ schedules determined by skills rather than grade level, so almost every student has a unique schedule of classes. This also allows students to challenge themselves in their strong subjects and get extra support in areas they find more difficult. Each school day includes a Teacher Available time when students are encouraged to meet with teachers for extra help or to review before tests. St. Margaret’s offers classes in these subjects: English, ESL, Arts, Foreign Languages, Leadership, Mathematics, Health, Religion, and Science. [ [http://www.sms.org/ac11list.htm SMS Academics Departments and Course List ] ] Every trimester students take four or five core classes and one or two electives.

Athletics

St. Margaret’s gives all students the opportunity to play team sports. Fall Sports: Cross Country, Field Hockey, JV and Varsity Volleyball, Crew, Tennis. Winter Sports: Indoor Track and Field, JV and Varsity Basketball, Swimming. Spring Sports: Crew, JV and Varsity Soccer, JV and Varsity Softball, Golf.

External links

* [http://www.sms.org/ St. Margaret’s School official website]

ources