Upper School

Principal's Message

Welcome to the St. Margaret's Upper School! It is with complete confidence that I encourage you to get to know our program, our campus, our faculty and our learning environment. St. Margaret's is a school with a sense of purpose and a clear mission to educate the hearts and minds of young people for lives of learning, leadership and service. We are proud of our reputation as a school with a community of students, faculty and staff and parents who are enthusiastic and have a deep intellectual commitment to our programs.

The Pasternack Field House, DeYoung Family Math and Science Center, Stoddard Humanities Building and the soon to be completed Performance Arts Center provide unique and special environments that support our programs in immeasurable ways. St. Margaret's requirements in the traditional fields of English, history, mathematics, science and world languages are demanding, as is expected of a college-preparatory school, yet the atmosphere is warm and supportive.

Beyond the basics of educational programs, St. Margaret's sense of community and its caring environment are central to our accomplishments. Our parents have identified two key factors, community and small class size, which allow for a level of support and concern that assist our students to succeed.

Our students and faculty share the responsibility of learning. Our faculty work deliberately to make the St. Margaret's experience exciting and intellectually challenging, and our students respond by giving their best in a school climate that encourages choices and freedom.

The structured freedom that exists in our Upper School allows students to take ownership of their personal and collective experience. Through classroom discussions and the opportunity to participate in a multitude of leadership opportunities, clubs and student organizations such as Peer Counselors, Honor Committee, student government, and Admission Ambassadors, our students grow into independent and self-assured leaders.

Co-curricular opportunities are central to the St. Margaret's experience. We offer 24 varsity sports including, football, tennis, basketball, lacrosse, swimming, volleyball and wrestling teams. Most of our teams have a "no-cut" policy, and the teams are able to accommodate a wide range of ability levels while still being successful. Our arts faculty, who are each professional artists, support a varied and highly successful arts program in theatre, band, orchestra, choir, dance, and visual arts programs that allow our students to fully explore their talents and interests. The opportunity to study and perform in the new 44,000 square foot, state-of-the-art Performance Arts Center, opening in May 2012, will take our award-winning arts program to new levels of student creativity, participation and quality.

Our Upper School is composed of students who are different from each other in many wonderful ways, but who share a quite purposeful commitment to both serious academic pursuits and living honorably. Working with such remarkable young people is a trust we honor each day.

Take care,
Tony Jordan
Principal, Upper School