November 23, 2004

Dear Upper School Parents,

I find myself addressing you with a new title, new office, and a new set of challenges. Despite the rapid changes, my excitement, eagerness, and optimism about the road ahead animate me in ways I have not felt in years. In accepting the position of Upper School Principal, I feel obliged to share some thoughts and feelings with you.

It may surprise some of you to hear that over the years I have entertained the idea of career moves to new schools, but my family’s connection with SMES is deep-seated and indelible. My wife, Marilynn, just retired after twenty-four years of teaching here and my son, Michael, a junior at LMU, was a “lifer” at SMES (Preschool – Graduate). Happily, this new position satisfies my need for new challenges without the heartbreak of relocation and the inevitable loss of the deeply meaningful relationships that feed me professionally, emotionally and spiritually.

In the deliberations leading to my acceptance of this challenge, several very compelling aspects of our Upper School and this position became apparent to me. First and foremost, our Upper School program, students, teachers, and leadership team all radiate accomplishment and success. So much is going very well in our school. In the spirit that characterizes St. Margaret’s, we will continue to move forward advancing and strengthening our Upper School program and curriculum. Second, this position is at once new but also very familiar to me. Over the past 25 years, I’ve enjoyed the professional stimulation of working with several outstanding Upper School principals as we dealt with issues both large and small. I intend to humbly meld their best skills and practices into my administrative repertoire. Finally, there could not be a more exciting time to be a member of the Upper School. Our Legacy Plan has provided momentum to both our endowment and our building needs. Construction will start on our Events and Education Center within months. This building will finish and unify the Upper School campus and finally provide the students, teachers and programs with a truly superb physical plant.

Perhaps the most enticing aspect of this move is discovering and appreciating who the Upper School students are at this stage in their growth. As I interact with them, respect, careful listening, and approachability will be my watchwords. Adding to my comfort are the previously established relationships that I share with the vast majority of Upper School parents and faculty, who already know that my leadership style includes openness, visibility, and the need for authentic personal relationships.

My ongoing mission is to work with the Upper School faculty to make this the best possible high school experience for the students. I’m always interested in hearing your comments and suggestions regarding the improvement of our school. I am particularly interested in getting to know the parents of students who joined us after the Middle School years. With that in mind, we have scheduled a parent coffee on Wednesday December 15^th at 8:00 a.m. in Highland Hall. I hope you will be able to join us.

I very much look forward to building a partnership with each Upper School family.  There are no shortcuts to such a partnership. I intend to earn your trust through daily consistency and a continual demonstration of my dedication. My commitment to the mission of St. Margaret’s, which is to educate the hearts and minds of young people for lives of learning, leadership, and service, remains and deepens as I join the Upper School community.

Sincerely,

David Boyle
Upper School Principal
Associate Headmaster

The faculty of the Upper School is committed to creating challenging learning environments and to supporting our students in ways commensurate with those challenges. We intend that the school be a place of mutual faith and trust. Our students come to us prepared to accept this commission and to assume their roles in completing the trust and consideration that we extend to them. In doing so, students begin to recognize and apply their potential as thinkers, leaders, and citizens.
 
Educational Philosophy and Focus
The Upper School Community is a community which is assembled for shared spiritual, academic, and social purposes.  The cornerstone of human relationships essential for the life of this community is founded on our core values which are reflected in our Honor Statement. 
Additionally, the Upper School

1. offers a college preparatory academic program which is appropriately rigorous and encourages students to become confident in their approaches to learning and to life;
2. provides extensive extracurricular opportunities in community service, the arts, athletics, 
   and leadership development;
3. believes that spiritual insight and personal devotion are essential to healthy and meaningful  lives and good citizenship;

4. promotes the pursuit and practice of honor in our conduct, diligence in our work, and
   decency in our relationships

The strength of our school lies within the foundation of its shared heritage, the quality of its commitments, and the devotion of all members of the the community to its common goals and core values.  This foundation sets the Upper School apart as a distinctive educational community.  The following Honor Statement is representative of our commitment to "practice honor" as essential aspect of our individual character.

Honor Statement

Conducting oneself  honorably is essential to living a meaningful and successful life. 
Honorable conduct is a gift that one gives to enhance the entire community. 
I choose to tell the truth, do my own work,
treat others decently and fairly, and take responsibility for my actions. 
Integrity, goodness, and truthfulness are ideals I strive to live up to each day. 
By living honorably I respect myself and serve others.

Upper School Motto

VIRTUS ET VERITAS
Thoughts associated with this motto

Virtus
The two main components of goodness are humility and charity.
Having humility, people understand their own worth, but understand
as well that they are only part of a larger whole.  Therefore, even as
individuals strive for personal excellence, for example, they are free
of arrogance or excessive self-centeredness, seeing the larger context
of the community and feeling a responsibility to that community.
Charity inclines us to see God in others and accordingly to treat
them with kindness, care, and respect.

Veritas
The two main components of truth are honesty and integrity.
Having honesty, people speak the truth, battle deceit and falseness,
and strive for genuineness and sincerity in word and action.  Having
integrity, people are trustworthy; others trust them implicitly to
uphold standards, follow through on promises, and act consistently
for fairness and that which is just.