Academic Program

St. Margaret’s Episcopal School is a college-preparatory institution with an expectation and reality that every student will go on to college when they graduate. College is an essential next step of our graduates’ educational path, though our mission is focused more broadly on nurturing children to develop, succeed and thrive in life, today and tomorrow.

 

St. Margaret’s students and alumni are enthusiastic and thoughtful people of fine character, who care about and respect others and the world around them; they live and work with purpose, lead with conviction and are healthy and happy contributing members of an ever-changing world.

 

Rooted in a strong foundation of educational expertise, research, leading pedagogy and best practice, St. Margaret’s vigorous liberal arts academic program is the core roadmap, or building steps, of our students’ growth and maturation to adulthood. It is developmentally appropriate and coordinated from early childhood to high school graduation. 

The breadth and depth of the academic program provides student choice and relevance that cultivate personal meaning and voice. Opportunities for exploration, discovery, service and leadership abound in STEAM, experiential and interdisciplinary learning, arts and athletics engage and nurture every child at every age in their unique talents, a love of learning, and finding and cultivating interests and passions. The program is vigorous, inspiring students to set high aspirations, work at the highest levels and achieve their full potential.

We are proud of the exceptional quality and expertise of our educators, whom we attract from across the nation. Our faculty are committed to excellence in education and continue to hone their craft as professionals. A passion student learning and growth motivates our educators; and they are invested in their students' growth and well-being. 

St. Margaret’s expert faculty members foster authentic engagement and enduring understandings based on inquiry, critical thinking, in-depth analysis, creative thinking and problem solving. These higher order cognitive skills go well beyond the teaching and learning that focuses on rote memorization and inch-deep coverage of material. We hold ourselves to the highest standards of measurement with a focus on mastery learning, yet we recognize that not all students learn at the same pace and in the same way. Our experienced educators use formative and summative data to inform their teaching practices in the classroom to support every student.

A hallmark of a St. Margaret’s education is the many faculty members who are engaged and involved in the life of each student. Students are supported by a professional community of teachers, advisors, college counselors, chaplains and coaches. Our class sizes are small so every teacher knows and loves every student and differentiates instruction accordingly. We are not bound to pacing requirements that often undermine the process of learning and the joy of exploration for each student.

 

Further, the mission of educating hearts and minds requires St. Margaret’s to understand the motivational and affective components of passion, interest, relevance and meaning in the learning process. Through an appreciation of diversity, the interconnectedness of the human experience, and real global and environmental challenges, students experience learning in a dynamic, resource-rich environment where problems are complex and answers are ambiguous and they are nurtured and empowered to make claims and find solutions.

 

We are developing learners of the future, with the capacity to lead, the humility to serve, the passion to pursue interests, the strength to overcome challenges, and the will to make the world a better place.