Academics
Innovation

AI at St. Margaret's

AI at St. Margaret's

St. Margaret’s Episcopal School affirms the transformative role artificial intelligence will play in education, work, and society. St. Margaret’s is committed to preparing students with the skills, ethical grounding, and discernment to lead in a future increasingly shaped by AI. This means understanding how AI works, when and how to use it responsibly, and why human connection and integrity remain essential to our school, to our relationships, and to our world.

St. Margaret’s views AI as both a new literacy and an evolving tool that can support teaching, learning, wellness, and innovation. Our approach blends curiosity with caution, exploration with responsibility, and creativity with critical thinking. St. Margaret’s believes that AI can enhance but never replace what makes education deeply human.

St. Margaret’s Believes:

List of 5 items.

  • AI is a new literacy.

    Understanding, questioning, and collaborating with AI systems is essential to future readiness. This includes knowing how AI functions, evaluating its responses, and using it purposefully.

  • Humans remain at the center.

    Empathy, relationships, critical thinking, and ethical decision-making are the foundation of a St. Margaret’s education. The use of AI should support, not substitute, these core values.

  • Responsible use is essential.

    Students and professionals are expected to use AI with academic integrity, transparency, and awareness of its limitations. This includes checking for accuracy, understanding potential bias, and resisting shortcuts that undermine learning.

  • Equity and inclusion must guide implementation.

    We recognize that AI can reinforce or reduce bias, and commit to thoughtful, equitable access and oversight of AI tools for all learners.

  • Lifelong learning applies to us all.

    Just as AI continues to evolve, so will our approach. Every member of our community shares responsibility in embracing AI as a topic of study, discussion, and reflection. Openness to experimentation, professional learning, and student voice will guide our path forward.

List of 5 items.

  • Guidelines for Student Use of AI

    AI can be a valuable tool but it must be used transparently and in alignment with St. Margaret’s values.
     
    • Teachers set assignment-specific expectations. Each assignment should include guidance about acceptable AI use, referring to the school’s AI Acceptable Use Scale.
    • Cite AI contributions. If students use AI to generate ideas, draft content, solve problems, or complete any portion of an assignment, they must acknowledge that use in accordance with the guidance and example citations in the AI Acceptable Use Scale.
    • Unauthorized use is considered academic dishonesty. Submitting AI-generated work without attribution, or using it in ways not permitted by the teacher, constitutes plagiarism.
    • Students are expected to verify accuracy and use primary sources when possible. Because AI tools may provide inaccurate or biased content, students are responsible for fact-checking and cross-referencing sources.
    • The focus is on process, not just product. Learning happens through exploration, struggle, revision, and reflection. While AI may assist in the process, it should not replace essential steps that lead to deep understanding.
    • Our policy will evolve. As new technologies emerge, we will continue to reflect, adapt, and update expectations to stay aligned with our values and educational goals.

    By embracing AI in alignment with our mission and values, we aim to cultivate not only empowered users of technology, but thoughtful, curious, and compassionate leaders for tomorrow.

  • Guidelines for the Professional Community

    St. Margaret’s Episcopal School recognizes the growing influence of artificial intelligence (AI) across education and society. Guidelines have been shared with professional community members at St. Margaret’s with the intention to guide the thoughtful, ethical, and appropriate use of AI technologies by all members of the professional community. Our aim is to support innovation and efficiency while safeguarding the privacy and educational experience of every student.

    AI can be a powerful partner in our work—but should never be a replacement for the human relationships, integrity, and discernment that define a St. Margaret’s education. AI may assist in the process, but faculty and staff remain responsible for the final product, ensuring it aligns with our professional standards and school values.

    All members of our professional community are expected to become familiar with the capabilities and limitations of AI. While personal use is not required, St. Margaret’s expects its professional community to guide students in AI literacy. Training will be provided to clarify acceptable uses of AI.

  • Guidelines for Families

    Partnering with Families in the Age of AI

    Artificial intelligence is transforming the way we learn, create, communicate and work. St. Margaret's believes our responsibility is not simply to teach students how to use AI, but to help them become thoughtful, ethical, and discerning leaders who understand when–and when not–to rely on technology.

    Families play an essential role in this journey. Together, we can help students develop the judgment, curiosity, and integrity they need to thrive in an AI-enabled world.

    Our Approach: Human → AI → Human

    St. Margaret's believes the most meaningful learning begins and ends with people.

    Human: Students begin by thinking critically, asking questions, and drawing on their own knowledge, experiences, and creativity.

    AI: Students may then use AI as a tool to explore ideas, receive feedback, deepen understanding, or increase efficiency–always within teacher expectations.

    Human: Students return to evaluate, revise, make decisions, and take ownership of their work. Judgment, integrity, empathy, and responsibility remain distinctly human.

    This Human → AI → Human approach reminds us that AI is a powerful partner, but it should never replace human curiosity, critical thinking, or authentic learning.
     
    How Families Can Support AI Learning

    Lead with curiosity.
    AI is evolving rapidly, and no one has all the answers. St. Margaret’s encourages families to explore these technologies alongside their children, ask questions, and learn together.

    Value learning over convenience.
    While AI can make many tasks easier, meaningful learning still requires effort, reflection, creativity, and perseverance. We encourage students to use AI to support their thinking—not replace it.

    Keep humans at the center.
    The qualities that matter most—empathy, wisdom, creativity, collaboration, communication, and ethical decision-making—remain distinctly human. Our goal is to help students develop these skills alongside AI fluency.

    Encourage transparency and integrity.
    Students are expected to follow teacher expectations for AI use on assignments and to acknowledge AI appropriately when required. If expectations are unclear, we encourage students to ask their teacher before using AI.

    Talk about digital citizenship at home.
    Conversations about privacy, misinformation, bias, online well-being, and responsible technology use are just as important as learning how AI works. Families are powerful partners in helping students develop healthy digital habits.

    Remember that AI is not always correct.
    AI can be helpful, but it can also generate inaccurate, biased, or incomplete information. We encourage students to think critically, verify information using trusted sources, and exercise good judgment.

    Support balance.
    Technology should enhance, not replace relationships, creativity, outdoor experiences, and time together as a family. We believe students thrive when technology is one part of a balanced life.

    Our Commitment to Families

    As AI continues to evolve, St. Margaret's is committed to communicating openly with families, providing educational resources, and helping parents navigate emerging technologies with confidence. Together, we are preparing students not only to succeed in a changing world, but to lead it with wisdom, integrity, and purpose.

  • Impact Studio

    Technology for IMPACT
    Innovation-Mentorship-Purpose-Agency-Communication-Transformation

    The IMPACT Studio is St. Margaret's hub for innovation, emerging technologies, and student leadership. More than a classroom, it is a collaborative learning environment where students explore the possibilities of artificial intelligence, immersive technologies, design thinking, entrepreneurship, and creative problem-solving while developing the distinctly human skills that technology can never replace.

    Designed to foster curiosity, creativity, and purpose, the IMPACT Studio brings together students, faculty, and industry experts to investigate real-world challenges, experiment with new ideas, and transform learning into meaningful action. Whether students are designing AI-powered solutions, creating immersive experiences, mentoring younger learners, or leading workshops for peers and faculty, they are empowered to become thoughtful innovators and responsible digital citizens.

    Rooted in St. Margaret's mission to educate the hearts and minds of young people for lives of learning, leadership, and service, the IMPACT Studio prepares students not simply to adapt to a rapidly changing world—but to help shape it with integrity, imagination, and purpose.

    Student Leaders for Innovation, AI & Emerging Technologies

    The IMPACT Fellows are a small group of Upper School students who work together to explore emerging technologies, test new ideas, and help lead the vision for the IMPACT Studio.

    Fellows collaborate with faculty, industry experts, and other students to experiment with tools like AI, virtual reality, design thinking, and entrepreneurship—while helping our school think about how technology can be used creatively, responsibly, and ethically.

  • Core Values Alignment

    St. Margaret’s Episcopal School: AI Position Statement Aligned with Core Values

    Character

    At St. Margaret’s Episcopal School, we recognize that character remains at the heart of our educational philosophy. Our AI integration reflects this by emphasizing ethical decision-making, responsible use, and the continued importance of empathy and human relationships.

    • Students and members of the professional community are expected to use AI tools with academic honesty, proper attribution, and a clear understanding of their capabilities and limitations.
    • Relationships, empathy, critical thinking, and ethical decision-making remain core to a St. Margaret’s education. AI supports, not substitutes, these values.
    • We acknowledge that learning how to work alongside AI takes time and effort, and we encourage perseverance as students and faculty grow through exploration, trial, and reflection.

    Community
     
    Our approach to AI promotes collaborative learning and mutual respect across our community. As we explore this new frontier, we do so together, prioritizing connection, dialogue, and service.
     
    • We commit to ongoing reflection, professional development, and collaborative dialogue to ensure our use of AI remains purposeful and grounded in best practices.
    • We seek opportunities to integrate AI into service learning and community impact projects, encouraging students to apply AI creatively to address real-world problems and promote the common good.
    • By fostering digital citizenship and respectful engagement with emerging technologies, we reinforce the values of mutual respect and shared responsibility.

    Balance and Breadth
     
    Our AI philosophy reflects a balanced, whole-child approach. We see AI not as a replacement, but as a supportive tool that enhances diverse forms of expression and learning.
     
    • AI is a powerful tool that can enhance creativity, support individualized learning, increase efficiency, and foster innovation.
    • Our approach balances enthusiastic exploration with thoughtful discernment, prioritizing well-being, human-centered education, and academic integrity.
    • We support the use of AI across a broad range of disciplines and co-curricular activities, including the arts, athletics, and enrichment programs, expanding the ways students express themselves and grow.

    Equity and Inclusion
     
    We are mindful of both the promise and the perils of AI. Our commitment is to use AI in ways that promote fairness, amplify diverse voices, and ensure access for all members of our community.
     
    • We are aware of the ways AI can both mitigate and reinforce bias, and we are committed to equitable access, transparency, and thoughtful oversight.
    • We critically examine the training data and algorithms behind AI tools to ensure that diverse perspectives and identities are respected.
    • By embedding equity and inclusion into our policies and practices, we aim to create a just and inclusive AI-enabled learning environment.

    High Expectations
     
    AI is more than a tool—it is a new literacy. We are committed to empowering our students to become confident, curious, and capable leaders in an AI-infused world.
     
    • The ability to use, question, and collaborate with AI systems is integral to preparing students for their academic and professional futures.
    • AI can support personalized learning pathways, helping students pursue their passions, uncover new interests, and achieve their highest potential.
    • We aim to cultivate not only informed users of technology, but thoughtful, curious, and compassionate leaders for tomorrow.

St. Margaret’s Episcopal School

31641 La Novia Avenue
San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
(949) 661-0108
 
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An Independent Preschool Through Grade 12 College-Preparatory Day School in Orange County California

Non-Discrimination Policy
St. Margaret's Episcopal School does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, religion, sexual orientation or national and ethnic origin in the administration of its educational, admission, financial aid, hiring and athletic policies or in other school-administered programs.