Learning in Action: Highlights From SEA Term Opening Sessions

At St. Margaret’s, learning is an invitation to look beyond the familiar. In recent weeks, students have experienced the opening sessions of SEA Term, St. Margaret’s innovative program that brings interdisciplinary inquiry, project-based learning, and real-world application together in meaningful ways. SEA Term courses meet nine times throughout the year for 90-minute sessions before culminating in a five-day immersive experience in May. Through engaging lessons, innovative activities, and impactful experiences, SEA Term weaves together learning, leadership, and service—and brings St. Margaret’s mission from the classroom to the real world.

From exploring the wonders of the night sky and sharing their love of reading with younger students in local schools, to experiencing Belizian culture, these experiences are fostering curiosity, connection, and a deeper understanding of the world around them. 

Here’s are a few highlights from the latest SEA Term block:

 

Middle School students in the SEA Term course By the Stars: Navigation, Meaning, and Stewardship of Earth and Sky recently stepped out of the classroom for their first off-campus SEA Term experience. They visited the Orange Coast College Planetarium to explore the connections among navigation, astronomy, and human exploration. 

Led by Middle School science teacher Ashley Baffa, students examined the Foucault Pendulum before learning from planetarium students and scientists about the night sky and how generations of sailors and explorers have relied on the stars for direction and discovery. Joining this class was the Breaking Waves SEA Term course taught by Rebecca Tufo.

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According to Mrs. Baffa, the experience reflects a central theme of the course: exploration begins with curiosity about what lies beyond the familiar. “By studying how people have used the sea, sky and natural signs to navigate, students are considering the relationship between ocean and cosmos—and what that relationship can teach us about understanding and caring for Earth.”

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The planetarium visit also sets the stage for upcoming SEA Term experiences, including an overnight camping trip and a bioluminescence cruise during Immersive Week, where students will continue investigating the natural world through direct observation and exploration.

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“One of the main goals of my SEA Term course is to inspire a sense of wonder and awe about the sea and sky. I hope the experience at the planetarium will open that door, spark their curiosity, and get them excited about their overnight camping experience and bioluminescence cruise during the Immersive Week,” said Mrs. Baffa.

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Upper School students in The Book Desert ‘Read’volution: Changing Communities One Page at a Time are taking their study of literacy, access and equity beyond the classroom and into the community. Recently, Upper School students led by Meredith Schumacher, Upper School English teacher, brought that work to San Juan Elementary School, where they spent the morning supporting transitional kindergarten and kindergarten classrooms. Working alongside teachers, they participated in group reading, provided guided practice, assisted with classroom activities and encouraged young students as they completed assignments and created rainy-day artwork. 

The course challenges students to examine the causes and consequences of illiteracy, explore the impact of “book deserts,” defined as communities where books and reading resources are scarce, and develop real-world solutions to expand literacy access. The visit offered a firsthand example of the course’s central premise: access to literacy is about more than access to books—it is also about access to people who read with children, encourage them and believe in their potential. 

Mrs. Schumacher expressed her gratitude for the Upper School students who worked alongside the younger learners, emphasizing the lasting impact of their presence and encouragement: “Access to books matters. But access to people—people who read with you, encourage you, and believe that you can become a reader—matters just as much.”