Tartan Snapshots: Winter 2022
What’s happening around St. Margaret’s, from Early Childhood School to Upper School.
By Ryan Wood
Middle School Innovates Grade 6 Enrichment Courses for New Interdisciplinary Possibilities
St. Margaret’s Middle School reimagined its approach to grade 6 enrichment courses, complementing core subjects with a rotation of enrichment topics divided into two semester-long subjects—health and well-being, and art and technology.
The idea is to synergize similar enrichment topics together to introduce interdisciplinary possibilities.
Read more at smes.org
Tartans Conduct College-Level Scientific Research as Part of UC Irvine Partnership
Working with top academic minds in chemistry, computer science, mechanical and aerospace engineering, biomedical engineering and more, 14 St. Margaret’s Upper School students took part in a valuable internship in a college research environment last summer, through a longstanding partnership between St. Margaret’s and the University of California, Irvine.
Read more at smes.org
Constructivist-in-Residence Engages Professional Community and Parents on Nurturing Creativity
St. Margaret’s welcomed author, presenter and early-childhood expert Sonia Yoshizawa to campus as constructivist-in-residence. Ms. Yoshizawa led a full week of professional development, conversation and observation in the Early Childhood School as well as meeting with arts faculty, diving into the importance of creativity for individual and societal growth.
Read more at smes.org
Retreats Start School Year With Relevant Skill-Building in Fun Ways
Upper School and Middle School students started the school year with fun, skill-building, class-bonding retreats in a variety of Southern California locales. Upper School students conducted retreats at places like Camp Stevens, the University of California, Irvine and Doheny State Beach, while Middle School students had a day of activities at Dana Point Harbor.
Innovation Block Mini-Courses Introduce New Learning Opportunities in Upper School
Whether they were painting landscapes in Sillers Hall, grilling chicken by Tartan Field, hiking in Caspers Wilderness Park and caring for houseplants in the Tartan Courtyard, Upper School students have immersed in nontraditional learning opportunities through the Innovation Block mini-courses.
The Innovation Block mini-courses debuted in 2018 in response to student feedback and in support of strategic goals around expanding experiential learning, developing student health and wellness programs and cultivating important life skills.
Read more at smes.org
Lower School Students Visit The Ecology Center for Experiential Field Trips
Many of St. Margaret’s Lower School students have taken field trips to The Ecology Center in San Juan Capistrano for experiential learning opportunities around history, culture and the land.
Grade 1 and Grade 2 students visited in November as part of an educational program centered around Mesoamerica culture and farming techniques. Grade 3 students also took a field trip to The Ecology Center in October.
St. Margaret’s and The Ecology Center are longtime community partners, coming together many times each school year for both educational initiatives and service learning.
St. Margaret’s Launches ‘Digital Mentor’ Program Led by Upper School Peer Counselors
Several Upper School Peer Counselors have fanned out to Lower School and Middle School classrooms this year, leading a lesson created by The Social Institute, St. Margaret’s partner in educating and empowering students to have positive relationships with social media and technology. The lesson included an online survey that posed questions about safe and responsible technology use, and what students would choose to do when faced with tough situations in their digital lives.
Read more at smes.org
Kindergartners Visit Tanaka Farms, Bring Pumpkins Back to Surprise Upper School Students
St. Margaret’s kindergarten students went on a field trip to Tanaka Farms in Irvine before Halloween, where they had the chance to harvest fall crops, learn more about farm animals, and pick out pumpkins from the farm’s expansive patch.
The pumpkins, however, were not for them. Instead, the students brought the pumpkins back to St. Margaret’s, decorated them with silly faces and uplifting messages, and delivered them to Upper School students as a way to serve their older Tartan peers by bringing a little extra joy to the school day.
Read more at smes.org
ARTS
St. Margaret’s Launches ‘Tartan Dance Company’ for Advanced Upper School Dancers
St. Margaret’s dance program has grown over the past several years and now has four levels of Upper School classes. That growth led to the launch of the Tartan Dance Company, featuring 12 dancers performing together both at school events and dance festivals across Southern California.
“This is a natural progression from our highest-level dance courses, including advanced dance and composition honors,” Mrs. Harvey said. “The company gives the dancers the opportunity to work together outside of school, as well as work on larger choreography and performance projects.”
Read more at smes.org
‘The Great Indoors’ Project Explores Nature’s Positive Effects on Interior Spaces
Visual arts students in St. Margaret’s Upper School are working on a project that incorporates nature into an interior space—part of a larger discussion on how to make indoor spaces positively affect one’s mood.
It’s a concept that’s being implemented in several visual arts classes, as students learn more about how environments can be influenced artistically to positively influence behavior, health and frame of mind. “The Great Indoors” project was conceptualized by photography teacher Amanda Albanese and visual arts department chair Jesse Standlea, and was introduced in several Upper School classes, including intermediate clay handbuilding, advance study: photography, advanced clay handbuilding and architecture.
Read more at smes.org
ATHLETICS
Girls Golf Wins CIF-SS Team Championship
St. Margaret's captured its first-ever CIF team championship in girls golf, scoring a 427 at El Prado Golf Course in Chino to top the field. Gabby Eifrig carded a 78 for the Tartans' lowest score, and was complemented by solid rounds from Maddie Lewis, Kate Lee, Makenna Cox, Rianna Ke and Joy Mao. “What an emotional win for such a wonderful group of incredible golfers,” girls golf coach Rocky Parker said.
Read more at smes.org
11 Seniors Commit to Play Intercollege Athletics During Fall Signing Period
Eleven student-athletes from the Class of 2022 committed to play intercollegiate athletics during the fall national signing period. The list included Hayden Chester (Monmouth University, lacrosse), Riley Chester (Monmouth University, lacrosse), Sebastien Chicas (Virginia Military Institute, lacrosse), Seth Forstot (Rhodes College, lacrosse), Matt Groeninger (Bryant University, lacrosse), Jack Hanna (United States Military Academy, tennis), Grace Karstetter (Johns Hopkins University, lacrosse), Caroline Sele (Clemson University, volleyball), Will Stahl (College of the Holy Cross, lacrosse), Celeste Taylor (The University of Chicago, track and field) and Makai Todd (Drexel University, lacrosse)
Read more at smes.org.