St. Margaret’s Day Brings Tartans Together to Celebrate School’s Namesake and History

The school community came together in Pasternack Field House on Thursday for St. Margaret’s Day, an annual gathering celebrating the school’s namesake and the history of St. Margaret’s Episcopal School.

 

The joyful ceremony included readings and prayers by St. Margaret’s chaplains and students, as well as performances by St. Margaret’s band, orchestra and choir students.

 

“St. Margaret’s Day is a time to pause and honor our history,” Head of School Dr. Jeneen Graham said. “Our school was appropriately named for Scotland’s patron saint of education whom we honor today, St. Margaret, Queen of Scotland. Each year on St. Margaret’s Day, we pay tribute to Queen Margaret and her incredible life of learning, leading and serving.”

 

In also recognizing the 45-year history of St. Margaret’s, Dr. Graham took time to honor three professional community emeriti in attendance—Ingrid Andrews, Susan Remsberg and Nancy Linaweaver—as well as pay tribute to St. Margaret’s first four Heads of School: Father Ernest D. Sillers (1979-1986), Markham Campaigne (1986-2003), Marcus Hurlbut (2003-2013) and Will Moseley (2013-2023). 

 

St. Margaret’s Day was also an opportunity to share more about the school’s recent service-learning efforts—a integral part of St. Margaret’s mission. 

 

This year, St. Margaret’s is partnering with Special Camp for its All-School Service Learning Project. Special Camp is an organization hosted by St. Margaret’s which brings youth with disabilities together with counselors for week-long day camps in the summer and activities throughout the school year. At the St. Margaret’s Day service, Special Camp executive director Lindsay Eres, longtime camper Shawn Mierczynski and Upper School senior and Special Camp counselor Coco Johnson all shared their insight into Special Camp and the plans for the All-School Service Learning Project, including planned donation drives as well as outreach and education around inclusion and the disabled community. 

 

Director of Equity and Inclusion Victor Cota and Upper School student Avery Lind also shared more about the service-learning program at St. Margaret’s, including the Moseley Venture to Serve initiative and the All-School Service Learning Project. 

 

“For all of us here at St. Margaret’s, service is less about something you do and more about something you are,” Mr. Cota said. “To commit to a life of service means to understand that the world is bigger than any one person or any one community. It means understanding that each of us has a profound opportunity to be change-makers. Students at St. Margaret’s begin to learn as young as Early School that they have the power to affect change in the world, and we cultivate this mindset and skillset all the way through high school graduation.”