Tartan Snapshots: Spring 2025
‘Beautiful Oops’ Project Brings LS and MS Students Together for Cross-Divisional Learning
Lower School students in grade 1 spiritual practice and Middle School students in the grade 6 health and wellness rotation collaborated on a cross-divisional project as a result of an summer innovation grant. This unique project has proven to be more than just an exercise in creativity; it's a celebration of learning and mindful connection.
At the heart of this unit is the shared theme of the growth mindset, a concept that encourages embracing challenges. Both classes focused on a transformative mindset, understanding how it can be a powerful tool in their educational journeys. The exploration was enriched through the inspiring book Beautiful Oops by Barney Saltzberg. The book, which illustrates how errors can become opportunities for creativity and learning, served as the inspiration for this unit.
St. Margaret’s Completes Major Audio-Visual Upgrade to Darcy Rice Center for the Arts
The Darcy Rice Center for the Arts is continuously buzzing with campus activity throughout the school year. Within the Arts at St. Margaret’s, there are classes throughout the day in theater, choral, band, orchestra, dance and technical arts. After school brings rehearsals, the extended day dance conservatory, private practices, and performances and productions throughout the year including musicals, plays, concerts, film festivals and more.
After 12 years as a campus centerpiece, the Darcy Rice Center for the Arts received its first major upgrade to the audio-visual system throughout the entire building.
Tartans Erupt in Joy for a Collaborative Science Lesson Building Volcanos
St. Margaret’s Lower School students and Upper School science students came together to take part in a fun cross-divisional activity building eruptive volcanoes in the Lower School Outdoor Classroom.
The unit lesson included students using Oreo cookies to model how Earth’s plates interact. Thereafter, the students built sand volcanoes and predicted what may happen to the surrounding environment during an eruption propelled by vinegar and baking soda based on the volcano’s characteristics. The lesson provided a learning experience for both younger and older students, emphasizing the value of cross-divisional activities.
Back-to-Back CIF Championships for St. Margaret's Girls Cross Country
The St. Margaret's girls cross country team successfully defended their 2023 CIF Championship with a decisive 38-point win over second place Cantwell Sacred Heart on Saturday at the CIF-SS Finals at Mt. SAC. It was their 4th title in 6 years and the second time the team has won it in consecutive years.
Freshman Heidi Beshk made her name known in the section with a third-place finish, while senior teammate Coco Johnson was close behind in sixth. Both were recognized as First-Team All-CIF for their efforts.
All-School Pep Rally Energizes Tartan Community
Pasternack Field House illuminated in “Total Tartan Eclipse” for the 2024 Homecoming Pep Rally, an all-school event that energized the student body ahead of the big Homecoming football game against Westminster.
The event featured games and performances by the cheer and dance squads, a presentation by the football team and much more.
Upper School Students Conduct College-Level Research Through Partnership With UC-Irvine
Seven Upper School students with an interest in STEAM fields had a valuable first-hand look at a college research environment last summer, as they worked with top minds in engineering, computer science, chemistry, robotics and more at the University of California, Irvine.
The partnership between St. Margaret’s and UCI Samueli School of Engineering was in its 20th year, and seven students participated. Coordinated by Upper School science teacher Jennifer Ross-Viola, Upper School engineering and science students are matched with UCI faculty members in a research area that aligns with their interest. Students spent several weeks at UCI this summer working on their projects alongside professors and graduate students in college labs.
St. Margaret’s Band Students Perform the National Anthem at Angels Game
St. Margaret’s Middle and Upper School student band performed the National Anthem, alongside other local schools, at Angel Stadium in Anaheim.
The arrangement the students played is the version used by the U.S. Marine Band, and the students invested hard work and practice to play the familiar song in front of thousands of baseball fans in a unique experience.
Holocaust Survivor Shares Powerful Life Story With St. Margaret’s Students
In a powerful and deeply moving recollection of survival, loss, and resilience, Upper School and Middle School students listened to a first-hand account of the Holocaust and its impact from Ruth Hermann, 97, a Holocaust survivor who was rescued from Nazi Germany as part of the 1938-1939 Kindertransport effort.
Held in the Hurlbut Theater, the presentation was moderated by Upper School assistant principal James Harris along with students in his Holocaust & Contemporary Genocide course. Upper School and Middle School students were in attendance, along with several members of the professional community who gathered to hear an account that connected them to history and offered invaluable lessons about resilience, hope and the enduring power of the human spirit.
Large Tartan Delegation Attends and Presents at NAIS People of Color Conference
St. Margaret’s once again had a large delegation attend the National Association of Independent Schools’ annual People of Color Conference and adjacent Student Diversity Leadership Conference.
The PoCC and SDLC events are the flagship of NAIS’s commitment to equity and justice in teaching, learning, and sustainability for independent schools. St. Margaret’s had 27 adults and six Upper School students travel to Denver, where they took part in workshops, affinity spaces, listened to keynote speakers and built community among 6,000 educators and 1,500 students from independent schools across the country.
Middle School Students Host an Interactive Health and Wellness Fair
With stations set up at Chalmers Field, Middle School students in the grade 6 Health and Well-Being course invited Lower School students to engage in fun activities and learn more about a variety of topics during a health and wellness fair.
The fair was a chance for grade 6 students to share their learning and encourage good health and wellness to the younger Tartans. Grade 3 students came together to explore all of the offerings during the 30-minute fair.
St. Margaret’s Emphasizes Player Protection with New Innovative Football Helmet
Safety has always been a top priority in athletics at St. Margaret’s, and the introduction of VICIS's ZERO2 helmet for Tartan football players marks a significant step forward in player protection.
The new football helmet’s cutting-edge Flexible Outer Shell Technology absorbs impacts in a unique way, deforming upon contact to cushion the blow, much like a car bumper. This approach minimizes the forces that would otherwise reach the player’s head, reducing the risk of serious injuries.