St. Margaret's Episcopal School

St. Margaret's Episcopal School
Address
31641 La Novia
San Juan Capistrano, CA
United States
Coordinates 33°37′5.89″N 117°49′33.66″W / 33.6183028°N 117.8260167°W / 33.6183028; -117.8260167Coordinates: 33°37′5.89″N 117°49′33.66″W / 33.6183028°N 117.8260167°W / 33.6183028; -117.8260167
Information
Type Private College Prep Academy
Established 1979
Founder Hon. Rev. Ernest Sillers
Headmaster William Moseley
Grades PreK-12
Gender co-ed
Color(s)               
Mascot Tartans
Rival Sage Hill School
Accreditation WASC, CAIS (2018)
Website http://www.smes.org

St. Margaret's Episcopal School, also known as SMES, is a selective private, Pre-K - 12th grade college preparatory school located in San Juan Capistrano, California. The mission of St. Margaret's Episcopal School is to "educate the hearts and minds of young people for lives of learning, leadership and service." [1] It is a member of the National Association of Episcopal Schools (NAES), the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), the Western States Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and the California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS). [2]

History

St. Margaret's was founded in 1979 by the Reverend Ernest Sillers. The school began with only 79 students in kindergarten through grade six. It was named to honor the 11th century Queen Margaret of Scotland, Patron Saint of Education. The significance of this name is reflected in many St. Margaret's traditions, such as the use of bagpipes in formal ceremonies, along with their name, "The Tartans."

St. Margaret's opened an Early Childhood Development Center in 1981 and its high school in 1982. By 1985, students were enrolled in grade levels preschool through 12. [3]

In 1986, St. Margaret's brought in Markham B. Campaigne as its second headmaster. During his seventeen-year tenure, St. Margaret’s grew to serve over 1,200 students and expanded to a 20-acre (81,000 m2) campus. It is now included in Princeton Review's top 444 private schools in the United States book.[4]

In 2004, Marcus Hurlbut became the new Headmaster of SMES. Under his guidance, the school flourished, especially in the arts. Upon his departure in 2013, the 450 seat theater in the new Performing Arts Center was named in honor of him.

In 2013, William Moseley stepped in as new Headmaster, a capacity which he still serves in to date.

Academics

St. Margaret's offers a wide range of courses in all core subjects, as well as in many other subjects through electives. Theater, art, music and other subjects are available to be taken in addition to the main subject. There are 26 Advanced Placement courses offered in history, math, science, art, language, theatre, music and other subjects. [5] Honors courses are available as well in those same departments.

St. Margaret's students average a 1345 on the SAT. Students are able to choose to learn Spanish, Latin, or Chinese. These languages are taught starting in 6th grade. There are a number of official student organizations which are affiliated with the school's activities, such as ASB (Associated Student Body) and TIDE (Tartan Inclusivity and Diversity Education). Students can also start and join clubs, such as Model United Nations, Debate, Poetry and Prose, STEM Club, Book Club, Nintendo Club, Chinese Culture Club and so on that fit in with academic niches or student interests.

Athletics

St. Margaret's sports teams are called the Tartans, and they compete as members of the Academy League in the CIF Southern Section.

In 2006, the Tartan football team finished 14-0 and won the CIF-SS Northeast Division championship. and in 2008 the Girls' Varsity Tennis Team were the Academy League and CIF Champions, defeating league rival Sage Hill in the finals to finish off a 23-0 winning streak. The 2010-2011 Athletics year was one of the most successful, with 4 CIF Championships in Boys Cross Country, Girls Volleyball, Girls Tennis, and Girls Soccer teams. Additionally, the Boys Cross Country team won the division 5 state champions in 2010 and 2011. St. Margaret's Athletic Program has also been recognized as one of the Top 5 out of all Divisions in Orange County.

The St. Margaret's baseball team brought in a new head coach, Scott Wallace, in the 2017 season. He was the previous pitching coach at JSerra.

St. Margaret's has had prolonged success in a variety of sports for the past 15 years. The varsity girl's soccer program won 4 CIF championships in 2006, 2011, 2012, and 2014. The St. Margaret's football team won the Southern California small-school division championship in the 2014-2015 season. The 6th to 12th grade sports consist of equestrian, golf, basketball, volleyball, soccer, cheer, dance, lacrosse, general PE, and much more. Some sports are separated by gender like volleyball or basketball, but some sports are co-ed such as soccer or dance.

Campus

In 2007, St. Margaret's completed construction on the DeYoung Math and Science Center. In 2011, St. Margaret's constructed a performing arts center, which includes the Hurlbut Theater and houses the music, dance, and theatre departments. A new middle school was constructed in 2015.

St. Margaret's has 2 gyms: the Campaigne Center, used by lower schoolers, and the Pasternack Field House, used by middle and upper schoolers. The Pasternack Field House was completed in 2007. There is a middle school field that many games occur on as well as the main football field, used by members of the high school. All students in the 9th grade and up have school lockers, located in the high school building complex. The campus, as a whole, stretches out over 22 acres.

References

  1. ↑ "Mission". SMES Website. St. Margaret's Episcopal School.
  2. ↑ "SMES Review". Private School Review.
  3. ↑ "About SMES". SMES Website. St. Margaret's Episcopal School.
  4. ↑ "NPS Focus", San Juan Capistrano Patch, Patch Network, retrieved May 9, 2012
  5. ↑ "SMES Review". Private School Review.
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