On Wednesday morning, the Pasternack Field House was filled, as students, faculty and staff celebrated the ceremonious opening of 2010–2011 school year with St. Margaret’s largest enrollment ever. Headmaster Marcus D. Hurlbut greeted the school community at the All-School Opening Chapel Ceremony with a warm, welcoming speech in which he shared that this year St. Margaret’s has an enrollment of 1,226, including 196 new students, 129 new families, 50 new students who are siblings of existing St. Margaret’s students, along with 37 new faculty and staff members. The school also …

Student artwork was selected by art authorities from 4,000 submissions representing schools throughout Orange County. The student work is displayed on the festival grounds, just outside the Pageant of the Masters, and includes work from kindergarten through grade 12. The art is categorized by two-dimensional, three-dimensional and photographic media. It will be on display until August 31.

During the Junior Art Awards ceremony on Saturday, August 7, three of St. Margaret’s Upper School students received medals to mark their achievement.

On a beautiful summer night last week, the St. Margaret’s Episcopal School community came out en masse for the San Juan Summer Nites Concert Series. Among our St. Margaret’s families in attendance were: Headmaster Marcus D. Hurlbut, Ingrid Andrews, David and Marilynn Boyle, as well as the Allison and Clarke families.
The San Juan Summer Nites Concert Series, held in San Juan Capistrano Historic Town Center Park each year throughout the summer months, has been sponsored by St. Margaret’s since the event’s inception in 2003. The August concert featured the jazz …

As the fifth successful year of Breakthrough San Juan Capistrano kicked off with Summer Session 2010, the program’s students and teachers were filled with great optimism for the future.
Forty-eight middle school students completed an intensive six-week, eight-hours-a-day, academic enrichment session at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School this summer. The summer schedule included required classes in math, English, history and science. Students were also given the option to take two elective courses throughout the session: sketch writing, poetry, French, paintings, kitchen chemistry, real money, current events and creative writing.
“In addition to the …

The St. Margaret’s Episcopal School Class of 2010 will graduate on Saturday, June 12 on the Gateway Field officially bringing to a close their careers at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School. They have excelled and contributed in the classroom, in leadership roles on campus, in service projects, on the athletics fields and in the visual and performing arts.
In the fall, these graduates will head to a prestigious and diverse list of colleges and universities across the country, including Barnard College, Carnegie Mellon University, Georgetown University, University of California, Los Angeles, University …

On Tuesday, June 8, the entire student, faculty and staff community at St. Margaret’s gathered in the Pasternack Field House for the All-School Closing Ceremony.
In his address, Headmaster Marcus Hurlbut noted that when we gathered last September, “We officially acknowledged that our 30th year would be celebrated through a commitment to 30,000 hours of service to our community. “I am pleased to announce that this year we have logged nearly 20,000 hours, and if each family in our school community devotes just five hours to service this summer, we will …

Holding practice on handball courts and in gyms, wearing hand me down football jerseys as uniforms and soldiering through a 0-10 inaugural season, Tartan Lacrosse had humble beginnings as a junior varsity intramural club. With a roster of only 12 Upper School athletes, two eighth graders and a senior “assistant coach” who played for University High School in Irvine, the Tartans struggled against large public schools with rosters of 30-plus athletes. Not only had many of the Tartans never played the game, but few had ever heard of the predominantly east-coast sport.

The end of the school year gives us a chance to look back and reflect on our many experiences, while celebrating the rewards of our hard work throughout the year. On Thursday, June 3, the St. Margaret’s Parent Teacher Fellowship celebrated its annual New Board/Old Board Breakfast at the historic Forster Mansion in San Juan Capistrano. The event brings together members of the PTF board leadership, trustees and school administrators, who have worked so hard to make this past year a great one for our school community. Officially, the event is held to recognize the dedication and efforts of the outgoing PTF board and to inaugurate the incoming board officers.

St. Margaret’s Upper School production of Children of a Lesser God won the 2010 Best Play Cappies Award. Senior Rebecca Miller won Best Actress in a Play for her portrayal of Sarah in St. Margaret’s fall production of Children of a Lesser God.
Performing Arts Chair Darcy Rice said, “This is the first time in St. Margaret’s history that we have received the award for Best Play, and it is important to note that this award reflects the production as a whole, including all on-stage and off-stage elements, honoring all …

Ninety-five St. Margaret’s seniors will cross the podium and receive their diplomas next Saturday at the 2010 Commencement Ceremony. As they take those steps, symbolizing the end of their student careers at St. Margaret’s, Mr. Roland Allen, St. Margaret’s director of college counseling, will look on with confidence that they are headed toward vibrant and exciting futures.
The St. Margaret’s Class of 2010 received admission acceptance from more 175 colleges and universities, totaling more than 500 individual acceptances, among those are Barnard College, Carnegie Mellon University, Georgetown University, University of California, …