“We are elated. The unanimous support and praise from our City Council was more than we expected. These plans are very important to the future of our school and pave the way for us to begin construction as soon as complete funding is in place,” said St. Margaret’s Headmaster Marcus D. Hurlbut. “At the same time, we have worked very hard to ensure our plans are responsible within the larger community and that we are conscientious and contributing citizens to the City of San Juan Capistrano. The positive remarks about St. Margaret’s from the Council members mean a great deal to us.”

“We sincerely thank the Council members and the City staff for working with us throughout this process in good faith and with thoughtful consideration of our plans and for the best interest of the San Juan community,” said Mr. Hurlbut.

In order to proceed with the campus master plan which includes constructing a new Middle School and Performing Arts Center, the school needed to receive approval from various city planning commissions and ultimately from City Council. This process has spanned several years and included City required environmental and fiscal impact studies to ensure no adverse community impact from the plan. The school’s construction plans for new buildings fall within City planning guidelines, including a 35-feet height limit on all buildings, and greatly improves traffic flow around campus.

Saturday at the school’s 30th anniversary gala, St. Margaret’s publicly announced the launch of its Building on the Promise capital campaign to raise the $30 million needed to complete the campus master development plan. The school has raised $16 million toward the goal and plans to break ground on construction this fall.

To read The Orange County Register story about the City Council approval, click here: http://www.ocregister.com/news/school-237225-san-juan.html

Click Here for Lemon Fest Flyer.

Last Saturday was a unique and special occasion the St. Margaret’s community will always remember. At Club 30: A Tartan Jazz Club, the entire St. Margaret’s community gathered to celebrate the school’s 30th year and raise funds for the school. This glamorous night at the St. Regis Resort featured silent and live auctions, student performances and a moving film launching the public leadership phase of the Building on the Promise campaign.

The 1930s-era cars, magnificently outfitted ballroom, and lavish table settings and floral arrangements set the stage for the true center of the event: Our kids and the future of St. Margaret’s. Students performed Big Band music of the jazz era, and talented Middle School dancers and vocalists performed in the ballroom, with technical support from St. Margaret’s student sound and lighting crews. These performances underscored the importance of providing the resources and facilities our students need to excel in their education and in their futures.

Click here for photo gallery.

Speaking to the community and emphasizing the importance of our school’s new facilities and dedication to the 21st Century Learning Initiative, were Headmaster Marcus D. Hurlbut, Board of Trustees President Michael J. Berchtold, and PTF President Holly Larsen. Headmaster Hurlbut led the group in a champagne toast to St. Margaret’s 30th anniversary. Mr. Berchtold praised the collaborative efforts of the PTF and the community for the success of the fundraiser, and announced that all funds from the evening will go to the capital campaign. A moving film launching the public leadership phase of the Building on the Promise campaign provided a vision of the bright future the school will have, with our help.

PTF President Holly Larsen said, “Together, we raised an unprecedented amount of money for our Building on a Promise capital campaign and our 21st Century Learning initiatives. On behalf of the entire PTF, I would like to thank our Club 30 Cochairs, Briar Mewbourne and Liddy Lind. Without their creative vision and leadership, this event would not have been possible. Briar and Liddy, along with the entire Club 30 Committee, did an amazing job of creating, planning organizing, and executing a perfect party that will go down as one of the best for our St. Margaret’s community. I feel honored to be part of such a successful event.”

There are exciting new menu options: On Tuesdays, Subway turkey sandwiches, and on Wednesdays, Sapphire Laguna cheeseburgers and hamburgers. The veggie quesadilla will be removed from the menu in April.

Please note: March 15 is the deadline to make or change your order for April.

The telephone system will be shut down at 6:30 p.m., and Technology will shut down our computer systems around 6:30 p.m. There will be no server access, Web site access, e-mail, Angel or VPN until the work is completed. The Tartan Today Web site is offsite and will continue to operate. Thank you for your patience during this important maintenance process.

Kenley competed against 70 other local students, the largest field in Orange County history, and triumphed in round 13 with the word “secessionist” first to edge out the remaining contender and then with “evulsion,” meaning to pull out or to extract, to capture the trophy.

Read the entire Orange County Register article about Kenley Farace.

The Tartan musicians received enthusiastic applause from the community members in attendance, and in his welcoming address, President of the San Juan Capistrano Chamber Board Larry Thomas thanked each of the student performers by name. He remarked that the City was thankful for their performance, especially because he knew how hard the students worked to prepare.

Members of the Upper School Classical Guitar Ensemble directed by Mr. Gene Wie include: Blake Akers, grade 9; Nicholas Carpenter, grade 11; Gianni Carson, grade 9; Matthew Duenes, grade 10; Cole Gennrich, grade 10; Kyle Jones, grade 12; Tyler Marano, grade 12; Christine Reid, grade 12; Evan Skenderian, grade 12; andHarrison White, grade 9.

Click here for photo gallery.

St. Margaret’s also received recognition from the City for being a Gold Yearly Sponsor of the Chamber of Commerce. St. Margaret’s is appreciative for the honor of performing at the State of the City Breakfast, and grateful for the opportunity to serve the City of San Juan Capistrano, which the school has called home for 30 years.