Exchange with QMSGSA Schools


St. Margaret's is a founding member school of the Queen Margaret of Scotland Girls' Schools Association, a worldwide network, with members in Australia, New Zealand, England, Canada, Japan and Scotland. St. Margaret's students have an unique opportunity to travel and study at other QMSGSA-member schools.

What is QMSGSA?
The association works to promote the Queen Margaret of Scotland heritage, foster a shared identity and sense of belonging among member schools, offer an international stage and perspective, and provide opportunities for interaction, relationships and participation. Many St. Margaret's students have taken advantage of this network to visit other countries, study and learn about other cultures. All students benefit from living and learning with girls from other countries who come to Tappahannock.

Who is St. Margaret?
In her position as Queen of Scotland, all Margaret's great influence was thrown into the cause of religion and piety. Among the special reforms instituted during her reign were the regulation of the Lenten fast and observance of the Easter communion. Her private life was given up to constant prayer and practices of piety. She founded several churches, including the Abbey of Dunfermline, built to enshrine her greatest treasure, a relic of the true Cross.

Margaret strove to improve the standard of living in Scotland, to raise the dignity of Court ceremonial and purify and revive the religious life of the people. She had great compassion, too, on the English captives in Scotland, for at that time "no Scot so poor that he did not have his English captive." Margaret commiserated with them from the bottom of her heart, "she took care to send them speedy help, paid their ransoms and set them at liberty forthwith."

Her book of the Gospels, richly adorned with jewels, which one day dropped into a river and was according to legend miraculously recovered, is now in the Bodleian Library at Oxford. She foretold the day of her death, which took place at Edinburgh on November 16, 1093, her body being buried before the high altar at Dunfermline.

Links
Read the Story of St. Margaret given by SMS chaplain Ann Riggs

Take a Virtual Sabbatical to QMSGSA schools with Head of School Margaret Broad

Read SMS press releases about QMSGSA
        January 2005 - School Programs Build Global Awareness
        January 2004 - International Exchanges Broaden Horizons
        July 2003 - Choir Tour planned for 2005
        February 2003 - Australian Students Hit the Books
        February 2003 - Australian Students Bring "Down Under" to SMS
        Winter 2002 Thistle - Faculty Mini-Sabbaticals - Making Global Connections
        December 2002 - Jan Richards visits from SMS Berwick Australia.
        February 2002 - SMS Exchanges Bring World Closer
        June 2001 - Schools reinforce links - All are namesakes of Queen Margaret
        June 2001 - Queen Margaret Schools Bring World to Tidewater
        June 2001 - Headed to a Land Down Under
        November 2000 - SMS Celebrates Namesake, Worldwide Ties
        April 2001 - Outback Bound
        February 2001 - SMS Offers Global Benefits to Students, Community
        January 2000 - Australian Students Commence Their Studies at St. Margaret’s
        November 1999 - 250th Anniversary Service of St. Margaret's School, Bushey
        September 1999 - Students Selected for Australian Exchange Program
        January 1999 - St. Margaret's Hosts Australian Exchange Students






PROFILES
Actual experiences with the exchange program.

MINI-SABBATICAL
St. Margaret's School Head Margaret Robinson Broad's Sabbatical Scrapbook

SMS WORLDWIDE
Queen Margaret of Scotland Girls' Schools Association Web site.

STORY OF ST. MARGARET
Read the Story of St. Margaret given by SMS chaplain Ann Riggs.












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