Residential Program Imparts Life Skills
Learning how to live with others, confront difficulties, solve problems, and identify one's limits are important parts of the "education for life" that St. Margaret's School provides to its boarding students. • Student prefect system.
"The residential program teaches the practical, common-sense skills that girls will need to lead a happy, independent life, both in college and beyond," said Director of Student Life Kate Taylor '83.
Revised for 2001-2002, the program features five components:
• Full-time dormitory staff.
SMS is one of a few boarding schools that have dormitory heads whose sole job is to manage residential life. They are supported by a full-time Director of Student Life and six faculty who both teach and provide live-in supervision.
The Purple PIGS' community's evening at Mrs. Broad's included an Asian dinner that they helped to make. They also painted purple pigs to decorate their dorm room doors.
Selected juniors and seniors work closely with dorm parents to provide peer support, model appropriate behaviors, monitor study hours, and uphold dorm rules through the prefect system. In addition, each prefect is given responsibility for a special aspect of residential life, such as dorm chores, birthday celebrations, and fire safety awareness.
• Dormitory communities.
Cozier dorms may be in the future for SMS, but smaller living groups are here today, thanks to the division of Anderton House and Latané Hall into seven groups of 15-20 girls. Each of these communities includes a prefect and dorm parent, and several also have adopted a non- residential faculty member. Communities provide a forum for resolving day-to-day issues and rewarding good dorm citizenship. Colors flying, imaginatively named groups like the Green Dragons and Pink Panthers battle for the Scotty Pot in "Community Wars" that include wheelbarrow races, gummi worm-
eating contests. and spirit competitions.
• Residential curriculum.
Boarders learn essential life skills at one-hour weekly meetings on such topics as travel safety, alcohol awareness, goal setting, and relationship management. Programs are led by both staff and outside speakers, and are keyed to the school calendar.
• Weekend activities.
Saturday and Sunday are a time to enjoy down time. The Director of Student Life plans trips to malls, mixers, and other events. Dorm parents create a home-like atmosphere by inviting students to watch videos in their apartments, and by making crafts or baking cookies with the girls.
The Yellow Submarine community enjoyed Mexican food when they had dinner at Mrs. Broad's home.
