Strategic Plan in Action
 A Strong, Healthy Community
Dormitories are “real-life classrooms” where teenagers can master such essential tasks of adolescent development as stucturing and organizing time, delaying gratification, honoring commitments, and getting along with others, said residential life expert Carol Hotchkiss.

Ms. Hotchkiss, a nationally known independent school consultant, has been working with SMS faculty and administrators to evaluate and further strengthen the school’s residential program – another of St. Margaret’s strategic plan goals.

“We want to know how we compare to others, what we’re doing right, and where we can improve,” said Assistant Head for School Life Cathy Sgroi.

Mrs. Hotchkiss started her work in late summer, when she presented a training session for faculty and led a retreat for residential life staff. She returned for a three-day site visit in the fall, during which she observed multiple aspects of the residential program and interviewed a wide variety of students, faculty, and staff. Her consultancy was funded by a Robinson grant from Church Schools in the Diocese of Virginia. At its conclusion, Mrs. Hotchkiss presented the school with a report that identified strengths, highlighted opportunities for improvement, and suggested changes.

St. Margaret’s residential program has a number of strengths, the report noted, including a positive and upbeat dorm environment; talented and committed faculty; strong prefects; wonderful nurses; a diverse student body; and a well-rounded selection of weekend activities.

The school will be implementing some of Mrs. Hotchkiss’s recommendations next year. All of the changes increase the amount of leisure time that boarding students spend with each other and with their dorm parents, Mrs. Sgroi said, and are expected to further strengthen the residential community:






Director of Residence Natasha Kollaros ’93 confers with senior prefects on evening duty assignments in Latane Hall.




Residential Program Mission Statement

 It is the residential mission of St. Margaret’s School to provide a safe and nurturing environment in which young women are empowered to “grow in grace”: in character, self-reliance, service, respect, and spirituality.



• Building more “down time” into the residential calendar by adding 3 closed weekends. In 2003-2004, students will be required to spend the weekends after Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Spring breaks on campus, bringing the total number of closed weekends to 13. St. Margaret’s has had fewer such weekends than most other boarding schools, Mrs. Sgroi explained.

• Revising the weekend leave program. Each trimester next year, boarding students will be allowed to spend five overnights away from campus. Girls may earn up to five additional nights by attaining Honor or Merit Roll standing, doing more community service than required, or accruing fewer than three marks per trimester.

• Helping students balance their weekend activity choices. Teen-agers love malls and mixers. But the school also has a responsibility to help students develop recreational interests they can pursue throughout their lives. In 2003-2004, girls will be required to participate in at least one outdoor or cultural activity each trimester.

• Enhancing the life skills curriculum by coordinating the Monday night residential meeting and Thursday all-school town meeting so that both boarders and day students can benefit from age-appropriate information on such topics as decision-making, healthy relationships, money management, drug and alcohol awareness, and stress management.

St. Margaret’s already has put in place other improvements to its residential program. New for the 2002-2003 school year, full-time Director of Residence Natasha Kollaros ’93 is managing both dormitories, their dorm parents, and prefects. In addition, a committee of four teachers has sponsored a full range of outdoor activities, including hiking, camping, skiing, and rafting trips.