St. Margaret's School

St. Margaret's School is an independent, Episcopal, all-girls school located in the town of Tappahannock, Virginia, on the banks of the Rappahannock River. The school is 45 miles northeast of the Richmond metro area, 100 miles southeast of the Washington metro area, and 75 miles northwest of the Hampton Roads metro area. St. Margaret's is governed by the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia. St. Margaret's opened in 1921 with 14 students and now has an enrollment of 125 girls. The student body includes international students from 18 different countries, and domestic boarding students from 17 states and Washington, D.C. Day students make up 20 percent of the student body.The riverThe Rappahannock River is studied thematically throughout the St. Margaret's School experience. The river is brought into the academic, social, and athletic programs across and beyond the curriculum. Each year the entire school takes time in September to celebrate the river during River Days. Each grade level takes a trip to a different part of the Rappahannock River to see how the river changes during different parts of its journey. The eighth grade travels to the headwaters in the Blue Ridge Mountains, freshmen go to Fredericksburg above the fall line, sophomores stay in Tappahannock, juniors go to the Chesapeake Bay, and seniors see the ocean at Virginia Beach. Other annual river-themed activities circulate throughout the school year include kayaking and swimming in the river, Spring crew teams, raising oysters in Ecology class, art projects, the Parent Council Rubber Duck Derby, and the commencement ceremony on the back lawn overlooking the river.