Thistle 2023

THISTLE

ST. MARGARET’S SCHOOL

Table of Contents

Board of Governors

(see photo)

Elizabeth Hinton Crowther ’75 - CHAIR

Carl A. Strock - VICE CHAIR

Kate-Rucker Penn Taylor ’83 - SECRETARY

Bette Jones Albert ’68

Beth Crowther Angle ’97

Margaret Robinson Broad - HEAD OF SCHOOL EMERITA

Charlotte Haile Frischkorn ’58 - GOVERNOR EMERITA

Patricia Gallagher

Tara Garner ‘96

L.H. Ginn III H‘17

Clint Gulley II P’22

Mary Anne Hopkins ’69, P’97, P’03

Dana G. Jones, J.D. LL.M P’22

Natasha Kollaros Laster ’93

Ellen M. LeCompte ’71

Kelly Williams McCaskill ’92

William Tyson P’11

Sarah Dillard Pope ’86, P’21

Margaret Shepherd Ray ’61 - GOVERNOR EMERITA

Jane Whitt Sellers ’71

Patricia Webb ’03 - ALUMNAE ASSOCIATION REPRESENTATIVE

Henry R. Broaddus - PRESIDENT, CHURCH SCHOOLS

Jack Broadway - TREASURER, CHURCH SCHOOLS

Alumnae Association Board Officers

and Members

Patricia Anne Webb ‘03 - PRESIDENT

Mary Catherine Boyd ‘90 - VICE-PRESIDENT

Erika Sheldon Gibson ‘07 - SECRETARY

Bette Jones Albert ‘68

Deborah Northern ‘76

Regina Esposito Morgan ‘84

Amy Taylor Avery ‘87

Lavinia C. Jackson ‘90

Erin Porter ‘95

Emily Fisher Howell ‘02

Nicole Lane ‘03

Michelle Hummel Ruff ‘07

Linh Tran ‘10

Miatta Kingg ’12

WE VALUE OUR CLOSE ST. MARGARET’S COMMUNITY

St. Margaret’s diverse community of students and families, alumnae, neighbors, and friends means so much to the school and we appreciate the close ties we share. Please help us stay connected. Plan a visit to campus soon, attend school events, read and share the communications we send, especially the e-newsletter sent by our alumnae association president each month. Send us your class notes to be included, and consider referring a student to St. Margaret’s. Contact our Office of Development at ebell@sms.org to find out more about how you can help us maintain a vibrant school community.

The Thistle, is produced by the St. Margaret’s School Development and Communications offices. Visit our website to find more information about programs and events at www.sms.org.

Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to ensure the information contained in The Thistle magazine is accurate. Please accept our apologies if there is an error, and bring it to the attention of the Director of Development, Edwina Bell, ebell@sms.org.

From Our Leadership

St. Margaret’s girls are in a transformational age and always have been, but we are holding fast to our tenets of charity, grace, and scholarship. The polarizing politics and the malice infecting many of our nation’s schools have no place at St. Margaret’s. Our new Director of the Wheat Center leads us in innovative learning and, with equal importance, a student’s well-being. The recent and alarming reports on the despair among young girls are ominous. Schools need a central pillar to withstand the weight of modernity. When Rev. Candine Johnson, our Chaplain, speaks of bullying as “killing another person’s soul,” God’s commandments anchor us in the name of St. Margaret’s. As for scholarship, we focus on how one thinks, not what one thinks. It is the perfect backdrop to celebrate our Centennial—an ideal time to reflect.

This month we are beginning work on a strategic plan. It is a fortunate opportunity to harness our emotions for St. Margaret’s and thoughtfully plan for her next century. As I walked the campus with a Head of School of a competitor, she said, “I had no idea the physical presence of the river; no other school has this.” As much as we will enfold the river in our curriculum, there is the work and preparation—the girls’ preparation to move into the world with confidence built on actual achievements. We need infusion from our alumnae out in the world to amplify and bring the contemporary form to function. What is the purpose of a St. Margaret’s education?

Anno Domini 1923 found St. Margaret’s School graduating her first class here on the lawn of the noble riverfront campus. It was the 1928 Book of Common Prayer that the school reached into to bring forth the dedication of soul and body to God’s service, with a

resolution to be growing daily in goodness: “As we grow in age, may we grow in grace.” It is our pillar.

Anno Domini 2023 now finds her 100th class preparing the same as we celebrate the school’s Centennial this Spring. The small Episcopal girl’s school remains the last Church School in the Diocese of Virginia, adhering to its original mission, a boarding and day school dedicated to an all-girls education. We seek to revitalize an educational experience for girls with “hands-on” learning by doing - a muscular Episcopal girls school in mind, body, and spirit. Let me challenge you as we prepare to welcome the Sisterhood of St. Margaret’s for its Centennial.

Brené Brown is a professor who concentrates her work on vulnerability, and leadership - she is also an Episcopalian. She wrote, “Courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen.” The time has come for St. Margaret’s to show yourselves. The courage that St. Margaret’s has instilled in her alumnae will show up to strengthen her, resolved in their lives on God’s earth to serve generations of girls to come. It’s time for each of you to return to the noble river of your youths and help shape St. Margaret’s in the image of each of you. This is growing in grace.

Faithfully yours,

Colley W. Bell III, Head of School

As I write, the St. Margaret’s girls are practicing for their Wizard of Oz production, preparing for crew and softball to begin, and beating the heck out of competitors with their basketball team!

Concomitantly, a small army of alumnae is crafting the Centennial Weekend and Alumnae Reunion (April 28-30) that will engage the largest group of St. Margaret’s graduates ever to return to the School. This anniversary year is also Viola Woolfolk’s 100th birthday. There are many reasons to return. We will cherish seeing friends and immerse in the School while participating in its renaissance.

St. Margaret’s is fortunate to have Colley Bell as our Head of School, and his wife, Edwina, as our Advancement Director. Frankly, the School had suffered to define itself and thrive over recent years, causing enrollment losses and financial stress. Because of the Bells’ expertise and commitment, and the Board of Governors’ attention, there is much excitement about St. Margaret’s School and conviction that we have a relevant future true to the School mission of inspiring girls to reach their full potential and make a better world.

Enrollment is growing. The girls represent diverse backgrounds and talents. They are challenged to learn with technology and handson experiences. The River Classroom on the new multi-function dock anchors a dynamic “STREAM” curriculum-with “R” denoting River. The faculty actively supports each student in a strong college prep program. We attract athletes with successful teams, and student life is positive and diversified.

Fundraising remains a significant goal for SMS. We have had a couple of record-breaking annual fund years, and we must have more. Please join me in making St. Margaret’s the beneficiary of your regular and important giving. Let’s get together at the River for the Centennial Alumnae Weekend in April to remind ourselves why St. Margaret’s deserves our support. I’ll see you there!

Elizabeth “Sissy” Hinton Crowther ‘75 Chair, Board of Governors

From the Alumnae Board President

DEAR SCOTTIES,

This April, my class will be celebrating its 20th class reunion. I can remember getting to campus and having my first River Day. I remember meeting my roommate (and soulmate) Merritt for the first time. Two years later, I remember wearing my white graduation dress and crying with my little lanterns, Suzanne and Lisa, when I had to leave campus for the last time as a student.

Evolution isn’t always linear. It has ebbs and flows, slowing down and speeding up. Never exactly looking like how you expected. We reach our goals and become ourselves in our own time. And even then, that road is laid with obstacles, breaking points, and occasional unprecedented times. This is where Grace comes in.

I believe that St. Margaret’s is a living, breathing entity, forever adapting and evolving with each year and class. My SMS isn’t like yours, isn’t like my grandmother’s from 1954, and won’t be like the SMS in 10 or 20 more years in the future. Call it a phoenix or a reincarnation or a revival, but we’re seeing new life in the school community and culture.

What you are holding, The Thistle, is a testament to the longevity of this school. It paints the bigger picture of our community from our youngest students through 100 graduating classes. I hope when you are reading and seeing what your sisters are up to, that you also feel a sense of pride; Pride in seeing just how far this school has come and in knowing that you are a part it.

In the last Board of Governors meeting, our Alumnae Association was referred to as The Sleeping Giant. We are capable of doing so much and touching so many lives through our school. How amazing would it be to see the full force of what our alums could do, not only with their gifts but with their time? And what better time than now to rise and make that commitment?

Two thousand women actively lifting up our next generation and keeping the St. Margaret’s mission alive: To Educate and Empower Young Women for Life. Inspiring them to reach their full potential and make a better world.

I hope you all will join us April 28-30th in Tappahannock for Centennial Weekend. We will be celebrating with our Centennial Gala, our annual Alumnae Reunion, and we will be joining our current students and families for Spring Family Weekend. This is a huge event, and I’d love for our alumnae to make their presence felt.

As we grow in age, may we grow in grace.

Patti Webb ‘03

Alumnae Association President 2021-2023

EVERY 2ND MONDAY OF THE MONTH 8PM ET ON ZOOM

To join our mailing list, contact Book Club co-chairs, Nicole Lane ‘03 and Michelle Ruff ‘07 at alumnae@sms.org

The following classes do not currently have a class agent volunteer. If you are interested in serving as a class agent, or have questions about the position, please email ebell@sms.org

On November 16, St. Margaret’s School gathered to celebrate St. Margaret’s Day and to commemorate Viola Woolfolk’s 100th Birthday.

Alumnae joined students and faculty for a commemoration in the St. Margaret’s Chapel and they walked together to St. John’s Episcopal Church for the service led by The Rev. Candine Johnson. Following the service, alumnae gathered for a reception in the Brockenbrough House.

A Tribute To

“... And now we go to St. Margaret’s,” said the Rabbit. “What is that?” asked Alice brightly. “A girls’ school,” answered the Rabbit. Alice’s face fell. “Do we have to go?” “Oh, my ears and whiskers, do we have to go? My dear young lady, we are blessed to go. We have been invited. We are there!” - They were whisked jauntily into the Inner Sanctum. Miss Woolfolk looked up over a pile of papers in surprise. “Posture!” she murmured automatically. Alice stood straighter, and the Rabbit came to attention. Alice wriggled. “At ease,” said Miss Woolfolk. “Sit down, please, and I will tell you of my thoughts about St. Margaret’s girls… I love them.”

SCAN HERE WITH YOUR MOBILE DEVICE

100 CELEBRATING YEARS

St. Margaret’s Centennial Celebration & Alumnae Reunion Weekend

Hurry back to campus! St. Margaret’s School will be celebrating its Centennial and Reunion Weekend on April 28-30. We have a wonderful line-up of events to celebrate our school’s Centennial and to relive our cherished memories as alumnae. We hope you will join us for any and all of these celebrations!

The school is opening A-House for anyone that would like to stay, free of charge. Sign-up online at www.sms.orgCentennial Weekend Tab - for the events you wish to attend and make a secure payment. If you have questions, please email Amber Hundley at ahundley@sms.org or call (804) 443-3357

The 1973 Junior Varsity Basketball Team

FRIDAY, APRIL 28:

SATURDAY, APRIL 29:

Reunion Registration

Brockenbrough House, 5pm-9pm

50th Reunion Event for the Class of 1973

For further details, email ahundley@sms.org

Reunion Cocktail Party Buffet Dinner

Brockenbrough House, 5pm-9pm

Lantern Ceremony

Under the tent on the SMS Lawn, 7pm-8pm

Brunch Reception with former and current faculty members

Brockenbrough House, 8:30am-10am

Strategic Plan Break-Out Sessions

10am-11:30am

Alumnae Art Show in SMS Hall

Opens Saturday 2pm and concludes Sunday at 3pm Waterfront is open throughout the afternoon

Centennial Gala event

Cocktail Reception and Dinner, 5:30pm-10pm

$100 per person, Invitations are in the mail

Continental Breakfast

SUNDAY, APRIL 30:

Brockenbrough House, 8am-9am

Charms Chapel SMS Chapel, 11am

Alumnae Association Lunch Meeting

Under the tent on SMS lawn, 12pm-1pm, $20 per person Waterfront is open throughout the afternoon Barbecue

Under the tent on the SMS Lawn, 5pm-7pm

S.T.R.E.A.M.

A New STEM-Based Vision at St. Margaret’s

LARRY FOULK, Dean of Faculty

“Tradition has it that the gentlemen of the Board, when seeking a suitable location for the school, happened to look over the present site (on the shore of the Rappahannock River) one evening as the moon was rising over the river, and the shear beauty of the scene so enchanted them that their decision to locate on the western bank in Tappahannock was spontaneous.”1

From the very beginning, St. Margaret’s School (SMS) and the Rappahannock River have been synonymous. Therefore, it can stand as no great mystery that the Rappahannock River has always occupied a special place in the life of the school. Whether in the hearts and minds of the gentlemen who worked so hard to find an appropriate location for an all-girls Episcopal school in the Middle Peninsula-Northern Neck area of Virginia in the early 20th century or whether, as Anne Norvell Rice Gray (‘65) stated more recently…

“Maybe it’s no accident that St. Margaret’s sits on the banks of a great river, rising from Chester Gap in the hills of Rappahannock County, and flowing 184 miles to the Chesapeake Bay.”2

…it makes all the sense in the world that for the next 100 years of her existence, SMS not simply exists as a school along the

river inviting her people to reflect for themselves what the river means to them but that she embraces her identity as a school whose river has something to teach the Sisterhood.

A number of special students and faculty have dreamed of the potential for the river’s lessons to help inform the school’s academic, athletic, and residential programs and offerings. Now, thanks to the forward-thinking and well-seasoned leadership and planning of Colley Bell, Head of School, and Cupper Dickinson, Dean of School, SMS has launched a most unique STEM-based vision that will be nurtured and developed by other members of the Administrative Team who have been hired to make the vision a reality. This vision, of course, is called S.T.R.E.A.M., and it makes perfectly clear the centrality of the presence of the Rappahannock River’s lessons in the life of SMS.

As concerns an academic vision, S.T.R.E.A.M. stands for Science, Technology, River, Engineering, Art, Math. Under the leadership of the Dean of Academics, Susan Foulk, and the Dean of Faculty, Larry Foulk, intentional and deliberate steps are being taken to ensure that teaching-learning culture embodies and personifies the best that private, independent education has to offer both faculty and students as the work they come together to do is imbued with a certain curricular mission. To this end, the mission of S.T.R.E.A.M. is further expressed by the words, “... to practice higher-order thinking skills and to develop necessary research,

design, production, and communication skills to create and to employ solutions to real world problems in order to benefit the here and now with the promise to have a positive impact in the broader world beyond the banks of our Rappahannock River.”

New courses like Engineering, River Studies, and Humanities & the River are being offered to students and taught by faculty who are true content-knowledge experts in these fields. Additionally, faculty teaching required courses are executing assignments centered around S.T.R.E.A.M. topics. The weekly schedule was reconfigured for the 2022-2023 school year to allow faculty time to brainstorm and collaborate by divisions and departments as well as on a one-to-one basis. Visionary leadership in the academic arena has contributed to the opportunity to welcome Friends of the Rappahannock (FOR) to use their very own office space on the SMS campus. This partnership is spawning opportunities like Lobby Day (January 30, 2023) in which a select group of upper-level students study local interests of groups like the Garden Club of the Middle Peninsula in the context of law-making in order to be prepared to speak with representatives of the Virginia General Assembly in the capital of Richmond, Virginia.

S.T.R.E.A.M. is, however, more than just an academic model for the 21st century. SMS is committed to serving her students… mind, body, and spirit. To this end the acronym also stands for Stewardship, Teamwork, Reverence, Equity, Agility, Mindfulness. Life lessons associated with these words are as crucial to a student’s learning as are the academic ones. SMS appreciates now more than ever that character development is paramount for her students. S.T.R.E.A.M. in this case is “a model for the development of character among the Sisterhood centered around the example of St. Margaret and the needs of the world today and informed by our environment, especially the presence of the Rappahannock River in our lives…past, present and future.” Just as the word River helps center SMS to her riverinspired identity, here the word Reverence helps center SMS to her Episcopal identity.

of the steps that must be taken to be good stewards of the environment by routinely doing the work to support a recycling program. .

Again, the words of Anne Norvell Rice Gray may reflect the truth of matters best, “Heraclitus said that you can never step in the same river twice. When we come back to gather on those banks, we see that we are still the same girls we were on the first goround, but that the petty foolishness of youth has evaporated, and we have the arcs of our lives to share. The past, the present, and the future are one.”3 S.T.R.E.A.M. is a new curricular vision serving the needs of new students and their families for a new century, and SMS maintains its mission, and its identity as an all-girls, Episcopal boarding school always believing that “As we grow in age, may we grow in grace.”

Athletic programming and residential offerings help round out SMS’s efforts to provide a holistic experience that both honors her historic and traditional values but does so with the needs of students of the 21st century in mind. From yoga on the school beach to the reinvigoration of a Crew program, Dean of Athletics, Cornelius Snead, is applying his years of experience cultivating winning sports teams while forging character of a good and purposeful kind. Only then will students as teamplayers know the true meaning of success. Residentially, the Dean of School, Cupper Dickinson, ensures students have the opportunity to participate in clubs and weekend activities that teach them the value of caring for God’s creation and serving others. They have the opportunity to learn just how agile one’s reaction time must be to harness the powers of the wind and the tide. Students discover the relevance of being mindful

From the very beginning, St. Margaret’s School (SMS) and the Rappahannock River have been synonymous. From the Head of School to her Deans on to her students, all are just beginning to experience the transformative power of S.T.R.E.A.M. It makes all the sense in the world that for the next 100 years, SMS will lead the educational community in both academic and character development of young girls as she did for the last 100 years!

1The Staff, “St. Margaret’s School” as part of the article “Education in Essex County, 1776-1976,” The Essex County Historical Society Bulletin vol. 17 (May, 1980) <https://ecmhs.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/ bulletin-vol-17.pdf> January 21, 2023.

2Anne Norvell Rice Gray, “In Celebration of the Golden Thistle Society, In Memory of Its Founder,” The Thistle, An Annual Magazine for Alumni and Friends Tappahannock, VA: St. Margaret’s School, 2014. School, 2014.

3Anne Norvell Rice Gray, “In Celebration of the Golden Thistle Society, In Memory of Its Founder,” The Thistle, An Annual Magazine for Alumni and Friends Tappahannock, VA: St. Margaret’s School, 2014. School, 2014.

S.T.R.E.A.M. in Action!

HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF OUR FACULTY MAKING OUR CURRICULUM COME ALIVE IN THE CLASSROOM AND OUTDOORS!

Students in Ms. Harvey’s “Foundations of Music” class headed to the river to gather and create “nature instruments.” They were challenged to think like those who lived in the area hundreds of years ago. Later students presented their instruments to the class and explained some of the elements of music they used.

On a sunny day in January, Ms. Krupa’s chemistry class hopped aboard a pontoon boat to test the river water on both sides of the bridge for dissolved oxygen and total phosphorus.

In Dr. Ni’s engineering class, students learned how to measure various electrical power levels, including 110V AC electrical power, 9V, and 1.5V DC battery power. They learned how to handle regular AC power wire connections correctly and use insulated rubber tape. Students are learning the basic skills of daily electrical uses and will continue to learn more in-depth concepts of electrical engineering.

Students in Physical Science are using the second semester to build a model of the Rappahannock River and its surroundings.

Dr. Jun Ni’s engineering class learned about the basic technology of solar energy using solar panels, technically called Photovoltaics (PV) modules. This was the perfect opportunity to have class outside in the new outdoor classroom that has nine solar panels. Dr. Jun Ni invited Mr. Russell Phillips, a member of the school’s facilities staff who installed the panels, to describe each component of the roof-solar-panel module, and each unit’s installation. Students enthusiastically raised many questions. Following this lecture, students learned detailed principles, engineering processing during solar panels grid design, mechanical and electrical installations, as well as inspection procedures.

Such a real-world application stimulates students’ thinking and provides them with an opportunity to promote this green energy source in the community.

In Art Foundations class, students gathered items found on the river bed and used them as reference for their still life paintings.

In Mr. Brunner’s humanities course The River: Literary, Artistic and Scientific Perspectives, students took a field trip to the Essex County Museum, where they learned about the 18th-century oyster wars of the Rappahannock River and Chesapeake Bay. Two of the students in the class are natives to this region, and even they had never heard of fierce battles that were once waged over oyster harvesting in this area.

As We Grow

in Age, May We Grow in Grace.

Crew Returns to St. Margaret’s

On a day last Fall, it was a chilly early morning on the Rappahannock River as members of St. Margaret’s crew team grab their oars to begin practice. The sun is rising over the water, and the girls are listening to instructions from their coach Rebecca Newman. She is a well-known name in the rowing world. Newman is the Program Director and Head Coach at William and Mary and Director of Sculling and Technique at Williamsburg Boat Club (WBC). In fact, she is one of the few Level 3 rowing coaches in the country. It’s the highest level a coach can attain, similar to a Master’s in rowing.

Last summer, Newman got a call from Bruce Lifka, President of WBC, who connected her with SMS Athletic Director Cornelius Snead. Snead asked for her help to get the crew program up and running again at St. Margaret’s.

“I believe in women’s programs,” Newman said in a phone interview. “Rowing is the ultimate team sport. Your teammates need to show up. If they don’t, you can’t fill your boat. It is the ultimate ‘rely on each other’ sport and makes girls realize how important teamwork is.”

Newman has placed over 60 women into college rowing programs across the county. “The sport gives you an opportunity to get into a college, and opens the door for scholarships. It’s also a sport you can do until you’re 90 years old. We call it ‘a sport for life.’”

At the directive of Head of School Colley Bell to “return to the River,” the crew program is undergoing a renaissance at St. Margaret’s. The sport was extremely popular in decades past when girls would don their varsity crew jackets. That comes as no surprise because the school’s location makes it ideal for a thriving program. Newman explains, “The Rappahannock River is the dream. It has low traffic and it’s very wide. It’s a perfect place to learn the sport of rowing. Also, it’s beautiful!”

And so, at the start of the 2022-23 school year, St. Margaret’s girls were back on the Rappahannock learning the fundamentals of rowing and the mental toughness the sport requires.

“They realized that rowing is not just jumping in and rowing away,” said Newman. “It’s repetitive motion. You have to practice that stroke and be patient and be kind to yourself if you are making a mistake. I told the girls, ‘You are learning, and there’s always going to be a stroke after this one.’”

Now that spring has arrived, the rowing team is back on the water, and girls are getting closer and closer to competing. They are working on their stroke daily and will be scrimmaging with local schools that have rowing programs.

By Fall 2023, the St. Margaret’s crew team anticipates girls will take part in real competitions 4s and 8’s. The rapid success of St. Margaret’s crew is also made possible by the Virginia rowing community, which has offered guidance and lent boats to the program. This spring Libby Bieri and Jen Sagan are coaching the crew team with their competitions.

Keep up to date on the progress of the team by following along on St. Margaret’s social media channels. If you are interested in helping out St. Margaret’s crew team, donating a small boat, or pledging a financial gift to the program, please contact Edwina Bell, ebell@sms.org.

YOUR HELP. The Admission Office Needs

Do you know a friend or family member who is looking for an Episcopal education? As a part of St. Margaret’s Alumnae Network you can help spread the word about the school to prospective families.

HERE ARE THREE WAYS TO HELP:

REFER A FAMILY

Encourage family and friends to visit www.sms.org where they can register for our Admissions Open House events and schedule a campus tour.

SUBMIT AN ONLINE REVIEW

Share your experience at St. Margaret’s by posting a review on Google, Boarding Schools Review, and Niche.

St. Margaret’s is an Episcopal girls’ school for boarding and day, grades 8-12, and postgraduate, on the banks of the Rappahannock River in Virginia. 2/ 3/

FOLLOW, LIKE & SHARE

Make sure you are following St. Margaret’s School on Facebook and @scottiepride on Instagram.

QUESTIONS? CONTACT THE ADMISSION OFFICE: 804.443.3357 / admit@sms.org 1/

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THE WATER. An Education by

JONATHAN A. COOK, SMS English Faculty Member

In the first chapter of Moby-Dick, Herman Melville noted the hypnotic appeal of water to the land-bound population of Manhattan, who regularly congregated on the shoreline to watch the ships entering and leaving the port of New York: “Circumambulate the city of a dreamy Sabbath afternoon. . . . What do you see? Posted like sentinels all around the town, stand thousands of mortal men fixed in ocean reveries.” As the introduction to a novel set on the oceans of the world and dramatizing a potent blend of psychological, philosophical, and religious themes, Melville’s narrator Ishmael details the mystical lure of rivers, lakes, and the sea throughout this first chapter, all illustrating his belief that “meditation and water are wedded forever.”

In his cabin on Walden Pond, Henry David Thoreau in Walden similarly explored the varied potentialities of water for profound spiritual reflection, combining his insights on social reform, natural history, and transcendental faith into a compelling literary chronicle of plain living and high thinking. As he remarked at one point in his chronicle, “I am thankful that this pond was made deep and pure for a symbol.” So, too, in his lesser-known earlier work, A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers, which combined observations on travel, social commentary, and natural history originally made during a canoe trip with his older brother, Thoreau was similarly inspired by the meditative qualities of water found on the two New England rivers evoked in his title. So it would seem that some classic American literature—and let’s not forget Huckleberry Finn—is steeped in the creative possibilities and philosophical depths associated with various bodies of water, whether ponds, rivers, or oceans.

St. Margaret’s School on the southern bank of the Rappahannock River is blessed with a similarly alluring location by the water, inviting daily meditations on the beauties of nature and offering instruction in a broad range of disciplines including science, history, art, literature, and athletics. A haven

for wildlife, the lower Rappahannock is a tidal estuary that sees the river flow both down to the Bay and back up toward Fredericksburg throughout the day, providing an outdoor laboratory for instruction in biology, chemistry, natural history, and environmental preservation. In its winding two-hundred mile length from the foothills of the Blue Ridge to the expanses of the Chesapeake Bay, the Rappahannock has also been a witness to several key phases of American history. With its name derived from an Algonquian word for “where the tide ebbs and flows,” the history of the Rappahannock—of which the town’s name of “Tappahannock” is a variant—even goes back to the very beginnings of the English settlement of the Virginia colony, with Captain John Smith having passed through the region during his legendary peregrinations. So, too, its lower stretches have also been witness to key scenes of the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the Civil War, as one can learn from Tappahannock’s informative local history museum. (cont’d)

As an inspiration for artists, the Rappahannock seen from St. Margaret’s School invites the viewer to enjoy its expansive vistas, from the sunrise seen through the morning mists of its eastern lower reaches—a sight worthy of an Impressionist painter—to the twilight world of the shoreline, with its wetland preserves harboring varied species of birds and aquatic life. Every day by the Rappahannock thus presents one with a new watercolor painting seen from the picture windows of the student Dining Room, whether at breakfast, lunch, or dinner. In the English classrooms at St. Margaret’s as well, one can also gain instruction in some of the classic literature associated with rivers by Twain, Conrad, and others, for which the nearby river outside serves as compelling illustration and example. Finally, as a unique opportunity for both recreational and athletic boating, the Rappahannock River during the fall and spring invites the presence of students engaged in the rigors of crew or traveling in a variety of watercraft including kayaks, sailboats, pontoon boats, and motorboats. (In my younger days, I myself once took a memorable two-day canoe trip down the Rappahannock from Warrenton to Fredericksburg.) In all these areas of academic instruction and physical well-being, the Rappahannock River is a true spiritual sister to the student sisterhood at St. Margaret’s School.

Support the Sara Morriss Society for Planned Giving.

SARA TAYLOR MORRISS ‘37 P’70 HAD A VISION FOR ST. MARGARET’S SCHOOL WHEN SHE BECAME ONE OF THE FIRST ALUMNAE TO REMEMBER SMS IN HER WILL.

She knew her gift would help St. Margaret’s build a foundation into the future, and the scholarship her bequest helped establish is a testament to her belief. St. Margaret’s honors her dedication to our school and the dedication of all who choose to give to St. Margaret’s in such a meaningful way, through the Sara Morriss Society for Planned Giving.

If you have already made a provision for St. Margaret’s School in your estate plans, please contact Edwina Bell, Director of Development ebell@sms.org or 804.443.3357.

If you are interested in naming St. Margaret’s School as a primary or contingent beneficiary of a will, trust, or retirement plan (e.g. IRA, SEP, 401(k), 403(b), ESOP, etc.), your attorney or the plan’s administrator with the company that manages the account can help you designate SMS as a primary or contingent beneficiary. Please contact us for more details.

Additionally, donors who are interested in a life income gift, such as a charitable gift annuity or a charitable remainder unitrust are eligible to become members of the Sara Morriss Society for Planned Giving. A life income gift can provide you and/or your loved ones with an income for the duration of your lives or for a specific number of years. You receive a current income tax deduction as well.

We honor and thank alumnae Anna D. Scott ’55 and Mary E. Harrison ’72 who made provisions in their wills that ensured St. Margaret’s future. By joining the Sara Morriss Society for Planned Giving, you are leaving a legacy that will ensure St. Margaret’s can continue to help young women reach their potential. This is truly the most graceful legacy of all, one which fulfills the St. Margaret’s motto: “As we grow in age, may we grow in grace.”

Class Notes

BETSY PARKER MCCOLL ’59

Writes, “I am eternally grateful for my two years at SMS. 63 years after graduation, I still have vivid and very fond memories of fellow students, faculty, the campus, and especially Viola Woolfolk.” Betsy and her husband are still living in the same house in Columbia, SC that they bought fifty years ago. She is still playing lots of tennis and is thankful for many blessings.

MARY “MOLLY” RYAN HOWLE ’66

She is still in Richmond. She writes, “I fill my time with charity work and friends. My son lives in L.A. and my daughter lives in NYC.”

PAGE ALLEN GROSECLOSE ’68

Her daughter Whitney married Lt. Eric Evans on April 30, 2022 and bought a home in Falls Church, VA which is close enough for occasional visits!

NANCY MCCLEMENT WAGGE ’68

Writes, “we are loving living on the Eastern Shore of Maryland after spending more than forty years on Long Island. I have seen Lyn Croxton Meushaw a few times, and am looking forward to our reunion next year.”

CECILIA DEMAREE ’70

She has retired from nursing and continues volunteer work including training service dogs.

ELLEN M. LECOMPTE ’71

SMS Board Member Ellen M. LeCompte recently published a second edition of the book “The Queen and the U.S.A.” commemorating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Details can be found at www.thequeenandtheusa.com. Ellen’s lifelong enthusiasm for Great Britain and the Monarchy began as a child when her grandmother gave her the book “The Little Princesses” to read one summer. When she was 13, her aunt, who traveled in Europe each summer to escape the Virginia heat, began taking her abroad, primarily to England. After graduating from St. Margaret’s, Ellen did a “Gap Year” winning an English-Speaking Union scholarship to attend boarding school in the UK. While at the College of William and Mary, she jumped at the opportunity to study a term at Christ’s College Cambridge. In 1999 she and her husband, Pettus, with another couple, purchased a cottage in the Cotswolds area of Britain where for 18 years she spent several weeks a year. In 2007 Ellen was part of the committee welcoming Her Majesty and British dignitaries to Virginia for the Jamestown 400th Celebration which led to collaboration on the book “The Queen and the U.S.A.” The first edition was published in 2012 honoring the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. A Commander with the Order of St John, one of the oldest chivalric orders in Great Britain, she currently serves as the US Priory Chancellor. Since 2003, Ellen has annually been recognized by Travel+Leisure magazine as one of the top 130 travel advisors in the country as a UK expert.

JANIE SELLERS ’71

She is finally starting to get used to retirement after 2.5 years. She writes, “I’ve been sleeping in more (love that!), getting more exercise (golf and pickleball being my main sports, with some dog walking on the side), doing some pro bono work and some non-profit board work, including SMS (thank you to all of you who have been supportive at my request and those of others during the transition years and to our faculty, staff and families). David is also retired and while we have delayed our retirement travel plans due to COVID, we began to venture out in 2022 with domestic travel to NY, PA, SC, and FL to be with family and overseas to Turkey and Greece in October 2022 to follow the route of St. Paul’s early journeys. We have been able to spend a good part of the last several summers in our mountain home in Bowling Rock, NC where it is much cooler than the Piedmont. Visitors are welcome!

Our big event in 2023 will be our son Whitt’s wedding in September. He is engaged to his girlfriend of several years, Chrissy Doughty, whom he met in NYC. She’s a Temple grad from PA and a video editor of TV commercials. Whitt is a

Members of the Class of 1971 gathered for lunch at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and enjoyed catching up. Those in attendance were Nita Enoch, Margo Hardy, Ellen Lecompte, Charlene Lee, Terry Long ‘70, ’71H, Renny Poole, Ginny Ritter, Janie Sellers, Nan Stinnett, Susan Taylor, and Marilyn Williams. For those of you who couldn’t make it, we missed you and hope you will be able to all be together on campus at Reunion Weekend this April 28th!

designer and developer of augmented and virtual reality programming and immersive experiences. Yes, I do have an Oculus Quest 2 VR headset, it is an amazing source of entertainment and exploration even though I stick to the very tame options. I’m happy that I’ve been able to spend time with my roommates Margo Woodin Hardy and Liz Glascock Freshwater over the years and that I saw a number of other classmates last spring at alumnae weekend and in the fall at St. Margaret’s Day.” Janie is looking forward to celebrating the SMS Centennial this spring with more of you and to the adventures to come as her class begins a new decade.

DANA FEW POPE ’77

Writes, “The Class of 1977 celebrated their 45th reunion in June.” My husband and I built a new house and moved in February of 2022. We have two grandchildren, Jack age 3 and Lily 7 months, they are within walking distance. My oldest and youngest daughter live in Durham and middle daughter lives in Wilmington.

FAY SPENCE ’79

Writes, “My daughter Amy graduated in February with her Associates Degree and passed her licensure exam as a Veterinary Technician. She has been working at Valley Animal Hospital for four years. Alison is working for the Federal Probation Office. Ironically, she now supervises some of my former clients. Anna is in 11th grade. I am still in the Federal Court, and November 15 I will be defending my dissertation proposal.”

JESSIE RICE ’82

Writes, “Just completed my 35th year as a pharmacist. My career has been rewarding! Enjoyed meeting with Cailes ‘23 and Mr. Bell in Lexington, Kentucky recently.”

PATTI WEBB ’03

Is enjoying her second term as Alumnae Association President. She still lives in Atlanta, GA with her husband Troy and twin daughters, Aeris and Zelda, 4. Over the last year, she’s enjoyed her trips back to Tappahannock as well as visits with Merritt Allaun ‘03, Charlotte Brown ‘03, and Ray Kurtis ‘03. She is a regular at Sisterhood Book Club with Nicole Lane ‘03 and Michelle Burch ‘07. In addition to her job as a Marketing Manager for Stylus Publishing, she is also a contributor and book reviewer for Childish Advice, a parenting and child development blog (www.childishadvice.com). She looks forward to seeing everyone at this year’s Centennial celebration and Alumnae Weekend, celebrating her class’s 20th Reunion.

SHERELLE TATE ’07

Gave birth to her son Kawytae Deon Norals Jr. on November 14, 2022, weighing 8lbs. She also started an Event Management/ Virtual Assistant company named Chatelaine Consulting, LLC based in Washington, DC.

ALIVIANA NAJJAR ’13

Will be graduating from Morehouse School of Medicine with her MD on May 20th and starts training as a surgeon on July 1st. Her goal is to complete a fellowship after residency to become a breast surgical oncologist. She writes, “as a first-generation college student, this is such a huge milestone that I had to share with my SMS community. I would not be the person I am today without the time I spent and people I met at SMS.”

Editor’s Note: In the Spring 2022 issue of The Thistle, we in error published a photo of Michelle Burch Ruff ’07 that was attributed to Florence Snyder ’09. We apologize for the error.

GABRIELLE VAN KAMMEN ‘21 on her time at St. Margaret’s School

The river is a large body of water in constant motion and stillness. In the morning, it sits without a single ripple, yet as the sky turns gray, it moves with a sense of urgency. It curves its way through the land and carves its way through for new prospects. The river teaches its spectators to take in life’s peaceful moments and “ride the waves” when life gets difficult. St. Margaret’s is like the river. It helps its girls build a solid foundation to enjoy the calm mornings and move through the inevitable stormy evening in life.

My name is Gabrielle Van Kammen, and I am a graduate of the class of 2021. Upon arriving at SMS in my sophomore year, I was hyper-focused on being a perfectionist. My goal was to get straight A’s and be the musical superstar while also staying out of people’s way. It was not until my first D on a World History test that I realized my perspective on getting through high school was a little closed-minded.

Over the years here at SMS, I began to open up. Instead of hiding in my textbooks, I found a group of friends and sisters that I could rely on to help me get through the rough waters. Instead of drowning in my failures, I began to ask for help from my teachers. This would not have been possible if my teachers’ had not created an environment where I felt my voice was being heard, and that they were there to help me improve myself, not just the letter grade on my transcript.

My History and English grades improved as my confidence in moving through those “stormy evenings” grew. St. Margaret’s was shaping me to be like the river. And it worked!

After experiencing my first year of college, I realized how much I took St. Margaret’s for granted. I didn’t realize how important the connections and lessons I learned here were until I made my next step in life. I can confidently say that I can speak to my professors without the fear of their disapproval. I can write a twenty-page thesis on quantum dots without procrastinating because I know how to structure and research my papers. I can take multiple timed exams within one day without feeling overwhelmed because I learned how to use my time wisely under high-stress situations. Most importantly, I can accept that my failures and imperfections make me unique and perfect in their way.

If I can give one piece of advice before this coming year, it is to watch the river daily. The river isn’t perfect, and neither are we. It ebbs and flows like we have perfections and flaws. It can be rough and tranquil like we can be angry and calm. Sitting outside for five minutes always reminded me that I could take on anything because if the river can, then why can’t we?

O St. Margaret’s, let’s go down Let’s go down, come on down O St. Margaret’s, let’s go down Down to the river to pray ...

Come home to St. Margaret’s

Mrs. Ann Williamson Beasley

GP’09 Lindsay Beasely Albritton’s grandmother

Ann, 92, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, July 27, 2022. She was preceded in death by her husband of fifty years, her three sisters, and her brother. She was born on February 15, 1930, in Asheville, North Carolina. She loved everything about her home state, a pride and appreciation that never diminished.

In 1951 she married Robert (Bob) Beasley and moved to Virginia Beach; but she never forgot her Williamson roots in western North Carolina. She was an active member of the Garden Club of Virginia, the Junior League of Norfolk, the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America, and Galilee Episcopal church, where she served for many years on the Altar Guild, and where her prodigious floral arranging talents shone.

She also enjoyed traveling, whether sailing the Rappahannock River or Chesapeake Bay with her husband or touring European cities with her longtime friends. She is survived by her children, Bobby Beasley (Franny), Allen Beasley (Barbara), and Katharine Parker (Tom). Her daughter Mary Ann Beasley passed away on Tuesday, August 2. Ann is also survived by grandchildren Will Beasley (Sarah), Meg Beasley, Bobby Beasley (Allison), Thomas Parker, John Beasley, Lindsay Beasley Albritton ‘09, Holley Peaseley (Lee), and her four greatgrandchildren. She will be greatly missed by all.

Mrs. Virginia Harvey Chewning ’48

Virginia passed away peacefully at her home, Wicomico View, on Tuesday, October 4, 2022. She was born in Baltimore, Maryland to Warner Hurst Harvey Jr. and Louise Siehler Harvey. Known by her friends as Ginny, she was an undergraduate music major at Richmond Polytechnic Institute. Ginny married her high school love, Robert Wills Chewning, soon after his graduation from the U.S. Naval Academy. Ginny and Bob traveled the world together as she accompanied him as a Navy wife during his thirty-year term of service.

Ginny’s lifelong love of music and theater led her to produce and act in many amateur productions. She also owned and operated Litchfield’s Little Shop in the Northern Neck of Virginia, where she sold antiques and other finery from her travels around the world.

She is survived by her husband of sixty-nine years, Robert Wills Chewning; her daughter and son, Carol-Winter Chewning Allen ‘74 and Rush Wills Chewning; daughterin-law, Joanne Chewning; grandsons, Robison Wills Allen (Anna Allen), Lee Brewer Allen (Bess Allen), Joseph Wills Chewning (Alison Schutt), Robert Collier Chewning (Jen Mann); and six great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her sister, Sue Harvey Edson, and her daughter, Virginia Sue Chewning.

Obituaries IN MEMORIAM

Mr. Carl Flemer III

“Fletch” passed away on June 30, 2022. He was born on January 16, 1946. He attended Fork Union

Military Academy, graduated from Christchurch School, attended William & Mary, and graduated from North Carolina State University with a BS in Horticulture. He joined the U.S. Army in 1969, where he spent three years as a commissioned rotary wing aviator with the 174th Assault Helicopter Company.

He went to work at Ingleside Nurseries in 1972 and became president of the company upon his father’s retirement in 1985. He was an accomplished nurseryman and developed Ingleside into one of the largest nurseries on the Eastern Seaboard. He served on the boards of the Virginia Farm Bureau, Peoples Community Bank, Christchurch School, St. Margaret’s School, and the Westmoreland County Wetlands Board. Fletch was also a founder of the Oak Grove Volunteer Fire Department. He was predeceased by his father, Carl Fletcher Flemer, Jr., and is survived by his mother, Shirley Hallock Flemer; brothers Doug Flemer (Nancy) and Christopher Flemer (April); his sisters Sherri Flemer and Sara Simpson (Kennedy); nieces Sara Wright (Rusty), Carlyn Flemer, and Tierney Jutzi (Joe); nephews Brad Pugh, Doug Pugh (Brenda), Jordan Flemer (Bekah), Will Simpson (Maggie), and Palmer Simpson (Jessica); great-nephews Ryan Pugh and Owen Simpson; great-nieces Kira Wright, Maia Wright, and Kennedy Jutzi; his former wife Darlene Flemer; his adopted brother John Hopkins (Mary Anne ‘69); his companion Joyce Gunderson; and his beloved Jack Russell Terrier Ace. Fletch lived life to the fullest.

The Rt. Rev. Peter James Lee Lee, 12th bishop of the Diocese of Virginia, died in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, on July 2,2022. He was 84. Lee served as bishop from 1984 to 2009. During his tenure as bishop, Lee ordained more than 200 people to the priesthood; helped to strengthen the church schools in the diocese; oversaw major capital improvements to the two diocesan conference centers, Roslyn in Richmond and Shrine Mont in Orkney Springs; developed a partner relationship with the Diocese of Christ the King in South Africa; and established a program to give financial assistance to diocesan youth to make mission trips. One of the hallmarks of Lee’s episcopate was his vote in 2003 to confirm the Rt. Rev. Gene Robinson, the first openly gay bishop elected in The Episcopal Church. While Lee eventually found his way to seminary, ordained ministry was not his first career. Prior to his call to ministry, he served as an Army intelligence officer, then as a journalist for several newspapers, including the Richmond TimesDispatch.He enrolled in Duke University Law School in 1963, but it was during his first year that he felt his call to ordained ministry. He graduated from Virginia Theological Seminary in 1967 and was ordained a deacon that same year. In 1968, he was ordained a priest. From 1968 to 1970, he served as assistant rector of St. John’s, Lafayette Square, in Washington, D.C. He then became rector of the Chapel of the Cross in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where he served from 1971 to 1984. He was elected bishop coadjutor of the Diocese of Virginia in 1984. He is survived by his wife, Kristina Knapp Lee, his daughter Stewart, his son James and several grandchildren.

Mrs. Sharon Neff Kerley ’68

“Sherry” passed away on Monday, August 22, 2022. She was preceded in death by her parents, Paul E. Neff and Pauline G. Neff. Sherry is survived by her husband, Malcolm T. Kerley (Mal); her children, Kate DeVriendt (Erik), Jenny Larkum (Michael), and Matt Kerley (Frances); her grandchildren, Jonah, Alice, Eli, Gabe, and Maya DeVriendt, and Eva, Paul, and Mac Larkum; and many other loving family and friends. She was born on November 17, 1949 and and graduated from The College of William & Mary in 1972. Moving to Richmond, she worked briefly before obtaining her teaching certificate to begin her career in elementary education. She was a wonderful, loving, and dedicated teacher who, to her husband’s amazement, would remember the names of her students and parents 25+ years later. Her career was interrupted to raise her children and she retired from teaching in 2001. Retirement allowed Sherry to travel with her husband, enjoy her grandchildren, and to actively participate in various groups and organizations. Among her many activities included the Chi Omega alumni group, PEO, St. Matthew’s Wedding Guild, Tri Club, Tuckahoe Woman’s Club, and serving as a docent at the Governor’s Executive Mansion. She will be remembered as a loving wife, mother, and Nonna, and as a loyal friend, lifelong educator, and gracious hostess with a flair for fashion.

Mrs. Antoinette Blankingship

Donovan ’50

“Tonie,” was born on September 30, 1932, and spent her childhood and early years with her brothers, Alexander Hugo Blankingship (Sally) and Wyatt Lackland Blankingship (Sue) in Havana, Cuba. She was preceded in death by her mother, Antoinette Woodward Blankingship; and father, the Right Reverend Alexander Hugo Blankingship, who was the last American Episcopal Bishop of Cuba.

She graduated from Mary Washington College in Fredericksburg, Va., and then earned her master’s degree in Spanish at the University of Salamanca in Spain. She was an elementary and high school Spanish teacher, a librarian and worked in the Episcopal Diocese of Va. bookstore in Richmond. Tonie loved to travel, swim and devour books. She also loved playing tennis, painting and singing in the choir at St. James Episcopal Church in Richmond. Tonie, affectionately called “Bama,” had three sons in two years, Christian John Donovan (Jacki), Anthony Madison Donovan, and Carey Shands. Bama had six grandchildren, Alexander “Zan” Donovan (Jesse), William “Will” Donovan (Catherine), Isabelle “Izzy” Donovan, Jessica “Jesse” Donovan (Trey), St. George Donovan, Anne “Zunny” Donovan ‘23 and one great-grandchild, Donovan “Van” Amend. Tonie will always be remembered for her subtle smile, sense of humor, compassion for racial equality and the less fortunate, and best known for telling it like it is.

Mrs. Anne Cary Dyal ’60

Anne passed away on Saturday, May 21, 2022. She was born July 15,1942 to Frances and Samuel Cary. While attending St. Margaret’s School, Anne met her husband, George Robert, who attended Fork Union Military Academy. They were married January 5,1963. She is survived by her children Bev, Rosa (Mark Pratt), and Virginia; grandchildren Desiree (Kevin Bloxom) and Erika; step grandson Dustin, one greatgrandson, Parker; Anne Bobzien, her best friend since childhood, Donna Pedigo, who was like a daughter, Thomas Davis, who she helped guide through life, and many special friends. She was preceded in death by her husband,George Robert, and her parents, Frances and Samuel Cary.

She will be especially remembered of her many years of volunteerism in her community; Habitat for Humanity, Salvation Army, Historical Society, Historical Committee, National Giving Alliance (65 years), Ware Episcopal School Clothing Program, Ware Church Inmates Kids Program, Toys for Kids/NGA, works with WXGM 99.1, Museum of History, Daffodil Parade,TRIAD,Christmas Parade-Grand Marshal coordination, and the American Heart Association.Anne never met a stranger, she always had a helping hand.

IT’S ALWAYS BUSY ON ST. MARGARET’S CAMPUS. HERE IS A GLIMPSE OF STUDENT LIFE AND FUN OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM.

St. Margaret’s School

P.O.Box 158 | 444 Water Lane

Tappahannock, VA 22560-9903

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

WITH ST. MARGARET’S SCHOOL & AYLETT COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL

• Sailing

• Swimming

• River Studies

• Wildlife Studies

• Tubing & ZUP-boarding

• Fishing

• Kayaking

• Motor Boating

• Team Building

• River Excursions

$550 / ONE WEEK SESSION