See What's Happening on Campus

Peggy Wilson Lawrence didn’t graduate from St. Mary’s, but you couldn’t tell that to Lawrence or any of her classmates from the class of 1973, who consider her a fellow alumna. Lawrence and her older sister spent their formative years at St. Mary’s. She remains grateful for her time at St. Mary’s and the friendships that began there.

Director of Libraries Jeanine Akers and Chair of the English Department Shari Ray began what felt like an impossible task. Their goal: selecting a title for an all-school summer read. Identifying a book that would resonate with all members of the St. Mary’s community—from 1st graders to faculty and staff—was a challenge.

This year, St. Mary’s Athletics launched a swim team for students in grades SK-5. Organized and led by Assistant Athletic Director Kendall Visinsky, the team aims to teach fundamentals and techniques to the youngest Turkey swimmers.

This past weekend, Performing Arts Teacher Taylor Ragan ’07 led a cast and crew of Upper and Lower School students in St. Mary’s production of The Sound of Music. The talented cast delighted the audience for six performances. This production would not have been possible without the hard-working stage crew.

Throughout February, students across campus celebrated Black History Month, studying how Black Americans have contributed to history, society, and culture. In each division, the faculty incorporated Black history into the curriculum in various ways.

Every year, Senior students are tasked with delivering one of the most introspective assignments of their St. Mary’s career, the Senior Speech. Each twelfth-grade student must speak to her peers in Chapel, reflecting on her St. Mary's experience. The tradition was introduced in 2005 by English Department Chair Shari Ray. The speeches aim to help the girls improve their public speaking and communication skills.

This morning, we inducted 43 Upper School students into the National Honor Society. The National Honor Society was founded in 1921 to recognize and encourage academic achievement, scholarship, character, service, and leadership. Our officers from the class of 2023, Anna Douglas Piper, Grayson Finks, Fia Arbelaez, and Gracie Shy, welcomed the newest members.⁠

During today's Chapel, 63 members of the Upper School were inducted into The National Beta Club. The National Beta Club promotes the ideals of academic achievement, character, service, and leadership. St. Mary’s Upper School students who meet the academic, character, and service requirements may apply for membership. The eligible students submit an application detailing what service and leadership means to them and what community service they have done. We welcomed 39 freshmen, 14 sophomores, 8 juniors, and 1 senior into Beta Club. 

“I love being a school counselor because I get to work in a dynamic environment surrounded by creative, talented, funny, smart, curious, and passionate people,” said Amy Poag.

As Director of Counseling and Upper School Counselor, Poag guides St. Mary’s oldest students through their teenage years, helping them navigate life as an young adult. 

As the 9th grade Mind and Body Wellness teacher, Jana Smigielski wants her students to have a holistic approach to health and fitness. Her class highlights mental health, self-management, and fitness skills which help to build a lifelong healthy lifestyle. 

“I get to offer a break in the school day for restoration, self-reflection, and a chance to grow,” said Smigielski. 

The highlight of North Campus Counselor Lauren Mitchell’s week is presenting the Caring Turkey award to Lower School students on Tuesday mornings. Each week, a student from each grade is recognized by her teachers or peers for demonstrating one of St. Mary’s Bridge to Caring character traits: respect, responsibility, thankfulness, kindness, self-control, honesty, courage, and cooperation.

“I love seeing middle school students develop their confidence, overcome obstacles, become more self-aware, and find their voice as they enter Upper School,” said Andrea Peredo. As Middle School Counselor, Peredo says she loves being a resource for girls during a period of such rapid development.

For our Middle and Upper School girls, Chapel is part of the daily routine. This pause in our school day allows students to reset, worship, and learn from others. 

Over the course of a school year, each senior shares her own speech, a reflection of her time at St. Mary’s. Sometimes we have special guests like nonprofit leaders or alumnae who share their stories. Other times, we get to hear from our faculty and staff. 

Congratulations to Leah Balkaran ’23! Balkaran was named a QuestBridge Scholar, an honor that includes a full scholarship to Washington and Lee University.

Two St. Mary’s students and a faculty member are helping to shape the global curriculum here and across the country. The school is one of 22 named as a Leading Partner in Global Dialogues by Global Education Benchmark Group (GEBG), a collection of K-12 schools that researches and establishes model practices in global education.

In fourth grade, students paired up to create a podcast about resiliency. The assignment was inspired by the novel Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan. In the podcasts, students discussed challenging moments in their own lives, what resiliency means to them, and how Esperanza’s story exemplified resilience. 

When it was time to apply to college, Addie Heehs ’22 wanted an experience that extended beyond the classroom. The Haslam Scholars program at the University of Tennessee has exceeded all her expectations. The highly-competitive scholarship includes study abroad, a paid internship, a stipend scholarship, an intensive thesis project, and a full scholarship.