• About the Campaign



    The Building on the Promise capital campaign supports the St. Margaret’s Episcopal School strategic plan and master campus development plan that include building a new Middle School campus and Performing Arts Center and the 21st Century Learning Initiative, among other needed resources.

    Click Here to read more.

  • “We Promise” Film


    View our short film to learn about the Building on the Promise Campaign and to view detailed 3D renderings of the planned Middle School and Performing Arts Center buildings.
News

Campus Construction Update 8/25

By admin | Published: August 27, 2010

We are pleased to share with you an update on our summer construction projects. Please see the points below and view a chronological photo gallery (click here) of the work that has been accomplished since our last update on July 30, 2010.

  • New grade 7 and 8 classrooms are complete. Teachers will begin preparing their rooms tomorrow to be ready the first day of school and we expect a formal Certificate of Occupancy this week.
  • The installation of Middle School lockers, picnic tables and landscaping is in progress.
  • Utility infrastructure work on campus to install power lines, transformers, water lines, storm drains and communication cables, in preparation for construction of the Performing Arts Center, is complete.
  • The new Wee Tartan Childcare Center is complete, and we expect licensing agency approval to occupy by the start of school.
  • Redevelopment of the Middle School parking lot and the new access road is ongoing and will be completed by the start of school.
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Mid-Summer Construction Update

By admin | Published: July 30, 2010

Dear Friends,

This is an update on the construction taking place that we told you about at the end of the school year. It’s half-way through summer and already so much has happened as you will see in this photo gallery [click here] or when you come to campus. Here’s an overview of what has been taking place:

  • The portable classrooms behind Highland Hall have been demolished and removed.
  • The Highland Hall parking lot has been excavated and graded to make way for the new access road to campus.
  • We are in the process of installing new underground electrical wiring, transformers, communications cables, storm drains and water lines in the Ortega Business Center, on the Gateway Field and in the Highland Hall parking lot, to prepare for new buildings.
  • On a portion of the Gateway Field, foundations have been poured for what will bethe new temporary home of 7th and 8th grades.
  • The pre-fabricated modular classrooms have started to arrive and will soon beinstalled on their foundations.
  • We’ve upgraded the fire alarm systems in the Wallace Hall building and arepreparing for the relocation of the Wee Tartan Center to this building.
  • A new home for the ceramic firing kilns is under construction close to the Middle School art room.

As you can see, much work is being done. This master campus development project is being overseen by our Director of Finance and Operations David Bush. We will continue to provide you with updates on construction activity. New traffic flow and parking policies will be sent in August.

For information about the Building on the Promise capital campaign, please contact Steve Harrington at 949-661-0108 ext. 318, or steve.harrington@smes.org, or visit www.smes.org.

For your personal safety and for the ongoing smooth operations of our various construction projects, please respect the construction fencing, caution tape, cones and signage when you are on campus.

We look forward to seeing you on campus soon,

Marcus D. Hurlbut

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Campaign Co-Chairs’ Letter to
St. Margaret’s Parents

By admin | Published: June 30, 2010

Dear St. Margaret’s Parent,

Three years ago, St. Margaret’s welcomed our family with open arms, and since then, we continue to be amazed and grateful with all of the opportunities St. Margaret’s offers our children. We both believe strongly in the mission of our school and feel the need to support the school both financially and with our time by volunteering. As a result, when asked, we were honored and thrilled to be the new co-chairs of the Building on the Promise capital campaign and to be taking over the reins from a very dedicated Stacey Nicholas, who will continue to be involved as a member of the Campaign Cabinet.

This year we have made great progress raising funds for this important project. With $5 million raised since September 2009, we now have over $16.4 million toward our $30 million goal. The Board of Trustees is confident that the momentum is on our side and now is the time to move forward with planning for construction. The goal is to move ahead with the building of the Middle School and Performing Arts Center simultaneously. This will enable the fastest construction completion timeline and allow us to leverage significant cost savings.

1. The actual cost of construction is 20-25 percent lower than levels in 2008 when we originally bid the project.

2. We will realize an approximate $1 million in savings by building both buildings at the same time.

One important factor is raising additional funds to support simultaneous construction. Many families have already extended their generous support, and we are eager to broaden the base of those who believe in this important endeavor and are willing to lend a hand. During the summer and fall, we will continue to work aggressively toward this goal by reaching out to the St. Margaret’s community asking for support.

If you have any questions, or would like to arrange a meeting to discuss the campaign, please feel free to contact us or Steve Harrington, Executive Director of Advancement, 661-0108 x312.

Let’s all join together and capture this moment of growth, finishing our campus and strengthening the educational opportunities for our children. It promises to be an exciting and fruitful experience for all of us.

With warmest regards to you and your family for a wonderful and restful summer,

Trace and Lauren Chalmers

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Exciting News: Public Campaign Launch

By admin | Published: March 5, 2010

Dear St. Margaret’s Families,

The past week has brought some very exciting news to St. Margaret’s. Last Saturday evening at Club 30, our 30th Anniversary Gala and Spring Fundraiser, we announced significant progress toward our campus master plan and the Building on the Promise capital campaign.

Over the past eight years, we have worked diligently to refine our campus master facilities plan which includes a new Middle School and Performing Arts Center, and other important facilities and resources for our school. On Tuesday evening, the San Juan Capistrano City Council unanimously approved our master plan for campus development. This is a tremendous achievement that has been years in the making. While some formalities associated with City Ordinances remain, this approval allows us to move forward with our building plans.

In addition, we have been engaged in a multi-year, “quiet phase” fundraising campaign to acquire the funds to make this master plan a reality. To date, we have raised more than $16 million! Thanks to early support from generous lead donors combined with the funds raised at the Club 30 gala, we are well on our way to our goal of $30 million.

The campus master plan and capital campaign are critical to our mission and essential elements of our strategic plan. The Board of Trustees and school administration are 100 percent committed to this project.

On Saturday, we debuted the following film that illustrates our plans and provides a virtual look at the new buildings.

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We are thrilled to launch the Building on the Promise public capital campaign. We have now reached important milestones and we are confident that we have the momentum to raise a significant portion of the remaining funds by the end of the school year paving the way for ground breaking in early fall.

To learn more, please visit the Building on the Promise website or contact Executive Director of Advancement Steve Harrington, 949.661.0108, ext. 318, stephen.harrington@smes.org.

Thank you for your continued dedication and support as we work to advance St. Margaret’s Episcopal School for the future.

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St. Margaret’s Receives Unanimous SJC City Council Approval on Campus Master Development Plan

By admin | Published: March 5, 2010

birdseyeSt. Margaret’s Episcopal School received unanimous approval from the San Juan Capistrano City Council on Tuesday evening for its campus master development plan. Before the vote at the City Council meeting, council members praised St. Margaret’s administrators for their friendly, collaborative and responsive approach to the City’s process and for the important contributions the school makes to the San Juan community.

“We are elated. The unanimous support and praise from our City Council was more than we expected. These plans are very important to the future of our school and pave the way for us to begin construction as soon as complete funding is in place,” said St. Margaret’s Headmaster Marcus D. Hurlbut. “At the same time, we have worked very hard to ensure our plans are responsible within the larger community and that we are conscientious and contributing citizens to the City of San Juan Capistrano. The positive remarks about St. Margaret’s from the Council members mean a great deal to us.”

“We sincerely thank the Council members and the City staff for working with us throughout this process in good faith and with thoughtful consideration of our plans and for the best interest of the San Juan community,” said Mr. Hurlbut.

In order to proceed with the campus master plan which includes constructing a new Middle School and Performing Arts Center, the school needed to receive approval from various city planning commissions and ultimately from City Council. This process has spanned several years and included City required environmental and fiscal impact studies to ensure no adverse community impact from the plan. The school’s construction plans for new buildings fall within City planning guidelines, including a 35-feet height limit on all buildings, and greatly improves traffic flow around campus.

Saturday at the school’s 30th anniversary gala, St. Margaret’s publicly announced the launch of its Building on the Promise capital campaign to raise the $30 million needed to complete the campus master development plan. The school has raised $16 million toward the goal and plans to break ground on construction this fall.

To read The Orange County Register story about the City Council approval, click here: http://www.ocregister.com/news/school-237225-san-juan.html

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