Saint Thomas Girl Chorister Course Staff
Our staff is carefully selected to create a professional, positive, and nurturing experience for each girl. Many staff are in residence at the Choir School throughout the course and participate in all aspects of the course (except rehearsals) with the girls, including meals and outings. We strive to build a sense of community among one another, create a high-level musical experience and encourage an environment of kindness and belonging.
Course Co-Directors
Claire Griffin
A previous Saint Thomas Girl Chorister Course participant and floor leader, Claire is excited to return to the course in a leadership role. She attended the Girl Chorister Course for nine years, and recalls it as the best week of her summers. During the school year, Claire is the School Nurse and one of the Houseparents for Saint Thomas Choir School, where she oversees daily residential life and tends to the emotional, social, and health needs of the choristers. After receiving her B.S. in Nursing from Appalachian State University, she worked as a nurse in both hospital and school environments in North Carolina before moving to New York to pursue her dream of working at STCS.
Claire lives at the Choir School with her two dogs, Ziggy and Buddy, and her husband. In her spare time, Claire enjoys walking in Central Park with her dogs, crocheting, cooking, playing tennis, exploring the city, and playing board games.
Claire’s favorite moment of the course has always been the first rehearsal in the gym, where you can hear the resonance of many voices becoming one and truly feel that you are part of a greater whole. She looks forward to working with the girls and creating the meaningful, transformative experiences that are unique to the Girl Chorister Course.
Margaret White
During the school year, Margaret is a full-time member of Saint Thomas Choir School’s residential faculty, teaching Latin to grades 6-8 and English to grade 5 and serving as Admission Associate. A lifelong New Yorker, Margaret attended the all-girls’ Brearley School for thirteen years and then Princeton University, where she earned her A.B. in English with minors in Theater and American Studies.
She began her career as a substitute teacher in all grades and several subjects at independent schools across Manhattan. After three years teaching middle school Latin and English at Marymount School of New York, she temporarily relocated to Massachusetts to earn her Ed.M. in Learning and Teaching at Harvard University. As a Choir School faculty member, a product of all-girls’ education, and a trained vocal musician herself, she is uniquely positioned to help oversee the next stage of the Girl Chorister Course.
Outside of the classroom, Margaret enjoys reading and writing stories for young people (she also holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults) and spending time with her dog, Blaze. Her other interests include musical theater, baking, board games, and learning new languages.
