A Peek Inside Saint James School
Our annual Kindergarten undersea unit has been a splash! Students have spent the past two weeks exploring sea life, underwater ecosystems, ocean geography, and coastal nature. This co-curricular unit covers reading, writing, science, art, and math. Students also enjoyed ocean themed centers, sensory activities, and crafts. Kindergarten is hotter under the water! #WeAreSaintJamesSchool
by: Lauren Taylor, senior
Lauren Taylor, class of ‘21, is an STJ Ambassador, member of Spanish Club, Interact Club, IPPRYL, and serves as the senior class treasurer.
Lauren on a college visit to the University of Washington.
Being a student at Saint James means being surrounded by a large amount of people who do nothing but support you. The teachers, counselors and other students push you to be the best version of yourself, as well as supporting the dreams that you have. The counselors at Saint James are incredible. They help you throughout the college application process, as well as being a support system for you. When students are in their junior and senior years, they are allowed college visit days, that allow them to go and look at prospective colleges and learn more about them. These college visits help us students get an idea of what college is like, let us scope out the area, and see if it is a right fit for us. We are also able to meet other students at the colleges, as well as the staff there. The administration is extremely supportive of the students as well, allowing them to go on these visits and make up any work that they may miss while they are out. Saint James also has a variety of schools come to speak to us. Typically, all the interested students meet in the college rep room and talk with the representative from the college. This gives us an opportunity to ask any questions that we may have and learn more about that specific school. This also helps us get an idea of what to expect during the college application process, and eases the nerves that we have about college. Personally, I would not have been able to get through this experience without the help of my counselor and teachers. They have helped me apply for scholarships, to colleges, and have even helped me decide what major to choose to prepare me for my future. I am extremely grateful for all of the help I have received, as it has made a lasting impact on me.
Lauren on a college tour of Seattle University.
During my own personal college search, I toured many colleges in Washington including the University of Washington, Seattle University, and Western Washington University. When I stepped foot on Seattle University’s campus I knew it was the school for me. I was able to look at the classrooms, meet teachers, and meet other prospective students. Once I committed to the school, I was able to meet with a counselor over zoom and talk about what major would benefit me best for my career goals. I plan to take the MCAT to get into medical school, so we found the major that is going to best prepare me for that test and my career. I will be majoring in biology and minoring in psychology! Go Redhawks!
In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, we would like to express our deepest gratitude to the men and women who teach our children each day! They have been unwavering in their love and dedication to their students. Through their extra work and willingness to problem-solve through an extremely challenging year, we have been able to remain open and in-person this school year. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts! We are Trojans, 24/7
This past Saturday, Coach Jimmy Perry was caught by surprise as the Trojans football team loaded up trucks and drove though the Montgomery Kidney Walk at Riverwalk Stadium. The Alabama Kidney Foundation is a nonprofit benefitting local kidney patients in need. The annual kidney walk provides financial assistance to low-income dialysis and transplant patients, kidney disease education and awareness, and various patient support services. This year’s socially distanced walk raised more than $100,000 and counting. Volunteers, past patients, and supporters of the Alabama Kidney Foundation enjoyed the beautiful spring weather and fun activities at this year’s walk. Saint James School is pleased to support such a wonderful cause.
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Saint James School is so proud of Coach Jimmy Perry, who served as the patient chair this year. We are thankful for his younger brother, Scott Perry, who saved his sibling’s life when he was a kidney donor over 20 years ago. Saint James School is proud to support Coach Jimmy Perry and Scott Perry.
The beloved children’s book, “Hey, Little Ant,” by Phillip Hoose, Hannah Hoose, and Debbie Tillery, is a favorite among STJ kindergarteners. Students read this book during their insect unit each spring. The book connects English Language Arts, science, and ethics. The book was written to show us a different perspective and help us empathize with insects. Students discussed the dilemma of whether the boy should “squish” the ant or not. There is no definite conclusion to the story, so the students get to use their imaginations and decide the ending. They get to choose what they themselves would do. Students then practiced their writing and spelling skills to display in the pod.
During the inset unit, students learn about insects, their life cycles, and metamorphosis. Each classroom also houses caterpillars and watches them build cocoons. Students patiently wait for their butterflies to emerge and end the unit with a fun bug hunt around campus.
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#WeAreSaintJamesSchool
by: Kate Rees, junior
by: Kate Rees, junior
state champion, Bailey Anderson
Tennis season at Saint James starts in late January and runs through April. We have a JV and Varsity Girls team and a Boy’s Varsity Team. The Varsity Girls’ coach is Geoff Warning at Lagoon Park. The Varsity Boys’ coach is Ben Bradshaw at O’Conner. Tryouts are typically held in November. I am on the Girls’ Varsity tennis team here at Saint James. I enjoy playing tennis and having the opportunity to represent STJ on an athletic team is a unique honor. I also enjoy getting to know my teammates. We have players in grades 7th-12th! The team bonds over the season and makes countless memories. Sometimes we reminisce over past events or matches, and we make new ones with new members. The friendships made are special. It is a privilege to have a group working together towards the same goal to push and motivate one another. We wish each other happy birthdays, congratulate each other on other accomplishments, and reach out when someone is sick or injured. We practice after school Monday through Friday during our season. In late January, preseason practice begins and the first match is early February. Once we have our first match, we hit the ground running! We have matches through April and wrap up with Sectionals to qualify for State. Most matches are played in town, but we enjoy traveling for out of town matches. One match consists of three doubles lines and six singles lines. Five wins are needed to win a match. Saint James has had both Boys and Girls State Champions in tennis. The Varsity Girls Team won the State Championship in 2019. Our daily practices include warmup, drills, scrimmages, conditioning, and serves. During matches, players cheer for teammates on adjacent court. Whether you are having a hard match or made a good shot, it is uplifting to have your peers encourage you!
Last week, we had both the girls and boys varsity teams compete in the 4A Sectional Tournament at Lagoon Park in Montgomery. We had a fantastic end to the season, with senior Bailey Anderson taking home a 4A-5A AHSAA state championship for singles line 6. Congratulations, Trojans!
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Mr. Beach’s environmental science class enjoyed a campfire favorite, minus the fire. Students engineered their own solar ovens made out of boxes and aluminum foil to cook s’mores. Solar ovens use the sun’s light to heat without electricity, fuel, or any emissions. During the class period, the solar ovens heated the marshmallow and chocolate to make clean, delicious, scientific treats.
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by: Mary Rodgers Prim, junior
Here at Saint James, we have many fun options for elective classes to take. One of the options is Survey of Sports Medicine, Physical Therapy and Related Professions. In this class, students get the chance to learn how athletic trainers and physical therapists do their job. I am in this class and am very interested in going into this field when I go to college, so this class is the perfect opportunity to get a head start on learning! The class is taught by Victoria Henderson, STJ’s very own athletic trainer. We learn all about the anatomy and physiology of the human body, and go in depth learning about rehabilitation from injuries. This week, we learned how to tape ankles, elbows, and wrists and what kind of tape to use for certain injuries. Later in the year we will learn how to cast broken limbs. This class is perfect for students looking to go into the medical field of physical therapy, or just want a fun elective to learn more about the human body.
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Students have the opportunity to fulfill Red Cross CPR certification
Two bits, four bits, six bits, a dollar. All for the teachers, stand up and holler!
In lieu of our our regularly scheduled faculty meeting, teachers enjoyed a surprise appreciation pep rally on the quad. The Saint James Trojans marching band and varsity cheerleaders performed spirit chants and the fight song. Our Head of School, Dr. McLemore, thanked the teachers and handed out Nancy’s Italian Ice. After a challenging year with many unknowns, our faculty and staff have stayed positive and flexible. We can’t thank our teachers enough!
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Our Saint James School kindergarteners had a “blast” learning about space and our galaxy. Students enjoyed age-appropriate lessons about how planets orbit, stars and meteors, and the phases of the moon. Students also created a solar system mural and learned facts about each planet in The Milky Way. We also had fun imagining and illustrating our own imaginary planets and displaying them in the kindergarten pod.
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Recently in the elementary technology lab, Mrs. King’s kindergarten class made a digital book. They continued their space unit while learning how green screen and chroma key visual effects work. With the guidance of technology teacher Tina Waggoner, students used an app called Green Screen by Do Ink to merge photos of us that were taken in the green room with images of astronaut suits. Students then merged the new astronaut images with images from space to create a new image. Finally, each student added his/her own photo and voice recording to a digital book using the app Book Creator. We hope you enjoy the final product! Kindergarten is truly out of this world!