From Garden to Table

Cristian Pintovidal, STJ Commons Dining Coordinator, harvesting herbs from the community garden with our Kindergarten students.

Fresh, fragrant herbs can really elevate a meal. It is a special privilege to have on-campus grown produce at Saint James School. For the first time this year, students were able to see (and taste!) their hard work!

Earlier this fall, Kindergarten students planted 50 herbs, including basil, cilantro, thyme, oregano, and rosemary in a special “Kinder-garden” bed within our school garden. Each kindergarten class took part in digging holes in the soil and planting all of the herbs.

Cristian Pintovidal and Travis Humphrey from the STJ Commons taught our Kindergarten students about harvesting fresh herbs.

After about seven weeks since the initial planting, the Kindergarten classes joined the school’s FLIK dining coordinators in the garden to harvest their herbs. The FLIK team was able to make a special connection between planting, growing, and harvesting plants. The FLIK team then prepared a delicious fresh basil and tomato salad with herbs harvested by our students as part of that day’s lunch selection. This project has truly been a joy! Memories have been made along with deep, hands-on learning connections that we can enjoy! #WeAreSaintJamesSchool

More Than A Garden

by: Jeremy Turner, Community Garden Co-Coordinator

The Paideia School in Atlanta, GA

This fall, Saint James garden co-coordinator Carissa Gibbons, middle school principal Dr. Shelaine Taylor, and I traveled to Atlanta to visit the Paideia School. The purpose of our trip was to tour their farm and see how they were able to use their farming and gardening areas to enhance the curriculum taught at their school. This trip also helped us see what ideas and methods we as STJ faculty could incorporate into our own garden at school.

Our farm tour guide was Tania Herbert, a 20 year teaching veteran. She was able to make the farm a place where both students and the community could work together. She explained how sustainable farming was the key to the continuation of a community as well as offering skills to others that could be implemented into their own daily living.

gardening tools at Paideia’s on-campus garden

One thing that we saw at the school was how the farm not only helped others, but also worked with the community to bring in foods and items that were shared across the board with those outside of the school. They kept track of what they grew, how much was harvested, and how much was donated to others within their shared garden storage. They had on-site refrigerators to store any crops that were harvested and planned to be given out to the community.

We also learned how the school utilized the farm in their curriculums. For example, Paideia’s AP Biology students raise a chicken and as part of their final exam, students process the chicken utilizing the information they learned while going through the course.

Ms. Gibbons and Mr. Turner, Saint James Community Garden Coordinators, with Paideia’s goats on their school farm

One thing that was heavily stressed was the link with the community on the farm. Mrs. Herbert discussed how they worked with food-insecure communities as well as local prisons to assist in distributing healthy foods. She discussed how many in their region may not have good access to nutritional, healthy food so she wanted to find a way to help them learn their own growing skills but also turn around and donate the food to others who might also be in need.

They also invited children from nearby local schools to plant and engage in the process of growing food. Everything about their farm and garden was about working together to ensure that whenever things were left to the next generation, they would have items in place to continue this wonderful endeavor.

We are excited to evaluate the wealth of knowledge shared with us and work to implement new initiates with our own community garden. We are in the early stages of our garden journey, but we know Saint James School has the potential to “grow” our program to be just as impactful.

#WeAreSaintJamesSchool

Military Families: "Pride and Honor"

by: AJ Kavlick, class of 2023

AJ with his parents at age 4

Veterans Day is about honoring the sacrifices of those who have served in the United States military. Being part of a military family requires sacrifices as well, such as moving around often and acclimating to new environments. Both of my parents served as colonels in the United States Air Force, as well as my grandfather, and my great grandfather, who served in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. Saint James not only has a significant military community, but much of our student body is made up of military “brats.”

living in Greece, age 9

These are students who have had to jump from school-to-school, state-to-state, and even between countries after their parents’ reassignments. Many students at Saint James have had the privilege of staying in one city and going to one school kindergarten through graduation. Military children don’t have this type of stability. I, for one, can speak from experience. I first came to Saint James in the 3rd grade, having previously lived in Washington D.C. Before I could establish myself in this school, I moved abroad to Greece. In Greece, my dad served as the Air Attaché in the Embassy, representing the U.S. Air Force overseas. Living in a foreign country came as a shock for me, and it was not long before I missed my life in the U.S. However, I learned some valuable lessons while in Greece.

living in Azerbaijan, age 12

visiting Dubai, age 12

First and foremost, I learned how to adapt to new environments, even though I knew that my time there was limited. But more importantly, I gained a newfound appreciation of my country, which many of us might take for granted. I was glad to have returned to Saint James, which offered me some sense of stability after an exciting, but turbulent year. Even though I had begun to develop roots in Montgomery, I took up the offer to live another year overseas, this time in Azerbaijan. I could have stayed in Alabama,

“Being part of a military family was no longer a mere inconvenience, but a source of pride and honor.”
— AJ Kavlick, STJ junior

where I would not have to risk starting from scratch again. Even to this day, I ask myself whether I should have stayed behind. Yet, I was honored to be an “ambassador” for America in a country that most Americans cannot find on a map. This time, my father was representing the entire military as the Defense Attaché. This gave me a sense of responsibility, since my classmates’ impression of me would inevitably be their impression of the United States. From that moment on, I sought to better understand the United States’ relations in the world. Through my experience with Azerbaijani culture, I learned how to refine my own. By the time I arrived back home, I was changed for good. Being part of a military family was no longer a mere inconvenience, but a source of pride and honor. The next time you thank members of our military, also take the time to thank a military “brat” for the sacrifices they’ve had to make. You could even learn a thing or two about their unique experience. After all, it takes a team for the military to protect the freedoms we know and love.

#WeAreSaintJamesSchool

AJ serves as a student ambassador, runs on the Trojans cross country team and track team, is a member of Latin club, is a member of the National Honor Society as well as Mu Alpha Theta. AJ also takes numerous AP, honors, and advanced classes at Saint James School. After graduation, he plans to plan to attend college out of state, major in aerospace engineering and possibly follow in his parents’ footsteps and pursue a military career. No matter where his adventures take him, he will always be an excellent representation of Saint James School.

A Land of Courage, Faith, and Honor

#WeAreSaintJamesSchool

Third graders in Mrs. Rodgers and Ms. Broughton’s classes classes performed the musical “Let’s Hear it for America,” which celebrates our country's history and diversity. Students recited monologues, performed choreography, and sang musical numbers before an audience.

“This is America! A land of courage, faith and honor. A land of true equality; a land of hope and pride, a land of unity, a land of liberty.”
— "This is America" the musical
“I love my country, I love my freedom, I love my flag and Independence Day, I am a citizen. I have equality. I love my country, the U.S.A.”
— This is America, the musical

Saint James School Honors its Military Legacy

Lt. Col. Dex McCain

Lt. Col. Dex McCain

by: Lt. Col. (retired) Dex McCain, Saint James School Board Chair

As we reflect on the upcoming Veterans Day holiday, I encourage you to pause and honor the service of the men and women who’ve dedicated their lives to serving our country.

These men and women swore oaths to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” They pledged “To bear true faith and allegiance to the same,” while taking “This obligation freely, without any mental reservations or purpose of evasion.”

The McCain family in 2010 (daughters Hope and Hannah in PreK4)

Inherent in this oath is an agreement between the uniformed members and their families stating: I am willing to serve, willing to uproot my family every three or four years, willing to deploy to hostile environments, willing to miss significant events in the lives of my family all to support our country. 

As you can imagine, the life of a military family, and children in particular, can be challenging. From multiple moves and finding new schools to making new friends, all of this can be stressful. When a military family finds a welcoming school community that understands the uniqueness of military families and willingly supports the family on their educational journey, it’s an amazing partnership! 

My family is incredibly blessed to have been part of Saint James School since my 10th graders were in Pre-K4. Time and time again, the Saint James community has supported my family through multiple deployments and temporary duty assignments. My family is proof positive that Saint James is the epitome of a welcoming school community.  

The Saint James School Core Values of “Character, Commitment, Courage, and Community,” coupled with its mission statement to help students to “Realize their full potential and prepare them for lives of “responsibility, service, and achievement” aren’t accidental nor anecdotal words, rather they are enduring and purposeful.  These words are ideals that draw on the principles of servant leadership, a leadership framework that many military professionals embody.

Lt. Gen. Raymond B. Furlong

Lt. Gen. Raymond B. Furlong

Dr. Raymond B. Furlong, one of Saint James School’s longest serving heads of school, was an outstanding servant leader who was uniquely qualified in understanding the importance of a great education and fostering relationship with the military community. Prior to joining Saint James, Dr. Furlong was Lieutenant General Furlong, the commander of Air University, where he was charged with providing professional military education, graduate level courses for continuing education for Air Force personnel, and preparing men and women for service in the Air Force.  Clearly, he brought his military experience and vision to Saint James and helped STJ grow into the preeminent school that it is today by creating a diverse and inclusive school culture and community.

Lt. Col. McCain with his daughters, Hope and Hannah, and Dr. Larry McLemore at the 2019 Saint James School Veterans Day Assembly

Saint James School’s rich military history is seen throughout our Saint James family. We’ve had the honor and privilege to educate, coach, and mentor military children for decades, including many international families. I’m so proud that Saint James School recognizes the unique challenges that face military families. Whether it’s a zoom call from 7,000 miles away to allow a deployed parent to watch a play and see their children’s class presentation or honoring the service of their parents throughout the year, Saint James holds a special place among the military community. 

I remain ever grateful for all that Saint James pours into our children, recognizing the uniqueness of each child and championing values such as character, courage, commitment and community while inspiring and preparing our students for lives of service, responsibility and achievement.

2021-22 STJ Board Chair, Lt. Col. Dex McCain

2021-22 STJ Board Chair, Lt. Col. Dex McCain

Lt Col Dex McCain (retired) served for 27 years in the United States Air Force before retiring in November of 2019. Currently, he serves as an Assistant Professor of Leadership and Ethics at the eSchool of Graduate Professional Military Education at Maxwell AFB. He also serves as the Board Chair for Saint James School Board of Trustees. Lt Col McCain and his wife, Yolanda, have two daughters, Hannah and Hope, who are in the 10th grade at Saint James School.

#WeAreSaintJamesSchool

Falling for Autumn

It is finally feeling like fall in Montgomery. Did you feel the crispness in the air this morning? Fall is all around us and we are embracing the season in elementary school.

Students in Kindergarten went on a “leaf hunt” to find different colored fall leaves on the ground and created a graph to chart their findings.

Students also wrote sentences about a fall story they read in class. This writing exercise reinforced handwriting, spelling, and sentence structure. Autumn is the perfect time for hands-on learning and exploring the world around us.

#WeAreSaintJamesSchool

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What Are You Afraid Of?

Students in Mrs. Davis’s middle school art elective embraced their fears with a phobia expressionism project. Students choose a phobia, either one they have personally experienced or one that speaks to them, and illustrated it on paper. The pieces were created with charcoal and colored chalk. Using lines, strokes, and shapes, students chose an emphasis color amongst the black and white to further express their relationship with the phobia. This phobia expressionism project served as a form of art therapy that allowed students to freely convey their emotions from their personal perspective. #wearesaintjamesschool

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“For my piece, I chose Thalassophobia, or, the fear of large open water/creatures in the water. The medium for this project was charcoal and liquid charcoal. I think charcoal was a great medium for this project, especially since we were in the style of expressionism. The charcoal was very nice for adding very dark and expressive lines. In my project, I used liquid charcoal, charcoal, and a dark turquoise-colored chalk. I used the chalk for emphasis on certain parts of my piece I wanted to stand out. I chose this phobia because I thought that many people could relate to having this phobia, and I like drawing sea creatures. Plus, I thought this was a very interesting phobia to illustrate. I had to capture what people may think of in the water if they have this fear. Such as, being afraid of a giant angler fish with terrifying jaws and empty eyes. I tried to also capture the fear of the unknown in my piece, as that is also a part of Thalassophobia. As in, not knowing what is in the water below, and imagining crazy things as a result.”
— Artist: Izzy Pappas, Medium: Charcoal 12x18
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“The name of my art piece is “Haphephobia.” People with
haphephobia have a fear of being touched. With haphephobia,
human touch can be overpowering and even painful. So, in order
to represent this through my artwork, I have drawn a person being
overpowered by the force and touch of all the people holding on
to them. The background was done with liquid charcoal in a way
that shows the person reaching up to the light as though they are
reaching out for freedom. My favorite part of this piece is probably
the simplicity of it yet it still conveys a message, that I hope those
viewing it can also feel.”
— Artist: Keira Thompson, Medium: Charcoal 12x18

Faculty Spotlight: Mr. Adam Osborn

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I teach: 9th grade English & World History, Public Speaking

I've taught for: 10 years, this is my 11th! 6 years (college-level), in my 5th year here at the MS/HS level. This is my first year at STJ

Hometown: Lafayette, LA

High school: Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts

College/Degree: Tulane University -- BA in English (History minor); University of Chicago -- MA Program in the Humanities (Middle English Literature)

STJ extracurricular: Just dipping my toes into the world of Speech & Debate

Favorite Book: (This is extremely tough!) The Fifth Season, by N.K. Jemisin

Favorite Movie: (This is also extremely tough!) Pan's Labyrinth, dir. Guillermo del Toro

Favorite Food: Absurdly elaborate sushi

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Married to: Joanne Spotswood, fiber artist extraordinaire!

Children: No humans, just two nefarious mutts

Fun Fact: Though I look like a Kenny G fan, my favorite types of music are actually things like punk & heavy metal!