FI_Lion Line_9/20/24

The Board of Directors is pleased to announce the board’s confirmation and vote to have Mrs. Carole McCollough serve as the interim head of school as the board searches for a permanent replacement.

For some of you Mrs. McCollough may sound familiar as she served in the Clay County School District for nearly 38 years before retiring. She began as a teacher, became an Exceptional Student Education Staffing Specialist, and served as an Assistant Principal before her last position as the Principal of Orange Park Elementary.

During 11 of her 12 years as Principal, data for reading, math, and science remained (overall school-wide) #1 in the county and the school remained in the top 10% of elementary schools throughout the state of Florida.

She is a big fan of St. Johns Classical Academy and is excited to work with and to get to know the teachers and students and their families. She will begin on Wednesday, September 25, 2024.

Please feel free to send her a welcome note to carole.mccollough@stjca.org.

Until her start date, Mr. Bradley, Orange Park campus Headmaster, will be covering the Fleming Campus.

Fall is quickly rushing upon us. We want to thank you for your patience with our construction and traffic woes; it will be worth it once the gym is complete.

Additionally, thanks for coming out during Open House to meet your scholar's teacher and get a feel of their learning environment.

Our goal is to remain mission focused in striving for academic excellence. We completed our PM1 State testing, which should provide excellent data on student performance to date.

Take advantage of the cooling weather and get out to one of our fall sporting events, it will be a great encouragement to our scholar athletes.

Mr. Bradley

(Interim) Headmaster

Fleming Island

Last week we recognized the anniversary of 9/11 in our Wednesday assembly. The history department, led by department chair Carmen Burgess, organized the program, which included news clips from that day, personal testimonies from our faculty military veterans, Nate A playing taps, and all scholars and faculty singing the national anthem together.

Student Government President Matthew D read, over the intercom, notifications of the events as they unfolded for so many of us 23 years ago. It was a beautiful recognition of a terrifying day, as we all pondered our freedom and security.

We look forward to the history department’s next effort, which is the Sept. 20th celebration of Constitution Day. Our junior class shines on Constitution Day! The Upper School program begins at 7:45am and includes songs from the choir and band, a recitation of the Declaration of Independence from members of the junior class, an “Old Glory” flag ceremony, and a citizenship talk from Chris Chambless, Clay County Supervisor of Elections.

A similar Grammar School program follows, beginning at 9:05. After the programs, the juniors spend the rest of the day in the Grammar School classrooms, teaching lessons on the Constitution. This is a beautiful capstone for a K-12 education that emphasizes history, ethics, civics, and government.

If you have a Grammar School scholar, be sure to ask them what they learned on Constitution Day.

If you see an Upper School history teacher, tell them thank you for a beautiful effort.

We have two outstanding scholars that we'd like to recognize for impressive test scores.

The Leadership Retreat for Grades 11-12 will take place September 22-24 at Lake Swan Camp, 647 State Road 26, Melrose, Florida.

Parents should drop off on 9/22 between 4:30-5:30pm

Parents should pick up on 9/24 between 12:00-3:00pm

Mrs. Patterson and her team met with all confirmed attendees on Wednesday and gave them a retreat checklist, which is below:

Linens

Extra Long Twin Sheet Set

Pillow

Blanket or Sleeping Bag

Clothes and Shoes

3 Shorts

3 Spirit Shirts (school colors)

1 Extra change of clothes

Pajamas

Light jacket

Socks and undergarments

Sneakers and sandals

Modest swimsuit and shorts

Other

Beach towel and bath towel

Flip flops (for shower)

Toiletries and body wash

Camera

Sunscreen and bug spray

Hat

Water bottle (Labeled)

Money for gift shop and snacks

Additional notes:

• Please label all items with first and last name.
• Phones will be held by the group leaders and given back for 30 minutes at night between the hours of 7:30 and 9:00p.m.
• Please email Hannah.Patterson@stjca.org if you have any questions.

Tentative Schedule for Retreat

SJCA is planning a trip to Boston, MA. It's primarily aimed at 9th and 10th graders, but it is open to 11th and 12th grade too. If you're interested in the trip, please attend a VIRTUAL information meeting on Thursday, September 26 at 6pm.

During the meeting, we'll cover everything from how this will benefit your child, what's included in the experience, how we'll keep the trip safe and affordable, and much more.

Registration for this session is mandatory to help organize our meeting, and a parent or guardian must attend. You can register for the informational meeting by clicking the link below.

Questions? Please email Carmen.Burgess@stjca.org.

Productions is an organization of upper school scholars with interest in Audio/Visual and theatre management (sound, lighting, props, scenery, backstage, etc).

This team provides technical services for Fine Arts Dept. performances and events, as well as school-sponsored assemblies, meetings, and other events.

New members will work alongside veteran crew to learn practical skills such as operating the sound board, lighting design, props and scenery, and proper setup of mics/speakers.

Scholars wishing to work tech and backstage for Drama Clubs's Fiddler on the Roof, Jr. and/or the grammar school musical should join. Scholars will "do the good" for our school community while developing leadership and applying problem-solving skills.

The $15 registration fee covers the cost of the official SJCA Productions t-shirt to be worn at events; may also be worn on spirit days. Scholars must register on MySchoolBucks and join the Google Classroom (jgh5hit). Registration closes Friday, October 18.

Faculty Sponsor: Mrs. Crosby cassie.crosby@stjca.org

If your scholar is a member of either ensemble (class), orders for concert black gowns/tux jackets and accessories are due by Friday, October 4th, payable on MySchoolBucks.

You should have received a hard-copy order form with sizing information as well as an email from the directors.

Questions? Please contact your scholar's teacher: becky.urban@stjca.org or cassie.crosby@stjca.org

One of the things that makes classical education unique is the importance placed on Art, Music, and Theatre as part of every scholar's content-rich education. Follow the Fine Arts Dept. Facebook page for sneak-peeks inside our classrooms at the beauty being created by scholars every day, as well as highlights from performances, and get to know our Fine Arts faculty. When you attend Fine Arts events, please share using #SJCAlovethebeautiful!

Big shout out to all our sports teams!! Flag Football starts 5-0 on the season!

Middle school volleyball is 4-0 in conference play. JV is growing stronger and stronger every game. Our swim team just had a very successful spirt day. Golf is playing hard every week and cross country scholars are running their hearts out!

Some updates for the sports season:

1. OCTOBER 3 is our PINK OUT game for Volleyball starting at 4:15pm, Kona Ice will be there, and scholars and staff get in for FREE.

2. Sports we will offer for winter season will be Boys Basketball and Girls Basketball(our soccer season will be in spring). More information to come.

3. Please check out our website for schedules, tickets, photos and more! sjcaathletics.com

4. Please come out to a game and support our Lions! Boys Flag Football and Girls Volleyball all play at OP Campus!

GOOOO LIONS!!

The SJCA Running Lions raced in the Duval Cross Country Challenge this past weekend at North Florida University. Although the course was slippery and muddy in spots, some athletes still managed to set a new PR (personal record).

Leading the boys team, yet again, was Cullen L with a PR time of 21:39; quite an accomplishment given the conditions of the course!

Four girls posted PR times: Allison C, Charlotte R, Lorelei W, and Sydney W! As the season progresses, the teams are making gains and improving race times!

Way to go Running Lions!

Interested in joining our team? Please send resumes to HR@stjca.org.

Join us for an exciting Jackson Pollock-inspired painting event led by our talented upper school art teacher, Mr. Ross!

This event is a fantastic opportunity to explore your artistic side while raising funds for our Safety Patrol program. Dive into the world of splatter painting and express yourself through bold colors and unique techniques. This is a hands-on event where students can explore their creativity and learn about Pollock’s innovative style of drip painting.

Date: Thursday, October 3rd

Time: 3:30 pm - 4:45 pm

Cost: $32

Open to all grade levels

Register by Friday, September 27th

Limited spots available, so register early!

What to Expect: Learn about Jackson Pollock’s life and his famous abstract paintings. Create your very own Pollock-inspired artwork using splatter and drip painting techniques.

A snack will be provided. Bring your own water bottle.

Important: Dress for mess! Wear old clothes or bring an art smock.

Don’t forget to change silent dismissal!

Contact Mrs. Hancock with any questions: liberty.hancock@stjca.org

Accounts cannot go into the negative to purchase "a la carte items" or extras like chips, ice cream, an extra entree, or an additional slice of pizza. If the balance is negative, your scholar must have cash if purchasing extras.

• Talk to your scholar(s) about spending limits and what is and isn't ok to buy. The more you communicate your guidelines and expectations, the less issues with negative accounts you will have.

• If you set spending limits last school year and would like them changed or deleted, contact lunch@stjca.org.

• If you need to set spending limits or place a serving line note on the account, contact lunch@stjca.org.

• If you are allowing your scholar a treat after a good week, please be sure there is enough in the account. All extras (ice cream, chips, juice drink, extra slice of pizza) must have cash in hand or a positive account.

It's time for our annual golf tournament. Join us on October 14th for this Lions Council fundraiser. All proceeds earned support the school, its mission, and its wonderful teachers.

Ready for another great talent show? We're getting ready for SJCA Shines! Talented Scholar Extravaganza 2024, which is open to K-12 scholars. This event is a fundraiser for the Fine Arts Booster Club.

If you'd like to participate, please review the rules below:

1. All participants must be currently enrolled SJCA scholars in Kindergarten-12th grade.

2. Scholars must submit an online registration form AND $15.00 fee no later than Weds, October 16th via LionsCouncil.org to participate. Late registration will not be accepted.

3. Participants will complete a “Round One” audition after school on Tuesday, October 29th (Grammar School) or Tuesday, November 5th for a panel of judges composed of performing arts faculty. No make-up auditions can be accommodated if a scholar is not present on their audition day. No refunds will be given for any reason.

4. Round One after-school auditions are closed to parents and non-registered scholars, and will run from 3:00-5:30 PM (or until finished) in the Cafetorium.

5. In the event that scholar interest is greater than allotted time will allow, we reserve the right to have faculty pre-screen acts in advance of Round One during the school day. Parents will be notified if this becomes necessary.

6. To accommodate as many participants as possible, acts will be limited to 3 minutes in Round One auditions, from stage entrance to exit. Due to time constraints, no personal scenery may be used.

7. Participants must be fully prepared to audition for the judges and have everything needed to perform their act entirely. A piano and microphones will be available for use.

8. Acts may include talents such as dancing, singing, playing instruments, comedy, acting, baton twirling, gymnastics, magic tricks, poetry, or similar, but must adhere to SJCA’s code of conduct and be classical in nature. We reserve the right to refuse any content deemed inappropriate by our staff.

9. Recorded Music: Participants that wish to sing with recorded accompaniment must provide a karaoke-style or instrumental track without the lead vocals. Any recorded music being used must be provided digitally to Cassie.Crosby@stjca.org no later than Wednesday, October 23rd. Accepted formats: YouTube link, downloaded MP3, Amazon Prime Music.

10. The top-scoring acts from the Round One auditions will advance to the Finals evening showcase. See dates below. Judge panel decisions are final. Round One results will be announced at school and via Blackboard. Finals winners will be announced live during the evening shows.

Round One Auditions

Grammar School: Tuesday, October 29th from 3:00-5:00 PM

Upper School: Tuesday, November 5th from 3:00-5:00 PM

The adult picking up grammar scholar(s) from the audition MUST have the Silent Dismissal tag(s) and proceed following normal carline procedures.

Finals

Grammar: Friday, November 8th, 6pm in the SJCA Cafetorium

Upper: Friday, November 15th, 6pm in the SJCA Cafetorium

Doors will open at 5:30 pm. Tickets are $2/per person. Concessions will be available for purchase.

Questions?

Send questions to Cassie.Crosby@stjca.org.

Ms. B's first grade class persevering through their math facts.

FortifyFL is a suspicious activity reporting tool that allows you to instantly relay information to appropriate law enforcement agencies and school officials. You can submit a tip at any time.