Signature Programs
From its founding in 1953 by Dr. Edwin P. Heinrich, St. Johns Country Day School has always been a "college prep" school. But these
days, nearly every secondary school prepares students for college, so what sets St. Johns apart? Many things, certainly, but above all its our family atmosphere and future-facing curriculum that prepares students not just for college, but for life. We hear it again and again from our graduates-- when they got to college they not only "survived," they thrived. They had the skills they needed to excel in their coursework, understood self-leadership and motivation, and managed campus life with aplomb.
Building on this success, St. Johns is pleased to announce several new program enhancements that will help students become even more broadly informed and engaged and will better equip them for today's ever-changing realities in college and career.
Through these new programs, St. Johns Country Day School is redefining college prep and helping our students meet the ever-changing demands of the world they will face after graduation.
Character Foundations
Character Foundations
St. Johns' Character Foundations program for students from age 3 through Grade 12 focuses on a different character trait each month, helping students master traits like wisdom, initiative, and contentment, which will contribute to a foundational culture of values at St. Johns and empower St. Johns students over the months and years ahead.
In 2018, these traits include:
| August: Wisdom | January: Self-Control |
| September: Initiative | February: Service |
| October: Contentment | March: Individuality |
| November: Cooperation | April: Hope |
| December: Compassion | May: Perseverence |
AP Capstone
AP Capstone
St. Johns Country Day School is proud to be one of the few Northeast Florida providers of the AP Capstone Program -- a new offering from the College Board. AP Capstone is an innovative program that complements and enhances discipline-specific AP courses. Consisting of two new AP courses-- AP Seminar and AP Research-- AP Capstone will help St. Johns students develop the research, critical thinking, and communication skills that are essential to college readiness and lifelong success.
Incoming sophomores have the opportunity to enroll in the first of these new courses, AP Seminar, in lieu of modern World History or Honors Modern World History. This foundational course will provide students with opportunities to think critically, research, analyze, develop arguments, collaborate, and communicate using a variety of media. Then, in their junior years, students have the opportunity to take the AP Research course, which focuses on a yearlong research-based investigation of a selected topic.
These two courses, taken in conjunction with four additional AP courses throughout the high school career, provide students with eligibility to attain the AP Capstone Diploma in addition to the St. Johns Country Day School diploma.
Fellowship Program
St. Johns Fellowship Program
Open to any Upper School student, the St. Johns Fellowship Program is an exciting new offering designed to shape the opportunities our students will have in the future, allowing students to pursue their passion for a particular topic and conduct "deep dive" explorations into targeted areas. For example, a student might pursue a Fellowship in medicine, global studies, or art, embarking on a customized course of study that provides both academic and practical experience that sets St. Johns students apart in the increasingly competitive collegiate and career world.
Dedicated advisors help Fellows chart their academic path and access distinctive learning opportunities, such as faculty-mentored projects, networking opportunities, and off-campus internships. Diverse and robust online study opportunities enhance the St. Johns Fellowship Program, helping students become nimble architects of their own lives.
For the 2018-2019 school year, the following Fellowship opportunities are available:
- Arts & Humanities, mentored by Mr. Sepulveda
- Community Engagement, mentored by Ms. Beresik
- Computer Science, mentored by Mrs. Gorman
- Conservation, mentored by Mrs. Sachs
- Health Sciences, mentored by Dr. Román
- International Studies, mentored by Mrs. Lebet
- United States Government and Politics, mentored by Mrs. Garrison
- Visual Arts, mentored by Mrs. Ayres
Heinrich Scholars
Dr. Edwin P. Heinrich Fellowship
A component of the St. Johns Fellowship Program, the Dr. Edwin P. Heinrich Fellowship offers our most academically talented and ambitious students opportunities to stretch and demonstrate content mastery even beyond Honors courses. Heinrich Fellows are self-motivated and think independently; they are driven to academic achievement. Throughout their Upper School careers, Heinrich Fellows complete a minimum of 20 course at the Honors level and above, and at least 8 of these must be Advanced Placement (AP) courses.