Good afternoon! Here are this week's news and announcements from St. Johns Country Day School:
Halloween Plans
We know many of our Spartans are looking forward to our in-school festivities this week. Just a reminder that this Thursday, October 29 will be a Spartan Spirit Dress Day for all divisions. This is jeans or School-appropriate shorts and a Spartan top. (Or regular uniform attire, of course.) See your student handbook on your Division's My School App Topics page for more info. Then on Friday, October 30, the dress code is Halloween or autumnal attire or themed outfit. Upper School, see below for daily "Spirits Week" themes.
Lower School students will be participating in a "virtual parade," in which they'll be parading with their seniors (more info has gone to seniors and Grade 1 about this). Lower School students may wear their costumes to school. Parents may wish to send them with "normal" clothes to change into after the parade. Lower School teachers will reach out directly about any other grade-level-specific plans. Happy Halloween, and Happy Fall!
Athletics Updates
Winter sports are now all underway and we want to draw your attention once again to the safety protocols St. Johns will have in place due to the coronavirus pandemic. These protocols work to promote everyone's health and safety during these very unusual times and cover attendance, seating, and many other aspects of our athletic contests. You can find safety memos for winter sports now at sjcds.net/athletics. (Photo by Nasua' Williams '20)
Safe Animal Shelter Supply Drive
The Lower School is conducting a community service project in support of Middleburg's Safe Animal Shelter. Please bring in supplies for donation to the shelter in support of their mission to find homes for Clay County's lost and abandoned cats, dogs, kittens, and puppies. Much needed supplies include:
| Fancy Feast Kitten Canned Turkey Pate | 13 Gallon Kitchen Trash Bags |
| Fancy Feast Kitten Canned Chicken Pate | 33 or 39 Gallon Trash Bags |
| Purina Dog Chow | Dawn Dish Soap |
| Purina Cat Chow | Laundry Detergent |
| Purina Kitten Chow | Copy Paper |
| Purina Puppy Chow | Hand Sanitizer |
| Pedigree Canned Puppy and Dog Food | Bleach |
| Canned Cat Food | Cat Toys |
| KMR Kitten Replacement Milk | Paper Towels |
| Non-Clumping Cat Litter | Manilla File Folders |
| Clumping Cat Litter |
New Spartan Splashers Swim Program
Do you have a Lower School student who loves the water and can't get enough of the pool? Or maybe you're just looking for a great sport for your youngster to help support a lifetime of fun and fitness. If so, be sure to register your child for Spartan Splashers, the new Lower School auxiliary program from St. Johns Country Day School. Each course will run after school from 3:30 - 4:00 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for 4 weeks. The first class kicks off on Monday, November 2. Daily temperature checks will be in place for everyone, and class sizes are limited to no more than 15 swimmers so sign up today!
Join Us for Clue: On Stage!
St. Johns Country Day School invites you to Boddy Mansion for Clue: On Stage (High School Edition) Friday November 6 and Saturday November 7 at 7:00. Was it the butler, the cook, the maid, Miss Scarlet, Professor Plum, Mr. Green, Mrs. Peacock, Mrs. White, or Colonel Mustard with the candlestick in the library? Think you can figure out who is the murderer? Test your deductive skills as you join us for this this fun and fast paced show!
Tickets are $5.00 for adults and free for students/children. In order to maintain social distancing, tickets are available by reservation only. Please email kcmach@sjcds.net with the number of adults and students/children and where you would like to be seated. You can then send in cash or check. Livestreaming will also be available, and those tickets are also on sale. We hope to see you at Clue: On Stage!
We look forward to seeing you tomorrow morning for the final virtual Coffee Talk of 2020, hosted by the Parent Association (PA). The PA will be talking with St. Johns' Office of Student Services. Led by dedicated and experienced learning specialists and counselors, Student Services supports the whole child through social-emotional support and academic enrichment and remediation. Access the virtual Coffee Talk by typing sjcds.net/coffee into your web browser or go to meet.google.com and enter the code "vkn-iwwm-tbt." We look forward to seeing you!
Character Foundations in October
This month in Character Foundations, St. Johns' innovative character education program, students in all grades are learning about integrity, which is defined as choosing to be truthful in whatever you say and do. Visit sjcds.net/news to learn more about integrity, find out some of the things our Spartans will be learning about and doing this month, and get resources you can use to reinforce the lessons at home.
Key Contacts
Some things never change— no matter the circumstances, St. Johns staff stand ready to assist with anything you might need. Please feel free to reach out at any time to:
| Head of School Valorie Baker | vbaker@sjcds.net | |
| Head of Upper School Mary Virginia Fisher | mvfisher@sjcds.net | |
| Head of Middle School Jackie Lentini | jlentini@sjcds.net | |
| Head of Lower School Otis Wirth | owirth@sjcds.net |
We hope you have a great week!