Good afternoon, here are this week's news and announcements from St. Johns Country Day School:
Join Us for An Evening in Paris!
It's not yet too late to get your tickets for our fun, fabulous fundraising event, An Evening in Paris! Join us on Saturday, January 25, 2025, from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at the beautiful Club Continental. The night will be filled with fun, food, live music, fantastic company, games to win prizes, and a live and silent auction—all while supporting exciting projects that will enhance our school community. Get your tickets today and we hope to see you there!
Scheduled Lockdown Drill Thursday
We want to let you know that the School will hold a scheduled lockdown drill this week Thursday, December 19, at 8:20 a.m. At this time, students will practice sheltering in place and we will test our emergency communications system by texting, calling, and/or emailing you according to the preferences you have set up in Veracross. If you have any questions or do not receive our drill communications, please reach out to Director of Security Zack Silerzio.
College Acceptances Announced
On Friday, St. Johns was honored to announce college acceptances for fifteen members of the Class of 2025:
🌟 Nadia Al-Awady - Barry College, Florida Southern College, University of West Florida, Stetson University
🌟 Fritz Arendt - Florida Polytechnic University
🌟 Ainsley Costarakis - University of South Florida
🌟 Hadley Dantzler - Nova Southeastern University
🌟 Anna Galnor - Florida Atlantic University, University of South Florida
🌟 Jane Garrison - Florida State University
🌟 Kelsey Gregson - Clemson University, Florida Atlantic University Wilkes Honors College, Florida State University
🌟 Cal Holshouser - Florida Atlantic University
🌟 Mia Johnson - University of South Florida, Florida State University, Clemson University
🌟 Jacob Miller - University of Central Florida, Floria Gulf Coast University, Rollins College, University of South Florida
🌟 Cece Nowicki - Florida Atlantic University Wilkes Honors College, Georgia Southern University, Florida State University, University of South Florida
🌟 Gabi Oceguera - Emory University
🌟 Ayva Safreed - Florida Atlantic University Wilkes Honors College, Florida State University, University of South Florida
🌟 Becca Stratton - Georgia Southern University
🌟 Reagan Wagstaff - Florida State University, Florida Atlantic University Wilkes Honors College, University of South Florida
Congratulations, Seniors!
Girls Weightlifting Senior Night
On Thursday, St. Johns was proud to celebrate the four seniors on the Girls Weightlifting team. Hearty thanks for all your time and effort on behalf of the Spartans, and congratulations to Ciera Jester, Gabi Oceguera, Jane Garrison, and Kelsey Gregson!
Concert Congratulations!
We had so many amazing concerts and performances last week, with seasonal favorites, surprise guest musicians, and so much more. We hope you were able to join us! Miss one or more? Check out photos of each concert on social media, or view the livestreams at sjcds.net/live. Not on social media? We get it. You can check out all the latest on sjcds.net with no account logins or passwords required!
Athlete of the Week Mia Johnson '25
Congratulations to last week's Nichols & Pina law firm St. Johns Spartan Athlete of the Week Mia Johnson '25 from Girls Soccer! Congrats, Mia!
Midterm Info
Upper School students are in midterms this week through Wednesday. The full exam schedule is available right here. Please reach out to your student's teachers with any questions. Please note that students may leave after their last exam each day.
Winter Break
Please note that Winter Break begins on Friday, December 20 (with students dismissed at noon) and goes through Friday, January 3. School recommences on Monday, January 6 and Middle & Upper School students will go straight into Winterim (see below for more info on Winterim). Campus Update will also be on Winter Break, so our next edition will hit your mailboxes on Tuesday, January 7, 2025.
New Traffic Pattern Starting January 6
We want to let you know that when we return to school in January, we will come back to a new traffic pattern on campus. Beginning January 6, at the three-way stop at Heinrich Way and Spartan Drive, Spartan Drive will become a one-way road all the way to the back gate.
Lower School pickup and drop off will remain unchanged, but if you continue onto campus beyond the three-way stop at Heinrich Loop, you will need to proceed down Spartan Drive and out the back gate. New crosswalks are being installed to facilitate Middle and Upper School departure. This new traffic pattern will be in effect during morning drop off (7:30 a.m. - 8:00 a.m.) and afternoon pickup (3:05 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.). Thank you for helping us keep our Spartans safe and ease congestion throughout campus.
Winterim is Coming!
We are excited for another exciting Middle and Upper School Winterim next month! When we return from Winter Break on Monday, January 6, Middle and Upper School students will go immediately into Winterim (or "Minterim" for Middle School).
Middle School students will do Minterim Monday and Tuesday.:
- Grade 6 students will have an advisory competition, do community service, and go on a field trip.
- Grades 7 & 8 will take unique on-campus mini-courses in topics of their choosing.
Upper School students will be in Winterim Monday-Wednesday:
- Grade 9 students will do a combination of community service and on-campus mini-courses.
- Grade 10 will take on campus mini-courses.
- Grade 11 will be doing career shadowing.
- Grade 12 will participate in a custom course led by UNF's Taylor Leadership Institute.
Parents of Upper School students will hear directly from a faculty member (either Mrs. Parker, Mrs. Dwyer-Wessling, or Mr. Trevett) with details about their student's Winterim plans.
Lower School Student-Led Conferences
Lower School parents, please mark your calendars and save the date for January Student-Led Conferences! On Friday, January 17, Lower School will host Student-Led Conferences. You will not want to miss this check-in with your student as they assess give you their assessment of their year to date. Lower School classes will not be in session on this date, but Middle and Upper School will have classes as usual.
Safety First!
We take our students' safety seriously, both during the School day and after. Please note that students cannot be on campus grounds after school without supervision. If you are on campus for a game or other School event, please do not send your child unsupervised to the playground or other locations. If you require after school supervision, drop-in care is available for St. Johns' after school program. You can get more information and sign up for that right here.
Cold Weather Gear Now in the Spirit Store! 🛍️
Stay cozy and show your Spartan pride with our new cold-weather items! ❄️ We’ve got something for everyone:
✨ Adult and youth crewneck sweaters
✨ Youth hoodies and fleeces
✨ Zip-up hoodies for all ages
✨ Limited adult Nike hoodies (more sizes coming soon!)
Store hours are 7:45 a.m. – 3:45 p.m., but if you can’t make it in, no problem! Call or email for pictures of the latest items, pay over the phone or Venmo, and we’ll deliver your purchase to your student—super convenient for busy families! Come check it out and stay Spartan Strong this winter!
Gallery Art Guild Show
While you're on campus for our many great events this holiday season, please plan to come a little early to enjoy the Art Guild of Orange Park exhibit in the Nichols Family Art Gallery. All pieces are for sale with a percentage of proceeds benefiting the St. Johns fund. Just scan the QR code on the signs in the Gallery for sales information.
On Campus Speech & Occupational Therapy
Pediatric Therapy of Riverside Is now offering speech & occupational therapy services at St. Johns. These on-campus services are available to students in all grades. To register your child for a free on-campus assessment, please click here and select "Schedule a Free Consultation." Please reach out to Pediatric Therapy of Riverside's Bridget Beck, MS CCC-SLP, with any questions.
Contact Us!
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 Krista Parker | kparker@sjcds.net |
| Head of Middle School Ben Magidson | bmagidson@sjcds.net |
| Head of Lower School Otis Wirth | owirth@sjcds.net |
We hope you have a great week!
- Campus Update