Good afternoon! We hope you had a recuperative Labor Day weekend. Here are this week's news and announcements from St. Johns Country Day School:
Virtual Coffee Talk Tomorrow
Join the St. Johns Parent Association and School administration for a virtual Coffee Talk-- time to chat with, get to know, and ask any questions you may have of School leadership. Our first Coffee Talk of the new year kicks off tomorrow morning at 8:30 a.m. with Head of School Valorie Baker. We look forward to seeing you!
Founders Day Monday
This coming Monday, September 14, we celebrate the founding of St. Johns Country Day School with our annual Founders Day. Please be reminded that Special Occasion Dress is the uniform of the day in all three divisions. Please reference the Student Handbook (found on each division's My School App Topics page) with any dress code questions. To get to your division's Topics page, after you log in click on Groups, select your division, and then select the Topics tab.
Basketball Training with Hungry Hustle Hoops
St. Johns is proud to announce a new partnership with H2 Hoops to bring basketball fun and training to Lower and Middle School Spartans! H2 Hoops, helmed by St. Johns' own girls varsity basketball coaches Yolanda Bronston and Brian Ulmer, offers weekend programs for athletes from ages 4-14 right here on St. Johns' campus. Whether your student is just getting started or has been playing for a while, H2 Hoops can help them take their game to the next level. Programs are open to all athletes, whether St. Johns students, homeschooled, or attending another area school. Get more info and register today at h2hoops.com!
Policies for Home Athletics Contests
St. Johns is thrilled to be opening fall athletics contests this week. In order to keep our athletes, coaches, and fans safe, several new policies will be in place for home contests, including limitations on attendance, visiting teams, seating, locker room access, and more. Check those out here for fall football, volleyball, swimming, cross country, and golf, and Go Spartans!
Host Family Sought
Are you interested in bringing fun and adventure to your family while expanding your horizons and gaining a friend for life? St. Johns seeks a family to host a female St. Johns exchange student for the remainder of the School year. Interested? Please reach out to Director of Admissions Jill Arnett or International Student Liaison Kim Price for more information.
Upcoming College Visits
College admissions representatives continue to visit with St. Johns students, though during the pandemic these visits are primarily taking place on Zoom. In order to attend, interested Upper School students need only pick up a blue slip from the College Counseling Office, have it signed by the teacher of any class they might miss due to the conflict, and return the form to College Counseling by the Friday before the visit.
Next week, St. Johns is proud to offer visits with the following colleges and universities:
| College/University | Visit Date | Time |
| Providence College | Tuesday, September 15 | 8:15 a.m. |
| Simmons University | Wednesday, September 16 | 8:15 a.m. |
| Wofford College | Wednesday, September 16 | 9:40 a.m. |
| Merrimack College | Wednesday, September 16 | 12:20 p.m. |
| Mercer University | Wednesday, September 16 | 1:10 p.m. |
| American University | Wednesday, September 16 | 2:25 p.m. |
All Upper School students are encouraged to take advantage of the opportunity to learn more about a variety of colleges and universities, and to demonstrate their interest in schools that are on their lists.
St. Johns Future Soccer Stars
Is your Lower School student a future St. Johns soccer star? Do you have a child who loves the game and strives to improve and be the best they can be? Or maybe your child just wants to get started in soccer and you're not sure where to start. Run by our own Coach Mike Pickett and his talented coaching team, St. Johns Future Stars is the program you're looking for! St. Johns Future Stars is located right here on St. Johns' campus, features programs for children in Grades K-5, and is open to any student-- whether a St. Johns Spartan, homeschooled, or public school. Registration is open now. Learn more and register today!
After School Study Hall
A complimentary supervised study hall is available for Middle and Upper School students after school in the Heinrich Learning Resource Center (library). Students are socially distanced in their seating as they work quietly until pickup. Parents, please text your child when you arrive; do not enter the library. After school study hall is open until 5:30 p.m. No registration is required.
Calendar Changes
Changes have been made to the School calendar as far as the October conference days, the fall play, and Homecoming. You can download the updated fridge-friendly PDF here, or subscribe to our calendar feed at sjcds.net/calendar and dates will automatically be updated for you on your phone or desktop. To subscribe, visit sjcds.net/calendar and click on the gray RSS button, top-right. Then just over over the green ICAL button for each calendar you want (we recommend "All Public" calendar feeds and any pertinent athletics feeds) and choose the feed you need. Voila! You're all set with automatic updates.
Spartan Spirit Shop
For your convenience, the Spartan Spirit Shop has moved to the Administration Building. Now featuring an exciting array of spirit apparel, household goods, accessories, auto stickers, and more, the Spartan Spirit Shop has everything you need to proclaim your support for the Spartans! Stop by any time Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Check in at Reception is required and masks must be worn at all times. The Uniform Shop is now separate from the Spartan Spirit Shop and is also open 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Stop by Reception to check in and gain access. School hours don't work for you? Call Reception at (904) 264-9572 to coordinate a phone order.
COVID-19 Protocols
As you have been reading, many new safety protocols are in place to help protect everyone from COVID-19. You can stay up-to-date on the details in emails from your Division Head and at sjcds.net/forward. Please be reminded that all students, faculty, staff, and visitors are required to wear face coverings on campus. Check out these links to learn more about how to properly wear and wash face masks.
Key Contacts
Some things never change— no matter the circumstances, St. Johns' administration 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!