In the 178-year history of Saint James School, there has never been a school year quite like 2020-2021. The COVID-19 pandemic forced schools across the country to change, and Saint James was no different. But where many schools, at least locally in Maryland, were completely virtual for much of the year, Saint James was able to open for in-person classes for boarding students in September. Day students and many international students attended virtual classes. Our faculty, in particular, worked hard to adapt to this hybrid-learning model. 

Students and faculty had to stay on campus, with no weekend trips or visits home, except at Christmas break. It was a grueling schedule, but one that bonded our community. Face masks, social distancing, and cohorting were some of the protocols put in place to keep our community safe throughout the year.

In January, our faculty and staff were able to get their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Our 18-year-old students also had that opportunity soon after, and by the end of the school year, those 15 and older were being shuttled to Meritus for the vaccine.  Thank you to Mrs. Swaby, the nursing staff, and the many faculty and staff who helped to coordinate that effort.

In March, we were able to welcome day students back to campus for in-person learning as well as begin interscholastic sports competition. By the end of the year, nearly three quarters of our students were learning on campus with the rest virtual. We were thrilled to watch the Class of 2021 receive their diplomas on the Senior Steps with their families in attendance. These glimpses of normalcy give us hope for the school year to come. 

As of the end of June, our plan is to gather fully on campus for what we anticipate to be a "normal" school year. We may offer temporary virtual learning for international students working on obtaining visas, but otherwise expect all students to be in the classroom. We look forward to getting back some of our traditions, like seated meals and daily chapel with the entire school.

We will remember this year for the lessons we learned—patience, resilience, and adaptability—and hope we take those with us as we move forward.