May 24, 2018 PARENT NEWSLETTER Greetings from the Dean's Office! The end is in sight! With just a few days of classes left, followed by exams, Prize Day, and Commencement, we can just start to see the finish line of the 2017-2018 school year. Although it was raining for much of it, we still managed to have a wonderful weekend last week. Approximately 115 students attended prom on Friday night and 80 went to Hershey Park on Saturday. This week, Mrs. James and I took 27 sixth-form Political Economy students to the Washington County District Court. We were hosted by The Honorable Judge Beachley and were able to watch the proceedings of several cases in a unique opportunity to see the American justice system at work. Afterwards, Judge Beachley met with the students to discuss several key concepts and legal issues involved in some of the cases. Some important dates to keep in mind: May 25 & 26 - Brigadoon May 29-June 1 - Exam Week June 1 - Field Day June 2 - Prize Day & Baccalaureate June 3 - Commencement If you are the parent of a boarding student who lives nearby, I would recommend that you start coming and collecting items from the dorm that your student may no longer need. The more you get out in the next few weeks, the easier move out will be on June 3. Sincerely, Steve Lachut WEEKEND ACTIVITIES Duty Captains: Mr. & Mrs. Zawie Closed Weekend Friday: Saturday:
Sunday: 8:00 Breakfast (Optional) IMPORTANT NOTES From the Assistant Headmaster:
Don't forget to encourage your son/daughter to use the MBS book buyback. Each year, we have hundreds of books left behind, and we are happy to get these books to a worthy cause; however, MBS has made the buyback process very easy, and I am available to help the students. I have posted the following directions around campus:
To Access Book Buyback and Purchases
Go to http://bookstore.mbsdirect.net/stjames.htm and create an account.
It's easy to sell back your books.
1. Go to the Online Bookstore. 2. Login to your account. 3. Select "Sell Your Textbooks" from the drop- down menu. 4. Enter your textbook information. 5. Print 2 copies of your quote. 6. Drop off your books and quotes at the Academic Office (by May 31).
In addition to the buyback program, all books for next year can be purchased through MBS. The MBS Bookstore will be available to Saint James students beginning June 3. Here, students will be able to buy books for any summer assignments and for their studies next year. Next year's books can be shipped directly to Saint James. Please note that we will not offer any book sales on campus. While I am still finalizing course selections for a few students, most will be able to see their final course selections/approvals in Blackbaud (students and parents will simply navigate to the "Course Selections" tab in Blackbaud). Courses that are approved for a student will have an "approved" label. If this label is not present, it is because a final decision on approval may be linked to a final exam score, department approval, or indecision on a student's part. Please review these selections carefully, and if you see anything amiss, please call me before the end of the school year (301-733-9330, ext 3026).
Finally, don't forget to review the schedule for the end-of-year (see attached letter) If you are confused by anything in the busy, waning days, please contact us.
From the Arts Department: Saint James School will present Lerner and Loewe's Brigadoon on May 25th and 26th at 7:30pm in Kellam Auditorium. Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for adults, available at the door and online. Tickets may be purchased here or at stjames.edu/Brigadoon. Please join us to celebrate the hard work of the cast and crew. Learn More
From the School Store: Sixth Formers will be going to "Cash Only" starting Monday, May 28th for school store purchases. This will include their Graduation Tie purchases which are $45. If they want them charged to their school store account they must purchase it before the 28th. Show your Saint James pride! New items, including a special 175th anniversary t-shirt, are available for purchase in the online SJS School Store. There is also a selection of sweatshirts, polo shirts, jackets, coffee mugs, and children's apparel. Go to www.SJSschoolstore.com to check it out!
From the Athletic Department: Lost and Found
Please encourage your students to clean out their athletic lockers and to stop by the Alumni Hall Lobby to peruse our collection of Lost and Found items. Any uniform or equipment items that were checked out from the school should also be returned to the Athletic Office.
The Saint James Summer Games are back and bigger than ever!
The Athletic Department is pleased to announce that last year's summer fitness program with a competitive twist, will be expanded to include our entire student body, faculty and even parents (if you want!). With the goal of forming fitness habits that will facilitate long term health and wellness, the Games provide a level of accountability and prizes to the winning teams. All returning students will be assigned to a team, but parents will need to opt-in. For more information or to join the parent team, please contact Laurie Douglass at lddouglass@stjames.edu.
From the Parents' Association:
We know it is hard to believe, but as the year winds down, our Annual Fund is still under way! It truly is participation that makes this drive a success. Please help us reach our 100% participation goal. Every gift is appreciated and makes a difference in the lives of our students. Make your gift online.
We are winding down our volunteer needs with a two opportunities remaining. Our final cookie day is upon us and our teacher appreciation committee also has one last celebration this year as well. All of the details are on our volunteer site. If you are interested in helping, please check us out at iVolunteer QUICK LINKS Saint James School |