Greetings from the Dean's Office!

Fall has officially arrived. As we transition from the first marking period to the second, the leaves start to change and all of our students seem to start settling into their routines.  This is one of my favorite times of year from a weather standpoint, but also because it's when so many of our new students start to have the "ah ha' moment at Saint James when they become more comfortable and confident and make the best out of their time here.

As hopefully everyone knows, Family Weekend is next weekend, and here is a preliminary schedule for the weekend.  We are excited to welcome all of your families to Saint James for a great weekend filled with meet and greets, athletics, and more.  

Just around the corner from Family Weekend is our Fall Long Weekend (October 11-October 15).  Once back, we will be enjoying many wonderful fall activities including corn mazes, pumpkin patches, Field of Screams, Halloween, and Hershey Park in the Dark.  October really is a great month to be a part of the Saint James community.

On a side note, If your child is interested in ordering a class ring, information can be found here.

Sincerely,

Steve Lachut
Dean of Students

WEEKEND ACTIVITIES

Reminder to day students that they are welcome to participate in any weekend activity!

Duty Captains: Mr. Zawie and Mr. Batson
Notes: Open Weekend

Friday:

6:00 – Dinner (Required)*
6:30 - Cornhole Tournament on the Turf

6:30 - Jazz Dance Workshop

7:00-9:00 - Open Gym

8:30 - Late night dinner run to IHOP

10:00 – Check-in at Kemp Hall or on Dorm (Required)*
10:30-11 – Check-in on dorm (Required)*
 
Saturday:

7:00 - Speech and Debate Departs for Calvert Hall

8:00 – Breakfast (Optional)
8:30 – Work Squad

12:00 – Lunch (Required)*

12:00 - Boys JV Soccer vs Smithsburg

1:00 - JV Volleyball vs Cumberland Valley Christian School

2:00 - Varsity Volleyball vs Cumberland Valley Christian School
2:00 - Varsity Football vs Sidwell

3:30 - Girls Varsity Soccer vs Washington HS

5:00 - Boys Freshman Soccer vs BCRC Titans

6:00 – Dinner (Required)*
6:00 - Westview Promenade Trip
7:00-9:00 Open Gym

8:30 - Fast Food Run
10:00 – Check-in at Kemp Hall(Required)*
10:30-11 – Check-in on dorm (Required)*
 
Sunday:
8:00 – Breakfast (Optional)
8:30 – Work Squad
11:00 – Chapel
12:15 – Brunch (Required)*
1:15 – Depart for local shopping
1:00-5:00 – Library Open
2:00-4:00 - Open Gym

3:00-5:00 Fine Arts Open
6:00 - Dinner
7:45 – On Dorm Check-in for Study Hall

IMPORTANT NOTES

From the Assistant Headmaster:

Last call to sign up for my trip to Belgium and France during the first week of March break.  Actually, sign-ups can continue through October, but the cost of the trip increases on October 1.  We would like to have our firm number of participants so the company can make accurate plans for accommodations, bus travel, and tours.

The purpose of this trip is to see several of the key sites associated with World War I.  For more information about the trip, go to www.explorica.com.  Find the "Parents" tab and then enter "Batson-6738" for the Tour Center ID.  Once you have a chance to look at the information provided about the trip, be sure to be in touch base with me if you have any remaining questions.  If you decide to register your son or daughter, you can enter a voucher code (BatsonTravel, available until September 27) for a small discount.  We are capping the size of this trip to 18 attendees, so be sure to get registrations in soon if you plan to join us.  We are traveling just on the heels of the Centennial remembrance of this world-changing event.

Marking Period 1 ends this coming this coming Friday.  I will send directions for viewing these grades in the next Newsletter as processing grades takes a few days.

Blackbaud Tip of the Week: Learn how to create a shortcut to Blackbaud on your phone.

From the Fine Arts:

Dance Workshop, Friday Sept. 28 6:30-8:00

Saint James is pleased to present a monthly series of dance workshops designed to introduce students to the various styles and techniques involved in our new movement class for the winter term. Join award winning choreographer and teaching artist, Nicole Ruark, for the first of these classes this Friday from 6:30 - 8:00. Ms. Ruark will bring the fun of Musical Theater Dance to Saint James during this workshop designed for all levels. Students will participate in a technique class which will build coordination, strength, and control followed by learning a combination from the Broadway musical Finding Neverland. A short Q & A period will follow for those with questions regarding our winter classes. Please dress comfortably and wear appropriate shoes.

Auditions for the Winter Musical, The Addams Family, will take place this Friday September, 28 from 5:00-7:00 pm. Auditioning students should prepare 16-32 bars of a song of their choice and bring printed sheet music with them. Dance auditions will follow on Wednesday, October 2. 

Winter Term Dance Class

We are pleased to offer a new Dance and Movement class for all students. This daily class will focus on building a foundation for dance technique and overall health and wellness with the incorporation of ballet, jazz, and modern dance styles as well as cardio dance and yoga. Students will work each day on increasing kinesthetic awareness, flexibility, and strength while developing an appreciation for the physical and mental demands of dance.  Learn from a variety of arts professionals who are dedicated to student growth and creating a love of movement: Nicole Ruark, Kelsy Rupp, and Yvonne Barnaby. 

From the Director of College Counseling:

On Friday evening, October 5, beginning at 7:00 pm, please join us for The State of College Admissions: An Interactive Q&A Session. Hosted by Mr. Harry, this event will include representatives from Franklin and Marshall College and University of Maryland. Click here for more information.

From the Office of Admissions:

Every year our best source for awesome new prospective students is our current families.  Please do not hesitate to pass along our information to families that you think would be a great addition to our community, or drop us a line with a name and an email address, phone number, or mailing address, and we'll take it from there!

General Admission info:  admissions@stjames.edu; 301-733-9330 x3004

Ben Douglass:  bhdouglass@stjames.edu; x3005

Lauren Lewis:  llewis@stjames.edu; x3010

Jim James:  wtjames@stjames.edu; x3028

We are always happy to schedule tours, shadow days, or Open House RSVP's (October 20th; January 21st).

From the Parents Association:

The deadline for registering for our Annual Meet & Greet Cocktail Party during Family Weekend on Saturday, October 6, from 6:30pm-8:30pm is fast approaching! This is a ticketed event, and you can RSVP online here. You will also be able to purchase Tuition Raffle tickets through this form (you do not need to attend the event to purchase a raffle ticket).  It is always a fantastic evening and it's our only fundraising event for the school year.  For more information feel free to contact Sabina Spicher.

Please take a minute to visit our volunteer website, iVolunteer.   Fall is our busiest time for concessions and there are several opportunities for you to help!   You can find the link in Blackbaud, the Parents Association webpage, and at the bottom of this weekly newsletter -- or go to www.stjames.edu/volunteer.

Thank you to those who attended the Parents Association meeting on Sunday.  It was great to see new faces.  We are hoping that more of you will be to attend our next meeting on Sunday, November 4th!

From the Communications Office:

Did you catch Takeover Tuesday or see news about the volleyball team's win over Goretti? Be sure to follow Saint James School on social media to catch the latest of what's happening on campus!

facebook.com/SaintJamesSchoolMaryland

Twitter.com/onlyatSJS

Instagram.com/onlyatSJS

QUICK LINKS