April 10, 2019 PARENT NEWSLETTER Greetings from the Dean's Office!
Long weekend is here, which is our last significant break before the end of the year. For those of you who are the parents of a boarder, it may be a good time to come pick up some things that your student may not need for the rest of the year. A student, boarding or day, may depart campus at the conclusion of his/her last obligation of the day tomorrow. Those students who are free or have study hall G block may leave at the end of F block. Lunch will be served at the conclusion of G block.
We had a new phenomenon sweep campus over the past few weekends that I feel is worth bringing to your attention. Door Dash is a food delivery service that will deliver from a myriad of restaurants, including fast food, that don't already have their own delivery service - think of it as Uber for food. Like many of today's conveniences, Door Dash is incredibly convenient and useful, but when used in excess can be counterproductive or harmful. Door Dash presents a few challenges to us here at Saint James.
Our primary concern is safety. Although Door Dash does do background checks on its drivers, we do not know these individuals and there is an inherent risk involved in having them on our campus. I have witnessed the careless, almost reckless driving of some of the service's drivers on our campus. Moving forward, in an attempt to keep these visitors out of the heart of our campus, we will require students to pick up their orders at Alumni Hall.
Another concern of the School is the social ramifications. Students ordering food to eat in their room, or in Kemp Hall with a small group of friends, is counter intuitive to the campus culture we are hoping to foster on the weekends. Last weekend we saw at least 10 students order multiple meals or snacks through Door Dash, leaving them mildly isolated from their peers and our faculty. We much prefer our students ask a faculty member to take them and a group of friends out to eat rather than order Door Dash. This will save the student (or parent) money but also promote a more socially beneficial and appropriate interaction.
As always, please scroll down for further information from the greater school community.
Sincerely,
Steve Lachut WEEKEND ACTIVITIES Have a great long weekend!
IMPORTANT NOTES From the Director of College Counseling:
AIMS College Fair - Thursday, April 11, 2019 from 6-8.30pm at UMBC Event Center, 1000 Hilltop Circle Baltimore, Maryland 21250. This is a great opportunity to meet admissions representatives from more than 100 colleges and universities. Attendance is highly recommended for 3rd, 4th and 5th formers who live in the area.
Anyone who might be interested in applying to the US Service Academies (Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard), Congressman David Trone is holding an information session on Wednesday, April 24 at Tuscarora High School in Frederick, MD from 6-8pm. Mr. Harry will be providing transport to/from the event.
From the Chaplain:
This year Holy Week falls right after we return from Long Weekend. The liturgy of Maundy Thursday, recalling the Lord's Supper and the Footwashing, will be celebrated at 8 a.m. on Thursday, April 18. The Chapel will be open Thursday evening for quiet prayer with the reserved Sacrament. The liturgy of Good Friday, including the Passion gospel and communion from the reserve, will be celebrated at noon on Friday, April 19. We celebrate the resurrection on Easter Sunday morning at 11:00. Parents and guests are welcome to attend all of these services. This week is also the final opportunity to make donations and memorials for Easter flowers. For more information, visit stjames.edu/easter.
From Athletics:
As the spring athletic seasons begin to ramp up, don't forget to visit our online store at BJ's Custom Creations. There's a variety of items and you can personalize them to any sport you want, even fall and winter if you missed it! Feel free to contact Laurie Douglass if you have any questions.
From the Development Office:
Gifts to the SJS Annual Fund make a significant impact, providing funds for financial aid, the purchase of academic and extracurricular equipment, enrichment and entertainment opportunities for students, and so much more. Not sure if you made a gift this year? Check the donor list. Want to make a gift? Submit the online form. Thank you for your generosity in helping us fulfill our mission of building leaders for good in the world.
From the Yearbook Staff:
Purchase an ad in the Bai Yuka yearbook: The Bai Yuka staff invites you to purchase a yearbook ad in order to honor a Saint James student, a graduating Sixth Former, or to promote your business. Ads are available in a variety of sizes and price points. To purchase an ad, please visit the Balfour website. The deadline for purchasing an ad is Friday, April 12th. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Zawie at vlzawie@stjames.edu
A $75 charge for the Yearbook will be applied to all accounts on May 1st. If you do not want your student to have a Yearbook, please contact Mrs. Cornett at 301-733-9330 xx 3032 or dcornett@stjames.edu.
From The Parents Association:
The final Parents Association meeting of the school year is on Sunday, April 28th at 1pm in the Refectory Board Room. All are welcome and encouraged to attend!! Following the meeting we will have a meet & greet lunch for 2nd and 3rd form parents. We would love to see all of you there and we look forward to seeing new faces.
Help us end the drive! Only you can help make it happen. The Annual Fund runs through June and we need your help to hit 100% participation. Please remember, no donation is too small. We can't do it without everyone's help. We are still falling short and hopefully we can all step up just as the Trustees, faculty and entire staff do! Current parents should be leading the way. Make your gift online.
Please take a minute to visit our volunteer website iVolunteer. We have lots of opportunities to get on campus and help before the end of the year. We are ALWAYS in need of help. Our concession's sales support the school in ways such as: the senior leadership experience, senior ornaments, senior gifts, staff Christmas gifts, Next Level board for Alumni to name a few! We truly can't do it without volunteers. We hope to see more new faces this spring. Thank you to our new and old volunteer's willingness to jump in and help. QUICK LINKS Saint James School |