Prom 2024- A Night at the Disco!

Campbell (second from right) and some of her classmates from the STJ c/o 2025.

by: Campbell Wright, class of 2025

Earlier this month, the Saint James junior class hosted our annual prom. The theme for this year was “A Night at the Disco.” It was a night full of dancing, great music, and incredible decorations. I am a member of the prom club led by Mrs. Ward, along with other junior girls and officers. Our club spent the year planning out and organizing details and ideas to create this magical Prom night. The Friday before Prom, our club ensured the seniors had the best last Prom by setting up fabulous disco decorations, creating memories and sharing laughs as we set up for the night.

The Warehouse at Alley Station was groovy with disco balls, silver accents, and lots of sparkles!

Prom night began for me at Wynlakes Country Club where the entire Junior class took pictures. My friends and I had the best time taking pictures together, capturing our memories of an unforgettable night. After pictures, the class split up for dinner, delicious food combined with excitement and anticipation for the night to come. When it was time to arrive at the Warehouse, we were greeted with our beautiful decorations and a room full of disco fever. The room had a snack bar, photo booth, and stage with a perfect dance floor. Soon after arrival, the bittersweet senior leadout began and we watched our seniors close out their final high school Prom.

The sadness quickly ended when the fabulous Park Band started their music and everyone began dancing. The band kept the excitement high the entire night and everyone was sad to leave. This year’s Prom was an unforgettable night with new memories I will cherish forever.

Saint James students and their dates before Prom 2024.

Cabaret! Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

by: Nicole Jung, class of 2025

STJ Cabaret 2024

Elementary “Rising Starts”

Cabaret 2024

STJ Cabaret is an annual performance that showcases students dancing and singing. Not only do elementary to high school students perform on stage, they can work as backstage staff as well. Usually, I participate as a performer but this year, I just went to watch my friends. Seeing them at the concessions or on the stage gave me so much joy and inspiration.

Every year, Cabaret has a theme that all the songs are based off of. This year it was Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Songs like “Sweet Dreams” by The Eurythmics and “I Feel for You” by Chaka Khan introduce new music and good oldies to me. The ride back home is when I listen to the newfound songs blissfully! The sparkly outfits the performers wear are dazzling especially when they are matching for small group performances. Speaking of small groups, the dance ensemble does impressive dances that showcase their amazing talent! Other small groups have only singing in which they serenade the audience with their vocals or instruments.

Cabaret is performed for 3 nights and on the last night, it is tradition for the sophomores and juniors to make a speech for the graduating seniors. This touching occasion fills me with warmth and many of the performers shed tears for their last performance with their loved upperclassmen. It was amazing to see how much effort and dedication went into creating such a production. For next year‘s Cabaret, make sure to grab a ticket and enjoy the show!

Nicole has been a Trojan since the 2nd grade. She is a member of the STJ choir, youth legislature and youth judicial, SGA, and cheerleading. Nicole also serves as a Student Ambassador.

#wearesaintjamesschool

The National Merit Process: Months in the Making

The National Merit banner at the front entrance of the STJ campus.

My sister, Emilee, a sophomore at STJ, and my family have been very supportive during this process.

by: Will Alexander, senior

Every school year during the fall, it comes time to take the PSAT, and every year, grades 9 through 11 dread the thought of taking another four-hour standardized test. But for the juniors, those four hours have the potential to mean a lot more. When I was a junior, I knew that the PSAT was used to determine National Merit Semifinalists, but I didn’t really conceive just how big that was. After a long four hours of what felt like mind numbing testing, I walked out of the room thinking I was done with Pre-SAT forever and that was it. But to my surprise, the fall of this school year I got called into my counselor, Mr. Clinton's, office one random day. While a lot of different possibilities of why I was in there ran around in my head, not all good either, he told me I had done well enough to be a National Merit Semifinalist. With a bunch of excitement and joy, I went home that night with a letter explaining how the whole process would work from there on. After they calmed down and were able to collect their breath, my parents helped me to finish getting an application together for the next step. I had to get letters of recommendation, ACT/SAT scores, my transcript, and a bunch of other information together in order to be a candidate for National Merit Finalist. I turned in my forms, listed my expected college information, and waited. And waited. And waited. The banners and praise were very gratifying, but those months between Semifinalist and Finalist announcement felt like forever. I went from not even thinking about National Merit to it consuming my thoughts everyday all the way to one February day. In the middle of lunch, Mrs. Poplin called me up onto the stage and in that moment it felt surreal. Many colleges offer some smaller scholarships for being a Semifinalist. But being a Finalist, that’s where things really ramp up. Just like that it felt gratifying and relieving to know the whole college admission process just became that much less stressful. Now as graduation nears and I get ready to go to Auburn for my next four years, I look back on the whole National Merit Process and smile, knowing how exciting, nerve racking, and incredible it was, and just how important it is, even if it doesn’t seem like it when you’re taking the PSAT. #wearesaintjamesschool

Seeing Double (and Triple!)

Odyssey staff members Caden and Cole Anderson.

Happy National Siblings Day!

Hannah McCain, Caden Anderson, and Cole Anderson of The Odyssey Staff completed a project highlighting a topic they know very well- being in a family of multiples! We have 23 sets of multiples this year K2-12th grade totaling 22 sets of twins and one set of triplets!

The Odyssey is Saint James School’s newspaper. Each quarter of the school year, the newspaper staff publishes a new issue of this student-led publication. Members of the staff select two topics that are relevant to the quarter to contribute to the paper. Their topics can consist of college signings, holidays, sports achievements, academics, pep rallies, and other school related activities. Fun features like the multiples video give a peek into our student culture and the fun we have on campus. The Odyssey is led by Mrs. Martha Cavanaugh and the 23-24 editors are seniors Will Alexander, Katie Brightwell, & Erin Waggoner. #wearesaintjamesschool

Picnic Weather

PreK Picnic Invasion!

We've been loving the picnic weather on campus lately! What comes with a picnic? Ants! Pre-K4 students have been studying the life cycle of ants: egg, larva, pupa to adult ant.

Led by elementary science lab coordinator Ms. Carissa Gibbons, students set up a quilt for a pretend picnic that was -oh no!- taken over by ants! Crafted with six legs and three body segments, the handmade ants used antennae to smell the food at the picnic. Students also learned all about different species of ants and how they work together in colonies. Although some ants do bite, they are also helpful to our gardens and flowers. #wearesaintjamesschool

“Pretending is fun! And so is Science! ”

— Ms. Carissa Gibbons, Elementary Science Lab Coordinator

PreK students experience enrichment classes daily. Taught by full-time faculty, students study art, music, science, and foreign language.

Spanish Club - Lenguaje y Cultura

Cristian Pintovidal, STJ Commons Dining Coordinator- Chile. Pictured with STJ Spanish Club students and club sponsor, Rhea Grate.

The Saint James Spanish Club gives students an opportunity to learn more about the language and culture outside of the class period.  Guest speakers, discussions, celebrations of holidays, food, and art/cinema are explored in this weekly club.

Students work to develop their speaking, listening and reading skills through Spanish Club. This dynamic and enriching way of practicing the language is supplemental learning outside of class time. Spanish teacher and Spanish Club sponsor, Sra. Rhea Grate, invited several members of the Saint James family to visit the club period and talk to students about their home countries.

Marisa Dana, Pre-K3 teacher assistant - Argentina and Maria Light, Pre-K4 teachers assistant and STJ parent -Colombia

Reyna Girdner, parent of STJ high school student - Honduras

Students learned about customs, traditions, and holidays from our guest speakers. They discussed the climate, currency, and heritage of their home countries. Students enjoyed hearing traditional music and learning about traditional dress.

STJ Spanish Club is one of the many special interest clubs and organizations at Saint James School. High school students choose two clubs to participate in each year. During advisory time, students attend club meeting and work on special projects for their organizations.

#wearesaintjamesschool

Eighth Grade Visits Our Nation's Capital

by: Charlotte Stanton, class of 2028

8th graders stopped by the White House during their recent trip to Washington D.C.

The 8th grade students had been so excited for our class trip to Washington DC. We prepared for DC weeks before we departed, but most of us have been thinking about this since we were little. Some of the topics we were preparing for were hard, such as the Holocaust museum. However, we knew we would have a great and educational trip!
On day one, we had to be up early at 4:15 in the morning! We departed on two separate buses at 4:45 a.m. It was supposed to be around a two and half hour drive, but due to a serious accident that shut down the interstate, the drive took way longer than expected. We ended up missing our flight, but it was okay because we booked another flight that was scheduled to depart around 9 p.m. That left us with quite a while until we had to be at the airport. 
We made a pit stop at Buc-ee’s, and all joined onto one bus to make our way to Atlanta. In Atlanta we did many interesting activities. We got to walk around Olympic park, explore the World of Coca-Cola museum, and eat at a small cafe. After some time, we had to leave to head to the airport. We had to wait for many hours after countless delays. Finally, we boarded the plane at 10:10 p.m. It was a bumpy ride, but we landed in Washington DC safely at 11:50 p.m. We got to ride on a double-decker bus, but everyone was very tired and ready to get to the hotel. 

Students at the Lincoln Memorial

Since we missed the entire day before, we had to make some schedule rearrangements. We got to see the Arlington National Cemetery first. The eternal flame was a beautiful symbol. We spent some time in the Spy Museum. That was one of my personal favorites. They had real artifacts from spies! The African American History Museum was very educational and immersive; they did a good job of conveying a lot of emotions. We quickly went through the American History Museum just to see the original star-spangled banner. Then, we got to look around the Natural History Museum. I love how big that museum was, and I wish we could have stayed there for hours! I probably spent the most time in the gem and mineral exhibit looking for the Hope Diamond. For dinner we ate at Carmine’s. Later at night, we got a tour of many different monuments around the city. The Abraham Lincoln Memorial was so ornate and gave a beautiful view of the Washington Monument. 

Students participating in a Revolutionary Era reenactment at Mt. Vernon.

The next day, Ford’s Theater was first on our itinerary. A man gave us a lecture about the assassination. I really enjoyed the museum part of the tour. Then, we took the annual class picture with all of the students and chaperones. After that we got a tour of the capitol building! The architecture was gorgeous inside and out. The painting and statues were so detailed, and I loved hearing about their deeper meanings. We all took a quick picture with the White House then went to the Holocaust Memorial Museum. We all took our time to look around and learn about this tragedy. It was a well constructed museum that showed the raw truth. We then went to see the National Archives. The documents in there were very old! For dinner that night we got to go on a dinner river cruise! We all got dressed nice and got to dance on the dancefloor. The view on the cruise of the water and city was breathtaking!

Charlotte (second from right) with classmates at the International Spy Museum

However, all good things must come to an end. On the last day we had the opportunity to see Mount Vernon. The land was so peaceful and well taken care of. Andrew Sellers laid a wreath near President George Washington’s tomb. Due to traffic we couldn’t go inside the house, but in history class we got to do a virtual tour of the house, so we didn’t miss out completely! We flew back home and arrived at STJ around 7:30 p.m. Overall it was a very educational trip that we were lucky to have had the opportunity to experience! 

Candygrams for a Cause!

by: Ella Reid Rodgers, senior

The STJ high school SGA

by: Ella Reid Rodgers, senior

At Saint James, our Student Government Association is extremely involved in creating exciting fundraisers that benefit our school. This year the SGA is led by Mrs. Kathryn Hughes, President Gracie Sommer, and Vice President, Logan Hartson, and includes many other members from grades 9-12. For 3 years now, the high school SGA created candy grams for Valentine’s Day. These candy grams were $1 each, and could be sent to any high school

Ella Reid passing out treats to STJ PreK students

student, as well as all faculty and staff. Each candy gram could be anonymous or include a name, and had the option to write a note to the person receiving the candy. When buying the candy gram, you were to select between hershey kisses, starbursts, and fun dip. The SGA gave all of high school 2 weeks to purchase these candy grams. During these 2 weeks, members of the SGA worked hard on purchasing the candy, writing the given notes, and wrapping up the bags of candy to distribute to students and staff. On Valentine’s Day, all of SGA handed out the candy grams to those who received one at lunch. A big number of students purchased candy grams for several of their friends, and some teachers purchased them for their students. Not only this, but seniors were able to give their kindergarten buddies candy as well. This year, the SGA raised a total of $610, which was a new record! Mrs. Hughes said, ““The SGA worked extremely hard this year creating over 600 candy grams that were distributed to the high school on Valentine’s day!” The proceeds from this fundraiser go towards the Trojan Scholarship that is given to one 9-11th grader. The Trojan Scholarship is a $1000 scholarship that is rewarded to a student and goes towards their tuition for the following year. This SGA fundraiser proved to be successful once again!

Ella Reid has been a Trojan since PreK4. She is a member of the National Honor Society, SGA, yearbook staff, Trojan Cheerleading, and serves as a Student Ambassador. #wearesaintjameschool

Stop (Motion) in the Name of Cell Division

Michelle Taliaferro’s AP Biology students created stop motion movies to visually demonstrate mitosis and meiosis. Cell division and reproduction is a highly tested concept on the AP Biology exam, which students will take this spring. To help master of these concepts, students wanted to make a tangible, visual model of how cells behave in the phases of mitosis and meiosis. Over the span of several days, two student teams filmed their colored play-doh “cells” frame by frame to create a stop motion video.

AP Biology students filming their stop motion videos.

Meiosis is a special type of cell division of germ cells and apicomplexans in sexually-reproducing organisms that produces the gametes, the sperm or egg cells. It involves two rounds of division that ultimately result in four cells, each with only one copy of each chromosome. Mitosis is a part of the cell cycle in which replicated chromosomes are separated into two new nuclei. Cell division by mitosis is an equational division which gives rise to genetically identical cells in which the total number of chromosomes is maintained.

AP Biology is one of 30 honors and AP classes offered at the high school level. Advanced Placement (AP) courses are college-level classes that challenge students to master concepts and push themselves. As a college preparatory institution, Saint James School has a robust AP and honors curriculum and provides professional development and support for the faculty who teach these courses. #wearesaintjamesschool

Kindergarten/Senior Buddy LOVE

by: Reilly Taylor, senior

Reilly’s buddy, June

What a sweet valentine’s day my senior class had with our k5 buddies! We all met up in the Commons and patiently waited for our little buddies to walk in! We exchanged gifts, decorated paper bags with valentine’s day themed stickers, colors, and more! We then filled each bag with water, play-do, and a fun valentine’s day card we got to color with our buddy! The bags we decorated and put together are going to be sent to Child Protect, a non-profit organization that focuses on minimizing both the physical and mental trauma some children have experienced. This was a very special valentine’s day as we got to spend precious time with our buddies, involved them in making someone else’s day special, and shared the love we each have in our hearts!

Reilly has been a Trojan since preK. She is a cheerleading All-American, member of the tennis team, and loves to volunteer. Reilly also is a second year Student Ambassador, serving as an official hostess of Saint James School.