Faculty Spotlight: Mrs. Bethany Davis

September 30, 2019 by Kathryn Bartlett

I teach: Visual Arts HS art 1, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade

I've Taught for: I am going on my 5th year of teaching

Hometown: Troy, AL

High school: Charles Henderson High School

College/Degree: Troy, Undergrad in Studio Fine Arts, and Masters in Art Education

Favorite Book: So many that I love, but one of them is “Atlantia"

Favorite Movie: It changes but one of my favorites is “What Dreams May Come"

Favorite Food: chips and edamame

Married to: Jason Davis

Church: Thorington Road Baptist Church

Fun Fact: I use to be on the swim team for 7-8 years and lifeguard for 5 years.

Practicing Handwriting

September 26, 2019 by Kathryn Bartlett

STJ first graders practiced writing their names using different colors, brush types, and brush sizes on iPads during technology enrichment. Elementary students attend enrichments daily, including technology lab.

Middle School Digital Journalism

September 25, 2019 by Kathryn Bartlett

The 2019-2020 STJ Middle School Digital Journalism Staff is pleased to offer Volume I of Trojan Strong 24/7. This publication is student designed, written, and developed. All issues this year will be accessible through onCampus, our school’s learning management system.

#WeAreSaint JamesSchool

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Faculty Spotlight: Mr. David Beach

September 23, 2019 by Kathryn Bartlett

I teach: High School Science (Physics, Physical Science, Environmental Science)

I've Taught for: This is my third year

Hometown: Norcross, GA

High school: Norcross High School

College/Degree: BS in both Physics and Secondary Education from Berry College

STJ Extracurricular: Theatre

Favorite Book: The Supper of the Lamb by Robert Farrar Capon, you could call it a theological cookbook

Favorite Movie: O Brother Where Art Thou?

Favorite Food: If I HAD to pick, then it would be rice and beans

Church: Trinity Presbyterian Church

Fun Fact: I took a three week road trip out west this summer

Layers of the Earth

September 19, 2019 by Kathryn Bartlett

Middle School Earth Science is learning about how the various layers of the Earth have different densities which causes layering: crust, mantle, tectonic plates, outer core, and inner core. Students did this simple density column lab so we can see the way liquids of different densities will layer.

You used to call me on my (eukaryotic) cell phone

September 18, 2019 by Kathryn Bartlett

Last week in class, fifth grade students drew plant and animal cells using various apps on their iPads. Students labeled parts of each cell and used different colors and shapes to identify their creations. Later, in science lab, students enjoyed a sweet hands-on activity. Using a graham cracker for the plant cell , a sugar cookie for the animal cell, and lots of yummy toppings like Lifesavers and sprinkles, students created their own edible versions!

“This project was so fun. I used Lifesavers for the nucleus and Fruit Loops for the mitochondria. Everyone got to eat their cells at the end!”

— Della Skelley, 5th grade

Staff Spotlight: Ms. Kitha Jackson

September 16, 2019 by Kathryn Bartlett

Department: Assistant Director Wonder Works/ DHR Coordinator

I've been in this field: 24 years in childcare

Hometown: Montgomery, AL

High school: Jefferson Davis High School

College/Degree: TSUM

Favorite Book: The Giving Tree

Favorite Movie: Love & Basketball

Favorite Food: Salad

Church: Mercy Baptist Church on Bell Road

Children: One fur baby, Kiwi. She is 10 years old.

Fun Fact: I love shopping for clothes and shoes especially with discounts and coupons! :) I love children even though I don’t have any because they give the sweetest hugs and kisses. I love taking pictures!

"All About Me!"

September 12, 2019 by Kathryn Bartlett

Students in grades 1-5 used various applications to illustrate “all about me” pages. All elementary students attend formal technology enrichment classes weekly.

“I try to make my activities tie into skills from the content areas whenever possible so that is why first grade worked with handwriting while also learning to use writing tools, backgrounds and recording features in the Seesaw app.

I did an “All About Me” activity with all grades 1st -5th grade. This gave me an opportunity to get to know my new students as well as a way to know more about returning students. There was enough creative freedom built into the activity that it also gave me insight into how each student thinks and organizes his/her information. The activity allowed students to practice design skills while navigating and utilizing tools in a virtual environment.”

— Tina Waggoner, Elementary Technology Teacher

“We worked with Digital Citizenship skills by talking about the purposes of commenting on other students’ posts and how to make valuable, constructive comments. This fits seamlessly into our Trojan 24/7.

Commenting should be used to build people up, be curious and respectful, and help us learn something new. ”

Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Catherine Winn

September 09, 2019 by Kathryn Bartlett

I teach (subject/grade) or your department: Honors English 1, English 4, AP Literature, and Yearbook

I've Taught for: Eleven years, I think? I taught my first classes at the University of Alabama when I was 21.

Hometown: I was a military brat. I was born in Abilene, Texas, but my family settled in Prattville when I was in third grade.

High school: Prattville High School

College/Degree: Bachelor's in English from AUM. Master's in Renaissance Studies and PhD in English from the University of Alabama. (Roll Tide.)

STJ Extracurricular (do you oversee a club/activity?): I will be the Interact Club sponsor this year, as well as the sponsor of Yearbook Club. I co-sponsor Young Democrats with Andy Clinton, and I help run FCA with the two awesome presidents, seniors Lucy Edwards and Katie Leigh Smith. Last year, I also ran Cooking Club and helped with the Speech and Debate team, but I am not doing those things this year!

Favorite Book: This is a dangerous question for a lit nerd! My favorite book of all time is The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley, but I grew up reading a variety of fantasy novels, ranging from Dragonlance books to J. R. R. Tolkien, from Mary Stewart's Arthuriana novels to Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time series, and I still adore these stories. My favorite Shakespeare plays are A Winter's Tale, All's Well that Ends Well, and Othello. These days, however, I love poetry the most--especially protest poetry. Warsan Shire is my current favorite. (Her poem about the refugee crisis, entitled "Home," is stunning in all of the ways.)

Favorite Movie: Amelie and A Very Long Engagement are my most favorites. They're both French, but they are gorgeous films.

Favorite Food: I love all food. I could eat Mexican food almost any night of the week, but I also like Ethiopian, Thai, Indian, Italian, and Greek. I also really, really love baking bread and coming up with different "signature" cakes for my friends' birthdays.

Married to: In the immortal words of Lizzo, I'm my own soulmate.

Children: Just one! Dresden is here at Saint James with me, in second grade. You will also see me with my niece (Ava Claire, 3rd Grade) and nephew (Cade, Kindergarten). They call me Aunt Duchess. It's the best.

Church: The Catalyst Community

Fun Fact: I was baptized as an adult (at 27 years old) in Trinity's cafeteria!

Happiness is the Journey, Not the Destination

September 06, 2019 by Kathryn Bartlett

This week, Mrs. Parquette’s fifth graders studied parts of a map. They learned about map keys, symbols, drawing to scale, and the compass rose. Finally, students drew their own map of Saint James School! Using rulers and guides, the buildings and streets were drawn to scale and labeled. Students recorded themselves giving directions to our elementary science lab using cardinal directions and distance on SeeSaw, our digital portfolio app.

Map skills promote spatial thinking, allowing students to comprehend and analyze phenomena related to the places and spaces around them. Spatial thinking is an important skills that students can develop as they learn geography, Earth, and environmental sciences. Young students also grow their language skills as they collaborate with peers, parents, and teachers and communicate about spatial relationships. Spatial thinking skills and activities like the STJ map project reinforce the skills that may allow our students to be at an advantage in our increasingly global and technological society. In a world with apps like Waze, Google Maps, and Roadtrippers, map reading has become a lost art (I know it has for me)! Mrs. Parquette and our fifth grade team works hard to prepare students for the next step and think critically.