Virtual Pictionary

#WeAreSaintJamesSchool

By Diane Buckner, 6th grade math teacher:

One of my students’ favorite activities in Vocabulary class was playing our version of "pictionary." Students would take turns going to my SmartBoard and drawing an illustration of a unit word. The class would figure out which word the student was drawing. Now, with our remote learning, we have come up with a new way to "play" with our words. The students pick a word from our 20 word unit, draw an illustration of the word, and write a sentence that would use the word. Once I have approved their drawing then the rest of the class can see it and comment on what word they think is being illustrated. It keeps the class connected, we still "play" our review game, and now the parents can see their students work as well!

We are all different, but all beautiful!

Did you know that no two snowflakes are alike? Just like the beautiful snow flakes that glisten in winter, each one of us is unique. Our differences make us special and those differences should be celebrated! Before spring break, during counseling enrichment, Mrs. Gibson lead students in an activity to demonstrate how we can value our own uniqueness and respect differences in others. We need to remember this today and everyday!

students made snowflakes during counselor time

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Senior Ambassador Spotlight: Jan Wachowitz

Name: Jan Wachowitz

Years at STJ: 4 

College plans: Troy University, majoring in journalism

School Involvement: Varsity Football, Varsity Soccer, IPRYL, Chess Club, French Club (10th/11th grade)

Favorite STJ memory: beating Trinity for the 4th straight year in football!

Middle School P.E. gets down with "The Sid"

What’s up, my mammals? Middle School students got moving for P.E. class this week by grooving to “The Sid Shuffle,” based on the animated comedy, Ice Age: Continental Drift. Students learned the choreography and even got their parents (and pets) to join! During our remote learning, middle school students still participate in physical education daily, just like during the normal school year. Can you “walk it out” like Sid? #WeAreSaintJamesSchool

Water Experiments: h2Oh!

Our fifth graders enjoyed doing some fun experiments at home involving water. How many drops of water will fit on a penny? Surely not that many; pennies are so small! However, our students were pleased to discover that over 100 drops of water can collect on the surface of a penny. Due to cohesion, the attraction of like molecules to one another, and the surface tension of the penny, the hydrogen atoms of the water molecules bond together and stay on the penny’s surface. Once the water reaches the edge of the coin, a little dome of water forms on top.. The bubble shape is a result of the water molecules clinging to one another. So fun!

The second experiment was a challenge to see if a paper clip would float on water. After some trial and error, students figured out that the surface tension of the water, with no help from other materials or substances in the water, was enough to make the paper clip float! Our students have enjoyed conducting science experiments at home and sharing them on the SeeSaw app.

Senior Ambassador Spotlight: Katie Leigh Smith

Name: Katie Leigh Smith

Number of Years at STJ: six

School Involvement: cheer, tennis, pep club, FCA, yearbook, chess club, IPRYL, peer leader, student ambassadors 

College plans: University of Alabama majoring in biology

Favorite memory of STJ: Trojan Day (school-wide field day)

#WeAreSaintJamesSchool

Life Cycle of a Caterpillar

Our kindergartners are learning about the life cycle of caterpillars. These creatures have quite a journey before they transform into beautiful butterflies! Using their devices, students drew and described the metamorphosis and then uploaded their videos to SeeSaw. #WeAreSaintJamesSchool

Faculty Spotlight: Mrs. Michelle Shaffer

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I teach: Elementary Science Lab

I've Taught for: 18 years (this is my first at STJ)

Hometown: Gaithersburg, Maryland

High school: Gaithersburg High School

College/Degree: I graduated from Xavier University (Cincinnati, Ohio).  I have a B.S. in Elementary and Special Education and an M.Ed. in Special Education with a focus in Gifted Education.

STJ Extracurricular: advisor for the 5th grade Junior Master Gardener Club

Favorite Book: This is hard to answer. I love to read! Some of my favorite works are from Toni Morrison. I’ve read Pride and Prejudice and Rebecca more times than I can count! In recent years, I really enjoyed Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi and Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson. As for children’s literature, I love Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech and the graphic novel El Deafo by Cece Bell. 

Favorite Movie: I don’t watch a ton of movies, but over the years Hitchcock’s Rebecca has remained one of my favorites. 

Favorite Food: Maryland crab cakes

Married to: Stephen Shaffer

Children: Kelsey Shaffer (9th grade); Bridget Shaffer (6th grade); and a 10 year old GSP dog named Cody

Fun Fact: I am a HUGE hockey fan. I grew up watching NHL hockey and going to (Washington) Caps games. My dad is rom Philly, so my team then and now is the Philadelphia Flyers.

Showing our Students some Love

Even with all of our wonderful remote learning initiatives in place, nothing can substitute the face-to-face interactions that we receive at school. Although we can’t replace the interactions we are missing, we can still get a bit of (distanced) face time! Some of our high school faculty, including school counselor Jamie Payne, English teacher Dr. Catherine Winn, and high school principal’s assistant Bethany Shalayda, visited high school students’ homes to show their support on behalf of STJ. A wave through the window, a smile from the end of the driveway, or a “hey” from the front door was just what we needed to show we are in this together. #WeAreSaintJamesSchool

Virtual Enrichments

Did you know all elementary students participate in weekly enrichment classes? Saint James School is proud to offer seven enrichments: art, music, library, technology, science lab, Spanish, and counselor time. Each class, grades Pre-K3 through fifth, visits a different enrichment each day. Our enrichment teachers work closely with each classroom teacher to integrate what is being taught in the classroom into the enrichment lesson. We are so lucky to have dedicated, full-time enrichment faculty at STJ. Even during our remote learning, students receive an enrichment video each day to supplement their daily remote learning schedules.

Pre-K Virtual Library Time with Mr. Martin