Hey, Little Ant

The beloved children’s book, “Hey, Little Ant,” by Phillip Hoose, Hannah Hoose, and Debbie Tillery, is a favorite among STJ kindergarteners. Students read this book during their insect unit each spring. The book connects English Language Arts, science, and ethics. The book was written to show us a different perspective and help us empathize with insects. Students discussed the dilemma of whether the boy should “squish” the ant or not. There is no definite conclusion to the story, so the students get to use their imaginations and decide the ending. They get to choose what they themselves would do. Students then practiced their writing and spelling skills to display in the pod.

During the inset unit, students learn about insects, their life cycles, and metamorphosis. Each classroom also houses caterpillars and watches them build cocoons. Students patiently wait for their butterflies to emerge and end the unit with a fun bug hunt around campus.

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Spring Athletics: Tennis

by: Kate Rees, junior

by: Kate Rees, junior

state champion, Bailey Anderson

Tennis season at Saint James starts in late January and runs through April.  We have a JV and Varsity Girls team and a Boy’s Varsity Team.  The Varsity Girls’ coach is Geoff Warning at Lagoon Park.  The Varsity Boys’ coach is Ben Bradshaw at O’Conner. Tryouts are typically held in November.  I am on the Girls’ Varsity tennis team here at Saint James.  I enjoy playing tennis and having the opportunity to represent STJ on an athletic team is a unique honor.  I also enjoy getting to know my teammates.  We have players in grades 7th-12th! The team bonds over the season and makes countless memories.  Sometimes we reminisce over past events or matches, and we make new ones with new members.  The friendships made are special. It is a privilege to have a group working together towards the same goal to push and motivate one another. We wish each other happy birthdays, congratulate each other on other accomplishments, and reach out when someone is sick or injured.  We practice after school Monday through Friday during our season.  In late January, preseason practice begins and the first match is early February.  Once we have our first match, we hit the ground running!  We have matches through April and wrap up with Sectionals to qualify for State.  Most matches are played in town, but we enjoy traveling for out of town matches.  One match consists of three doubles lines and six singles lines.  Five wins are needed to win a match.  Saint James has had both Boys and Girls State Champions in tennis.  The Varsity Girls Team won the State Championship in 2019.  Our daily practices include warmup, drills, scrimmages, conditioning, and serves.  During matches, players cheer for teammates on adjacent court.  Whether you are having a hard match or made a good shot, it is uplifting to have your peers encourage you! 

Last week, we had both the girls and boys varsity teams compete in the 4A Sectional Tournament at Lagoon Park in Montgomery. We had a fantastic end to the season, with senior Bailey Anderson taking home a 4A-5A AHSAA state championship for singles line 6. Congratulations, Trojans!

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S'Mores: Campfire Not Required

Mr. Beach’s environmental science class enjoyed a campfire favorite, minus the fire. Students engineered their own solar ovens made out of boxes and aluminum foil to cook s’mores. Solar ovens use the sun’s light to heat without electricity, fuel, or any emissions. During the class period, the solar ovens heated the marshmallow and chocolate to make clean, delicious, scientific treats.

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Survey of Sports Medicine

by: Mary Rodgers Prim, junior

Here at Saint James, we have many fun options for elective classes to take. One of the options is Survey of Sports Medicine, Physical Therapy and Related Professions. In this class, students get the chance to learn how athletic trainers and physical therapists do their job. I am in this class and am very interested in going into this field when I go to college, so this class is the perfect opportunity to get a head start on learning! The class is taught by Victoria Henderson, STJ’s very own athletic trainer. We learn all about the anatomy and physiology of the human body, and go in depth learning about rehabilitation from injuries. This week, we learned how to tape ankles, elbows, and wrists and what kind of tape to use for certain injuries. Later in the year we will learn how to cast broken limbs. This class is perfect for students looking to go into the medical field of physical therapy, or just want a fun elective to learn more about the human body.

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Students have the opportunity to fulfill Red Cross CPR certification

We Love Our Teachers!

Two bits, four bits, six bits, a dollar. All for the teachers, stand up and holler!

In lieu of our our regularly scheduled faculty meeting, teachers enjoyed a surprise appreciation pep rally on the quad. The Saint James Trojans marching band and varsity cheerleaders performed spirit chants and the fight song. Our Head of School, Dr. McLemore, thanked the teachers and handed out Nancy’s Italian Ice. After a challenging year with many unknowns, our faculty and staff have stayed positive and flexible. We can’t thank our teachers enough!

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Kindergarten is Out of This World

Our Saint James School kindergarteners had a “blast” learning about space and our galaxy. Students enjoyed age-appropriate lessons about how planets orbit, stars and meteors, and the phases of the moon. Students also created a solar system mural and learned facts about each planet in The Milky Way. We also had fun imagining and illustrating our own imaginary planets and displaying them in the kindergarten pod.

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Recently in the elementary technology lab, Mrs. King’s kindergarten class made a digital book. They continued their space unit while learning how green screen and chroma key visual effects work. With the guidance of technology teacher Tina Waggoner, students used an app called Green Screen by Do Ink to merge photos of us that were taken in the green room with images of astronaut suits. Students then merged the new astronaut images with images from space to create a new image. Finally, each student added his/her own photo and voice recording to a digital book using the app Book Creator. We hope you enjoy the final product! Kindergarten is truly out of this world!

Spring Athletics: Softball

by: Morgan Parish, junior

This Softball season at Saint James has been running very smoothly. Last year our season ended early due to COVID and we now have the motivation to make up for our lost season. For most of the girls on the team we’ve been playing for a long time together. This year we have five seniors that will be graduating. Most of the seniors have been playing on the varsity team since 7th or 8th grade. They have been able to watch the program grow and see younger girls becoming more interested in the sport. For the past few years the softball program at Saint James has been building; however, with the help of our Coach, Mr. Mark Hall, we have been able to start to compete with bigger schools. As of April 6th the team is ranked 8 in the state for 4A. This is a big accomplishment for the team, but also the school. The softball team has played in multiple tournaments, being recognized by the media. During Spring Break they traveled to Pensacola, Florida for an Alabama vs. Florida tournament. While the state Alabama fell short in the tournament, the Trojans came out on top representing Saint James in a great way. They won all 3 of their games that were played, but were unable to play the final game due to rain. With the undefeated winning streak they had they were most likely to win the last game. The best thing about the softball team is that most of the players play sports with each other for the whole year. This allows the team to build bonds that help with communication and leadership. The Saint James softball team has a very high chance of making it to Gulf Shores to play in the regional tournament, but must keep the same pace. So far this season they have had a winning record and hope to continue having one. 

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Easter Egg Hunt Review Game

What better way to spend the Monday after Easter weekend than with an Egg Hunt Review Game! Eighth grade students in Ms. Whigham’s physical science class were challenged to find 12 eggs, all containing hidden review questions… and candy, of course! The first team to answer all questions correctly won a prize. What a fun way to review for a test.

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Cabaret 2021: Fire and Ice

by: Ella Taylor, senior

This year our Saint James theatre department turned up the heat with our 2021 Cabaret, Fire and Ice! Despite all the struggles and worries that exist in our world today, the cast and crew remained cool-headed and put on a spectacular performance! One of the greatest challenges for our cast was singing and dancing with masks on. Tapley Cronier, a senior in the theatre department said, “Cabaret had its ups and downs throughout the rehearsal process, but we worked hard and were able to put on a show that we loved!”

Our department also got creative with the addition of our Rising Stars performance on video. This year hasn’t been an easy year for theatre, but our department is pushing through with optimism—and some glitter, of course! If you enjoyed Cabaret, or missed it and would like to attend our next show, stay tuned to @stjtheatre on instagram for updates about the department’s spring show, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.”

“The students needed this and frankly, I needed it as well!  This show gave us the spiritual shot in the arm that we all needed. We proved that even through adversity that we could overcome and stay safe doing it.”

— Mr. Lonny Harrison, Director of Theatre and Forensics

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Bird is the Word

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Spring is in the air at Saint James School. Last week, elementary school classes built and decorated birdhouses to hang around campus. Students had fun choosing the design, colors, and adornments for the houses. This project was courtesy of STJ TV, our elementary student-led news station, sponsored by 4th grade teacher, Mr. Zach Beard.

To all of our bird friends, welcome home!