Faculty Spotlight: Rhea Grate

Sra. Grate wearing an authentic flamenco dress from Spain.

I teach: Spanish 1, Spanish 2, Spanish 2 Honors, Spanish 3 Honors, and Spanish 4 Honors

I've Taught for: 16 years. This is year 10 at Saint James School.

Hometown: Paramus, New Jersey

High school: Paramus High School

College/Degree: Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania/ Bachelor of Arts with a double major: Economics & Business/ Spanish

University of Massachusetts in Amherst, Massachusetts/ Masters in Business Administration

STJ Extracurricular: Spanish Club and Knitting Club

Favorite Book: This is a tough question. I enjoy Dan Brown for American fiction. Carlos Ruiz Zafón is great for foreign contemporary fiction. A classic: Don Quijote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra. Nonfiction: Healthy at 100 by John Robbins. The Joy of Cooking. I tend to read nonfiction, biographies and autobiographies most.

Favorite Movie: Any James Bond movie.

Favorite Food: Another hard question. I eat a great variety of food ....If forced to choose....seafood.

Sra. Grate, with other Alabama educators, as Governor Ivey signed a bill officially recognizing the Global Seal of Biliteracy.

Favorite thing about working at STJ: The students! I keep in touch with many former students and even get wedding invitations from some!

Fun Fact: I have visited 48 countries, backroads and major cities in five continents. I have lived in two other countries besides the U.S.

The Legacy of a Teacher: Honoring our STJ family

Dr. Wayne Flynt, historian and author, with historian and STJ Head of School Dr. Larry McLemore

This afternoon, Saint James School welcomed several members of the Saint James family to campus to honor one of our own. Mrs. Sharon Andress, who served as a member of the STJ history faculty for 17 years, passed away last month. Current and former faculty members, along with school administration, held an intimate ceremony in the library to honor Mrs. Andress and the impact she had on our school. Mrs. Nancy Anderson, local instructor of Southern literature and expert on author Harper Lee, and Dr. Wayne Flynt, renowned author and historian, presented two publications to be housed in the library’s permanent collection. Both Mrs. Anderson and Dr. Flynt were close friends and colleagues of Mrs. Andress who taught To Kill a Mockingbird to Saint James students for many years. Saint James high school English students still study the classic novel each year.

Today was especially meaningful to our Head of School, Dr. Larry McLemore, who was a student of Mrs. Andress and has fond memories of her courses. She taught AP United States History, Southern Cultures, and served as the junior class sponsor for many years. She was a member of the STJ faculty from 1990-2007.

Dr. Flynt, signing a copy of his book for Dr. McLemore.

Mrs. Nancy Anderson is a distinguished fellow at Auburn University at Montgomery, where she has taught Southern and American literature for over 40 years. She is a leading expert on Alabama author Harper Lee. She is a recipient of the AUM Faculty Service Award and Chancellor’s Warhawk Spirit Award.

Dr. Wayne Flynt, Professor Emeritus in the Department of History at Auburn University, has won numerous teaching awards and been a Distinguished University Professor for many years. Dr. Flynt is a Pulitzer Prize nominee and author of over a dozen books. Saint James Head of School, Dr. Larry McLemore, calls him “the most important historian of the state of Alabama.” What an honor to have both Mrs. Anderson and Dr. Flynt join us on campus today to honor Mrs. Sharon Andress.

#wearesaintjamesschool

Members of the Saint James School family in the high school library, where two signed books will be housed in the school’s permanent collection, to honor past STJ faculty members Mrs. Sharon Andress.

Monarch Way Station: The Circle of Life

High School biology club measuring the progress of the chrysalis and cucumber plant.

We are so proud of our school community garden! We were able to provide an environment to house two Monarch chrysalises this fall. Unfortunately, the butterflies never progressed to the point of metamorphosis, but simply having caterpillars in the garden is a huge step of our Monarch Way Station! Several factors can affect the success of a chrysalis: stress, predators, and climate. The recent cold snap in Montgomery likely contributed to the stunting of the chrysalis’s development. Humidity, wind, and temperature are all factors that make the growing environment safe or unsafe for caterpillars.

One of the two chrysalises after the recent cold snap in Montgomery.

Kindergarteners, sixth graders, and high school Biology Club students were some of the groups measuring and taking note of the daily progress. Students visited the garden to track the growth (or lack thereof) and made predictions based on the scientific method. The cucumber plant, that started out small, has been thriving and producing cucumbers that were harvested and enjoyed by some Kindergarten students. We will continue to outfit the garden with Monarch friendly plants to encourage more butterfly visitors during the next migration! #wearesaintjamesschool

Going Batty at STJ!

1st grade students at the elementary science lab “bat cave.”

The elementary science “bat cave.”

Who hangs upside-down and stays awake at night? No, not the Pre-K2 students… it’s bats!

We learned all about bats this week! Our elementary science lab coordinator, Ms. Carissa Gibbons, invited a bat expert from A-Z Animals to present some amazing bat facts to our students. Vicky Smith, also known as “The Bat Lady,” is proud to provide environmental education to students around Alabama. Vicky is an award-winning environmental educator and experienced naturalist, teaching over 5,000 people each year. Vicky loves these little winged furry creatures of the night and we were so happy she shared her passion with us.

Bats are sometimes thought to be scary, but that is not true! We learned that bats play an essential role in pest control, pollinating plants and dispersing seeds. Because bats eat so many insects, they lessen the need for use of chemical pesticides in agriculture. Bats are not a threat to humans- especially those in our region. Sixteen different bat species are found in the state of Alabama. Most are very small (around the size of your hand).

Halloween’s creepiest critters are actually a very important part of our ecosystem. Thanks, bats!

Bats can live more than 30 years!

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Bats can fly at speeds up to 60 miles per hour

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Bats can eat up to 1,200 mosquitoes an hour

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Baby bats are called pups!

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Bats are nocturnal

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Bats are the only mammals that can fly

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Bats can live more than 30 years! 〰️ Bats can fly at speeds up to 60 miles per hour 〰️ Bats can eat up to 1,200 mosquitoes an hour 〰️ Baby bats are called pups! 〰️ Bats are nocturnal 〰️ Bats are the only mammals that can fly 〰️

Petite Picassos

Pablo Picasso was a Spanish modernist artist best known for pioneering Cubism and contributions to the art community.

#wearesaintjamesschool

Upper elementary students created their own Picasso inspired portraits in elementary art enrichment class. Using watercolor, students layered elements and shapes to create a face.

Inaugural Trojan Trot

by: AJ Kavlick, senior

First place finisher, STJ 8th grader, Zach Rains.

The Saint James Cross Country team at the inaugural Trojan Trot.

The Saint James Cross Country team held its first Trojan Trot at Shakespeare Park on Saturday, September 24. This marks the first community race Saint James has hosted in over 10 years. The Trojan Trot certainly could not have happened without the help of the Cross Country team and their families, who volunteered to help with the event. Shoutout to Coach Hampton Mitchel and her family, who organized this exciting event. We were grateful to be sponsored by Smith-Kastner Wealth Management, along with 13 other sponsors! Over 160 runners registered for the 5k and 1 miles races respectively. It wasn’t all students, though; we had runners of all ages and walks of life come out to support our school. Through this unique opportunity, the Cross Country team got to know our community a bit better by reaching out beyond the Saint James family. The Trojan Trot also met its fundraising goals! All proceeds from the event have gone towards funding our state-championship winning cross country team. In addition to the races, there were several other activities to take part in, such as face painting and obstacle courses. It wasn’t all just fun and games, though; the competition was fierce! For the 5K, Zach Rains, Molly Phillips, Webb Chastain, and Nick Wolf won first in their age groups. In the 1 mile, the winners were Joey Barton, Royce Connor, Landon Rust, and Keo Bailey respectively. Overall, the Trojan Trot was a huge success, and we look forward to continuing this new tradition! #wearesaintjamesschool

Make Way for Monarchs!

Pre-K3 students exploring the STJ Monarch Waystation.

We have exciting news at the school garden- it makes our hearts flutter! Several months ago, we planted milkweed in the Kindergarten bed of the community garden. Milkweed plants are vital to the life cycle of butterflies, as they produce a necessary nectar that these insects need for reproduction. Each fall, hundreds of millions of monarch butterflies migrate from the United States and Canada to central Mexico. In order to make this long journey, the butterflies have to actually lay eggs along the way. A special habitat is needed for the amazing metamorphosis process to happen successfully. These environments are called “Monarch Waystations.”

Mrs. Elizabeth Harber, Saint James Community Garden Coordinator, has been carefully monitoring our school’s Waystation and discovered some very exciting activity. She, along with one of our Pre-K classes, found some caterpillars on our milkweed plants. These caterpillars were in the larva stage getting ready to build a cocoon. A few days later, she found two cocoons in the pupa stage, called chrysalises. We are now waiting for these to emerge into beautiful Monarchs! Many of our elementary students have been following along and studying the lifecycle of butterflies. Saint James School is excited to be part of the the great monarch migration!

Faculty Spotlight: Mrs. Maria Light

I teach: Pre-K3 Teacher's assistant

I've Taught for: I worked at Maxwell Elementary/Middle School as an Educational Aide in Kindergarten for 3 years.

Hometown: Miami, FL

High school: G. Holmes Braddock High School

College/Degree: Bachelor of Science in Human Resource Management, Faulkner University 2015; Master of Science in Human Resource Management, Troy University 2017

The Light Family

Family: Husband Rob, daughter Eva (7th grade), and son Joseph (6th grade)

Favorite Book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Favorite Movie: Life is Beautiful

Favorite Food: Paella

Favorite thing about working at STJ: The STJ staff and students have welcomed my family warmly. My 12 and 11 year old children are happy to come to school every morning.

Fun Fact: My family and I have a small farm with chickens, goats, dogs and cats.

AP to 3rd Grade

An illustration from “Fear-Con,” by AP student Sophie Caradori

Mrs. Ward’s Ap English Language and Composition students presented a fun project to STJ 3rd graders. The advance placement upperclassmen had an assignment to compose a story for a specific age group. This type of writing for an audience is an exercise helpful in preparing for the upcoming AP test this May. Students wrote for our third graders, who are between the ages of 8-9, using vocabulary and rhetoric appropriate for that

Third grade students with AP students Justin Kang and Sophie Caradori

auience. Two juniors, Sophie Caradori and Justin Kang, presented their stories to the elementary students. Our third graders loved the stories and had lots of questions about the writing process and what they enjoyed about the assignment. Presentations like this are an example of how our campus bridges division levels to create a cohesive school community. At Saint James, it is not uncommon to see upperclassmen and elementary students participating in learning together during the school day. #wearesaintjamesschool

Mrs. Broughton’s 3rd grade class listening to presentations from AP English Language and Composition students

Marching Trojans on the Plains

by: Rose Statam, STJ Marching Trojans Drum Major

Honor Band students marching on the field at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Four Saint James marching band members were selected to perform at halftime during the Auburn University vs San Jose State football game. To play with the Auburn University High School Honor Band is a unique opportunity for high school students to experience taking the field to perform alongside the AUMB in front of a crowd of over 80,000.

Saint James band students Davis Taylor, Ari’Yah Brown, James Ezra Brown, and Rose Statam.

To play with the Auburn University Marching Band really was a treat! We got to see them practice in the morning, and then practice with them in our specific instrument section. The college students and staff were all very friendly and made the experience very enjoyable. Getting to play on the field was really cool! Compared to playing for a crowd of high school students at Friday night games or even at large competitions, playing at Jordan-Hare Stadium was something special. The scale of people really didn’t hit me until we got onto the field right before we performed. I really am grateful and honored for the incredible opportunity to play with the Auburn University Marching Band! #wearesaintjamesschool