Career Week 2024: 8th Grade Students Peek Into Professions

by: Waylon King and Grace , class of 2029

Waylon and his mom, who is a medical aesthetician.

I am so grateful that I had the amazing opportunity of being able to get an inside peek of the jobs of my choice for 8th grade career week 2024. My name is Waylon King and one of the professions that I shadowed was a medical aesthetician. I actually got to shadow my mom, Michela King, who runs her own aesthetician business. I started shadowing around 11:00am and was shown what her daily schedule looks like. She then showed me what kind of tools she uses to complete procedures and what their purposes are. We then had our first patient, who wanted a chemical peel, I was amazed by how fast the products started reacting. For the rest of the day, I was able to watch the many different procedures an aesthetician completes on a day to day basis. It was a blast to be shown the astonishing and exciting day of a medical aesthetician.

Grace with Deputy General Counsel for the Alabama Secretary of State, Meredith Blackburn.

Career Week was such a great experience for the class of 2029. My name is Grace Sykes and I shadowed the Deputy General Counsel for the Alabama Secretary of State. Her name is Mrs. Meredith Blackburn and is a close family friend of mine. I drove with her to the state capitol at 7:30am and took a small tour of the building. I got to meet the Secretary of State and go in his office. When I got back to Mrs. Blackburn's office, I went right to work. Mrs. Blackburn has many official duties and tasks she had to complete, so I helped her by putting previously used case files away and updating her code books. I had so much fun at the state capitol and would love to have a career as special and exciting as Mrs. Blackburn's.

Saint James middle school students have been shadowing careers during the 8th grade year for many years. Shadowing helps students explore potential career paths early, helping them identify their interests and strengths. It also provides real-world insights into various professions, connecting classroom learning to practical applications. This experience can inspire goal-setting and better decision-making for future education and career planning. Eighth grade career week is something Saint James students look forward to every year! #wearesaintjamesschool

A Great Start to a Great Year: Freshman Retreat

by: Emily Trock, 9th grade

Camp Butter and Egg was one of the best bonding experiences I have ever had at Saint James School. The retreat is an annual activity for freshmen, along with their peer leaders, to travel to Camp Butter and Egg. We had a great time with all the activities including: team building activities, competitions, ziplining, and canoeing in the lake. It was an amazing field trip that I will never forget.

The zipline was a favorite!

At 8:00 we boarded the bus and headed to Troy. Once we arrived, we were sorted into groups based on our advisories and played games against each other. With our teams, we had to work together to complete the various tasks. We threw bean-bags into small pillars, teamed up with a partner and used a magnet to move a ball into a hole, and unscrambled words to make sentences, to name a few. My favorite activity was a blind matching game, which consisted of team captains instructing their teams on how to position the objects correctly. The twist was that only the captains could see the desired position however, they couldn’t position the objects themselves. It was all competitive, which really made it exciting! 

Then, once we had broken the ice, my advisory headed over to complete team building exercises. This was a great way to bond with my class. Some activities included: playing the floor is lava, using pool noodles to transport balls at a rapid pace, and describing pictures to put them in order. These games helped us improve our relationships with each other and we had fun along the way!

Students enjoyed team building and bonding!

Lunch was delicious burgers, baked beans, chips, and sugar cookies. After lunch we headed to go ziplining! This was definitely my favorite part of the retreat. There were three ziplines. The first one was a smooth-sailing ride. The second one was through trees and was set at a much faster pace. The third one was my favorite. It went over the lake and had an incredible view of the whole camp! I even got to see some of my friends canoeing under me. Then we went down to the lake and got to chat with friends while on canoes and paddle boats. A couple of people got wet but we all had fun just the same.

High Ropes provided a great bonding experience.

This trip to Camp Butter and Egg was a wonderful experience which I won’t forget anytime soon! I look forward to an amazing freshman year; Camp Butter and Egg has been a great start!

The Saint James Peer Leaders are a group of seniors who serve as mentors to the freshmen for the first half of the year. The Peer Leaders meet with their assigned freshman advisories once a week to lead lessons on how to acclimate to high school. This program not only helps with the social and academic transition to high school, but builds relationships and enforces our Trojan Core Values. #wearesaintjamesschool

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.

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! 

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.

An All-American Homecoming

Camberwell Girls Grammar School students on Carlisle Field with STJ football players and cheerleaders.

Last week, Saint James School welcomed 37 students and five chaperones from Melbourne, Australia to attend our annual Homecoming festivities. Camberwell Girls Grammar School is an independent girls school founded in 1920. The group is participating in a visit to the American Southeast, including a 5-day NASA Space Camp experience, tour of Montgomery’s Civil Rights museums and memorials, and a visit to Universal Studios. During their time in Montgomery, they wanted a first-hand look at how their American peers spend a Friday night- what better time to experience a Southern high school football game?

Camberwell Girls Grammar School students on Carlisle Field after the 2023 Homecoming game.

In addition to witnessing the Trojans’ 49-14 win over Greensboro, the group enjoyed listening to the marching band, watching the cheerleaders and Trojanettes perform, and seeing the crowning of the STJ Homecoming Queen, Reilly Taylor. They even got a shout-out during halftime and had a chance to take photos on the field after the game. Of course, no visit is complete without commemorative t-shirts. Thank you for visiting Saint James, Chamberwell! Next time, we will come to visit you in Melbourne! #wearesaintjamesschool

Camberwell Girls Grammar School students and chaperones wearing STJ t-shirts.

Dr. McLemore and Camberwell students in the stands at Carlisle Field.

Senior Walk- An STJ Tradition

by: Kassidy Thompson, class of 2023

Kassidy, with her Kindergarten buddy, Sawyer

The Kindergarten/Senior Buddy tradition started almost 23 years ago, in 1999. The special bond between these students grows strong throughout the year, as they participate in many fun events. One of those events is Senior walk. Senior walk is one the most special traditions at Saint James. It is when the Seniors and their Buddies walk from the elementary school to the highschool. During the walk seniors are able to go back and remember all of the great memories they have made at Saint James and the kindergartners are able to see what the future holds for them. The seniors and their buddies walk hand in hand the whole way. This moment on the quad is an amazing way to end the year with their buddies and surrounded by their STJ family.

My Trip to Camp ASCCA

by: Dresden Merritt, class of 2030

Every year, the fifth graders take a three day field trip to Camp ASCCA, and it seems like we have been looking forward to this trip since we were in first grade!

Dresden and his cabin mates at Camp ASCCA

Day 1: My trip to camp began with me hopping out of my carpool and taking my VERY heavy bag to the gym. We met up at the gym and put our bags on the floor. We then stretched our legs and played games like basketball for 30 minutes. I remember throwing a frisbee with my friend and then playing soccer, too. After that, we finally got to go to our cabins and see who we would be with for the next three days. We had around 15 minutes to get settled and get our things set up before we met back up at the gym. Once everyone got to the gym we were assigned our activity groups. There were four groups, and Groups 1 and 2 went to team building while Groups 3 and 4 went canoeing. I was in Group 3. We went to lunch around 12:00 pm, and afterwards the groups rotated through activities. One thing I liked about team building was how kind our instructor, Amber, was. Amber never got annoyed with us, no matter how bad we were at the games or how long it took us to find the solution. After team building, we went to our cabins or stayed in the gym for free play. We ate dinner around 5:30 and had more free time until around 6pm. After that, our counselor Justin took us to the “bck4t,” which basically a child’s dream playroom. The bck4t had a bunch of arcade machines, some nerfs, two beach balls, a movie theater, and relaxation items scattered around. After a very fun hour or two, we headed back to our cabins for shower time. After that, my cabin had around 15 minutes of quiet time before lights out.

Saint James 5th graders at Camp ASCCA.

Zip line was a favorite activity!

Day 2: I woke up to an alarm clock, took a shower, and did all of the other morning routine things. We met up outside the cafeteria around 8:00 am and recited the pledge of allegiance in front of the flag. We then went inside and enjoyed our delicious breakfast. After that, we went to the gym and were told our daily activities. My group started off with the zip tower. I remember looking at the rock wall and getting a bit scared, but I brushed it off and was the second one to climb up. Near the top of the tower, I panicked and just hung there, saying to myself “I need help.” and “I’m not going to make it.” With a little bit of encouragement from a camp counselor, I gave it one last push and grabbed on to the top of the wall and pulled myself up! I then got hooked up to the zipline and was ready to jump. I leaned forward and soared through the air with the wind hitting my face! It was one of the best feelings ever. After that, we went fishing, and although I didn’t catch anything, my friend caught a bass. After fishing, we ate lunch and then went to forestry, where we talked about animals and animal furs. We went on a nice nature walk and talked about trees and plants after that. After forestry, I went and changed into water shoes for The Living Streams activity. One thing I can remember was how the water was freezing cold, and it just kept getting deeper as we moved forwards. I didn’t catch any bugs, but again, some of my friends did. We hiked back up to our cabins, and I changed back into my nice, warm, DRY shoes. We then headed to the gym and played kickball and other outdoor games for about an hour before we went to karaoke in the back outpost. Karaoke made me think about how fun this whole experience was. I got to hang out with my friends for three whole days with no work! Karaoke was so fun and was one of my favorite experiences at camp ASCCA. We sang until the ipad with the lyrics died, and then we headed up to the campfire and made s’mores. I sat down with myfriends, and we talked for a while. We then headed back to our cabins and said goodnight. At this point, I was so tired I basically passed out as soon as I laid down.

Nothing ends a day of camping like S’mores

Day 3: The last day was like a fun headache. I did my morning routine and packed up as fast as I could. I loaded all my stuff into the back of my carpools’ car and headed to the gym to hang out with my friends for one last time. We eventually did our last camp activity: the bungee trampoline. The bungee trampoline was fun, but it was hard to control yourself on it. After that, we did a cabin sweep and then got in our cars. My carpool had lunch at Chick-Fil-A, and as soon as I finished eating, I fell asleep for the rest of the car ride home.

#wearesaintjamesschool

When I Grow Up- 8th Grade Career Week

by: Sarah Moncrief, Middle School Counselor

A longtime flagship event of 8th grade at Saint James School has been Career Week.  This nationally recognized program is one our students have looked forward to each year since its inception over 30 years ago. 

During our first semester of 8th grade, students research careers that fit their interests. They learn how to construct a resume, write a cover letter, and fill out an employment application. Students discuss proper etiquette and practice professionalism through mock interviews.

In November, students participated in two zoom meetings. During these sessions, students heard from professionals why they chose their career, the path they traveled to arrive where they are now, and what their job entails. Students were given the chance to ask questions and hear real-life stories about these professions.

Afterward, students shadowed three professionals of their choice. When conducting their shadowing experience, they interviewed professionals in that career position and learned a great deal about all things related to the career they were shadowing. Students shadowed professionals in the medical field, architecture and construction, engineering, design, military personnel, law and the judicial system, first responders, accounting, veterinary medicine, information technology, and so many more.  

Saint James School’s Career Week Program allows students to explore careers they might be interested in; which in turn, helps students with course selections in high school and also college choices. Our students truly enjoy going out into the workforce and learning about life beyond middle and high school!
#WeAreSaintJamesSchool