Vol. 42 No. 1 Vol. TOWER TIMES Fall 2013

From the Head of School REFLECTIONS Karl Adler Looking back upon my first year at St. James Academy …. The parents and families of the St. James Academy community make the school a very special place. Parents volunteer in classrooms, work for the lunch program, coach rec league teams, and help organize many events. The forming arts surpassed my expecta- Patrons’ Association provides count- tions with three outstanding produc- less hours of talent and dedication to rooms. This past year teachers and tions: My Son Pinocchio (Grades 4-5), our children. This year, the Patrons’ students worked together to study but- Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Association sponsored memorable terflies in Kindergarten, create stop- Dream Coat (Grades 6-8), and Winnie events such as the Foxhound Festival, animation history research videos in the Pooh (Grades 1-3). the Gala, and Christmas Shoppe. The Fifth Grade, and built a 3-D printer Gala Committee transformed the St. helicopter in Middle School. Teachers Writing, research, and organizational James Center into a beautiful banquet give countless hours to St. James Acad- skills begin in the primary years. My hall for the Nantucket Nights Gala that emy and its students. They are a dedi- Second Grade son investigated an ani- cated and vital part of the Academy. mal, the Giant Panda, using the library, helped to raise money for student pro- grams. the technology lab, and classroom re- St. James Academy is an Internation- sources. He presented a written report al Baccalaureate (IB) World School. and diorama to his class. Eighth Grade Our IB Middle Years Programme culminates with an 8-10 page research provides students with an interdisci- paper of a global perspective using on- plinary approach to learning and cre- line note cards in 2013 MLA format. ates ways for them to connect with a SJA begins preparing life-long learners larger world. For example, in Seventh at an early age. Grade, students create Kiva cards. In English class, students write poems for St. James the cards and in art class, they design Academy is and create the cards. Students then sell a very spe- the cards to the school community. In cial place. I A devoted and caring faculty strives to geography class, students learn about am blessed help students excel not just intellectu- micro-loaning in developing countries to be part ally, but socially, emotionally, spiritually, and then lend the money to individuals of this and physically. A standing ovation for through Kiva International. community. our instrumental music teacher from his students demonstrates the strength The Arts Programs are especially of our faculty and the nurturing rela- impressive. Children’s artwork is tionship between teacher and student. prominently displayed throughout Students learn by doing in our class- the halls of the Academy. The per- CONGRATULATIONS SENIORS - SJA CLASS OF 2009

SJA contacted our Class of 2009 upon their high school graduation for future plans. Look at what we learned: Keagan Andersom Hereford High School University of South Carolina Priscilla Augustine Berkley Preparatory School Atlantic University Will Behner Hereford High School Florida Southern College Tom Bennett Calvert Hall College University Furman University Jordan Browning Stevenson University David Bruder Friends School of Hobart & William Smith College Tim Ciccarone Blakefield St. Joseph’s University Sam Crosby Hereford High School University of South Carolina Wyatt Dikerson Dickinson University Jackson Doughty St. Paul’s School Virginia Tech Lauren Duckett Megan Duckett Dulaney High School University of Patrick Elmore Hereford High School University of Utah Michael Flemmer Dulaney High School Community College of Balto. Co. Calvin Garay Gilman School Vanderbilt University Kaitlyn Gavrelis Hereford High School Towson University Alexis Gavrelis Hereford High School Tulane University Meggie Grasmick St. Mary’s School Westmont College Jake Groenke Gilman School University of South Carolina Ian Hannafin Elon University Kendall Herman The Benjamin School Will Horn The John Carroll School University of Scranton SJA Class of 2009 now high school Jackie Howard Hereford High School Mount St. Mary’s University graduates, pictured as First Graders Kristin Hutton Notre Dame Preparatory School Rhode Island School of Design in 2002-2003(above) and at Disney Haley Keller North Carolina State University World in 2009(below). Van Kinser Calvert Hall College High School York College Jena Lafferty Saint Francis University JC Lazzaro Calvert Hall College High School Georgetown University Daniel Lynne McDonogh School New York University Will McAvoy Gilman School University of Richmond Kellen McCarthy Woodgrove High School Marymount University Claire Muller Roland Park Country School Queen’s University of Charlotte Tyler Muneses Loyola Blakefield University of Miami Kevin O’Toole Loyola Blakefield Kirsten Pamfilis Notre Dame Preparatory School Maryland Institute College of Art Madison Pamfilis Notre Dame Preparatory School Towson University Kendall Rogers St. Paul’s School for Girls Dickinson University David Santangelo Boy’s Latin School Stevenson University Evan Slingsby Calvert Hall College High School College of Charleston Carley Smith Roland Park Country School New York University Madison Varvaris North Harford High School University of Maryland Jack Waterhouse St. Paul’s School University of Georgia, Athens Shelby Wells St. Paul’s School for Girls University of Delaware SJA ALUMNI Margaret Wright Hereford High School Coastal Carolina University Fall Foxhound Festival formally Fall Picnic St. James Academy 2012 - 2013 ANNUAL GIVING

Friday, September 13 Please visit www.saintjamesacademy.org 6:00 - 9:00 to view our Annual Report.

Bring your family! SJA is a Green School, and we are making every effort to conserve Enjoy the fun! resources by using online Recognition & Giving. ACADEMY NOTES - ACADEMY CAMERA

SJA Drama/Music Teacher, Randi Bradley, directed three phenomenal productions. Talented parents, students, and alumni served as actors, producer, stage manager, choreographer, lighting, sound, and set designers. Professional musicians accompany our musicals. My Son Pinocchio (Grades 4 & 5), Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Middle School and Second & Third Grade Children’s Chorus), and Winnie the Pooh (Grades 1,2,&3) were performed for sold-out crowds and rave reviews! Spring officially arrived in Kindergarten with the deliv- ery of Painted Lady Butterfly cultures! Students made special entries in their classroom journals to record their observations and document the daily growth from the larval stage to the pupal stage to their final stage when they emerge as mature butterflies! The Kindergartners released them in the gardens around school. As part of a First Grade science unit, The Pond, students ob- served ducklings hatch from eggs. First Graders learned to candle the eggs to calculate growth. They watched the ducklings position their beaks to peck their way out of the shells. As surrogate parents, the children taught them to preen themselves and swim before moving to a farm.

Each May the Academy host The SJA Horse and Pony Show. The show is pointed in both Baltimore and Harford Counties and attracts riders as well as spectators to our campus. Parent volunteers staff the Lunch House, Flower Tent, Entry Booth, and Jump Crew. The St. James Classic, a non pointed, judged competition, is a class open to all current St. James Academy students with the winner being named The SJA Grand Champion. This SJA Patrons’ Association event is a successful fundraiser as well as a community friend raiser! Academy volunteers were invited to join SJA faculty and students to celebrate the SJA Spirit of Volunteerism. The Volunteer Appreciation Tea followed our morning chapel service. Parents enjoyed tea and scones in the Academy Library. Prefirst students entertained guests with a French song, Six Little, Ducks, from Ms. Dowell’s’84 world language class. The Third Grade classes performed Love Me Tender on the recorders that they are studying in Ms. Case’s music class. The Academy sincerely appreciates all volunteers who make such a difference in the lives of our children. ACADEMY NOTES - ACADEMY CAMERA All grades participate in off- campus activities to reinforce academic areas of study. Moreover, Middle School students engage in overnight trips. The Echo Hill Outdoor School on Maryland’s Eastern Shore welcomed our Sixth Grade who enjoyed five days of ecological and cultural investigations. Our IB MYP themes of ‘Origins and Sys- tems’ and ‘Organizations’ were further explored through hands-on experiences on the Chesapeake Bay. Grade Seven students enhanced their Environmental Sciences study by exploring and meeting the challenges presented at Sheridan Mountain School in Luray, VA. The IB MYP yearlong themes of ‘Choices, Challenges, and Changes’ and ‘Making Connections’ encourage team building skills as students take risks mountain climbing, traversing high above valleys, and confronting challenges. SJA’s Eighth Graders traveled to Florida, to explore many behind-the-scenes educational opportunities available at through the Youth Education Series. Our yearlong IB MYP themes of ‘Culture’ and ‘Global Transitions’ were explored at EPCOT Center’s World Showcase.

Field Day is a much anticipated end-of-year activity. The day begins with a Memorial Mile Run/Walk in honor of Mr. Ebs, our beloved physical education teacher. Students demonstrate the skills they have practiced in physical education classes by navigating obstacle courses, running races, and playing games. Ms. Liz McKnight brought hounds from the Elkridge-Harford Hunt Club. She is the Honorary Master of the Hunt, SJA alumna(Class of 1971) and parent of two SJA alumni. Students learned the history and tradition of the hunt while enjoying an opportunity to interact with these magnificent foxhounds (SJA mascot). Morning activities culminate with a presentation of Horse & Pony Show and class spirit awards. Our SJA families enjoy a delicious picnic lunch hosted by the SJA Patrons’ Association. The St. James Community enjoyed the first annual visual arts exhibit and activities, in conjunction with Jack Voss Environmental Week. Nature and art were celebrated by viewing children’s artwork, constructing out- door sculptures, weaving the gazebo, and painting outdoor signs and a wall mural. Dinner prepared by the St. James Men’s Org. added to the festive afternoon.

On April 6th, the SJA Patrons’ Association hosted its 12th Gala, Nantucket Nights, returning it to campus since the first gala in 1992. The evening featured live and silent auctions as well as dinner, dancing, and entertainment. The St. James Center was transformed into a Nantucket street complete with pubs, sweet shops, and seafood markets. The event raised over $145,000 to support technology, the arts, athletics and the endowment. CONGRATULATIONS SJA CLASS OF 2013

St. James Academy Graduating Class of 2013 The high schools they have selected are:

Garrett Beck Calvert Hall College High School Becca Behner Maryvale Preparatory School Anna Bennett Garrison Forest School Ryan Breitzka St. Paul’s School Colin Doeller St. Paul’s School Ali Dowell Hereford High School Maddie Dowell Garrison Forest School Cameron Franzoni Calvert Hall College High School Christopher Glover Calvert Hall College High School Jacob Gross St. Paul’s School Brendan Hale Calvert Hall College High School Michael Horn Gilman School Claire Huppert Roland Park Country School Colton Keetley Gilman School Alexis Kramer Garrison Forest School Cody Kupres Gilman School Christian Long St. Paul’s School Thomas Moran Loyola Blakefield Matthew Pamfilis Calvert Hall College High School Maisie Porter Garrison Forest School Chip Rittler St. Paul’s School Matthew Rockstroh Loyola Blakefield Lily Shaffer Maryvale Preparatory School Carlie Sterner Mount de Sales Academy Peter Thropp St. Paul’s School Eighth Grade Class of 2013 pictured as St. James Academy First Grade students in 2005-2006 and NOW SJA ALUMNI! Alex Young Boys’ Latin School

SJA ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

Graduating Eighth Grade students become members of the St. James Academy Alumni Association at the June Mov- ing Up Day. The SJA Alumni Association is open to all students who have attended the Academy. This organization is active and well-structured. The governing body of the Association is the Alumni Steering Committee. Members of all ages are invited to attend meetings and to maintain contact with their classmates. Activities of the Alumni Association include: Hosting the High School Admissions Night in September for our High School Alumni and Middle School Students Joining the SJA community at the fall St. James Academy & Church Foxhound Festival Providing Alumni Refreshments at the Blessing of the Hunt on Thanksgiving morning Sponsoring an Alumni Holiday Reunion before the Christmas Pageant Attending the May Pony Show Hosting Alumni Happy Hours (21 & older) at local venues All alumni receive the Academy’s publications and can find others on the SJA Facebook Page by friending Judy Con- nelly. The Alumni Association is looking to expand the role of the organization beyond its current structure. St. James Academy families are encouraged to share ideas and reestablish relationships that endure! CONGRATULATIONS SJA CLASS OF 2013 St. James Academy admits students, faculty and staff of any race, color, national or ethnic origin to all opportunities available at the school.

Editorial Staff: Judy Connelly; Phyllis Ensor Lisa Davis Graphic Layout & Design Judy Connelly

Thanks to all of our faculty, students, and parents who contribute photographs for this and other Academy publications.

St. James Academy welcomes your comments and suggestions.

Visit our WEBSITE St. James Academy offers, in a Christian environment, a program of excellence for current information: for the intellectual, social, emotional, spiritual, and physical development of our www.saintjamesacademy.org school community to promote a global perspective and intercultural understanding, to prepare each individual for life long learning, and to live a creative and compas- Call 410-771-4816 to obtain a sionate life worthy of a child of God and a contributing member of our world. password to view “Foxhound Focus” for current events.

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UPCOMING EVENTS or Current Resident First Day of Classes September 3

Foxhound Fall Festval September 13

Christmas Shoppe November 8 & 9 Christmas Shoppe Cafe Dinner November 8

“the truth shall make you free” John 8:32