1953: The Magazine of St. Johns Country Day School

Winter 2023

Jaycee Williamson ’36 and Tatum Morrow ’30 enjoy their classes’ Buddy Time project on Halloween.

Letter from the Head of School

Dear Spartan Families,

As we are looking ahead to a wonderful spring semester, the stories in front of you show what a productive fall it has been.

August welcomed students in Grades 4 and 5 to a new Academy experience–an innovative approach to bridging the gap between Lower School and Middle School. The Academy is the first of its kind here on the First Coast, working to find ways to continue challenging our students in an environment that is tailored to them, while addressing the organizational and social skills necessary to hit the ground running at the start of Middle School. Please turn to page 4 to read more about this new program.

I’m grateful that this magazine always provides me the opportunity to thank each of you for supporting St. Johns Country Day School. Whether you have given your time, talent, or treasure, each gift is precious in supporting programs that advance our students’ education. This past year your support has helped us open the Ron and Angie Bare Lower School Playground (see page 30), update the tennis courts and facilities, and continue the swimming pool renovation. Additionally, our community enjoyed its first tree lighting ceremony, made possible by our parent volunteers who decorated our campus creating a festive and fun environment for everyone.

As always, thank you for your continued support and partnership!

Fondly,

Valorie Baker Head of School

Head of School Valorie Baker with St. Johns’ campus therapy dog, Byrdie

SCHOOL NEWS BRIEFS

Lower School

Lower School Wellness

St. Johns’ Wellness program expanded into the Lower School this year with a focus on the Grade 4 & 5 Academy. This fall, Grade 4 drew inspiration from a guided art activity. “Students explored the power of words to inspire and express who they are and the parts of themselves they hope will be valued and seen,” said School Counselor Amy Johnson. Throughout the semester, Grade 4 students have also done journaling, art, and hands-on collaborative work. In Grade 5, students made the metacognitive journals from deconstructed books and worked with Middle School Dean Patrick Rodifer on building the skills they’ll need as they get ready for the move to Middle School.

Grade 2 Sends Advice to Former Seniors

In October, Grade 2 got together to take a photo and collect some “advice” for their former seniors as they get started in college. Posters were made out of the photo and advice and included in freshman care packages sent to each member of the Class of 2022. Some of the advice included “Call your parents” and “be nice to your teach ers,” and encouragement to “make lots of new friends.” Good advice, Grade 2!

Native Dancing

In November, Larry Yazzie, Member of the Meskwaki Nation and Founder and Artistic Director for Native Pride Productions, came to visit with Lower School students. He performed dances and rituals for them, gave an in-depth history of his tribe, and answered student questions. Students and faculty also got to take a turn dancing themselves!

Lower School Food Drive

In 1989, former St. Johns Spanish teacher Pat Fernandez began coordinating a School holiday food drive for the Food Pantry of Green Cove Springs. Today the tradition continues and this year Lower School Student Government collected more than 500lbs of canned goods to help those in need.

“I couldn’t be more proud of these students for donating their time and enthusiasm, continuing this tradition, and realizing that it helps families that live near them,” said Lower School Student Council Sponsor Mrs. Jennifer Keller. “From their creativity in making announcements at flag raising and bringing in canned items to hanging flyers and helping to load the truck, these students did outstanding, much-needed work.”

St. Johns Zeros In on Transition to Middle School

The transition to Middle School is challenging, exciting, and full of unknown experiences for any student. That’s why St. Johns Country Day School developed the Grade 4 & 5 Academy, says Head of Lower School Otis Wirth. “We wanted a program that was developmentally paced to better assist students in the transition from the Lower School to the Middle School,” says Wirth. “We want them to have a positive experience that instills confidence while also helping them specifically acquire the skills they need to be successful in Middle School and beyond.”

In a program found nowhere else on the First Coast, the Academy was designed by education specialists to help students develop a variety of skills that are so important for success in Middle School. St. Johns has the advantage of having students from preschool through Grade

12 all together on one campus, giving teachers the ability to converse and discuss curriculum across the grade levels, allowing for consistent curriculum, messaging, and training to aid success from one grade level to another.

“Sometimes it’s the little things that cause the biggest hiccups in the transition to Middle School,” says Director of the Grade 4 & 5 Academy and Literacy Teacher Maura Rupert. “They get thrown by things like changing classes, or knowing which items to bring from their lockers to each class. So we’re starting them early, in an environment that is built for their success but where it’s safe to fail.”

Academy classrooms are positioned in their own area of the Lower School, with classrooms, the science lab, and gathering spaces all together. Students are assigned lock-

ers, which are positioned in the hallway just outside classroom doors so students learn to plan and change classes while gathering materials needed for their next class.

“Data shows that students benefit from a deliberate plan to prepare them for Middle School life,” says Wirth, “so we built the Academy around that research—a place where students are empowered to make skillful and purposeful choices within a safe space and with an appropriate safety net.”

Grade 4 and 5 courses and schedules have been carefully designed to develop skills that range from executive functioning to providing tools necessary to navigate social and emotional issues often experienced by students aged 11-14. By introducing various methods of teaching, as well as small-group interactions, students leave the Academy

with the self-confidence needed to take on the transition to Middle School.

“The overarching goal,” says Wirth, “is that on day one of Grade 6, students are ready and prepared to be a Middle School student.” This goal reflects St. Johns’ overarching educational philosophy and aim, to develop students who seek solutions, accept responsibility, and create collaboration, who are ready for next-level coursework and prepared not just for college, but for the 21st Century workforce beyond.

“We are very excited about this innovative new program,” says Head of School Valorie Baker. “The Academy, like our entire campus, supports our school mission to develop students who seek solutions, accept responsibility, and create collaboration.”

Grade 6 Trip

In September, Grade 6 was able to visit Camp Montgomery in Starke, Florida for an overnight trip. There, students were able to take part in a variety of bonding and lead ership games and activities, including out door high and low ropes courses, swimming, and more. “From archery and night hikes to rock climbing and camp games, students were able to bond away from campus, grow as individuals, and learn about each other and our chaperones as they worked together to problem solve during each activity throughout their stay,” said Head of Middle School Ben Magidson.

Making Service Meaningful

Grade 6 started their service learning this fall through a community partnership with Somer’s Garden, in Orange Park. The garden is the first public food forest garden in Northeast Florida and serves as a living memorial to former Orange Park resident Somer Thompson, whose life was taken from her at the age of seven in October 2009. Somer’s mother transformed the site into a self-sustaining community garden in her daughter’s memory.

“We helped pick up trash, spread mulch, take away dead branches, and make the entire garden more presentable,” said Head of Middle School Ben Magidson. The theme of “nothing is dead if we can figure out a way to keep using it” was discussed throughout the morning and applied to many aspects at the garden.

Grade 6 students will continue to volunteer at the garden every few months as part of ongoing efforts to help them better understand the value of community service.

“Great 8” Heads to the Mountains

Grade 8, or, as Mrs. Burke refers to them, “Great 8,” headed to the mountains of Western North Carolina in September for the Grade 8 Mountain Trip. Over the course of a week, they took the plunge into the French Broad River, swam a rapid, went whitewater rafting, and spent time canoeing, orienteering, night-hiking, and day-hiking to spectacular viewpoints. They also enjoyed downtime together, played games, and learned about the history and culture of mountain peoples.

“Unlike field trips they may have taken in the past, this adventure was both physically and mentally challenging, and the shared experience has provided our students with memories they will share for years to come,” said Burke. “In a very short period of time, they developed self-reliance and cooperative learning skills, while building and strengthening relationships with their classmates.”

Upper School

2022 Mr. St. Johns Crowned

In October, the 2022 Mr. St. Johns was crowned. In a circus-themed pageant, Upper School boys competed in a variety of categories both on stage and off, with Senior Hunter Hopkins earning the crown. Here’s a full list of the winners:

„ Mr. Congeniality, as voted by the contestants: Bobby Burnside ’25

„ People’s Choice, with $479 in his voting box: Richard Nichols ’24

„ 5th Runner Up: Bobby Burnside

„ 4th Runner Up: Richard Nichols

„ 3rd Runner Up: George Auchter ’24

„ 2nd Place: Tripp Vogt ’23

„ Mr. St. Johns 2022: Hunter Hopkins ’23

Both the contestants and the student coordinators put a lot of work and thought into the show, developing the theme, writing the script, and many, many practices,

which start about a month before the show. Additionally, a lot of time goes into planning choreography, choosing music, and making decorations behind the scenes.

Hearty congratulations to all of the contestants and to the volunteers who made it happen: Interact Chairs Jane Garrison ’25, Ava Morin ’24, and Lily Weldon ’23, and co-sponsors Mr. Jacob Lusk and Mrs. Heather Velasco.

“Mr. St. Johns is such a fun Interact Club tradition that raises money for a great cause,” said co-sponsor Mrs. Velasco. “I am so happy that we were able to raise over $2,000 for Rise Against Hunger this year. This money will allow us to host a meal-packaging event on campus this spring where we will package over 10,000 meals for people in need around the world.”

Recreating Ancient Communications

In September, Mrs. Velasco’s Honors Art History students were studying the art of the ancient Near East and the earliest writing system, cuneiform. Then they put learning into action in a collaborative lesson with Mrs. Ayres in the ceramics lab. They worked with earthenware clay to make little tablet messages, which were then kiln-fired and finished as the works of art they are.

Animal Behavior Labs

Ms. Fiser’s Honors Biology students lept into animal behavior this fall with a mealworm lab. First, students designed their investigation to include their experimental environment—a fourroom choice chamber—which they filled with a variety of food or bedding materials such as sand, soil, rice, and Cheerios. They then released their mealworms into a middle space of the choice chamber to observe the mealworms’ preference and collect data.

“This is always a fun lab to do at the beginning of the semester,” said Fiser. “The students are able to get started with real scientific investigations, with live subjects, and they sometimes find their results do not support their hypotheses and that doesn’t make their experiment wrong!”

39 Inducted Into National Honor Society

On Tuesday, November 15, St. Johns Country Day School was honored to induct 39 new members of the National Honor Society (NHS). First, National Honor Society Sponsor Mrs. Stacy Johnson welcomed existing members to the stage:

Kellen Brown

Kennedy Brown

Brooks Burson

Javier Coll-Román

Noah Cone

William Cooper

Emerson Cooper

Ally Desguin

Josie Dinkins

Trey Dubnansky

Meg Fackler

Paul Janeczko

JD Hay

Jeffery Henry

Andrew Hightower

Shannon Hodges

Antonio Holmberg

Jacob Holyer

Hunter Hopkins

Sam Hopkins

Ava Johnson

Tommy Keenan

Anna Kemp

Talon Luster

Abigail Maierhoffer

Marshall Martin

Jack McNulty

Juliet Moody

Jack Mooneyham

Cookie Myers

Hunter Noble

Daniela Oceguera

Aidan Rice

Emma Schultz

Chloe Smith

Jacob Thomas

Patrick Walsh

Lily Weldon

Once the “one-claps” were complete and all existing members seated on the stage, Mrs. Johnson passed the ceremony over to the chapter’s senior members. First, Senior Jeffrey Henry took the podium to provide a little background. “The National Honor Society was founded to create enthusiasm for scholarship, to render service to school and community, to promote leadership, and to develop character in the students of the nation’s secondary schools,” he said. To become a member, students must have a GPA of at least 3.6 at the end of the first quarter of their junior or senior year, must have been a St. Johns student for at least a year, must be an active participant in school activities, and must exhibit the finest qualities of character.

This year, the 38 existing members inducted 30 members of the junior class and 9 fellow seniors.

After brief introductory remarks, Senior Hunter Hopkins called new members onto the stage in front of friends, classmates, and family. These included:

From the Class of 2024:

Ashlyn Anderson

George Auchter

Sofia Avila

Savannah Berrang

Harry Brown

Sofia Conde

Jack Ensell

Addison Frisbee

AJ Hawk

Timmy Jackson

Kate Jacobs

Mary Kate Kent

Gianna Lentini

Tristan Lentz

Gentry Loper

Roxy Mathews

Noah Minners

Ava Morin

Richard Nichols

Connor O’Steen

Cordelia Painter

Ben Payton

Carter Pickett

Jules Raimondi

Sarah Robinson

Ashlyn Rose

Charles Scarlett

Gigi Sessions

Taylor Thigpen

Sophia Woolard

From the Class of 2023:

Annie Afflick

Madi Erwin

Bridger Espinosa

Stella Hyatt

Thomas Pounds

Avery Raimondo

Taliah Scott

Tripp Vogt

Semaj Williams

Once all existing members and new inductees were seated, Seniors Ava Johnson, Abigail Maierhoffer, Lily Weldon, and Kennedy Brown took turns at the podium to light a candle for each pillar the Society holds in high esteem— scholarship, service, leadership, and character—and say a few words about each. Then, new inductees were asked to stand and repeat the National Honor Society Pledge:

“First,” said Rechcigl, “I want to thank the parents and the families of the inductees, who have helped shape and mold these fine students into the young women and men in front of you today.” She went on to thank the St. Johns teachers for sparking an enthusiasm for learning that helped students get where they are today, and to acknowledge the students themselves and their hard work.

Rechcigl spoke from the heart about her experiences at the University of Florida, in the working world, and since her return to St. Johns and how the pillars of the National Honor Society have been relevant to her throughout her journey, as, no doubt, each of the new and existing members will find as they continue their own journeys.

Once this was achieved, Head of Upper School Jackie Lentini took the podium to announce the day’s speaker, St. Johns alumni and staff member Jordan Robbins Rechcigl ’10. “It is my pleasure to introduce our speaker today,” said Lentini, “Jordan is a St. Johns Country Day School alum, who … joined the St. Johns staff in 2019, working with our Parent Association and in our Admissions office.” Jordan has three siblings who also graduated from St. Johns—Philip ’08, Caroline ’13, and Parker ’20.

As a member of the St. Johns admissions staff, Rechcigl said, she gets asked all the time what sets St. Johns apart from the rest. “Among the long list of reasons why St. Johns stands out,” said Rechcigl, “the most significant reason I would choose St. Johns over and over again is because of our remarkable young men and women. No where will you find more hardworking, generous, dedicated individuals. But more importantly, nowhere will you find more kind and respectful young men and women.”

“In closing,” she said, “I encourage you to learn from failure, to serve others, to embrace challenges, and to always treat others with kindness and respect.”

Congratulations, National Honor Society members!

I pledge myself to uphold

The purposes of the National Honor Society.

I will be true to the principles for which it stands; I will be loyal to my school;

I will maintain high standards of scholarship, High standards of service, High standards of leadership, and high standards of character.

A Fun & Festive Homecoming Week

In October, Spartans took a break from their regular schedules to celebrate Homecoming Week. Students in all three divisions dressed up to theme days, and Upper School students competed in games during H periods to be crowned the winners of Spirit Week. Finally, on Friday, October 21, students enjoyed a festive Homecoming Parade, lip sync battles, and a pep rally. Points were tallied throughout the week for things like percentage of students in each grade dressed up for the theme day, game wins, etc. After fierce competition all week and during the lip sync competition, the Sophomores were named winners of the lip sync and the Class of 2023 took the week as overall winners.

The fun from these competitions overflowed to Friday afternoon at Spartan Fest, the School’s all-community festival featuring carnival games, inflatables, face painting, treats, food trucks, and more for the entire family. Then, Cheerleading & Football Senior Night preceded the 7:00 p.m. kickoff.

Finally, during halftime, the senior Homecoming Court was presented, including Ava Johnson, escorted by Hunter Hopkins ’23; Abigail Maierhoffer, escorted by her nephew, future Spartan Cameron Petty (son of Drew and Jean Marie (Maierhoffer) Petty, both class of 2013) and Tripp Vogt ’23; Juliet Moody, escorted by Jacob Thomas ’23; Emma Schultz, escorted by her Grade 1 Buddy, Alexis Bame; and Ella Wilkes, escorted by Aidan Rice ’23.

It was a tough field of competition and the crown went to Abigail Maierhoffer, and Tripp Vogt was voted Homecoming King the following night at the Homecoming Dance.

Athletics

Fall Signing Day

Eight Spartan athletes signed National Letters of Intent to take their sports to the college level on two separate days during the fall signing period in November. First, seven baseball and soccer athletes signed in a ceremony in St. Johns’ Performing Arts Center. These include:

Baseball:

„ Shawn Andrade, University of South Florida

„ Isaiah Mamea, University of South Florida

„ Jacob Thomas, University of North Florida

„ Kellen Brown, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University

Soccer:

„ Lauryn Mateo, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University

„ Avery Raimondo, University of North Florida

„ Madi Erwin, Jacksonville University

Then, the following week, Taliah Scott signed her intent to take her basketball career to the University of Arkansas.

Cheer

Continuing under the direction of Coach Kim Kurnitsky, both Middle School and Varsity squads were in action this fall. The Middle School squad cheered at Middle School volleyball games and Varsity Cheer competed in all home football games and select away games. Seven cheerleaders were recognized at Senior Recognition, in October, as they cheered their final home game of the season.

Cross Country

Coach Greg Stratton led Spartan Cross Country for his third year this fall. The runners had a great season racing in 9 meets in preparation for the district race and post season races. At Districts, the girls team placed 3rd overall and boys finished 7th, rankings which qualified both teams for the October Regionals competition. Coming out of Regionals, the entire girls team and Junior Richard Nichols qualified for the State Championship, Saturday, November 5, 2022, in Tallahassee. “I’m proud of all the runners for their ongoing effort and continuous improvement in PRs,” said Stratton. “It shows that their training and pack racing is doing what it is supposed to.”

Spartan football competes in the Sunshine State Athletic Conference (SSAC) 8-man league under the direction of Coach Rocky Bantag. 25 players continued to work hard for the team and ended the fall season with a winning record. Eight seniors were recognized on October 21 as they played their final regu

Pickett Inducted Into Hall of Fame

When the slate of 2023 inductees into the Florida Athletic Coaches Association (FACA) Hall of Fame was released this past summer, St. Johns was thrilled to see a very familiar name—Head Girls Soccer Coach

“Coach Pickett’s coaching success is undeniable,” said Director of Athletics Traci Livingston ’90. State Championships to his credit and dozens of play ers at the next level, this is a truly well-deserved honor.” The Hall of Fame award is the highest honor presented by FACA.

Pickett was inducted, along with five other coaching standouts, in a ceremony in Daytona Beach on January 7, 2023.

Scott Hits 2000 Points

On December 5, Senior Taliah Scott scored her 2,000th career goal in a game against Terry Parker High School. “Reaching 2,000 career points is a huge accomplishment and not one that many high school players achieve, said Girls Basketball Coach Yolanda Bronston. “Taliah has definitely

Volleyball

Under the direction of Head Coach Traci Livingston ’90, Middle School, Junior Varsity, and Varsity teams, all had strong seasons and posted winning records this year. The Varsity team finished District Runner-Up and won the first round of Regionals, taking it to the Regional Semifinal, where they ended the season 19-6. Livingston also earned her 500 win on Tuesday, August 29 in a match against Bishop Snyder. This season saw Bella Gomez ’24 make 1,000 assists. Three seniors—Ally Desguin, Josie Dinkins, and Juliet Moody—were recognized at Senior Night in October.

Swimming

Led by Coach JJ Albino and assistant Parker Bryant ’17, Varsity Swimming had a great season with athletes improving their times each week at races. The district races were held at Episcopal School of Jacksonville on October 25 and the Spartans had a great showing. Regional qualifiers included:

„ Ella Wilkes ’23 (50 Free/100 Free/ 200 Medley Relay)

„ Alex Kuczkowski ’28 ( 200 Medley Relay )

„ Isabela Rudy ’24 ( 500 Free/ 200 Medley Relay)

„ Isa Johnson ’28 (200 Medley Relay)

„ Hunter Hopkins ’23 (50 Free/ 100 Free/ 200 Medley Relay/ 200 Free Relay)

„ Sam Hopkins ’23 (50 Free/ 100 Free/ 200 Medley Relay/ 200 Free Relay)

„ Joshua Lewis ’25 (100 Butterfly/ 200 Medley Relay/ 400 Free Relay)

„ Emerson Cooper ’23 ( 200 Medley Relay/ 200 Free Relay)

„ Brooks Burson ’23 ( 200 Free Relay/ 400 Free Relay)

„ William Cooper ’23 ( 400 Free Relay)

„ Jacob Kuramoto ’24 ( 400 Free Relay)

Golf

In September, six swimmers were applauded at Senior Recognition: (L-R, with Coach JJ, center) William Cooper, Brooks Burson, Emerson Cooper, Ella Wilkes, Sam Hopkins, and Hunter Hopkins.

Girls and boys golf teams competed hard on the links this season and posted some of the lowest scores in our area. The boys team was led by Coach Bryan Kipnis and the girls program by Marion Detlefsen. Nate Kipnis ’27 was the season’s boys’ top scorer, while the girls’ team was led by Addy Vogt ’25. The teams competed in the district tournament in October at Hidden Hills. Addy Vogt and Addison Kipnis ’27 both qualified for the regional tournament on Monday, October 31st at Windsor Parke. Vogt went on to qualify for the state competition, which took place in November at Lake County’s Mission Inn Resort & Club.

Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Abridged

This fall, theater students presented The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), a hilarious, irreverent show featuring three actors (played by George Auchter ’24, Jane Garrison 25, and Bobby Burnside ’25) and their fast-paced experience performing all 37 of the Bard’s works (and one of them three times!) in less than two hours.

“The playwrights encourage directors and actors to modify the show, infusing their own unique flare and pop culture references,” said Director Cody Riker. “I felt incredibly lucky to have had an amazing cast whose wit, comedic timing, and physical antics helped make this production one where I could always laugh.”

Jackson Earns All-State Honors

In November, Junior Timmy Jackson, shown here in a solo performance at Senior Presentation, learned that for the third year in a row he’s been selected as a member of the All-State Band. Earning a seat is a tremendous accomplishment in and of itself, but to earn a spot three years running is quite a distinction.

All-State Band members are selected by auditions from all Florida schools, regardless of the number of students who attend each school. There is no size division. Statewide, over 1100 trumpet players auditioned for the group, and Timmy is one of 14 students selected in Grades 11 & 12.

The All-State Band will perform at the Florida Music Educators Association state conference in Tampa this January. Timmy will attend three full days of rehearsals and then perform for the evening concert, which is the culminating event of the conference.

“Because Timmy has been so successful, I think people tend to take his accomplishments for granted,” said Director of Bands Cindy Glass. “For example, he is also a member of the Jacksonville Youth Symphony Orchestra, and that is very difficult to get into!”

Winter Band & Choral Concerts

During the last full week of School before Winter Break, the Performing Arts department hosted two wonderful concerts full of wonderful numbers by our student musicians. First, at the Swingin’ Holiday Concert under the direction of Director of Bands Cindy Glass, the audience was treated to a variety of classic and more modern numbers by the Grade 4 Band, Grade 5 Band, Middle School Concert Band, and Upper School Jazz Band. With solos by Andrew Nargundkar ’27, Kennedy Brown ’23, Timmy Jackson ’24, Andrew Staten ’25, and Torrin Heinrichs ’24, the concert was a fabulous introduction to the festive season. The next night, the stage was filled with vocalists as the audience enjoyed performances by the St. Johns Singers, Lower School Chorus, Grade 5 Chorus, Middle School Chorus, and Treble Chorus. Led by Director of St. Johns Singers & Middle School Chorus Liz Brink and Director of Lower School Chorus Marinette Gomez, the concert was a fun mix of classics like “Silent Night” mixed with newer favorites, such as “Hot Chocolate” from The Polar Express.

Visual Arts

Inktober

Inktober® is a month long art challenge created more than ten years ago to help inspire artists to grow and connect. The challenge issues prompts on Instagram, but these serve primarily as guides. Artists are welcome to follow their own inspiration and go where their ink takes them! Anyone participating in the Inktober challenge posts their daily art online with the hashtag #Inktober. Since its founding, the challenge has helped artists worldwide, including those at St. Johns. Here’s just a sampling of St. Johns’ student artists’ 2022 #Inktober offerings.

Grayson Moody ’25, Prompt: Match

Ishta Ramroop ’26, Prompts: Flame, Match, Crabby

Kelsey Gregson ’25, Prompt: Gargoyle

Frances Bailey ’25, Prompt: Bouquet

Grade 3 Optical Illusions

Grade 3 students learned how to create space and depth on a flat piece of paper by using overlapping shapes and creat ing a vanishing point with intersecting black triangles.

The elements of art are the essential building blocks used to make any piece of visual art - Line, Shape, Color, Space, Form, Texture, and Value. This lesson in particular focused on shape and space and was also great cutting practice for students. They had a blast creating the illusion of space on a flat surface.

Clockwise from top-left:

Artists Grow Through AP Portfolio

St. Johns’ student-artists thrive in the AP Portfolio course, which challenges them to investigate materials, processes, and ideas. Students create art by practicing and trying new things. They undergo critique panels, where their art is reviewed and discussed. Then they rethink and revise.

“AP Portfolio students must think, act, write about, and interpret the world as artists,” said Visual Arts Department Chair Anna Reynolds. “This course is an opportunity for them to work outside of the constraints of teacher-guided classroom assignments.”

Senior Lulu Nowicki has always loved art and creating, she says, “but it wasn’t until I got into my high school art classes that I really decided I want to do art as a job.”

“Lulu’s work has really evolved over the years,” said Upper School Art Teacher Pam Ayres. “The creative community of the AP courses is a great collaborative intellectual environment for the students.”

Preparation for AP submissions includes constant critique and discussion as students prepare individual work and artist statements. This process helps students identify what they need to work on and how their work is viewed by an audience. ”AP Studio Portfolio is an advanced placement college course, said Ayres “Portfolios are scored by college professors and professionals, and they must meet the freshman level standard.”

Campus Mosaics Update

Work continues on the series of subject level mosaics St. Johns’ Middle School artists started in 2020. In this collaborative project, students consult with department heads before drafting ideas and sketches. Then they work together to draft the mosaic layout before sharing them with department heads. Once everyone is in agreement about directions, the work gets underway!

“Most of the tiles are purchased,” said Visual Arts Department Chair Anna Reynolds, “but when we need something specific our art students are able to construct and complete tiles.” Mrs. Ayres’ Sculpture class spent class time prepping clay leaves for the olive tree that spreads throughout the mosaic design, then while Grade 8 was on the mountain trip, Grade 7 was able to glaze the handmade tiles.

St. Johns Presents the Class of 2023

Congratulations to the Class of 2023, which was presented to the School community on Friday, November 18, in a ceremony almost as old as the School itself. The ceremony was brought to the School by founding Headmaster Dr. Edwin Heinrich after he attended a similar celebration when his daughter was a senior at Agnes Scott College. Dr. Heinrich liked the idea of acknowledging the seniors’ coming of age and presenting them to the community as adults in their own right, ready to face the world.

The day kicked off with a brunch just for the seniors and senior sponsors, which this year took place at Orange Park’s waterfront Azaleana Manor. The seniors enjoyed each other’s company, took plenty of photos, and heard some inspiring words of wisdom from Board President Mr. Gene Nichols

before returning to the School for the formal presentation ceremony in front of classmates, friends, and family.

In a newer tradition, the seniors choose their own speaker for the event, and the Class of 2023 chose U.S. Government and history teacher Mrs. Gayle Garrison.

“I’ve titled this talk, ‘It’s Time to BeReal,’” said Garrison, referencing the social media app that encourages users to post “real” snapshots of the “real” you.

“You guys know what I’m talking about,” said Garrison. “You wait to take the picture when it is a little more interesting, you wait for the right lighting, the right people in the background, etc.” After pausing to take a selfie with the class (for her BeReal, of course), Garrison continued, “So what does it look like to BeReal? What does it mean to live in that reality?”

Referencing a passage by E. E. Cummings read by Senior Jeffrey Henry and The Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount, read by Kennedy Brown, Garrison called out some universal truths about how to live a real life. “To be poor in spirit,” she said, “is to be more concerned with appearing good than in being good.”

In closing, she said, “these principles require vulnerability. They require you to be willing to risk. But the reward is great. The reward is a full life. You are some of the most talented, dedicated, intelligent, compassionate, driven, and hilarious people I’ve ever had the privilege to teach. I have no doubt that you will make a difference in the world. I am already so proud of you. I can’t wait to hear about all your amazing accomplishments. But most of all, I want you to be content, happy and joyful people. I want you to be, as E. E. Cummings

said, ‘Nobody But Yourself.’ I want you to be real.”

After these inspiring words, Head of Upper School Jacqueline Lentini read the phrases that have accompanied Senior Presentation since 1962:

As a teacher I present you to the academic world that you may enter it and meet its demands honorably and successfully.

As your Headmaster I present you to your schoolmates so that they may accept you and look up to you as their leaders and their shining example.

As your friend I present you to your parents so that they may accept you as adults who have come into their own and who are to be dealt with from henceforth on an equal basis.

As your fellow human being I present to you your calling in life that you may always have the wisdom to recognize it and the strength to live up to the divine calling in your life.

Class of 2023

Annie Boatwright Afflick

Unaysah Ali

Shawn Michael Andrade II

Gavan Price Bradley

Kellen William Brown

Kennedy Yvonne Brown

Brandon Alexander Bunn

Brooks Thomas Burson

Javier Alejandro Coll-Román

Noah Scott Cone

Emerson Roland Cooper

William Conrad Cooper

Alexandra Marie Desguin

Josephine Grace Dinkins

Richard Frank Dubnansky III

Madison Rose Erwin

Bridger Douglas Espinosa

Margaret Anne Fackler

George Lawrence Friedline

William Thomas Gibbs II

John Dennis Hay

Jeffrey Michael Henry Jr.

Andrew Lester Hightower

Shannon Allison Hodges

Antonio Ulrik Holmberg

Jacob Gamble Holyer

Hunter H Hopkins

Samuel Lea Hopkins

Stella Kate Hyatt

Paul Christian Janeczko

Ava Joleen Johnson

Owen Jameson Johnston

Thomas Michael Keenan

Anna Marie Lei Kemp

Talon Daniel Luster

Abigail Lee Maierhoffer

Isaiah Tai’au Mamea

Marshall Gaines Martin

Lauryn Ashley Mateo

John Matthew McNulty

Juliet Alexandra Moody

Jack Freddie Mooneyham

Camelia Katherine Myers

Hunter Scott Noble

Mary Halina Nowicki

Daniela Sophia Oceguera

Kaitlyn Mae Phillips

Thomas John Pounds

Avery Lynn Raimondo

Aidan Nicholas Rice

Emma Katherine Schultz

Taliah Michelle Scott

Chloe McCrea Smith

Mason Andrew Terry

Jacob Riley Thomas

Marlen Jeffrey Vogt III

Patrick Robert Walsh

Lily Eliza Weldon

Ella Grace Wilkes

Semaj Tamira Williams

The sixty members of the Class of 2023 include:

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Founders Day

Each year, St. Johns celebrates Founders Day in honor of the establishment of St. Johns Country Day School by Dr. Edwin P. Heinrich and Mrs. Dorothea Heinrich. The School opened its doors on Monday, September 14, 1953. Originally housed in the second floor of a public building at the corner of Park Avenue and Kingsley, St. Johns began with a pioneer spirit and 26 students. A founding member of the Florida Council of Independent Schools (FCIS) and today the #1 College Prep Private High School in Jacksonville (according to Niche.com), the School has come a long way.

On September 14, 2022, students, parents, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends gathered with a trio of things to celebrate: Not only the School’s founding, but also its annual Senior-Grade 1 Buddy matching ceremony, and the dedication and opening of a beautiful new playground.

Long a favorite tradition of students and alumni alike, the Senior-Grade 1 Buddy program matches each first grader with one or more senior “buddies,” for a year of fun and friendship. Students will enjoy lunches together, have special holiday parties, and take a trip to the Jacksonville Zoo in the spring. First graders often join their seniors in celebrating college acceptances, or show up at soccer games to cheer them on. They stand together at flag raising each morning, and often, long after graduation, the former seniors stop by St. Johns for lunch with their Buddy. “The relationships built through this program provide continued support and friendship beyond the years at St. Johns,” said Baker, as each first grader’s name was called and they walked, together with their Senior Buddies, to toss a coin into the Wishing Fountain and proceed to the playground.

“Today we recognize traditions and enjoy a new beginning while celebrating 69 years of St. Johns Country Day School,” said Head of School Valorie Baker, welcoming friends and the School community to the new play space for Lower School students. “The new Ron & Angie Bare Playground is a beautiful, functional space that provides areas for free play, individual exercise, and team sports,” said Baker, as she was joined by Board President Mr. Gene Nichols to thank the many supporters who made the new space possible.

Ron and Angie Bare Lower School Playground Supporters

Ron and Angie Bare

The Rev. Lila Byrd Brown ’67

The Sullivan and Meadows Families

Andrew ’02 and Stephanie Price

David and Chrissy Price

Jake and Kelsey Eagerton

Allan and Fran Wulbern

Gene and Caroline Nichols

Will ’01 and Heather Courtney

David and Catherine Friedline

Rick and Tracey Gregson

Ray and Cynthia Morin

Larry ’04 and Patton Weber

Judson and Kelly Sapp

Michael and Kathy Vallencourt

Nick ’03 and Lauren Courtney

Bill ’73 and Owene Courtney ’73

Philip and Kara Maple

Michael Carty

Tommy and Margaret Gibbs

Mark ’94 and Jane Wilhelm

David Glidewell and Rechelle Wright-Glidewell

Quentin and Sherry Herring

Brad and Dawn Tracy

Gayle Fiser

Julie Walker ’95

Gene and Valorie Baker

Rod and Mary Virginia Fisher

St. Johns Lower School Student Council

John and Shelby Whitley

Alumni Profiles

On the Trail with Helen (West) Van Wagenen ’71 and Wick Van Wagenen ’72

Helen (West ’71) and Wick Van Wagenen ’72 met in the back row of a St. Johns classroom in 1970. The rest, as they say, is history. “We knew each other in Grades 7-12,” says Helen, “but really got to know each other well sitting in the back row in a religion class for an entire school year. We went to the prom together that spring and pretty quickly knew we had found our soul mate.” After graduation, Helen attended Queens College in Charlotte, NC (now Queens University of Charlotte) and Wick went to Duke University. They dated all through college and were married a month after Wick graduated from Duke. They have two alumni children, Hilary ’98 and Haley ’03 and a son, Hunter.

In the early 70’s, St. Johns was a smaller school. Just one section each of Grades 1-6 and two sections of Grades 7-12, for a total of just over 300 students. Then, as now, though, the Van Wagenens note, the expectation was that every student was going to graduate and continue on to college. The curriculum focused on the Judeo-Christian foundation of Western civilization and students took English, Latin, either Spanish or French, math, and sciences. “The education was broad and deep,” say Helen and Wick.

Between the two of them, there were many favorite teachers: In English, Rabun Chappell, Marge Fulton, and Edith Cowles; Myrtle O’Shea, for whom St. Johns’ Latin graduation award is named, and Wick’s mother Carol Van Wagenen for Spanish and French; Captain (Fred) Borries and Jan Francis for Math; Rod Fisher for Biology and Chemistry; and coaches

Capt. Borries and Coach R.C. “Nick” Nichols. And although the school didn’t boast as many athletic

teams in the 70’s as they do now, they did have Boys Basketball, Soccer, and Baseball, and, for girls, soccer and softball. With this diverse and outstanding team of educators, “we learned that we could do most anything if we set our minds to it and worked at it,” said the Van Wagenens.

Now, fifty years later, the pair have set their minds to the Camino de Santiago (“the Way of St. James”), a network of 9th century pilgrim trails leading to the tomb of St. James in Santiago de Compostela, in northwest Spain. While the Camino has many routes across Europe, the most-walked is the Camino Francés, a route of about 500 miles starting in St. Jean Pied de Port in far southwest France.

The couple first heard about the Camino in 2007, and Helen immediately knew that it would be a perfect trip to make with Hunter, who was entering his senior year as a homeschooled student. “On that first trip, we only had 24 days of actual walking. We knew after the first day walking over the Pyrenees that we were not going to make the entire 500 miles at that time,” says Helen, but 18-year-old Hunter forged ahead at his own pace, and he did.

According to the archives of Santiago de Compostela, about 114,000 people walked the Camino in 2007. “Most days as we walked we never saw another pilgrim,” the Van Wagenens note.

“For us, the Camino provides an opportunity to get away from our normal routines, to slow down, and to have lots of time to talk to God and each other,” Helen and Wick say. “For us and our family, the Camino has helped us to deepen our relationship with our Lord Jesus.”

The couple have set up a Facebook page and YouTube channel, both called Camino Provisions, to help others plan for their own Camino pilgrimage. They post periodic tips and helpful videos from along the trail, covering everything from what to see while you’re on your pilgrimage to how to handle the transition back to the U.S. upon your return.

“Because our Camino experiences have had such a positive impact on us spiritually,” they say, “we have wanted to encourage and provide information to help other people have a Camino experience. We have many lessons learned that are helpful to people considering a Camino.” The couple also volunteer at Pilgrim House, a pilgrim welcome center in Santiago de Compostela.

This year, the couple walked the entire Camino in September and October, during which time they were almost never out of sight of another pilgrim. 2022 has been a record year for the Camino. After it was closed in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic, more than 400,000 people have walked it so far this year.

When they’re not on the trail, the couple still enjoys walking. “We have found that life slows down when we walk and that it gives us an opportunity to communicate with each other,” they say. They also replenish themselves by being active in their church, reading, continuing to learn new things, and through travel, particularly visiting children and grandchildren spread all over the country.

Fifteen years after their Camino story started, the couple say “we are still very much works in progress” and, for them, the most important thing has been continuing to develop their relationships with Jesus.

Alumni Profiles

”He has guided us in our marriage, raising our children, and our careers. Our St. Johns education provided critical thinking skills to be on this life journey,” they say. “The Camino in many ways is a metaphor for the journey.”

Jeesun Kim ’09

St. Johns has a long history of hosting students from all over the world; recent years have seen Spartans from Brazil, Germany, Belgium, and China, just to name a few. But these tend to come to St. Johns in Upper School—in Grade 9 or 10—and stay just a year or the few years until Graduation. But for Jeesun Kim ’09, things took a different path.

“I grew up in Seoul, South Korea and always wanted to come to the United States,” she says. “My aunt, at that time, lived in Jacksonville so I tried out a summer school offered by St. Johns and I really liked my experience there.” So she convinced her parents to let her begin studying full time in the U.S. at St. Johns.

Studying in the U.S., at St. Johns, was a big change for Jeesun. “For me, the best part was St. Johns’ small class size. We knew every faculty member and all of our classmates, not just in our grade, but pretty much the entire school,” she says. “It was a very safe environment and the teacher to student ratio was excellent.” The School helped her find a host family for

her Upper School years—Darren, Laura, and Marit Evans ’10. “I learned so much from my awesome host family,” says Jeesun.

And within the School, Jeesun thrived in St. Johns’ accessible curriculum and extracurriculars. “I was able to do anything I wanted to try at St. Johns,” she says, “from singing, soccer, and crew to dancing, student government, and going on regional competitions for dancing and French.”

Though she started St. Johns by repeating a year— starting in Grade 7 when she normally would have been in Grade 8—the language barrier was tough. Her English wasn’t great in the beginning, but by junior year, she could tell the difference. “It was very clear that both my English skills and those that I learned through extracurricular programs improved tremendously.” That boosted Jeesun’s self-confidence and today she’s happy she tried so many new things. “I’m very happy that I tried them all and appreciate St. Johns for providing me with such a welcoming and encouraging environment.”

Thinking back to her time at St. Johns, Jeesun remembers the supportive faculty and the time Mary Virginia Fisher, then Head of Upper School, encouraged her to take a foreign language class. It was her third year in the United States, and among her classmates and teachers there was some discussion that learning English should be enough for her. But Mrs. Fisher assured her that she’d do well and encouraged her to give it a try. “I decided to take French as my third language and I did pretty well,” she says. “I even received an award from one of the competitions. I’m very glad that she believed in me and encouraged me to go beyond what others (and I) expected of me.”

Jeesun’s favorite memories of St. Johns, though, are the simpler times. Not soccer games or French competitions, but just “hanging out with my close friends from the Class of 2009 during breaks. It felt like we were going to be with each other forever, but now we all live so far away from each other.” Her closest friends from St.

Johns now live in LA, Dallas, Chicago, and Germany so it’s hard to get together often in person. “We make sure to see each other at least once a year, though,” she says.

The diverse curriculum and experience pushing herself served Jeesun well as she graduated and moved on. She repeated her school-finding system by taking a summer school class offered by the University of Miami and liked the small class sizes, its diversity, and, most importantly, she says, the city location. She graduated in 2013 with a double major in electronic media and graphic design and a minor in marketing. After taking classes in HTML and JavaScript at Miami, she continued to learn more advanced JavaScript online while she worked as a freelance web developer and applied for a graphic design internship at ad agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky for its Spring 2014 internship.

“The recruiter really liked my blog/portfolio that demonstrated both graphic design and web development skills,” she says, so she was offered an internship as a web developer instead of the graphic design position she’d applied for. “I got really lucky,” she says. “I didn’t think I could be a software developer since I didn’t have a computer science degree, but it turns out that is simply untrue.”

After the internship, she got an entry level software developer position at an ad agency in New York City, moved to another agency, and eventually decided to leave the agency world and take a software engineering position at Stellar Development Foundation, an open source blockchain optimized for payments and asset issuance.

“Knowing how to code is really fun,” says Jeesun. “It’s a never-ending learning journey.” Lately, she’s working on a mobile app called Vibrant (check it out in the Apple or Google Play stores). “It’s a wallet app that makes it possible for Argentines experiencing inflation to purchase and hold U.S. dollars quickly and cheaply,” she says. “I’m proud that I’m able to build an app that others find useful.”

She also keeps busy with side projects, such as creative coding. “Creative coding is when you code to

create art,” she says. “Often, coders apply randomness to make its art forms unpredictable. It’s really fun!” Creative coding uses trigonometry, so she recommends that anyone taking trigonometry class right now check it out.

She also runs a blog about code and food. “Life after college was a little scary,” she says. “I didn’t feel confident in either coding or graphic design skills, so I created the blog to talk about the hardships I faced and the projects I worked on.” It’s also become a great way for her to reflect on herself as a developer.

Jeesun encourages anyone with an interest to get into coding. “There are so many resources online now so you can start learning how to code any time. I recommend picking a programming language that interests you, learn the fundamentals, start building side projects, and share that process with others online

Alumni Profiles

whether on a blog, twitter, dev blog platforms, or github. It’s really important to find like-minded people early on to push yourself and stay motivated.”

“Whether it’s a job or a project,” she says, “make sure whatever you do next is more challenging than what you did before.”

Currently, Jeesun and her husband, Matthew, live in Miami with their beautiful dog, Ze’ev. While they do miss New York from time to time, they love Miami and are happy to have so many friends from college living nearby. In her free time, Jeesun enjoys reading, writing in her journal, and working on her blog. She’s planning her blog content now for 2023, so stay tuned!

Vanessa Bowles Beasley ’84

where they can learn, where they have community, and where they have friends. I know that what matters in education is how much people feel seen and know that they matter, like I felt at St. Johns.

“I joined St. Johns in sixth grade,” she says, “and one of the things I’ve realized over the years is how much St. Johns truly became my family, my community, my primary sense of self-worth and identity. It was a place where I mattered. It was a place where adults paid attention to me and where I started to develop lifelong friendships. And all of that was on top of the great education,” she says. “I would still be pleased to sit around and diagram sentences with you because I loved learning that from Mrs. Weber and other great teachers.”

Aside from diagramming sentences, Vanessa stayed busy with Student Council and some of her strongest memories come from these experiences. She was leading flag raising as Student Council President her senior year stands out. “I love that memory,” she says, “and I love that tradition.” She was also Student Council Treasurer and remembers working in the store during breaks and at lunch with Mr. Fisher. “Things had to move quickly, and you had to be able to make change quickly and deal with people who weren’t happy. So that’s really good training for life,” she says. She also worked at the School over the summer and remembers working with Mr. Fisher on the schedules, and how complex they were. “I think about that now, and I wonder, were they just being nice and giving me a place to hang out? Because I’m not sure why I spent the amount of time I did there in the summers.”

When Vanessa Bowles Beasley ’84 first stepped on the campus of Trinity University for a college tour with her oldest, she knew she’d found someplace special. Now, she’s the university’s first female president, a position she started in May. She draws her educational vision back to her own experience at St. Johns Country Day School and her goals for her two boys: “What I want for both of them is to be in an environment

After graduation Vanessa attended Vanderbilt University, where she earned a bachelor of arts in communication studies before going on to the University of Texas at Austin for her master’s and doctorate degrees, both in communications. She then served on the faculty at Texas A&M University, Southern Methodist University, and the University of Georgia before returning to Vanderbilt to serve as faculty member,

administrator, vice provost for academic affairs, and dean of residential faculty.

“I always thought I would go into political consulting,” she said, “so I thought, ‘I’ll just go somewhere where they’re teaching that,’ and I really started loving the historical research.” This was during the Reagan administration and was a time when television was really changing politics. “I think during my doctoral work I realized that I really liked the research part of this, so I thought, ’I don’t think I’ll go into consulting. I think what I’ll do is be a professor.’ And it wasn’t until I was writing my dissertation that I thought, ‘yeah, I cannot live without doing this—both the researching and the teaching.’”

And at least in part, this is what drew her to Trinity as well. She first visited the school on a college tour with her oldest son, Adam. “As someone who had been at a research university for my undergraduate work and then teaching at Texas A&M, SMU, and

UGA—those were my first teaching positions before I went on that tour with Adam—I knew that if you’re at a big research university, the graduate students always come first, because that’s the model of the university. So at Trinity, we have research active faculty. We have faculty who are doing really cool and amazing things, and they invite undergrads into that research space with them because we don’t have doctoral students. So it’s a kind of educational model that I’m going to argue is the best for a motivated student who wants to engage in research themselves, and it’s also really rare. Most places that are undergraduate only don’t always have as many research active faculty. So at Trinity, we keep class sizes small, we invite students into those research spaces, and we have about 80% of our students do experiential learning.”

Addressing the current conversation about how a liberal arts education doesn’t have professional or career-readiness value, Vanessa says, “Actually what

Photos courtesy Trinity University

Alumni Profiles

the liberal arts is doing, I would argue, and my career is testament to this, is teaching you a set of skills and tools for problem-solving that you can use your whole life, regardless of the problem, whether in your personal life or because you’re a doctor or a scientist. As hard as the turn to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) in education has been, I think the students who stand out in the job market today are those who have science backgrounds and also have the liberal arts way of thinking.

“We want to set up students, and I think every university president would say this, for lives of meaning and purpose. So I’m going to argue that your life has a lot more meaning when you understand the history of a place you visit, or something about another culture—that perspective that you’re not the only person who’s ever lived on this planet, and other people have different views. That’s really important.”

Vanessa says St. Johns taught her a lot about responsibility, collaboration, and taking action to find answers; three things that are relatively new goals in the School’s mission. “I was given these opportunities to take on fairly large amounts of responsibility. I mean, running the store and counting the money,

making the deposit, and filling up the soda machine? Now, it seems like, ‘why was a 15-year-old kid doing all these things?’ When people trust you and give you a lot of responsibility, you either meet it or you don’t, but it has an impact, especially when you’re adolescent, on your self-image that you are a person who can handle responsibility. If there was a problem, you felt like you needed to help solve it.”

As a university president, Vanessa is also in a unique position to give advice to students on their own college search. She offers two key things: One, particularly when you’re doing that college search and writing your essay, she says, be you.

“The game that a lot of people play is trying to figure out what they want me to say—what does that professor want me to say, what does the application want me to say, what should I say? You have that goal of ‘I just want to get in. I just want to get the ‘yes.’ But actually, most universities are trying to put together a community, so they really need to know who you are and if you don’t get in, it’s not because you’re not a good person or because you couldn’t do the work. It’s because there’s an idea that maybe it’s not the community for you, and wow—is it helpful to have somebody tell you that on the front end as opposed to going somewhere and getting a sense that it was a bad fit and now you’re going to have to transfer or something like that. So, be your authentic self. It’s really, really important.“

“And the second thing is, ask for help. I experienced so much responsibility and so much happiness and so much success at St. Johns that I think I didn’t make myself learn how to ask for help, and maybe I was embarrassed in college when I needed help, but everybody needs help. That’s the biggest advice that I always give, that there’s no shame in asking for help, and in fact smart people ask for help. When you go to any college or university, there are so many people whose sole job is to help you, just like at St. Johns. But people don’t know you need help unless you ask for it. So that’s two

1983-84 Administrative Council:

First row: Cheryl Townsend, Vanessa, Ann Carter, Mary Virginia Fisher

Second row: Mike McMillan, Jim Edwards, Coach Nick Nichols

Back row: Headmaster Steve Russey, Rod Fisher, Linda Guswiler

things: Be you, because you’re the only you we have. I know that’s a cliche, but it’s the single most important thing on the application. And then once you’re in and starting at a more rigorous level where everything’s new, you’ve got to ask for help.”

Vanessa’s been grateful over the course of her career to have the support and help of her family, particularly her husband, Trey. “I had both of my children while I was on a tenure track as a professor, and I always start there because I could not have done any of it without having a partner who wanted my success as much as he wanted his. So I always tell younger women when they say ‘how did you do it,’ or ‘how did you get to this point?’ I say a huge part of that has to do with who I partnered with, who I picked as a spouse.”

The other important component is that she and Trey are empty nesters now. “Waiting to take on a job of this size until our children did not need us in the same way as they did when they were younger” has been important. “What I want for both of [my children] is for them to be in an environment where they can learn, where they have community, and where they have friends.” She was always very clear that these were the things that mattered to her. “I was super clear about, if that matters to me, I bet then that’s what matters to a lot of parents, and I know that what matters in education is how much people feel seen and know that they matter, as I was saying I felt at St. Johns.”

When she’s not working, or being a university president, Vanessa says they usually vacation at the beach. “I am a huge beach person,” she says. “I love to travel anywhere, but if we’re traveling as a family we’re probably going to a beach somewhere near Jacksonville.”

And in her spare time, there are three things that bring her joy: Weightlifting and powerlifting. She says she just read about St. Johns’ athlete Addison Frisbee ’24, who won the state weightlifting championship last year, and was very impressed. Second, she loves music. “I’m the kind of person that puts on music in the kitchen and dances in the kitchen.” And third,

reading. “I love to read, and I read fiction almost every night before I go to bed. It’s been a really good practice for me because it’s real easy to have the worries of the day, no matter what they are, personal or professional, on your mind, and it’s been a great practice for me just to breathe and get into a space of like, let’s go back to someone else’s story.”

But as far as her St. Johns story, Vanessa says “I felt like when I crossed that railroad track and into that community there, under the beautiful oak trees, it was just like, I’m going to say safe space, but I don’t mean that in the cliched way. It was just a space that was so important to me. It was like I was transported to this place where I was safe and where people cared about me and I’m so grateful for that. It’s such a special place.”

Vanessa feels like St. Johns was such a special place for her, and that St. Johns students are particularly good candidates for Trinity University. “I would welcome St. Johns students who were interested in touring Trinity University. I would give them a personal tour!” So, make note, Upper School parents, a personal tour with the university president is ready for you at Trinity University!

Alumni Notes

1980’s

 In November, President & Chief Development Officer of the St. Vincent’s Foundation Virginia Hall ’85 was named one of three winners in the 2022 EVE Awards, are given to women in North Florida and South Georgia who contributed the most to the community during the past year and whose efforts made lasting improvements.

 Kristina Rinker ’87 currently serves as Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Calgary, in Alberta, Canada. Work in her lab led to the launch of Syantra inc. (www.syantra.com) based on technology they have been developing for over a decade. The lab’s work has also led to a blood test for breast cancer detection that is now available across Canada.

 In December, St. Johns’ alumnus and Varsity Girls Soccer Coach Mike Pickett ’83 was named “Greatest High School Coach” in soccer by high school sports website MaxPreps. Photo Credit: Gianna Lentini ’24

2000’s

 Ricky Caplin ’00, principal of the Caplin Family Offices, will serve as head of JAXUSL, a local ownership group that is working to return professional soccer to Jacksonville in 2025. The group, which includes former quarterback Tim Tebow, has acquired the rights to form a new franchise within the United Soccer League. Photo: L-R Steve Livingstone, Tim Tebow, and Ricky Caplin ’00. (Photo: Will Brown, Jacksonville Today)

 Carling (Martin) Moore ’01 was named one of the Jacksonville Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Honorees for 2022. She is currently working as a director at the commercial real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield.

 Several Spartans got together in October, including (L-R) former college counselor Rod Cox, Emily Cox Combs ’99, former English and history teacher Owene Weber Courtney ’73, and Charles Cox ’05.

 Elizabeth Dukes Brown ’04 and her husband Marshall welcomed their third child, Winslow Hayes Brown, on October 6. She joins her older brother Stokes ’32 and sister Isla ’31.

Alumni Notes

 Rebecca Hellmuth ’04 married Jonathon Troop on September 17, 2022. Jon is originally from Reno, Nevada. They got married in Jacksonville at Hendricks Avenue Baptist Church with a reception following at San Jose Country Club. Katelyn Wells Jordan ’04 was the Matron of Honor and Rebecca’s sisters, Kelly Hellmuth ’96 and Kim (Hellmuth) Bartczak ’99 were there with their families and her mother, former St. Johns math teacher Martha Hellmuth, to celebrate with them. Rebecca and Jon live in Port Wentworth, GA and both work in the agriculture industry there.

 Jackie (Flanagan) Rowland ’06 co-founded structural engineering firm Russell Rowland, Inc. in 2018 and in 2022, it was named to Jacksonville Business Journal’s “Fast 50” list as the #23 Fastest Growing Company in Jacksonville.

St. Johns English and Latin teacher Rachel Robison ’09 was awarded a travel scholarship from the Classical Association of Florida and the Florida Junior Classical League. The scholarship supports K-12 Latin or Greek teachers in Florida and facilitates travel “of a serious classical nature.”

2010’s

 Kelsey (Coon) Sandness ’11 eloped with Brenden Sandness on August 22, 2022 in Aspen, Colorado. An adventure to start all adventures of marriage: the couple, their dog Balto, officiant, and photographer hiked round trip 16 miles to the saddle of one of the Colorado 14er’s peaks overlooking Capitol Lake.

 Members of the Class of 2011, (L-R) Chadd Myers, Alex Bowles, Sean Bowles, Ishaan Madhok, and Elizabeth Clark, met up at the 2022 Florida-Georgia game in Jacksonville.

Alumni Notes

 Sean and Alex (Herndon) Bowles ’11 welcomed their first baby, Avery, in July!

 In October, former Spartan midfielder Carson Pickett ’12 was called up to the U.S. Women’s National Team to replace Emily Fox in a match against Spain.

 Writer-director Franklin Ritch ’12 released his first sci-fi feature, “Artifice Girl,” at Montreal’s Fantasia festival last summer. Britt McTammany ’87 was the cinematographer for the film.

 Colin Montgomery ’16 married Peyton Hayes on April 9, 2022 at Congaree and Penn in Jacksonville, Florida. Colin and Peyton met while studying at Auburn University. His sisters Patricia ’17 and Lane ’19 were bridesmaids. Proud parents are Dawn and (former President of the Board) Jonathan Montgomery and grandfather Robert Montgomery ’58.

2020’s

Alumni Notes

In Memoriam

Michele Agee, mother to Chelsea ’07 and Mitch Agee ’09, and former Board of Trustees President, passed away July 20, 2022.

John Ginter, Jr., father of Joseph Ginter ’77, Mimi (Ginter) Hallman ’78, and Mitzi (Ginter) Mobley ’82. Grandfather to Tanner Mobley ’10.

Randall H. Wilsey, stepfather of Ian Holman ’08 and Brannon Holman.

 Rachel Thompson ’19 did an internship last fall at Orlando’s Cypress Creek High School, where she met fellow Spartan Beth Scanlon ’88, who works there as a literacy specialist.

Mai Liu ’16 is a first year PhD student in the University of Pennsylvania’s bioengineering program.

 In August, former St. Johns exchange students Jason Wang and Eric Wang ’20 stopped by the Upper School to say hello. They updated their former teachers with what’s going on and where they are now. Jason is at Montreal’s McGill University and Eric is at UCLA. Great seeing you, guys! Pictured (L-R): Mr. Cox, Dr. Román, Mrs. Ayres, Mme Price, Jason, Eric, and Mrs. Velasco.

Dr. Richard Kostecki, grandfather to Sydney Monroe ’17 and Max Monroe ’21, passed away November 27, 2022.

Dozier Deihl McKendree Sr. ’85 passed away on December 6, 2021 after a lengthy battle with cancer.

Robert “Bob” Radwan ’90, brother of Rebecca “Becky” (Radwan) Updegraff ’87, passed away on October 5, 2022.

Damon Charles Loop, father of Damon Monroe Loop ’96 and Jennifer Loop Bolcar, passed away on August 3, 2022.

Joseph “Joe” Clay Davis Meux, father of Clay Meux ’87, died on November 21, 2022.

Russell W. Pratt, MD, father of Stephen Pratt ’83, PhD, died August 29, 2022, at the Penney Retirement Community.

 Evan Carter ’14 married Kristi West on Saturday, May 14, 2022 at a beautiful outdoor ceremony in Marco Island, Florida. Spartan wedding party members included groomsmen Zach Carter ’16, Jordan Nordin ’14, and Connor Bradley ’14 and bridesmaid Kia Scheffer ’14.

 In December, longtime St. Johns music teacher Brenda Scott traveled to Georgia to hear Joseph Shimko ’20 in concert with the Berry Singers.

Cynthia “Cyndi” Bonds-Conaway, mother of Michael Conaway ’04 and John Conaway, and former St. Johns teacher and coach, died August 31, 2022.

James Tucker, father of St. Johns French teacher Kim Price and grandfather to Marie Price ’16 and Tucker Price ’19, died on September 21, 2022.

We love to hear your news! Alumni, please send your updates to info@sjcds.net. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Published by St. Johns Country Day School

Mail: 3100 Doctors Lake Drive Orange Park, FL 32073-6997

Phone: (904) 264-9572

Email: info@sjcds.net

Web: sjcds.net

Head of School

Valorie Baker vbaker@sjcds.net

Director of Communications Regan Minners rminners@sjcds.net

Director of Development

Ryan Trevett rtrevett@sjcds.net

St. Johns thanks those who served on the 2022-2023 Board of Trustees:

Officers:

Eugene B. Nichols , President

Nicholas K. Courtney, Vice-President

Allan E. Wulbern, Secretary

Craig Phillips, Treasurer

Members:

Nicholas K. Courtney

Winfield Rogers Duss

Joeseph E. Lemieux, Jr.

John Maierhoffer

Ryan J. Mittauer

Robin McMullen

Trustee Emeritus:

Margaret Rood Gibbs

Rick Gregson

Daniel W. Hodges

Dr. Steven B. Kailes

Save the Date!

Stacey Myers

Pamela Petty

W. Judson Sapp

Daniel Towers

Richard C. M. Wilson

Headmaster Emeritus: Stephen F. Russey Ex Officio: Valorie Baker, Head of School

„ A Night in Nola Gala & Auction: Friday, February 24, 2023 at Timuquana Country Club. Tickets and sponsorships at sjcds.net/nola

„ 17th Annual St. Johns Spartans Golf Tournament: Friday, April 21, 2023 at Eagle Harbor Country Club. Register or sponsor at sjcds.net/golf

Jack Mooneyham ’23 takes a quick break during his Bones and Bone Markings practical exam in Anatomy & Physiology.