1953 T H E M A G A Z I N E O F S T. J O H N S C O U N T R Y D AY S C H O O L
Winter 2021
Pre-K4 Spartans take time out of a busy December day to show off their holiday attire.
Contents Letter from the Acting Head of School.....1 School News Briefs........................................2 Lower School...................................................................................4 Middle School..................................................................................6 Upper School................................................................................. 10 Performing Arts ......................................................................... 14 Visual Arts ......................................................................................17 Athletics........................................................................................... 20
Alumni Spotlight ......................................... 34 Alumni Notes................................................40
On the cover: Addy Vogt ’25, daughter of Allison McClow Vogt ’96 and granddaughter of John McClow ’69, takes a swing at an October golf tournament. (Photo by Bianca Horen ’21)
1953: The Magazine of St. Johns Country Day School is published twice a year for the school community, with goals to tell the school’s stories and capture the history, traditions, values, and culture of St. Johns Country Day School.
Greetings, Spartan Family! What a semester it has been! I knew before I arrived at St. Johns that it was going to be a year like no other. Between being the new Head of School and the coronavirus, it could hardly be anything else. But after watching our students, our parents, our alumni, and the entire School community over the past semester, I have been so truly impressed and feel fortunate to be a part of St. Johns. It has certainly been an unorthodox start of the school year, but we have successfully managed to provide both in-person and bridged (online) learning, as our students’ needs have dictated. I attribute the success of our program to the flexibility and perseverance of our faculty and staff, along with help from School parents, both in adhering to many new procedures and guidelines and in communicating with us about their family situation and choices. St. Johns’ success is an excellent example of partnership between home and school. For that, I thank our entire St. Johns community! In the midst of all of this, many exciting new changes have taken place and are in the works. This fall, we launched Sparty Sports, a series of sports programs for our Lower School students. Sparty Sports are currently available in soccer, basketball, swimming, and volleyball. Girls Weightlifting was established as a varsity team sport this year, a first for St. Johns. You can read more about that on page 24. Lacrosse will begin in School clinics followed by additional training in the spring. St. Johns is committed to providing opportunities for our students to develop the skills necessary to improve both their physical and mental preparedness by competing in our athletics programs. As announced earlier this year, effective with the 2021-2022 School year, our preschool for three- and four-year olds will become a year-round program. We are excited to offer a sound curriculum led by certified teachers will provide consistency and simplicity to parents of our youngest Spartans. Additionally, we have just launched out our new curriculum guide for K-12 that will elucidate our commitment to a redefined college prep education. With the advantage of being on one campus, families will be able to see a connection and consistency in course offerings from kindergarten to graduation. We continue to focus on the skills necessary to develop students who Seek Solutions, Accept Responsibility, and Create Collaboration. All of these changes are part of our efforts to build and improve the St. Johns Experience for our students and the broader school community. We look forward to an exciting New Year for current and future Spartans! All the best, Valorie Baker Head of School S T. J O H N S C O U N T R Y D AY S C H O O L M A G A Z I N E
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SCHOOL NEWS BRIEFS What Does School Look Like in a Global Pandemic? Students Quickly Adapt to Coronavirus Measures Over the summer, as St. Johns faculty and administration were developing plans on how we could safely open in the fall, it soon became clear that social distancing and face coverings would be required at all levels. Staff were understandably nervous about how well that would go over with the students, particularly our youngest Spartans. But, boy, were we wrong to be concerned! All fall, St. Johns has been so impressed by how well all of our Spartans have done with frequent hand washing and sanitizing, keeping their distance, and wearing their face masks.
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School News Briefs
S Creating Space in Classrooms Throughout the School this summer, desks were removed, class rosters reduced, and seating was measured to ensure the 6’ distance. Seating charts were also implemented, even where they hadn’t been used before, to facilitate the process if contact tracing were it to become necessary, and to keep students together in “pods,” where possible. In each of St. Johns’ classrooms, as in Ms. DeStefano’s AP Psychology class, above, floor tape marks off the 6’ distance so desks stay where they should, and another strip of tape at the front of the room keeps the instructor 6’ from the front row of seats. A tripod stands ready to give frontrow viewing to any student who might need to conduct “bridged learning”—online learning for students required to quarantine for various reasons.
Administrators stepped up to staff additional study halls, so that those class numbers could be kept low, and faculty looked for alternative class locations when needed. The always-popular AP U.S. History class was moved to the Pace Lecture Hall and other classes routinely met on the deck, at the Chapel Oak, or in the Lower or Middle School pavilions. It certainly pays to have a large, beautiful, flexible campus when it becomes necessary to adapt to entirely new circumstances!
Socially Distanced Flag Raising St. Johns may be dealing with a global pandemic, but that has certainly not stopped the School’s long standing tradition of flag raising and announcements each morning. Since the first day of school in August, St. Johns has been livestreaming the event each morning at sjcds.net/live, much to the delight of parents or others who enjoy tuning in. While the seniors and their Grade 1 buddies come out and stand, socially distanced, around the Quad each morning and one or two “guest grades” rotate in for a few weeks at a time, the rest of the school has been participating via livestream, safely from their homeroom classrooms.
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School News Briefs Lower School News Lower School Votes in Crucial Election As part of a unit around Election Day, Lower School students completed a unit on voting in the Heinrich Learning Resource Center. Ms. Perry and Mrs. Jacobs spent some time discussing the election process with students and reading different stories that go along with the theme of candidacy, voting, and elections. Then students had the opportunity to vote on some pressing issues, (e.g., pizza versus hamburgers), and placed their ballots in a ballot box. Results were tallied at the end of the week. (In case you’re wondering, it was pizza by more than 3 to 1. French fries also had a good showing. Hot dogs, not so much.)
Auxiliary Programs Stretch Spartans’ Wings Lower School students have been thrilled at the introduction of various auxiliary programs targeting the younger grades. Coach Mike Pickett ’83 started things off with his St. Johns Future Stars soccer program, and then came Coach Yolanda Bronston’s H2 Hoops and Spartan Splashers with Coach JJ. The new programs are offered to students throughout Lower School and in some cases into Middle School, and are not limited to St. Johns students. “The auxiliary programs are a great way for students to stay busy after school, get introduced to a new sport, or spend time practicing a sport they are already interested in,” said Head of School Valorie Baker. “We know there is a lot of interest among the Lower School community in programs like this, and we hope to continue to roll out new options over the months ahead.” 4
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School News Briefs
Students Celebrate 19th Amendment In August, Grade 5 students took the opportunity of the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th amendment to study it and the fight for suffrage waged for so long in this country. They made suffrage banners in support of the amendment and wore them for this photo at the Chapel Oak.
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School News Briefs Middle School News Student Spellers Excel in Bee The annual St. Johns Spelling Bee for students in Grades 5-8 took place in December, with 15 students participating. After 23 rounds in the December Grades 5-8 Spelling Bee, Grade 8 student Erik Williams came out victorious for his fourth consecutive year. Though his competition gave him a run for his money, notably Grade 7 students Wyatt Hollingsworth and Alyssa Walker, Williams will continue on to the January county-wide spelling bee with Hollingsworth as the alternate.
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Representing Grade 5:
Representing Grade 6:
Left to right: Marcus Giles (alternate), Alexandria Valencia, Dylan Voyer, Alex Pearce, Jillian Mach, Caris Morgan
Left to right: Teague Dunagan (alternate), Leo Naude, Andrew Nargundkar (on screen), Addison Kipnis, Jordan Bliffen, and Dominique Clark.
Representing Grade 7:
Representing Grade 8:
Left to right: Deayvn Coleman, William Pounds, Wyatt Hollingsworth, Sergio Lopez Diaz (alternate) Illias Mamea, Alyssa Walker (not pictured).
Left to right: Autumn Henry (alternate), Sawyer Davidson, Shane Reaves, Grayson Moody, Xavier Baez, Erik Williams.
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School News Briefs
Grade 8 Debates Philanthropy vs. Worker Treatment A St. Johns education teaches students to think deeply, critically analyze, and apply lessons learned to new contexts. That was evident this fall in Mr. Rooks’ Grade 8 history classes when they examined the Industrial Age, its key events, topics and people, and many strikes, riots, and labor unions. “As we ended the unit,” said Mr. Rooks, “we completed a Document Based Questioning (DBQ) activity which analyzed various primary and secondary sources to help students answer the Essential Question: The Philanthropy of Andrew Carnegie: Did it make him a hero?” Throughout the debate, students were to cite the primary and secondary sources they analyzed during the DBQ. Many students argued that Carnegie should not be considered a hero on the basis that he treated his workers very poorly. They were underpaid, overworked, and prone to injuries. As a result, workers went on to strike at Carnegie’s Homestead steel factory which resulted in many deaths. In response to this strike, Carnegie cut the worker’s pay by 20 percent. Carnegie also had a history of tying his worker’s pay directly to the price of steel. If steel prices increased, so would the worker’s pay, however, their pay decreased when the price
of steel dropped. At the end of the lesson, many students felt that charity does not make up for injustice. The students who supported the stance that Carnegie should be considered a hero argued that he donated the majority of his wealth for good causes. His total giving was over $350m, which is equivalent to just over $5 billion in today’s money. Carnegie believed that wealthy individuals had a duty to donate their fortunes. In his Gospel of Wealth, Carnegie states,”The man who dies rich, dies disgraced.” As you can see by their Post-It Note “votes” on the board in Mr. Rooks’ classroom, the students had a vigorous debate, full of insight with many votes on both sides of the question.
“This is definitely one of my favorite topics to teach because the students really get into it,” said Rooks. “I love having these types of discussions with my students, because in a world that seems so divisive, students need to learn that they are allowed to have different views and opinions while harvesting their friendships. As Thomas Jefferson once stated, ‘I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend.’”
Frances Bailey ’25 discusses her vote as she and Rooks put it on the board. S T. J O H N S C O U N T R Y D AY S C H O O L M A G A Z I N E
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School News Briefs
Students Prep for Moon Mission As a part of their space exploration unit, Grade 7 has been studying plans for NASA’s upcoming moon mission, Artemis. First, they packed their allowable personal gear for the mission, according to size and weight specifications as dedicated by NASA. Then they went to St. Johns’ virtual reality lab to pilot their own Apollo Mission to the moon. Next, in a cross curricular assignment with English class, students explained their Artemis missions in essays, which were submitted to NASA for review. Essays had to include the types of skills an astronaut would need, what equipment they would take, and how many people should be included in the mission and why. Then students got busy building their landing rovers. In a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) project students used candy to build their rovers according to specific criteria. They were required to stay within a given
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budget, had to draw the rover first, then build a prototype, and then, finally, retool to address any problems. Rovers were required to have moving wheels, four scientific instruments (including one that moved), and not to fall apart. Finally, students presented their rovers to the class for comments and suggestions. “The fact that St. Johns has partnered with NASA and their educational program for the Artemis Moon Mission has made our unit on Space Exploration very meaningful.” said Grade 7 science teacher Ms. Tina Sachs. “Using real NASA requirements that align with the NASA Artemis Mission has made learning fun and exciting for the students.” The next step for these intrepid scientists will be building and launching their own rocks early in 2021.
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School News Briefs
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School News Briefs Upper School News
Seniors’ Yards Signed The weekend before the First Day of School, the Class of 2021 was surprised to look out on their lawns and see them signed with a Senior yard sign. The signs, placed there by mysterious deliverers when no one was looking, celebrate St. Johns seniors and all the many achievements it has taken them to get to this point—their senior year. “We’ve been doing the signs for a few years now,” said Head of Upper School Mary Virginia Fisher. “They’re a fun way for the School to spotlight our seniors, applaud them, and give them some of the recognition which they truly deserve.”
Juniors Receive Class Rings In December, St. Johns hosted its 3rd annual junior ring ceremony, in which members of the Class of 2022 received the class rings they ordered earlier in the year. 10
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EcoArt and the Plastic Beach: A STEAM Collaboration As reported on CBS Sunday Morning, “In the 1950s, scientists invented a new material that would change the world forever: plastic. Cheap, durable, sanitary, strong, and light – and, as we have seen in the years since, very, very difficult to get rid of once we are through with it. About 70 percent of our discarded plastic winds up in open dumps or landfills, but much winds up in an even worse place: the ocean.” The plastic pollution crisis has been blamed on a handful of Asian countries, but a recent report shows that the U.S. is the largest producer of plastic waste in the world with 42 million metric tons in 2016. The second-largest producer is India with 26.3 million metric tons. Less than 10% of the plastic waste is recycled in the U.S. This STEAM project was generated as a collaboration between Dr. Román and Ms. Ayres to create awareness of the global marine plastic pollution crisis. Students in Dr. Román’s Marine Science class were asked to select a coastal location from a list of places that are so littered by manmade debris that they have earned the nickname “Plastic Beach.” The selection included former sandy paradises that now resemble garbage dumps and are considered some of the dirtiest beaches on Earth.
The students researched the causes for the accumulation of debris in the area and the ocean current patterns associated with the location that might be responsible for the trash on the beach or other parts of the world. In addition, the students were asked to identify a local organism that is adversely affected by the trash and debris in that location. To complete the art component of the project, the students used personal recycled materials to create a silhouette of the marine organisms affected by plastic pollution. Recycled material was also used to display the ocean currents associated with the geographical location of the dirty beach.
National Honor Society inductions are being postponed until spring, in hopes that they can be conducted in person rather than virtually.
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School News Briefs
Spartans Gain Experience Through Fellowships By Julia Nichols ’21 (Journalism Fellow)
Now in its third year, St. Johns’ unique Fellowships program offers Upper School students opportunities to delve into a topic of their choice, embarking on invaluable journeys of exploration. With many opportunities available in a variety of subject areas, students are able to shape their futures and gain practical experience as they take additional classes, volunteer, network, and more. Fellowships allow Spartans to excel and explore in unique ways, including writing this article. The program provides an incredible opportunity of allowing students to obtain real-world experience in a field they may want to go into. Current fellowship subject areas include: Arts and humanities, community engagement, computer science, conservation, health sciences, international studies, journalism, United States government and politics, and visual arts. Taking a deep dive into subjects students are passionate about enriches their learning experience and opens doors to a wide scope of academic, practical, and professional possibilities. Students don’t explore alone; they are guided by dedicated faculty who root for their success and work to help students enhance their time in high school. For senior Ellie Rosenau, the community engagement fellowship was a way to further bring her passion to fruition through real, impactful work. Rosenau chose the community engagement fellowship because it allowed her to pursue her passion for serving individuals with disabilities. Her fellowship experience has helped her narrow down her major and solidify her goal to seek a career in special education. In fact, it has done more than that. Her fellowship led her to serve at a Young Life camp, where she served meals and interacted with teenagers who did Capernaum, Young Life’s special needs ministry. Rosenau believes her experience as a fellow has made her “a more empathetic person, who is aware of specific ways I can positively shape my community.” 12
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Senior Fellows Ellie Rosenau (left) and Maggie Kent (right).
Maggie Kent, a member of the health sciences fellowship, has always been interested in medicine, so pursuing a fellowship was a no brainer for her. With her eyes set on the future, Kent shadowed a general surgeon and put in hours with the North Florida Cancer Specialists. In her own words: “Being able to scrub in and view a surgery was absolutely crazy, I’ll never forget it.” The deep dive she has been able to take as a fellow allowed her to narrow down the field of medicine she hopes to pursue, leading her to choose to study sports medicine. While Kent may have been able to pick a major without her fellowship, the hands-on experience it has provided certainly made her choice easier.
Rosenau, 3rd from left, at camp.
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School News Briefs
Starting Senior Year During a Pandemic By Julia Nichols
I was asked to write about the experience of starting senior year during a pandemic, and for one of the few times in my life, I’m struggling to find the right words. I’m not sure my perspective matches my fellow students because I had to learn the hard way that life doesn’t always go as planned. When 2020 didn’t really go according to anyone’s plan, I didn’t find it too hard to adapt. I’ve had more than one sports season end early, and I’ve faced adversity that flipped my life upside down before, so I choose to see the good, and make the best of these crazy times. I know it’s been a year filled with immense fear, frustration, loss, pain, and uncertainty, which is why writing an article about my senior year being interrupted or abnormal feels somewhat irrelevant, petty, and privileged. Even though the pandemic hangs over the entirety of our senior year, most events are still happening thanks to the efforts of the administration, even if they look a little different this year. I am so grateful to the incredible faculty and staff who worked to make the best of distance learning and pivot to allow us to return to school, trying to preserve many senior year traditions. Pivots that include wearing masks, filling out a daily health survey, sitting a little farther apart, and limited attendance at flag, sporting events, and other events, like the fall play. Pivots that really don’t change my senior year that much. I think what makes this year hard has little to do with being a senior in high school. What makes this year hard
is the uncertainty surrounding it. We wake up and go to school not knowing if today will be the day a COVID outbreak shuts the school down, if we’ll have to go back to distance learning, or if our sports seasons will be cut short. As we apply to colleges, we wonder if we’ll be able to attend in-person. College applications look different this year, and our senior trip, which has already been rescheduled more than once, may not look the way they have in the past, but I don’t think it’s something to be upset about. Everyone is just doing the best they can right now. We’re adjusting to the idea that human interaction looks different this year. It’s hard to make plans and have hope in this season, but I believe that despite the bad, there has been good in 2020. This year has made us stronger. It’s taught us how to adapt. While some of the privileges we’ve been waiting for haven’t materialized in the way we envisioned, we still got to have a senior presentation with brunch, photos, and a ceremony. We still have first grade buddies, and we get to go out to flag every morning. Amidst increasing community spread and scary Covid-19 numbers all around us, we are still able to attend class in person and eat lunch together. No, we don’t have a senior room, and we haven’t had any school dances, like homecoming, but we’re here. I’m honestly just grateful to be in school. We’ve been in school since August, and to me, that’s the most we could ask for given we all need to make sacrifices to protect our community from this pandemic.
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School News Briefs Performing Arts News
Band Adopts Pandemic Adaptations St. Johns’ band program had to adopt many previously unheard of safety adaptations this year in order to proceed in the face of COVID-19. From masks with cutouts for mouthpieces to bell covers for wind and brass instruments, many modifications were made to St. Johns’ performing arts programs this fall. At the start of the year, band director Mr. Michael Warren ordered band students special bell covers— stretchy, spandex covers that act as a mask for trombones, trumpets, clarinets, etc. Additionally, disposable masks with cutouts for their mouthpieces helped keep musicians’ mouths covers while still allowing them to play. For their instruments the flutists received air shields, a clear plastic shield that redirects the flutist’s air away from others. And finally, the larger Symphonic Band moved practices onto the wide, airy stage in the Performing Arts Center, rather than in the smaller, enclosed band classroom. With these modifications, St. Johns’ Middle School and Symphonic Bands were ready to play!
Two Spartans Earn Florida Vocal Association Seats Two St. Johns students earned seats in the prestigious Florida Vocal Association All-State Choruses last fall. Students were selected based on a statewide recorded audition that included vocalizations and performance of excerpts of three choral selections. Autumn Henry ’25 was selected for the Middle School Mixed Chorus and sophomore Tripp Vogt earned a seat in the High School Men’s Chorus. Because of Covid restrictions, the annual Florida Music Educators Association Conference, during which the AllState groups rehearse, will be a virtual conference for educators and student musicians this year. Congratulations to Autumn and Tripp on this outstanding accomplishment. 14
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School News Briefs
Clue: On Stage!
This fall, St. Johns’ theatre and technical theatre classes opted to take on the adaptation of the classic ’80’s movie, based on the Parker Brothers® board game, Clue. This fast-paced, witty whodunnit features a diverse cast of characters and leaves the audience guessing right up to the end about who killed whom, where, when and how. “2020 has been a challenging year for all,” said theatre instructor Mrs. Kim Cadley-Mach, “but everyone in the theatre has felt it particularly keenly.” From not knowing whether they could even have a fall production, to rehearsing in masks in the band room (while band was rehearsing on the PAC stage, for social distancing), the production was truly a labor of love and dedication, and a great success.
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School News Briefs
Winter Choral Concert and Bands & Bells Despite many challenges facing the performing arts this year, St. Johns was pleased to host a Winter Celebration concert in December. Both handbell choirs, Middle School Chorus, and Symphonic Band all performed holiday favorites including Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town and two renditions of Carol of the Bells in a socially distant, masked concert. Attendees agreed that it was a festive and much-needed interlude.
Identity Plays In December, Middle School Drama presented “Identity Play; or Who You Are If You Think You Are,” by Jon Jory & Jason Pizzarello. The show was a series of short comedy and dramatic vignettes that explore how each of us define ourselves. Is it by our actions? Our words? Intentions? Or how we dress? Not only did the students have to contend with these questions, but also with face masks and social distancing both in rehearsals and in the live performance. Well done, students! 16
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School News Briefs Visual Arts
Focus on Optical Illusion Grade 3 students have been focusing on the work of optical illusion artist Victor Vasarely (1906-1997). Using the elements of art and principles of design including shape, color, placement, and proportion, students created the illusion of depth and movement in their artwork. Students used various media including colored pencils, markers, and cut paper to create their own unique optical illusions, or “op art.� S T. J O H N S C O U N T R Y D AY S C H O O L M A G A Z I N E
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School News Briefs
Frida Kahlo Spotlights Student Art A new visitor has been frequenting St. Johns’ visual arts classrooms on Fridays—famed artist Frida Kahlo has been joining classes, observing lessons, and interviewing students about their work. The puppet version of Frida, along with puppet master Visual Arts Department Chair Ms. Anna Reynolds, has been making rounds, recording videos, and posting them on the visual arts Instagram. “Puppets are a great way to get kids talking about their art work,” says Reynolds. “Self-reflection and artist statements are a big part of our art education standards, and Frida makes the process a little more approachable and hilarious.” And the project is definitely a full-department collaboration, with Reynolds serving as the puppet master and Mrs. Mary Beth Allgaier and Mrs. Pam Ayres serving as camerawomen. Be sure to follow St. Johns Visual Arts on Instagram so you can catch Frida’s next spotlight interviews!
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School News Briefs
Left to right, Grace McNulty, Francis Bailey, Westin Cowherd, and Grayson Moody.
Grade 8 Crafts Pen & Ink Self-Portraits As they move through their Middle School years, St. Johns’ art students work to fine-tune essential skills and hone their craft across a variety of media. This fall, Grade 8 art students completed self-portraits in which they used pen and ink with a variety of different textures, such as hatching, cross-hatching, and stippling, to create light and dark. First the students studied Rembrandt’s expressive self-portrait etchings and spent several classes practicing pen textures and value in preparation. Then they took photos of themselves with the help of Middle School art teacher and Visual Arts Department Chair Ms. Anna Reynolds. Finally, using the photo as a guide, students incorporated the textures to best recreate themselves, in pen and ink format. “Drawing with pen and ink takes an extreme amount of patience and the students were willing and excited to commit to such an advanced technique,” said Reynolds. “Without the ability to erase, every mark counts.”
Students Prepare Scholastic Submissions Almost as soon as students returned to School in August, art students began preparing their submissions to the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, the nation’s premier awards program recognizing the vision, ingenuity, and talent of American youth. Beginning as early as September, art students in Grades 7-12 began planning submissions, saving their work, and creating artist accounts. Students in Mrs. Ayres’ sculpture classes started working on 3D self-portraits, shown here, for their portfolios. S T. J O H N S C O U N T R Y D AY S C H O O L M A G A Z I N E
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School News Briefs Athletics
2017-2018 Spartan Girls Soccer Named Team of the Decade In August, St. Johns’ 2017-2018 Girls Varsity Soccer team was named Team of the Decade by Jacksonville.com. “The 2017-18 squad might have been the best of the bunch,” the article said. “In the midst of a winning streak that ultimately stretched to 76 games — they hadn’t lost a game in three seasons — St. Johns ran over its opponents by a combined 145 goals while stifling opponents with a relentless possession-based approach.” Longtime coach Mike Pickett ’83 credits that particular team with incredible depth and chemistry along with “a perfect storm of players.” 20
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(Photos courtesy Main Light Events)
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School News Briefs
Early Signing Day In November, St. Johns was honored to preside over the signing of a whopping twelve members of the Class of 2021 to play sports at the next level:
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Paige Crews–Texas Christian University Mia Sadler–Southern Mississippi State Natalie Wilson–Southern Mississippi State Ellie Rosenau–Berry College Alexis Agramonte–Troy University Lauren Weiss–University of North Florida Maddie Moody–Davidson College Lexi Drumm–College of Charleston
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Connor Moore–Florida State University Jace Thomas–Flagler College Luke Shannahan–Pensacola State College James Oman–Butler University
Spartan Athletics Teams Faced Repeated Delays After repeated delays to the start of the fall season as the Florida High School Athletics Association (FHSAA) monitored the coronavirus situation and consulted with experts, St. Johns’ fall sports season finally started on Monday, August 24. “I’m so excited to get this next part of your lives started,” Director of Athletics Traci Peacock Livingston ’90 told students at flag raising on August 17, 2020. “St. Johns is prepared and we are ready to go.”
Senior Nights St. Johns has a long history of celebrating Senior athletes with Senior Nights—a special pre-game event where seniors are announced with their families to celebrate them and their many contributions to their sport. Where athletic competitions aren’t easily accessible, such as the case with cross country meets, coaches honor their seniors at morning announcements. Senior cheerleader Brooke Ferris with her parents, dad Vernon and mom, cheerleading coach Tanya Ferris. Photo by Julia Nichols ’21) S T. J O H N S C O U N T R Y D AY S C H O O L M A G A Z I N E
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School News Briefs
Swimming Both the boys and girls swim teams had tremendous seasons, capped off with competition in one of the toughest district competitions in the state. Spartan girls placed 5th and boys placed 6th overall. A whopping eighteen Spartan swimmers qualified for regional competition, including: ■ Girls 200 Medley Relay - Emma Schultz ’23, Amelia Dyer ’21, Mary Beth Garrison ’22, Ella Wilkes ’23 ■ Boys 200 Medley Relay- Hunter Hopkins ’23, Luke Robinson ’21, Ethan Albright ’21, Sam Hopkins ’23 ■ Girls 200 Free - Katelyn Moore ’26
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Boys 200 Free - Ethan Albright ’21 Boys 200 IM - Sam Hopkins ’23 Girls 50 Free - Emma Schultz ’23 Boys 50 Free- Luke Robinson ’21 Girls 100 Fly - Katelyn Moore ’26 Boys 100 Fly - Ethan Albright ’21, Hunter Hopkins ’23 Girls 500 Free- Mary Beth Garrison ’22 Girls 200 Free Relay - Kali Evans ’23, Katelyn Moore ’26, Amelia Dyer ’21, Emma Schultz ’23 Boys 200 Free Relay - Luke Robinson ’21, Sam Hopkins ’23, Hunter Hopkins ’23, Ethan Albright ’21 Boys 100 Backstroke - Hunter Hopkins ’23 Girls 100 Breaststroke - Amelia Dyer ’21
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Girls 400 Free Relay - Francis Bailey ’25, Ainsley Costarakis ’25, Jules Raimondi ’24, Ella Wilkes ’23 Boys 400 Free Relay - Ariel Sauer ’22, Josh Lewis ’25, Emerson Cooper ’23, JD Lewis ’22
School News Briefs
Volleyball
Golf
Middle School Volleyball played a friendly game against the JV Volleyball team to cap off their season.
In October, Boys Golf fired off an amazing score of 318, winning the District Championship for St. Johns, with Keystone Heights coming in second with 341. Jack Gosselin ’24 played his lowest 18-hole score yet, carding a 76 and earning him low medalist honors.
Football Spartan Football faced numerous challenges this year due to the extended coronavirus pandemic and other issues, setting them up for a topsy-turvy season. After starting the season in regular Florida High School Athletics Association (FHSAA) 11-man ball, the team faced many injuries in their first game, leading them to rethink their strategy. The Spartans subsequently swapped to the Sunshine State Athletic Conference (SSAC) 8-man league for the remainder of the season. “St. Johns Spartans players and coaching staff are beyond thrilled with the opportunity to join the league and compete for the remainder of the season in the SSAC 8 man league,” said Director of Athletics Traci Peacock Livingston ’90 of the transition.
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School News Briefs
Girls Weightlifting This year, St. Johns debuted a new Girls Weightlifting team for the first time. The season kicked off in November and continues through the winter season. It’s exciting to be able to offer a new sport for our talented young female athletes at St. Johns,” said Director of Athletics Traci Peacock Livingston ’90. “Girls weightlifting is a fast-growing sport across the nation, and it really offers numerous awesome benefits to the girls. It’s challenging and fun by itself, is a great supplement to whatever other sports they’re into, and is going to increase their strength, speed, and not to mention their confidence.” 24
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Cross Country Boys and girls Spartan cross country teams headed into the regional finals, which took place at Cecil Field in early November. Both teams were aiming to qualify for the state meet—Boys for the 5th consecutive year (and 7th of eight), while the Girls were aiming for a 15th consecutive appearance. After being named District Champion in October, Matthew Stratton ’22 again came out victorious, taking the Regional title as well and assisting the boys in achieving their goal of a trip to State. Unfortunately, participation limits put in place due to the coronavirus limited State to only the top 5 teams. Spartan girls came in 5th at Regionals, just missing the chance for their 15th consecutive appearance.
At the State Championships, delayed a day by Hurricane Eta, Spartan boys finished in 11th place, beating their 12th place ranking going into the race. Junior Matthew Stratton finished 3rd overall (ahead of his #4 ranking), becoming the Spartans boys all-time leader in top-50 finishes at State with four races in which he has finished in the top 50. Jake Kailes ’21 finished his high school career with his second top-50 finish, running a season PR. Richard Nichols ’24 was the third man home, followed by Walker Cowherd ’22, in his first cross country season. James Wilson ’21 rounded out the team scorers, beating his ranking by a whopping 7 places. Rounding out our team, Adan Herrera ’22 and Cade Zehner ’21 had great runs and pushed several other teams’ scorers down the field. Way to go, Spartans!
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St. Johns Presents the Class of 2021
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n November of 1962, St. Johns’ founding headmaster, Dr. Edwin P. Heinrich, brought the concept of introducing seniors to the community after attending a similar ceremony when his daughter was a senior at Agnes Scott College. The idea was a combination of a Thanksgiving service with recognition of the seniors’ coming of age, presenting them to the community as adults in their own right, ready to face the world. Today, the Class of 2021 enjoyed their own Senior Presentation starting with a beautiful brunch at Club
Continental. It was an opportunity for them to spend time together as a class with just a few faculty sponsors and administrators joining them, along with brunch speaker Mr. Rod Fisher. They reminisced about their time together at St. Johns and took a lot of photos, and Mr. Fisher regaled them with stories of some of the School’s traditions and history. Back at St. Johns, the ceremonial portion of the day began at 1:00 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center. After a beautiful prelude by St. Johns’ handbell choir, the seniors’ processional, and a hymn from the St. Johns Singers Treble (continued on page 26)
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Members of the Class of 2021 Alexis Agramonte Ethan Albright Paul Allen Julia Andrawis Yashas Aprameya Avery Baskin Gary Bradley III Landon Brafford Tilson Branch Kaley Burnside Fred Cone IV Stephanie Constantino Chloe Crews
Paige Crews Chloe Davis Mason Davis Alexander Dimmick Alexis Drumm Amelia Dyer Brooke Ferris Mykel Frazier Emma Harward Natalie Higingbotham Desiree Holmberg Bianca Horen Julia Jones
Haley Juskowski Jacob Kailes Jonathan Kats Maggie Kent Allison Korahais Abbey Lantinberg Natalie Lassiter John Linge Gabrielle Loustau Hannah Marshall Spencer Martin Walker Mathews Madeline Moody
Connor Moore Julia Nichols John Nowicki James Oman Anthony Porrazzo Alexa Radford Brooke Remolde Isabella Richardson Luke Robinson Ellie Rosenau Gavin Russell Mia Sadler Julia Schildberg
Luke Shannahan Jay’d St. John Jason Thomas Alexa Verboort Vincent Williams, Jr. James Wilson Natalie Wilson Anna Wulbern Cade Zehner
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Following St. Johns’ coronavirus safety protocols, students were masked and socially distanced throughout the Senior Presentation and Brunch (except to eat, of course). We did invite them to take off their masks for just a few seconds while we snapped this quick photo of their faces. (Then the masks went right back on!)
Ensemble, Student Council President Maggie Kent ’21 delivered the invocation. Senior Class President Ellie Rosenau ’21 read Abraham Lincoln’s proclamation of Thanksgiving, which was issued on October 3, 1863 and set the precedent for a national day of thanksgiving in America: In the midst of a civil war of unequalled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed.... It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States,
and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. A saxophone quartet played Danny Boy, and Head of School Valorie Baker made some brief remarks before introducing Senior Class Vice President Julia Andrawis, who delivered a reading from Don Quixote, by Miguel de Cervantes. A more recent School tradition, adopted just only the past few years, is that the Senior Presentation keynote speaker is selected by a senior class vote. This year, math teacher Mr. Wes Cox was selected. Mr. Cox summed up his talk with the acronym, PEP. “Not Personal Eye Protection,” said Cox, or pep for those
Congratulations, Seniors and families of the Class of 2021! sports teams, but “people, who have been there in hard times, remember excellence, and remember your passion.” Peppered with tales of his many world travels and with inspirational quotes from leaders, both famous and less so, Cox’s talk encouraged the Class of 2021 to remember the people who are there for you and have been there for you, to strive always for excellence, and to take the time to find your passion, even if it takes you 28 years of education, travels, and different jobs—like it did Mr. Cox—to find yours. The seniors stood as Head of Upper School Mrs. Mary Virginia Fisher read each of their names and, finally, Mrs. Baker read the words of founding headmaster Dr. Edwin P. Heinrich, presenting the Class of 2021 to assembled family, friends, and classmates:
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.
Commit to St. Johns Tuition alone does not cover the entire cost of a St. Johns education. That’s why your support of the St. Johns Fund is essential to make our school’s wants and needs a reality, providing the best possible education, environment, tools, and technology for Spartans from age 3 through Grade 12. Your gift is a commitment to the students, teachers, and the St. Johns experience. YOU can make a difference. For more information, please visit sjcds.net/support.
Fund Wish List
◆ Center for De sign
Thinking & Innovation $70,00 0
◆ Brown Gym Lig hting
$65,000
& Pa inting
◆ Grades 4 & 5 Pl
ay Area Renovation $58,0 00
◆ Baseball & So ftball
Field Irrigation Systems $40,000
◆ Perform ing Ar ts Ce
nter Upgraded Sound Sy stem $30,000
◆ Tennis Court Resur
facing & Facility Improvemen ts & Beautification $30,000
◆ Track Resurfa cing
$70,000
You can also choose to give an unrestricted gift of any amount to benefit the area of greatest need.
Commit to... The Students
The Teachers
The St. Johns Experience
◆ Invest in band instruments,
◆ Offer professional
◆ Advance hands-on and
technical equipment, studio tables and more to help students explore and cultivate their creative talents ◆ Provide athletic supplies and
field equipment to help our student-athletes develop character, teamwork, leadership, and critical thinking skills. Mr. Ro
development opportunities for teachers to learn new teaching strategies that extend far beyond the classroom ◆ Provide classroom equipment
and resources that enhance the learning environment for teachers and students.
Make your gift or pledge today at sjcds.net/give. Reach out to giving@sjcds.net to learn more about how to support St. Johns.
collaborative student learning spaces, such as our MakerSpace and 3D Design & Innovation Lab ◆ Upgrade and add technology
throughout campus ◆ Expand our Student Support
Services program, which offers social-emotional support as well as academic enrichment and remediation.
L-R Missy Powers Ingram ’01, Celeste Heller, and Amanda Powers ’01
Alumni Return to Work for their Alma Mater
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o one knows St. Johns better than a Spartan themself, and this school year plenty of Spartans returned to their alma mater to continue the traditions and legacies of their time as students. Currently, there are fourteen alumni faculty and staff members and three coaches. There are alumni teaching in every division, coaching multiple sports, leading the way in fundraising for the School, and caring for the health and safety of the student body. Alumni Hall of Fame Athletes, Traci Peacock Livingston ’90 and Mike Pickett ’83 continue to make an impact on the School’s athletic programs. Livingston, the School’s athletic director, and Christie Jones Slaughter ’05, the assistant athletic director, are quite the team, coaching the Varsity Girls
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Volleyball team, which advanced all the way to the regional championship this past season. Pickett won his ninth consecutive state title for the Varsity Girls Soccer team in 2020 and the School is anxiously waiting to see what his team can accomplish this year. His newest St. Johns soccer venture includes the help of his daughter, Carson Pickett ’12 and former student Katie Nimitz. They have started coaching soccer to Spartans as young as Kindergarten after school. Jimmy Merritt ’10 and former student Brad Schmidt have dedicated their time and passion to the Boys Varsity Soccer program. Perhaps the most recent alumni to join the coaching staff, Jordan Noble ’20, helped lead the Cross Country team to the State Championship this fall.
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Not only do these alumni carry on the St. Johns traditions in athletics, they also bring the beloved St. Johns experience into their classrooms. In the Lower School, there are currently four alumni that make the joy of learning foundational skills come alive: Melissa Powers Ingram ’01, Amanda Powers ’01, Erin Bare Willingham ’98, McCall Cauthen Morgan ’97 and Katie Nimitz open up their classrooms and their hearts every day to their young Spartans. In Middle School, Rachel Robison ’09 teaches Grade 6 English and numerous Latin courses. Ali Gurule ’11 and former student Ashely Chancey both work in the math department. Ali teaches geometry and serves as the assistant to the College Counseling Office. Gayle Simpson
Alumni
Garrison ’94 and Kristin Hodge Jackson ’00 both teach in the Upper School Social Sciences Department. “I absolutely love being back at St. Johns,” says Michele Adams-Lentz ’89. She joined St. Johns as the school nurse in August. “I have been an RN for 25 years and an nurse practitioner for 20 and I thank St. Johns and my teachers for the inspiration. My desire to become a nurse and care for people first started in an anatomy and physiology class I took with Mr. Fisher many years ago. Sitting with him and Mrs. Fisher at the girls varsity volleyball games and cheering my heart out for the Spartans this past fall was incredible. Many things on campus are different but some are still the same. For instance, my clinic is Ms. Chamblin’s old Grade 6 classroom.” When asked about the best part of being back at St. Johns, Adams-Lentz says it’s seeing her son, Tristan Lentz ’22 starting his high school education here. “He is incredibly bright and I know will take advantage of all that St. Johns has to offer.” Whether it is teaching, coaching, or caring for the students, alumni can be found all over the School’s beautiful campus. From the front office, where Jordan Robbins Rechcigl ’10 and Jean Marie Maierhoffer Petty ’13 can be found in the Development and Alumni Relations Office, to the Michael Pickett soccer field, our alumni faculty and staff members are paving the way for our current and future Spartans.
Erin Bare Willingham ’98
Amanda Powers ’01
McCall Cauthen Morgan ’97
Mike Pickett ’83
Traci Peacock Livingston ’90 (left) and Christie Jones Slaughter ’05 (right).
Rachel Robison ’09
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Alumni Spotlight
Alumni Spotlight Jim Leano ’89 When Jim Leano came to St. Johns in first grade, he remembers looking over on the other side of the quad with wonder. And then, slowly, over 12 years he made his way over to the other side. He didn’t stop there though. He finished his St. Johns career as the Student Council President and made morning announcements alongside Headmaster Stephen Russey. He recalls St. Johns being a fun place to go to school with every student being on the same campus. He also remembers how teachers like Mr. Joseph Warner, Mrs. Cynthia Landry, and Mr. Grover Howard applied their teachings to real world examples. He practiced analytical thinking, time management, and reading comprehension in a safe and fostering environment. During his time in high school, Jim aspired to go to medical school and to this day he appreciates Mrs. Carol Hart, who made subjects such as chemistry and calculus fun with her vibrant energy. When he wasn’t in the classroom, Jim spent the majority of his school time practicing his leadership skills through various opportunities like serving as the editor of the yearbook and President of the Student Council. During his Presidency, his big project was to bring scantrons—those electronic test scanners that vastly expedite test scoring—to St. Johns; a gift that was surely appreciated by many of the teachers but only a few students. Through his leadership roles, he learned how to make himself significant and confident all while experiencing how organizations develop and grow. Jim knew even then that those leadership opportunities would not have been available to him at a larger school. After graduating from St. Johns, he continued on to the University of North Florida, where he was still on the pre-med track. He graduated and took the MCAT, but then discovered that his desire to go to medical school had changed. While working a handful of jobs, 34
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Jim decided to return to UNF and pursue his masters in business administration. After taking his first and only business class, business law, Jim found yet another new career path. Before he knew it, he was off to Stetson Law School in St. Petersburg, and there he met the woman who would become his wife, Jennifer. “Basically lawyers are the ones that know the rule books. Every industry is a game that is regulated by laws and interpretations,” Jim says, and if anyone knows the rules, it’s him. After graduating from Stetson Law, he and Jennifer moved back to Jacksonville where he worked for the State Attorney’s Office. They later moved to Miami where Jennifer is a real estate lawyer and Jim has his own personal injury practice. “I am always on the side of the little guy going up against the insurance agencies,” Jim said while describing his current job.
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Jim and Jennifer still reside in Miami and they now have three beautiful children. Just like the rest of the nation, Jim and his family are adapting to the new normal of school and work during a worldwide pandemic. For example, on a call last fall, he mentioned that he had recently represented a client in a trial before a judge, all done completely over Zoom. Throughout his twelve years at St. Johns, the School was preparing Jim for a leadership role much bigger than he ever would have realized. “Especially once I became a senior, I appreciated that we were treated like adults—as much as they could do so—and the faculty talked to us similarly,” Jim says as he thinks
about all the life talks he had with Mr. Fisher. From hanging out on the senior patio playing his guitar to driving the tennis team home from away matches in his minivan, Jim recalls St. Johns being a great place to hang out. When asked if anything could have enhanced his St. Johns experience, Jim says he wished independent studies, like the School’s fellowship program, would have been available to him during his time. As Jim says, “Maybe my journey to become a lawyer wouldn’t have been as long as the trek from the classroom all the way to the Mike Pickett Field in humid 90 degree heat.”
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Alumni Spotlight
James J. Townsend Jr. ’75 When asked what word comes to mind when he reflects on his St. Johns experience, Jim Townsend ’75 says ‘nurturing.’ Using the limbs of the Chapel Oak as a metaphor to the sheltered, cozy, and family-like environment of our 66 year-old school, Jim remembers a safe place that was not exposed to social pressures. A place where a student can try anything without the fear of failure. A place where specific clubs, like the debate club with Mrs. Weber, taught him how to be bold and confident, and those skills stayed with him when he briefed former Presidents and Secretaries of Defense. The opportunities to grow and learn within this quiet campus ultimately lead him to 34 successful years of working in defense and foreign policy, mostly on European and NATO issues, in our country’s capital. Jim believes networking is the best way to succeed in any career. Entering St. Johns in eighth grade, Jim
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took the time to learn from his peers and teachers. He served as the Vice President of the Student Council, the Senior Class President, and the Editorial Editor of the School Newspaper, The Saints’ Scroll. He also played basketball and was a member of the debate
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team. His contributions to St. Johns did not go unnoticed as he was the recipate of numerous awards including awards for the newspaper and student council, the 1974 leadership award, and the best citizen in the class of 1972. Upon graduation, Jim headed to Duke University and majored in political science, a field of study he had never heard of before. During Jim’s time at Duke, he was constantly learning lessons from others and practiced how to be flexible yet resilient. Much of his college career involved networking with individuals who took an interest in him. After Duke, he earned his masters of arts from the John Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in international economics and American foreign policy. By then, his network of people had grown and those taking interest in him where individuals who worked at the Pentagon. Early in his career, Jim worked in foreign military sales at the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), as a country director of European security assistance and as the assistant to the DSCA Comptroller. Following his own advice to St. Johns students, Jim continued to gain experience by working in different environments and with different people. By the early 2000’s, Jim was the principal director of European and NATO policy and joined the Atlantic Council in 2006 after a distinguished civil service career at the Pentagon and at NATO. In 2009, Jim became the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for European and NATO Policy. After 34 years of working in defense and foreign policy, his work has spanned from the Cold War to Europe’s new challenges including Russia and terrorism. Jim is now an adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security where he is a co-host for the podcast “Brussels Sprouts,” and writes for the transatlantic defense news feature “The Dish.” He is also a global fellow at the Wilson Center’s Polar Institute and a Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London.
Today, Jim credits his St. Johns teachers for bringing an intellectual mindset to the classroom. To Jim, there was simply no better place to lay the foundation for a lifelong love of learning than St. Johns, as the rural Florida setting and smell of oak offered a unique backdrop for his leadership to prosper.
Blair Burke ’10 “St. Johns was a complete wake up call,” says Blair Burke ’10 as she reflects back to her early days at St. Johns as a new Grade 9 student. She remembers being challenged to change her mindset and think outside the box. For many people, changing the way you think about things can be overwhelming, but because of the St. Johns family environment, Blair says she was surrounded by positive influences that encouraged her to step outside her comfort zone. After graduation, Blair continued to try new things throughout her college career and now in her professional career. After
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experiencing the city life in Washington DC, Blair has moved back to Jacksonville to continue her career with Marriott International as the senior manager for global portfolio marketing. Blair contributes much of her success to her St. Johns experience. To Blair, it was the small things that made St. Johns unique, such as the small class sizes, the senior room and senior privileges, and of course, the lack of a cafeteria, which encouraged students to spend their lunch time in a place they love like the deck, or to mix up who they sit with each day. Another unique experience was having Mrs. Carol Hart as teacher because Mrs. Hart also taught Blair’s mom, Evie Johnson Edenfield ’84. Blair had always heard of Mrs. Hart from her mom, and she was thrilled to experience her teaching first-hand. Blair dreamed about going to the University of Florida and she is confident that it was the way St. Johns approached college applications that helped make her dream come true. Reflecting on the college application process, Blair said, “At the time, I didn’t know how much I appreciated St. Johns and the people who wanted me to succeed.” She thoroughly enjoyed her time at the University of Florida and thanks St. Johns for teaching her the fine balance between academics with extracurricular activities. While the transition from high school to college flowed seamlessly, Blair took her time to figure out what her career would look like after graduating from the University of Florida. “I changed my major three times from accounting to marketing and finally to event management with a business minor,” Blair said. She took the time to experience different working environments like interning at downtown St. Augustine’s Casa Monica Resort & Spa, in wedding planning. She eventually ended up working as the marketing coordinator at Ponte Vedra’s famous Sawgrass Marriott. The more time Blair spent in her role at Sawgrass, the more she learned about and liked Marriott as a
company, and, after working on the regional field marketing team for three years, she moved to Washington DC with the Marriott hotel brand team. “My experience was uniquely St. Johns,” Blair says as she recalls the memories she made on the St. Johns cheerleading team rooting for her brother and her cousin during football games. Her experience wasn’t all about academics, but more about being well rounded. She found discipline and balance that set her up for success at just 17 years old. Now she uses the same discipline and balance to market one of the world’s largest hotel chains.
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Alumni Notes
Alumni Notes 1950s Looking for a new and interesting Facebook Group to follow? Charles Keisling ’59 has been administering a group called “Historic Sites.” He taught history at St. Johns for 4 years and another 36 years in Duval County Public Schools. He would love to have fellow alumni as members. His group has members from all over the world on every continent except Antarctica.
Mike Pickett ’83, head coach for the varsity girls soccer team, was named as one of the Top 100 coaches by MaxPreps.com, a premier ranking site for high school sports.
1990s
2000s
▲ Teddi Longardt Bair ’03 and her husband, Chris, celebrated the holiday season with their two children, George and Mims. They currently reside in Atlanta, Georgia.
1970s David Brown ’76 has retired after working 35 years for SunTrust Bank. He and his wife, Christine, live in Atlanta, where Christine’s parents also live, and where she works for Cobb County Schools. As soon as the current pandemic is under control, they plan to spend more time traveling, including more extended trips to North Florida and hopefully spending some time visiting friends from St Johns. William Jack Stevens ’77 is an author, a former Fortune 100 executive, and a lifestyle transformation advocate whose work is influencing the lives of people all around the world. His Argentina Saga Series was just picked up from Hollywood and soon will become a movie or TV series. He recently just did an interview with Authority Magazine and Thrive Global. To learn more about his work, visit williamjackstephens.com.
1980s
▲ Members of the Class of 1980, Kay Blitch Lyerly, Susan Timby Lindholm, John Hamilton, Doug Stinson, and Michael Hoff, caught up with each other over the Thanksgiving holiday.
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▲ Gayle Simpson Garrison ’94 along with her daughters, Mary Beth ’22 and Jane ’25, traveled to Tallahasseee in November to witness her husband, Sam Garrison, get sworn into the Florida House of Representatives.
▲ Austin Hudson ’03 and his wife, Laine along with stepson, Gray Powers, were excited to welcome their new son and baby brother, Austin “Mitchell” Hudson II on Friday, July 17, 2020. He weighed 6.8 lbs and was 18.5 inches long. They reside in
After graduating from Florida State University in 2019, Parker Bryant ’15 is working at Marineland Dolphin Adventure in St. Augustine. Parker is a Marine Mammal Specialist at Marineland Dolphin Adventure, a little south of St. Augustine, where she helps take care of 14 Atlantic bottlenose dolphins. On a day to day basis she aids in their health through a number of different voluntary husbandry behaviors, meaning that they choose to participate in their own healthcare. Marineland also offers programs for guests to come and interact with the animals through a variety of different ways whether in the water with them or poolside. This not only helps exercise animals but also provides the opportunity for visitors to get up close and personal with this beautiful species in a safe manner. “While I help people’s dreams of swimming with dolphins come true each and every day,” said Parker, “I also get to spend my time with 14 of the cutest faces you’ll ever see!” - Parker Bryan ’15
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Alumni Notes Nashville, TN where Austin is working for a Mergers and Acquisition Co. Michael Rios ’05 was the New York Associate Casting Director for HBO Max’s original series The Flight Attendant which premiered on Thanksgiving Day 2020. He is currently working on a series for Starz called Hightown.
2010s Brooke Chancey ’08 married Kyle Shivers on October 23, 2020. Her sister Blake Chancey Boyer ’05 was a bridesmaid.
▲ Chelsea Cutlip ’10 married Ryan Ledonne on October 10, 2020 at the White Room in downtown St. Augustine. Fellow alumni Becca Staples ’11, Kelsey Coon ’11, and Sidney Reynolds ’11, served as bridesmaids. Ishaan Madhok ’11, Sean Bowles ’11, Alex Herndon Bowles ’11, Katie Young ’11, and Lexi Buchanan ’11 were all guests at the wedding.
▲ William Stokes ’12 recently graduated from Sewanee: The University of the South with a masters of divinity degree after receiving his bachelor’s degree with honors in music and history, also from Sewanee, in 2016. William was ordained as a priest in the Episcopal Diocese of Florida in October by Bishop John Howard. He now serves as the assistant rector at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Ortega, where he oversees children and youth ministries and helps shape the Christian formation programming.
▲ Meagan Eddy ’08 and Garrett Bishop ’13 were married on December 5, 2020 in Fleming Island. Nicole Gear ’08 graduated from UCLA Anderson School of Management with a masters of business administration. During her time at Anderson, she launched a technology startup that was acquired in April. Matt Gray ’09 and his wife, Allison, are expecting their first child. They have recently moved back to Jacksonville after living in Texas.
▲ Blair Burke ’10 is engaged to fiancé Bolling Cranford. He proposed at the Ritz Carlton Amelia Island in August after their relocation to Jacksonville from Washington, DC.
▲ Elizabeth Greenhalgh ’11 is engaged to Jordan Clark. Tyler Chancey ’12 and Jillian VanKempen Chancey ’12 welcomed their first child.
▲ Carson Pickett ’12 was named Australia’s Westfield W-League Player of the Year!
▲ Madison Duff ’13 and his wife, Madi, welcomed their second son, Beckett William Duff on September 30, 2020. Beckett is the little brother of Greyson.
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Alumni Notes
▲ Yesha Patel ’14 graduated from the University of Miami doctor of physical therapy program in July. (pic: Yesha.Patel)
Alumni, please send your updates for Alumni Notes to Director of Alumni Relations Jean Marie Maierhoffer Petty ’13 at jpetty@sjcds.net.
▲ Savannah Wofford ’14 graduated from the University of North Florida’s school of nursing. She recently accepted a position with Baptist Beaches in the critical care unit as a registered nurse and has completed her first couple of weeks of residency! She’s excited to embark on this new chapter of her life with such an amazing team.
Alumni Gatherings On November 19, 2020, St. Johns hosted a multi-year alumni gathering via Google Meet for the first ever virtual alumni happy hour. The mixologist taught the attendees how to make four holiday cocktails, but the fun really started when alumni were challenged with naming a new drink created just for St. Johns. Thanks to Owene Courtney ’73 for thinking of the name, we now have the “Heinrich Maneuver” as the School’s signature cocktail. The recipe follows, in case you’d like to enjoy some school spirit(s) in the comfort of your own home. Cheers!
aneuver M h ic r in e H e Th m infused ru na 2 oz. bana Lopez 1 oz. Coco pple juice 1 oz. pinea nge juice 1 ⁄ 2 oz. ora
in a ve with ice Shake, ser nd enjoy! tall glass, a
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▲ Zhanee Anderson ’16 came to St. Johns in December to shoot some videos as a part of her pursuit of her masters of fine arts degree at the University of Miami. She also spent some time chatting with St. Johns’ Journalism Fellows, telling them about her work and studies and what she loves about it. Zhanee graduated from Valdosta State University in May.
Alumni Notes ▲
Brooke Arnett ’16 and Brandon Livingston ’17 are engaged! Brandon proposed in St. Augustine over the summer and the couple plans to get married in fall of 2021. Aaron Mylrea ’19 spent his summer in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia working on sustainable farms.
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Elizabeth Stoeber ’20 enjoyed her first season as a Gatorette at the University of Florida. Her debut game was against South Carolina and the Gators won 38 to 32!
In Memoriam Gay Culverhouse ’65 passed away on July 1, 2020. Gay was the first alumnus awarded Alumnus of the Year in 2002, and was a former Board of Trustee member. She is the former president of the Tampa Buccaneers. Michael Kuhling ’68, brother of Robert Kuhling, Jr. ’66 Nina Van Nortwick ’70, sister of Clare Gilmore ’70, Wallace Van Nortwick ’68, and William Van Nortwick ’63 George David West, father of Helen Van Wagenen ’71 and grandfather of Hilary Van Wagenen ’98 and Haley Van Wagenen ’03. John Hart, husband of former teacher, Carol Hart, stepfather of John Hart ’85, and father of Steve Hart ’91, Colleen Hart McDaid ’95, and Caryn Hart Lucas ’91. Thomas Miller ’89 Ash Tisdelle, father of Genevieve Tisdelle Williams ’99, Sandra Tisdelle ’01, and Catherine Tisdelle ’06 Mark Pass, father of Gabrielle Pass’17 and Peret Pass ’07
John Clayton Chappell ’71
By Calhoun Chappell ’70
On June 4, 2020, John Clayton Chappell ’71, died peacefully of cancer while surrounded by family and loved ones in Sandwich, MA. John was a wonderful husband, father, friend, brother, son, grandfather, nephew, uncle, cousin, and overall fun guy. He was a fighter and outlived his prognosis by several months. Knowing that his time was near, he organized his wishes lovingly and with great humor. Per his request, his family dressed him in his tuxedo with the cuff links, studs, cummerbund, black tie, and dress shirt on the morning just before he passed. He asked that the outfit be rumpled a bit so he would appear to be heading from a fun formal party to a post-party breakfast. His dogs were close by, as usual. A drinking straw was placed in his mouth so that he could enjoy his final taste of his favorite Scotch. He listened to music by Beethoven, Aretha Franklin, and Dionne Warwick as he left this world. He died with a smile on his face. John was married in 1976 to Robin Jane Newman. They lived in Jacksonville until they moved to Westfield, NJ, so that John could commute to Columbia University in New York City, where he earned his MBA degree. Robin and John raised two sons: Keith Chappell, now an emergency room physician at Cape Cod Healthcare in Massachusetts, and Brad Chappell, an award-winning teacher of special needs students at Addison Mizner Elementary School in Palm Beach County, FL. Also surviving John are two brothers, a niece, and four grandchildren. The position that John loved most was working for Generoso Pope, who owned the National Enquirer until his death, after which the tabloid was sold to American Media. John was chief of circulation and also was the organizer of the lavish parties for the paper’s advertisers held at the Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach FL. After leaving American Media, he worked for Banker’s Life Insurance until he retired. Our family appreciates the love and support of a number of friends from St. Johns who were able to communicate with John and his family a few weeks prior to his death The family wishes to thank Larry Knight (’71); Elizabeth Denmark Parsons (’70); Sandy Israel (’70); Bobby Knight (’70); Margie Hardwick (Bartram, ’71); Neil Bird (’71); Caroline Newton Frazier (’71); Bill Kirill (Bolles, ’70); John Brown (’71), Rusty Newton (The Hill School, ’72), Helen Newton Hartung (’69); Frank DeGrim (’71); and Robert Pavelka (’71). We all miss his laughter and the times in which we were fortunate to have him near. He was a wonderful, kind, and loving man who was heartily loved by many. Rest in peace, John.
S T. J O H N S C O U N T R Y D AY S C H O O L M A G A Z I N E
WINTER 2020
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Alumni Notes
Founders Day 2020 On September 14, 2020, the School celebrated its 67th anniversary. This year’s Founders Day offered different opportunities than prior years. The day featured a new virtual component which allowed the St. Johns community near and far to participate in the celebration. The celebrations began at flag raising with the Middle School chorus and St. Johns Singers performing the “Founders Song.” This was especially special because it was the first live vocal performance of the school year. Following flag raising, Head of Lower School, Mr. Otis Wirth, and Head of Upper School, Mrs. Mary Virgina 44
Fisher, announced the 2020-2021 Senior and Grade 1 Buddies. But the celebrations didn’t stop there. At lunch time, all students were treated to an ice cream treat by the Cool Scoops ice cream truck. What better way to receive ice cream than from an ice cream slide? To end the day long celebrations, students watched a video of current students, alumni, and current and former faculty and staff members answering the question, “What is your favorite spot on campus and why?” The video, created by technology fellow Jona Kats ’21, featured many familiar faces including Mr. Rod Fisher, Mrs. Carol Hart, and Carson Pickett ’12.
S T. J O H N S C O U N T R Y D AY S C H O O L M A G A Z I N E
WINTER 2020
On September 14, 1953, Dr. Heinrich and his wife, Dorothea, founded St. Johns Country Day School with the hopes of providing a superior college preparatory education to students of all ages. It’s safe to say their dream came true, and St. Johns looks forward with a vision and commitment to continued excellence in academics, arts and athletics for years to come.
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 Alumni Relations Jean Marie Maierhoffer Petty ’13 jpetty@sjcds.net
St. Johns Country Day School Board of Trustees — 2020-21
Director of Communications Regan Minners rminners@sjcds.net
Officers:
Director of Development Jordan Robbins Rechcigl ’10 jrechcigl@sjcds.net
Rick Gregson, President Richard C. M. Wilson, Vice-President Brad Crews, Secretary Allan E. Wulbern, Treasurer
Members: James W. Branch Steven W. Conner Nicholas K. Courtney Margaret Rood Gibbs
Daniel W. Hodges Joseph E. Lemieux, Jr. John Maierhoffer Robin McMullen
Eugene B. Nichols Pamela Petty Craig Phillips Daniel Towers
Trustee Emeritus:
Headmaster Emeritus: Ex Officio:
Dr. Steven B. Kailes Dr. Arjav Ted Shah Sharon J. Suggs
Stephen F. Russey
Valorie Baker Head of School
Save the Date! Contact Director of Alumni Relations Jean Marie Maierhoffer Petty ’13 at jpetty@sjcds.net to add or correct your mailing address, or for more information on these upcoming events: ◆ Saturday, April 10: St. Johns’ Gala & Auction, “A Night in Old Havana.” ◆ Friday, April 23: 15th Annual St. Johns Spartans Golf Tournament ◆ Friday, May 14: Spring Fling
St. Johns Country Day School 3100 Doctors Lake Drive Orange Park, FL 32073-6997
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Sophomore Shannon Hodges takes photos for Chalice during Spirit Week last fall.
sjcds.net
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