A Magazine for St. Johns Family and Friends | Winter 2015
Interact Club
Commitment to Community Service
Headmaster’s Message Greetings to every member of the St. Johns Family! We have enjoyed a great first half of the 2014-2015 school year, punctuated by a glorious Senior Presentation that we celebrated on campus in the Performing Arts Center for the very first time. Our homilist on this special occasion was Florida Times-Union Editor Dr. Frank Denton. A journalist and editor for more than 50 years, Dr. Denton encouraged members of the Class of 2015 to read carefully and listen attentively to the news they come across in their daily lives, in the hope that they will be able to discern fact from fiction in this (largely unedited) information age. I am happy to remind you that each day our amazing teachers pay close attention to the character development of every student. At St. Johns, who students become is just as important – and remarkable – as what they become. Everywhere on our campus, courtesy, sportsmanship, integrity, compassion, and acceptance are taught, modeled, and expected by our nurturing faculty. In this positive culture, our students become polite, poised, down-to-earth, and confident individuals. To bolster this character driven mindset, we have partnered this year with Dr. Hal Urban, a nationally-renowned teacher, author, and guru on character education. We are using his best-selling text Life’s Greatest Lessons: 20 Things that Matter as the primary source for our advisory program in the Upper School this year. In addition, Dr. Urban conducted a three-hour workshop for our faculty and staff during professional development training in early January, he led three one-hour discussions with students in Grades 4 through 12, and hosted a ninety-minute session with interested parents. In the pages that follow you can learn more about our commitment to service and volunteerism – best demonstrated by the students of our Interact Club. This good work (and work for the greater good) continues traditions that have long been a hallmark of our school community. One need look no further than the St. Johns mission to find these guiding ideals. It is this two-pronged emphasis on a commitment to providing a “superior college preparatory program” while endeavoring to instill in each St. Johns graduate a sense of “ethical responsibility” that offers us our best hope for the future. In this issue of FYI, you will find countless examples of spirit and tradition. My colleagues and I eagerly look ahead to spring of 2015, when we will celebrate many more time-honored St. Johns traditions culminating with graduation on May 30. Warm regards,
Edward M. Ellison
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Academics
2014-2015 National Honor Society New Members On September 22, St. Johns Country Day School recognized those juniors and seniors who have earned the distinction of membership in the National Honor Society. This prestigious society inducted five new members from the Class of 2015 and 30 new members from the Class of 2016. There are now a total of 60 members in the National Honor Society at St. Johns. Richard “Ricky� A. Caplin, Chief Executive Officer of the HCI Group and a member of the St. Johns Class of 2000, was the guest speaker. Mr. Caplin shared with students and guests what he has done since high school, his commitment to hard work combined with his passion for what he does, his successes and challenges, and how his fourteen years at St. Johns helped to shape his future.
Class of 2015
Djani Davis Abigail Fagan Jacob Fetner Jack Gare Rose Goodbread Victoria Grubor Andrea Nicole Gustafson Auriel Haack Elizabeth Haizlip Trent Hanson Jamie Kinard April Kirk Chenge Liu
Brian Burke Thomas Hatch Kaitlin Kirsner Lauren Remolde Andre Tomlinson
Class of 2016 Gregory Aiosa Bradley Ball Alexa Campbell Zachary Carter
Mai Liu Emily Patterson Ashley Nicole Paul Marie Price Garrison Reynolds Stephanie Schmidt Madeline Schultz Serena Shah Daniela Stroud Kimberly Swiggett Constantine Varelas Eric Wang Ruize Zhang
2014-2015 National Junior Honor Society New Members The St. Johns Chapter of the National Junior Honor Society inducted 47 new members from Grades 7 and 8 on November 17, 2014 in the Performing Arts Center. The guest speaker was Sandra L. Staudt-Killea, Executive Director of Waste Not Want Not.
Grade 8
Grade 7
Matthew Bourgeois Whitney Clay John Goetze Dakota Jones Meredith Maierhoffer Lane Montgomery Jenny Pack Cole Pittman Nick Rogers Sarah Schemer Madeleine Wilkes Michael Wyatt
Katherine Beltz Valerie Cabrera Caitlin Coon Pace Cummings Ian Duncan Ryland Fountain Samantha Garlinghouse Grayson Hall Carolina Hollis Jason Jackson Helena Kummings Jessica Linge
Stuart Mackenzie Michael Maytin Kate McCormack Jordan Noble Isabella Ottey Sahaj Patel Delaney Payton Lilly Peterson Jackson Powers Alyssa Punya Parker Robbins Zoe Roberts
Goldie Robinson Christian Sabbagh Courtney Sage Kendall Sage Joseph Shimko III Joshua Soffler Braden Steiner Elizabeth Stoeber Kathryn Teofilo James Woolard Liam Woolard
National Merit Program Semifinalists Anna K. Glassman and Lavanya Aprameya
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Spirit Week & Homecoming St. Johns students enjoyed many fun-filled activities during Homecoming Week. Every day had a special spirit dress theme, as well as competitions among the Upper School grades. The week culminated with an all-school cookout, pep rally, parade, and Alumni and Upper School Tailgate Dinner catered by two delicious Jacksonville food
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trucks. St. Johns was designated the Game of the Week by First Coast News. The varsity football team played against Temple Christian and won 49 – 14. Adriana Silva was crowned Homecoming Queen, and she presided over the Homecoming Dance on Saturday, wrapping up the week’s exciting activities.
Jim Leaño - Class of 1989
Alumni
HALL OF FAME
Inductees
The Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony,
held during the Upper School and Alumni Tailgate at Homecoming, honored two alumni - Jim Leaño ‘89 and Haley Morgan ‘97. Both were chosen based on their natural talent, as well as their commitment to teamwork and the achievements they reached both individually and for St. Johns. Each one brought grit, determination, and glory to St. Johns and the athletic department.
L to R: Rod Fisher, Haley Morgan ‘97 and his wife, McCall Cauthen Morgan ‘97.
L to R: McCall Cauthen Morgan ‘97, Cari Cauthen Benefield ‘02, Gayle Simpson Garrison ‘94, Kirsten Macam Stinson ‘99, Ravenel Ball ‘76, Rod Fisher, Bobby Clayman ‘92, Janna Tamargo ‘93, Doug Benefield ‘03, Nicole Varelas ‘90, Haley Morgan ‘97, Joel Tamargo ‘91, Jim Leaño ‘89, Tom Miller ‘89, Traci Peacock Livingston ‘90, Jenna Williams Lawrence ‘10
St. Johns Alumni
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Interact Club Commitment to Community Service
An important component of the St. Johns mission is the commitment to fostering in our students ethical responsibility. One way in which we accomplish this is through our strong community service initiatives, as this fosters ethical responsibility and sensitivity to the needs of the community. All St. Johns grade levels participate in community service projects during the year, and on October 16 the entire Upper School spent a day volunteering at several nonprofit organizations around Jacksonville, Green Cove Springs, Orange Park, and Penney Farms. There are more than 100 members in the Interact Club who provide more than 2,500 hours of service and raise several thousand dollars annually.
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Grandparents Day The St. Johns Lower School proudly presented “The Keys to Success Through the Performing Arts!” This special program showcased the musical and dance talents of the Lower School students in honor of Grandparents Day 2014. The grandparents began arriving early to get their “choice” seats in the auditorium where they could get the best view of their grandchildren. One by one and grade by grade the students filed in and took their places on stage. Pre-K3 through Grade 5 students, dressed in their St. Johns uniforms, excitedly waited for the program to begin. Performance after performance the students sang, danced, and played musical instruments to the delight of the crowd. After a well-deserved standing ovation, the grandparents went to the Brown Gym for refreshments and the students went to their classrooms to get ready for their grandparents to arrive in the class. The students proudly showed their grandparents some of the many projects they have worked on so far during the school year. Next they all went to have their pictures taken and to visit the Book Fair in the library.
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Thanking Our Veterans
On Monday, November 10, we honored those men and women who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Students’ parents and grandparents who are on active duty, in the reserves, or are retired military personnel participated in the ceremony. The Veterans Day commemoration began at flag raising at 8:00 a.m. The presentation of the flag was performed by the Fleming Island NJROTC Color Guard. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Pack 310 Webelos 2. The
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St. Johns Singers and Grades 3, 4, and 5 Chorus performed a variety of patriotic songs. There was a coffee reception in the Lower School Library immediately following the Veterans Day ceremony. At 10:00 a.m., retired four-star U.S. Navy Admiral Jonathan Howe spoke to Middle and Upper School students in the Performing Arts Center on the significance of Veterans Day and the role of the U.S. in the world today.
Varsity Football finished the season with a record of 8 - 1, most wins in a season.
The Varsity Cross Country Team (both boys and girls) claimed runner-up trophies at the Region I Championships. Both teams placed 16th in the State Championships.
Fall ATHLETICS
Boys and Girls Golf Teams each win Class 1A District titles.
MS Blue Volleyball Team wins IMSC Championship.
Varsity Swim Team girls placed 10th and boys placed 15th at Regionals.
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Alumni
Commitment to Community Around the World
Giving back to the community has always been a part of the culture at St. Johns.
Whether as part of a class, club, student government, or team, alumni have fond memories of projects to help both locally and around the world. Food drives, sweater drives, trash pick ups, fundraising projects, talent shows, movie nights, 5K races, and many more events and activities that benefit the community have been, and will continue to be, a regular part of life at St. Johns. The Interact Club, which is the Rotary-sponsored Service Club at St. Johns, is stronger than ever with over 100 active students this year. While many St. Johns alumni continue that altruistic spirit into their adult lives, some have gone on to make community service and humanitarian efforts their careers. These careers are making a difference in Jacksonville and in other communities around the world.
Devon Ritch ‘95 Roots. D e v o n R i t c h’s r o o t s at St. Johns go d e e p. S h e s ta r te d a t St. Johns in Grade 2 and is the daughter of long-time St. Johns teacher Leslie DeStefano. “St. Johns served as a solid incubator – a place to learn and grow in a safe environment,” Devon said regarding her time at St. Johns. She took full advantage of the opportunity to learn and grow and was involved in French Club, Latin Club, Singers, and was actively involved in the community service club, serving as President her Senior year. It was during her time in the service club that she “caught the bug” for helping others, building community, and having trustworthy food. Devon’s passion is “working towards changing our broken food system through community outreach and voting with my dollar
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and lifestyle and encouraging others to do the same.” When the opportunity to become director of the local non-profit Beaches Local Food Network opened up, she jumped at the chance. Their mission is to address the long-term goal of food security in the community by creating educational programs for children and adults, connecting farmers to consumers, and building community and school gardens. They do this through three different projects all located in Neptune Beach, FL: the Beaches Green Market, the Beaches Organic Community Garden, and the Children’s Garden. The achievement of which Devon is most proud is the fact that in 2013 the Market was approved to become a SNAP/EBT retailer, which means that they can now provide access to the best local food on the First Coast to low-income community members. They also have a partnership with Florida Organic Growers to offer Fresh Access Bucks, a program that doubles the amount of Florida grown fruits and vegetables that SNAP recipients can purchase at the Market. “There is nothing more rewarding or challenging than working to better our world. The more people who choose to do so as their life’s work, the better our world can become,” Devon said. She is continuing to strengthen her personal roots that started at St. Johns and is striving to help nourish the roots of the community she serves.
Charles Ellmaker ‘80 Foundation. Charles Ellmaker credits the strong academic foundation he received at St. Johns with helping him in his life’s work of building community foundations in war-torn parts of Africa. Charles was an incredibly gifted student, graduating second in his class. He was Student Council Vice-President, then President (elected by an overwhelming majority on a write-in ballot), Saints’ Scroll Editor, Afterthought Editorin-Chief, and he also participated on the Tennis Team, Drama Club, French Club, Boy Scouts, and Honor Court. Charles still remembers Cynthia Landry pulling him aside and telling him that she could see him joining the Peace Corps after college. His immense respect for Mrs. Landry caused her words to stick with him all through his college years at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. After he finished college, he signed up for the Peace Corps and was assigned to Casablanca in Morocco. He started out translating and teaching scientists about cloud seeding from U.S. tech manuals. He then moved to the University to teach literature and said he relied on his memories of Owene Weber and Rabun Chappell to help him with his teaching. After his time in the Peace Corps,
Catherine Crum ‘85 Community. Catherine Crum says that the word “community” best describes what St. Johns means to her. Her passion for creating a sense of community was evident in her wide array of activities both in and out of school and has continued to motivate her throughout her life. Catherine started attending St. Johns in Grade
Charles moved back to the United States to get a Masters Degree in International Development at SIT in Vermont, an internationally-focused graduate school based on a commitment to social justice and intercultural communication. Since then he has bounced back and forth between Washington D.C. and various countries in Africa including Malawi, Mozambique, West Guinea, and Sierra Leone. He worked as Country Director for the American Refugee Committee bringing health care, sanitation, schools, clean water, and shelter to thousands of refugees fleeing civil war. He worked for AmeriCorps developing data systems using high level programming to automate their grants management needs. Charles worked at a center for victims of torture that provided mental health resources for Africans in war-torn countries. Through all of the different jobs, countries, languages, and cultures, Charles has remained committed to improving the lives of others. He is currently back in Orange Park to help with his aging father. Charles is working as an independent contractor for a group out of California called Not In Our Town, which works towards community reconciliation around acceptance and equality issues. Charles says he relied on the strong liberal arts education that he received at St. Johns throughout his varied career. “The teachers were always pressing us to make sure we had our eyes wide open, by reading the paper and getting a broad perspective on the world,” he said. Most importantly, however, it was the true individual care exhibited by the teachers that really made a difference. That personalized attention combined with a rigorous academic curriculum are what formed the strong foundation that Charles relied on to help rebuild figurative and literal foundations for the people of Africa.
6 and still remembers the green polyester pants she wore on her first day and that Nancy Bower Bachana was her first friend! She graduated second in her class. Catherine won the Best All-Around Female Award as a junior and the Heinrich Award as a senior. She remembers Cynthia Landry taking her aside and encouraging her to be a nun. While she didn’t follow that path, Catherine stated “I do think that the teachers were great about encouraging any outside interests and activities that students had…Mrs. Weber in particular always encouraged us to be involved in the communities we were a part of. Mrs. Fisher did too, but it was hard to talk about in French!” Catherine volunteered at the Special Olympics and at Moosehaven while in Upper School. Her desire to help others continued as she went on to university and a career. Catherine earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a
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Masters of Social Work from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, and a Masters of Public Administration from American University. While at Chapel Hill, Catherine volunteered with the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program. While earning her first masters degree, she worked in a prison system. After graduate school she worked in an AIDS clinic. Catherine is now the Executive Director of Miriam’s Kitchen in Washington, D.C. where she has worked for the past 12 years. The organization provides case management services and meals to people who are homeless, and advocates for changes in policies affecting homeless people and housing in general. On her first day of work at Miriam’s Kitchen, she met one of the volunteer chefs who would soon become her husband, Bo Pham. This year, they started a housing program for the city’s most vulnerable residents. Earlier this month, a woman who had lived
under a bridge for 26 years moved into her own apartment. Catherine says the woman was most excited about the bathtub! When asked about her passions, Catherine immediately mentioned her husband and newly adopted six-month-old daughter Maggie. Then she added, “I am passionate about ending chronic homelessness. People who are chronically homeless have lived outside for long periods of time and often live with multiple disabilities, such as mental health and addiction issues. When we house these most vulnerable people, they do not have to live in a constant state of crisis, going from one emergency service to the next. This gives the individual a place of safety and stability, and also saves taxpayers money.” That sense of place, where people feel safe and stable goes back to the sense of community that Catherine loves about St. Johns.
Gabe Culbert ‘92 Connections. Gabe Culbert has made a career out of making connections between people and ideas in order to improve the world. “Gabe has a magnetic beneficence which influences just about everyone who knows him,” Rod Cox wrote about him in his college recommendation. Gabe is described as an intense listener who genuinely cares about what the speaker is saying. Gabe naturally looked for ways to improve the world around him. The son of longtime St. Johns teacher Tami Culbert, Gabe attended St. Johns for 11 years and has so many fond memories, “it would be impossible to start listing them because I could go on and on,” he said. Gabe was a National Merit Commended Scholar. He won the Jefferson Scholar Award as a Junior, the Drama Award, the Music Award, and the Best All-Around Young Man Award as a Senior. Gabe vividly remembers using the “After the Fact” book in AP U.S. History taught by Leslie DeStefano. He called it a “light bulb moment” in his Upper School years when he realized that the presentation and analysis of the facts wasn’t just a black and white issue. There needed to be analysis to connect the facts and ideas in order to draw a conclusion. Gabe went
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on to Deep Springs College a very small but very prestigious college near Death Valley, California. He graduated from the University of Chicago with a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology, earned a Bachelors of Science in Nursing from the University of Illinois at Chicago, a Ph.D. in Nursing from the University of Illinois, and now is doing a postdoctoral fellowship at Yale University School of Medicine. The Fulbright Scholar Program, a program of the United States Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, selected Gabe as a Fulbright Senior Scholar for the 2013-2014 academic year. Through this program, he is conducting extensive research in Indonesia and now Malaysia on the “cultural factors influencing continuity of care among
HIV positive men leaving prisons in West Java, Indonesia.” The listening skills he honed early in his life have proven invaluable as he goes into prisons and interviews inmates. He is now taking their answers and the data collected to make important connections. This research will be used to make health policy decisions not only in Indonesia, but also in the United States. The ramifications of his research aren’t limited to health issues however. The research includes issues such as poverty, employment, religion, and social interactions that help make connections beyond the health care industry. While Gabe doesn’t describe his work as necessarily “community service” in the traditional sense, it is obvious from talking to him that the work he is doing and the connections of ideas that he is making can be used to improve public health and safety around the world. He desires a better world for his three children and knows that researchers like him can have a hand in making that happen.
Beth McGovern ‘07 Preparation. Beth McGovern believes that St. Johns both required and fostered the idea of preparation as an asset. It was only through preparation that a student could excel within the rigorous curriculum at St. Johns. Beth was acutely aware of the need to be prepared in Upper School as she balanced a tough class schedule, Singers, French Club, Crew, horseback riding, and Cross Country. She chose to study at the University of Chicago and Brown University during her summers while in Upper School so that she could begin to discover the wider world. While she enjoyed community service, Beth stated that “if I hadn’t been required to do 75 hours of community service for Bright Futures, I don’t know if I would have discovered the ‘volunteer high’ that comes with helping others.” That preparation led her to the University of Florida where she graduated with a degree in French and Francophone Studies, and a minor in sustainability. At St. Johns she was a sought-after National Honor Society tutor and that even among her peers, Beth was known as an effective teacher, “for she seems to have a knack for making difficult ideas understandable.” After graduating from college, Beth’s experience tutoring and teaching prepared her for teaching English in France for a year at three primary schools. After she returned to
the United States, she tutored students in English and French, and renovated her apartment building before going to Cameroon with the Peace Corps. While in Cameroon, Beth taught English at a francophone technical high school. She also led a girls’ club where the girls learned self-confidence, sex education, and HIV prevention. Beth is currently in the process of applying to graduate school and wants to work in the Foreign Service one day. Beth says she is passionate about “women’s and girls’ rights, sex education, stopping the poverty cycle, and food security.” Beth’s experiences at St. Johns, University of Florida, and the Peace Corps have prepared her to take the next step in pursuing a career that will improve the lives of those around the world.
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2014-2015
Annual Fund Annual giving is an important factor in the school’s continued growth and development. Your yearly gift
7%
strengthens a learning environment in which teachers and students work together to ensure that students can do everything and become anything.
2%
4%
Endowment Income
Annual Fund
Auxiliary Programs
With your gift to the 2014-2015 Annual Fund, you will
Revenue
have a meaningful impact on the school and every St. Johns student. Your participation inspires others to join in supporting St. Johns. Furthermore, every
87%
gift, large and small, is applied to provide immediate resources for the school. At St. Johns, we strive to be good stewards of all gifts and revenue. Contributions
Tuition & Fees
are not set aside and “saved” for the future, but provide necessary funding for the people and programs that make St. Johns such a special place.
If you have already made a gift or pledge to the 2014-2015 Annual Fund, THANK YOU!
3%
8%
Administration & General
Instruction & Student Services
BY THE NUMBERS (2013–2014 Annual Fund)
21%
30% increase in Alumni participation in the past two years 40 Alumni are members of the inaugural Loyalty Society
Operations & Maintenance
1990’s was the leading decade with 26 gifts Alumni from every decade from the 1950’s – 2010’s participated
Expenses
68% Salaries & Benefits
GIVE A GIFT TODAY 14
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ONLINE: sjcds.net/support
)
PHONE: (904) 264 - 9572
+
MAIL: 3100 Doctors Lake Drive Orange Park, FL 32073
Annual Fund Gift Clubs Gift Club levels provide the leadership necessary to reach the goals of the Annual Fund. These levels are a way to recognize and extend thanks to you, the St. Johns community. We invite you to participate at one of these levels, or at any level that is appropriate for you and your family. All donors are acknowledged on the school’s website and in the Annual Giving Report. Donors of Leadership Gifts ($1,953
LEADERSHIP GIFTS
Pillar Society
$25,000
Cornerstone Club
$15,000
Founders’ Circle
$10,000
Headmaster’s Circle
$5,000
Spartan Society
$3,000
1953 Society
$1,953
and above) are invited to the Major Donors Reception.
CAMPUS CLUB
Did you graduate from St. Johns between 2004 and 2014?
Partner
If yes, we invite you to become a member of the Young
Alumni Leadership Society.
$1,000
Friend
$500
Patron
$250
Member
up to $250
YOUNG ALUMNI LEADERSHIP SOCIETY
The years after graduation may include many significant milestones, such as going to college, joining the workforce, moving to a new city, or starting a family. Many of these
Years 1-5
$100
opportunities are possible because of your experiences at
Years 6-9
$500
St. Johns. As young alumni, YOU have the opportunity to
10th Reunion
$1,000
ensure that current and future St. Johns students follow the same traditions and have similar experiences as you. To recognize leadership giving, special giving categories were created specifically for young alumni (graduates from the last 10 years) who make annual gifts that set the standard for other young alumni. It’s never too soon to think about giving back. Be a part of the St. Johns tradition. Become a member of the Young Alumni Leadership Society.
St. Johns had 104 Alumni donors in 2013-2014 How does 104 become 105? YOU give!
EVERY
GIFT
COUNTS 15
VISUAL +
Performing Arts
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Founders Day On Monday, September 15, 2014, the faculty, students, and alumni of St. Johns Country Day School took a break from the regular classroom routine to celebrate the school’s founding. St. Johns was founded 61 years ago, when a group of like-minded parents concerned about the education of their children, met with two pioneering educators, Dr. and Mrs. Edwin P. Heinrich, to discuss the formation of an independent school. Now nearly 2,000 alumni later, St. Johns continues to provide an outstanding college preparatory education to any student with the drive to thrive and willingness to do everything and become anything. The keynote speaker, Downing Nightingale, Jr. ’62, was one of the first students at St. Johns, enrolling in Grade 4 in 1954. Mr. Nightingale stayed connected with the school and served on the Board of Trustees for 35 years. He shared some of his personal stories about the early days at St. Johns. Another highlight of the Founders Day celebration was the presentation of the Brown family portrait. Mr. and Mrs. Connor Brown’s generous philanthropic support in the very early years of St. Johns facilitated the school’s move to its current location on Doctors Lake. The Brown’s three daughters – Claudette, Barret, and Lila – have all continued with their parent’s legacy and commitment to St. Johns. On behalf of the Brown family, Rev. Lila Byrd Brown expressed her appreciation and accepted the Brown family portrait that will hang in the Heinrich Learning Resource Center. For believing in the importance of a superior education for the children of our community, now and for generations to come, St. Johns celebrates those whose dedication made it all possible.
L to R: Jack Helmick, Rev. Lila Byrd Brown ’67, Allison Helmick Nicholson, Marc Helmick ‘77
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New Faculty & Staff
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Pamela Ayres
Ravenel Ball
Jennifer Clay
Middle and Upper School Visual Arts
Office Assistant
Pre-K3
Ryane Cruz
Suzanne Dawes
Adam Gaffey
Pre-Kindergarten Assistant
Director of Communications and Marketing
Director of Technology and Department Chair
Bridget Glasscock
Amanda Hernandez
Phillip Hobbs
Grade 5
Middle School Spanish
Middle School Dean of Students Boys Basketball
Marshall McClung
Robert Neiberger
Ariel Newton
Director of After-School Enrichment and Extended Day Programs
Upper School Chemistry and Math
Grade 4
Timothy Pollock
Melissa Rothe
Joshua Stern
Upper School English
Kindergarten
Middle and Upper School History
Senior Presentation
Seniors & First Grade Buddies 19
1:1 iPad Program
St. Johns Country Day School is the first school in Northeast Florida to feature 1:1 iPad learning in all classrooms for students in Grades 5 –12. The school’s 1:1 iPad program requires each student to use an iPad inside and outside of class for their studies, replacing most traditional workbooks and textbooks.
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reason, the IT staff of technical experts have been offering detailed training sessions for students, teachers, and parents.
St. Johns launched its innovative program on August 19 after successfully deploying a pilot 1:1 iPad program for Grades 5, 7, and 9 during the 2013–2014 school year. This program now involves 432 students from the school’s Lower, Middle, and Upper divisions.
Walter Newsom, a teacher at St. Johns for 16 years, said, “The iPad has really transformed learning for my Middle School students. Now they’re fully engaged and excited about learning. I do everything on the iPad from taking attendance, grading, and providing feedback to sharing lectures, creating interactive assignments, and even taking my students on virtual field trips.”
Since the transition to iPads has been a learning experience for practically everyone involved, educating the entire St. Johns community has been critically important to the school. For this
The iPad program is more than a new piece of technology – it’s about providing the right environment for children to learn and to discover themselves – it is the best investment!
Scrooge!
(Abbreviated Musical Version)
St. Johns Happenings Ms. Newton’s Cool Class
Celtic Revival with Loni Taylor ‘12
MS Honor Commitment
Constructing new frisbee golf course on campus
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AlumniNOTES 1960s
1980s
Lorraine Dale Pierson Hill ’62 sent in this update: “I went to college at Wesleyan College in Macon, GA and got my BFA in painting. I also went to school my junior year in Aixen-Provence, France. I got my masters in printmaking at Florida State. I have taught art, done interior design, owned an antiques/framing shop, and always enjoyed doing art of some sort. I’m involved with two art shows a year. We still travel, enjoy our children and grandchildren and each other. My husband still frames my art work!”
The class of 1984 had a reunion during Homecoming weekend, Saturday, October 25 at the Hilltop Club in Orange Park.
Dr. Keith V. Holland ’68 was recently honored for his role in the salvage of the Civil War era paddlewheel steamship the Maple Leaf. The event was held at the Mandarin Museum and Historical Society and marked the 150th anniversary of the sinking of the Maple Leaf by a Confederate torpedo.
1970s Owene Weber Courtney ’73 and other ladies from the class of 1973 celebrated Mary Allen Howe’s birthday together. Mary didn’t graduate from St. Johns, but Owene called her an “honorary member!”
Pictured: Joe Stroud, Paul Ballowe, Tara Lusk Kivett, Carlos Esquivia, Patty Anderson Hurst, Allison Brundick Crutchfield, Dean Harris, Lane Miller Lunn, Sandy Ellmaker Dinkins, Peter Silva, Leslie Davidson, Evie Johnson Edenfield (not shown Nonie Sladek Larson)
Holly Fisher ’89 spent the last 12 years teaching American history at the college level, but has launched American Snapshots, a tour guide business in Washington, D.C. She used her tour guide skills recently with her father, Rod Fisher, and Mary Virginia Fisher when they travelled up to D.C. for the St. Johns Alumni gathering.
1990s Gayle Simpson Garrison ’94 is on the Advisory Board for the College of Arts and Sciences at her alma mater, Samford University.
L to R in front: Pam Simpson Hammond, Anne Israel Calhoun Back row: Bon Barnett Martens, Kim Abbott Brown, Mary Allen Howe, Owene Weber Courtney
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Michelle Abrisch Laird ’94 is on the Alumni Board at her alma mater, Stetson University. Dianne Castelli Rigdon ’94 graduated from the University of Florida Nurse Practitioner Program in May and is working for Regional Obstetric Consultants with their maternal/fetal medicine team.
2000s Saumil Oza ’95 is a cardiac electrophysiologist with St. Vincent’s Health Care’s Atrial Fibrillation Institute and a physician with Diagnostic Cardiology Associates. There was a recent article published in the Times-Union about a new surgery he has been trained on and has begun to perform called the Lariat procedure to treat people with atrial fibrillation who cannot take blood thinners. He was honored by the Jacksonville Business Journal at their Health-Care Heroes Awards Breakfast on November 6 for Cardiology. Rebecca Brillhart ’95 won an Emmy for Outstanding News/Information Series or Special for her work on the documentary film The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross on September 30. Erin Bare Willingham ‘98 and several other St. Johns alums and former students hosted a baby shower for Jaclyn Wetherington Peters ’98 at One Ocean in Jacksonville Beach.
Lindsay Rosenberg ’02 married Justin Mastrangelo at TPC Sawgrass on December 29, 2013. Bridesmaids included sisters Whitney Rosenberg Howayeck ‘04 and Jillian Rosenberg ’05. Jamie Nichols Tarpley ’03 and husband Robert Tarpley had a second baby boy on August 29, 2014. Krista Gilligan ’04 married Matt Young on November 1, 2014 at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine and the reception was held at the White Room in St. Augustine. Bridesmaids included Maid of Honor Kara Gilligan ’02, Whitney Rosenberg Howayeck ’04, and Kate Mittauer ’04. Marissa Hochrad ’04 is engaged to Kevin Kaeser. They will live in St. Johns County. Geoff Yovanovic ’04 graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a masters degree in architecture and is living in Atlanta, Georgia. He recently mentioned this about his time at St. Johns in Judy Kalil’s AP Art History class: “So much of what I know and do everyday as an architect started in that class. The beauty of art is a great source of joy in my life, and your class introduced me to and acquainted me with it. I hope there is a budding artist in your class this year that you can challenge!” Kelly Harrell ’05 is a 4th grade teacher in Denver.
L to R: Christa Wetherington Donewar ’95, Jaclyn Wetherington Peters ‘98, Ryan Vessely Harmon ’98, Erin Bare Willingham ‘98, Caryn Hart Lucas ‘97, Mara Moore, Mary Holland ‘98, Meagan Donnell Elsner ‘98, Allison Kurz Gallup ’98
Kirsten Macam Stinson ‘99, her husband David, and their two daughters moved back to the area this summer and are living in Fleming Island, but will be moving to Gainesville once their house construction is complete.
Lori Mackin Schoenherr ’05 is stationed in Hawaii with the United States Navy working as an AT for VP-47. She lives there with her husband who is stationed there as well with the United States Marine Corps. Before Hawaii, she was in Point Mugu, CA as a radar technician for the E2-C Hawkeye and she was deployed on the USS Nimitz. Jennier Cowie ’06 married Mikey Stanton on October 11, 2014 at Purcell Farms outside of Birmingham, AL. Bridesmaids included Amy Cowie Buckley ’09, Ashley Noegel ‘06, and Rebecca Wyke ‘04. Dallas (Matt) Lee ’07 was the man of honor.
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Alumni Notes
Rachael Stroh ’07 married Tom Hanff in Philadelphia on November 15, 2014. Ian Holman ’08 lives in Arlington, VA and works for NTT Data, which is a Japanese system integration company and a subsidiary of NTT Group.
L to R: Michael Rios ‘05, Rebecca Wyke ‘04, Jennifer Cowie ‘06, Ashley Noegel ‘06, Kelly Skinner ‘04, Katie Kloss ‘05, Dallas (Matt) Lee ‘07
Emily Child ’08 married Tyler Grove on October 11 at Riverside Presbyterian Church. The reception was at the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens. Emily is employed by KPMG as an audit associate. Preethi Rajan ’08 was the maid of honor. Brooke Blasser ’08, Andi Caplin ‘09, and Danielle Palombo ’08 were bridesmaids. Emily’s Brother Marshall Child ’07 was a groomsman.
Michael Grove ’06 married Carolyn Joanne “JoJo” Houston on August 2, 2014 at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Jacksonville. Groomsmen included: Jesse Austin ‘04, Justin Day ‘06, and Ron Fournier ‘04. Michael graduated from the University of Florida with a B.S.B.A. with double majors in Information Systems and Marketing. He is employed by Exactech as a Programmer Analyst. His wife is a law student at the University of Florida and they live in Gainesville. David Jackson ’06 went to boot camp in Chicago, Illinois and now is a logistics specialist in the U.S. Navy at Great Lakes Naval Station.
Emily Child ‘08
Chloe Hochrad ’06 married Dr. Daniel Growberg in Olney, MD on Saturday, November 8. Chloe works at the Summit Group, an advertising agency, in Silver Spring, MD.
Danielle Palombo ’08 earned her special education certification this year and began teaching preschoolers and kindergartners at Waterleaf Elementary School.
Lincoln Register ’07 and Lauren Murphy were married on August 16, 2014 at The Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine. Their reception was at the Old City House Inn and Restaurant. Brennan Vallencourt ‘07 married 1st Lt. Tucker McNulty, United States Marine Corps in Lexington, KY on August 30, 2014. The couple was wed at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Lexington with a reception at The Carrick House. Fellow class of 2007 alumna Anna Salas ‘07 was maid of honor and St. Johns Upper School Math Teacher Andrea Vallencourt was a bridesmaid. Other attendees included Lance Partridge, Alex Poquette, Elizabeth Moczynski, Amanda Martorana and Peret Pass, all from the class of 2007.
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Brennan Vallencourt ‘07 and 1st Lt. Tucker McNulty
Joe Patterson ’08 completed his Teach For America program and is in his first year of law school at Notre Dame Law School. Hwang Marino ’09 is in dental school at the University of Florida and went to Kenya on a mission trip in August where their team saw 1568 patients in 5 days.
IN MEMORIAM
Jeesun Kim ‘09 is a Junior Web Developer at The Barbarian Group which is a digitally – centered creative advertising agency. She lives in New York City.
2010s Jordan Poquette ’10 graduated from the University of Alabama in May of 2014 and is staying in Tuscaloosa to pursue a Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy. Christianna White ’10 graduated from Florida Southern College in May with a bachelors degree in Biology, minor in Chemistry and minor in Spanish. She now lives in Knoxville, TN and is attending pharmacy school. Catherine Chiafair ’10 graduated from Nova Southeastern University and has begun dental school at the University of Florida College of Dentistry. Rachel Brown ’10 graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and moved to Washington, D.C. She is working for Deloitte Strategy and Operations Consulting. Rollin Kimball ’11 is in his senior year at Belmont University in Nashville, TN, majoring in Music Business. He transferred to Belmont after two years at Flagler College. Several alums from the class of 2011 got together for Tere Smith’s birthday.
Mary Ann McEachren ’67 Valerie Ann Collins ’75 Beth Renfree Mitchell ’75 Michael Lee Meiners ’86 Bob Cannarella, father of Andy and Rob Cannarella. Dr. Dewayne M. Brown ‘85, father of David Brown ’76, Thomas Brown ’80, Sheila BrownThomas ’81, and Mike Brown ‘85. Lawrence Kirkwood Weber Jr., husband of former teacher Owene Weber and father of former teacher and alumna Owene Weber Courtney ‘73, Cathleen Weber Lee ‘75, Lawrence K. Weber III ‘77, Nicholas D. Weber ‘79, and Louise Weber Kristler ‘80. Grandfather to Will Courtney ‘01, Nick Courtney ‘03, Larry Weber ‘04, Marcus Courtney ‘05, Carter Weber ‘07, and Caroline Weber ‘12. Melanie Varelas, mother of Nicole Varelas Ninesling ‘90, and grandmother of current student Dino Varelas (Grade 11).
L to R: Sean Bowles, Alex Herndon, Tere Smith, Elizabeth Greenhalgh, Ali Gurule, and Ryan Taylor
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Alumni Notes
Dr. Stephen Pratt ‘83 is an Associate Professor in the School of Life Sciences at Arizona State University. He was honored last year with the Faculty Achievement Research Award. He was recognized for his research on the emergence of complex social behavior in leaderless and decentralized groups. Pratt’s work focuses on studying social insect colonies, such as ants and honeybees, and deriving principles from research that facilitate bio-inspired engineering solutions to complex military and national defense problems. He has worked as a principal investigator for an Office of Naval Research project, HUNT (Heterogeneous Unmanned Networked Teams), a multidisciplinary unit generating groundbreaking solutions for complicated military needs. His work focused on the design of robot networks that function without central control. These networks function much like social insects such as ants and must adapt to the loss of members in rapidly changing and dangerous environments. Pratt got his undergraduate degree from Harvard in Biology, and a Ph.D. from Cornell University in Neurobiology and Behavior.
Erin Patterson ‘12 recently returned from a study abroad program in Spain with Wake Forest University. Megan Rogers ’13 survived Plebe summer and is doing great at the United States Naval Academy. At the end of August, Megan traveled with the USNA girls soccer team to play against Stetson University. Several members of the St. Johns community made the trip to go watch Megan play, including her first grader, Brady Bridger and his family. William Stokes ’12 was awarded the Cushman Scholarship, an award given to one junior and one senior outstanding history major by the History Department each year.
----On Friday, November 7, alumni from around the Washington, D.C. area gathered together at the Fairfax Hotel at Embassy Row. Alumni Liaison and Retired Assistant Head of School Rod Fisher, current Head of Upper School Mary Virginia Fisher, Headmaster Ed Ellison, Director of Alumni Relations Gayle Garrison, and Head of Interact and history teacher Heather Velasco joined nine St. Johns alums ranging from the classes of 1975 to 2010. Several alums were unable to join because of last minute conflicts. There are over 35 St. Johns alums who live in the D.C. area. The night was filled with wonderful food and fun reminiscing about everyone’s time at St. Johns. If you would like to help organize a St. Johns alumni gathering in your city, please contact Gayle Garrison at: ggarrison@sjcds.net.
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William Stokes ‘12 with the professors in the history department at Sewanee.
Thirteen retired St. Johns faculty members got together for lunch recently to catch up and reminisce. They collectively taught at St. Johns for 288.5 years!
L to R: Caroljo Creighton, Lynn Ross, Maureen Onstott, Nancy Longardt Page, Cheryl Townsend, Anne Auchter, Carol Chamblin, Una Pardue, Carol LeSage, Carolyn Sellars, Carol Hart, Nancy Wood, and Mary Frances O’Leary
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Trustees Emeritus: Richard Brooke III The Rev. Lila Byrd Brown Patricia A. Freeman B. Whatley Law Sharon J. Suggs Ex Officio: Edward M. Ellison Headmaster
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sjcds.net PARENTS OF GRADUATES: If this publication is addressed to your son or daughter who no longer maintains permanent residence at your home, please notify us of his or her new address! If you would like to continue receiving FYI also, please let us know. Email Gayle Garrison at ggarrison@sjcds.net or call (904) 264-9572.
Save The Date St. Johns Celebrates! Sunday, January 25, 2015
PTL Gala & Auction Saturday, March 21, 2015
Golf Tournament Friday, April 24, 2015
Alumni Spring Fling Friday, April 24, 2015
Graduation Saturday, May 30, 2015