It is my honor to welcome your family to the St. Johns Country Day School community. Fostering the growth of a student is a joint effort between School and home, and we are excited to partner with you in this experience. We encourage you to build relationships and discover all the many opportunities for you to participate in School life. Just as each child’s Spartan experience is unique, you, too, will create your path and opportunities within the School community.
I hope this Guide gives you the information and avenues you need for your involvement in all that is St. Johns.
Thank you for entrusting your children to our guidance and leadership. Together we will partner in growing young adults and building on a great future.
Sincerely,
Byrdie Baker is St. Johns’ Campus Therapy Dog. She has received her Therapy Dog Certification and works most days out of Mrs. Baker’s office in the Administration Building.
Byrdie helps support the amazing work being done by St. Johns’ Student Services team, providing relief in anxiety-provoking situations and bringing comfort and affection during transitions or other stressful times, such as those we have all been experiencing over the past few years.
If you have any concerns about Byrdie, e.g., allergies, etc., please inform your child’s homeroom teacher.
St. Johns Country Day School’s mission is to provide a superior college preparatory program with an innovative curriculum that stresses academic accomplishment, artistic excellence, and athletic competition in a supportive environment that develop students who seek solutions, accept responsibility, and lead collaboration.
St. Johns Country Day School admits qualified applicants without regard to sex, race, color, national or ethnic origin and grants to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students of the school.
Set Up Veracross Parent Portal. St. Johns’ new Student Information System, Veracross, will be your one-stop resource for all the tools and information you need from paying invoices to viewing your student grades and updating personal information. Before the start of the school year, new families will receive an email with instructions on how to set up your parent account.
Submit your child’s health and immunization forms to the Magnus Health Portal. Health exam, immunization, and consent to treat forms are required for all students at St. Johns and must be submitted before the start of the school year. The sports physical is also required of all athletes. You can fill out and upload all the forms in your Veracross portal or download the Magnus Mobile app to your phone.
School Supplies. Visit your parent portal on Veracross for supply lists.
Complete Summer Assignments. Summer reading and math assignments are available on the Lower, Middle, and Upper School Division pages of Veracross. Contact your Division Assistants with any questions.
Need Bus Transportation? St. Johns is pleased to offer bus transportation to points around the Jacksonville area. Visit sjcds.net/bus for routes, approximate stop times, and to sign up.
School Uniforms. Dress codes are in the Student Handbook, which is included on each Division’s Topics page on Veracross. St. Johns’ uniform vendor is Lands’ End School. Uniforms will be available for online shopping at landsend.com/ school. Once there, select “Shop by School” to find St. Johns or use St. Johns’ Preferred School Number, 900101098.
The on campus Spirit Store carries apparel, household, and gift items to help you show your Spartan
spirit! Or check out sjcds.net/fanshop for even more great options. Turn to page 8 for more information about uniforms and the dress code.
Register for Club Sparty. Exciting after school enrichment courses are available right on campus. Learn more on page 9, or visit sjcds.net/ ClubSparty for schedules and pricing.
Start thinking about fall sports! Practices for Middle and Upper School fall sports often start before the School year begins. Get a complete list of teams and practice start dates at sjcds.net/athletics.
Set up your lunch account. Starting August 1, you can sign up for student lunch accounts and view menus at sjcds.net/lunch.
Purchase Required Books. Some Middle and Upper School courses require books that aren’t available electronically. Those are available for sale in our custom MBS bookstore at bnck-12. com/stjohnscds. No need to buy anything from MBS for Lower School students. Their books will be on their desks ready for them on Orientation Day.
Check Tech Requirements. Middle and Upper School students are required to bring Apple laptops to School each day. Check out School technology requirements and access St. Johns’ online technology store portal in Veracross. Also, please note that every new Middle and Upper School student will need to meet with Director of Technology Anne Gorman to set up their device prior to the start of school. Mrs. Gorman will contact you to set up a time.
St. Johns provides Lower School students with iPads. They need only provide earbuds for their personal use.
Here’s a checklist to get you started on your first school year.
2023
& 2024 SUMMER
As a member of the St. Johns community, twice each year—in summer and winter—the School magazine will hit your mailbox, featuring news and profiles on St. Johns alumni, School events, and much more. Questions or problems with your subscription? Please contact Director of Communications Regan Minners (rminners@sjcds.net).
Visit sjcds.net/news to read articles about School events, student successes, and much more. You can also sign up to receive notifications on your phone or other device each time we post a story in a category you select.
Be sure to follow St. Johns on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Vimeo in order to stay up on all the latest happenings and news from the classrooms.
Campus Update goes out by email every Tuesday afternoon and contains news and announcements from all three divisions. Please contact Parent Relations Coordinator Jordan Rechcigl at jrechcigl@sjcds.net if you are not receiving Campus Update.
Each division sends a regular email update with important upcoming dates and events. Contact your division assistant(s)—see page 13—with any questions.
Subscribe to St. Johns’ calendar on your phone or other mobile device so you’ll always have the latest in your pocket. You can get the calendar of all regular School events as well as any athletics team calendars you might want. To subscribe, just visit sjcds.net/calendar from your phone and select the gray RSS button above the monthly view. Then, for each calendar you want, hover over the green iCal button to select the format you need and install.
There are many great ways to stay in touch with all the latest St. Johns news and happenings!
Lands’ End School is St. Johns’ uniform vendor. To purchase Lands End uniforms, visit landsend.com/ school, click the “Shop by School” button, and use St. Johns Preferred School Number, 900101098. Dress codes for students in all three Divisions are in the Student Handbook, which can be found under each Division’s Topics page in Veracross, but we’ve outlined important details to note here:
Students found in violation of the dress code may not be allowed to attend class. They will be retained in the Division Office until appropriate attire can be supplied.
Students will need both regular uniform dress options and Special Occasion Dress options. Special Occasion Dress days are announced in advance.
All jackets, sweatshirts, and hoodies must be purchased from Lands’ End or another approved School vendor (Spirit Store or Fan Shop).
All clothing must be neat, clean, appropriately sized, in good repair (no holes or frayed hems), and worn as intended.
Clothing must not be tight, revealing, distracting, or offensive.
All shirts must be tucked in and belts are required with shorts and pants.
Girls’ dresses, shorts, skorts, and skirts may be no shorter than fingertip length with arms at girl’s side. Waistbands must fall at the natural waist. The goal is to keep attire within the guidelines of propriety required for the business of learning.
Flip-flops, slides, beach/water shoes, Crocs, or any shoes made wholly out of plastic or rubber are not permitted.
No unnatural hair color is permitted.
No visible tattoos are allowed.
Boys are clean shaven.
First Friday
The first Friday of every month is Spartan Spirit Dress Day! Students are encouraged to show off their School pride by wearing a Spartan t-shirt and jeans or uniform bottoms.
The Heinrich Learning Resource Center is open before and after school for our Middle and Upper School students, from 7:30 a.m. until 8:00 a.m and after school from the closing bell until 5:30 p.m.. No registration is required.
Club Sparty provides students through Grade 8 with after school enrichment activities, such as sports, dance, theater, and much more. Sessions usually run for 6-8 weeks and are offered at various times throughout the School year. Visit sjcds.net/ClubSparty for schedules and registration.
Field trips, Spring Break travels, curricular travels, and grade level experiences build camaraderie among students, broaden perspectives, create lifelong memories, and put learning into action. The Grade 8 Mountain Trip is one of St. Johns’ alums most beloved memories. This weeklong experience in the mountains of North Carolina sets the stage for the rest of their year and their transition to Upper School.
St. Johns’ arts program is designed for varied skill levels and interests, and teaching incorporates history and theory. In Lower School, all students meet multiple times each week for instruction in movement, visual art, and music. All Middle School students select one course from art, band, chorus, dance, theatre, and percussion. In Upper School, students may participate in these or many other arts electives, as their interests and schedules permit. See the current Curriculum Guide in your child’s Veracross Division Topics Page for this year’s offerings.
The School calendar at sjcds.net/calendar is the best source for dates for all School performances. Typically, each area hosts a performance in the fall
Athletics are an essential component of the St. Johns Experience, and we encourage every student to participate on our dynamic and competitive teams. St. Johns’ athletic program is a great physical component to the St. Johns Experience, helping our Spartans develop character, teamwork, leadership, and critical thinking skills.
Whether you participate on the field or by cheering from the stands, games, matches, and meets are a family affair. We hope you’ll join us cheering on the Spartans at every opportunity!
Here’s a season-by-season rundown of what’s available to our Middle and Upper School Spartans:
Fall: Winter: Spring:
Cheerleading Cross Country
Golf
Swimming
Volleyball
Basketball
Cheerleading
Soccer
Girls Weightlifting
Baseball Softball Tennis Track & Field
Visit sjcds.net/athletics for more information about our teams, coaches, and facilities.
St. Johns is also proud to have Clay County’s only scholastic pool and to host the Spartan Aquatic Club (SPAC), with swimming teams and lessons for all ages. Learn more at sjcds.net/SPAC.
Nadia Al-Awady ‘25Getting involved with the St. Johns community will enrich the experience for you, your family, and the School! Keep an eye on Campus Update each Tuesday for more information on all of the following.
The SJPA works to support the School, its faculty, and the School community through a variety of activities and events including faculty appreciation lunches, new family events, and more. All St. Johns parents and guardians are automatically members of the Parent Association. No registration or fees are needed, and all are welcome!
Parents are welcome on campus at St. Johns any time. Please come volunteer in classrooms, at the library, or with the SJPA. Just check in at Reception in the Administration Building with your driver’s license each time you visit campus during School hours.
St. Johns hosts a series of “Coffee Talk” events designed to provide informal opportunities for parents to get together with School faculty and administration, ask any questions that might be on their minds, or just learn more about what’s going on at School.
Tuition alone does not cover the cost of a St. Johns education, and we hope you will find a way to make our School a priority in your giving. Your support helps us offer the tools, programs, and opportunities that truly make the “St. Johns Experience.” No gift is too small, and we truly appreciate your support. Learn more or give online at sjcds.net/support.
Led by dedicated and experienced learning specialists and counselors, the Student Services team recognizes the needs of the whole child by offering social-emotional support as well as academic enrichment and remediation.
❏ Empower students, teachers, and parents to access resources and strategies that will assist them in achieving their full potential in the classroom and beyond.
❏ Provide enrichment opportunities and remediation for students including individualized and small group math and literacy instruction, and organizational, time management, and study skills services.
❏ Coordinate faculty and peer tutoring services to foster student success.
Counselors:
❏ Help students with personal issues and social concerns in a safe, confidential environment.
❏ Work with individuals, small groups and classes to address the specific needs of the students.
At St. Johns, your child’s college journey begins in Grade 8 and continues throughout Upper School. Our college counselors will help facilitate your student’s preparation for, applications to, and transition to college.
St. Johns is dedicated to your child’s success and has a number of resources to help you and your student along the way.
Need to change your contact information? Email Parent Relations Coordinator Jordan Rechcigl at parentrelations@sjcds.net with any updates to your home address, email address, or phone numbers.
If you have a Lower School student, a carpool tag will be on your students’ desk during orientation. Please put your carpool tag (or a photocopy of it) in the front window of each car you might use for carpool. Please note that Lower School students will not be released to anyone not on your authorized pickup list. Any drivers not known to us should be prepared to show government-issued identification. When you arrive on campus, turn right to take either the first (dirt) or second (paved) driveway. If both lanes are full and reach out to Spartan Drive, please use the first parking lot lane, so the driveway is not blocked. All three lanes will feed into one lane near the pickup area. A few reminders:
❏ Please make sure your carpool tag is visible.
❏ Do not get out of your car. An adult or student safety patrol will help your student into the car.
❏ When exiting campus, please turn left at the stop sign and exit the School back onto Doctors Lake Drive.
❏ If you are picking up students in other divisions, please begin with the Lower School student, following the process above, and then turn right at the library and drive toward the back of the campus.
Middle School pickup takes place at the Performing Arts Center (PAC). At the 3:15 bell, students proceed to the PAC and wait on the PAC steps for their ride. No carpool numbers are assigned, but there will be staff on hand to help locate students and open doors. Upon exiting the PAC parking lot, please turn right and exit to Moody Avenue. For the safety of our students and family members, please do not proceed back through campus past the Lower School.
As so many Upper School students go to after School activities and/or drive themselves, there is no set carpool system for them. Upper School students who are dropped off and/or picked up from School are welcome to use the PAC parking lot, as in the map above.
Drop off begins at 7:45 a.m. Students need to be on campus, in classrooms, and ready to go before flag raising at 8:00 a.m. and dismissal is at 3:15 p.m.
Some of the most-asked questions are about carpool—
When to arrive, where to go, and how to find your student! Here’s everything you need to know.
