Welcome New Middle School Families - St. John's Episcopal School (2024)

• 2024-25Key DatesCalendar

If your Middle School child has a diagnosed learning difference, please contact ourMiddleSchool Learning Specialist,by June 1 to schedule a meeting with members of the Student Formation Team.

Ginny Moore,M.Ed.
Middle School Learning Specialist
gmoore@stjohnsschool.org

Click here to learn more aboutMiddle School Academics.

Pam Jordan
Associate Head for Academic and Faculty Affairs
pjordan@stjohnsschool.org

Please know that your child’s safety, well-being, and security are our number one priority.

• The campus is secured by a state-of-the-art surveillance, access control, and alarm system.
• A roof-mounted weather station and lightning alert siren is used to proactively monitor inclement weather and govern outdoor activities.
• Student dismissal is run through a license plate recognition software called SchoolPass. Details on creating and accessing your account will follow towards the end of the summer.
• Monthly fire drills and tornado and lockdown drills are practiced throughout the year. The School will communicate with families in advance of all schoolwide drills.
• Faculty train annually on building security and student safety during in-service days.

We tailor chapel experiences to the developmental needs of students at each grade-level. Students fully participate in these regularly scheduled chapel services by serving in a variety of roles, such as crucifer, torch bearer, acolyte, reader, Bible or banner carrier, song leader, lay reader, and oblationer, depending on grade-level. By teaching these responsibilities from an early age, we guide children to make the chapel experience their own.

St. John’s students receive religious studies instruction in addition to their experiences in chapel. In Primary School, students participate in Godly Play, which is a way of teaching religious studies through Biblical stories, wonder, and play. In Lower School, students learn from Godly Play extension stories. In 2022-23, we will enter year two of a religious studies rollout in which fifth graders will continue to take an Old Testament class; sixth graders will take New Testament; and seventh graders will take both New Testament and World Religions.

New families will receive an email in early July with directions to accessMagnus Health, the provider of our secure web-based electronic medical record system and your child’s health records. This information is HIPAA and FERPA protected and is unique to each student. Once you have established your parent login with Magnus, you may start uploading forms directly to your student’s Magnus account. All forms for NEW students are due by May1, 2023. Pleasedo notsend any health forms to the School; all documents must be uploaded directly to your student’s Magnus account.

Immunization Records:

The School requires that all students be compliant with the Texas Minimum State Vaccine Requirements. All newly admitted students must be up to date on vaccines and submit immunization records prior to the first day of school. Students requesting a medical exemption from the immunization requirements must annually submit a signed, dated letter from the student’s Texas-licensed, treating physician (M.D.) specifically stating the basis for the exemption and that the required vaccines would be medically contraindicated or pose a significant risk to the health and well-being of the child or a member of the child’s household. Requests for medical exemptions will be considered and granted on a case-by-case basis. Students who have not received any vaccines will not be considered for medical exemption. The School does not accept exemptions for conscientious objections. Note: Students who have not received the required immunizations for medical reasons may be excluded from school in times of emergency or epidemic declared by the Texas Commissioner of Health.

Physical Form:You can access the St. John's student physical form herefor your child's upcoming well visit.The physical form is required for all new students and must be completed by a medical professional and uploaded to your student’s Magnus account by May 1, 2023. If your child has already had a check-up with their pediatrician, and it was done after May 1, 2023, then you will only need to take the form to your child’s doctor’s office, and they can complete the form.

Amy Johns, BSN, RN
School Nurse
ajohns@stjohnsschool.org
Phone: 214-328-9131 x109

Middle School students who are new to St. John’s will attend an orientation August 17-18, 2023. Orientation sessions usually run from 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., with the exact schedule sent in early August.

Pam Jordan
Associate Head for Academic and Faculty Affairs
pjordan@stjohnsschool.org

Click Here for the Middle School Parent and Student Handbook.

The 2023-24 Parent and Student Handbook will be published at the start of the school year.

Mary Odom
Director of Student Formation and Dean of Students
modom@stjohnsschool.org

Summer reading lists wereemailed home to new families in early June. In addition to reading at least three books this summer, rising Middle School students have required math work to keep their skills sharp and position them well for re-entry when the new school year begins. The math assignments span eight weeks of summer (June 13 – August 12; excluding the week of July 4) and will require approximately 30 minutes of work per week. Students will receive the assignments and resources the first week of June.

Reading

Over the summer, all Primary, Lower, and Middle School students will enjoy several options for summer reading! Please find details about summer reading by clicking on the links below for your child's grade in 2023-24. Please contact Librarian Jennifer Powers with any questions about summer reading lists.

Math

Please find details about summer math by clicking on the links below for your child’s grade in 2022-23. Please contact Dr. Jayme Johnson with any questions about summer reading and math requirements.

Sixth Grade Math | New Student Assignment | Returning Student Assignment

Seventh Grade Math Assignment | Supporting Resources

Eighth Grade Math Assignment

If you have questions about summer skills work, please contact:

Pam Jordan
Associate Head for Academic and Faculty Affairs
pjordan@stjohnsschool.org

The St. John’s Signature Programs comprise five key areas:

Athletics
In three athletic seasons, we offer 12 sports for fifth through eighth graders. Our approach to athletics is inclusive and emphasizes growth in individual skills, character development, and responsibility to team and self. Tryouts for some sports help coaches place students on teams with peers of similar skills, and parents and students receive information about tryout and practice schedules prior to the start of each season. Currently, more than 60% of Middle School students are participating on an athletic team.
John Walker, Director of Athletics, jwalker@stjohnsschool.org

Fall Season

• Cross Country for all fifth through eighth grade boys and girls

• Girls Volleyball for all fifth through eighth grade girls

• Flag Football for all fifth and sixth grade boys

• Coed-soccer for all fifth through eighth grade boys and girls

Winter Season

• Boys and girls basketball for all fifth through eighth grade students

• New option coming soon

Spring Season

• Tennis for all fifth through eighth grade boys and girls

• Track for all fifth through eighth grade boys and girls

• Golf for all fifth through eighth grade boys and girls

• 7 v. 7 Flag Football for seventh and eighth grade boys

• Coed-soccer for all fifth through sixth grade boys and girls

• Lacrosse for all fifth through eighth grade girls

Expressive Arts
The Expressive Arts include music, art, and theatre. In Primary School, Lower School, and fifth and sixth grades, students participate in regular music and art classes, and in seventh and eighth grades, students choose one elective per quarter from a variety of options. We integrate the arts with core curriculum and provide opportunities for students to build self-confidence through grade-level performances. Our Expressive Arts teaching team also produces and guides students in the performance of a theatre showcase in seventh grade and a junior musical in eighth grade.Learn more here.

Outdoor Education
We integrate Outdoor Education experiences with the core curriculum throughout the year at all grade-levels. In addition, we welcome guest speakers to campus, and students participate in the maintenance of our donation garden, the produce from which supports Aunt Bette’s Community Pantry at St. Philip’s School and Community Center. Seventh and eighth grade students have the option of taking the Garden Enterprise elective, which provides students with more in-depth responsibility for the donation garden.
Tony Adler, Director of Outdoor Education, tadler@stjohnsschool.org

Service Learning
Through service learning projects, we guide students to develop an age-appropriate appreciation for the needs present in their local community, while also discovering ways they can use their talents to help meet those community needs. Each grade-level has a project students work on together, and we focus our efforts on local organizations, such as Jubilee Park Community Center, St. Philip’s School and Community Center, Feed My Starving Children, and For the Love of the Lake. Eighth graders participate in service learning days during which they work on-site at organizations (pandemic protocols allowing), and we also provide opportunities for families to serve together throughout the year.
Christi Morrow, Director of Service Learning, cmorrow@stjohnsschool.org

Student Formation
At St. John’s, we meet students where they are and take them on the St. John’s formation journey. To help us on the journey, we have a Student Formation Team focused on students’ learning, social and emotional, and spiritual needs.Click herefor more details.

Mary Odom
Director of Student Formation and Dean of Students
modom@stjohnsschool.org

The School provides all initial school supplies for Middle School students.

PLEASE NOTE: Beginning with the 2023-24 academic year, fifth- and sixth-grade students will receive a School-supplied and School-managed iPad. The information below pertains to rising seventh through eighth grade students only.

iPad Required before Orientation (seventh-eighth grade students only)

When your child attends orientation in August, he or she must arrive with a family-owned iPad. The iPad must be set up with an Apple ID before arrival at school. Our recommendation is to set up an Apple ID for your child usingFamily Sharing, allowing you to remotely configureScreen Time,Ask to Buy, and more. During orientation, the technology team will enroll your child’s device in our Mobile Device Management (MDM) system. This system allows the school to manage certain restrictions, such as requiring a passcode on the device, granting access to internal School resources (e.g., Wi-Fi, printers), and most important, purchasing apps required for school and allocating them to your child at no charge through our MDM. After your child’s iPad is enrolled, an icon for our management app will display on his or her iPad. During the first few days of school, your child’s teachers will provide you with a list of apps to download from our App Catalog. Throughout the year, additional apps may be required, but the teacher will notify you in advance, and all apps will be made available in the SJES App Catalog. You or your child will never be asked to purchase apps for school.

iPad Specifications

The typical cycle for iPads is three to four years. Our hope, as updates and various downloads are required, is to stay in alignment with an iPad’s average lifespan, if not longer. Below are the minimum recommended specs for each current model iPad. Any of these will be sufficient for your child’s school needs; model choice comes down to personal performance or size preference:

• iPad Pro 11” or 12.9” 128GB or larger
• iPad Air 10.9” 64GB or larger
• iPad 10.2” 64GB or larger

These recommendations are based on purchasing an iPad with at least 64 GB of memory to provide the most flexibility in terms of storage. Your child's iPad must be able to support the latest operating system (currently 16.5.1), the latest versions of the apps used at School, and the resources required for your child's grade. The iPad may be cellular enabled, however having cellular data turned on at School or any attempt to bypass the school’s Wi-Fi network by using cellular data is a violation of the School’s Responsible Use Policy (see below). Keyboard and stylus are optional; however, we recommend a keyboard. An iPad Mini is acceptable, but we have found most students prefer as large a screen as possible.

Cracked screens have been an issue in the past. In nearly every instance, the damaged iPad was not enclosed in a case, or the case was more decorative than protective. We recommend selecting a durable protective case such as an Otterbox, Lifeproof, Griffin Survivor, or similar. If your child prefers a keyboard case, Zagg, Logitech, and Brenthaven all offer good options.

Responsible Use Policy

At orientation, we will review in detail our Responsible Use Policy (RUP). After discussing the RUP, your child will sign an online copy and review that at home with you before you, too, submit your signature. We hope you and your child will talk about the points outlined in the RUP because this document governs students’ use of all technology (not only applicable to iPad use) both on and off campus. Please read our RUPhere.

We look forward to welcoming your child to St. John’s soon.

Aaron Wallace
Chief Technology and Security Officer
awallace@stjohnsschool.org

The first tuition payment is due by June 1 for all families. To manage, view or download your tuition billing, please log in to your enrollment and billing portal usingthis link.

If you have any questions regarding your tuition or student billing, please reach out directly to our Associate Director of Admissions & Financial Assistance, Lani Jones at:ljones@stjohnsschool.org.

Click Here to View the 2023–24Tuition Schedule

• Uniform Guidelines and theMillswear Catalogwill be announced in June.
• Gear Up, Lions! Visit theSt. John's Campus Storeto purchase spirit wear in time for the start of the school year! Spirit Days are held each Friday, and on Spirit Days, students may wear a St. John’s shirt with their uniform bottoms.
• Only St. John’s sweatshirts and outerwear may be worn in the School building and chapel. Winter jackets are allowed outside but must be removed in building and in chapel.

For questions, contact:
Mary Odom
Director of Student Formation and Dean of Students
modom@stjohnsschool.org