by Nicole Ayers, 8th Grade Homeroom
Welcome to 8th grade at St. James Day School! We had a great first week, easing back into the school routine. The 8th graders enjoyed lunch outdoors, wrote welcome notes to their 5th grade “buddies,” brainstormed science facts, built airplanes, and planted okra. And that’s just the start of all we have in store this year!
by Jennifer Jordan, History and Latin teacher
Writing is an essential communication skill that students of all ages need to master. We teach writing in middle school in the form of paragraphs, building up to multiple paragraph essays. However, sometimes essays do not require well-crafted paragraphs to explain a position or argument. Sometimes photos can illustrate such points. As the adage states, “a picture is worth a thousand words”.
Currently in U.S. History, 8th graders are creating photo essays about influential early 20th century Americans. After reading and researching either Jane Addams, Henry Ford, or the Wright Brothers, our students are choosing the best picture representations of these figures’ mark on history. This task may prove more challenging than summarizing information in writing, as a photograph must tell a story in a single image. To gather several photos to present one person’s effect on America requires even deeper analysis and evaluation. I look forward to “reading” our students’ photo essays and seeing their creativity in applying essential communication skills in a complex manner.
By Susie Rogers, 5th-8th, ELA
Guest speakers give our students a unique opportunity to hear about a topic first-hand, ask questions, and interact with experts. As part of our career fair research project in May, we have been blessed in having some wonderful professionals come to talk to our students about the characteristics of their job. This week Arkansas House Representative Carol Dalby honored us with her presence to talk about her careers as a lawyer, a judge, and a politician. Representative Dalby shared some interesting and eye-opening facts about how a bill becomes a law, procedural rules during a session, the demographic changes over time, the monetary expectations during a campaign, and the time commitment of a public servant! St. James is very fortunate that we are able to go beyond texts and lectures and actually bring the real world in.
by Nicole Ayers
The Spartan Science Olympiad team competed in the Texas A&M University - San Antonio Regional and placed first overall. We will travel to Texas A&M - College Station next month to compete in the State finals. We are a young team of 5th-8th grade students competing against 6th-9th graders, but we have DRIVE!
Individual awards were as follows:
1st Place
Codebusters: Katherine, Staten, & John
Crime Busters: Olivia K & Morgan
Experimental Design: Livi D, Henry, & Bailey
Food Science: Henry & John
Mission Possible: Bailey & Cage
Mousetrap Vehicle: Cooper & Daniel
Naked Egg Drop: Morgan & Staten
Ornithology: Addison & Morgan
Storm the Castle: John & Daniel
Write It, Do It: Livi D & Bailey
2nd Place
Dynamic Planet: Daniel & Taryn
Electric Wright Stuff: William & Cooper
Meteorology: Taryn & William
Ping Pong Parachute: Morgan & Staten
Road Scholar: Staten & William
We've Got Your Number: John & Daniel
3rd Place
Bridge: Henry & Cage
by Jennifer Jordan, 8th Grade History Teacher
Eighth graders study U.S. History mostly through reading. Strong reading skills are necessary for high school and college, due to the volume of reading in those classes. We utilize an excellent text called We the People, which presents American history in a flowing narrative context with primary source artwork and invites students to analyze, interpret, and evaluate the events that shaped the growth of America. However, sometimes, it benefits us to try a format other than the textbook. This week, 8th grade studied the 19th century women’s rights movement and the Seneca Falls Convention through reader’s theater. Reader’s theater is a wonderful vehicle to present lessons in any subject. Students take on roles and act in character, all the while learning the same material in a textbook. The 8th grade class enjoyed this new spin on their typical History class, and they really engaged with the reading, as the photos will show you. It helped that our script contained several puns, which added to the atmosphere. I also felt that the principles behind the Seneca Falls Convention cemented in students’ minds. It’s always nice to mix things up a bit and get our students moving and thinking in a different way!
by Nicole Ayers 7th & 8th Grade Math and Science
To wrap up our study of chemistry in IPC, students each picked a chemical reaction that sounded interesting and taught the class how to balance the chemical equation. Each student then demonstrated their chemical reaction to the class. Chemistry is my favorite, and I’m not overreacting!
by Nicole Ayers
St. James students are working on their class auction items, and it has become a tradition for the 8th graders to leave their mark on a customized print of the school created by former art teacher Sunny Wright in 2001. Under the guidance of current art teacher, McCarley DuBois, students work together with multimedia color to enhance the classic pencil drawing of our campus. This project is meant to honor the past while looking to the future, and it gives each student an opportunity to add their personal touch to a piece of collaborative artwork. We are almost done with this year’s project!
by Nicole Ayers, 7th & 8th Grade Math and Science
As part of our study of aqueous solutions and leading into a unit on chemical reactions, students created copper-plated Christmas ornaments. They spent time in art class developing their designs and then brought their work to science class to make their ornaments. Students wrapped pieces of galvanized metal in masking tape and then carefully cut away the areas they wished to expose to chemicals. Concentrated hydrochloric acid was used to remove the zinc layer from the galvanized iron, and then the metal reacted with acidified copper nitrate to deposit a thin layer of copper to the design. The results were quite exciting!
This project was inspired by a blog post from Beals Science: https://www.bealsscience.com/post/2016/12/20/christmas-ornaments-made-with-acid
Printed instructions are available from Flinn Scientific: https://www.flinnsci.com/api/library/Download/174893e5bc714f44abc3aea781e4e9be
If you choose to conduct this procedure on your own, please review the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for all chemicals involved.
We wish to thank Wright Bros, Inc., for donating squares of cut metal for this project. https://wrightbrotherstxk.com/
by Nicole Ayers, 8th Grade Homeroom
We have a new and rather unique class pet, an axolotl named Thinky Pinky. Axolotls are juvenile salamanders that never transition to adulthood, so they never leave the water. They are critically endangered in the wild but readily available in captivity for scientific research and aquarium hobbyists alike. Also, they are super cute:
Students requested an axolotl for a class pet over the summer and spent a great deal of time researching proper husbandry. They are challenging pets to keep because they require cold water (60-65F), which poses an engineering challenge. We solved this problem with a temperature controller, aquarium fan, and bottles of ice. Axolotls also require fine sand or bare-bottom tanks as to not ingest gravel or small pebbles. We started the tank setup process in August and allowed a full three months to establish the nitrogen cycle, waiting for a healthy bacterial colony to become established so that harmful ammonia could be converted to nitrite (also harmful) and then to nitrate (not as bad, and easy to remove with water changes). Students performed regular water tests and water changes, waiting for just the right conditions for our new friend.
By November, the water was ready for our axolotl. We ordered a Leucistic morph from a reputable breeder online. This variety is white with pink gills, and we wanted the pink type. Why pink? Of the many varieties of axolotls, this is arguably one of the cutest. Plus, we had already named our soon-coming pet after one of our favorite characters from the Khan Academy growth mindset lessons, Thinky Pinky. At the beginning of every school year we do a series of short growth mindset lessons, and Thinky Pinky helps students understand that they can learn anything with the proper mindset.
Once the order was placed, we eagerly tracked the shipping updates until we got an upsetting update:
Your item was returned to the sender on November 10, 2021 at 8:44 am in SHREVEPORT, LA 71102 because of an incomplete address.
Oh no! We spent the next several days trying to get in touch with the post office to track down our poor baby. After a long wait, which included a postal holiday, he kind folks at USPS safely delivered a small white box. We nervously opened the small white package and found the tiniest creature swimming happily! We hope Thinky Pinky likes its new home…
For the second year in a row, seventh and eighth grade students hosted a pumpkin patch “field trip” for the preschool. Student planted their seeds over the summer, and they tended to the garden from July to October. The pumpkins were grown to be picked by our 3- and 4-year-old friends. Students each wrote and illustrated an original storybook, and they decorated a pumpkin to display at the pumpkin patch. Adding costumes, music, a hayride and snacks made the experience a delight for all!
"I had a good time reading to the kids." ~Zachary
“It was fun walking around the campus and hearing kids yell Princess Tiana and reading stories.” ~Staten
“I had a great time watching each pumpkin grow from a little green bulb to a unique pumpkin.” ~David
“I loved seeing the kids’ happy faces and watching them have so much fun.” ~Katherine
“I enjoyed getting to see the excitement on the kids’ faces when they got off the hayride.” ~Addison
"I enjoyed seeing the glow of excitement on the kids' faces when they were picking out their pumpkins." ~Morgan
By Susie Rogers, ELA 5th-8th
Career Day will be in April for my 7th and 8th grade students, and to prepare, we will be having guest speakers throughout the year. I invited Jed Harrelson as our very first guest. Jed is a rising Nashville musician and spent his childhood days at St. James! He and his brother, Hank, eagerly toured the campus with the 7th grade class reminiscing about their time here. When all of the middle school students gathered, Jed introduced himself and gave a little bit of his background. He then opened the floor for questions, and the students had a lot of them.
Jed was asked, “When did you start playing guitar?” (8 years old) “Did you take lessons?” (self-taught) “What made you want to perform?” (saw the positive effect music had on others) “How did you react when someone didn’t believe in you?” (Keep going on- as long as you have the passion, don’t let anyone tell you no) and “What is an average day/week like?” (4 days a week playing up to 8 hours a day.) *Disclaimer- questions and answers are summarized, not verbatim! Jed also gave the students wonderful advice to find something you love doing and make that your career, and if you have a bad day, learn from your mistake and simply keep trying. After fielding questions, Jed performed his new original song, “Olly, Olly, Oxen Free “ We just know it's going to be a hit!
St. James Day School is not only fortunate to have such an impressive alumnus, but now the students will look back on Jed Harrelson’s visit and be able to say, “I remember when Jed came to see us when he was just starting out, and look at him now!” We all agreed that his talent and charisma will have his name in BIG lights before long. Thank you Jed for sharing your passion, your career, your advice, and your memories. Listen to his newly released single, “Keep It” on Spotify, and check him out on Facebook: @JedHarrelson: A Music Collective.
by Nicole Ayers, 7th & 8th Grade Math and Science
This year our eighth grade students will take Integrated Physics and Chemistry and earn high school science credit. Our class has already conducted several chemistry laboratory investigations to study density and other physical properties of solids, liquids, and gases. We were pleasantly surprised with visitors from preschool during one lab, so we seized the opportunity to teach a mini science lesson to our curious guests!
by Jennifer Jordan, History Teacher
In our U.S. History class, 8th graders have completed studying the causes and effects of the American Revolution. Along with reviewing the key events that led to the revolution, we focused on the people whose ideas and beliefs inspired it. A few of these people were labeled firebrands for the spark that they ignited. To learn more about these notable men, each student was assigned one firebrand to research. Students completed a “one pager” in which they noted biographical details as well as the ways in which the firebrand contributed to the fight for American independence. Students enjoyed their own creative independence in designing their one pager, as they could display the information learned in any way they chose. This assignment not only strengthens research skills, but it also sharpens organizational skills, as students had to plan their design before they began it. As these photos illustrate, the 8th graders worked diligently and neatly to create some beautiful one pagers!
by Nicole Ayers, 8th Grade Homeroom
Every morning, before the start of the school day, the 8th-grade class has the honor of raising the American and Episcopal flags. At the end of each day they lower and fold the flags for the evening. Students take such great pride in this responsibility that Dylan Yost (8th-grade Class of 2020) installed a new flag pole and walkways as his Eagle Scout project. We are thankful for the opportunity to take part in this daily practice.
All hail, the Roman Carnival! This year the middle school held the 10th annual Roman Carnival, and we were grateful to do so in person. As the customary culmination of our Latin program, the Roman Carnival provided an afternoon of fun and games for the entire campus. Sixth, seventh and eighth grade students dressed up as Roman deities and monsters and entertained all of the younger classes with a series of 9 activity booths. Fifth grade students served as assistants to ensure that games ran smoothly. Each activity was designed to highlight the powers and skills of the students’ chosen deity. Students created the activities themselves, demonstrating their innovation and ingenuity. Our inside activities included the Underworld’s “pick a ball” game in the dark hallway, as well as Venus (goddess of love), Flora (goddess of flowers), and Cupid (god of love)’s flower craft booth. Diana (goddess of the hunt)and Apollo (god of music) hosted a musical freeze tag wherein students were gently hit with a soft ball by Diana’s bow. Mars (god of war) and Hercules (god of strength) ran an obstacle course and foam sword fight, while featuring a bench press to showcase muscular abilities. Minerva (goddess of wisdom) and Fortuna (goddess of fortune) offered a wheel of fortune game, whereas Ceres (goddess of grain) and Vesta (goddess of the home and hearth) provided cereal and lemonade to our guests. It appeared that all who attended enjoyed a wonderful afternoon of smiles, laughter, and play. Gratias tibi agemus!
By Susie Rogers, ELA 5th-8th Grades
As the 8th graders are about to embark on their new chapter away from St. James, we read and analyzed the poem, “Where I’m From” by George Ella Lyon as a way to reflect. They then were asked to write their own poem based on the same premise. Students brainstormed, created, illustrated, and presented their poems to the class. For the most part, these students have been classmates and friends their entire school days, but each person learned something new about one another during this process. Glimpses of childhood days, dreams, and fears brought laughter, gasps, and applause. Enjoy some of the wonderful poetry lines below!
“I am from the glow of the sunrise over the pasture.’ KO
“I’m from ‘slap yo mama’ seasoning’ JC
“I'm from singing and praying and a lot of playing.” ML
I am from “life is only what you make it” and “hope for the best, plan for the worst” CW
I am from high heels and pink tutus.
From towering oak trees swaying with the spring breeze. EF
I am from bigfoot hunts in the backyard and
afternoon walks around the neighborhood. AY
I’m from “Watch your mouth”, “money doesn’t grow on trees”, and “Whatcha Talkin Bout Willis” BB
I’m from watching fireworks by the lake in the back of a truck
and seashells from all around the world JT
I am from the rusty old radio
from drumsticks and moongel JJ
by Nicole Ayers, 7th & 8th Grade Math and Science
The 7th and 8th grade class spent the day hiking and taking photos at White Cliffs Recreation Area. Students were split into teams and given a list of items to find for a photography scavenger hunt. We enjoyed a picnic by the river and returned to Texarkana in time for an ice cream treat.
Our students each have a photography website. Please take a look at some of their work!
https://www.stjamesdayschool.org/technology/4st46m3aehkzhzh9zen64bgmkyxese
By Susie Rogers, ELA 5th-8th Grades
After weeks of researching, contacting the respective schools, and creating eye-catching tri-folds, the 7th and 8th-grade students were ready to host their first college fair. Sixteen schools were represented: the University of Texas, University of North Texas, LSU, Yale, Purdue, UPenn, University of Alabama, Cornell, Sewanee, Rice, Parsons, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, SMU, SAU, and Vanderbilt. The students researched the history, the degrees offered, the student body size, the tuition, the requirements, fun facts, etc. Each student presented his or her findings to attendees as they traveled to each college booth. Thank you to Mrs. Ayers for videoing the presentations during the fair!
By Susie Rogers, ELA 5th-8th
We learn about history, we live in the present, and we plan for the future! This was the premise behind the 7th and 8th-grade college fair projects. We began with a wonderful and informative speaker, Riley Rogers, who is a St. James alumna, a Texas High graduate, a University of Oklahoma graduate, and a recent Baylor Law School graduate. She explained her journey from a St. James graduate to a law school graduate and all of her choices of studying abroad, taking a gap year, and having an internship. She had invaluable experience to share with the students.
Students are now working on the research section of their college fair project. They are finding facts about their chosen colleges such as the size of the student body, acceptance rate, motto, mascot, tuition costs, and majors. They were also required to contact their chosen school and request memorabilia for their tri-fold board and their presentation. This proved to be a wonderful learning experience on how to navigate websites and communicate effectively with several people as they kept getting transferred! In the next couple of weeks, students will use their research to create their college tri-fold board and then present them to other students.
By Susie Rogers, 5th-8th ELA
A pandemic has hit. People are dying. Vaccines are scarce. The government issues mandates. A world is divided. These statements could easily be ripped from today’s headlines, but they are not. The 8th graders read the dystopian novel, Legend by Marie Lu, which centers around a pandemic, conspiracies, and government control. Students easily identified connections to the real-world, while engrossed in the fate of the two protagonists, June and Day. They analyzed the novel through vocabulary, predictions, foreshadowing, characterization, conflicts, and themes. For their final projects, each student planned, researched, and created a book trailer using WeVideo. The trailer had to be 1- 2 minutes with background music, embedded pictures, and seamless transitions. Because there is not a movie, students were forced to use the details and sensory imagery from the novel to find images that portrayed their imagination. As students are still in the production stage, book trailers will be posted later upon completion.
