By Susie Rogers, 5th-8th ELA

This spring, our 7th and 8th grade classes took an unforgettable field trip to Austin and Waco, Texas — and it was the perfect mix of learning and fun!

We started our journey in Austin, where we explored the heart of Texas history at the State Capitol. Standing in the grand rotunda and walking the halls where laws are made gave us a real sense of how our government works.

Next up was the Bullock Texas State History Museum, where we dove deeper into the story of Texas — from its earliest days to modern times. The exhibits made history come alive, and we even got to watch an IMAX movie that left us all amazed. We also toured the LBJ Presidential Library where we with through the timeline of his terms and even saw a scaled version of the Oval Office. We ended our UT experience with a personal tour of the Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium and Hall of Fame exhibit where students raced on the field and explored the Founders’ suites for the perfect bird’s eye view of all things orange!

In Waco, we visited the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum, learning about the legendary lawmen who helped shape Texas. It was cool to see real artifacts and hear stories about the Rangers' bravery and dedication.

Of course, no field trip is complete without a little fun! We soared (safely) through the air at iFLY Indoor Skydiving, laughed and competed at Topgolf, and ended the trip with a private Hibachi dinner party, where we celebrated not only our journey but also the friendships and memories we've made this year.

This trip was more than just a break from school — it was a chance to grow, explore, and connect with each other. We’ll be talking about it for years to come!

…city, movie set, rodeo, basketball court, hospital, human body, car, library, nuclear power plant, fitness gym, concert, and even a prison! Who knew you could compare tiny cells to all of these things? The seventh graders were assigned either a plant or animal cell before brainstorming how the functions of the organelles were analogous to something of their choosing. Once the brainstorming phase was completed, they created poster boards to illustrate their analogies and presented them in front of their peers. What a fun way to learn the functions of a cell!

By Kandice Kimmel, Latin & History, 5th-8th

The sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students have been working hard in preparation for the National Latin Exam. We kicked off our seventh grade Latin class with a friendly Roman numeral challenge. Roman numerals are important in Latin and history, and we still see this ancient numerical system that uses Latin letters to represent numbers today! Roman numerals often denote book chapters, are seen on clock faces, movie credits for copywrite dates, names, and in major sporting events such as the Super Bowl and Olympics.

By Susie Rogers,

5th-8th, ELA

Chocolate cake and Pepsi for breakfast? Why not? It is the perfect combination to celebrate the completion of our novel study of The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. In this classic tale of growing up and trying to find your place in the world, brothers live without parents, so cake for breakfast it is! After they read the novel, students were required to create a Bloom Ball, which is based on Bloom’s Taxonomy. Each side represented knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, evaluation, and creation levels. This provided a powerful framework for engaging with The Outsiders on multiple cognitive levels. We concluded our novel study by watching the movie and enjoying cake and Pepsi! This immersive approach makes The Outsiders more than just a story; it becomes a shared moment of reflection and celebration.

By Susie Rogers, ELA, 5th-8th

Every year St. James holds its fundraising Gala where we come together with our families, staff, and friends for a night of wonderful food, upbeat music, and one-of-a-kind auction items. Each class contributes an auction item to help raise money for daily operations for the school and teacher salaries. This year my 7th grade class voted to make a spectacular hand-painted wind chime for a lucky someone who has the highest bid! Today we began the process by using sharpies, rubbing alcohol, Q-tips, and droppers. Students chose their favorite colors and blended them to make the perfect colorful disk. There are a couple more steps to complete before the final reveal, so stay tuned!