by Jennifer Jordan

Diagramming and translating sentences is likely most students’ least favorite aspect of Latin. You have to play mental gymnastics because you have to break down each word by its three characteristics, and you have to remember that each characteristic can have up to 5 subparts. However, the diagramming leads to a reward— an easier translation. Seventh grade Latin I students have been diagramming sentences since 5th grade. We have been doing whole-class diagram/translation up until now. The students have improved their accuracy and speed as a group (with my gentle suggestions) so now, to ring in 2023, we’ve moved to small group translation. It’s often better to test your tentative thoughts with a partner, isn’t it? Students seemed more confident working out the diagramming with their peers. Brave souls took each group’s work and presented it on the board. There was no judgment if a wrong label was included— everyone is learning! Overall, the class did very well, and I hope that they’re as proud of their efforts as I am.

By Susie Rogers, ELA, 5th-8th

The 7th grade class decided to focus their community service on the true meaning of Christmas: giving to others. We chose to work with Life House Church, which brings together members who are from all walks of life. Many of the families are homeless, jobless, and struggling in some capacity. Some of the children are brought on Sundays and Wednesdays by the Life House Church van service, unable to attend service otherwise due to guardians or no vehicle. Many of the kids’ meals only come from Life House Church and school each week. Life House is an amazing outreach ministry trying to help the underprivileged. We were excited to be able to bless the sweet kids of this church this Christmas with dinner, presents, and fellowship. My students truly learned it really is better to give than to receive! May your holiday season be filled with such wonderful blessings in honor of Him. 

The Spartan Science Olympiad team has hit the ground running this year. After finishing 1st place at Regionals and 11th place at State last year, we are on a quest for continued success on ongoing improvement. We competed in two early-season virtual tournaments this month against some of the top teams in the country to sharpen our skills and get a taste of next-level challenges. While the program is designed for 6th-9th graders, we have students as young as 4th and 5th grade who are eager to learn science and engineering. We look forward to an exciting year…Go Spartans!

The Pumpkin Patch has become one of the premiere activities for our upperclassmen at St. James Day School. Starting in May of the previous school year, students begin preparing the ground for planting pumpkins. They start their seeds in late June or early July, and they tend to their crop throughout the summer. The 7th and 8th graders are growing pumpkins to give to the preschool students when they visit our pumpkin patch in the fall. It takes a great deal of time and patience to produce a healthy crop!

When the preschool students visit the Pumpkin Patch, a pumpkin is not the only gift they receive. Each 7th and 8th grade student writes and illustrates an original piece of children’s literature to share with their preschool buddy. Students enjoy a picnic treat together while the big buddy—dressed in character—reads to their little buddy. The older students teach a science lesson on the life cycle of a pumpkin, and they lead the younger students in a festive fall song and dance. The upperclassmen also decorate a pumpkin to accompany their story, making this a true cross-curricular project.

The Renaissance was a time of sweeping changes in art, literature and science that swept across southern Europe for 200 years. To create a Renaissance Museum, the 7th graders focused on their favorite parts of the Renaissance and brought them to life. The Renaissance Museum opened to the public and gave the Lower School children a chance to experience some of these wonders.

The 7th graders explored the new technologies in sailing, the artistic endeavors of Titian and Michelangelo, and the inventions and artwork of Leonardo Da Vinci. We even visited the later Renaissance in England to explore the playwright Christopher Marlowe. As the Lower School classes came through, they enjoyed the stories of Marlowe, learned about perspective in art, walked under the paintings of the Sistine Chapel, saw the ship design for a caravel, and found out how Da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man could still teach us things about our own measurements.