by Nicole Ayers, 7th & 8th Math and Science

If you can't explain it to a six year old, you don't understand it yourself. ~Albert Einstein

Research indicates that students have a deeper, longer-lasting learning experience when they are charged with the task of teaching others. In teaching others, students not only learn content, but they also develop valuable social and emotional skills. When students take on the role of teacher, incredible learning takes place.

For the second year in a row, our middle school students selected a passion project in the field of science to research and then teach to students in lower school and preschool. They extended learning into high school or even college level, but then they brought it down to a level that much younger children could understand. More importantly, each student infused wonder and joy into their projects. Our Science and Engineering Festival was a great learning experience from Pre-K to 8th grade!

By Susie Rogers, ELA 5th-8th

Poetry usually emits moans out of students, but when it connects one unit of study to another in a seamless transition, my students didn’t even realize they were hooked until it was too late! That is a winning teacher moment! I introduced my students to the classic novel, The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. They were enthralled from day one. We analyzed the time period, vocabulary, the characters, and the theme.  We compared and contrasted then and now with cliques, family dynamics, and teen issues. They loved this novel and hated to see it come to an end; however, I told them it didn’t have to  just yet. In the novel, an allegory of Robert Frost’s poem, “Nothing Gold Can Stay,” was referenced with the relationship between Ponyboy and Johnny. I began our poetry unit with that poem, and it helped them ease into figurative language, rhyme schemes, and symbols.

Students were able to explore poetry through a digital break-out, a matching game, and a black-out poetry project. The students were challenged with breaking codes, analyzing stanzas, and applying knowledge to create abstract art. Students were asked to create a Black-Out poem using a newspaper article and paint. They were challenged to find words that “spoke” to them and that would create a “found poem.” This proved to be a very difficult task for some as they struggled with finding words instead of creating them. They were forced to rely on words in print and make a connection between them. The end results were funny, thought-provoking, sad, and real.  Samuel Taylor Coleridge, an English poet, once stated “Poetry: the best words in the best,” and my students learned that lesson this past week.

by Nicole Ayers and Marie Goodwin

“You can teach a student a lesson for a day; but if you can teach him to learn by creating curiosity, he will continue the learning process as long as he lives.“ ~Clay P. Bedford

How do you create a curiosity that will kindle a lifelong love of learning? One method we have found to be highly effective in cultivating this sense of wonder is through a program called Science Olympiad. According to the Science Olympiad website, “Science Olympiad is one of the premier science competitions in the nation, providing rigorous, standards-based challenges to nearly 8,000 teams in all 50 states.”

Our students are deeply engaged in a collection of 23 events that span all branches of science and technology. There are build events that challenge the students’ engineering and design skills; there are lab events that require an onsite performance of science mastery, and there are study events that will often test middle school students at a high school or even college level. Grades 5 through 8 have opportunities to collaborate on these events, and they willingly spend several hours together after school each week preparing for competition. The kids often request to meet over holiday breaks to go deeper in their studies and enjoy fellowship together. We love watching our students find their passions for science and pursue their interests with great fervor.

“You can teach a student a lesson for a day; but if you can teach him to learn by creating curiosity, he will continue the learning process as long as he lives.“ ~Clay P. Bedford

by Susie Rogers, Middle School ELA teacher

“Chapel is the heart and soul of our school community”

St. James is known as a small Christian school with strong academics. As a child, I was fortunate to attend St. James, and then as a parent, I sent my girls here. I now have come full circle as I am presently an English Language Arts teacher at this beloved school. I do not take this privilege lightly. 

One facet I have loved throughout all my years with St. James is the Christian family atmosphere. As a student, I always felt safe and secure and was able to grow in my relationship with God. As a mom, I was comforted that my children would be surrounded by love and religion. As a teacher, I know my job is beyond teaching my students the 3 R’s of education: “reading, writing, and arithmetic;” every other aspect must grow from the foundation of the fourth R, religion. I must show them the way to become independent thinkers, to be kind and compassionate citizens, and to grow in their faith.

No one is as honest as children, so I asked my 7th graders their perspectives about attending a small Christian school. Their responses confirmed my belief that St. James Day School is much more than a school; it is truly God’s home.

At St. James praying is one of the many advantages that my classmates and I have. We pray to ourselves, as a class, as a grade, and every Tuesday, as a school. Talking to teachers and other students about God is encouraged.  Annabelle

I am glad that I go to a Christian school because I can discuss and ask questions about God.  James

One of the things I like about St. James is having daily devotional ... Another thing I appreciate is how we are fortunate to discuss God and read the scripture every day. Kennley

It feels really good to have prayer requests in school because everyone gets to share their requests. Bramlett

I like discussing the scriptures that we read because we can see the different perspectives of everyone's point of view. I feel very fortunate to have a daily devotional and to be able to discuss God with my classmates. Elle

I believe chapel services are a good way to come together as a group and worship God. It gives me a sense of security.  Carolina

The Christian background that St. James sets for its students can change a kid’s whole life for the good.  Abbie

Talking to God every day is a way of dealing with things that we are going through in our lives. Jon

I think it is good that everybody has a good connection with God. When we have Daily devotional, we read scriptures that lead up to things like Lent and Advent. Emma

One of the things that I love most about St. James is devotional. I like devotional because we get to read and learn about God. We also get to tell what is on our minds and on our hearts. Lastly, we have prayer requests and we say the lord's prayer. I like having prayer requests because you can pray for people and your classmates.  Molly

by Nicole Ayers, Math & Science

Actually, there was a strange chemical preservative odor that filled the air as seventh-grade students performed a dissection of four fetal* pigs. The students, along with two additional members of the Anatomy & Physiology team, have spent extensive time researching human body systems. The dissection helped make this research come to life, bringing their learning to a new level.

Many students had to overcome personal fears and apprehensions to participate in this lab, but everyone pushed their limits to fully engage. This experience would not have been nearly as insightful without the assistance of four adult experts who volunteered their time. Dr. DuBois and Dr. Yost led the process, as they did with last year’s class. Angela O’Rorke shared her knowledge of zoology, and Caty Burks brought experience from the nursing field. Altogether, it was a learning experience these students won’t soon forget!

*Preserved pigs were not raised for the purpose of dissection; they are a byproduct of the pork industry. Most of the pigs were stillborn and would be discarded were they not reutilized for educational purposes.