Upper School News

Junior Ring Ceremony

In December, the juniors who ordered class rings received them in a touching ceremony, which marked the beginning of their journey toward senior year, graduation, and beyond. Congratulations, juniors!

Ella Wilkes '23

Shannon Hodges '23

Dr. Román Named St. Johns Riverkeeper Educator of the Year

Dr. Judibelle Román in Marine Science class with Justin Shipman '22

In December, St. Johns’ own Dr. Judibelle Román was named Educator of the Year by St. Johns Riverkeeper, an organization working to protect and advocate for the St. Johns River. Dr. Román was recognized for standing out above the rest for the incredible work she does in our school, the Jacksonville community, and for the St. Johns River. For example, for the past four years Dr. Román has partnered with St. Johns Riverkeeper to teach students about eutrophication and aquifers as it relates to Florida and the St. Johns River, and she participates in professional development through St. Johns Riverkeeper to invest in her own education. “It has been an honor to work with such a dedicated educator who actively looks for ways to connect her students locally while also teaching the bigger concepts and global issues,” said St. Johns Riverkeeper Education Director Emily Floore. “Dr. Román is an inspiration to what a science teacher is capable of doing with the encouragement from her school, support of her family, and the love of teaching.”

New Technology Center Improves Access, Resources

St. Johns’ new Technology Center affords more space and resources to help students learn through and about technology. The School’s thirteen 3D printers are almost constantly in action bringing students’ vision to life in a variety of projects and lessons, and virtual reality allows students and faculty to visit faraway museums, memorials, and locations where otherwise they’d have to be content with reading or viewing photos.

National Honor Society Inducts 36 New Members

On November 16, the St. Johns chapter of the National Honor Society (NHS) inducted 36 juniors and seniors as new members. They join the 34 existing members who were inducted last year:

Angie Arellano

Julia Boaventura

John Cabrera

Abbie Campbell

Kaiya Cooper

Lauren Correia

Walker Cowherd

Addie Ellis

Mary Beth Garrison

Susannah Goodwin

Sean Gregson

Kinley Hall

Evelyn Hanson

Adan Herrera

Finn Howell

Jude Howell

Hannah Lemieux

Jeramy Lewis

Jack Minners

Kiera Moisan

Jonathan Moore

Tyce Moore

Mia Morin

Robert Morris

Riley Myers

Lillian Ouattara

Luke Pardo

Maggie Pizzi

Nate Rowan

Noelle Sanford

Ariel Sauer

Callum Steiner

Matthew Stratton

Jordan Taylor

And Junior Kellen Brown, who was inducted at his previous school.

After opening the ceremony and introducing existing members, NHS sponsor Stacy Johnson turned the program over to the chapter’s senior members.

“In order to become a member of the St. Johns chapter of the National Honor Society,” said Mia Morin ’22, “a student must have a cumulative Upper School grade point average of at least 3.6 at the end of the sophomore or junior year, must have been a St. Johns student for at least a year, must be an active participant in school activities, and must exhibit the finest qualities of character.”

With that, Senior John Cabrera introduced the new inductees:

From the Class of 2022: Emelia Morton

From the Class of 2023:

Kennedy Brown

Brooks Burson

Javier Coll-Román

Noah Cone

William Cooper

Emerson Cooper

Ally Desguin

Josie Dinkins

Trey Dubnansky

Kali Evans

Meg Fackler

Andrew Hightower

Shannon Hodges

Antonio Holmberg

Jacob Holyer

Hunter Hopkins

Sam Hopkins

Ava Johnson

Thomas Keenan

Anna Kemp

Talon Luster

Abigail Maierhoffer

Marshall Martin

Jack McNulty

Juliet Moody

Jack Mooneyham

Cookie Myers

Hunter Noble

Daniela Oceguera

Aidan Rice

Emma Schultz

Chloe Smith

Jacob Thomas

Patrick Walsh

Lily Weldon

A candle was lit as an NHS member spoke about each of the four pillars of the National Honor Society—scholarship, service, leadership, and character—and the inductees repeated the National Honor Society Pledge:

I pledge myself to uphold The purposes of the National Honor Society. I will be true to the principles for which it stands; I will be loyal to my school; I will maintain high standards of scholarship, High standards of service, High standards of leadership, and high standards of character.

Next, Head of Middle and Upper Schools Jackie Lentini introduced the afternoon’s speaker, Mr. Matthew Jones, a 2001 graduate of St. Johns Country Day School. In 2005 Mr. Jones graduated from Florida State University with a bachelor’s degree in design and he is now Vice President at H. Stephen Jones and Associates, Inc. Mr. Jones was also recently named one of Jacksonville’s 40 under 40 by the Jacksonville Business Journal. Mr. Jones spoke with the students about the qualities of scholarship, service, leadership, and character.

“I truly hope that each of you feels a sense of honor and pride in this outstanding accomplishment,” said Jones. “The four qualifying characteristic pillars of the National Honor Society will all undoubtedly serve you well throughout your personal, professional, and scholastic career.”

Congratulations, National Honor Society members!

St. Johns Lauds National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists

Left to right, Seniors Sean Gregson, Robert Morris, Ariel Sauer, and Mia Morin

Last fall, Seniors Sean Gregson, Mia Morin, Robert Morris, and Ariel Sauer were named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists by The College Board.

High School juniors enter the competition by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT©), which serves as an initial screen of program entrants. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state.

“It’s an incredible honor to be named a National Merit Semifinalist,” said Director of College Counseling Caroline Morris. “Only one percent of high school seniors nationwide achieve this recognition, so these four Spartans have a lot to be proud of.”

Congratulations, Semifinalists!

Homecoming

The third week in October sure brought busy times for our Spartans, with themed dress-up days daily, plus the Homecoming parade, lip sync competition, pep rally, inaugural all-school Spartan Fest family carnival, Homecoming football game, football Senior Night, AND the crowning of the Homecoming Queen, Evelyn Hanson ’22 at half time! Evelyn’s crowning was followed by the crowning of her escort, Matthew Stratton ’22, as Homecoming King at the homecoming dance on Saturday night. Congratulations, Evelyn and Matthew, and to everyone who helped make it such a fun week!