FYI Winter 2016

A Magazine for St. Johns Family and Friends | Winter 2016

St. Johns Salutes Our Armed Forces Alumni

FYI

Headmaster’s Message Greetings to every member of the St. Johns Family!

It has been a fabulous first semester at St. Johns. Our high-energy students have been fully engaged in their studies, the arts, and athletics since the start of the school year. Moreover, students are learning from our outstanding and truly dedicated faculty the drive to thrive, as they are hard-working, motivated, and driven to exceed high expectations. With 60% of our faculty holding advanced degrees (75% in Upper School), and more than two-thirds of these teachers certified as Apple Vanguard Instructors, St. Johns boasts one of the most well-educated and technologically advanced faculty in Northeast Florida.

Winter 2016

We are now firmly into year two of our transformative iPad initiative. We had planned to have every student in Grades 5 – 12 equipped with his or her own iPad. What we did not envision was having the funds necessary to procure additional tablets that would enable every student in Grades 2 – 4 to have the use of a school-owned iPad every day! The academic divisions abound with the nearly ubiquitous technology in the learning environment. The small school as big as life setting allows us to understand each student’s needs and gifts. These important resources – and others like them – would not be available to our teachers and students were it not for the generous contributions of trustees, parents, alumni, grandparents, faculty, and friends of St. Johns. Thank you!

We’ve truly enjoyed a great fall, replete with all the St. Johns traditions we have come to know so well.

In addition to the usual staples of Homecoming, Circus Day, Middle School Fall Festival, and Senior Presentation, we have taken our celebration of Veterans Day to a new level. With many thanks due to Lower School Guidance Counselor Kristi Seybolt, who so deftly organized the whole ceremony, St. Johns was able to immerse our students in a world were patriotism, heroism, honor, and valor are traits to be admired and saluted. These character-driven traits remind us that who students become is just as important – and remarkable – as what they become. Have a look inside this issue to get a better glimpse of our celebration and to learn more about many alumni who have served our nation in one branch of the military or another.

In this issue of FYI, you will find countless examples of spirit and tradition – and youthful exuberance!

My colleagues and I eagerly look ahead to spring of 2016, when we will celebrate many more timetested St. Johns traditions, culminating with graduation on May 28. Proving the best investment money can buy is not about money, a great education not only opens students’ eyes and minds; it opens doors to their future.

As a school, St. Johns remains committed to our mission, which is simple when you have great teachers putting children at the heart of everything they do.

Warm regards,

Edward M. Ellison

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CONTENTS 2

Headmaster’s Message

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Spirit Week & Homecoming

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Alumni Hall of Fame

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Senior Presentation

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Interact Club

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New Faculty & Staff

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Founders Day

Our Mission

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Grandparents Day

St. Johns Country Day School’s mission is to provide

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St. Johns Happenings

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Veterans Day

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Alumni Stories - Armed Forces

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Annual Fund

a superior college preparatory program with a diverse curriculum that stresses academic accomplishment, artistic expression, and athletic participation in a supportive family atmosphere that fosters selfreliance and ethical responsibility.

26 Athletics 30

Visual Arts

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Performing Arts

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Lower School

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Middle School

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Upper School

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STEAM & MakerSpace

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Alumni Notes

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School Leadership

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St. Johns Upper School (US) students enjoyed many fun-filled Homecoming Spirit Week activities, beginning with ESPN Media Monday, Tacky Tourist Tuesday, ‘Tis the Season Wednesday, and Squad Goals on Thursday. On Friday, all students participated in Spirit Day. During Spirit Day there was an all-school cookout, parade, pep rally, PTL Upper School and Alumni Tailgate Party, Alumni Hall of Fame Induction, and Senior Night (introduction of Senior athletes in varsity football, cheerleading, and dance team). The Spartan Varsity Football team played against visiting Christ’s Church Academy and won their last game of the season, 15-6. Abbey Fagan was crowned the 2015 Homecoming Queen and Zach Carter was named Homecoming King. They presided over the Homecoming Dance on Saturday, wrapping up the week’s exciting festivities.

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The Alumni Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, held during the PTL Upper School and Alumni Tailgate at Homecoming, honored alumnus Patrick Weaver ’03. Patrick was chosen for this honor based on his natural talent, as well as his commitment to teamwork and the achievements he reached individually and for St. Johns.

Patrick ‘03, Ellen ‘03 Weaver and family

In addition to having perfect attendance for all 12 years he attended St. Johns, Patrick was Summa Cum Laude all throughout Upper School. He was in the Spanish Club, National Honor Society, Cum Laude Society, Student Council, and Service Club. He won the Best All-Around Male Athlete Award as a Junior and as a Senior. He played four years of varsity soccer, three years of varsity track and field, three years of varsity cross country, and three years of varsity basketball, earning 13 varsity letters. He was captain of the soccer, track,

Gayle Garrison ‘94, Director of Alumni Relations

and cross country teams and the Most Valuable Player for basketball, track, and cross country. Patrick was named to the FHSAA Academic All-State Team. He still holds two school records in track and field.

Patrick attended Samford University where he was a member of the Track and Field Team (his best time in the 800 meter run is still in the top 10 at Samford) and he graduated as Salutatorian with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. He went on to earn a Doctorate of Dental Medicine degree at the University of Florida. Dr. Weaver is board certified in Pediatric Dentistry, as well as a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry and is affiliated with the Jacksonville Cleft and Craniofacial Clinic.

He is a member of the Omicron Kappa Upsilon honor society.

To see the induction ceremony, please visit: http://tinyurl.com/AlumFame2015.

Rod Fisher, Assistant Headmaster Emeritus

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A Celebration of Thanksgiving and Senior Presentation of the Class of 2016 was held on November 20. The senior class started the day with a brunch and continued the celebration at the St. Johns Performing Arts Center. The ceremony included performances by the St. Johns Singers and St. Johns Bell Ringers. Charles Ellmaker ‘80, gave the homily “That Shiny Object May Be a Boat Anchor” reflecting his time in the Peace Corps and working with NGOs in Africa. He encouraged the students to follow their own dreams and to look for opportunities to broaden their horizons.

Charles Ellmaker ‘80

To see the ceremony, please visit: http://tinyurl.com/SeniorPresent2015.

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A central part of the St. Johns Country Day School philosophy is community service, foremost because it fosters ethical responsibility and sensitivity to the needs of the community. All St. Johns grade levels participate in community service projects during the year, but on September 25, the entire Upper School student body spent a day volunteering at 17 non-profit organizations around Jacksonville, Green Cove Springs, Orange Park, Middleburg, and Penney Farms. This special event was organized by the Interact Club, with the intent to make a positive difference for the community and for the students. During the school year, more than 100 Interact Club members promote activities and projects that will provide more than 1,800 hours of service and raise several thousand dollars.

Front Row L-R: Heather Velasco (Sponsor), Hannah Reese (International Co-Chair), Serena Shah (President), Ally Campbell (Vice Pres.), Ashley Paul (Co-Secretary), Lea Shah (Treasurer), Marie Price (Mr. St. Johns Co-Chair) Back Row L-R: Allie Wilson (Publicity Co-Chair), Alex Mylrea (Relay for Life Co-Chair), Sydney Monroe (Co-Secretary), Abbey Fagan (International Co-Chair), Molly Urnek (Mr. St. Johns Co-Chair), April D’Innocenzi (Publicity Co-Chair), Ryan Hilliard (Relay for Life Co-Chair), missing from photo Mike McKenna (Sponsor)

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Founders Day

New Faculty & Staff

Jarred Boitet

Cathy Braude

Thea Burke

Danielle Caton

Brianna Gaffey

Middle School Science and Environmental Science

Grades 4 and 5

Middle School English

Pre-Kindergarten Assistant

Lower School Fine Arts

On September 14, the faculty, students, and alumni of St. Johns Country Day School took time from the regular classroom activities to celebrate the school’s founding. St. Johns was founded 62 years ago, when a group of likeminded parents concerned about the education of their children met with two pioneering educators, Dr. and Mrs. Edwin P. Heinrich, to discuss the formation of an independent school. Now more than 2,000 alumni later, St. Johns continues to provide an outstanding college preparatory education to any student with the drive to thrive and willingness to do everything and become anything.

The keynote speaker, Ami Patel, a member of the St. Johns Class of 1986, spoke about her time at St. Johns, her educational experiences, and her career. Ms. Patel stated, “This school is very special to me because it gave me three important foundational gifts that shaped my life and empowered me to get where I wanted to go.”

Rapolas Janonis

Kim Kurnitsky

Lauren Marchand

Director Spartan Aquatics Club and Head Coach Varsity Swim Team

Middle School Administrative Assistant

Language Arts Gr3, College Counselor and Director of After School Upper School Ethics Program, Director Cheerleading Program, MS Cheer Coach

Marshall McClung

Dr. Shelby Montague Upper School Chemistry and Algebra I

The first gift was the “world” where her teacher’s passion for the subject she taught motivated her to “look beyond our own borders” and be a “citizen of the world.” Second was “confidence” as her teachers “had more confidence in me than I did myself.” The third was the ability to make connections with people and build relationships. These three foundational gifts have had a major impact on Ms. Patel. In her current position, Ms. Patel is the Assistant General Counsel for IT and Technology at the McKesson Corporation, located in the San Francisco Bay area. Her responsibilities provide her the opportunity to travel around the world. Ms. Patel ended her speech by stating, “St. Johns did everything it was supposed to do and more. The rest was up to me and it will be up to each of you students.” To see her entire speech, please visit http://tinyurl.com/SJFoundersDay. For believing in the importance of a superior education for the children of our community, now and for generations to come, St. Johns celebrates those whose dedication made it all possible.

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Kyrie Norris

Charlotte Phelps

Jeremy Potter

Alexandra Sanderhoff

Allison Scott

Pre-Kindergarten Assistant

Middle School History

Information Management Specialist

Middle School Science and History

Grade 1

Justine Worthington

Zac Yarbrough

Director of College Counseling

Aquatics Program Manager and Head Coach Recreational Swim Team

L-R: Mary Virginia Fisher, Rod Fisher, Grover Howard, Jonathan Montgomery, Ami Patel, Ramila Patel, Mary Ann Petska, Carol Hart, Todd Zehner

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The St. Johns Lower School proudly presented “Do Everything. Become Anything. through Music.” This special program showcased the musical and dance talents of the Lower School students in honor of Grandparents Day 2015.

The grandparents began arriving early to get the “best” seats in the Performing Arts Center where they could have the most advantageous view of their grandchildren. The Pre-K3 through Grade 5 students filed in and took their places on stage. In performance after performance the students sang, danced, and played musical instruments to the delight of the crowd. After well-earned thundering applause, the grandparents gathered in the Brown Gym for refreshments and the students went to their classrooms to get ready for their grandparents to arrive.

The students proudly showed their grandparents some of the many projects they have worked on so far during the school year. To end the morning’s festivities, each student and his or her grandparent had their photo taken commemorating this fun-filled day.

To see the performance, please visit: http://tinyurl.com/GptsDay2015.

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On Monday, November 9, we honored those men and women who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Students’ parents and grandparents, as well as faculty, who are retired military personnel, on active duty, or in the reserves participated in the ceremony.

The Veterans Day commemoration began at flag raising at 8:00 a.m. The presentation of the flag was performed by the Fleming Island NJROTC Color Guard. The St. Johns Singers, Middle School Chorus, and Unaccompanied Minors a capella group performed a variety of military songs. There was a coffee reception in the Pace Headmaster Ed Ellison was elected to the Board of Directors of the Florida Council of Independent Schools.

Lecture Hall immediately following the Veterans Day ceremony. Commander Mark Dobbertien, Director of Clinical Support Services at Naval Hospital Jacksonville and father of four St. Johns graduates, spoke to Middle and Upper School students in the Performing Arts Center on the significance of Veterans Day intertwined with some of his personal experiences in the military.

To those who have served and who are serving in the U.S. Armed Forces - thank you for your bravery and dedication to our country!

To s e e t h e c e r e m o n y, p l e a s e v i s i t : http://tinyurl.com/VeteransDay15.

L-R: Marshall McClung (College Counselor), Justine Worthington (Director) and Michelle Laird (Assistant and University Relations) Comprised of two full-time college counselors, the College Counseling Office offers individualized and thoughtful college planning. Our team believes that this journey toward higher education is a vital one. The team takes great pleasure in partnering with St. Johns students and their families as they pursue their goals.

Leslie DeStefano was appointed Director of Curriculum and Instruction this year.

Front Row L-R: Libby Coen (Grade 11 Rep.), Zoe Roberts (Grade 8 Alt.), Nick Rogers (Grade 9 Rep.) Middle Row L-R: Maddie Schultz (Grade 12 Rep.), Grayson Hall (Grade 8 Rep.), Lillian Dinkins (Grade 11 Rep.), Kim Hanson (Sponsor) Back Row L-R: Esan Patel (Grade 10 Rep.), April D’Innocenzi (Grade 11 Alt.), Ally Campbell (Grade 12 Rep.), Trent Hanson (Grade 12 Rep.), Emily Patterson (Grade 12 Alt.) Missing from photo: Michael Beltz (Grade 10 Alt.) and Henry Dinkins (Grade 9 Alt.)

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St. Johns Celebrates Our Armed Forces Alumni

by Gayle Garrison, Director of Alumni Relations

The flag of the United States of America has been raised over the Fisher Quad and the Pledge of Allegiance recited over 14,000 times in the school’s history. It is a daily reminder of our freedoms and the sacrifices that have been made to preserve those freedoms. St. Johns alumni have served with distinction in every branch of the military. One of the hardest decisions we faced while preparing this article was to decide whom to feature, as so many are deserving. Trying to compile a list of every St. Johns alumni who served in the military was also a challenge. We looked through every past issue of FYI, sent out emails, dug through old records, and posted on Facebook to try to get a comprehensive list.

Kielly, center, with other service members at USNA reunion

Kielly Brannan Andrews ‘95 As a student, Kielly exuded independence. She was an honor student who was involved in cross country, soccer, track, St. Johns Singers, Service Club, French Club, Latin Club, and Model U.N., among others. She took full advantage of the ability to do everything in the academic, art, and athletic arenas.

When Kielly first visited the US Naval Academy, she loved seeing women, although a small minority of the student body at that time, who “exuded confidence you can only have when you understand yourself, your goals, and your place in the world. I wanted to be like them even if it meant toeing the line and sacrificing many of the traditional freedoms that are part of a normal college experience.” She decided she wanted the kind of independence those female midshipmen displayed.

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Kielly went on to the US Naval Academy where she earned a BS in English in 1999. She decided on the Marine Corps, serving for several years before deciding to return to school and take advantage of the funded law school program. She earned her juris doctorate from George Mason in 2007.

After law school, Kielly was a Civil Law Officer in the Joint Law Center Cherry Point. She was a primary civil law and ethics advisor and was also responsible for overseeing the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act programs, assisting with equal opportunity issues, and advising the Family Advocacy Case Review Committee. From there, she was assigned as Assistant Staff Judge Advocate and Operational Law Advisor for the Combined Joint Task Force in Camp Lemonier, Djibouti. She was the legal representative for operational and orders development for Operation Objective Voice and Foreign Humanitarian Assistance in preparation for the Sudan referendum. Kielly also provided legal training, including human rights and rule of law, to partner nations across North Africa.

Kielly is passionate about “integrity and doing the right thing for the right reasons.” In her current role in the Administrative Law Division for the Office of the Judge Advocate General, she is able to live out that passion as a trusted advisor, including to senior level political appointees, and to influence positively a spectrum of government initiatives such as the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”, the inclusion of women into combat forces, the integration of transgender personnel into military forces, and the pending overhaul of the military promotion system.

When asked about any fond memories of St. Johns, Kielly recalled “Joe-Babe’s” AP English classes, early morning Singers rehearsals with Mrs. Scott, travelling to cross country meets with Coach Cabrera, and hitting the track with “Groovy Grover.” She credits the Latin, English, and History programs with helping her to become a better writer, thinker, and problem solver. Kielly used the independence that was fostered at St. Johns to become an independent female Marine who now defends and protects the independence of our country and our soldiers. Kielly stated “the most significant thing I remember about St. Johns was being treated like a participant in my education rather than just a kid who was expected to fall in line with some artificial program. The

faculty encouraged us to think analytically rather than simply memorize. We were never simply trained to a test. The faculty always encouraged us to seek the facts for ourselves and ask the hard questions. I can think of no more valuable skill in life and it is hard to find schools that are willing to take the time and effort to design their curriculum toward building thinkers and leaders.” Her words are exactly what the faculty at St. Johns continues to strive for everyday.

The Scales Family

was assigned to US Army element, Defense Intelligence Agency, in Washington D.C., where she worked imagery intelligence and bomb damage assessment during Desert Shield/Desert Storm. She retired in 1995 at the rank of Major.

Donald Scales ‘78 graduated from The Citadel, Military College of SC. He then went to dental school at Indiana University and served as an Army dentist. He served with Army special forces in Afghanistan, Africa, and Haiti. He retired at the rank of Colonel and is a periodontist in San Antonio, TX.

Darrell Scales ‘80 graduated from West Point. He went on reserve status while he earned his medical degree from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Upon graduation, he went back into active duty as a surgeon.

Darrell served in Germany and was deployed to Kuwait and Iraq during the first Gulf War as part of Desert Shield/Desert Storm. He also served as part of the Bosnian peacekeeping effort and served in Korea and then Virginia before retiring at the rank of LTC. L-R: Don Scales, Maryanne Scales, Darrell Scales, Sharon Boyd, and David Scales.

The Scales family sent seven children through St. Johns ranging from the graduating class of 1974 to 1989. Each one was unique and left a lasting mark on St. Johns. Four served in the military, but each of the seven has worked in some capacity serving others. Their father, Kenneth Scales, was commissioned in the Army as a dental officer in the late 1950s and served with the Florida National Guard for over 30 years.

David Scales ‘74 went to the Uniformed Services University of Health Services in Bethesda, MD. He was commissioned in 1982 in the USAF and served as a flight surgeon in various locations, including at the USAF Academy. He got an advanced medical degree and specialization in infectious diseases of the eye at OSU and served at a military hospital in San Antonio, TX until he retired from active duty. He is currently in the reserves serving as a Colonel in the US Army Medical Corps.

Sharon (Scales) Boyd ‘76 graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1980. She served as a combat crew member, crew commander, and flight commander until 1985.

She made an inter-service transfer from the Air Force to the Army and went to West Germany. In 1989, she

Kris Scales ‘82 served in the Florida Air National Guard, Kurt Scales ‘87 serves as a firefighter, and Maryanne Scales ’89 works for the Wounded Warrior Project in Jacksonville.

The Meldrum Brothers

David Meldrum ‘69 says that the St. Johns experience was the cornerstone for his “future educational endeavors, training pursuits, and professional success.” The academic rigor, character education, and teacher encouragement were all part of the St. Johns experience from the beginning.

He clearly remembers Dr. Heinrich delighting in teaching his physics class and standing in front of the chalkboard, “rhythmically tapping his chalk-smeared fingers with his thumb as he revealed the major steps in his mental math to the students...modern calculators and computers would have just slowed him down.” David also remembers Coach Nichols fondly for “figuring each one of us out and providing the guidance for us to work together effectively as a team.”

Upon graduating from St. Johns, David went on to Eastern University where he earned a degree in philosophy. From there he earned a masters equivalent in physiology and then approached the Air Force in 1978 to discuss continuing his work as an Air Force aeronautical physiologist. The recruiter told him that they didn’t need physiologists but asked if he

Armed Forces Alumni Continued

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St. Johns is proud of our alumni would be interested in flying jets. He went to Officer Candidate School and navigator training where he performed well enough to receive the only F4 slot available. David says he was immediately hooked on the thrill of flying and Meldrum brothers David and Tom the opportunity to serve a greater cause. One of his many fighter missions involved being the laser designator for four F4s releasing laser–guided ordnance on one target simultaneously. When he would acquire, lock on, and track the target with his laser pod, he would hear deep down in his memory the voice of Coach Nichols saying “throw strikes, Meldrum, throw strikes!!” Throughout his years in the Air Force, both as active duty and active reserves, David served as an F4 weapon systems officer, supervisor of flying, chief of command and control, chief of base closure, chief of command post, crisis action team executive officer, and crisis action team director.

On September 11, 2001, he was called back up to active duty and went on to work for war operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, plus relief efforts for the Indonesian Tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, and Hurricane Rita.

When David was serving in the active reserves, he worked for Lockheed Martin in Austin, Texas as the Deputy Director of Command, Control, and Intelligence Programs before retiring. He also worked as an engineering manager for Trimble Navigation, Ltd. in Austin. He was responsible for product development of analog to digital flight management GPS systems for air transport, business, commuter, general aviation, and one military type aircraft. Now that he is fully retired, he is enjoying spending time with family, friends, and his dogs in the great outdoors.

Tom “Mel” Meldrum ‘66 The desire to serve our country runs in the Meldrum family as Tom “Mel” Meldrum ‘66 also served. Mel entered Navy Officer Candidate School in 1971 and was commissioned as an Ensign. He left active duty in 1974 and immediately joined the Naval Reserve as a drilling reservist. He held ship-based positions and commanded a reserve unit attached to a destroyer based in Norfolk, VA. His shore-based positions included support for the Bureau of Naval Personnel and the Navy Auditor General in Washington, D.C. He took a voluntary recall for a year in

for their service, as featured

the 1980s. Mel retired from the Navy Reserves after 26 years with the rank of Captain.

in a 2011 print ad:

• LT Bill Whitmire ‘01,

Phil Rohman ‘64

• LT j.g. Tim Buehn ‘05, and

Phil Rohman came to St. Johns his senior year and willingly admits that he came here as a last resort after being kicked out of several other schools for fighting. After knowing Dr. Heinrich for a short period of time, Phil says he was very surprised that Dr. Heinrich would let someone “like me” into the school. Phil was exceptionally bright, which appealed to Dr. Heinrich who set about to challenge and direct the young man.

Phil remembers taking a mechanical drawing class with Dr. Heinrich where the final exam was paper, pencil, and a straight edge, and he was told to draw an accurate slide rule. Phil also drew a beautiful mechanical drawing of the school from the perspective of the quad that was printed in the front and back end sheets of the 1964 yearbook.

A fte r gra d u a t i o n h e went to the University of Florida, intending to go to pharmacy school. He took one trimester off to earn some money, and was sent a letter by the Duval County Selective Service Board telling him to report for a physical. He scored very high on the military aptitude test and was encouraged to apply for Officer Candidate School.

Phil graduated from OCS in 1967 and became an Infantryman 2nd Lieutenant. A general took interest in him and helped him get into flight school. Phil was sent to Vietnam in 1969 to fly Hueys with the First Air Cavalry Division. They would fly in groups carrying soldiers or supplies and the machine gunners would give them cover fire, as they would land for three to five seconds and take off again. Phil had been granted top secret clearance and was assigned to a special intelligence assignment called Project Left Bank. While in Vietnam, he was surprised to receive several encouraging letters from Dr. Heinrich.

• LT j.g. Raymond Davids ‘04.

Upon returning from Vietnam on Christmas Eve of 1969, Phil was assigned to go on a speaking tour to various high schools, colleges, and civic organizations to help with public opinion about the war. He was instructed to tell his story, the real story of his experiences in Vietnam.

After a few more years, Phil decided he wanted to go back to the University of Florida to finish his degree so he left the Army, but stayed on active reserves. In order to provide for his growing family, he got a job working as a helicopter pilot for the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. Phil then went to work in the car business when he got a call just after Ronald Reagan was inaugurated asking him to come back up to active duty.

He agreed and became an instructor pilot. He trained on the Black Hawk helicopters and soon became the chief instructor. When those orders were up he got into German language school in Monterey, CA and was then assigned to Wiesbaden, Germany with the 48th Aviation Company flying Black Hawks. He flew countless missions in and out of Cyprus and Beirut and even flew the helicopter that freed Iranian hostage David Jacobson in 1987. Phil continued to train pilots on Hueys and Black Hawks into the early 1990s.

He wrote several manuals for the Army including the first manual on flying with night vision goggles. He then went on to be the Black Hawk Program Manager for all of Europe for five years. Phil retired from the Army in 1999 and went to work as a Program Manager to train pilots in the Chinook helicopter.

These days, Phil is enjoying retirement and spending time with his wife and family.

Cheryl Lamoureux Ingber ‘91 Excellence is what both students and faculty strive for at St. Johns. Cheryl Lamoureux Ingber said she “felt like the sky was the limit” at St. Johns. She was pushed toward excellence every day being active in sports, student council,

school newspaper, community service, and rigorous academic classes. Cheryl proved that the sky indeed was the limit as she took the opportunities offered with the United States Air Force.

Cheryl’s memories from St. Johns are as vast and diverse as the experiences. St. Johns on Broadway, the “dreaded” country tour paper, taking AP computers on a TRS80, going to state in cross country and track, starting the Community Service Club, memorizing the French National Anthem, and receiving a physics award are just a few of the memories she

looks back on fondly. She remembers being interviewed at the Air Force Academy, and they asked her what she thought about being a female and getting a physics award. “I remember looking at them and wondering why they were asking me that - thanks St. Johns for creating a place where there aren’t barriers for women.”

After graduating from St. Johns, Cheryl went to the United States Air Force Academy, graduating in 1995 with a BS in Aeronautical Engineering and a minor in French. In 1996, she attended navigator training and was awarded her navigator

Armed Forces Alumni Continued 20

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POW/MIA Flag Mary Helen Hoff “You are gone but not forgotten” are the words at the bottom of the POW/MIA flag that was established by Mary Helen Hoff, mother of five St. Johns alumni and MIA wife. Mrs. Hoff had recently given birth to her fifth child in 1970 when her husband, Navy Cmdr. Michael Hoff, was shot down in combat during the Vietnam War. After he was declared missing, Mrs. Hoff dedicated her life to finding a way to honor those who had not returned home.

Mrs. Hoff got the idea for a POW/MIA flag when the People’s Republic of China joined the United Nations and there were stories in the news regarding their new flag. She worked with flag maker Annin & Co. to design the flag. When they asked her if she wanted to own the rights to the symbol, she refused because she didn’t believe it was something that should be owned. She lovingly raised her five children and sent all of them through St. Johns, Charles Hoff ‘83, Joe Hoff ‘87, Michael Hoff ‘80, Rober t Hoff ‘82, and Suzanne Hoff Ogawa ‘85. Mrs. Hoff may be gone, but her legacy is not forgotten.

rating and then attended B-52 Electronic Warfare Officer qualification where she earned Distinguished Graduate honors. Cheryl was the first woman in her squadron, the 20th Bomb Squadron.

She says that the men there didn’t treat her any differently than anyone else. In 1998, Cheryl became the first woman to fly on a B-52 combat mission, Operation Desert Fox. During the 14 hour mission out of Diego Garcia, Lamoureux’s plane launched eight cruise missiles from over the Persian Gulf against targets in Baghdad. In an interview with the Times Union, Cheryl stated “I think there was a little somberness because you realize you’re firing off missiles that will strike another country. You realize the importance of it.”

In 2000, Cheryl went to pilot training and was assigned as a C-130 pilot and served as flight commander, director of staff, and the deputy chief of the wing commander’s action group. She went to the Air Force’s Officer Commanding Master’s Program and then served as the Commander of Cadet Squadron 39 and Basic Cadet Squadron “Jaguars” at the Air Force Academy where she led and mentored 115 officer candidates. From there she was trained as an instructor pilot and served as flight instructor in various squadrons before assuming command of the 37th Flying Training Squadron, World Famous Bengal Tigers, leading them to the award of Top Operations Squadron. Throughout her military career she logged over 2,700 flying hours, was deployed seven times including in support of operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and Joint Task Force Horn of Africa, and accumulated over 580 combat hours.

She retired this past June after 20 years in the Air Force at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

When she first went to the Academy, Cheryl had her own dreams and motivations of wanting to be a pilot or even an astronaut, but as the years went on, she said that “my time in the military became less and less about me and more and more about the people around me - my family, my crew, my squadron, my Air Force, my community, and my country.”

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Armed Forces St. Johns Graduates

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1950s

1990s

Hal Murray ‘59 - USN

John Scanlon ‘90 - USN Cheryl Lamoureux Ingber ‘91 - USAF Hartmann Kircher ‘99 - USN Mike Beaty ‘92 - USN Kielly Brannan Andrews ‘95 - USMC George Martel ‘98 - USN Scott DiGiusto ‘93 - USN John Scanlon ‘90 - USN Josh Ali ‘95 - USN Brandon Gay ‘95 - USA George Martel ‘98 - USN Mary Lisec ‘98 - USN

1960s Frank Green ‘62 - USN Tom Meldrum ‘66 - USN David Meldrum ‘69 - USAF Bert Homan ‘67 - USN Bill Borries ‘66 - USN Harold Fraser ‘66 - USAF Wayne Middleton ‘66 - USN Patricia Barrows Rios ‘68 - USN

1970s Mike Green ‘76 - USN Russell Hutchins ‘76 - USAF Larry Weber ‘77 - USN Lance Acree ‘76 - USAF David Scales ‘74 - USAF Sharon Scales Boyd ‘76 - USAF/USA Donald Scales ‘78 - USA Bobby Wooden ’74 - USMC

1980s Darrell Scales ‘80 - USA Douglas Scales ‘82 - FL Air National Guard Michael Hoff ‘80 - USN Bob Timby ‘83 - USN Alan Wright ‘86 - USA Mike Shepherd ‘86 - USAF Charlie Hoff ‘83 - USN Bret Saunders ‘84 - USMC Brian Benoit ‘85 - USAF Mike Murray ‘89 - USN Richard Townsend ‘88 - USN

2000s Jamie Lee Henry ‘00 - USA Bill Whitmire ‘01 - USN Jack Skinner ‘01 - USCG Chelsea Agee ‘07 - USAF Mitch Agee ‘09 - USAF Raymond Davis ‘04 - USN Tim Buehn ‘05 - USN Will Buehn ‘07 - USN Lori Mackin ‘05 - USN Jaime Lewis ‘03 - USN Ross Howayeck ‘03 - USAF Phillip Robbins ‘08 - USN David Jackson ‘06 - USN Kevin Crisp ‘06 - USA Jeff Dobbertien ‘08 - USN Will Cannon ‘05 - USN

NOTE: Our sincere apologies if you or someone you love was left off this list.

Please know that we made every effort to include all St. Johns alumni who have served or are serving in the military.

If you have information that you would like to share, please send to Director of Alumni Relations, Gayle Garrison, at: ggarrison@sjcds.net.

2010s Maddison Larson ‘11 - USN Wesley Jinks ‘10 - USN Megan Rogers ‘14 - USNA Merrick Isely ‘14 - USAFA William Myers ’10 - USA

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2015-2016

Annual Fund What is the role of annual giving at St. Johns?

Annual giving is an investment in the children, the teachers, and the St. Johns experience. It ensures the best possible education for all St. Johns students – those enrolled today and in the future.

Invest in Us

Tuition does cover a significant portion of the cost of a St. Johns education for each child, but it does not cover all expenses. Contributions to the Annual Fund each year are the difference between a good education and a great one.

How will contributions be used?

Invest in the Children.

Invest in the Teachers.

The Annual Fund supports all aspects of the school’s mission – academics, arts, and athletics.

Invest in the St. Johns Experience.

Gifts to the 2015-2016 Annual Fund provide St. Johns with the resources to enrich the learning environment and will help fund:

The Best Investment.

Amy Weaver Director of Institutional Advancement

• Locker room renovations

• New sound system for the Performing Arts Center

• Curriculum and program enhancements

• Special events and activities (field trips, athletics, arts programs)

• Faculty professional development

• Much more!

Every gift, large or small, helps us reach the Annual Fund goals and make our terrific school even better! Your participation is important!

Annual Fund Gift Clubs LEADERSHIP GIFTS

Leadership gifts are important to the success of the Annual Fund each year. Gift club levels provide one way for the school to recognize donors and express our appreciation to the St. Johns community. We invite you to participate in the 2015-2016 Annual Fund at one of these gift club levels, or at any level that is appropriate for you and your family. All donors are acknowledged on the school’s website and in the annual giving report.

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8

sjcds.net/support

)

PHONE: (904) 264 - 9572

+

MAIL: 3100 Doctors Lake Drive Orange Park, FL 32073

Pillar Society

$25,000

Cornerstone Club

$15,000

Founders’ Circle

$10,000

Headmaster’s Circle

$5,000

Spartan Society

$3,000

1953 Society

$1,953

What is the Loyalty Society?

CAMPUS CLUB Partner

Loyal donors are the cornerstone of charitable giving. At St. Johns, the Loyalty Society recognizes committed donors whose annual giving serves as the foundation for St. Johns’ growth and enrichment. Annual Fund gifts of any amount for three or more consecutive fiscal years count toward Loyalty Society membership.

You can become a member of the Loyalty Society! Simply make a gift three years in a row and you are automatically enrolled. And then make a gift every year to sustain your membership in the Loyalty Society. Members of the Loyalty Society are recognized on the school’s website and in the annual giving report.

$1,000

Friend

$500

Patron

$250

Member

up to $250

Alumni Participation By Decade

2010s 2000s 1990s 1980s 1970s 1960s

Alumni Giving Thank you to all of the alumni who responded to the October Kick-off Challenge! The month-long participation challenge ended with a tie between the 1990s and the 2000s. However, there is still time for you to show your appreciation to your alma mater and make a gift to increase alumni participation in the Annual Fund!

Which class and decade will end the year with the highest participation? Invest in St. Johns and help move these bars to the right!

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ONLINE:

5

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Your investment today will make a difference.

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Varsity Volleyball: District Runners-Up and seven members among top statistics leaders in NE FL. Madison Dill: AVCA Under Armor Girls High School Third Team Award, All-First Coast Volleyball Player of the Year, and All-Clay County 1st Team

1. Varsity Football 2. Middle School Football 3. Varsity Cheer 4. Middle School Cheer 5. Dance

JV Volleyball

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Middle School Volleyball

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Boys Swim - Placed 8th at Regionals and Girls Swim - Placed 11th at Regionals

Boys Cross Country - Placed 9th at Regionals

Ally Campbell breaks school swim record in the butterfly.

Chloe Garcia placed fourth among all Class 1A golfers from NE FL.

Girls Cross Country - Placed 8th in State

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L-R: Coach Jay Birmingham with All-Region Medal winners Helena Kummings, Lisette Coll-Roman, and Mackenzie Glenn. Mackenzie Glenn placed 12th in State.

Boys Golf made it to Districts and two members played at Regionals. Peyton Billings finished 3rd in Regionals.

Girls Golf - Placed 2nd at Class 1A, District 4 Championship

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Kylie Rodriquez - Gold

Gabrielle Pass - Gold

Lisette Coll-Roman - Silver

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Northeast Florida Scholastic Art Awards The Northeast Florida Scholastic Art Awards honored 22 award winners from St. Johns Country Day School. There were 1,714 works of art submitted from students in Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau, St. Johns, and Volusia counties. Approximately 350 were selected for Gold Key, Silver Key, or Honorable Mention awards.

This year, St. Johns students who received Gold Key awards were also granted scholarships totaling $180,000. Teams of notable art professionals, college professors, and executive art directors judged this prestigious juried competition.

Scholastic Award winners under the direction of teachers Pam Ayres and Anna Reynolds.

Empty Bowls Art Project The Art Club and the Interact Club joined to make ceramic bowls that supported the international project to fight hunger The Empty Bowls Project. These bowls were handmade by the students, so no two bowls are identical. They vary in size, shape, color, creativity, and quality. The bowls are part of an annual fundraiser and each ticket holder is entitled to select a bowl as a keepsake to remind them of the problem of hunger.

Lower School art with teacher Brianna Gaffey.

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ABOVE: 1 Dillon Murray, FMEA Sightreading Choir 2 Isabelle Amacker and 3 Alexander Dimmick, All-County Band 4 Louis Jackson, FMEA MS All-State Concert Chorus and Kevin Taylor, FMEA All-State Men’s Choir 5 Clay All-County Chorus 6 Joseph Shimko III, AJ DePetris, and Ian Duncan, FL ACDA Male Honor Choir LEFT: 1 St. Johns Singers 2,3 Dino Varelas and Elizabeth Stoeber, All-State Honor Band and All-County Band 4 Lower School Chorus 5 One Act Play Cast

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1 Grade 5 camping trip to Driftwood Education Center, St. Simons Island, GA 2 Halloween parties and parade 3 Hoedown 4 Student Government Leadership L-R: Carolyn Tyson Guess (President), Mary Helen Cauthen (Head of LS and Sponsor), Ryan O’Sullivan (Historian), Celeste Heller (Asst. Head of LS and Sponsor), Helen Clare Makar (Treasurer), Ava Jackson (Secretary), and Juliet Moody (Vice President)

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1, 2 Meteorologist from National Weather Service discusses storms and safety. 3 Jonathan Feinberg, creator of Program Wordle visits Grade 3 students via live chat. Pictured with teacher Stacey Little.

4 Addison (Grade1) and Avery (Grade 12) 5 Kindergarten “C” Circus Day tradition continues.

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1, 3 Fall Festival 2 Parker Robbins wins local VFW essay contest “What Freedom Means to Me” 4 MS Honor Code Assembly 5 Tom Thelen spoke with students about bullying, becoming victim proof, leadership, and “Be the Change.”

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1 Grade 6 trip to Camp Montgomery in Keystone Heights, FL 2 Grade 8 trip to Pisgah National Forest in NC 3 Grade 7 trip to Charleston, SC 4 MS Student Council Below NJHS Induction Ceremony

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1 An astounding 92% of the 105 Advanced Placement (AP) exams taken by 55 St. Johns students were graded by the College Board as passing. A remarkable 71% earned scores of 4 or higher, and our average score was a 3.9. 2 Senior Auriel Haack wins local and regional St. Johns Rotary Speech Competition 3 National Merit Scholarship Corp. names Eric Wang a Semifinalist and Kyle Steel a Commended Scholar, pictured here with Mary Virginia Fisher, Head of Upper School.

4 National Honor Society Induction Ceremony

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1 New Engineering Lab 2 US Student Council 3 New 3D printers

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Creating The Conditions For Invention

Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, & Math

Analyze, Synthesize, Innovate, Collaborate, Communicate A new pilot program, under the well-known STEAM umbrella (STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) has been implemented for Grades 2 - 3.

St. Johns dedicated resources to the new program, including a new 3D printing lab and collaboration center. A new MakerSpace was added to the library with tech resources designed to support problem solving and project creation.

Each Grade 2 and 3 classrooms received an upgrade in furniture and technology. New touch televisions with built–in computers have energized the class. These TV’s are more versatile and powerful than a Smartboard, and students are writing, playing games, and collaborating daily utilizing the televisions.

All activities have been closely tied to the existing curriculum. Teachers are integrating STEAM into all subjects, including Language Arts (reading, writing, listening) and Social Studies.

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A short list of the many projects and activities that have been accomplished so far include: • Designed and created a new board game • Built and utilized weather instruments • Built water cycle, predicted how and why • Saving Sam Critical Thinking Activity • Built 3D shapes without directions and solving for a variety of measurements • Incorporated music into many curriculum areas (e.g. handwriting, creative writing, and independent work time) • And many more….

The clear goal is to advance our students’ ability to analyze a problem, synthesize critical ideas, innovate, collaborate, and communicate.

At St. Johns, one goal is to teach children not only a rich curriculum of facts, data, and information, but also teach the skills to problem solve and think critically. The new MakerSpace in the Heinrich Learning Resource Center is the ideal communal space for fostering innovation and invention so that students can learn by exploring, tinkering, designing, and creating through a design process model that teaches them how to problem solve.

3D graphs on the Lego wall in order to find the slope, examining the relationship of circuits and conductivity by building a working computer keyboard, or brainstorming and storyboarding around the interactive projector tables to produce a video book trailer that they record in the recording booth. Lower School students are enriching their creative writing skills by designing “story-starters” with Legos to construct setting, place, and characters.

Students in each division have an opportunity to come with their class to the MakerSpace to investigate solutions to problems posed by their teacher. Students can be found creating

With low-tech and high-tech options for hands-on exploration, the MakerSpace is the ideal space for St. Johns students to imagine, inquire, create, and assess.

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1960s The class of 1966 is busy planning their 50th reunion in October of 2016. The reunion will take place in Carmel, CA. For more information, please contact Gayle Garrison, Director of Alumni Relations, at (904) 264-1524.

1970s Katherine Brecka ‘74 writes, “I went to St. Johns, but only through the 3rd grade. I have kept in touch and have fond memories of the education and the friends I had there. I would have been in the 1974 class, which includes Keith Hill and Peggy Sue Lamb (Williams). I was living in New York City for many years, but now live in San Diego.”

1980s Charles Ellmaker ‘80 came back to St. Johns to speak at Senior Presentation. See article and link on page 9.

to teaching, she was in emergency and surgical nursing.

Beth also reports, “my family (husband Ron and daughters Jennifer 9 and Emily 5) and I took a midnight adventure up to Plains, Georgia and attended President Jimmy Carter’s Sunday School class at Maranatha Baptist Church on August 30 of this year. It was incredible. He was so gracious and humble. We sat two rows behind him in church. Watching the Secret Service was fascinating.”

Amy Collins ‘94 has moved to New Orleans. She is still freelance writing and developing an online wine course that will spin off from her blog PigandVine.com that launched in early 2016.

Lauren Bartoy Gibbs ‘96 graduated from the University of Florida with a doctorate in Education and continues to work for the University of Florida’s Lastinger Center for Learning.

Erin Bare Willingham ‘98 and her husband Brian welcomed the birth of a baby girl named Ella in August.

Stephanie Sims Lind ‘84 has been working for Audio Realms Publishing in Chapel Hill, NC. They publish audiobooks in several different genres, but mainly horror. Her son Sam is a junior at Appalachian State University, majoring in mathematics.

The class of 1986 is planning a reunion for this year and being coordinated by Ami Patel, Tiffany Ramos Cardwell, and Jodie Hollingsworth. Contact Gayle Garrison, Director of Alumni Relations, at (904) 264-1524.

2000s

Ami Patel ‘86 came back to St. Johns to speak at the Founders Day celebration. See article on page13.

Jamie Lee Henry ’00, formerly James Henry, reports serving at Walter Reed National Medical Center as an internist and has appeared in the news as the first out transgender female Army officer. Major Henry recently married Dr. Anna Gabrielian, an anesthesia resident in Rockville, MD.

1990s Beth Guswiler Johnson ‘91 started nurse practitioner school at the University of South Alabama this fall and will be done in the spring of 2018. She currently teaches Practical Nursing to adult students at the Bradford-Union Technical Center in Starke, Florida, and next year will be her 20th year as a nurse. Prior

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Emily Israel ‘00 married David Foley on August 22 at the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club. They live in Ponte Vedra Beach.

Dustin Nemati ‘01 graduated from the University of Florida in 2006 and Florida Coastal School of Law in 2009. He worked as a prosecutor for the 4th Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office and has recently become an associate with the law firm of Douglas & Hedstrom, PA in Palatka.

Will Courtney ‘01 and his wife Heather are the youngest couple ever to chair an American Cancer Society event in Jacksonville. They took the leadership of the Old West themed Cowford Ball, which took place at the Jacksonville Fairgrounds on Saturday, October 3.

Erin Bartie Krueger ‘02 and her husband Brendan moved to New Mexico after a two-year stint in France. Erin is a substitute teacher for middle and high schools in her area while she works on writing novels and getting them published. Her husband works as a computational physicist at Los Alamos National Laboratory. They love living in New Mexico at over 7,500 feet, which Erin says is quite a change for a Florida girl!

Savannah Poole Di Eugenio ‘02 has started a company that makes teething toys for babies in the shapes of various mascots for five major universities, five National Football League teams, and five Major League Baseball teams. The toys will be sold in Target and college bookstores.

Maggie Williams ‘03 married Hill Peyton on the rooftop courtyard at the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club October 10, 2015.

Dr. Kate Mittauer ‘04 was the maid of honor. Maggie works for Lamb’s Yachts and her husband works for Gate Petroleum.

They live in Jacksonville.

Jessica Palombo ‘04 married Thomas Andrew Gustafson on November 21, 2015, at the Jacksonville Public Library in downtown Jacksonville. Her sister Danielle Palombo ‘08 was the maid of honor, and

Bethany (Schert) MacEwan ‘04 was a bridesmaid. Another St. Johns grad, Preethi Rajan ‘08, also attended. Jessica and Andrew live in Jacksonville, where Jessica is news director at WJCT public broadcasting.

The Class of 2005 had a reunion just after Christmas at The River House at Club Continental. Front Row L-R: Cody Slaughter, Glenwood Charles, Rob Neilson, Katie Thompson Neilson, Will Gibbs, Jillian Rosenberg, Christie Jones, Christina Madison, Lauren Darm Furey, Heather Furey. Back row from left to right: Kelly Standish, Max Mayo, Friend, Kelly Harrell, Marleigh Gibbs, Steve Boyer, Blake Chancey Boyer, Michael Rios, Molly Hallam.

Buck Williams ‘05 joined the Beard, Storm, Chappell Group of UBS Private Wealth Management as a financial advisor.

Prior to this, he worked for Fidelity Investments and Merrill Lynch. He and his wife are expecting their first child.

Lori Mackin Schoenherr ‘05 returned from deployment with the Navy in September.

Amy Conner Bailey ‘05 and her husband Mark welcomed the birth of a baby boy named Hudson in August.

Blake Brown ‘05 is engaged to be married.

Lauren Rollins ‘07 married Jason O’Toole on September 19 at the Ritz Carlton - Amelia Island. They live in New York City.

Joe Gear ‘07 graduated from Stetson Law, passed the Florida Bar Exam, and is practicing employment law in Federal court in Tampa.

Preethi Rajan ‘08 started medical school at the University of South Florida Health Morsani College of Medicine in the fall.

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Andi Caplin ‘08 married Tony Aguilera on December 19, 2015.

Sisters Tammy Caplin Jones ‘97 and Courtney Caplin Wold ‘02 were bridesmaids as were Emily Child Grove ‘08, Preethi Rajan ‘08 and Danielle Palombo ‘08.

Her brother Ricky Caplin ‘00 was a groomsman.

Caroline Myers ‘11 graduated magna cum laude from Florida State University in May 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in Studio Art and is preparing to enter the master’s program in Classics at FSU.

Phillip Robbins ‘08 was stationed at Fort Meade as an Information Warfare Officer and is heading to Navy Information Operations Command Hawaii in March 2016. He will be a member of a Navy Cyber Unit.

Bobby Harris ‘11 is working in Florida Governor Rick Scott’s office under the Inspector General. He is a program manager for the whistleblower hotline that investigates reports of fraud, waste, or ethical malfeasance. He lives in Tallahassee.

Bailey Kyle ‘08 is engaged to be married.

Kaili Torres ‘11 has yet to miss a game for the University of Virginia women’s soccer team and earned selection to the Nike Soccer Classic All-Tournament team.

Ian McComb ‘08 graduated from the University of Florida Physician’s Assistant Program in June. He accepted a position as a member of the critical care medicine team in the Neurointensive Care Unit at UF Shands Gainesville. Ian is engaged to be married.

After living in Kunming, China and Istanbul, Turkey for the past few years, TJ Weaver ’08 moved to Paris, France for graduate school. He is attending HEC Paris and participating in a program of the CEMS global alliance.

2010s Jordan Robbins ‘10 started a new job in Washington D.C. with the Children’s National Foundation as the Dance Marathon Coordinator.

William Myers ‘10 graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 2014 with a bachelors degree in Computer Science, and is currently a second lieutenant stationed at Fort Meade, Maryland.

Wesley Jinks ‘10 graduated from Auburn University in Building Science and Naval Science. He is now an officer in the US Navy.

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Kelsey Camera ‘10 graduated from Saint Leo University with a bachelors degree in Psychology and minor in Sociology. She is a Grades 3-6 Emotional/Behavioral Disability ESE Teacher with Clay County Schools, and is engaged to be married in May to Corey Babcock.

Taylor Shutt ‘11 graduated from the University of Alabama where she majored in advertising. She works for Digital Edge in Jacksonville on project management and social media marketing.

Tere’ Smith ‘11 graduated from Florida State University and is engaged to be married.

Sean Bowles ‘11 was tapped into Florida Blue Key, a student honor and service society at the University of Florida.

Caroline Weber ‘12 has been accepted to the University of Florida College of Law and Florida State University College of Law among others.

Jacob Dautel ‘13 transferred to the University of Florida and is living with his twin brother Dylan Dautel ‘13.

Kavan Kirk ‘13 is engaged to be married.

Rachel Vogt ‘13 and David Roy Wright were married on Saturday, October 10, 2015 in Callahan, FL in a “Country Chic” setting at Plantation Oaks Farms. The bridesmaids included St. Johns alumni Carly Camera ‘13, Brooke Cajthaml ‘13, Cassidy Shepherd ‘13 and Kerry Ann Spencer ‘14. Rachel’s brother, Robert Vogt ‘13 was a groomsman. Other St. Johns alumni in attendance included members of the class of 2013: Garrett Bishop, Jean Marie Maierhoffer, Lindsay Marshall, Kara McCurry, Andrew Petty, Caroline Robbins, Natalie Shaykh and Jess Wilensky. Rachel and David live in Jacksonville, where she is the Operations Manager for Land Transportation and attends the University of North Florida double majoring in Psychology and Criminal Justice. David works for Facility Automation Controls. Photo below.

Robert Vogt ‘13 received his Associates in Arts Degree from FSCJ in May and has transferred into the University of North Florida to continue his four-year degree in Business Management. He continues to own, operate, and manage his business, Turf Doctor Landscaping and Lawn, with more than 125 clients and growing.

Kelsey Stern ‘14 is loving UCLA and gave tours to several St. Johns students who came out to visit and tour the school.

Devin Murray ‘15 is going to school and working at WJCT. Kirby Powers ‘15 is a high jumper on the track team at the University of South Florida.

Chelsea Burns ‘15 is on the women’s soccer team at Duke University. She played in 24 games, scored two goals, and had two assists for Duke. She played in Duke’s NCAA College Cup semi-final victory over reigning champions FSU. Patrick Harding ‘15 is a regular starter for the men’s soccer team at Jacksonville University.

Nikki Aiosa ‘15 made the women’s club soccer team at the University of South Florida. She wrote Dr. Roman to say how similar her college lab requirements are to the AP Biology class and how well prepared she felt for her college courses!

Carson Pickett ‘12 started in all 25 games for FSU women’s soccer this season and helped the Seminoles reach the College Cup for the fifth season in a row. She received the Golden Torch award for having the highest GPA on the women’s soccer team, a 3.9. Carson was recently drafted as the fourth overall draft pick by the Seattle Reign.

Sarah Hartley ‘12 has been accepted early decision into the Florida State University College of Medicine’s Class of 2020.

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ALUMNI IN MEMORIAM General Rita Swink, mother of Katie Swink Reid ‘03 in September.

The Alumni soccer game took place December 19, 2015. 25 alumni came out to play soccer, watch soccer, visit, reconnect, and of course, eat! We hope you will make plans now to join us next year as this event continues to grow.

Mary Helen Hoff, mother of Charlie Hoff ‘83, Michael Hoff ‘80, Joe Hoff ‘87, Robert Hoff ‘82, and Suzanne Hoff Ogawa ‘85.

PUBLISHED BY St. Johns Country Day School

CONTACT FYI Mail:

3100 Doctors Lake Drive Orange Park, FL 32073-6997

Phone: (904) 264-9572 Email: sdawes@sjcds.net Web: sjcds.net

Sherron Nash, mother of Tyler McKinney Lasnetski ‘94 and Matt McKinney ‘96.

Weems Watkins, mother of Linda Watkins ‘73 and Charles Watkins ‘78, who also taught Grade 5 at St. Johns from 1971-1989.

Headmaster Edward M. Ellison

FYI Editor Director of Communications & Marketing Suzanne G. Dawes

Director of Alumni Relations The Alumni office hosted a reception for St. Johns alumni in the Orlando area on November 4, 2015.

Seven St. Johns alumni who attended ranged from the class of 1987 to 2014.

The St. Johns Singers recently sang at Windsor at Ortega, an assisted living facility, and were able to visit with Helen Adams. Mrs. Adams organized one of the first meetings between Dr. and Mrs. Heinrich and the founding families who helped start St. Johns in the 1950s.

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Rosalyn Henderson, former student and sister of alumna Kaye Henderson Stegnik ‘06, passed away in January.

2015- 2016 Board of Trustees Officers Jonathan C. Montgomery, President Tanya Powers, Vice President Thomas C. Paul, Treasurer Dr. Arjav Ted Shah, Secretary

Gayle Garrison

Director of Institutional Advancement Amy Weaver

Graphic Design Donna J. Conversano

Members Owene Weber Courtney Angela DeMonbreun Dr. Mark A. Dobbertien Gerri Duffey Lewis “Four” Dunton, IV Andrew L. Glassman Nancy Hogshead-Makar Dr. Steven B. Kailes John B. Linge, Jr. Marla Matson-Quattrone Sean M. McCormack Amy R. McGeorge Michael R. Spigel

Trustees Emeritus The Rev. Lila Byrd Brown Patricia A. Freeman Robert Liguori Sharon J. Suggs Headmaster Emeritus Stephen F. Russey Ex Officio Edward M. Ellison

Photography

Stay In Touch We are planning more alumni events in other cities so make sure to stay connected through email, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

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Contact Gayle Garrison, Director of Alumni Relations at ggarrison@sjcds.net (904) 264-1524

Donna J. Conversano Suzanne G. Dawes, St. Johns Communications

Connect with St. Johns fb.com/stjohnscountrydayschool fb.com/st.johnsathletics fb.com/sjcdsalumni

@sjcds @sjcdsathletics @sjcdsheadmaster @sjcdslibrary @sjcdsalums

sjcdsspartans

St. Johns Country Day School Alumni

cube/sjcds

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3100 Doctors Lake Drive Orange Park, FL 32073

U.S. Postage PAID Orange Park, FL Non-Profit Corp.

Permit No. 58

sjcds.net Fifth Straight Class 1A Championship for the Girls Varsity Soccer Team

Save The Date Spartans Golf Tournament Friday, April 22, 2016

Spring Fling Friday, April 29, 2016

Graduation Saturday, May 28, 2016

PA R E N T S O F G RA D UAT E S : If this publication is addressed to your son or daughter who no longer maintains permanent residence at your home, please notify us of his or her new address! If you would like to continue receiving FYI also, please let us know. Email Gayle Garrison, Director of Alumni Relations at ggarrison@sjcds.net or call (904) 264-1524.