As I reflect on the close of my fifth year leading St. John’s Episcopal School, I am reminded just how much progress has been made – notably that observed and recognized by the Florida Council of Independent Schools (FCIS) during their recent re-accreditation visit. Every aspect of school operations is markedly stronger and we are poised for even greater success next year and beyond.
It is particularly pleasing to be reminded by ‘outsiders’ of what is already widely known: St. John’s is a happy place where children thrive. “You are,” FCIS concluded, “truly living out your mission.” The report also noted that “students and families represent the school and its mission exceptionally well. They feel valued, loved, and supported by all constituents.” Not surprisingly, our teachers are also highlighted: “teachers are all dedicated and passionate about building relationships with their students so that each one is supported, engaged, and progressing to the best of his/her ability.” And so much more.
Continued accreditation is the ‘icing on the cake’ for what has been another tremendous year for the school. Our students have again excelled and made us all immensely proud of their achievements and successes in the classroom, on the court, in the studio, on the stage, and many other settings. Given all of this, it is little surprise that St. John’s continues to attract record interest. Next year’s enrollment is unparalleled with another year of extremely strong student retention. The Board of Trustees continues to work towards the completion of a truly historic and transformative master plan. The Class of 2024 will attend college prep high schools, both public and private. All of these very impressive achievements have taken place in an educational landscape which offers parents many choices.
Due to the wonderful philanthropic generosity of our community, I am especially proud of the extensive measures taken to make the school a much more secure place for children and employees, as well as major improvements in employee compensation, benefits, and recognition. We are a school fortunate to partner with wonderfully supportive school families. None of the tremendous successes the school continues to enjoy could have been achieved without the active participation of the school community. All of us at school are especially grateful to those who blessed us this year with a gift of their time, expertise, or philanthropic support. We appreciate all of you very much and will never take you for granted. Thank you for all you have done to help make the 2023-2024 school year another
one!
Hugh Jebson | Head
Journaling Unlocks Creativity
When it’s free time, I have many students writing. It’s nice to see them wanting to write – not just for the journal assignment. “
Journaling – expressing oneself in a journal through writings and drawings – is a rich component of the K(5) experience at St. John’s.
For the K(5) team (Mary Kathryn Brill, Amy Rodriguez and Lena Walz), incorporating this expressive mode into their classes has proven to be a fruitful way to sharpen a range of skills in students, while also providing an outlet that helps them find their creative voice on the written page.
From handwriting to sentence building to confidence in expression, learning to journal at this young age is a training ground for abilities needed in later years. “I tell students, writing is just expressing our thoughts on paper,” explains Kindergarten Teacher Lena Walz. “Journaling is an effective way to get them to open up and get ideas flowing.”
OVERCOMING RELUCTANCE
“I had a student in my class who would just shut down when it came to writing, and it seemed he was never going to want to write,” says Walz. “But by the end of the year [after journaling consistently], he was just filling up the page. It was nice to see him let go of that anxiety about putting his thoughts down on paper.”
Journaling can take a variety of forms and cover a wide range of topics, from recounting the activities students did over the weekend to writing about their family. For students who say they don’t have anything memorable to write about their weekend, verbal prompts by the teachers during one-on-one conferences – or pairing students together to have a conversation and then write in their journal – can help break that writer’s block.
“They can have a conversation with one of their peers and then write about it,” says Walz. Brill adds, “I tell my students, if you’re not feeling like writing a whole sentence, it’s fine to just make a list. For instance, if the topic is what your family did at Halloween, make a list of costumes you saw. Then maybe the next day, you can write a sentence. We try to take the pressure off of it, with the eventual goal to produce a sentence.”
BEING EXPRESSIVE
“Journaling gives students the freedom to write about whatever they want,” Walz adds. “It has to be on topic, but [a student can say] these sentences are mine. These thoughts are mine. With success at that, it just grows and they want to do it more, create more.”
“I had a student who needed extra help with focusing,” says Walz. “Completing his phonics or handwriting took some time and redirection. But when it came time to write in his journal, I never had to remind him to focus or stay on task. He wrote the most beautiful sentences! So that was nice to share with his parents, who were worried about him getting work done on time.”
DIFFERENTIATED EXPERIENCE
As a non-graded assignment, journaling also gives teachers the ability to adapt it to the needs and personality of their individual classrooms.
“The ideas and topics students are interested in in Ms. Brill’s class could be very different from Ms. Rodriquez’s class or mine, so the key is knowing your class and the things that interest them,” Walz says. “There’s not a strict rubric. We all incorporate sight words and phonetics, but it’s making that connection between reading and writing with each student.”
“We also place a lot of emphasis on illustration abilities, because a child might not be the best writer, but might be able to beautifully illustrate,” says Brill. “In my class, this year our directive is you have to use the number of colors for the age that you are,” she adds with a smile.
“The journals also allow us to look back where they started,” explains
Rodriguez. “You can see the progress they’ve made with handwriting and how they were writing at the beginning of the year – it’s impressive.” The goal is to have students able to write two to three sentences by the end of the year, Brill adds.
BUILDING A LOVE OF WRITING
“When it’s free time, I have many students writing,” says Brill. “They’re not writing in their journal but making signs for their desk or the like. They take the confidence gained from the journal and use it for fun and incorporate it into play. It’s nice to see them wanting to write – not just for the journal assignment.”
A Forum for Student Ideation
“It’s kind of like a living, breathing organism that changes all the time,” says Grade 3 Teacher Tara Novell with an enthusiastic smile. She’s describing the Town & Business Project that is a key element of the experience for children in that grade level at St. John’s.
The project – originally created by Chris Friedrich in 2016, who was then a Grade 3 teacher and is now the Innovation & Media Specialist for Grades 1-4 – compels students to work together to create a mock city, complete with jobs for every participant and a mayor elected by classmates.
The learning opportunities inherent in the project – which takes on different nuances every year – are abundant, agree fellow Grade 3 teachers Margaret Dorn and Jacqueline Wright. Students leverage a wide range of academic abilities, from the math skills involved in a business or city budget, to using tech to print 3D items for the project, as well as executive functioning skills like collaborating for community benefit and dealing with rejection if they run for mayor and aren’t elected.
The array of jobs available for these Grade 3 students is inspiring, and rather charming, including:
• Fitness trainer – leads the class in “brain breaks”
• Historian – writes an index card each week with classroom news (“John got braces!”)
• Birthday buddies – makes a card for classmates on birthdays
• Clergy – leads the lunch prayer and make sure children are well behaved in chapel
• Public works – changes the classroom schedule and maintains things hung up in the room
• Technology – makes sure iPads are charged
“The students come up with new jobs each year to keep it fresh,” Novell says. “They want to help make the town – and their school – a great place to be every day. Everyone has a role and something to contribute.”
LEARNING HOW COMMUNITIES WORK
The year-long project also introduces students to elements of city planning, including the need for places for homes, businesses, and parks, as well as water sources, places for trash, and more, Novell says.
“We have also used it as a springboard to study our neighborhood, as St. John’s is in a historic community,” explains Novell. “Moving forward, we plan to widen the scope to incorporate more Florida history. That paves the way to American and world history. Through this project, we build that connection to living history. Then as students are in the car with parents, they recognize buildings and broaden their awareness.”
The project introduces students to city planning, including places for homes, businesses, and parks, as well as water sources, places for trash, and more. “
The Town & Business project also gives students what is likely their first preview of applying for a job – or, if elected mayor, how to pick candidates for different positions available in the imaginary city.
“Each quarter, students apply for their top three positions on the job application and write out what makes them qualified for that job,” says Dorn. “That allows the mayor to make those decisions based on the application.”
THE BUSINESS CHALLENGE
The Town & Business Project is also intended to spark creative business ideas among students and give them a platform to present them in a format inspired by the television show “Shark Tank.” This “playground of ideas” is called the Business Challenge, and usually takes place in the middle of the year, says Novell. Students are free to create their own ideas based on observations – seeing an opportunity to fulfill a need with a good or service. The Business Challenge is not connected to their quarterly classroom jobs, she points out.
Regardless of how their idea fares with the judges panel of teachers and administrators, students learn communication skills and hone their
ability to present an idea to a crowd. This can be especially helpful to help students expand their comfort zone and learn to speak with confidence and poise in a very supportive environment, Novell says.
“Some students just come up with the idea and pitch it,” explains Dorn. “Some take it a step further and make a prototype. One student came up with the ideas of kitten mittens – to keep cats from scratching furniture. She made a prototype and put it on her cat, took pictures, and the students really enjoyed it.”
“Another student created headbands, and now has probably made 20 of them for classmates, giving them as birthday presents. I think every girl in my class has one,” Dorn laughs.
STUDENT-DRIVEN SUCCESS STORIES
For Dorn, one of many moments that stands out for her as a new St. John’s teacher who was introduced to this project this year was seeing more reserved students running for mayor. “One of my quieter students won, on the merit of proposing a book drive,” she says. “The other students saw that she wanted to serve the community, and elected her.”
The key, all three teachers agree, is to encourage a combination of community and autonomy that will serve students well as they later join the fabric of a community as adults. With an open ear to the ingenuity of the children, but guided by the structure of the project established originally by Friedrich, the project helps to breed confidence in students.
“It’s student-driven, fueled by what motivates them and aligns with their interests year to year,” says Novell. “Children have the best ideas – they blow me away every time.”
Connecting for Student Success
St. John’s Spanish teachers Ardeli Beaulieu and Paula Hernández-Dávila collaborate extensively to create a seamless cross-grade and cross-division experience for students as they move upwards from the Primary Division to Lower and Middle.
In this smooth continuum of Spanish language learning, they also prioritize a cross-pollination learning approach, synthesizing other educational disciplines such as art and history into the Spanish language instruction.
For this team, a wide-ranging educational approach comes naturally, based on the holistic way they view the study of Spanish. Their method involves more than just teaching grammar rules and vocabulary, they say: it’s a way to learn about an entire culture.
“Collaboration is a must for us,” says Beaulieu, Teacher of Grades 5-8 Spanish, of her fruitful partnership with Hernández-Dávila, Teacher of K(4)-4 Spanish. “It’s necessary with us being on different campuses, and also reinforces the language and cultural knowledge across grade levels.”
CROSS-POLLINATION
The team uses this approach creatively, teaching Spanish while also building leadership and collaboration skills in students.
“When I teach my Grade 1 students vocabulary words it’s a great way to partner with Middle Division so they can review as well. One example is school supplies,” explains Hernández-Dávila. “We connect with Ms. Beaulieu and her Grade 7 class on Zoom. One of her students comes on the screen and says the word lápiz - then I have one of my students translate it.” (Note: a lápiz is a pencil!)
This cross-grade collaboration helps younger students visualize the language mastery they’ll achieve in a few years, while reinforcing older students’ presentation skills and vocabulary.
CULTURAL ALPHABET
In the summer of 2023, Beaulieu and Hernández-Dávila used a travel grant funded by Eagles Fund donations to travel to Spain for professional development and learning opportunities as they compared notes with fellow Spanish language teachers. While visiting
Salamanca, Spain, they were introduced to the Cultural Alphabet, which they brought back to St. John’s as a tool for not only learning Spanish language but a wide range of cultural aspects, Beaulieu says.
For the Cultural Alphabet, Grade 3 and 7 students choose a Spanishspeaking country and create a document featuring something emblematic of that country using each letter of the alphabet. Students learn that there are 21 countries where Spanish is a primary language. If they pick Spain, for instance, their Cultural Alphabet might include the cities Almería for A and Barcelona for B, churros (a pastry) for C, the artist (Salvador) Dali for D, and so on.
HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH
Each year, National Hispanic Heritage Month (observed from September 15 to October 15) provides another opportunity to learn more about Spanish culture, the teachers say.
One sample project done during this month is drawing sugar skulls, a traditional Mexican art form, says Hernández-Dávila. “We have each student’s photo, with a clear sheet in front of it, on which they draw a sugar skull,” she explains. “When you lift the sheet up, you see the student’s face. Then you see the sugar skull when you drop the sheet.”
Beyond the art skills inherent in the project, it provides a window into viewing oneself more directly through the eyes of various Hispanic cultures.
CROSS-SUBJECT EXPERIENCES
Another learning opportunity the teachers use is an outing to an authentic Spanish restaurant in Ybor City, the Columbia Restaurant, says Beaulieu. She has collaborated with St. John’s Grade 8 English and History teachers to take students to this historic restaurant and have the students order in Spanish.
Easter provides another opportunity to collaborate not only with each other as a team but other departments as well. As one of the St. John’s events associated with the holiday, the Spanish team coordinated with the Latin and Divinity teachers on an Easter Egg Hunt using words that were reinforced across all three disciplines.
This allows them to emphasize commonalities, says HernándezDávila, such as the English word spiritual being very similar to the Spanish (espiritual) or Latin (spiritualem).
THE VALUE OF COLLABORATION
With a palpable enthusiasm based on mutual respect and love of their subject matter – not to mention lots of laughter as they discuss ideas – the Spanish language team sets the bar high for collaboration.
“Working together is one of the greatest tools, as it reinforces so many things, and it doesn’t cost any money!” says Beaulieu with a smile.
L to R: Ardeli Beaulieu and Paula Hernández-Dávila
Back to School Bash
The vibrant spirit of the St. John’s community came alive at the Back to School Bash on Thursday, September 14, 2023 at the JCC. Parents gathered for an evening of delicious food, refreshing drinks, and lively conversations. Amidst the festivities, excitement built as families learned about the school’s ambitious plans for growth through the launch of its Capital Campaign - A Place to Grow. A sense of unity and commitment flourished among the SJE community, marking the beginning of an inspiring journey toward new levels of excellence.
Grandparents & Grand Friends Day Santa Run
On Friday, November 10, 2023, grandparents and grand friends of St. John’s gathered across all campuses. It was a wonderful day celebrated with these remarkable individuals who play an important role in our students’ lives. These cherished guests came from various distances, with some visiting all three campuses in a single day. St. John’s is truly fortunate to have such a dedicated and extraordinary community of grandparents and grand friends!
Oh what fun it was to run! Past, present, and future SJE community members came together for the delightful Santa Run and Winter Family Festival on Saturday, December 2, 2023. Over 500 families and friends of the school attended, joined by a flurry of snowflakes and a cheerful visit from Santa! The event featured a 5K race, family fun run, pancake breakfast, and various other activities, offering something for everyone to enjoy.
Alumni Holiday Event
The St. John’s annual Alumni Holiday Party was a festive reunion held on Wednesday, December 20, 2023, that brought together over 100 alumni and alumni parents from the past 70 years of the school’s storied history. The event was filled with laughter, nostalgia, and holiday cheer as former students reconnected and shared memories of their time at the school. Alumni had the wonderful opportunity to catch up with former and current faculty, further enriching the evening with stories and reflections on the school’s legacy. This heartwarming celebration highlighted the wonderful bond within the SJE community and the lasting impact of the school’s legacy on generations of students.
We hope to see all of our alumni and alumni parents at next year’s gathering on Tuesday, December 17 at 5:30pm at Palma Ceia Golf & Country Club.
Celebratio
Celebratio returned in all its finest glory on Saturday, February 3, 2024, presented by Dietrich Kelso Orthodontics. Transforming The Gathering at Armature Works into a neon safari, this fundraising celebration was nothing short of spectacular! Guests enjoyed an unforgettable evening with mouthwatering food and drinks, incredible entertainment, and a heart-pounding live auction. All event proceeds went directly to support the Eagles Fund, and we are thrilled to announce that the overwhelming generosity of our community helped us raise $208,042!
Given this year’s tremendous success, we’re excited to move the event to the fall to keep the party going!
Mark your calendars for Saturday, November 9, at the JCC.
Evening of Thanks
In honor of our esteemed Circle of Excellence and Capital Campaign donors, Head of School, Mr. Hugh Jebson, hosted the 2024 Evening of Thanks event on Thursday, April 4, 2024. These philanthropic visionaries continue to spearhead monumental fundraising success with their extraordinary and generous support of St. John’s! Our faculty and staff are incredibly fortunate to have such wonderful families who consistently go above and beyond to enhance their child’s educational journey. This beautiful spring evening offered a perfect backdrop for donors and school leaders to mingle, celebrating and toasting the philanthropic triumphs of the school year together.
St. John’s Open
Fore! The St. John’s Open, the school’s annual golf scramble organized by the Dads’ Club, presented by Orthopaedic Medical Group, was a smashing hit! On Friday, April 19, 2024, teams made up of SJE parents, alumni, grandparents, partners, and friends hit the green at the Bay Palm Golf Complex on MacDill Airforce Base. It was fantastic to see so many community members enjoying a fun morning of friendly competition. A big thanks to the Dads’ Club for putting
Commencement
Congratulations, Class of 2024! The St. John’s community gathered in joyous celebration to honor the remarkable achievements of its graduates at the commencement ceremony on Thursday, May 23, 2024. This exceptional class, consisting of 53 outstanding students, is poised for success in high school and beyond. Impressively, 90% of those who applied to selective high schools received offers from their top choice for the coming year!
They will be attending the following schools this fall:
• Academy of the Holy Names
• Alonso High School IB Program
• Berkeley Preparatory School
• Calvary Christian High School
• Jesuit High School
• H.B. Plant High School
• Lexington Catholic High School
• Robinson High School IB Program
• Tampa Catholic High School
• Tampa Preparatory School
We couldn’t be prouder of all that our graduates have accomplished. We are confident they will continue to achieve extraordinary things in the future! St. John’s will forever be their home, and now it’s time for our alumni to spread their wings and soar into the world!
A Living Legacy of Involvement
With
three generations of Eagles at St.
John’s, Cathy and Bob Smith’s extended family is one of the school’s most vested.
For the couple, as well as their children and three of their grandchildren, the school has been an ideal fit through the decades, with lifelong benefits they’ve observed not only in their family, but in other students who have grown up in the St. John’s culture.
“The students who attend St. John’s are just so well prepared academically and for life,” says Cathy, explaining the benefits of attending the school. “Their educational experience at St. John’s creates a solid foundation for future success.”
Bob was the first of the family to become an Eagle, attending the school years ago as a Grade 8 student after his parents had been members of the church. Later, he and Cathy brought their three children – Kristin (Class of 1991), Justin (Class of 1994), and Megan (Class of 1999) – to St. John’s.
Currently, Kristin and husband Dan Greco’s three children attend the school: Austin (Class of 2024), Chase (rising Grade 6 student), and Audrey (rising Grade 1 student).
“The St. John’s community is so down to earth and grounded,” Cathy adds. “It feels like a cohesive, supportive, nurturing community. The parents here come from all walks of life, and it never feels exclusive. Everybody is treated equally.”
When originally choosing a school for their children, St. John’s wasn’t the most convenient one geographically, as Bob and Cathy were living in Odessa – but knew the drive would be worth it.
“We had a long drive to get into town to get the children to school – meeting in Carrollwood to carpool with other families,” Bob remembers with a laugh. “Another parent, an attorney who worked downtown, would load up nine children in his station wagon and drive down [to St. John’s], then other families would share the afternoon pickups. We felt so strongly that this was the best education for our children; it was worth the commute.”
We like the fact that we’re supporting an organization that benefits others beyond our grandchildren. We believe in the institution.
In addition, Megan was previously a Grade 1 teacher at St. John’s, and Dan is a current Board of Trustees member, serving on the Master Planning Committee.
DRAWN TO SCHOOL VALUES
With that type of longevity and commitment, it’s easy to understand why St. John’s feels like home to the extended Smith family.
“I think the values of the school help attract people who support those values,” explains Bob. “You see families who are nurturing and willing to invest in education.”
BECOMING EAGLES FUND DONORS
Beyond choosing the school for their children, Cathy and Bob became Eagles Fund donors to help provide additional resources to a school that has given them so much. Their decision was made easy, they explain, partly due to the financial value inherent in the education their kids and grandkids have received.
“For the quality of education you receive, it’s a great value compared to other independent schools,” Bob says. “The
students get an incredible education for a good price.”
The couple emphasize their interest in seeing the school succeed as an anchor of the community for years to come – beyond just the benefit to their own family. “We like the fact that we’re supporting an organization that benefits others beyond our grandchildren,” Bob explains. “We believe in the institution.”
“YOU
ARE VALUED”
“One of the greatest gifts grandparents can give is to support things related to their grandkids’ education, and certainly the Eagles Fund is part of that,” Cathy adds, explaining their desire to participate. “It creates expanded teaching resources and learning opportunities for the students. And there’s no doubt in my mind that those in leadership positions here will spend it wisely, for the good of the children.”
“What a wonderful message that giving to the Eagles Fund gives to your grandchildren, and all their fellow students: you are valued,” she says with a smile. “And it plants the seeds for their own philanthropy in the future. It feels wonderful to be impactful.”
L to R: Chase, Austin, and Audrey Greco
Cathy and Bob Smith with extended family
Encouraging Student and Teacher Innovation
The creative possibilities inherent in the title of Chris Friedrich’s position at St. John’s – Innovation & Media Specialist – helped attract him to move to this role after nine years with the school as a Grade 3 teacher.
With a solid track record of innovation during that prior role (including creating the Town & Business Project profiled earlier in this issue), Friedrich became the Innovation Teacher this school year.
He has leveraged the position as a way to inspire his Grade 1-4 students to expand their abilities in “The Four C’s” of modern learning: Critical thinking, Creative thinking, Communicating, and Collaborating. For Friedrich, this involves a mindset shift from the mostly academic focus of being a Grade 3 classroom teacher to encouraging his students to work together and take chances.
“A big component of this job is teaching students twenty-first century skills,” Friedrich says. “We don’t know what the job market will be when these younger children graduate from high school and college. In their homerooms they learn all the academic material, and in innovation class we want to give students flexible skills they can utilize no matter what they do.”
CREATING NEW OPPORTUNITIES
The Innovation Teacher role was created by St. John’s five years ago by fusing – metaphorically and literally – the library and computer lab, creating an innovation room by tearing down the wall between those two spaces. Befitting the class name, the curriculum has evolved creatively and organically since then, with Friedrich adding his ideas to continue shaping it.
“I’ve built on things prior teachers in this role have done and crafted something we all are proud of and excited about,” he adds. “The thinking is: we have this opportunity – how can we get the most out of it?”
A signature aspect of innovation classes is the emphasis on collaboration, with groups of students working together to solve problems. This tends to provide fuel for the other three educational C’s, explains Friedrich. This is especially important for students who were just beginning school during the pandemic.
“Learning to work together requires practice, especially after going through the pandemic,” he adds. “Many students weren’t interacting as much as normal at that time. In my class, I talk to them about communication and working with each other.”
THE CONFIDENCE TO TAKE CHANCES
New students in innovation class are encouraged to work on projects that involve generating ideas and taking risks, rather than focusing on completing a task or earning a grade.
“At the end of day, I’m not focused on how successful a particular project was, like building a cardboard chair for example,” Friedrich says, referring to one of the projects he assigns. “Whether the chair works is secondary to how the students worked together. Take risks – I encourage it!”
Friedrich has assembled an exciting list of projects his students engage in, including:
• Cardboard chair building
• Travel brochure collaboration with Spanish
• Google slides for Grandparents Day
• Digital citizenship discussions
• Board game creation
• Lego stop-motion video
• 3D modeling using TinkerCAD
• 3D printing
• Coding basics
• Photo editing in Canva
• iMovie creation based on characters from Narnia, working with Language Arts
“We create a Google drive where students can look at their past projects and see the growth,” says Friedrich. “It’s become a Virtual Museum at the end of the year we can share with parents.”
ENROLLING THEIR DAUGHTER AT ST. JOHN’S
In addition to being a St. John’s teacher, Friedrich and his wife Ashley are also parents at the school; their daughter Isabel was a new K(4) student this year. St. John’s emphasis on creative thinking and collaboration skills – so intrinsic to Chris’s position – is part of why they chose the school for their daughter.
“St. John’s has always had a fantastic reputation in the Tampa area,” Friedrich says. “Even before I was a teacher here, I’ve seen what the school does, so it really wasn’t a question. And the direction that Head of School, Hugh Jebson, has pushed the school in recent years has made us even better.”
Ashley agrees. “I’d always heard wonderful things about St. John’s, and just being with fellow parents and their children, I’ve been pleasantly surprised with how articulate and mature they are,” she says, adding that the couple looks forward to having their threeyear-old son Wyatt join his sister next year.
“The students seem genuinely interested in learning, and you see the success rate of graduates and where they go onwards.”
Their daughter Isabel loves her teachers and is excited about learning to read, Ashley says. She is also always looking forward to Parent Chapel every Friday morning.
It’s easy to note parallels between the enthusiasm level of both Isabel and Chris when going to school each day.
“I feel supported by school leadership and trusted to have autonomy within my classroom. When I or another teacher has an idea to try out, there’s a lot of support for that. Basically, in innovation classes, we encourage flexibility in the students – and we’re afforded that too.”
Students are encouraged to generate ideas and take risks. “
L to R: Wyatt, Chris, Ashley and Isabel Friedrich
Capital Campaign
A PLACE to GROW
At St. John’s Episcopal School, we are dedicated to fostering academic excellence, spiritual growth, and character development in our students. Guided by our Episcopal values of inclusivity, compassion, and service, we are committed to providing transformative educational experiences that empower our students to excel as compassionate leaders in our global society.
To advance this mission, we embarked on a capital campaign aimed at enhancing our people, places, and programs. With a vision to raise $25 million, we seek to enrich our curriculum, strengthen our faculty, upgrade our facilities, and broaden our extracurricular offerings. Through this campaign, we aim to create an environment that nurtures intellectual curiosity, fosters creativity, and instills a lifelong love for learning in every student.
Together, with the support of our dedicated community of parents, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends, we will ensure St. John’s Episcopal School remains a beacon of educational excellence for generations to come.
Capital Campaign to Date
TOP CAMPAIGN ACCOMPLISHMENTS
$4.1M raised from 7/1/23 - 6/30/24
Secured largest gift in school’s history ($3M)
Secured second-largest gift in school’s history ($1.5M)
MARKETING / PR / PRESENTATIONS
Presentation: Back to School Bash
PR: “Exclusive: St. John’s Episcopal School received $3M gift for new campus” - Tampa Bay Business Journal
Ad: Tampa Bay Business Journal
Presentation: SJE Alumni Reception
PR: “South Tampa school expected to make a major footprint” - WFLA
PR: “Seventy Five Years of Education Excellence”TAMPA Magazine
The Eagles Fund is St. John’s annual fundraiser and is the cornerstone of all giving to St. John’s that supports the ongoing day-to-day operational expenses of the school. These unrestricted, tax-deductible gifts are an immediate, tangible investment in the daily life of students and are a crucial complement to our tuition revenue and endowment. The Eagles Fund is essential to attract and retain outstanding faculty; help provide financial assistance and scholarships; security to keep our community safe; support new, exciting curricula, programming, technological innovations…and much more!
$284 ,035
GRADE
Eagles Fund Donors
Anonymous Gift (6)
Ms. Margaret Abreu
Ms. Angie Aldana
Ms. Monica Amodio A um
Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Arcario A um
Mrs. Catherine Bailey
Mr. Armando Barbosa
Mrs. Glenda Barlow CoE
Mr. Anthony Terrana and Ms. Sarah Barnhart
Mr. and Mrs. Alston Barrow
A um CoE
Mr. James Bavinger and Mrs. Catherine Clayton
Ms. Ardeli Beaulieu
Mr. and Mrs. Adam Berry CoE
Mr. Jon Berry
Mr. Petar Besalev and Mrs. Dimitrina Atanasova CoE
Mr. Al Besse A um
Mrs. Deb Bexley
Mr. and Mrs. Jon Biller CoE
Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Blades C E
Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Blankenship
Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Bollin A um
Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Brandriff CoE
Ms. Mary Kathryn Brill
Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Brozyna
Dr. Carole Byrd
Mr. and Mrs. Andre P. Callen C E
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Carr
Ms. Janet O. Carroll
Mr. Andres Castro, Jr.
Dr. and Mrs. Jason Chung
Mr. and Mrs. John Clabby
Ms. Stephanie Cole
Ms. Jennifer Collins
Mr. and Mrs. LeRoy Collins III A um The Rev. Charles E. Connelly
Mr. and Mrs. Mike Corcell CoE
Mr. and Mrs. Jack Cormier
Mr. and Mrs. Hilario Costa
Mr. Robert Courtney and Mrs. Vlada Varfolomeeva CoE
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Cox
Mr. and Mrs. J. Baron Crager C E
Mr. and Mrs. Sean Curley
Mr. and Mrs. Ben Dachepalli CoE
Mr. and Mrs. Alberto de Alejo III A um
Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Deming
Mr. and Mrs. John DeOrio
Mr. and Mrs. Tim Diasti CoE
Mr. and Mrs. Russel Dingman
Ms. Margaret Dorn
Mr. C. Powers Dorsett C E
Mr. and Mrs. William Doyle CoE
Mr. Christopher Dutton A um
Mr. and Mrs. Richard D. Eckhard
Dr. and Mrs. Norman Bruce Edgerton CoE
Mr. and Mrs. David E. Edgerton
Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Edmondson
Ms. Jen Eggleston
Mr. and Mrs. Travis Elrod
Mr. and Mrs. Justin English
Ms. Mary Lou Ewing
Ms. Jennie Fenley
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Fenlon
Mr. Richard Ferlita
Mr. and Ms. Kenneth Fernandez
Mrs. Adelaide G. Few
Mr. Michael Fields
Mr. and Mrs. Mark Forsythe
Mr. and Mrs. John Fohr CoE
Mr. and Mrs. Jason Fowler
Ms. Virginia B. French A um
Mr. and Mrs. Chris Friedrich
Dr. Gregory G. Gaar and Mr. Timothy Andreu CoE
Dr. and Mrs. Jeremy Gaffney CoE
Ms. Kristie Gajdosz
Mr. and Mrs. Jason Garber
Mr. and Mrs. Garret Garcia A um CoE
Mr. and Mrs. Ryan N. Garis C E
Dr. Jude Pierre and Ms. Christine Gaveau
Mrs. Brandi Gehrke
Mr. Billy Gillen III
Mr. and Mrs. Drew Graham C E
Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Greco II A um CoE
Mr. and Mrs. Hayes Greep CoE
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Hadlow CoE
Mr. and Mrs. Eric Hall
Ms. Patricia Hambley and Mr. William Hambley
Mr. and Mrs. J. Ned Hancock
Mr. and Mrs. Peter Harrington CoE
Mr. and Mrs. Gerold A. Hayden, Sr.
Mr. and Mrs. Jason Heffelmire
Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Michael Hendricks
Mr. and Mrs. Pete Hoar
Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Hubbard
Dr. and Mrs. Keith Hutchinson A um
Ms. Lindsay Hutchinson
Dr. and Mrs. Sam Hutton
Mr. and Mrs. Henry F. Ibanez
Mrs. Genevieve Ickovic
Mr. and Mrs. Joey Ijjas
Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Jebson CoE
Mr. and Mrs. Henry Jimenez CoE
Mr. and Mrs. Shirin Kanji CoE
Dr. and Mrs. Lazarus Kavouklis
Ms. Gail Kelley
Mr. and Mrs. Chad Kellogg
Ms. Paulina Kelly
Ms. Candice Kenzig
Mr. and Mrs. Tom Kersting
Mr. and Mrs. Joshua Kidd
Mr. and Mrs. McGregor King
Mr. and Mrs. Gary Koch
Mr. and Mrs. Mike Koulianos CoE
Mr. and Mrs. Aaron Kreye
Mr. Daniel Lachaga and Ms. Rebecca Sanford CoE
Mr. and Mrs. Nathaniel Lacktman CoE
Mrs. Carol LaMonte
Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin LaMonte CoE
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Landram
Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Lawrence
Dr. and Mrs. Daniel Lee CoE
Mr. and Ms. Hudson Lenfestey A um
Mr. Derek Lester
Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Loupin
Mr. Thomas Luzier and
Mrs. Allison Beard Luzier
Mr. and Mrs. William Lyon
Mr. and Mrs. William Lytell
Mr. and Mrs. William Malone CoE
Mr. Max Castro and Mrs. Marsha Martin
Mr. and Mrs. Paul D. McFarland
Mr. and Mrs. AJ Medina
Mr. and Mrs. William H. Mehr
Mr. and Mrs. James Metcalfe
Mr. and Mrs. John Mikel
Mr. and Mrs. James Miller CoE
Ms. Maria Mohammed
Mr. and Mrs. James Moody
Ms. Lee Moore
Mr. Sergio J. Re and Dr. Jamie P. Morano-Re
Mr. Michael Morris
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Mueller
Mr. and Mrs. Sean Mullin
Ms. Alison Murphy
Mr. Matthew Nachtrab and
Ms. Jessica Kuch CoE
Mr. Lam Nguyen and Mrs. Giannina Ghezzi Nguyen
Mr. and Mrs. Eduardo Niebles
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Norton
Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Novell
Dr. Matthew Beatty and Mrs. Kendal R. Ogles
Dr. and Mrs. Brendan O’Malley
Mrs. Bessie M. Palios
Mr. and Dr. Jeffery Patenaude A um
Mr. and Mrs. Jimmy Pearsall
Ms. Patricia Peternell
Mr. and Mrs. Sean Phillips
Dr. Michael Poch and Ms. Leah Perlman CoE
Mr. and Ms. Bradley Price
Mr. Frank Quaranda, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. John Racener CoE
Mr. and Mrs. Tom L. Rankin
Dr. Martin Rasp
Mr. and Mrs. Sudhakar Reddy
Mr. and Mrs. Preston Reid
Mr. and Mrs. Doug Revelle
Mr. and Mrs. Rene Rivas
Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Rich CoE
Mr. and Mrs. Gregory Rix
Mr. and Mrs. Gordon R. Rode
Dr. and Mrs. Douglas Rodriguez
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Rollins
Mr. and Mrs. Olivier Rougié CoE
Dr. Ghassan El-Haddad and Mrs. Lara Saade C E
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Salzer A um
Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Schentrup
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Schmidt
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Scott
Ms. Ursula Sellitti
Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Sellitti CoE
Mr. Russell Riley and Ms. Clare Seng
Dr. and Mrs. Michael Simon
Mr. and Mrs. Joshua Smith
Ms. Linda Spears
Mr. and Mrs. Peter Spencer
Mr. and Mrs. Hampton Stephens A um CoE
Mr. and Mrs. Chris Stewart CoE
Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Straske II CoE
Mr. and Mrs. Trent Strauch
Mr. and Mrs. Stefan Sumby A um
Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Sumby
Ms. Shima Suzuki
Mr. and Mrs. Conrad Szymanski CoE
Ms. Marci Thomas
Ms. Sue Thompson
Mr. Alfred Tirella
Mr. and Mrs. Pete Toledo
Mrs. Betty Valenti
Dr. and Mrs. Daniel A. Vincent, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Wagner CoE
Mr. and Mrs. Sean Walz
and
Mr. and Mrs.
Mr. and Mrs.
Celebratio Sponsors
Safari Trailblazer Presenting Sponsor: Dietrich Kelso
Entertainment Sponsor: Cort and Michelle Martin
Primate Playgound Photobooth Sponsor: Orthopedic Medical Group of Tampa Bay/Dr. Thao Nguyen & Mr. Dustin
Page/Dr. Mark Sando & Dr. Jane Sando
Primate Playground Bar Sponsor: The UPS Store/ Regina and Bill Pugh
Ellison Companies Florida E.N.T & Allergy, Dr. Scott Anderson
Transphos/Brian & Melissa Whitney
Wilderness Wonder Sponsors: Anton/Garcia Attorneys at Law
David and Brenda Byrne
Dr Christopher & Mattie DuCoin
Dr. Jon Burton & Dr. Estrella Carballido Burton
Dr. Noah DeVicente & Dr. Beverly Deliz
Eric and Mandy Frantzen
Frazier & Deeter/ Mike & Molly Hendricks
Healthcare Reality Group/ Carleton and Anne Compton
Himes Breakfast House
Management Information Services
and Erin Seaverson
& Kylie Ponton Ryan and Alexa Parker
and Jessica McCarry
Your Support Elevates The Eagles Fund
Every year, our St. John’s community showcases their deep personal and collective commitment through their generous donations to the school.
The overwhelming philanthropic support during the 2023-’24 school year was truly inspiring and strongly affirms our shared belief in our mission to prepare each child for lifelong intellectual and spiritual growth through a superior educational experience both in and out of the classroom.
Now more than ever, our hearts are filled with immense gratitude for your unwavering support.
Together, we are shaping the future of St. John’s and ensuring that our school remains a beacon of transformative education, empowering every child to thrive.
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