The Weekly Sharkbeat Newsletter
November 9, 2025
Good evening, Shark Family. Thank you for another wonderful week at St. James High School! We continue to be grateful for our parents, students, and community who support our school so well.
As you may have seen, the SC School Report Cards were released this week. We were excited to receive an excellent rating, as our overall score increased yet again. I am especially proud of the work our students and teachers have done to be recognized as such a high achieving school.
Thank you to everyone who came out and joined us for Literacy Under the Lights last week! It was a fantastic evening of reading, connection, and community. We loved seeing our families engaged together in literacy activities designed to support our students’ academic growth and strengthen our school-to-home partnership.
I would also like to congratulate Dr. Sona Sargsyan on being named the 2025-2026 SJHS Teacher of the Year! We are so proud of the work she does and are honored for her to represent our school!
This week, we are looking forward to hosting our Veterans Day Assembly. This is one of the most meaningful traditions we have at St. James High School, and we invite all community Veterans to attend as we recognize and celebrate their service to our country. We value the opportunity to pause, reflect, and show our appreciation to the brave men and women who have served.
We would also like to extend a special thank you to the five Veterans who serve right here at SJHS each day: Timothy Cutnaw, Patrick Currie, Scott Bartley, Ryan Cirignano, and Officer Tom Kelliher.
Their service did not stop when their time in uniform ended — they continue to make a difference in the lives of students daily, and we are proud to have them as part of our Shark family.
I would also like to remind everyone that Fall Makeup pictures will be held on November 13 for underclassman students who missed picture day. Senior Makeup pictures will be held on Thursday, November 19.
Be sure to check the school website and social media pages for additional updates and information. The web address and social media links are listed below for your convenience. Thank you for choosing to be a part of the St. James family! Have great evening, keep swimming forward, and, as always, Go Sharks!
Ryan Poston
Principal
11/11/25 - Principal for a Day
11/11/25 - Veterans Day Ceremony
11/13/25 - Fall Makeup Pictures (Underclassmen)
11/13/25 - CATE Advisory and SIC Meeting - 6:00 PM
11/19/25 - Senior Makeup Pictures
11/21/25 - End Date 2nd Quarter/2nd Quarter Interims Available
11/24-28/25 - Thanksgiving Holiday - Schools and Offices Closed
12/14-19/25 - Christmas Spirit Week
12/15/25 - HOSA Blood Drive
12/16-18/25 - Elf Jr. Production
12/21/25 - First Day of Winter
12/22 - 1/2/26 - Winter Break - Schools and Offices Closed
Congratulations to our newly selected school-level Teacher of the Year! Ms. Sargsyan has been nominated as one of the outstanding educators being recognized by their peers for their dedication, innovation, and unwavering commitment to students. From this distinguished group, the journey toward naming the overall HCS Teacher of the Year will now proceed in two stages: first we will narrow the field to ten semifinalists, then select five finalists, before ultimately honoring the Teacher of the Year who will be named this spring.
Mark Your Calendars!
Underclassmen Makeup Day 11/13
Senior Makeup Day 11/19
Guidance Information
- We are wrapping up senior conferences so if you have not scheduled this with your child’s counselor please reach out to them.
- Ms. Laskos continues to update the scholarship list for seniors. Please be sure to encourage them to apply for as many scholarships as they can. You can also click here to access the scholarship list.
- Scholarships and grants are helpful ways to fund your child’s college education. They provide you with free money that can go towards tuition or other educational expenses.
To find and apply for scholarships, ask your child to sign up for Going Merry -- it’s free! Going Merry has thousands of national, regional, and local scholarships. There are also opportunities for every grade level, from freshmen to seniors.
To sign up, your child can go to: Sign up for Going Merry!
They can also download the Going Merry mobile app (and sign up that way) on iOS or Android.
- All 11th grade students (third year of high school) and 12th grade students (fourth year of high school) are being offered the opportunity to take the ACT or the SAT at their high school during the regular school week at no cost. The State Department of Education (SCDE) will be paying for one assessment per student this year. However, students must sign up in advance to take one of these tests.
Both the ACT and SAT are college entrance exams best suited for 4-year college bound students.
ACT is February 25, 2026 SAT is March 4, 2026
Please complete the google form that was emailed by Ms. Laskos by Friday, November 21st . If the form is not completed by November 21st your student will not be eligible to take either of the school day tests.
- College Funding Coach Rescheduled
This November 19th at 6:00pm is the day when all questions ever asked will be answered!
Okay, that's quite the overstatement, but The College Funding Coach® will be here to help parents understand the ways to pay for college without going broke! If you are a parent of a preschooler, a parent of a senior in high school, or a parent of anything in between, you will learn strategies to:
· Avoid jeopardizing your retirement nest egg
· Simultaneously save AND pay for college
· Pay for multiple children attending college at the same time
· And much, much more!
This is a free webinar event; however, your registration is appreciated. Please register through the following link:
St James High School – Little Known Secrets of Paying for College
Thanks so much and we hope you can join us!
- SJHS will have a food pantry this school year. If there are any families that are in need and can benefit from a weekly food box please reach out to Caroline Ross (cross@horrycountyschools.net).
- Don’t forget to check out our website where most of your questions can be answered:
If your student will be riding a bus and you need information regarding transportation, please use the button below to access the HCS Transportation web page.
The St. James Area Bus Office number is 843-650-1937.
All students in Horry County Schools will receive free breakfast and lunch during the 2025-2026 school year as part of the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program.
Students will still have the option to purchase additional meals, food & snack items, and beverages at à la carte prices. À la carte items can be paid for in cash or by prepayment on the student’s cafeteria account.
Visit https://bit.ly/3ILgJ9g for more information.
ST. JAMES HIGH SCHOOL
10800 Hwy 707
Murrells Inlet, SC 29576
Tel: 843-650-5600
Fax: 843-650-1004
Building Hours: Monday - Friday; 7:30 am - 4:30 pm
School Hours: 8:20 am - 3:15
Website: St. James High School / Homepage (horrycountyschools.net)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/St.JamesHighSchool
Daily Announcements: Daily student announcements are recorded on our SJH Shark Info page.
https://www.horrycountyschools.net/domain/3081
Weekly Updates: SJHS sends out a weekly update call and SHARK Newsletter via text and email on Sunday evenings.
Parent PowerSchool: Parent PowerSchool is an online tool for parents to keep in touch with their child’s grades and attendance. You may access parent portal at