The Weekly Sharkbeat Newsletter

Good evening, Shark Family and Happy Spirit Week! We are looking forward to all of this week's Homecoming Festivities and Celebrations!

We have dress up themes scheduled for each day this week. The dress up themes are listed in our newsletter. On Friday, we will hold our annual Homecoming Float Parade around the SJHS Parking lot beginning at 5:00 PM. The parade will be followed by a Student/Faculty Tailgate on the football practice fields. We will end our Homecoming Festivities by crowning our 2025 Homecoming King and Queen at halftime of the football game.

Finally this evening, we continue to monitor potential inclement weather in the coming days. While no decision has been made at this time, please take a moment to review our SJHS e-Learning procedures in this week's newsletter in the event we have to shift due to the weather.

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

9/30 - 10/3 - Homecoming Spirit Week

10/1/25 - Advisory Schedule

10/1/25 - Fields of Faith - 6:15 PM in Shark Stadium

10/2/25 - ESOL Parent Meeting - 9:00 AM

10/3/25 - Homecoming & Pep Rally

10/3/25 - Homecoming Parade and Tailgate

10/4/25 - Fin Frenzy Cheer Competition

10/8/25 - Advisory Schedule

10/8/25 - EdOp College Fair

10/9/25 - School Improvement Council - 12:00 PM

10/11/25 - Fin Fest Band Competition

10/13/25 - Student Holiday, schools closed

10/14/25 - Student Holiday, staff development day

10/15/25 - Fall Choir Concert - 6:00 PM

10/22/25 - End date for 1st quarter

Although no decision has been made to modify our operational schedule, out of an abundance of caution we are sharing our e-Learning Guidelines.

You are invited to attend an ESOL parent meeting at St. James High School on Thursday, October 2nd from 9 am -10 am in the Media Center. This is a wonderful opportunity for you to learn about resources that are available for your child at St. James High School. These resources are specifically designed to support your child's academic success. We are looking forward to seeing you at the meeting.

Senior Year is an exciting time! Senior students and parents may use the link below to access the Senior Newsletter. Please take a moment to review it!

The Senior Trip to Disney & Universal is up and live on MyPaymentsPlus – the first bus is filling up quickly so make sure you submit your deposit and all forms on MyPaymentsPlus. The initial deposit is $260 and you can make the other payments according to the payment schedule on the Information Sheet. The trip is first come, first serve, so be sure to sign up soon to reserve your spot on the trip. If you have any questions see Coach Hudacko or Mrs. Crews - extra forms are at the front desk on green papers as well.

As we get ready for Friday night’s game, we want to remind everyone of our expectations. Please stay in the bleachers during the game and avoid hanging out behind them. If you step away for concessions or the restroom, head back to your seat right after. Let’s keep our games safe, fun, and full of Shark spirit!

Dates to Pencil in:

CogAT testing October 7

PSAT Testing October 15 (10th grade) and October 22 (11th grade)

ASVAB testing October 17

WIN testing October 27

Students who are taking the PSAT in October please check your email from Mrs. Laskos with important instructions about downloading the Blue Book account. This is required before test day.

SJHS has 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:

SJHS Guidance Webpage

Senior conferences have started in the counseling department. Students and parents have been sent several emails about signing up for these important meetings with counselors. We look forward to getting everything lined up for your last year of high school.

St. James High School will be hosting a college fair for our students on October 8, 2025. There is also a College Fair for parents and students at Coastal Carolina University on October 7. To attend the College fair, the student will need to register for a barcode that they will need to show to enter. This is so they can show the colleges their barcode and the college rep will scan and have the student’s information.

You can choose 1 date or you may choose to attend both. Below is the information about the dates and times. I have also attached the list of participating colleges.

Daytime: October 8th Only Students

Time: 1:45-2:45 pm (Seniors 1:45-2:15, Juniors 2:15-2:45)

Location: Main Gym at St. James High School

Nighttime: October 7th Students & Parents

Time: 5:30-7:00 pm

Location: Scholars Academy on Coastal Carolina University’s campus

Student Registration - StriveFair.com

Students visit StriveFair.com to get registered to receive their barcode. They receive it right away, and they receive a reminder barcode sent via text and email 2 hours prior to the fair.Students need to print out the barcode to show at the door.

College Application Day will be October 31. Students will be able to sign up and come to get started on applications. Counselors and college representatives will be available to assist students with this.

Students will get an email about signing up for this closer to this date.

At St. James High School, we are committed to helping students succeed both in and out of the classroom. In today’s world, that includes learning how to use technology safely and responsibly.

To support this, the district uses Linewize monitoring on all school-issued devices. Linewize is a tool that helps keep students safe online by:

• Filtering harmful content – It blocks inappropriate websites and alerts us if a student tries to access unsafe material.

• Encouraging focus – It helps reduce online distractions so students can stay on task during learning time.

• Providing insight – It gives teachers and administrators information about how devices are being used, so we can step in with support when needed.

It’s important for families to know that Linewize monitoring runs 24/7 on school-issued devices, whether they are being used at school, at home, or anywhere else. This ensures students remain safe and accountable anytime they are online with a school device.

Just like students are expected to behave responsibly in the classroom or on the athletic field, they are also expected to show digital responsibility when using their school device. This means:

• Using the device for schoolwork and positive purposes.

• Respecting digital boundaries, such as avoiding inappropriate websites, apps, or chats.

• Making good choices online, knowing that their digital actions have real-life consequences.

Please note that inappropriate searches, online activity, or communications on a school-issued device may result in disciplinary consequences, just as if those choices were made in person at school.

By practicing responsible digital habits now, students are building skills that will help them in high school, college, future careers, and their personal lives. Linewize acts as a safety net, but the ultimate goal is to teach students to make wise, independent choices online.

Together, with your partnership at home, we can guide our students toward becoming safe, respectful, and responsible digital citizens.

Our attendance policies have changed this school year, please refer to our website for the most up to date information:

https://www.horrycountyschools.net/departments-services/policy-and-legal-issues/attendance-policy-updates

Please click above to access the 25-26 SJHS Student Handbook.

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.

After School Tutoring begins on Tuesday, September 2.

Please scan or click on the QR code below to purchase an all Sports Pass. This pass will grant one entry scan into ALL regular season home games at St. James High School.

Want to stay connected to Shark Athletics? Download the St. James Athletics App! See the graphic below for details.

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

https://myps.horrycountyschools.net/public/