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I am excited to share that February 9-15, I will attend the Hillsdale Leadership Conference! I will also have the opportunity to connect with potential teachers. The possible educators are Hillsdale students, so it is a great chance to recruit like-minded individuals who align with our mission and values. I'm thrilled to bring back some wisdom from the conference.

We are beginning the interview process of candidates for Teacher of the Year and Staff Support of the Year. I cannot wait to see who will have the honor of representing us!

Mrs. Sarah Martin, one of our very own, will speak at The Art of Teaching: American History Conference in Orlando on 1/31. It is a prestigious event, presented by the Hoogland Center for Teacher Excellence. I am honored to have her represent SJCA at this conference!

-Carole McCullough

Please note, we've made changes to Wednesday's co-curricular schedule. These changes are effective for the rest of the school year.

Please join us for an unforgettable Lions Winter Gala at St. Johns Classical Academy, where we will showcase our classically-educated scholars and virtuous curriculum while raising funds to support our thriving campus.

The keynote speaker at this Lions Council event is Congressman Aaron Bean, and our own Head of School Carole McCullough will share her story as well.

Live auction

Congressman Bean will auction off three big-ticket items including a four-hour inshore fishing charter for two, a private nighttime tour of the Capitol with Congressman Aaron Bean, and original pottery pieces crafted by Mr. Ross.

Online auction

Our annual online auction is back and better than ever!

You will find the traditional SJCA favorites: Gold Passes, Preferred Seating at Events, Prom Package, and Preferred Lockers. There are also new and unique items such as a Painting Party hosted by SJCA's one and only Mr. Ross, STEM and Coding Packages, and baskets full of various items donated and put together by parents.

Don't miss out on the action! We offer an easy to use and safe platform of bidding.

Watch your inbox for an online auction preview!

Bidding begins Friday, February 7 at 6:00pm and ends February 9 at 8:00pm.

Advance ticket sales only. No sales at the door. Online ticket sales close Wednesday, February 5.

To prepare for the Lions Winter Gala, SJCA has an early release day on Friday, February 7. Please mark your calendars.

If you'd like your scholar to have lunch on the early release day, February 7, you can pre-order pizza.

Scholars who pre-order the pizza lunch will come through the lunch line before their dismissal begins. Lunch will be in a to-go container. To help with carrying the lunch and milk (if chosen), we will place it in a recycled bag for grades K-2.

Deadline to order is 4:00pm, Tuesday, February 4.

Mark your calendars for the inaugural Post High School Fair.

During this event, you can visit various post high school tables that represent colleges, trade schools, community colleges, and the military. Parents and scholars are invited to attend together to learn more about options beyond high school.

During the school day on March 4, scholars in 11th grade will meet with their academic advisors for a post high school retreat from periods 1-3.

On January 27th, four talented scholars shared their gifts in the 2025 Clay Secondary All-County Choir Concert with integrity and excellence. They represented SJCA in the junior high treble choir, high school women’s choir, and high school SATB choir. All four ladies went through a rigorous audition process to be selected for this honor, followed by intense rehearsal schedule. They each contributed to the creation of outstanding music and we are so proud!

Congrats to the eight SJCA scholars who participated in High School All-County Band at the Thrasher-Horne Center. Your hard work and dedication is appreciated. (Pictured below are 7 of the 8 scholars who participated).

Our upper school Drama Club is hard at work rehearsing for the upcoming spring musical, Fiddler on the Roof, Jr! Mrs. Kiep and Mrs. Crosby are so impressed with our thespian scholars. This will be a production you don't want to miss!

Mark your calendar now for February 21-23 at the Orange Park campus stage.

Stay tuned to the Lion Line for ticket information to be released.

Are you connected to a business that would consider supporting Fine Arts at SJCA? Do you have a scholar in the production whom you'd like to give a special shoutout?

Please consider purchasing an ad in the playbill program. Ads will reach large audiences at four performances and proceeds directly benefit the Drama Club, ensuring we can continue providing theatre opportunities for our scholars.

The ad submission form is attached below. The deadline to submit is February 7.

Reach out to cassie.crosby@stjca.org with questions.

The SJCA Yearbook Staff is looking for pictures of sporting events, field trips, and on-campus activities. If you have pictures to share, please email them, along with a description, to: editor@stjca.org.

The American Heart Association Kids Heart Challenge forms went home on January 28. You can sign up and raise $150 before Feb 10 to receive a key chain. If you raise $300, you'll receive a car line sign.

After gauging interest in soccer through our camp in January, SJCA plans to field a 7v7 boys middle school soccer team.

SJCA will host soccer try outs over the course of three days at the end of February. If your scholar plans to try out, plan for them to attend all three days.

As we build out a soccer team, we're looking for a soccer manager. This manager can be in grades 8-12 and can earn service hours.

The Roaring Lions came home from Cheerfest Nationals with two 1st place banners and CHAMPION jackets! Congratulations!

Come to the Orange Park Campus to watch our flag football team in action on Monday and Tuesday.

SJCA's Athletics Program is growing, thanks in large part to the VOLUNTEER coaches who are willing to devote their personal time to our school and our growing teams. If you're a coach, we appreciate you!

You can wish your scholar a happy birthday on SJCA's outdoor sign. If you're interested, go to MySchoolBucks and register at least TWO WEEKS BEFORE your scholar's birthday. The cost is $20. The birthday announcement will run from 6:00am to 6:00pm on your scholar's birthday.

All funds raised benefit SJCA Athletics and PE.

The Athletics Department and The National Honor Society will host SJCA's Inaugural Color Run. Don't miss out on the fun! If you register early, you can save money. The registration fee of $25/participant includes a t-shirt and a medal. Parents are invited to run too.

Grades K-1 ~ One lap run

Grades 2-12 ~ Two mile run

Food and concessions will be on site for purchase.

Points of Contact: Coach Sage: matthew.sage@stjca.org or Mrs. Cosme: anamaria.cosme@stjca.org.

Last year, our Safety Patrols led an inspiring philanthropy project that collected and delivered supplies to a remote Indigenous tribe on the Pacific coast of Panama. SJCA teachers traveled to the village to personally hand these supplies over, making a meaningful impact. We are excited to announce that we are scheduled to return this spring break for another trip.

This year, let’s continue “Doing the Good” by helping the Safety Patrol bless this community with the supplies they need. We’ve been in touch with the tribe's chief and teacher, and they’ve provided a list of items they are currently in need of. If you can, please donate:

• School supplies: modeling clay, notebooks, binders, filler paper
• Coloring books
• Outdoor play equipment: soccer balls, basketballs, footballs, baseballs, volleyballs, kickballs, etc.
• Children’s bikes or scooters (gently used are welcome)
• Learning materials in Spanish: books, posters, etc.

For more details about our trip and to learn more about the Embera Tribe, please join our Google Classroom using the code: jpa52pl

If you have any questions about the donations, feel free to reach out to Mrs. Hancock at liberty.hancock@stjca.org

Let’s continue to make a positive impact by “Doing the Good” together!

Pictured below are three of our teachers who visited the tribe last year.

Thank you to all the parents who took time out of their busy evening to come and support our teachers and staff all while having a family-friendly, fun time at Skate Station earlier this month. The excitement as scholars were competing to have the most scholars present was absolutely priceless.

Now, to announce the winners:

• Grammar school winners: Ms. Croft and Ms. Kujawa’s class (tied)
• Upper school winners: Ms. Babcock’s class

Stay tuned, an ice cream party on 1/28 is in the works for our winning classes.

Get ready for another 1776 Promise Spirit Day. Scholars may wear red, white, and blue spirit shirts or outfits. All proceeds collected will go directly towards the 1776 Promise Campaign to benefit our teachers.

When: Thursday, February 13

Cost: $2 to participate, per scholar

Payment: You can pay in cash and give it to your teacher, pay online with this link, or scan the QR code. Please note, you cannont pay via MySchoolBucks.

Tops: Should be primarily red, white, or blue in color. No political language or pictures. No face paint.

Bottoms: Standard spirit day bottoms. Jeans or jean shorts to the knee without tears or rips. Uniform shorts or any khaki or navy blue shorts to the knee. No athletic shorts unless you have PE that day.

✅ If you need or want to set limits on spending, please contact Lunch@stjca.org.

✅ To view your lunch account(s) and add funds, please visit: http://www.myschoolbucks.com/.

✅ If you would like to check your eligibility for Free/Reduced Lunch, please click HERE.

The National Honor Society is planning two events. Please mark your calendars and watch for additional details in The Lion Line.

• Father/Daughter Dance: March 29, 2025 - 7:00-9:00pm
• Mother/Daughter Tea: May 17, 2025 - 11:00-12:30pm

Also, for planning purposes, here's a look at the dates for spring break.

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