FI_Lion Line_4/17/25
4/17/25
Hello SJCA Families,
Earlier this week, I announced some exciting updates for next year that I want to share with everyone.
For starters, we’re planning to move both fifth and sixth grade scholars to the new gym building next year. Our fifth-grade scholars are too old to be in grammar school hallways and our sixth-grade scholars are too young to be upstairs. By making this change, we hope to give scholars in both grades their own space to mature.
Due to this change, the uniforms that fifth graders currently wear will not change as they move to sixth grade; this includes formal uniforms.
Next year, we will also encourage upper school scholars to participate in Dual Enrollment with St. Johns River State College and begin offering more Advanced Placement (AP) courses. This year, we offered one AP course, but that will change next year.
Let me be clear, we will make these enhancements without straying from our Hillsdale curriculum. While we proudly stand by our classical model, our graduates need to be competitive in the real world. I believe we can do both successfully.
Our plans to add Dual Enrollment and AP Courses are still unfolding, but we want you to know that we’ve heard your requests and are committed to enhancing our upper school offerings.
We plan to release more specifics in the near future, but here are a few takeaways:
AP course offerings will be open to scholars in 9-12 grade; Dual Enrollment is open to scholars in 11-12 grade
Both Dual Enrollment and AP Courses will be weighted on a 5.0 scale
Scholars who Dual Enroll can take late afternoon, evening, or virtual classes, but may not leave campus to do so; classes are taken on the scholar’s own time
SJCA will suggest general courses for Dual Enrollment like, College Algebra, Elementary Statistics, Art Appreciation, World Languages, and others
We are still brainstorming ideas for AP Courses, but are considering AP Pre-Calculus, AP Calculus, AP US History, AP Latin, and AP European History
To teach an AP course, teachers must have their syllabus reviewed by College Board; a process we'll support our teachers with and begin soon
Scholars who are interested in Dual Enrollment or AP Courses must meet certain criteria and will discuss options with their academic advisor
I am very excited about SJCA’s future and look forward to providing more specifics soon.
-Head of School Carole McCullough
Turn in Your Pop Tops
It's time to start collecting those pop tabs if you haven't already started!
The SJCA Interact Club needs your soda/pop tabs from aluminum cans. Please collect them and bring them to your scholar's teacher in grammar school or chancellor in upper school. This fundraiser will run through May 9.
We will give the lower school homeroom class with the most tabs collected (by weight) a Frozen Treats Party. The upper school house with the most tabs (by weight) will win a House Spirit Day.
**Minimum amount for a class/house to win is 10 lbs. of pop tabs.**
Tabs will be delivered to the Ronald McDonald House in Jacksonville, and they will be recycled for cash to help provide housing and meals for families visiting Jacksonville while their children receive medical care at our local hospitals.
Thank you for helping us 'Do the Good!'
Questions: Sally.mcginn@stjca.org
