The Weekly Sharkbeat Newsletter
November 16, 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.
What an awesome Veterans Day Ceremony! I'd like to give a big shout out to our JROTC, Band, and Chorus for our Veteran's Day Program! It was great to be a part of honoring our veterans!
We have several important reminders as we move into the week:
📸 Senior Makeup Pictures – Wednesday, November 19
This session is for seniors who missed their original portrait appointment or would like a retake. Please remind your senior to sign up and come prepared.
📝 2nd Quarter Interims – Friday, November 21
Interim reports will be sent home this Friday. This is a great time to review grades, check for missing assignments, and encourage students to finish the quarter strong.
🦃 Thanksgiving Break – November 24–28
St. James High School will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday beginning Monday, November 24. We hope all of our Shark families enjoy a restful and refreshing week together.
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
11/19/25 - Senior Makeup Pictures
11/19/25 - Advisory Schedule
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
What an awesome Veterans Day Ceremony! It was an incredible opportunity to show our Veterans how much they are appreciated for all they do for our country! Many thanks to Lt. Colonel Davis for being our guest speaker during the ceremony. He was truly inspiring!
Guidance Information
- We hope everyone’s school year has started off great! We are pleased to announce that it is the time of year to start having our IGP conferences. For parents these will be offered in three different formats: in person, a virtual format or a phone call. Students will be in their counselor’s office during the meetings. Be on the lookout during the upcoming week for an email from your child’s counselor with directions on signing up for these important meetings.
- 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