St. James students battle it out for the title of House Cup champions.
Upon arriving at St. James in 5th grade, each student gets chosen into one of four value-based houses:
Benevolentia for kindness- Humilitas for humility
- Industria for diligence
- Patientia for patience
Throughout the year, these four houses compete to earn the most points. Students can earn points in many ways including the 4 Bees each marking period (Spelling, Geography, Black History Month and Poetry). They can also earn points in the classroom by being the best versions of themselves, DEAR (Drop Everything And Read) time, and through positive behavior and diligent work. The winner of the House Cup, however, isn’t determined until June, when the students battle it out in the annual House Cup tournament — earning many points for competition and, of course, sportsmanship.
Off to the Races
The day started with games of wit, challenging the students to answer riddles, spell difficult words, answer St. James School trivia questions, and complete math problems.
After stretching their minds in the classroom, the students ran outside to compete in physical challenges. These challenges included a water bucket race, pin-the-mask on the Black Panther, a water balloon toss, and a religious relay race created by Father Kellner.
The final opportunity to win house points was in tug-of-war, the event that the students anticipated the most. The entire school stood eagerly at the sidelines, waiting to hear the match-ups.
Tug-of-war lasted for 10 rounds, pitting teams against each other — boys against girls, staff against students, and house against house. After the last battle, every student and staff member gathered in a circle to hear the House Cup results.
And the winner is….
House Patientia! The winning house erupted from their seats once they learned the news of their victory.
House Benevolentia also received recognition for winning the most points during the actual House Cup day. Congratulations to all the Houses on another successful House Cup day!
