What’s Going on at St. James School

Dr. Audrey Evans Scholarship Benefit Returns to Great Success!
Scholarship Benefit recap, Principal McDonough receives Neubauer Fellowship, and more good news in this month’s newsletter!

St. James Graduate Lashay’s Junior Year Triumphs
Reflection and Hope During Holy Week and Easter, updating our mission and vision, and more good news in this month’s newsletter.

“Don’t Worry, You Got This!” Black History Wax Museum Returns!
Read about the return of the Black History Wax Museum project, a recap of our Mad About St. James events and more good news in this month’s newsletter.

11th Career Day Wows and Inspires Students
Read about how our 8th graders write and deliver impactful sermons, two ways to engage with and help St. James School and an update from the Construction Corner

Agape Theme Highlights MLK Day of Service
Read about our Girls Group, Huskies Basketball, and a Word With the Social Studies Teacher

How St. James Celebrated Advent and the End of 2021
Read the Advent season at St. James, the success of our Year End appeal, and an update from our Graduate Support Team

Pancakes, Christmas Gifts, and College Visits at St. James
Read about our Honor Roll Breakfast, The Welcome Table digger deeper roots in Allegheny West and an interview with our new Graduate Support Associate

Join us December 12 for Advent Lessons & Carols
Join us on December 12, 2021 at 5pm for our annual Advent Lessons & Carols. This will be held at The Church of St. James the Less (3217 W. Clearfield St., Philadelphia, PA 19132). Reception to follow. Click here to download PDF flyer Health and...

View Photos from our 2021 Huskies Hustle

Biggest 5K Ever Draws 200 Participants
Read about our successful Husky Hustle, the launching of our Adult Education Program, new after-school activities, and an interview with our new Servant Year members.

Annual Report Celebrates our Milestone 10th Anniversary Year
Dear Friends, What a milestone year! We held several remarkable events that engaged our entire community in celebrating the first decade of St. James School. We congratulated our first male co-valedictorian and salutatorian. We dedicated a building to Dr. Audrey...

We Open Anew and Break New Ground!
Read about two momentous occasions: starting our 11th school year and breaking ground on our new building, a student who went to a traditional summer camp in Maine with no cellphones allowed, and an interview with our new math teacher, Kenneth Jones.

Welcome to Audrey’s House!
Read about Audrey’s House, Words of Wisdom From the Graduates, a Word with Teddy Yun, NorthBay and much more in this month’s newsletter!

A Year in the Life of St. James Video
This past December 2020, the Episcopal Church filmed at St. James School for their series, A Year in the Life. It was filmed throughout the pandemic using COVID-safe protocols, and the series explores how Episcopal schools, ministries, and congregations have adapted...

‘You Can Do This’ Is Mantra for Graduation June 18th
Read about Graduation, a conversation with the Graduate Support Staff the St. James Young Professionals, all about the Welcome Table, and much more in this month’s newsletter!

Through ‘One School, One Book,’ We’re All Reading Together
Read about our “One School, One Book” initiative, the St. James Young Professionals, Courageous Conversations with the Racial Equity Team, and much more in this month’s newsletter!

Let Us Recommit to Anti-Racism
Dear St. James School Community, Yesterday, when a jury of our peers convicted Derek Chauvin of murdering George Floyd, my reaction was: Justice does not bring George back to his family. Justice does not heal the broken hearts. And yet, Thanks be to God that justice...

4th Grade: Mapping to Success!
Read about our amazing 4th grade class and their continuous improvements, volunteer opportunities, and much more in this month’s newsletter!

Church Comes to Classrooms During Lent
Read about how we celebrate Lent during a pandemic, St. James poet all-stars, a recap of the Celebrating Our Church Partners event with Bishop Michael Curry, and much more in this month’s newsletter!

Our Nation, A Poem By London (Class of 2022)
We all know the pledge of allegiance. We stand up as a group On a particular day We put our right hand on our chest And we proudly say... “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America And to the Republic for which it stands. One nation…….” One...

Students ‘Excited for Everything’ as In-Person Learning Returns
Read about our students return to in-person learning, Black History Month activities, a video from our gradates, and much more in this month’s newsletter!

St. James Partners with Cabrini University and Harcum College
We are so excited to celebrate St. James School's new partnership with Cabrini University and Harcum College! With the extensive support of St. James and these wonderful institutions, our graduates will be more prepared than ever to get an excellent education at high...

How 8th Graders Are Getting High School Ready
Read about how St. James made the best of a different December, our first ever virtual puppet show, Q&A with servant year members, and much more in this month’s newsletter!

What We Say and Do Matters. Our Young People Are Watching.
Dear St. James School Community, You saw what happened. Provoked by President Donald Trump, thousands of extremists stormed the Capitol building in Washington D.C. on Wednesday in an attempt to prevent lawmakers from certifying President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in...

It’s Wig Wednesday in 6th Grade
Read about a day in the life of 6th grade, a Thanksgiving to remember, and much more in this month’s newsletter!

The right decision, made reluctantly
Dear Volunteers, Donors and Friends, In response to the rising rate of COVID-19 infections in Philadelphia and our 19132 zip code, St. James School has voluntarily moved classes to fully remote again starting today, Monday, November 16th. The predicted fall/winter...

Our Students are Making an Impact!
Read about our civic minded students, watch the ‘Hip Hop Hooray’ video featuring teachers and staff, and much more in this month’s newsletter!

We’re Open! How School Started This Month
Read about our socially distant graduation, reflections by alumni tutor Sydnee, a new face up front and much more in this month’s newsletter!

Class of 2020 Graduation
Graduation didn't look the same for our Class of 2020, with face masks and social distancing replacing the usual handshakes, hugs and high-fives. But our graduates were just as pleased and proud of their accomplishments as they walked or drove under a colorful tent to...

Summer Program Preps St. James for Fall
Read about how this year’s Summer Camp Program is going, an update on the Welcome Table, an interview with alumni Jon Taylor and much more in this month’s newsletter!

Restarting St. James School – Slow, Steady, and Safe
The St. James School Community is committed to protecting the health of students, families, employees, and guests. We support the City of Philadelphia’s and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s efforts to control the spread of COVID-19. Read our guidelines for restarting...

Congratulations to all our Class of 2020 graduates!
Read about a parade the staff organized, our eighth grade graduates, our alumni graduates and much more in this month’s newsletter!

Staff Parade Celebrates Our Class of 2020
It has been an unusual year, to say the least! We applaud the perseverance of every student in the Class of 2020. They finished their final year at St. James School by working hard to attend classes online and complete their assignments despite extraordinarily...

June 2 Message from Head of School David Kasievich
What can rightly be called the “original sin” of slavery has left an indelible imprint on our nation’s soul. We mourn the fact that Racism is alive and well and responsible for the ongoing disproportionate impact of deadly violence against our Black sisters and brothers — from Trayvon Martin to Eric Garner to Michael Brown to George Floyd.

Racial Equity Team Update – June 1, 2020
Dear St James School Community, In the words of The Most Rev. Desmond Tutu, "If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor." We as the racial equity team acknowledge that the recent racial violence in America must be...

May 22 Message from Head of School David Kasievich
Ten weeks into a time that is testing us all, I see persistent pressures trying to push people down. I also see tremendous strength in people pushing back against the pressures, lifting together when the burdens are heavy, and pulling up others when they are down. In that dynamic is the value of community, writ large.

May 8 Message from Head of School David Kasievich
The COVID-19 pandemic has felt in some ways like an earthquake with unending aftershocks. Structures that gave stability to our lives crumbled. Routines were upended. The experience threw us all off balance. It has taken resilience, effort – and tremendous support from you, our donors and supporters – to regain our footing at St. James School.

Thank You to Our Wanamaker Scholarship Society

April 24 Message from Head of School David Kasievich
Dear Friends of the St. James School Community, I have been tremendously heartened by your response to my weekly messages sharing the ways we are coping with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on our students, families and neighbors. Without the outpouring...
April 17 Message from Head of School David Kasievich
Dear Friends of the St. James School Community, Thank you for what you’re doing and please continue to help, whether by giving financially, or purchasing items from our Amazon Wish List, or dropping off food directly to us, to St. Christopher’s or to your...
April 10 Message from Head of School David Kasievich
Dear Friends of the St. James School Community, Holy Week is a time to commemorate, through sacred services, the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In recent years, our school community has looked forward to, and fully engaged in, the sacred mysteries of...
April 3 Message from Head of School David Kasievich
Dear Friends of the St. James School Community, Thank you! So far, we’ve received over $18,000 and 50 of you have donated food to help our students, families and neighbors during the COVID-19 coronavirus crisis. I am especially grateful to those who are giving what...

March 27 Message from Head of School David Kasievich
Dear Friends of the St. James School Community, In this time when we are all affected by the COVID-19 coronavirus — directly or indirectly, perhaps physically, biologically, psychologically or spiritually, and for many, economically — it has been heartening to hear...

How We Are Adapting to New Realities
And How You Can Help Dear Friends of the St. James School Community, As the world adapts to new realities in response to the coronavirus COVID-19, St. James School is adapting and responding as well. We know this is a crisis with medical, social, and economic...

Bringing to Life our 4th Wax Museum
Read about how we celebrated Dr. Evan’s birthday, and much more in this month’s newsletter!

“The Time Is Always Right To Do What Is Right”
Read about a special St. James love story, Black History Month, why students love math and much more in this month’s newsletter!

Our School ‘Doing Right’ on MLK Day of Service
A gallery of photos from MLK Day of Service at St. James School. Click on an image to enlarge it.

A St. James School Love Story
By Sarah Carroll, Director of School Culture & ELA Teacher, and Kevin Todd, Director of Graduate Support, who were married by the Rev. Andrew Kellner at the Church of St. James the Less on January 25. We first met on Sarah's demo lesson day. After she was...

Student Journalists Took to the Streets with WHYY
Learn about the young professionals who were married at Church of St. James the Less and much more in this month’s newsletter!

New! Our Website and Celebrating Advent in Community
Both help us better engage and serve the St. James Community