What’s Going on at St. James School
2nd Annual Black History Month Living Wax Museum
On Friday, February 23rd, St. James School hosted its 2nd Annual Black History Month Living Wax Museum. To celebrate Black History Month, all students brought noteworthy historical black figures to life by dressing in costume and giving biographical presentations. The...
St. James Celebrates MLK Day of Service
Monday, January 16th, marked St. James School's 8th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Prayer, Service and Action. The day started with a prayer service led by School Chaplain, Fr. Andrew Kellner. Reading from Reverend King’s last Christmas sermon at Ebenezer...
Bidding Wars, Victorian Carolers, and More! Another Successful Christmas Event
For the 6th year in a row, St. James School teamed up with the English-Speaking Union (Philadelphia Branch) and the Society of St. George, Philadelphia to host a festive Christmas event, raising funds for student scholarships. On Sunday December 3, over 120 guests...
St. David’s Field Dedicated
On Sunday, October 29, 2017, St. David's Field was dedicated at St .James School. With the help of confirmands, adult sponsors and Rector of St. David's Church The Rev. Frank Allen, a new green space was officially commissioned for the St. James School community and...
Donor Twin Challenge Over 222 Gifts
Thanks to you, we surpassed our goal of 222 and will receive an additional $22,000 from generous donors. OPENING DOORS TO LIFELONG LEARNING Over the summer, Founding Board Members Philip Price, Jim Ballengee, and Douglas Marshall challenged St. James School to raise...
Opening Doors 2017-2018
It seems that every year, St. James School is blessed with beautiful weather for the annual Opening Doors ceremony. Monday, September 11, 2017, was no exception as the school celebrated the beginning of year 7. Sixteen years after the tragic events of 9/11, the...
Chef Featured on Safe Kids Website
Chef Deborah Anthony is always cooking up something good...and this story is all about her and the wonderful lunches she prepares for St. James School students! See full story here: https://safekidsstories.com/smells-like-someone-cares-e85df6bcc844
Student Documentary Captures St. James Difference
Luke Miani and Noah Rubin, now graduates of Lower Merion High School, partnered on their senior project to create a 17-minute documentary about St. James School amid the educational crisis in the city of Philadelphia. During the final weeks of class at Lower Merion,...
Summer Camp: Four Weeks of Learning & Fun
Summer at St. James provides a unique opportunity for our students to grow and learn in an environment that reminds them that learning can be fun. And this year was no exception, thanks in part to the gifts of St. James School partner churches Church of St....
Grad Spotlight: Nydira ’17
Since joining St. James School in 2013, Nydira has excelled in the classroom—she earned High Honors numerous times, won the Presidential Award for Educational Excellence, snagged the Head of School’s Ambassador Award of Excellence, and became Student of the Week too many times to count. In 2016, she received the Ellis Trust Grant and was a Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Young Scholars National Semi-Finalist. Nydira’s hard work over the years has paid off! She delivered the commencement address as the class of 2017 Valedictorian and will attend William Penn Charter School in the fall.
2017 Year End Ceremonies
Congratulations, Class of 2017 [layerslider id="10"] On the eve of graduation, students, staff, and families gathered Friday, June 16 for the 2017 Baccalaureate Mass at the Church of St. James the Less, a pre-graduation celebration. Led by school chaplain The Rev....
A Win-Win: House Cup
It is said that good players inspire themselves and great players inspire others. St. James School laid the foundations of good sportsmanship and good times with its 3rd annual House Cup Day, held Friday, June 16, 2017. To develop a positive school culture, St. James...
First Rowing Experience
St. James students added a new skill set to their resume -- rowing! Thanks to a unique partnership with Philadelphia Gold Cup Challenge, students had the opportunity to train with experts (and even some Olympians) in the fundamentals of rowing. Gold Cup volunteers...
Traffic Protest Featured
St. James School's recent traffic protest was featured in Philly Tribune. Read full story here: http://www.phillytrib.com/news/st-james-school-an-integral-part-of-community/article_296b0399-eb99-5833-901e-7f9615982361.html
Neighborhood Protest
The Philadelphia Tribune - St. James School took part in a protest to help protect neighbors along the neighboring streets, arguing that new traffic devices would cause great danger for children and adults alike. See the full story here:...
Enrichment Club is Building Foundations
The historic Church of St. James the Less (est. 1846) is a designated National Historic Landmark, a distinction marking it as a property of significance for all Americans. Both Partners for Sacred Places and the National Park Service combined curriculums to begin an...
2017 Benefit Reaches for the Future
2017 Dr. Audrey Evans Scholarship Benefit OUR STUDENTS. OUR FUTURE. On Tuesday, May 16, 2017, St. James School transported The Union League of Philadelphia into the future with the 3rd annual Dr. Audrey Evans Scholarship Benefit. This event was themed Our...
The Court Dedicated
St. James School's New Recreation Area Officially Recognized “Play is the work of childhood.”—Jean Piaget, psychologist (1896–1980) All children need a safe place to play. And while St. James School is blessed to have a pastoral campus--with stately trees, ornamental...
Tax Day 2017: New Program to Give
ATTENTION INDIVIDUALS: LEARN HOW A NEW PROGRAM ALLOWS YOU TO REDIRECT YOUR TAX DOLLARS FROM HARRISBURG TO ST. JAMES SCHOOL. ARE YOU SENDING YOUR TAXES TO HARRISBURG... You may be asking: Why on earth is St. James School telling us about taxes?! An exciting new...
Grad Spotlight: Tynae ’16
Meet Tynae Class of 2016, Future Veterinarian At St. James School, Tynae truly blossomed. She excelled inside the classroom as well as participated in numerous activities outside the classroom including school musicals, student ambassadors, art honor society, and as a...
Grad Spotlight: Keenan ’16
Meet Keenan Class of 2016, Future Engineer Keenan struggled academically at first, but in time he earned Student of the Week at St. James—then he earned it a few more times. He began to flourish and, after expressing an interest in engineering, spent a day shadowing...
Holy Week 2017
“God loves each of us as if there were only one of us.” -- Saint Augustine Our Holy Week journey began by celebrating Palm Sunday during our weekly Thursday Mass. The school community gathered at the schoolhouse and then processed with palms to the Church of St. James...
Rally for Speed Safety
For decades, the streets around St. James School have been plagued by speeding drivers. In 2000, a little boy was struck and killed by a speeding car on the corner of Clearfield and Hunting Park. From 2000 to 2009, neighbors of Allegheny West including Rose Cooper,...
Theatre Week: Gulliver’s Travels
Students Audition, Rehearse, Don Makeup and Costumes...all in one week! On Saturday, April 15th, students went to the land of giants and the island of talking horses during their production of Gulliver’s Travels. With only five days from auditions to opening night,...
First Living Wax Museum
On Friday, February 24, St. James School hosted its first Black History Month Wax Museum. To celebrate Black History Month, students brought noteworthy historical black figures to life by dressing in costume and giving biographical presentations. From an exuberant...
Career Day Hits a New High
On Wednesday, February 22, St. James School welcomed 31 professionals to its third annual Black History Month Career Day, a record number of participants. Black leaders from the fields of the arts, business, education and more shared their personal journeys and...
Honor Roll Breakfast
On Tuesday February 7, St. James School celebrated its students who excelled during the second quarter with its Honor Roll Breakfast. Amidst brightly colored balloons, stacks of flapjacks, and whipped cream, a large group of family members gathered in the community...
MLK Day: 12,000 Meals
On Monday, January 16, approximately 120 members of the school community gathered for St. James School's 7th annual celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service. The theme for this year’s day was A Day to Act, Not a Day Off, which included prayer, reflection,...
A Colonial Christmas Fundraising Event
On Sunday December 18, the Philadelphia branch of the English-Speaking Union and the Society of the Sons of St. George joined St. James School to host a lovely Christmas benefit called A Colonial Christmas. Raising needed funding for student scholarships, this...
Vetri Mobile Teaching Kitchen Wows
What is the typical school lunch? Frozen meatloaf, bland spaghetti, greasy fries, too often school lunch programs are unhealthy, lackluster affairs. At St. James School, we serve fresh healthy meals each and every school day, thanks to our growing connection with...
Youth Voices on the Radio
During one of the most heated—and certainly one of the most shocking—presidential election seasons in US history, students had an opportunity to take part in democracy and have their voices heard. Thanks to founding advisory board member Randall Jefferson, four...
Opening Doors 2016-2017
On beautiful, crisp Monday, September 12, 2016, St. James School launched Year 6 with its annual Opening Doors ceremony. This year’s celebration featured a special guest speaker, The Right Reverend Daniel G. P. Gutierrez, Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania....
Hottest 5K
Soaring temperatures could not dampen the enthusiasm of the 4th annual Saint James School 5K & Kids' Fun Run on Saturday,...
PAIS Accreditation
In summer 2016, St. James School celebrated an incredible milestone years in the making--it became one of the youngest schools to earn accreditation from the Pennsylvania Association of Independent Schools (PAIS). Only a handful of non-tuition driven schools within...
Equestrian Volunteer Featured
Elaine Ballengee has been a top supporter and volunteer of St. James School since its inception. Aside from her work with our students, the retired teacher introduced students to one of her other passions: Special Equestrians, a nonprofit whose mission is to improve...
2016 Graduation
On Friday July 15, St. James School celebrated the Class of 2016 Graduation in the cottage yard across from the lych gate to the historic Church of St. James the Less. Families and guests gathered under a tent in the 90-plus degree day as trumpeters and singers...
2016 Baccalaureate Mass
Students, staff and families gathered in the Church of St. James the Less for the 2016 Baccalaureate Mass, celebrating the success of the soon-to-be graduates who are heading to best-fit high schools in the fall. Led by The Reverends Andrew Kellner and Betsy Ivey, the...
House Cup Day 2016
As the regular school year comes to a close, students and staff get ramped up for House Cup Day when Patientia, Benevolentia, Industria, and Humilitas compete in games of brains and braun to win a spot on the House Cup Trophy for most points awarded throughout the...
Volunteer Appreciation Picnic
*Note: not all volunteers pictured On the evening of June 15, St. James School held its annual Volunteer Appreciation Picnic in the Cottage Yard. The delicious meal which included multiple courses was entirely catered by The Reverend Andrew Kellner, a long time...
Country Fair: 2016 Spring Benefit
Celebrated Monday June 6, 2016, St. James School transformed The Union League of Philadelphia into the lively setting of a country fair. Over 260 guests gathered for the totally sold out 2nd annual Dr. Audrey Evans Scholarship Benefit, complete with a prize wheel,...
Photos: Country Fair 2016
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Student Baptisms
On May 5, 2016, School Chaplain The Reverend Lorna Williams and Deacon Andrew Kellner--together with students, staff, and families--celebrated the baptism of three St. James students during 8AM mass at the Church of St. James the Less. Shanjae Fergerson, Makai...
Breaking Ground for New Recreation Area
Construction began for a new multi-purpose recreation area on St. James School’s campus. A fully paved open space, the recreation area will feature a full basketball court that can also be used for volleyball, tennis, jump rope, hopscotch, and other games. In the...
Art Gallery Shines at The Philadelphia Foundation
On Tuesday, April 5, St. James School hosted a special gallery showcase of student artwork on display at the Community Art Gallery in the offices of The Philadelphia Foundation. The exhibit, titled "Our Gallery. Our Stories.", featured bold, colorful, and vibrant...
Holy Week Celebrations
Our Holy Week journey began by celebrating Palm Sunday during our weekly Thursday Mass. The school community gathered at the schoolhouse and then processed with palms to the Church of St. James the Less. During the service, students and staff members participated in a...
Career Day Guests Wow Students
On Wednesday, February 24, St. James School welcomed 13 professionals for the second annual Black History Month Career Day. Students had the opportunity to hear career and life advice and connect with black leaders from different industries, including medicine,...
MLK Day 2016: Year 6
St. James School hosted its 6th annual celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service. The theme for this year’s day was A Day to Act, Not a Day Off which included prayer, reflection, education and action. The morning began with students, staff, parents,...
12 Days of St James
Christmas on the Hill
On Saturday December 12 the Philadelphia branch of the English-Speaking Union and the Society of the Sons of St. George joined St. James School to host an unforgettable Christmas benefit called Christmas on the Hill. Raising needed funding for student scholarships,...
Philadelphia Eagles’ DeMeco Ryans Visits
On Monday, November 9, students and staff were excited to welcome Philadelphia Eagles linebacker DeMeco Ryans, his wife Jamila, and their 19-month-old son MJ. Watch This: DeMeco Ryans Visits St. James School After a tour of the school and grounds to learn more about...
