St. James R-1 School District

Tiger Highlight: Students Discover Mark Twain Nominees! Our 5th-grade students recently paid a visit to Mrs. Hunter at the LWJE library, where the magic of reading truly comes alive! Students learned about the Mark Twain Award Nominees for this year, exploring 12 incredible books by watching Book Trailers for each nominee. Mrs. Hunter explained the Reader's Galaxy Wall, where students can earn a spot by reading at least four of the year’s nominees. By doing so, they get to attend an out-of-this-world party later in the school year. Kudos to Mrs. Hunter for fostering a love for reading! #stjschools #academicexcellence #stjschools

🎨 Learning Highlight: Kindergarten Self-Portraits 🖌️ Kindergarten students in Mrs. River’s class recently embarked on a creative adventure. The task was deceptively simple: creating self-portraits. Yet, behind their creative choice lay a world of cognitive and emotional development. As these budding artists carefully observed their facial features and expressed their emotions through art, they engaged in a full learning experience from hand-eye coordination to visual-spatial awareness. #academicexcellence #stjschools #tigerpride

It's National Substitute Appreciation Week at the St. James R-1 School District (Sept. 4-8). We caught a few subs out and about in buildings yesterday! Thank you to all our dedicated substitute teachers who step in to ensure the smooth operation of our district. Your contributions are integral to our mission's success! #stjschools #tigerpride

In case you missed it - Fall Picture Day details! All buildings will go to www.WagnerPortraitGroup.com to complete your order. Lucy Wortham James Elementary Monday, September 11, 2023 Password for LWJE: 7E4T9X9Z. St. James Middle School Monday, September 18, 2023 Password for MS: 6A8Y2X3Z St. James High School Thursday, September 14, 2023 Password for HS: 5H5T9T6R Wagner Portraits will not accept cash or check payments. All orders must be made online. If you have any problems, call Wagner Portraits at 800-444-7986. Thank you!

🏝️Learning Highlight: Island Survival Challenge 🏝️ Recently, Mrs. Hoak’s sixth-grade students embarked on a journey that combined critical thinking, teamwork, and creativity in an unforgettable Island Survival Challenge. Day 1: Critical Choices Students face a compelling scenario – stranded on an unknown island after their boat sinks. Their task? Choose four items from a list to take with them, justifying their selections. This exercise sparked critical thinking and decision-making. Day 2: The Unexpected Unfolds Teams selected numbers to determine their island – each number corresponded to a unique and challenging island, with names like Snake Island, Zombie Island, King Kong's domain, and even an island that was slowly sinking! Here, they creatively applied their chosen items to diverse challenges to try and survive, testing resourcefulness and teamwork. The Class Verdict The day concluded with a class vote – did teams survive the island's challenges? The Island Survival Challenge wasn’t just fun; it instilled essential life skills like problem-solving and adaptability. At St. James R-1 School District, we cultivate well-rounded, adaptable learners with fun, learning activities developed by our talented educators! #academicexcellence #stjschools #tigerpride

Tiger Highlight! Check out the new project Mr. Craig started today —painting paw prints for line-up spots on the playground. What makes this project exceptional is Mr. Craig's inclusion of the kindergarten students. He engaged them by teaching painting skills and encouraging them to count the prints. The students have loved helping out Mr. Craig! Thank you to our hardworking maintenance and custodial staff for their dedication to our school's environment and education.#caringrelationships #stjschools #tigerpride

Learning Highlight! Recently, Mr. Kaestner and Mr. Adams organized a Geometry activity involving a scavenger hunt for their high school students. This exercise focused on reinforcing the application of the distance formula, a fundamental concept in Geometry. Students were provided with ordered pairs and tasked with using the formula to derive solutions, which, in turn, led them to the next set of coordinates. Highly engaging lessons such as this scavenger hunt promote active involvement and are effective in enhancing student understanding. Kudos to our educators for fostering a dynamic and interactive learning environment to empower our students! #academicexcellence #stjschools #tigerpride

Mission Monday: Empowering Our Students Through Community Partnerships! Today, on Mission Monday, we express our appreciation for the partnership between St. James R-1 School District and the St. James Caring Center. We thank them for the upcoming opportunity for our Middle School Citizenship class students. Through volunteering our students will learn essential life skills and the value of community service. Executive Director Nancy Montgomery gave our students a glimpse into our community's heart during a tour of the Caring Center and Senior Center. Starting this month, the class will volunteer on Commodity Day by loading provisions for those in need. This partnership grows our shared commitment to empowering compassionate, community-minded future leaders. #MissionMonday #CommunityPartnerships #EmpoweringOurStudents

Happy Labor Day! Celebrating the hard work of our educators, staff, and students on this Labor Day. Your dedication shapes our Tiger community. Want to know more about the history of Labor Day? Check this out: https://www.dol.gov/general/laborday/history. #LaborDay #stjschools #tigerpride

Check out our Tiger Weekly Highlights! #activities #tigerpride #stjschools.

Learning Highlight! High school business students are mastering the art of self-presentation in their "Market Yourself" unit. Mrs. Hance's classes have been learning about first impressions, effective communication, and navigating the professional world, including cell phone and social media etiquette. In a recent activity, students partnered up for quick 30-second introductions, handshakes, and discussions based on prompts, teaching the importance of building connections with others in a professional setting. #academicexcellence #stjschools #tigerpride

Learning Highlight: Tiger Cubs' First Trip to the Centers Room! Mrs. Henderson’s Tiger Cubs Preschoolers recently visited the Centers Room for the very first time! We're all about fostering curiosity without limits! In this space, our youngest learners take the lead, embracing independence as they explore thoughtfully designed stations. From artsy corners to cozy reading spots, they make decisions that shape their unique journey. But it's not just about individual adventures! The Centers Room cultivates teamwork and friendship as well. #LearningThroughPlay #stjschools #tigerpride

Tomorrow, September 1, 2023, the St. James R-1 School District will begin our PLC Fridays. Here are the release times for each building. Lucy Wortham James Elementary - 1:30 PM St. James Middle School - 1:50 PM St. James High School - 1:30 PM We want to extend our gratitude to the community for their support in our efforts to enhance student learning through our Professional Learning Community (PLC) initiatives.

Happy Random Acts of Kindness Day! Today is the day to spread kindness and #tigerpride like confetti in the state of Missouri! Mr. Webster and Dr. Williams dropped off a small gift to a few randomly chosen staff members. Your little acts of kindness can create a ripple effect of joy. Happy Random Acts of Kindness Day!

Tiger Highlight: 6th Graders Experience Middle School Library for the First Time! 6th-grade students had their inaugural visit to the middle school library today! They met Mrs. McCurdy, the middle school librarian, explored the library, and even borrowed their first books. Our Middle School staff shines in supporting these transitions. Their expert guidance ensures every student feels confident in their new environment. Cheers to the new adventures ahead! #stjschools #tigerpride

Learning Highlight! Step into Mrs. Garr's 4th-grade class and witness the magic of hands-on learning! Students recently participated in an engaging STEM activity, crafting paper chains that not only showcased their creativity but also honed their teamwork and problem-solving skills. Kudos to Mrs. Garr's class for embracing the power of hands-on learning, setting the stage for a school year filled with learning. #HandsOnLearning #academicexcellence #stjschools

Reminder! There will be no school on Monday, September 4, 2023, for Labor Day. #stjschools #tigerpride

Learning Highlight: Developing Relationships Through Team-Building! Mrs. Sandusky's English III students excelled in a recent team-building project, crafting the tallest tower using only folded cards. Students had to find shared experiences and thoughts and then attempt to build the tallest tower, demonstrating their creativity and determination. #TeamBuilding #stjschools #tigerpride

A heartfelt shoutout goes to our former middle school students, Libby, Sierra, Broc, and Gavyn, for delivering a powerful reminder to our dedicated teachers about the profound influence they have over our students. Following a summer of careful planning, these students incorporated lessons from Jon Gordon's "The Coffee Bean" into the middle school's back-to-school professional development agenda. In a heartwarming gesture, Libby, Sierra, Broc, and Gavyn emphasized that the qualities embodied by our teaching staff significantly shape the middle school environment. Each staff member was given three adjectives that describe them, and then they talked about how these teachers had personally helped them. But that's not all! To cap off this memorable session, the students surprised our teachers with a coffee bar. This gesture perfectly embodies the CKH (Capturing Kids Hearts) principles we hold dear and further contributes to the development of caring relationships in our district.

Check out our Tiger Weekly Highlights! With events just starting to kick off this year, we wanted to let you know that our highlights from activities and events across the district will now be shared on Fridays. Remember, every day is a great day to be a Tiger! #activities #stjschools #tigerpride