News

“What if THIS is it?”

I thought, “What if this is it? … What if THIS moment is what they remember about our precious year together?” Rachel Daigre Rachel Daigre, PreK-4 Lead Teacher & Early […]

How School Holiday Traditions Keep the Magic Alive

By Jennifer Whittington For the generations of children who have attended St. James, the holidays are a magical time. Holiday traditions, music, arts, and fun fill the end of the […]

3 Things to Look for in a Private School Visit — and One Red Flag to Avoid

By Elena McPeak The holiday season also means the end of the fall semester. And for many parents, that brings on the school admission season. Whether you have a rising […]

10 Books to Have in Your Child’s Library

By Catherine Word One of the best things about being a school librarian is seeing the world of books open up for children. Children’s literature offers incredible stories, fascinating topics […]

St. James Named a 2022 National Blue Ribbon School

by Bridget Henderson We are thrilled to announce that St. James Episcopal Day School is a 2022 National Blue Ribbon School.  This is the highest award given by the United […]

Why Student-Teacher Ratio Really Does Matter

By Bridget Henderson For many parents looking at school options for their child, their decision might hinge on the school’s student-teacher ratio. Without the right ratio, they worry that their […]

More to the Story!

I often say that if the students forget nearly every word I ever preach, I at least hope that they will always remember two truths: they are loved by the […]

4th and 5th Grade Iditarod Experience

As our year-long PE unit comes to a close, 4th and 5th grade students celebrated with an Iditarod Experience Party!  Throughout the year, students learned the true meaning of self-sacrifice, commitment, […]

Enrichment Highlights: St. James and Meaningful Art

St James is incredibly fortunate to have 9 different enrichment programs that stimulate and motivate the school’s curious and creative minds. Each enrichment program is led by a subject matter […]

Mentoring Mathematicians

Mentoring Mathematicians In order to prepare children for 21st century challenges, the views of what is important in teaching math have shifted.  It is not enough for students to memorize […]

The Power of Play at St. James

An incredible strength of the St. James program is the importance of developing the whole child. While it is typical for schools to focus on core academics, St. James prides […]

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a powerful tool. Often misunderstood, mindfulness has been misconceived in the past as a “kumbaya,” crunchy practice, when in reality, it has so many benefits for children and […]

PreK-3 Magical Nursery Rhyme Unit

Click HERE for the Nursery Rhyme Parade Video.​ Nursery Rhyme ParadeWe recently celebrated the culmination of a three week PreK-3 unit on nursery rhymes with a magical parade of students dressed in costume […]

Preparing for Back to School Season

Summer always seems to fly by, and now it is time to start setting our children up for a successful transition back to school. So what are some things we […]

Summer 2021 Campus Updates and Reorganization

Next year, you’ll still find joyful and inspiring classroom spaces for students ages 18 months through 5th grade at St. James, but the order in which everything is arranged on […]

4th Graders Promote Tourism through Annual State Fair

Last Friday, May 7th, Mrs. Nikolaus and Mrs. Patterson’s 4th Grade fourth grade classes hosted their parents in Bishop’s Hall for the 2021 State Fair, a presentation of their year’s […]

Math is on the Move!

We are excited to announce that St. James will be implementing think!Mathematics in our K-5 classrooms next year.  Think!Mathematics is a Singapore math curriculum designed to  “deliver meaningful math instruction that […]

Spirit Week 2019

K-2 Students Buy & Sell at Marketplace Event

Last week, second graders from Mrs. Robbins and Mrs. McDowell’s classes walked down the hallways wearing nametags labeled “Inventory,” “Cashier,” “Sales,” and “Manager.” They set out handmade merchandise on desks […]

5th Grade Digital Art Transforms the Campus

​St. James Art Teacher Catherine Russell joins us this week on the blog for a report on our fifth graders’ recent study of Digital Art! Mrs. Russell earned her degree […]

St. James Parents Learn about Early Literacy

On Thursday, February 25th, parents of our PreKindergarten and Kindergarten students attended an Early Literacy coffee led by Assistant Head of School Donna Lamonte.  With appropriate COVID protocols in place, […]

​Building Love and Learning in PreK-4

In the weeks leading up to Mardi Gras break, you might have seen our PreK-4 students outside Atkinson Hall in pig masks, throwing straw and sticks around, laughing and playing. […]

Traditions Take Flight this Holiday Season

At the close of the semester, third grade teacher Kathleen Shahla reminds our community of who we are: “If you were to peek in an SJEDS classroom, you would first […]

Vote 2020! St. James Elects Student Council Leaders on November 3rd

Over the past few weeks, members of the St. James 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classes have been preparing for an election for the St. James Student Council, a group […]

Preparing for August 5th Reopening: We Will Be Ready!

Click the buttons below for our Head of School and COVID Task Force’s July 13th update about our COVID-19 Protocols and reopening plans.

The Joy That Comes Back: Celebrating the Ministry and Teaching of Ralph Howe

On a typical school day, you might see Ralph Howe seated with his guitar at the front of a group of one-year-olds as they grin and clap their tiny hands […]

COVID-19 Update and Adjusted 2020-2021 Calendar

Click the buttons below for our Head of School’s June 25th letter about reopening on August 5th and our Adjusted Academic Calendar for 2020-2021.  

A Message from the Head of School

Tuesday, June 9, 2020 Dear Saint James Community,                                          We are […]

Celebrating 5th Graders with a Digital, Drive-by Graduation

“Send us now into the world in peace; and grant us strength and courage to love and serve you with gladness and singleness of heart.” – The Book of Common […]

Senior Spotlights Celebrate St. James Alums in the Class of 2020

Congratulations to St. James alumni graduates in the class of 2013!  We are proud of all of these college-bound seniors for their accomplishments and future plans.  Check out their Senior […]

Virtual Preschool: How Does it Work and Why is it Worth the Effort?

For parents with children in preschool, school closures bring about a unique set of challenges. Without new places to visit or new friends to interact with, young children can grow […]

St. James Episcopal Day School COVID-19 Response

With care in mind for our students, faculty, staff, and all our families, St. James Episcopal Day School is following the recommendations of our Diocesan Bishop and the Louisiana Governor’s […]

Students Vote for Louisiana Young Reader’s Choice Favorites

    St. James Episcopal Day School third through fifth graders have been busy reading the Louisiana Young Reader’s Choice Books for 2019-2020.  The book list includes 15 outstanding books that […]

America and Its People

First graders learned about America and its people in an integrated social studies unit this month, culminating in a Famous Americans Day on February 20th. The unit began with students […]

Learning to Love Our Neighbor

I believe in God above.I believe in Jesus’ love.I believe the spirit too, comes to teach us what to do.I believe that I should beKind and loving Lord like thee.​  […]

What caused the American Revolution? 4th Graders Write Newspaper Articles to Relive the Boston Tea Party

       Our fourth graders have been busy learning all about America’s history this month with their teacher, Ms. Brooke Patterson. After beginning the year studying early explorers and the impact […]

5th Graders Create News Broadcast Entirely on their Own

     Step into the Green Room on a Thursday morning, and you’ll find fifth grade boys and girls hard at work preparing for Bayou St. James, our daily news […]

The Light of the World

     I will never understand the rationale behind what some see as a great divide between science and religion. Science is linked to learning about this world; religion is […]

Fourth Graders Focus on Elf Esteem in Guidance

In Guidance this December, the fourth graders learned about self esteem, and three ways to improve “elf esteem”. The E represents feeling empowered. Students explored ways they could build confidence […]

Kindergarteners Participate in Gingerbread Pen Pal Exchange

The kindergarten classes are really getting in the spirit of Christmas. On Friday, Mrs. Miller and Mrs. Hume’s classes made ornaments and participated in a gingerbread exchange with a class […]

Students Play Ostinatos Using New Orff Instruments

While our 3rd-5th students are preparing for the Christmas program next week, our K-2nd classes have been making use of new Orff instruments in music class. Through a generous donation, […]

Second Graders Study Westward Expansion and Life in Pioneer Days

      Right before the start of the holiday travel season, our second grade finished up a study on Westward Expansion and Pioneers. They began their journey by packing […]

Third Graders Learn from Parent Experts through Master Chats

Third Grade has had an amazing quarter! It all began with a comment on Conference Day that parents would enjoy sharing their knowledge and expertise with the class. We created […]

Giving Thanks at St. James

    Each Friday, the school gathers in the church for a weekly eucharist, also referred to as Holy Communion, Mass, or the Lord’s Supper in many other Christian denominations. […]

Why Does St. James Episcopal Day School End in 5th Grade?

 Schools are typically asked to speak to the reasoning behind the scope of grade levels included in their school. Parents and educators alike talk about Prek-8 or K-12 schools; sometimes […]

Fifth Graders Study Native Americans through Research, Essays, and Tweets

   If you were lost in the woods, what would you need to survive? A fifth grade student would tell you to call upon an early Native American tribe, whose […]

STEM Enrichment Update from Ms. Wood

The beginning of the 2019-20 school year has been an exciting and engaging time for students in the STEM Lab, in the St. James’ garden, and at the Louisiana Arts and […]

A Wide Range de Sentimientos in Spanish Class

During the first quarter, our second and third graders learned about emotions and feelings in Spanish class, and they used their new vocabulary to recite poems or tell jokes in […]

Dressing Up the Campus

When I was young, I loved “dress-up” time. In my childhood, students in my classes loved to dress up as astronauts, cowboys, ballerinas, bakers, and heroes. The possibilities seemed endless, […]

Teachers Collaborate on BUST Breast Cancer Design

St. James Art Teacher Catherine Russell worked with St. Joseph’s Academy sewing teacher, Amy Neck, to design and create a costume for the BUST Breast Cancer Fashion Show last month. Both […]

James McCrary Wins Google Innovator Award

Please join us in congratulating James McCrary, our Director of Technology and Innovation, for winning a Google Innovator Award! James joins only 41 other educators who were given the honor […]

St. James Selfies Created in the Studio

Our Art classes are off to a busy start this year, and our walls are proof! All students PreK-3 through 5th started the year with the element of line and […]

Kindergarten Math: Spatial Concepts

In the month of September, kindergarten math is all about getting familiar with vocabulary! During the month of September, kindergarteners in Mrs. Hume’s and Mrs. Miller’s classes are studying math by […]

Our Give Back Night at Mellow Mushroom – Thank you!

St. James Family Tailgate

The Dads Club is excited to host the St. James Family Tailgate on Saturday October 5th for the LSU vs. Utah State game! We hope you and your family will […]

Hey, Hey, Goodbye!

Hey, Hey, Goodbye! Mrs. Daigre’s PreKindergarten students released the monarch last week that they observed growing and changing from a caterpillar to a chrysalis and finally to a beautiful butterfly. […]

“If You Give A Mouse A Cookie” Extension Activity

In Pre-K 3, we focus on an author a month. This month we are reading Laura Numeroff books. After reading “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” the children participated […]

Spirit Week Update

Our first annual Spirit Week is coming up soon- September 9th-13th. We will have a different theme for each day.​ Monday, September 9th – St James Traditions Tuesday, September 10th […]

Cane’s Chicken Finger Reading Stars!

These students chose to participate in the Cane’s Chicken Finger Challenge. Each child read over 100 pages and logged their reading into Biblionasium! They were awarded a bookmark and free […]

Pre- Kindergarten Mascot Celebration

Last week, St. James’ Pre-Kindergarten students shared their school spirit and their classrooms as they celebrated their mascots – Clifford the Big Red Dog, Pete the Cat, and the Very […]