Diversity at St. John's

An important aspect of our mission is to strengthen the character and enrich the spirit of each student in a Christian environment.

We believe all children grow stronger through their interactions with people who are different from them - whether the differences be economic, cultural, ethnic or religious. These experiences enrich the lives of children and help them grow into more empathic teens and adults.

Diversity Committee

The St. John's Board of Trustees created the Diversity Committee to encourage diversity among our students, faculty and staff, and in the programs that are part of our curriculum. The Committee sponsors events throughout the year and works closely with our staff to ensure continued emphasis on the promotion of diversity at St. John's. The Diversity Committee is chaired by Board member Marilyn King.

Follow Your Dreams Speaker Series

The Diversity Committee sponsors the Follow Your Dreams speaker series, a program for Middle School students that introduces students to a broad range of adults from the community, who speak about their backgrounds and the myriad paths they took to arrive at their present circumstances.

Model United Nations

St. John's is an active participant in the Global Elementary Model United Nations (GEMUN) program. This year, we have Model UN teams for fifth through eighth graders. Younger students may also be involved as pages. Students participating in Model UN write resolutions that address global issues and defend their resolutions in mock debating sessions at the annual regional GEMUN conference. In addition to helping students develop skills in leadership, communication, and conflict resolution, Model UN demonstrates the importance of exchanging ideas and understanding different perspectives.

Global Learning

The St. John's global learning program enables St. John's students from every grade level to collaborate with students from schools in other parts of the world. By encouraging this creative and collaborative approach to education, we broaden our students' perspectives, while at the same time giving hands-on practice with the technology that supports this collaboration, as well as teaching the actual curriculum.

A few highlights from our global learning program:

• Second graders work with a school in New Brunswick, Canada. They pair up as pen pals to practice skills learned in writer's workshop, and chart tulip bulb growth rates to practice math skills and understand the effects of climate.
• Fourth graders stay relatively close to home while working with The Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife and students at Blooming Grove Elementary school in Navarro County to study man's effect on the Trinity River watershed.
• Eighth graders have partnered with students in Turkey to establish the Green Ribbon School project, a program that enables schools worldwide to assess how environmentally friendly their practices are and develop a plan for improvement.

International Club

In 2008, St. John's students formed the International Club. The Club's mission is to be educated about and have a better understanding of different cultures, and to expand members' knowledge of different ethnic groups around the world.