Signature Programs
St. John’s Signature Programs broaden the student experience and cultivate a love of learning both inside and outside of the classroom. These Signature Programs provide a holistic education that extends classroom learning, encourages students to explore different areas of interest, teaches new skills, and helps children deepen their understanding of the world around them.
Athletics
In three athletic seasons, we offer 12 different sports. Approximately two-thirds of Middle School students participate in Athletics, and the program goals are to increase professional development for coaches, better align the P.E. curriculum with athletic seasons for targeted skills development outside of regular practice time, to think creatively about gym space constraints, survey students, expand our sport offerings, and further increase student participation.
Expressive Arts
The Expressive Arts include music, art, and theatre. In Primary School through sixth grade, students attend regular art and music classes, and eighth graders work on their second-semester musical production. Each year, several eighth graders seek to continue their preference in the arts by pursuing admission to Booker T. Washington School for the Performing Arts. Throughout the academic year, students enjoy visual arts classes, and regular rotations of their artwork are shown in hallways and common areas across the School.
Outdoor Education
Outdoor Education activities have existed at St. John’s for many years, and the program rests on the pillars of curriculum, conservation, and character development. At each grade-level, St. John's has integrated projects into the curriculum to teach students about natural resources and conservation. Garden Enterprise is a seventh and eighth grade elective in which students manage our donation garden. For several years, we’ve annually provided thousands of pounds of produce to Aunt Bette’s Community Pantry at St. Philip’s School and Community Center. Additionally, several grade-level overnight trips blend character development, geography, and conservation during these extraordinary outdoor experiences.
Service Learning
At each grade level, from prekindergarten through eighth grade, students have consistent service opportunities to support our surrounding community. Among the organizations we support are: Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls, Jubilee Park and Community Center, Aunt Bette’s Pantry, Feed My Starving Children, among others. Our service learning coordinator works with all St. John’s grade-level teams to meet the needs of area organizations, and teaches students person-centered language that focuses first on the person and then on their need or disability. Through these experiences, we seek to help students understand that the way we speak about people influences the attitudes we form about them.