Learning Support, Counseling, Chaplains
At St. John’s, we meet students where they are and take them as far as they can go. To help us on the journey, we have a Student Formation Team (SFT) focused on students’ learning, social and emotional, and spiritual needs. Each division has an SFT consisting of the Dean of Student Formation and counselor, learning specialists, and division head. The chaplains, deans of students, and nursing staff may also consult with the SFT. When teachers or parents have concerns about a student, they can make a referral to the SFT. A member of the team will typically observe the student, and the team will meet with the referring teacher to determine the best course of action. The outcome may be a parent meeting, a recommendation for a psychoeducational assessment, tutoring, counseling, a behavior plan or checklist, or simply monitoring the student closely. The SFT also presents and coordinates outside professionals to speak to teachers and parents on social, emotional, and learning topics.
Dean of Student Formation
Our Dean of Student Formation Mary Odom helps us maintain a healthy social and emotional environment at School. Her role includes student support, crisis intervention, providing classroom guidance lessons, and coordinating social emotional learning and wellness events for students. Mary participates in both the Lower and Middle School student support team. She acts as a resource for faculty members and parents by providing guidance on managing students’ particular issues of behavior, emotions, and mental health. She functions as a liaison between the School, our Director of Mental Health and Wellness Dr. Nancy Avery, and any mental health professional, and she serves as a referral source for outside professionals. Additionally, Mary works with the Dean of Middle School Students Dr. Kevin Mendez focusing on Middle School students' needs as well as working with Jake Minton, Dean of Students for Primary and Lower School, who supports our students in Pre-K 3 through fourth grade.
Chaplains
Chaplains Allen and Minton guide us in the fulfillment of our spiritual mission to educate students in a Christian, Episcopal environment. We worship together by division (Primary, Lower, and Middle) throughout the week and gather together as a whole school for worship several times throughout the year. In Middle School, Chaplain Allen is responsible for classes that explore both the Old and New Testaments and World Religions. Chaplain Minton gathers with Lower School students once a week in addition to their regular worship schedule to reflect on and encourage the growth of our Lionhearted Values within the community. And Primary School students attend Godly Play lessons once a week with Laura Hodge and are visited often by Chaplain Minton as he supports their teachers with social emotional learning lessons that focus on character development.
Through their work, Chaplains Allen and Minton embody the five tenets of Episcopal education to which we, as a School, are committed:
- Academic excellence
- Corporate worship (Episcopal/Christian chapel)
- Religious studies based on basic Biblical content
- Meaningful and integrated community service and service-learning projects
- An inclusive community where the dignity of every human being is respected.
Jake Minton
Dean of Students for Primary and Lower School, Interim Primary and Lower School Chaplain
Learning Support
St. John’s enrolls diverse learners, including students with diagnosed learning differences and others who may benefit from additional academic support. Our Learning Support Team works collaboratively with students, families, and teachers to identify individual learning needs, provide targeted support, and help every student develop the skills and confidence to be successful.
The Learning Support Team includes Katie Burkhead, Lynn Guion, Ellen Margaret Scher, and Amy Whittington, who bring complementary areas of expertise to supporting students across divisions. Together, they collaborate with faculty and divisional Student Formation Teams, help families navigate appropriate support systems, coordinate accommodations and academic resources, and provide teachers with strategies and information to support a wide range of learners.
Director of Mental Health and Wellness
Responsible for the social and emotional support of Primary, Lower, and Middle School students, our Director of Mental Health and Wellness Dr. Nancy Avery is a key collaborator on the Student Formation Team, which leads St. John’s approach to whole-child development in a Christian environment. Chapel and spiritual formation, social, emotional, and physical wellness, behavior and discipline, and academic learning support reside under this segment of the Student Formation umbrella.
