Update to Academy Families — September 24, 2021
Dear St. Johnsbury Academy Families,
I just visited the weekly meeting of our student government, led by President Ashley Fox ‘22, Vice-President Nathan Lenzini ‘23, Treasurer and Ombudsman Eric Chen ‘23 and Secretary Rory Higgs ‘23. After approving a proposal for a new “Discussion and Debate” club, they then had a lively conversation about how we might involve many more students in morning Chapel—having them plan, participate in and lead it regularly—and basically bring some more music, activities, good news and fun to the morning now that we are settling into the year’s rhythm. I am grateful to them for generating ideas and problem-solving: and look forward both to seeing what they come up with, and to helping them make it happen.
A few quick notes to end the week.
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Walk for Hunger/Food Drive: We postponed the Walk for Hunger until next Friday, October 1st. We do this together to benefit our local Food Shelf, so this extra week will give us more time to add to the already amazing amount of cans, boxes, and bags that are lining the hallway of Colby Hall. We will continue the food drive through next week, so please send your student here with a non-perishable contribution (they can bring to their advisories) if you can.
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Interim Grades for your students will be available to view by email and on the portal next week. These grades should be an indication of how students are finding their feet academically, and it’s also a chance for teachers to share when students are struggling for any reason. We hope you will sign up for virtual Teacher Conferences on October 28th and 29th to connect personally with teachers and advisors. Please look for a note from the Headmaster’s Office in the coming weeks with more details on how to sign up for conferences.
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Attendance Notes: Please remember to send your student with a note from you for any excused absences, otherwise they become unexcused absences, and students will need to complete hours of community service. Questions: attendance@stjacademy.org.
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COVID Response:
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To clarify our mask policy—following the State of Vermont’s advisory, we are not requiring masks outdoors on campus. We are, however, strongly encouraging masks when in large groups even at outdoor events—sports, social events, the Senior-hosted Dance this Saturday 9/25—so that we can continue to keep cases low.
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Reporting cases: We will continue to communicate with you when we have a report of a COVID case, usually as soon as those who are close contacts have been notified and advised. So far this school year we have had a total of 6 cases of COVID in the school community—all unrelated to school activities. Please contact CovidResponseTeam@stjacademy.org with any questions.
Our SJA Team for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s is ready to go—please register and join us wearing purple and white this Sunday at 9:30am at the Welcome Center in St. Johnsbury.
Thank you as always for your partnership in helping your students have the best possible experience here at the Academy. My door is always open—never hesitate to reach out.
Take Care,
Dr. Sharon Howell
Headmaster
