The Rev. Reggie Payne-Wiens, Chair, ex oficio

St. James’ Episcopal Church

Kent Burress, President

St. James’ Episcopal Church

Judith Rhedin, Vice President

St. James’ Episcopal Church

Jane Pfeiffer Michael, Secretary

St. Michael’s Episcopal Church

Jack Nokes, Treasurer

St. James’ Episcopal Church

Sharon Barnett

Marc Bove

St. David’s Episcopal Church

Jim Crosby

St. James’ Episcopal Church

Nell Dale

St. Michael’s Episcopal Church

Simone Talma Flowers

St. James’ Episcopal Church

Cyrus Helm

First United Methodist Church (Houston)

Jane Ferguson Hill

St. James’ Episcopal Church

Kelvin King

Kimberly Mitchell, Parent Representative

Liz Fleming Powell

St. James’ Episcopal Church

Nicolas Shumway

Christ Church Cathedral (Houston)

Kimberly Wilson Vincent

St. James’ Episcopal Church

Ellen Jockusch, ex oficio

St. David’s Episcopal Church

Administration

Ellen Jockusch, Head of School

Tanya Baston, Director of School Programs and Operations

Sarah Kapostasy, Enrollment and Communications Coordinator

Teaching Staff

Kathie Clark, Assistant Teacher

Juliet Coppinger, Assistant Teacher

Jessica Dorsey, Assistant Teacher

Ashley Fay, Lead Teacher

Anna Kago, Master Teacher

Claire Meade, Lead Teacher

Anita Miranda, Montessori Assistant

Lara Morgan, Lead Teacher

Dianna Morris, Assistant Teacher

Veronica Rodriguez, Montessori Guide (Lead)

Asiya Shereen, Assistant Teacher

LaToyia Sterns, Assistant Teacher

Cook and Kitchen Manager

Angela Morris

The year of 2011 has been one of extraordinary change and growth for St. James’ Episcopal School.  After trying for years without success to meet our enrollment goals offering an exclusively Montessori-based program for children ages 3 to 6, we decided to listen closely to what prospective parents were requesting and to review closely a needs-assessment that was completed in 2009.  Consequently, in April 2011 the Board unanimously approved a proposal to expand our program to accommodate children as young as 18 months and to offer a developmental preschool curriculum with planned learning centers in addition to our Montessori-based curriculum.  In addition, we added two- and three-day options for the new programs (an option which met the needs of parents who either did not need or could not afford a five-day program).  The expansion involved a re-allocation of space to create the three new programs / age groups:  Active Learning (18 to 24 months); Discovery-A (24 to 36 months); and Discovery-B (36 to 48 months); and Discovery-C (4 to 6 years).  Our wonderful Montessori program moved to a new home in the Orange Building.

As a result of this program expansion and the efforts of our Enrollment Coordinator to develop an effective recruiting and retention strategy (very long on being welcoming, following through, and flexible!), our enrollment has increased in the last year beyond our wildest hopes:  in January of 2011, we had 70 children enrolled.  By December 2011, we had 105.  At the time of writing this report, we have three openings in Discovery for 4-6 year olds; all the other programs are full to capacity!  I spoke with Rick Kellogg, the treasurer of our accrediting institution, the Southwestern Association of Episcopal Schools not long ago.  He was pleasantly astonished at our unprecedented enrollment growth, and said that such dramatic growth is rare in the world of Episcopal schools.

We continue to attract a school community that is ethnically, economically, and culturally diverse and to provide scholarship support and / or tuition discounts to approximately 50 percent of our families.  One encouraging trend in the last year is that we are enrolling a higher percentage of Latino/a students.   In January 2011, just over 9 percent of our children were Latino/a; today that figure is 14.4 percent.

SJES forged several significant community partnerships in 2011. In particular, our Discovery Program was selected for a Texas School Ready grant, a kindergarten readiness initiative developed at the Children’s Learning Institute at UT Health Science Center in Houston for which AISD is the lead local partner. By virtue of being selected for this program, we received a $2500 kindergarten-readiness curriculum, an online assessment program that allows parents to see how their children are progressing, and ongoing training for Anna Kago, the Master Teacher for Discovery.  We were also invited to be a partner of ACE (A Community for Education), a program at the prestigious Charles A. Dana Center at UT, through which we have two UT student volunteers who assist in our programs a total of 30 hours every week.  The early childhood experts at ACE also furnished us a supplemental curriculum with materials, as well as providing training and supervision of the interns.  Having this program at SJES has greatly enriched the children’s learning and overall experience.  In addition, through the ACE program, three of our teachers are receiving ongoing professional development at UT, as well as the opportunity to receive a $2700 stipend to continue their education once they complete the professional development. 

In the year 2011 we also strengthened our enrichment program.  Through a grant from the Arts and Fitness Program for Young Children (AFPYC), a non-profit that funds enrichment programs in underserved preschools and early childhood centers, on a weekly basis we are able to offer our children music, creative drama, fitness, and art.  These classes are taught by professionals, such as teachers from Gym Magic and Abrakadoodle, who specialize in arts and fitness for young children.  In addition, we offer age-appropriate Spanish instruction twice weekly to our children age three and above.  All of these enrichment activities are included in the cost of child’s tuition (i.e., they are not an additional expense to parents).

In August 2011, in response to parent requests, we launched a USDA Food Program which enables us to provide a nutritionally balanced breakfast, lunch, and snack every day to every child, at no additional cost to their parents.  This is a great service to our parents.  The USDA reimburses SJES for grocery expenses.  Children and staff eat family-style at tables in the Purple Building, and parents have an open invitation to join them. In addition to providing nutritious meals, the Food Program promotes parents’ awareness of healthy eating and encourages conversation and interaction among children and staff. 

As most of you know, in order to provide tuition assistance through our scholarship program and to fund operating expenses that are not covered by tuition revenue, we must raise funds yearly in our Annual Giving Campaign.  Our overall fundraising goal for fiscal year 2010-2011 (August 1-July 31) was $300,000; we raised $356,000, substantially exceeding the $300K goal.  In addition to numerous generous individual supporters, we received grants from the Burdine Johnson Foundation, Catto Charitable Foundation, Dodge Jones Foundation, Helm Foundation, Houstoun Foundation, and Lowe Foundation.

Last but definitely not least, I am very heartened by the positive interactions and sense of community among our parents and between school staff and parents.  Parents actively volunteer at the school, and an average of 16 parents—from all walks of life—regularly attend our Parent Advisory Council (aka PTA) meetings.  Their experience at St. James’ is a training ground for parents to practice and learn how to be constructively involved in their child’s education and schooling—a practice that will benefit their child in elementary school and beyond.  Whether their child attends SJES with a subsidy from Salvation Army or WorkForce, or whether they are able to pay full tuition, parents feel welcomed and valued at St. James’ Episcopal School as people beloved of God, just as their children are.  We hear this in different ways, again and again. from parents. 

In closing, I want to express my gratitude for the many ways the parish supports the school—referrals (of prospective families), allowing us to use the sanctuary and Founders Hall, the helpfulness of your parish administrators, and the great service rendered to the school by parishioners who serve on our Board of Trustees and ad hoc committees.  I’m also very grateful to the generous and faithful financial support we receive from individual parishioners.  Your school—St. James’ Episcopal School—is  having a significant positive impact on the lives of children and families in East Austin, and I ask for your continued prayers and support. 

Ellen Jockusch

Head of School

January 10, 2012

For the younger students in the Green and Red classrooms, bible stories are told and songs sung in the classroom.

Our older friends in the Orange and Blue classrooms have chapel twice weekly. On Thursdays, each classroom gathers for a chapel service in the classroom and on Tuesdays, they meet in our library. The Tuesday service consists of worship songs, prayers, and a short story from The Jesus Storybook Bible. On Thursday, the students complete a particular activity, an art or culinary-based lesson that ties into the story from earlier in the week. Ms. Kathie, a member of St. James' Episcopal Church and a teacher in the Blue Classroom in the afternoon, leads these chapel activities.

On special occasions or feast days, such as All Saints' Day November 1st, our older students gather in the sanctuary of St. James' Church. During the special service for All Saints' Day, the children learned that they could be saints, too. They also learned that this day is a glad/sad day: sad because we remember those who have died and we love and miss them, but glad because God didn't lose them, because no one is lost to God.

Through our chapel program and everything we do at SJES, we seek to help children develop "an inquiring and discerning heart, the courage to will and to persevere, a spirit to know and to love God, and the feeling of joy and wonder in all God's works."

If you have any question about our chapel program, please contact Ms. Kathie at kathie@stjamesepiscopalschool.org or Ms. Ellen at ellen@stjamesepiscopalschool.org



Important Dates at SJES

The following are some important dates to keep in mind during the fall semesterat SJES. Mark your calendars!

OCTOBER:

12th: Hearing and Vision Screening Day

For a small fee, the University of Texas at Austin will screen your child for hearing and vision problems. All children enrolled at SJES who are over the age of 4 MUST have a copy of a hearing and vision screening on file as a requirement for enrollment. We will send home a permission slip to sign up for this service the week of October 3rd.

12th: National Children's Day

Some special activities will take place in the classroom to celebrate all the children of SJES!

13th: St. Jude's Trike-A-Thon

All SJES students will participate in special activities to learn about bike safety and participate by biking or triking! More information about the optional trike-a-thon fundraiser will be sent home the week of October 3rd.

17th-18th: Picture Days

Say cheese, queso, or fromage! Picture days will be held at SJES on Monday, October 17th and Tuesday, October 18th. This year, talented photographer and mom to Adele in the Red classroom, Natalie Seeboth, will be snapping beautiful shots! You can check out her work at: http://www.hazeled.com/

29th: Fall Play Date and Clothing Swap

Enjoy our playground, refreshments, and fun for the whole family from 1:30 - 4:30 PM. Invite friends who may be interested in exploring SJES. For our clothes swap, bring up to ten items of clothing that your child has outgrown and trade them for clothes that fit! Any clothes left at the end of the swap will be given to charity. Stay tuned for more information, or email sarah@stjamesepiscopalschool.org

31st: Fall Festival Celebration

Fun fall activities will take place throughout the day, with a celebration occurring in each classroom at 3:00 PM. Will ask that all our friends save any costumes for the evening after school.  For more information or to volunteer, please contact your child's teacher or your PAC room representative.

NOVEMBER

11th: National Pizza Day

The children will take part in special art projects and/or math lessons, and enjoy pizza for lunch!

22nd: Thanksgiving Lunch

Each classroom will prepare something special to bring to the feast with their friends. Ms. Angela will prepare a turkey and a vegetarian alternative (suggestions are welcomed!) The entire school with gather in the cafeteria at 11:30 AM. If you would like to join us for this lunch, please RSVP via email to sarah@stjamesepiscopalschool.org  by November 18th.

23rd - 25th: No School (Thanksgiving)

DECEMBER

16th: SJES Pajama Day

Children will spend Friday in their pajamas, relaxing in the midst of the rush of the holidays. (Doesn't that sound nice?)

20th: Christmas Program

This annual tradition will take place for the entire school at St. James' Episcopal Church from 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM.

21st: Child pick-up at 3:00 PM

22nd - 30th: No School (Winter Break)



The next time you’re at the school, you’ll notice a LOT of changes in the classrooms – changes that correlate to the new programs we’re launching this year. A few highlights:

• The Green Room is now set up to be home to our Active Learning Program, which will welcome children ages 18- to 35-months when school begins on August 22.
• The Blue Room will house our Discovery class, a new preschool program for children ages 3 to 5 that is geared toward kindergarten readiness. We’re very proud of the fact that our Discovery program has been awarded a grant to participate in Texas School Ready!, a comprehensive kindergarten readiness curriculum developed at the Children’s Learning Institute at the UT Health Science Center in Houston. Through this grant, SJES has received a $2400 curriculum, lots of new materials, and professional development opportunities for Anna Kago, the master teacher for the Discovery Program.
• The Red Room is being transformed into a literacy and arts enrichment center. It now houses our library, and eventually it will be home to several computers in which our older learners can develop the keyboarding skills and a sense of respect for computers they will need when they enter elementary school. We also use the Red Room for special programs such as Africa Safari, in which Elizabeth Kahura – storyteller, musician, and educator – does a special program for the children on African folktales. 
• The Purple Building is now our dining area. The children eat their lunch family-style there. When school opens at the end of August, we will offer the USDA Food Program which will enable us to provide a healthy breakfast, lunch, and snack to every child (and staff too!) at no additional cost to parents.
• The Orange Building will house our wonderful Montessori program when school opens on August 22. The class will spread across both rooms. 

I am also pleased to announce that SJES has been invited to be a partner with UT’s ACE (A Community for Education) program through a collaboration with the Capital Area United Way’s Success by 6 initiative. Through this partnership, we will receive a research-based curriculum focused on literacy enrichment and the development of pre-reading skills. Two UT students, Americorps volunteers who have been trained by the UT ACE program’s pre-kindergarten expert, will work with children in the Montessori class for a total of 30 hours a week, using this rich multi-sensory and multi-cultural curriculum.

To view this article in the St. James' Episcopal Church Newsletter The Voice of St. James', click here

To view the photo gallery of our summer program, click here

• Folktales from different parts of Africa  
• Motivational poems both in English and Swahili  
• Proverbs, riddles and tongue twisters  
• Jokes and mimes  
• Music and games

The main focus of this program is to show how the African literature can be used to reinforce positive behaviors like kindness, patience and the importance of hard work.

(courtesy African Safari Programs: http://www.safariprogram.com/folktales-of-africa.html)

We invite the SJES community to join us for this special event!

On the first day of summer camp, please bring a blanket and pillow for nap time, a change of weather appropriate clothing, and a lunch. We are looking forward to a summer of fun! 

The children processed into the church while singing the song Siyahamba (We are Marching in the Light of God) in Zulu, English, and Spanish. In a bittersweet moment, we honored all those students who would be matriculating from SJES to continue their education. Smiles were abundant among proud children holding diplomas. 

During the ceremony, members of the Parent Advisory Council as well as key volunteers were honored. Additionally, the volunteer nature teacher Anna Malcolm was recognized. True to her commitment to promoting the joy of nature, she also provided all children with a beautiful yellow flower, adding even more brightness to this special occasion. 

Representatives from the Board of Trustees, St. James' Episcopal Church, SJES teachers, students, and parents presented Ms. Ellen with gifts to mark the special occasion. In her sermon to the large crowd gathered in the SJEC sanctuary, Bishop Harrison noted the special challenges and joys associated with the ministry of shaping the lives of young children.

The ceremony was organized lovingly by trustees Jane Hill and Liz Powell. The SJES Parent Advisory Council was responsible for the reception following the ceremony, where many children could be seen enjoying cake with their friends and classmates.

Ellen Jockusch was hired as the interim head of school by the board of trustees in June of 2010. Her leadership, vision, and commitment to the mission of SJES has been instrumental to the continued success of the school.   

Click here to view the photo gallery for this wonderful event!