Episcopal Insider
St. Mark's Campus
November 15, 2024
All Campuses
Important Dates
February 1, 2025 – Florida School Choice Scholarship application opens for renewal and new applicants. New applicants can apply for the 2025-2026 school year through Step Up for Students. April 30, 2025 – Renewal application deadline. Applications received after April 30, 2025 will be processed as new students.Key Information & New Steps for Scholarship Applicants
Here is some helpful information to be aware of, including a new step that families will need to complete this year:- Application checklist: For a list of documents that may be needed when a family applies, please click here.
- Priority deadline: To ensure renewing students receive priority for the Private School Scholarship and the Unique Abilities Scholarship, families must submit their application by Wednesday, April 30. After this date, all students will be processed as “new students” due to legislative changes for this year.
- New step for families: Once a student is found eligible, the family will be asked to “Accept” or “Decline” the scholarship. Once accepted, the student’s status will be updated to “Awarded.” Please monitor your email for future updates about enrollment.
- Step Up for Students is here to help: In addition to their regular hours, their team will be available to assist families this weekend from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET.
Many ESJ parents are familiar with The Monique Burr Foundation’s Child Safety Matters curriculum taught at our Lower Schools. ESJ parents are encouraged to join our programming partner The Monique Burr Foundation for a webinar on Thursday, February 6, 2025, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. – Developing Digital Safety, Empathy, and Mindfulness with Richard Guerry.
The webinar is free and you must register to attend. Click here to register.
Register: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_58L7OQvgTwunFpgLObrbsw
About the Webinar
From The Monique Burr Foundation for Children (MBF)
Apps like TikTok continue to grow; Deep Fakes are becoming a more common issue, AI is being deployed on a larger scale, Communication in online gaming is growing more frequent for children at younger ages, and; Wearable tech like Snapchat Specs & Meta Smart Glasses will continue to evolve, thus the need for responsibility, as well as empathy and kindness has become even more paramount.
Richard will provide attendees with information & tips to create responsible decision-making with today’s – and tomorrow’s – technology and understand how to replace blind decision-making with informed decision-making. The information provided will assist attendees in helping youth, and other adults, not just understand how to survive – but how to thrive – with continuously evolving digital tools and technologies.
About Richard Guerry
Richard Guerry is the founder of the non-profit organization the Institute for Responsible Online and Cell-Phone Communication (IROC2.org) and one of the nation’s most sought-after speakers on digital safety, empathy and mindfulness. He is the author of multiple cyber safety books and has been a featured speaker at numerous national & international conferences. His Programs have received the School Safety Advocacy Council’s:
- Exemplary School Safety Program Award
- Exemplary School Safety Initiative Award
- National Anti-Bullying Award
Richard has appeared as an expert on Radio Disney, CNN, FOX, CBS, MTV’s Thin Line Campaign, as well as in Parade Magazine and many local, regional, and international publications to help humans better understand how to wield the power of evolving technology with wisdom and responsibility through solution-oriented concepts critical to anyone using digital tools.
Applications for the 2025-2026 school year are open and now is the time to apply for siblings at all ESJ campuses!
Episcopal families interested in a sibling applying to the Beaches Campus (Grades Pre-K 3 – 5), St. Mark’s Campus (Age 1 – Grade 5) or Munnerlyn Campus (Grades 6 – 12) should follow the steps below and complete the process by January 31. Siblings receive priority consideration, but space is limited, so be sure to complete the application process early.
View Steps to Apply for a Sibling
New This Week
The next St. Mark’s Campus Book Club Meeting coincides with the Anxious Generation Panel Discussion in the Lori Schiavone Commons on November 19 at 8:15 am. The club will attend the panel and stay for a 30-minute discussion of Good Inside Chapters 6–10 (wrapping up around 9:45 a.m.). Everyone is welcome to participate, even if they have not read the book.
On Friday, February 7, 2025—just one day before the W.W. Gay Ortega River Run— all faculty, staff, and students are invited to wear their Ortega River Run shirts.
When you register for either the one-mile or five-mile race, you will receive a complimentary short-sleeve shirt.
Toddler, adult long-sleeve, and adult tank shirts are also available by following the link below:
Order deadline = January 8, 2025
Reminders
2024-2025 Important Upcoming Calendar Dates
- February 7 – Chapel in the Park (Weather Permitting) (Grades K-5)
- February 7 – Ortega River Run T-Shirt Day
- February 7 – Ortega River Run Packet Pick-up and Pizza Dinner
- February 8 – W.W. Gay Ortega River Run
- February 13 – Daughter Dance
- February 14 – Valentines’ Day Class Parties
- February 17 – Presidents’ Day – School and Extended Day Closed
- February 21 – Early Dismissal (noon), Eagle Afternoon Program Closed
- March 3 – Eucharist Chapel (Grades 1-5, Church, Wear Maroon)
- March 5 – Ash Wednesday Chapel Service (Grades 1-5, Church)
- March 5 – Pre-Primary Chapel in the Lori Schiavone Commons
- March 5 – No Gathering
- March 6 – Spring Musical (Grades 4 & 5, 8:25 a.m. & 6:30 p.m., Lori Schiavone Commons)
- March 10 – 14 – Spring Break. School Closed, Holiday Care Open
- March 17 – 20 – Fifth Grade Kanuga Trip
- March 21 – Chapel in the Park (Grades K – 5, Stockton Park)
- March 21 – A Vision for Art Opening Night Celebration
- March 22 – 24 – A Vision for Art Public Shopping
- March 26 – Parent/Teacher Conferences, School and Extended Day Programs Closed (childcare available during conference slots)
Episcopal School of Jacksonville, St. Mark’s Campus is fortunate to have a JSO field office, called a “Stop Station,” located adjacent to the school. To thank police officers for their service to the community, ESJ, St. Mark’s Campus is holding a Stop Station snack drive.
Collecting Snacks November 11-19
Drop off items in bins will be located by Little Loop, Main Carpool, and the School Office.
Snack Suggestions:
- Individually bagged chips
- Individually bagged mixed nuts/trail mix
- Individually bagged pretzels
- Kind bars
- Granola Bars
- Small chocolates
- Individually bagged Chex Mix
- Individually packaged peanuts
- Individually packaged almonds
- Individually packaged crackers
- Bottled water
- Hot tea packets
- K cups for Keurig
Supporting Young People in Our Digital Age
Episcopal School of Jacksonville Lower School parents are invited to attend a panel discussion on The Anxious Generation: Supporting Young People in Our Digital Age, addressing the impacts of mental health issues, pressure, and technology on today’s youth and exploring how parents and the school community can respond.
Tuesday, November 19
8:15 a.m.
Lori Schiavone Commons
Panel discussion led by:
- Dr. Elise Fallucco, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, ESJ Director of Health, Safety, and Well-Being
- Amy Burrows Perkins ‘92, LMHC, ESJ Director of Student Services
- The Rev. Adam Greene, Head of School
The W.W. Gay Ortega River Run is February 8, 2025! Don’t miss one of the biggest fundraisers and friendraisers for ESJ, St. Mark’s Campus, benefiting the school’s financial aid program.
Register before November 30 to secure the best rate of the year!
Each month, first – fifth grade students are recognized by peers and teachers for demonstrating qualities of the Fruit of the Spirit that the Apostle Paul writes about in his letter to the church in Galatia. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23. Parents are welcome to attend these afternoon gatherings, as they are all Chapels and gatherings.
Wednesdays at 2:30 p.m.
Lori Schiavone Commons
- February 19 – Fruit of Goodness Gathering
- March 19 – Fruit of Faithfulness Gathering
- April 23 – Fruit of Gentleness Gathering
- May 14 – Fruit of Self-Control Gathering
Pre-K 3—Grade 5 students receive a book for their birthday that is added to the Steve Williams Library Collection. Please be on the lookout for an email from Mrs. Trumpler regarding book selection. After a special bookplate is placed in the book, it will be blessed at the Birthday Chapel. Your child will be the first person to check out the book, and we ask them to return it after reading it for a few weeks so other children can enjoy it! Please join us at their special birthday Chapel.
8:25 a.m.
St. Mark’s Episcopal Church
February and July Birthdays
- February 24 (Grades 1-5)
- February 26 (Pre-K and Kindergarten)
March Birthdays
- March 24 (COMBINED Grades Pre-K 3 – Grade 5)
April and May Birthdays
- April 14 (Grades 1-5)
- April 23 (Pre-K and Kindergarten)
Episcopal is closed from November 25 – 29 for Thanksgiving Break. Holiday Care is available on November 25 and 26 with advanced registration. Please contact Betsy Porter at [email protected] with questions related to Holiday Care.