Episcopal Insider
Beaches Campus
August 23, 2024
All Campuses
The ESJ Fine Arts Department invites students, families, and community members to attend The Art of Art, a night of creativity and exploration of visual arts. Come try throwing a pot on a ceramics wheel, participate in a photography demonstration, or create artwork that you can bring home.
This free event takes place on January 16 from 5-8 PM on Arts Row on St. Elmo Drive at the Munnerlyn Campus.
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
We understand parking is tight this year, but we ask your help in being good neighbors! Please do not park in front of Jacksonville Community Pet Clinic, Beaches at 335 11th Avenue N. Pet parents need to have easy access to this facility, especially in times of emergency. Thank you for being considerate!
In observance of Labor Day, the school will be closed on Monday, September 2nd. We look forward to seeing all of our students back on campus on Tuesday, September 3rd.
The Beaches Campus Parent Book Study is back! Hosted by Mary Broe (Kai Bear, Grade 1), the group will meet in the Music Room every Wednesday after Chapel, September 4 – November 13. The book selected for this fall is The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt. The author regarding his book: “I explain the major causes of the international epidemic of mental illness that hit adolescents in the early 2010s, and I offer a path forward for parents, teachers, friends, and relatives who want to help improve the mental health of children and adolescents. Change is possible, if we can act together.”
If you would like to join this book study, please sign up here by next Wednesday, August 28. The School will purchase copies of the book for the book study members.
Dear Beaches Campus Parents,
For the upcoming school year, the PA has organized activities that will enrich our students’ school experience and support our faculty and staff. It is our goal to create school spirit and a joyful sense of community, organize appropriate events, and honor Beaches Campus traditions.
MEETINGS:
The Beaches Campus PA will hold its first meeting of the 2024-2025 school year, via Zoom September 5 at 9:00 a.m.
Upcoming Parent Association Events:
- Boo Bash – Friday, October 25, 2024 | 3:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
- Daughter Dance – Thursday, February 13, 2025 | 6:00 p.m.
- Son Event – Thursday, March 20, 2025 | 6:00 p.m.
Sincerely,
Laura Smith
2024-2025 Beaches Campus PA President
We are pleased to announce our visiting author for the fall semester – Victoria Piontek. On Friday, September 6, Victoria will join fourth and fifth grade students for an interactive presentation of her book, Better With Butter. We are so excited for Victoria to share her book with the Lower School community!
About the Book:
A girl with anxiety disorder finds an unlikely friend—and emotional support animal—in the form of an adorable fainting goat.
Twelve-year-old Marvel is afraid of absolutely everything-amusement park rides, food poisoning, earthquakes, and that big island of plastic floating through the ocean. She also obsesses about smaller worries like making friends, getting called on by the teacher, and walking home alone. Her parents and the school therapist call her worries an anxiety disorder, but Marvel calls them armor. If something can happen, it will. She needs to be prepared.
But when Marvel stumbles on a group of older kids teasing a baby goat that has mysteriously shown up on the soccer field, she momentarily forgets to be afraid and rescues the frightened animal. Only Butter isn’t any old goat. She’s a fainting goat. When Butter feels panic, she freezes up and falls over. Marvel knows exactly how Butter feels and precisely what Butter needs-her.
Soon, Butter and Marvel are going everywhere together, and Butter thrives under Marvel’s support. Butter also helps Marvel. Everything is easier for her with Butter by her side. But just when Marvel starts to imagine a life in which she can manage her anxiety, instead of letting it control her, Butter’s owner shows up to claim her. Will Marvel find a way to keep her friend? Or will she revert back to the anxious, lonely person she used to be?
About the Author:
Victoria Piontek is the author of The Spirit of Cattail County (Scholastic Press, 2018), a ghostly story of magic and friendship set in the Everglades. The Spirit of Cattail County was a Bank Street College Best Book of the Year (2019) and selected for the Sequoyah Children’s Masterlist (2019-2020). She is also a Literary Associate for Executive Agent Laura Rennert at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency. Prior to her current roles, Victoria had a myriad of other jobs, from waitressing to sales, but her favorite occupation was teaching middle school children in New York City as a Teach for America Corps Member. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing for Children and Young Adults from Hollins University, and an MST in Education from Pace University. Her forthcoming novel, Better with Butter, is about a twelve-year-old girl struggling with anxiety and the fainting goat that changes her life. When she’s not writing, you can find her hiking in California, where she lives with her husband, three children, bunny, and fluffy dog.
Students who received a Shout Out at Friday Flag in the month of August are welcome to dress down for school on September 6. If your student received a shout out, you will be contacted by their teacher.
Spirit Day is Friday, January 17, 2025! Don’t forget to wear your ESJ Spirit Shirt with athletic, denim, or uniform bottoms!
Beaches Campus Dads,
You are invited to attend the Beaches Campus Dads’ Club Meet and Greet on Thursday, September 19th at 6:30 p.m. at Southern Swells Brewing Company in Jacksonville Beach, FL.
Don’t miss this opportunity to meet other Beaches Campus dads in an informal and relaxed setting. All dads are welcome and don’t forget your ESJ nametag.
If you plan on attending, please RSVP here!
Sincerely,
Beaches Campus Dads’ Club President
Patrick Aland
School is closed on September 20, 2024 for Parent – Teacher Conference Day. Childcare will be provided during your scheduled conference time.
Please be on the lookout for an email to sign up for Pre-K 3 – fifth grade parent-teacher conferences.
Reminders
2024-2025 Important Calendar Dates
- January 10 – December Shout Out Free Dress/Beach Bash Tickets on Sale!
- January 14 – Pre-K/K Chapel
- January 15 – Chapel (first – fifth grade)
- January 16 – Parent Association January Meeting via Zoom
- January 17 – Spirit Dress
- January 20 – MLK Day (No School)
- January 21 – Pre-K/K Chapel
- January 22 – Eucharist Chapel
- January 23 – Family Open House (5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.)
- January 28 – Class Picture Day (Wear Maroon)/Pre-K/K Chapel
- January 29 – January Birthday Book Chapel
- January 31 – January Birthday Free Dress/Parent Coffee with Elise Fallucco (after Friday Flag)
- February 3-7 – CTP 5 Testing (second – fifth grade)
- February 4 – Pre-K/K Chapel
- February 5 – Fruit of the Spirit Chapel
- February 6 – Parent Association February Meeting via Zoom
- February 7 – January Shout Out Free Dress
- February 11 – Pre-K/K Chapel
- February 12 – Chapel (first -fifth grade)
- February 13 – Winter Wonderland Daughter Dance (6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.)
- February 17 – Presidents Day (No School)
- February 18 – Pre-K/K Chapel
- February 19 – Eucharist Chapel (first – fifth grade)
- February 21 – Spirit Dress Day/Noon Dismissal/Trimester 2 Ends)
- February 25 – Pre-K/K Chapel
- February 26 – February Birthday Book Chapel and Head of School List Recognition
- February 28 – February Birthday Free Dress/Beach Bash Parent Social (6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.)
2024-2025-Key-Dates-Beaches-Campus-v-2024-02-06
Fourth and fifth grade students are invited to join the Beaches Campus Band! Learn to play an instrument – No previous experience needed. Participants may choose from flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, or trombone. New this year – all band students will also learn to play percussion. Students will also explore basic music theory, composition, and improvisation. The band presents two informal performances per year, and has been invited to play with the ESJ Upper School Pep Band at the Lower School Family Fun Night. The Beaches Campus Band rehearses on Wednesdays from 3:10 – 4:30 p.m. in the Music Room. The fee for this year-long program is $25, which covers the band shirt and basic music supplies. Families are responsible for providing their own instruments via rental or purchase. Register for the Beaches Campus Band with trimester one activities sign ups. For those who also play sports, we are working with the Athletic Director to coordinate a way for students to be able to do both practice and band rehearsal. We will start the band program the first week of after school activities and we will leave the option to sign up for the band through the second week in September as students learn more about this opportunity.
- Instrument zoo: Wednesday August 28th at 3:10; parent meeting to follow at 4:30pm
- Band practice: Wednesdays from 3:10-4:30pm, through out the school year
- You may sign up for Band through the end of August
- Students are able to participate in both Band and Basketball (Band from 3:10-4:00, Basketball from 4:00-4:30)
If your student is interested in attending the Instrument Zoo, please RSVP to [email protected] by Tuesday, August 27.
Episcopal School of Jacksonville’s Lower School Campuses partner with Campus Cuisine to provide a convenient way for parents to pre-order and pay for fresh, nutritious lunches. The ordering process is extremely flexible, allowing orders, changes, and cancellations up until noon (ET) the day before! Student’s individually packaged lunches will be delivered to school daily and labeled with the student’s name.
2024-2025 Lunch Partners
Monday – Vitality Bowls
Tuesday – Sierra Grille
Wednesday – Homespun Kitchen
Thursday – Chick Fil A
Friday – Milano’s
Please follow the steps below to register and order your school lunches.
- Go to https://www.campuscuisine.net on your computer, phone or tablet then click register, enter access code BC904 and click sign up.
- Add your students.
- Click Order lunches on the student profile or choose Order from the Calendar to prevent duplication of orders.
- You may order in advance for as many days or weeks as you like, but the deadline to order or cancel lunches for the next day is Noon the day before. If your child gets sick after that, you may notify us by 8:00 AM that morning and receive a credit.
- Click the days of the week to view the dates and lunch options for that day. Then enter a quantity for each menu item that you wish to order.
- Click add to cart and repeat for each student.
- Click your cart and proceed to checkout. Payment can be made via Shop Pay, Apple Pay, Google Pay and Meta or by entering your credit card.
- Please view and confirm your orders by clicking “Lunches/Calendar”.
- To change or cancel lunches, click “Lunches Calendar”, select a lunch, and click “cancel”. You may also click “Lunch List” and “delete”. You will receive a credit that can be applied to your next purchase. Credits must be used to purchase other lunches, are not refundable and expire in June.
Faculty will participate in professional development on Friday, August 30. Early Dismissal is at 12:00 p.m.
The Eagle Afternoon Program will be open until 6:00 p.m. for pre-registered students. Please contact Melody Harding at [email protected] for questions regarding the Eagle Afternoon Program.
Let us know that your student is coming by signing them up here.
Students who celebrated birthdays in July or August are welcome to dress down on August 30th for school. Examples of dress down would be play clothes or non uniform clothing.
With chapel coming up next week, please be mindful of St. Paul’s by-the-Sea church members and do not park in the church parking lot on 4th Street on Wednesdays.