2024-2025 Important Upcoming Calendar Dates

• December 19 – Fifth Grade Spelling Bee (1:30 p.m., Lori Schiavone Commons)
• December 20 – Christmas Class Parties
• December 20 – Early Dismissal (Eagle Afternoon Program Open)
• December 23 – 27 – School and Extended Day Programs Closed (Christmas Break)
• December 30 & 31 – School Closed, Holiday Care Open (Needs Advanced Registration)
• January 1 – School and Extended Day Programs Closed
• January 2 & 3 – School Closed, Holiday Care Open (Needs Advanced Registration)
• January 6 & 7 -School and Extended Day Programs Closed (Faculty Professional Development)
• January 8 – Classes Resume
• January 8 – Deadline for ordering Ortega River Run toddler, long sleeve, and tank shirts
• January 10 – Kindergarten joins Grades 1 – 5 Chapel, 8:25 a.m. St. Mark’s Episcopal Church
• January 16 – Re-Enrollment for 2025-2026 School Year Begins
• January 17 – Fathers’ and Special Friends’ Chapel (Pre-K 3 – Grade 5, 8:25 a.m., St. Mark’s Episcopal Church)
• January 20 – MLK Day. School and Extended Day Program Closed
• January 23 – Family Open House, All Grades, 5:30 p.m.
• January 23 – Eagle Afternoon Program Closes at 5:30 p.m.
• January 29 – Dads’ Club Gathering (6:00 p.m., Lori Schiavone Commons)
• January 31 – Deadline to Re-Enroll for 2025-2026 School Year

Faculty will participate in professional development on Friday, November 8. 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 Betsy Porter at [email protected] with questions.

Monday, November 11
8:25 a.m. in St. Mark’s Episcopal Church

All families are invited to join kindergarten – fifth grade students during a special chapel honoring veterans and current military personnel. Commander Doug Hale, US Navy (ret) will speak to students about his experience serving nearly 22 years in the military.

Along with a special Veterans Day Chapel , St. Mark’s Campus will prominently display photos and information about veterans special to the St. Mark’s Campus community. Faculty, staff and families are encouraged to submit information about loved ones. If you previously submitted information, you do not need to resubmit.

Click here to submit veteran information. 

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

RSVP

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!

Register to run!

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

• January 22 – Fruit of Kindness Gathering
• 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

January and June Birthdays

• January 27 (Grades 1-5)
• January 29 (Pre-K and Kindergarten)

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)

A St. Mark’s Campus fundraising event, A Vision for Art is a premier art exhibition for avid art collectors and casual buyers. It exhibits new and original works by well-known and emerging artists. If you know an artist you want to see at this event, please encourage them to apply! The Event is March 21-24, 2025.

www.avisionforart.com/opencall