Posts of News & Announcements

Have we been robbed???

2010-07-28T01:40:31.022Z

What has happened to the office? Have we been robbed?? Where is everything and why is Mr. Thompson grinning from ear to ear??? Did he do it????

Fear not. All is well. The school office is undergoing a much-needed remodeling. This week, the layout will be fully modified, allowing for efficient movement and usage of space. Teachers will have free access to materials and resources, while the administration will have a confidential and consolidated work space.

With the help of parents and students, the office was cleared today of all contents, making way for a new coat of paint. God willing, by Thursday night the new and improved office will be up and running.

The Administration would like to thank everyone involved with this project and we hope these improvements will enhance life at St. John's Academy.

Food Drive nets 278 pounds of donations.

2010-07-27T20:20:12.678Z

The virtue of charity was alive at St. John's Academy this past year. It was clearly demonstrated with the students' collection of over 278 pounds of food for the San Francisco Food Bank. That is more weight than the entire Kindergarten class. Good job, kids. Let's aim for 500 pounds next year.

(A letter from the San Francisco Food Bank.)

July 12, 2010

Dear Fr. Irenei,

Thank you for organizing a food drive on behalf of St. John of San Francisco Orthodox Academy, resulting in the donation of 278 pounds of food.

By providing the gift of food to children, seniors, and working-poor families of San Francisco, you are advocating that every resident deserves to have a healthy, sustainable life. Your support enables us to be an agent of change in the San Francisco community - transforming the lives of over 147,000 San Franciscans who face the threat of hunger each day.

Every single contribution makes a difference in the work that we do. Through a network of 400 local non-profit agencies including 200 neighborhood pantries, the San Francisco Food Bank will distribute 36.5 million pounds of food this year - more than half of it in the form of fresh produce. Every single day, we provide enough food for 78,000 meals, an accomplishment that would not be possible without community partnerships from individuals, congregations, businesses, schools, and other non-profit agencies.

For the one in five adults and one in four children at risk of hunger in San Francisco, the Food Bank is truly a lifeline. Please thank every participant of this food drive for their generosity and confidence in our work and for their help in building a stronger, healthier San Francisco.

Sincerely,

Jessica Brittsan
Food Drives and Events Manager
San Francisco Food Bank

Paint Days.

2010-07-26T17:41:41.417Z

Dear Parents,

We would like to thank everyone who responded to the appeal for help during the office remodel. Your 'let's-get-it-done' attitude is greatly appreciated. Work will start on at 4PM this Tuesday, July 27th, and should wrap up the following evening. Tuesday we will clear the office, prep the walls, and apply the primer. This evening will require some heavy lifting, so bring your elbow grease. If you have offered to bring supplies, please bring them. The painting itself will be done on Wednesday the 28th.

We have already found a willing victim to build a privacy wall. We are still in need of someone with experience to act as foreman during this project.

Book fees are soon due.

2010-07-26T17:27:45.488Z

Dear Parents,

The annual book fees are soon due. Please drop by the school office for a visit or post your payment prior to the 1st of August. These fees cover the cost of your child's assignment book, yearbook, textbooks, art supplies, and all Xeroxed material given during the school year.

Click here for the Book Fee Schedule. The summer office hours are from 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM Monday through Friday. We do like our lunch breaks, therefore please call in advance of any visit.

Students tour visiting Russian Cruiser

2010-06-28T17:25:37.420Z

This past week, hundreds of San Franciscans toured the visiting Russian Missile Cruiser Varyag. The Varyag is the first Russian Naval ship to make a goodwill visit to San Francisco in 147 years. The visit was made in part to commemorate a little remembered piece of Russian-American history. During the American Civil War, Tsar Alexander II sent a fleet to San Francisco and New York to show support for the union.

During her tour of the ship, St. John's student Sasha Zharchuk was interviewed by KGO-TV. You can watch Sasha's interview in streaming video format from the ABC news website by clicking here.

Saint John's Student Finds Success Playing Local Baseball

2010-06-29T16:18:53.440Z

June 28, 2010 – San Bruno, CA

A freshman-to-be this fall at Saint John’s High School, Anthony Triantafillidis, (a.k.a. “Tony Trianta” by his baseball peers) has been playing baseball in various leagues around the Bay Area for several years now. The last two years he has been with the San Bruno Muscats, a team in the San Bruno PONY (“Protect Our Nation’s Youth”) Baseball League (http://www.pony.org) and is showing some promise in his pursuits. Prior to PONY League, Anthony also played in the Pacifica National Little League (in 2008) and with the Junior Giants (2006-2007).

Earlier this year, Anthony, who normally plays the center fielder position, was selected as an All-Star for his league based on recommendations from his coach, Jim Thiel. Jim has been coaching San Bruno PONY League for many years and selected Anthony for his improved skills in fielding and batting. Anthony, who wears jersey number 23, was promoted to the lead-off spot in the batting order and held that spot for the duration of the season. Unfortunately, Anthony was unable to compete in the All-Star Tournament he was selected for (scheduled for Memorial Day Weekend) due to prior family commitments.

When the San Bruno Pony League season completed a few weeks ago, the Muscats were second in the overall standings and earned a berth into the city championships. The San Bruno City Championship Series included the top four teams in the city and after two consecutive wins, the Muscats took the championship in the knock-out round.

Next up for Anthony was the Northern Peninsula PONY League Championship Series a 3 Game Series against the winners of the South San Francisco league, the South City Canes. This was a huge challenge for the Muscats who fell behind in the first game and had to battle to stay alive in the series. In Game 2, Anthony went 3 for 4 with two singles and a double to help the Muscats even up the series 1-1.

On Sunday, June 27, the Muscats had to rally from a 4-0 deficit. Anthony led off the late inning rally with a stand-up triple to deep right-center. By the last inning (only 7 innings are played in PONY) the team was still within striking distance. They were trailing only by two runs. After loading the bases in the bottom half of the inning and with one out a ground ball would have ended the season for them, but thanks to some timely hitting a double brought in 3 runs to win the Series in dramatic fashion.

Anthony, who thoroughly enjoys playing the sport, intends to pursue baseball in the coming years, while continuing his academic achievements at Saint John’s.

Stanford test results are in - and excellent!

2010-06-29T17:25:01.325Z

The Stanford Test results are in for the 2010 testing period, and as usual performance by St. John's students has been outstanding!

As a reminder, the Stanford-10 Achievement Tests are a nationally recognized series of examinations, administered to students in 3rd-8th grades, used by educators across the country as a norm-referenced means to offer teachers and parents information on their pupils' achievement. The Stanford tests also provide comparisons based on nationwide results. These tests offer us a great opportunity to assess our students' knowledge and academics skills in reference to the national average, as well as determine the level of success of our teaching and curriculum vis-a-vis each student's performance and national norms.

In every category, St. John's has shone through our students. The test results have also clearly demonstrated what we as a school have always known: that St. John's has particular strengths in educating students to a high standard in mathematics, social studies and other core fields.

Beginning with the 3rd grade, the class as a whole scored on the average on the level of 6th graders. Individually, however, we had students who scored on the level of 9th graders in Work Study Skills, 12th graders in the Social Sciences, and two students who scored Post High School level in two fields!

In the 4th grade, we also had two students who scored Post High School, one who individually averaged an 8th grade level for the complete test, one who averaged a 10th grade level.

The 5th grade averaged an 8th grade level across the board. Many students did very well, four extremely well, scoring Post High School in many subjects, and one did exceptionally well by scoring Post High School in all but one subject.

The 6th grade did outstandingly, averaging an 11th grade level. Every student in this class had at least two PHS scores. Their highest scores were in Social Sciences (history) where their class average was PHS.

The 7th grade excelled in Mathematics, as did all students in the school. In this particular grade, all students scored PHS for the Total Mathematics Score. Again, the scores ranged from 2 PHS scores to all PHS for these students.

The 8th grade also saw some surprisingly outstanding Math results. The students in this grade scored in the 91st percentile of the country for Total Math and 95th percentile for Math Procedures (some individuals scoring in the 99th percentile!).

These are extremely impressive results, that would be the envy of any school in the country.

We congratulate our students once again for their hard work!

2010-2011 Academic Calendar Now On-Line

2010-06-18T14:32:52.346Z

The Academic Calendar for the 2010-2011 school year is now on-line, here on the St. John's Academy web site. This calendar spells out the key dates in the academic year for St. John's students and families, including trimester and semester dates, holidays, Church feasts and celebrations, and other activities.

Dates of which to take special note now include the Family Retreat day on August 29th (a critical day for all families and teachers, to discuss new policy and practical changes for the new school year), and the first day of classes on Tuesday, September 7th.

St. John's calendar is routinely updated as new events and activities are planned for our students. The most up-to-date version is always found here on the web site.

Promotional ceremonies and a play mark a memorable close to the 2009-2010 school year

2010-06-16T16:14:02.849Z

On the evening of Thursday, 10th June 2010, the St. John of San Francisco Orthodox Academy marked the close of the current school year with its annual Promotional Ceremonies.

Each student who had completed his course and passed his subjects was promoted to the next grade level, while students who had earned honors were awarded certificates, medals, pins, badges and other signs of their achievements. These included numerous Presidential Education Awards, Presidential Awards for Service, awards in science, math, literature, and languages, awards in sport, and the much-coveted St. Elizabeth Award for service, which this year went to Mr. Alexander Nowak.

During the ceremonies, teachers and staff at St. John's were also honored, as well as various individuals who had contributed to the life of the Academy over the current school year, including its Parents Association.

Following the ceremony of promotions and awards, a short, light-hearted film documenting some of the lighter moments in the life of the Academy over the past months was shown. You can view this film on-line right now by clicking here.

Students in various grades receive their certificates and awards.

Following the short film, the Academy's Principal, Hieromonk Irenei, spoke of the school's delight in the achievements of its students, and of the many advances taken by the Academy over the past year. The majority of his talk, however, focused on the future and the contours of the year ahead at St. John's. He outlined a number of exciting new developments in the life of the Academy that will be in effect from the new school year, including a stranded curriculum providing variation in study and honours-track courses at the high school level; a new food programme to provide healthy and delicious catered lunches and snacks to St. John's students; a new Honours System to replace the approbation/demerit procedures; the hiring of new staff to launch an entirely new music and art program, leading toward AP Art in the high school; and a host of other new developments. Further information on all these, and other developments, will be provided here on the Academy's web site over the coming weeks and months of summer.

Left: the end-of-year excitement starts to show; Center: the St. Elizabeth Award is presented

to Alexander; Right: the year ahead is outlined by the Principal.

The evening's celebrations culminated in the performance of 'Silver Finger': a three-part melodrama (and the Academy's first theatrical venture into the 'Wild West') staged and performed by the 6th-12th grade students under the direction of the Academy's Dean of Students, Mr. Seraphim Winslow.

This performance proved to be one of the great highlights of the evening, as students adopted their roles with a flare and gave astounding performances. No one present will soon forget the lead character's receipt of a 'home-made fly swatter'; the sudden arrival of three gun-slinging cowboys (whose excellent western accents came as a surprise to all); the secret saloon that served poetry instead of 'distilled spirits'; and any number of other memorable moments from the performance.

Congratulations are due to all the students who took part in producing this wonderful play - not only the actors under the lights, but the many students who served as stage managers, prop designers, musicians, and in other behind-the-scenes roles to make the production the success it was.

A few memorable moments from 'Silver Finger'.

The actors receive their applause at the play's end.

Finally, the evening concluded with a pot-luck dinner provided by parents and families of our newly-promoted students. An opportunity for congratulations, photographs, friendly words and fellowship was enthusiastically taken up by all present in our crowded great hall.

All of the faculty, staff and administration of St. John's Academy would like once again to congratulate our students on their achievements over the 2009-2010 school year, and to congratulate as well your families. We are proud of your dedication, hard work, achievements, and - above all - the spirit of Christian joy in which you have brought this year to a wonderful close. We wish you all a blessed, refreshing and pleasant summer holiday, and look forward to welcoming you back to school on September 7th!

Click here to view our gallery of 70 photographs from the Promotional Ceremonies and play!

House of Constantinople visits Raging Waters

2010-06-16T16:00:52.406Z

On Friday, 11th June 2010 - the last day of school - students in this year's victorious House of Constantinople spent the day at Raging Waters. The day's outing to the water slide park was occasioned by their winning this year's Great House challenge, in which the Academy's three Houses (Constantinople, Jerusalem and Alexandria) vie for points throughout the school year in categories of logos, sophia and agape.

It was a closely fought race this year, but Constantinople pulled ahead in the final days to secure their much-coveted place on the water slides.

Students in the two runner-up houses of Jerusalem and Alexandria were not entirely bereft, however, and spent the last day of school with movies and sushi in the great hall.

Congratulations to all our students and their Houses on a year of positive spirit and growth!

Click here for a gallery of 14 more photos from the day!

6th Graders Visit Miwok Village

2010-06-11T17:24:31.627Z

St. John's 6th graders took a field trip to Point Reyes National Park and the Kule Loklo Miwok Indian Village on 9th June, 2010.

(NOTE: Click on a photograph anywhere in this report to see a larger version.)

Coast Miwok people have lived in the Point Reyes vicinity for over 4,000 years. They lived in villages similar to Kule Loklo, which is located near the Bear Valley Visitor Center. Before the Europeans came to California, the Coast Miwok people were the inhabitants of what we now call Marin and southern Sonoma Counties. A rich economy was based on gathering, fishing and hunting. Village communities of 75 to several hundred people developed in sheltered places near fresh water and plentiful food.

"Kule Loklo" (meaning "Bear Valley") is a recreated village. It stands where no village ever was, but where one might have stood.

St. John's students enjoy the surroundings.

Teachers enter two days of training and development

2010-06-14T22:51:42.575Z

Today, Monday 14th June 2010, all teachers and staff of St. John's Academy began two days of intensive training and curriculum development, aimed to finalize the process of implementing a revised curriculum and policy changes at the Academy from the new school year.

Topics being addressed in these two days of presentations, workshops and activities include the implementation of a curriculum featuring differentiated education and honours-level strands; varied forms of assessment and course structure; new policies on assessment and marking; new on-line and print tools for teachers and parents; as well as a host of new practices and policies that will come into effect at the Academy in the 2010-2011 school year -- several of which the Principal highlighted to families in his remarks at the school's recent Promotional Ceremonies.

This Monday, the first since classes ended for the current school year, marked a day of constructive planning, preparation and development amongst the tightly-knit teacher community at St. John's, moving ahead already with concrete plans into the next year of the Academy's life.

Pot-luck dinner on Thursday: calling all parents!

2010-06-07T19:48:22.520Z

A reminder to all families that this year's end-of-year celebration, St. John's annual Promotional Ceremony, will be held this Thursday at 7.00 p.m. (see the week's full schedule, including details on this event, by clicking here...)

The promotional ceremonies on Thursday night will include a pot luck dinner. We would like to ask...

K-5 families to bring Main Dishes
6-8 families to bring Salads or Appetizers
High School families to bring Wine/Soda or Desserts

PLEASE, REMEMBER THAT WE ARE IN A LENTEN PERIOD AND ALL FOOD ITEMS SHOULD BE WITHOUT MEAT, DAIRY, & EGGS!!! FISH IS PERMITTED. THANK YOU!!

Many thanks to all, and we look forward to your food!

It's the last week!

2010-06-07T16:27:51.569Z

We're now in the final week of school for the 2009-2010 year! Our middle- and high-school students are in their finals and younger students in their last week of classes, as we prepare for the conclusion of teaching and this year's promotional ceremonies. The spirit in the school is - expectedly - full of energy and excitement as the summer vacation looms near, and we've a week not only of tests but also of outings, activities and events planned for the days ahead.

Please take a moment to read (carefully!) the full schedule for this last week of school. It is a full week with a program all its own: so make sure you're familiar with its times and details!

Best wishes to all our students for this final week of classes!

Final week schedule, 2010!

2010-06-01T16:21:40.756Z

It is hard to believe that we're now nearly at the end of the school year! God has blessed this year with many wonderful changes at St. John's, and we're delighted at the progress, hard work, and joyful spirits of our students.

The final week of school is 7th-11th June, and this is an important week in the life of each and every student, and of the Academy as a whole. The schedule for these critical days is below: please read this page carefully: it is important that all students be present for all activities every day this week!

A pot-luck dinner will take place following the ceremony and brief play. The Parents Association will help coordinate parents to bring offerings of lenten food for both students and families, as well as our invited guests. Please could every family plan, as in years past, to bring a lenten dish for us to share together (lenten/fasting food, since we are now in the Apostles' Fast)!

Friday: House honors day

On Friday we will conclude our school year with a full day of special activities in reward for school spirit shown throughout the year in our Great Houses program. The winning house will enjoy a day-long outing to Waterworld, while the second- and third-place houses will enjoy a special surprise event in school. This is a full school day and all parents should plan to pick up their children 2:20 p.m.

Middle and High school field trips this week

2010-06-01T15:26:08.523Z

On Wednesday, 2nd June, the High School students will take a special field trip to see Faust at the War Memorial Opera House. Students will depart St. John's at 1.30 p.m. and return around 3.30 p.m.

Then, on Thursday, 3rd June, the Middle and High School will be visiting a D'Orsay exhibit at the de Young museum. Seventh and eighth grades will depart at 9.10 a.m. and return for 11.10, while high school students will depart after lunch at 1.10, returning at 3.10 p.m.

We're delighted that students will have these two wonderful educational opportunities here in the last full week of regular teaching of our school year!

Memorial Day pilgrimage to Fort Ross open to all

2010-05-28T16:50:20.763Z

On Monday, 31st May 2010 (Memorial Day), there will not be classes at St. John's Academy in honour of the national holiday. However, the Western American Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church is providing a wonderful opportunity to spend this day in a pleasant, holy way through its annual pilgrimage to Fort Ross.

Divine Liturgy will be celebrated at the fort's Holy Trinity Chapel at 9:30 a.m. A procession and service for the departed at the Fort Ross cemetery will follow. All the faithful are invited to share an open air meal after the service.

Fort Ross is where the first Russian Orthodox church in the United Sates was built. It is here that St. Innocent of Alaska and St. Peter the Aleut visited and prayed.

Additional information about Fort Ross is available from the California State Parks agency.

If you and your family would like to make this pilgrimage, joining many from our Academy community who will be there, please contact any member of the clergy of the Diocesan Cathedral for further details, travel directions, etc.

House movie night, Friday 4th June: Jerusalem hosts 'The Court Jester'

2010-05-28T16:47:08.247Z

Our House-hosted movie nights continue on Friday, 4th June, with a showing of the classic (and wonderful) film, 'The Court Jester' starring Danny Kaye. Students will gather in the Great Hall for the evening's entertainment, hosted by one of the Great Houses in the running for this year's victory.

We look forward to seeing all our students there!

Developments in Church life and religion classes for next year

2010-05-27T20:19:09.346Z

We are happy to be able to announce to parents, families and students that from the start of the 2010-2011 school year, there will be some new developments in how we integrate the Church life of our students and families into the education in religion that they receive in the classroom.

One of our aims at St. John's is to foster in our students a love for the life of the Church, including a spirit of joy in the services that leads each child to desire participation in the services, to know the mysteries in which they are privileged to participate, and to integrate their experiences there into the whole of life.

Our religion program has always been strong in instilling in students a knowledge of the Church's life and teachings, of the mercies of God and the guidance the Church brings to their lives. We have also always fostered the active attendance and participation in the divine services of the Church amongst our families - with all our students attending the Divine Liturgy at their parish each Sunday, as well as the twelve Great Feasts and regular celebrations of the Church's year.

In the new school year, we will be laying new emphasis on helping our students integrate their participation in the services to their classroom studies and whole of their life. In-school religion classes will take the materials students are learning (e.g. the Law of God, traditions of worship, the life of Christ) and use them to prepare students actively for the services in which they will participate each weekend (the Divine Liturgy). For example, younger students might be prepared for the weekend's services by being asked on Friday to pay particular attention to the Little Entrance at the Sunday Liturgy: who is carrying what? Where to they stand? What do they do? Older children will be prepared for the service with more probing tasks: listen to the Gospel and the homily - how do they connect? What is the spiritual meaning of the priest bowing to the people, and how should this 'icon' shape our relationships to one another? etc. The specific preparation for each Sunday will depend on the age group and level of spiritual development, but the end result will be that each and every student's worshipping life with their family on Sunday will be an integral part of their education and spiritual life at St. John's.

Classroom studies in religion will, in this way, become a more intentional means of provoking active participation in the Sunday services amongst our students: preparing them for what they will see, hear, say and do, and inviting them to become more active participants in the life of the Church. Our aim is to have each student's studies in religion promote and provoke a love, joy anddesire for the services that overflows into their parish life, so that the school becomes a means of developing the hearts of children who want to go to Church, who crave and need the experience of worship, and who know and reflect on what they do there.

When students return to the classroom on Monday, their experiences and reflections on the weekend services will form an integral part of the new week's religion class. Students will reflect on and discuss their experiences of worship, will learn how to apply its lessons and blessings to every day of life, etc. In this manner, their weekly experience of the Divine Liturgy will inform and shape their studies also: it will give shape and substance to their reflections on the Orthodox faith and life, and be integrated into their lives in the school.

We trust that parents will be as enthusiastic as we are about further integrating Church and classroom life in this manner, and we look forward to the spiritual growth and development that will come from this additional emphasis in our program in the Autumn.

7th-8th graders celebrate a 'literary evening' for their English studies

2010-05-27T17:53:32.050Z

On Wednesday, 26th May, students in Mrs. Maximova's 7th and 8th grade English classes gathered together for their annual 'literary evening', to live our their studies in full costume and activity. The theme of this year’s evening was “Mark Twain and Life on the Mississippi.” Students were asked to dress up as their favorite literary character from this year’s studies in literature. Students presented themselves during a tasty Southern cuisine dinner. This year’s literary evening concluded with an exciting game of literary Pictionary and hot apple pie “a la mode.”

Students assemble for a literary moment...

Click here for a full gallery of photographs...

Students steal the show at the National Latin Exams

2010-05-27T19:44:03.572Z

Students from St. John's again participated in the National Latin Exam this year - and did spectacularly well. The National Latin Exam is a competition between students of Latin in the U.S.A. and several other countries.

For the Introductory Level exam, award winners from St. John's included:

Anastassia M. (Blue Ribbon and Gold Certificate - the highest award at that level)
Rodion B. (Silver Certificate -- the second highest award)
Elliott T. (Silver Certificate)
Daria M. (Silver Certificate)

Other students taking the Introductory exam were Ekaterina Kiziria, Steven Philipoff, and Alexander Nowak, all of whom scored well.

At the Latin II, or third-year level:

Anastasia T. earned a Gold Medal (the highest award at that level). This is the second year in a row that she has won a Gold Medal for the NLE.

We are all tremendously proud of our Latin students for their fine showing in this year's competition, and to our Latin teacher, Mrs. Brenneis, for her diligent work in preparing them for the competition.

Mother's Day brunch a success!

2010-05-25T20:33:47.661Z

We are happy to report that this year's Mother's Day Brunch - an annual fundraiser organized by the Parents Association - was a success. When the sums were tallied up, the event raised $2,827.00, which is some $500 more than last year.

Our volunteers transformed the Great Hall into an elegant setting for a wonderfully prepared banquet meal, serving mothers and families after both the early and later Liturgy in the Cathedral (though families also came after services in a number of other parishes). Service, musical entertainment and hosting were provided by St. John's students, parents and teachers; and a silent auction provided the opportunity to win everything from kitchen cookware to baseball tickets.

We are very grateful to all our helpers and volunteers, and to all the families who came and contributed and made the day a success!

You can view a gallery of photos off-site, here.

9th grade 'tastes history' with a medieval dinner

2010-05-25T17:49:49.572Z

Our 9th grade students this Monday had a chance to 'taste and see' their studies in medieval history, with a medieval dinner put on by the students themselves. Led by 9th grade history teacher, Mr. Kotar, students donned authentic medieval dress (though there was some debate as to whether certain outfits were more Renaissance than Medieval) and prepared an elaborate feast of period cuisine.

Congratulation to all our 9th grade students for - as ever - the great spirit of enthusiasm and joy that characterized the evening.

Click here for a photo gallery...

Pentecost BBQ this weekend!

2010-05-19T15:17:08.413Z

This Sunday, 23rd May, is the Feast of Pentecost, and on the day St. John's will be co-hosting a BBQ with part of our sister school, the St. Cyril and St. Methodius Gymnasium's 'White Ball Committee'. An important fundraiser for both communities, it also promises to be a happy and pleasant afternoon of good food and fun together.

The BBQ will take place from 9.00 a.m. - 4.00 p.m. at the Cathedral, so you can come after whichever service you have attended that morning for the Feast.

There will be a 'Jumpee' in the yard for the younger ones, and the food served will include chicken, tri-tip, hot dogs, salads and fixings, desserts and more.

The cost will be $15.00 for adults and $8.00 for children, with all earnings going to support our two schools.

For any further details, please contact either Mrs. Nowak at 415-706-0840, or the school office. We hope to see you and your families there!

Field day in the park: a photo report and gallery!

2010-05-18T15:55:40.720Z

On Thursday, 13th May 2010, the feast of the Ascension of the Lord, students at St. John's Academy celebrated the feast with a day dedicated to worship and community. Beginning by attending the Divine Liturgy at Holy Virgin Cathedral, the student body quickly changed out of its customary school uniforms and into 'free attire', ready for the short three-block walk to Golden Gate Park. There, for the remainder of the day, the students organized themselves into their Great Houses and set about the school's annual 'Field Day': a morning and afternoon of games, competitions, food and friendship for the whole community.

You can view a full (and very large!) gallery of photographs from the day by clicking here.

What had begun as a rather grey morning soon turned into a beautiful sunny day: perfect for spending in the beautiful Golden Gate Park. Once the students had sorted themselves into their Houses of Jerusalem, Alexandria and Constantinople, the games began in earnest: water-balloon toss, egg races, three-legged races, potato-sack races, hula-hoop competitions, pass-the-orange, 'mountain ball' - just about everything imaginable.

A dramatic photo-finish for one round of the

water-balloon toss.

The spirit of the afternoon became even more festive when it was learned that, in a break from tradition, the children had received a blessing to use face paints in the park to promote their House colors. Without hesitation, they came out with abandon.

And a day out in the park would hardly be complete without a good pizza lunch, which was ready at hand.

In all, the day was filled with a spirit of friendly competition, camaraderie and friendship, leaving everyone (students and teachers alike) tired after a full afternoon.

Click here for a gallery of over 120 photographs from the day...

Registration time is now - and the deadline soon!

2010-05-14T17:25:58.703Z

To all parents of students currently enrolled in St. John's: a reminder that registration for next school year is happening now! And the deadline for registration is Monday, 17th May - so get your forms in soon!

Click here for full details, instructions and forms...