SJA News - March 20, 2024

HEADMASTER'S MESSAGE

Bouncing Back

This March we’re considering resilience here at St. Johnsbury Academy, and I want to share two things that have helped us think about it so far: Basketball, and Spring.

The first is an extraordinary basketball game our girls’ team played in Burlington a few weeks ago. This was the contest for the Vermont State championship, in which our team earned the right to participate by having an incredible winning season full of hard work, perseverance, and cooperation. Over our winter break the team competed without the kind of cheering crowds that we like to supply–so it was wonderful to be able to supply a fan bus with a full-throated cheering section that night.

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IN THE NEWS

All-New England Music Festival

Congratulations to (l-r) Greer Kennedy '24, Claudia Canuto '26, Maaike Dam '24, YunSeo Kim '24, and Siri Jolliffe '24. Together with Mr. Rowe, they will attend the All-New England Music Festival March 21-23 in Boxboro, Mass.

Tech Storm Competes in Maine

The Robotics Team and their robot, "Longshot," traveled to Lewiston, Maine, for a 3-day competition this weekend. They finished their twelve qualifying matches in 13th place out of a field of thirty, moving up to the semi-finals, where they acted as a team captain on Sunday afternoon. The team worked together tirelessly in the pits to solve engineering challenges brought on by the vigorous robot vs robot competitions, innovating solutions in minutes.

The team will next compete at the New England District UNH Event in Durham, NH, from March 28 to 30.

Clear River Review

This year's edition of the Clear River Review will be released on April 11. As we get closer, this newsletter will include a sampling of the student-created poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and visual submissions showcased in the publication. This week's submission is a poem titled Honey by sophomore Ella Romero.

A lingering cough,

Itching my throat here and there,

Here and there

Catching my tongue here and there,

Here and there

I think of her, I think of him

In a fleeting catch in my lungs

It’s like I breathe with every memory

Of a touch long lost

But it’s just a cough, and it will pass soon

I’ll rid of these thoughts with honey and a spoon

Sticky and sweet I’ll cover them up

Until every last breath of them are gone

This week’s edition of Hearing from Hilltoppers, written by junior Lillian Laskowski, introduces us to senior Greer Kennedy, who last week won the Vermont Poetry Out Loud competition for the second year in a row. 

Greer Kennedy is a senior at the Academy, and boy, is she busy! She moved up north from Louisiana to Vermont to attend school here as a sophomore. She has loved Vermont ever since and is especially grateful for the close-knit communities wherever she goes. 

Greer has recently found a passion for Nordic skiing, and she wrapped up her senior season this past winter. One of her favorite things to do in her free time is play her viola! (Check out one of her performances here!) She claims that it’s obviously the best instrument, although during a summer camp in VT she did learn how to play the viola like a fiddle! She attends weekly rehearsals in Burlington at the Vermont Youth Orchestra, and they spend an entire season on one symphony piece!

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UPCOMING EVENTS

Wednesday, March 20

Meet the Coaches, Fuller Hall, 6:30 PM

All students planning to play a spring sport must complete this registration form before the start of the season on March 25th to be eligible to try out/practice. This includes students who played a fall and/or winter sport.

Are you interested in competing in sports at the collegiate level? Following the Meet the Coaches, the Student Athletic Advisory Council will host a College Recruiting Info Night in Fuller Hall where you will hear from athletic directors, guidance, and current SJA recruits on topics such as scholarships, division differences, and coach contact timelines. View the poster here.

Thursday, March 21

Fireside Literary Series, Library Fireside, 3:30 PM

View the poster here.

Sunday, March 24

National Honor Society Induction Ceremony, Fuller Hall, 3:00 PM

Monday, March 25

Spring Concert, Fuller Hall, 7:00 PM

The concert will be streamed live at this link.

Spring Sports Begin

Thursday, March 28

Semester 2 Student Progress Conferences, 5:30 PM

Friday, April 5

SJA Has Talent, Fuller Hall, 6:30 PM

Saturday, April 6

SkillsUSA Benefit Dinner, Streeter Hall, 6:30 PM

View the poster here for additional information.

Thursday, April 11

Clear River Review Launch Event, Library Fireside, 6:30 PM

COMMUNITY UPDATES

April Testing Dates and the Eclipse

Registration for the April 8^th PSAT-10 and SAT is now closed.  The tests will begin at 8 AM, and when students complete their testing, they may leave campus. If you have questions about the PSAT-10 or SAT, please contact Emma Carr.

Students not taking the PSAT-10 or the SAT do not have classes that day.  

Students will have the opportunity to view the eclipse on campus during the afternoon of April 8th. Please look for information in the coming weeks on how to sign up. Advanced registration is required due to the anticipated volume of traffic in town.

Yearbook Sales

The 2024 edition of The Lamp, SJA's student yearbook, is available for pre-sales through this link. Books will also be available for sale on Spring Day through the Alumni Office. On-line sales will end on March 25.

REMINDER: Seniors will receive a yearbook as part of the Senior Graduation Package.

Senior families wishing to purchase an ad to celebrate their graduates can do so here. The deadline for ads is Monday, March 25.

Questions? Email steve.legge@stjacademy.org.

AROUND CAMPUS

Ms. Darling and her Fashion students are hard at work preparing for this year's fashion show, scheduled for Thursday, April 18 at 6:30 PM in Fuller Hall.

The Hilltopper staff is ready to begin serving meals again to the public. For more information, view the website here.

Members of the Outing Club traveled to Burlington to climb at Petra Cliffs Climbing Center.

Mrs. Morris's senior English students have been going "all in" as characters throughout their reading of Othello!