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St. James School, Maryland

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Saint James School
Location
Map
17641 College Road St. James, MD 21781
Information
TypePrivate Episcopal boarding school
MottoAll good things and every perfect gift is from above.
Established1842
HeadmasterThe Rev. Dr. D. Stuart Dunnan
Enrollment220
Information(301)-733-9330
ColorsMaroon and White
Websitehttp://www.stjames.edu/

Saint James School, located in the rolling fields of St. James, Maryland, USA, some six miles south of Hagerstown, is an independent, secondary, boarding and day school. Founded in 1842 as the College of Saint James, St. James is a coeducational college preparatory school. While the school closed for several years during the American Civil War, it is the oldest American boarding school founded on the English system.

The current headmaster of the school is D. Stuart Dunnan, an Episcopal priest with advanced degrees from Oxford. Father Dunnan, a graduate of St. Alban's School in Washington, DC, has been the headmaster since 1992 and is the 10th headmaster in the school's history. Father Dunnan is one of the few Episcopal priests still serving as the head of a secondary school in the United States. His predecessor was Charles Meehan, a graduate of the School, who served for one year as the interim headmaster. Mr. Meehan, a long-time football coach at the School, has remained on the faculty and serves as the Senior Master, he is currently in his 38th year as a member of the Saint James faculty.

The Chapel at St. James School

Mission statement

The Mission of Saint James School is to prepare young men and women for academic success in college, and to challenge and inspire them to be leaders for good in the world. They seek to do this within a small and familial residential community which values the moral and spiritual development of our students.

Student development

Throughout its history, Saint James has remained committed to the precepts of sound mind and body, emphasizing the spiritual, intellectual, physical, and moral development of each student through challenging academics, daily athletics, extensive activities, and community service. At the start of each academic day, the entire School gathers for Chapel, providing an opportunity for thought and reflection for faculty and students of all faith traditions. Simultaneously challenged and supported, Saint James students study a traditional core curriculum, which provides a solid foundation for strong academic achievement at the collegiate level.

A student's character is of fundamental importance at Saint James School, and because of this, the School strives to foster a strong sense of personal and group responsibility and a high standard of honor in each student. The Honor Code, (a pledge to not lie, cheat, or steal) expects each student to respect other people and their property. Furthermore, the use of alcohol and illegal drugs is strictly prohibited, as is the use of tobacco in any form. The Honor Council and the Disciplinary Committee, comprised largely of students, review instances of dishonor and misconduct and recommend appropriate dispositions to the Headmaster.

Administration

Saint James is governed by a self-perpetuating Board of Trustees. The School's operating budget is $6.2 million per year. The endowment is approximately $11.1 million. An active Annual Giving program is supported by better than 50 percent of the alumni.

The Prefect Council, made up of ten seniors elected by the students and the faculty, upholds the traditions of Saint James and assists faculty members and the Headmaster in the day-to-day operations of the School. Of this group, one member is elected Senior Prefect, and he or she leads the Prefects in their work.

Saint James School is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and the Maryland State Department of Education. It is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools, Association of Independent Maryland Schools, Cum Laude Society, Council for Advancement and Support of Education, and National Association of Episcopal Schools.


Campus

Located in a rural setting, the Georgian-style campus of Saint James sits on 100 acres of farmland containing a natural spring, fields, and streams. The campus lies 5 miles southwest of Hagerstown and is approximately 65 miles from both Baltimore and Washington, D.C. The region offers many cultural and historic points of interest including the C&O Canal, Harpers Ferry, and Antietam and Gettysburg Battlefields. Faculty and students enjoy the cultural resources of the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area on regular field trips.

  • Claggett Hall: The largest boys dorm on campus, Claggett houses over 70 fourth, fifth, and sixth formers as well as several faculty members. The building also contains the Headmaster's Office, Business Offices, the Office of Admissions, and St. Luke's, the Claggett Hall Common Room.
  • Kemp Hall: Kemp Hall is the campus student center, containing the school bookstore, mailboxes, snack bar, and Offices of Development, Communications, and Alumni Relations.
  • Powell Hall: This is the main academic building with over 20 classrooms. The Assistant Head of School, the Academic Dean, and the Director of College Counseling are also housed in Powell. Currently, Powell Hall is attached to the new Barabra Fulton wing, which was recently dedicated on April 25, 2008. The new Fulton wing also houses the tutoring center on campus.
  • John E. Owen's Library: The school's library, built in 1997, holds about 20,000 volumes, 50 periodicals, and provides internet access. The lower level contains two science labs and a history classroom.
  • Kerfoot Refectory: Completed in 2001, this is the school's dining hall, where students eat all of their meals. Meals are eaten family style 4 days a week for lunch and dinner, and served buffet style for breakfasts and weekend meals. In addition to the main meal, there is always a sandwich and salad bar.
  • Laidlaw Infirmary: The Infirmary is a refuge for ill students and contains two rooms with beds, a bathroom, and the Nurse's and Chaplain's Offices. A school physician is on call 24/7 and an athletic trainer lives above the infirmary.
  • Cotton Building and the Bowman Fine Arts Center: The Fine Arts Center contains the auditorium, which seats about 300, music study rooms, the art studio, yearbook room, and Choir room. The Mummer's Society puts on several plays every year, including a fall drama, a spring musical, senior-directed plays, and the Christmas Tradition of St. George and the Dragon.
  • Alumni Hall: Alumni Hall houses two wrestling rooms, two dance studios, a weight room, locker rooms, and a field house. The field house contains three basketball courts which can be converted into four tennis courts or two volleyball courts. The field house is also the location of the students' end-of-trimester exams. Currently, the athletic department is in the process of building a new baseball field and Golf driving range, which will be located behind the tennis courts. And the next construction project after the completion of the new field is converting the current Baseball field into the softball field so that way they have a presence on campus.
  • The Chapel: Every morning, the students gather in the chapel for a fifteen minute service or, on Wednesdays, an hour long Communion service. Optional chapel services are held every evening and Sunday morning and night. Students can help in the chapel by serving as acolytes, sacristans, readers, ushers, or choir members.
  • Mattingly Hall: A dorm for third and fourth form boys. (formerly known as Hershey Hall)
  • Onderdonk Hall: A dorm for second and third form boys.
  • Holloway House: The fifth and sixth form girls' dorm.
  • Coors Hall: A dorm for second, third, and fourth form girls.
  • Bai Yuka: The school's water source, the Bai Yuka is a beautiful natural spring that runs through campus and whose name is Native American for "fountain rock".
  • Biggs Rectory: The headmaster's house was completed in 2002. Although Father Dunnan lives alone in the house, he always has student visitors he attempts to manipulate in order for them to turn other students in for disciplinary reasons.

Notable alumni

Clubs, activities, and societies

Acolytes/Servers, Art Club, Bai Yuka (Yearbook) , Big Brother/Big Sister, Choir, Cum Laude Society, Disciplinary Committee, Historical Society, Honor Council, Irving Society (Literary), Latin Club, Lay Readers, Maroon Key (Tour Guides), Multicultural Club, Mummers' Society (Drama), Prefect Council, Recycling Club, Sacristans' Guild, Student Activities Committee, Usher's Guild, Vestry.

Several student organizations have years of tradition. The Washington Irving Society, a creative writing group, was founded with the express permission of Washington Irving.

Athletics

  • Saint James offers a variety of sports, and mandates their students to engage in daily practices after school to fulfill the body portion of the statement. They participate in the MAC,(Mid-Atlantic Athletic Conference) Boys Lacrosse (2007 Co-Champions) and the MCAC (Mellville Church Athletic Church) The Girls Field Hockey (2006, 2007 Champions) and lacrosse teams (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 Champions), and the wrestling team has had a history of success. Coaches are often faculty members, parents of students, or others. Some of the many First Team All Americans that have played in the Saints uniform are, Pere Roberts (lacrosse 1976- http://www.insidelacrosse.com/page.cfm?PageRID=130867), Donald Anderson (lacrosse 1978- http://www.insidelacrosse.com/page.cfm?PageRID=130871 ), Boyd Coyner (lacrosse 1985- http://www.insidelacrosse.com/page.cfm?PageRID=130885), and Dennis Van Reenan (lacrosse 1987- http://www.insidelacrosse.com/page.cfm?PageRID=130889), Paul Obrecht (lacrosse 1989- http://www.insidelacrosse.com/page.cfm?PageRID=130893).
  • Saint James has, in the past, held an annual basketball tournament, the Saint James Invitational Tournament. Other high-profile East Coast schools participated in this storied contest, including schools such as Flint Hill (#1 Nationally ranked high school USA Today 1986 and1987), Saint Anthony's (#3 nationally ranked high school USA Today 1986) Oak Hill Academy, Montrose Christian, Mt. Zion Christian Academy, and school rivals, Mercersburg Academy. Many famous basketball players have played in the SJIT prior to its discontinuation in 2003, most notably current and former NBA stars Tracy McGrady and Dennis Scott and current Georgetown University coach John Thompson III. As an interesting side note, Oscar winning Benicio Del Toro participated in the 1984 and 1985 SJIT.

References

  • David Hein, ed., A Student's View of the College of St. James on the Eve of the Civil War: The Letters of W. Wilkins Davis (1842-1866). Lewiston, N.Y.: Edwin Mellen Press, 1988. This book, a volume in the Studies in American Religion series, contains a substantial introduction by the editor, covering the history of the College of St. James (the early name of St. James School), the Episcopal Church in Maryland, and local history on the eve of the Civil War.
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