ST.

JAMES LUTHERAN SCHOOL

PREPARING STUDENTS FOR

ory time Preschool st

SUCCESS
A child entering kindergarten in 2012 will be looking at retirement in 2072. What will that world look like? If there is a lesson from the last 60 years it is simply we have no idea what innovations, inventions, ideas and economies will evolve to define that students opportunities. We do know that every student of this generation needs to have the skills and abilities to develop strategies to manage the life that unfolds. We believe that by building on the knowledge of the past, we provide an education that values critical thinking, problem solving, innovation and adaptability through collaboration, effective oral and written communication, and accessing and analyzing information. At the same time learners need to understand how to manage their whole person. Emphasizing the physical, spiritual and social person in addition to the cognitive one makes for a student equipped and ready for success beyond St. James. Learning at St. James happens wherever our students are living and playing. Whether in the classroom or on the basketball court, in chapel or at a play rehearsal, all of their experiences combine to make a unique urban education.

Individual At tention

atio of N our T

ns

1857
St. James begins as a society of German immigrants who start a school at Willow and Burling Streets

1865

1871
The Chicago Fire

1874
A school site is added at Fullerton and High (Janssen) Street

1881
A school site is added at Hoyne and Wellington

1885

1903

1905
The schools consolidate at Fremont and Dickens, total building cost is $25,000

1909

1913

1920
320 students, classes are still taught in German

The Civil War Ends

First Fremont female teacher is and Dickens property is hired bought for $11,500

School First expands Christmas Eve program from six grades to given by eight school children

St. James is aligned wi th the cutting edge of education research and standards. We ar e currently integrating the Common Core Standards recently ad opted internationally an d across the United States, including Illino is. The development of the skills to critically think, communicate, collaborate and create is underpinned by core academic subjects. Reading and writing, ma thematics and logic, sc ience and discovery, as well as history and ge ography, provide the ac ademic foundation. Supporting this academ ic foundation, students develop skills to manage information, me dia and technology. Fin ally, the students experiences are enriche d and balanced through spiritual formation, world languages, athlet ics and physical educati on, music and art. The outcome is young men and women who graduate to continue their learning journey in Chicagos premier hig h schools.

1. The accomplishmen t of an aim or purpose. 2. Students Using C ore Curriculum for Excellence in Schola rship and Service.

success Noun /skses/

1923

1929

1954

1971

1980

2000
St. James repositions itself and embarks on growth strategy

2002

2004
Dedication of a new gymnasium and four new classrooms

2007
The school celebrates 150 years and is the oldest, continuously operating school in Chicago

Today
Picture your childs success as part of St. James future

Stock New Kindergarten Enrollment Market addition program is Preschool reaches program is crashes costs started 400 started $145,000 students

Ground breaking for school expansion

Not only has St. James laid the groundwork for my schooling through high school at Lincoln Park, undergrad at Loyola University Chica go, and now grad school at the School of the Art Institute; it has also built a family for me through the people that I met that ar e still so important in my life today.

Lawren (Baer) Joyce Cl ass of 2001

SCHOOL PROFILE
ESTABLISHED
1857. St. James Lutheran School is the oldest, continuously operating school in the City of Chicago.

ACCREDITATION

National Lutheran School Association

AFFILIATIONS AND MEMBERSHIPS

Northern Illinois District - LCMS, Sheffield Neighborhood Association, Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development

OUR FACULTY

St. James faculty consists of a principal, education counselor and 20 teachers. The student-teacher ratio is 7:1 in early childhood and 15:1 in elementary and middle school with an average class size of 15 students. More than half of our faculty holds advanced degrees, and the entire staff regularly participates in continuing development and education.

OUR STUDENTS

St. James families come from a variety of Chicago neighborhoods and have a wide range of ethnic, socioeconomic and denominational backgrounds. The uniqueness and diversity of our students is blended in a community of service to God and our neighbors.

PROGRAM OFFERINGS

Preschool: Two Half-Day, Three Half-Day, Two Full-Day, Three Full-Day, Five Full-Day Kindergarten - Eighth Grade

TECHNOLOGY

At St. James, we make it a priority to keep up with technology. MacBooks are available to all classrooms, as well as iPads in early childhood and lower elementary grades, and Promethian ActivBoards in each elementary and middle school classroom.

TESTING

MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) testing at St. James begins in kindergarten and continues through the eighth grade. Students are tested in the fall, winter and spring to measure progress throughout the year. Rather than teaching to a test, our teachers use the test to aid teaching by helping them differentiate instruction. Additionally, students in seventh grade take the Stanford Achievement Test for high school admissions.

EXTENDED CARE ATHLETICS

Before and after school care is available for full-day students beginning at 7:30 a.m. and ending at 5:30 p.m.

Cross Country, Basketball, Volleyball, Track and Field Day, Marathon Challenge

ENRICHMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Piano, Guitar, Faith Formation Programs, Scouting, Math Club

EARLY CHILDHOOD
2 1/2 years through Kindergarten
The early childhood experience recognizes an important characteristic of child development no two students grow and develop the same way or at the same time. Each child is unique and as an individual will have different interests, attention spans, curiosities and needs. Every child needs to know that they are safe and that they are loved. Every classroom is a warm and comfortable space designed to foster the developmental process. Because a child learns through exploration and discovery, we facilitate purposeful play through hands-on experiences related to engaging, thematic units. The role of play, as research shows, provides constructive opportunities for students to investigate their world, which develops scientific thinking. Investigation also allows children to develop understandings of cause and effect, change and patterns, properties of form and function. This is how our students learn to draw conclusions and generate theories about their world and refine them. Our teachers are specifically trained and experienced to facilitate the developmental process of each child. The classroom environment is managed so the students experiences with purposeful play are discussed individually and in groups. Children then reflect upon their experience and develop creativity, critical thinking, language skills and literacy. The whole child learns and grows in this intentional process as each domain of their life physical, social, spiritual and cognitive is woven together in a loving and safe setting.

Acquire movement skills using fine and gross motor skills Understand principles of health promotion, illness prevention and safety Participate in daily recess and PE

Cognitive Social/ Emotional

Identify Letters and Sounds Write to Communicate Develop Reading Skills Explore Spanish language Experience Scientific Inquiry Measure and Estimate Know and use numbers, patterns rations and proportions

Physical
Understand and describe principles of classroom and school rules Participate in classroom jobs Work independently and cooperatively by learning turn-taking, negotiating and compromising skills Develop a positive self-esteem

Spiritual
Learn about God and His love for us Become familiar with Bible stories and songs Pray before snacks and meals Participate in Jesus time and chapel Self-initiate prayers

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A PRESCHOOL STUDENT

8:30 a.m. Table Activities 8:50 a.m. Morning Meeting 9:10 a.m. Recess 9:40 a.m. Snack 10:00 a.m. Guided Choice 10:30 a.m. Library or Chapel 11:00 a.m. Thematic Exploration 11:30 a.m. Music or Spanish 11:50 a.m. Lunch/Rest Time

rtunity to teach so thankful for the oppo I am School. Not only am at St. James Lutheran but I am also educate my students, I able to our father and share the love of God able to His son Jesus Christ.
chool Teacher Shayna Partridge Pres

1:00 p.m. Centers 1:50 p.m. Recess 2:25 p.m. Story Time, Jesus Time, Closing 2:50 p.m. Dismissal

ELEMENTARY
First through Fourth Grade
St. James students come to school everyday excited to learn. All of our teachers include experiential components in student lessons, giving hands-on opportunities to interact with their studies while continuing to address the whole person through a learning experience that is focused on developing skills in reading, writing and math. It is our goal for upper elementary students to become enthusiastic and independent readers as they prepare to move to higher levels of content learning. As students develop through their elementary years, they build fluency and learn to comprehend main ideas as well as details. Our elementary students become proficient writers; as they write, they learn to think. Using the Six Traits progression, writing skills are learned as a framework of organization, voice, focused ideas, word choice, fluent sentences and conventions. Students practice these skills as they write across the curriculum, which means writing is a discipline used in all content areas. Math skills are learned and practiced using Everyday Math as students apply concepts to real life problems. Using a variety of instructional activities including handson explorations, whole group, small group, individual and partner work, concepts become applicable and relevant.

PRINCIPAL JOY MULLANEY ON DIFFERENTIATION

At St. James we recognize every child is unique. We embrace different learning styles and ability levels by differentiating classroom instruction for effective teaching and learning. Our faculty are experts at proactively planning lessons based upon students readiness, interests and learning profiles.

At St. James learning happens in exciting and collaborative ways. Imagine learning about poetry in second grade, then performing your own original pieces during a Coffee House Poetry Day; taking a virtual road trip across the United States in fourth grade social studies to learn about geography, states and capitals; or showcasing your knowledge about a particular country through music, costume and food at our biennial Tour of Nations. Balance this academic process with art, music, world language, physical education and learning about Gods love, and you will see what makes St. James a place students want to go, not a place they have to go. The enthusiasm students have for their studies, friendships, teachers and activities make St. James an exciting place to be.

WORLD LANGUAGE
At St. James, we take a 21st century approach to learning world languages. Beginning in first grade, students, with their parents, choose one of 23 languages. Students work online at their target language with teachers facilitating two to three days a week. Through dynamic immersion, learning occurs naturally by connecting words and phrases to real life images. Development occurs in four key areas of language acquisition: listening comprehension, speaking, reading and writing. Students are able to continue one language through eighth grade, giving them the opportunity for advanced placement in high school. Alternatively, students may choose to explore multiple languages during their time at St. James.

mes, I think of When I think of St. Ja The teachers caring. I think of love. treating each take the approach of ing them, separately, really nurtur kid n of love first. giving them a foundatio
Parent Katie Hockman School

Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), Dutch, English (American), English (British), Filipino (Tagalog), French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Irish (Gaelic), Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latin, Persian (Farsi), Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian, Spanish (Latin American), Spanish (Spain), Swedish, Turkish, Vietnamese

MIDDLE SCHOOL
Fifth through Eighth Grade
Middle School does more than simply prepare a student for high school. At St. James we equip young adults to be successful in life. With an emphasis on thinking and creating, young adults learn the skills needed to live together socially and grow academically. The middle school experience is designed to develop responsibility as students manage more of their learning. Changing classrooms for each subject, working independently and collaboratively, being accountable to the learning process and each other fosters confidence and self-assurance. St. James values and cares for each young adult and understands the developmental uniqueness of this age group. Our educators advocate for every student to ensure their success. By providing a departmentalized and challenging curriculum, students learn to hypothesize and organize information to construct meaning to their learning. Each instructor is a specialist in the content they teach. The curriculum allows students to work to the highest level of their ability. We provide the opportunity to qualify for high school classes leading to advanced placement courses. Instructional offerings, including algebra, geometry, science academy and world language studies, give an opportunity to advance a students high school placement and path to college. Preparing a student for secondary education requires skills learned to manage standardized tests. Using the materials and services of the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) testing begins in the elementary years to acclimate the student to adaptive and interactive testing. The results are used to tailor instructional strategies to the needs of each student. Students graduating from St. James are ready to face the challenges ahead with confidence that they are children of God who are committed to working hard to be the best they can be.

HIGH SCHOOL PLACEMENT

There are many quality choices for high school in the City of Chicago. To help each family determine the right choice for them we employ an Education Counselor who is responsible for the MAP testing and learning support of each student. Meeting with each family, our counselor will review a students abilities and skills and guide a family toward the high school that is best suited for them. Recent graduates have attended Lincoln Park, Walter Payton, Whitney Young, St. Ignatius and Mount Carmel.

I used to go to public sc hool; St. James was a breath of fresh air for me. St. James has adopted m e into their family, and I love it!
Rachel Eighth Grade Stud
ent

COURSES
English - Language Arts Writers Workshop Novel Studies Spelling and Grammar Reading Cafe Social Studies Early America, Exploration and Creating a Nation A New Nation, Expansion and the 21st Century World Discoveries The Eastern Hemisphere Mathematics Everyday Math Pre-algebra Algebra Geometry Science Earth and Space Science Life Sciences Physics Chemistry Religion Survey of Pauls Letters History of the Christian Church World Religion Christian Ethics Enrichment Classes Daily Physical Education Music Appreciation Art Appreciation World Language

SPIRITUAL FORMATION
We are a Lutheran School, but our goal is not to make everyone a Lutheran. We believe that God gives parents the responsibility to decide in which denomination a family will practice its faith. Our responsibility is to instruct children in knowledge of the Bible so they can form some basic and universal truths about God, His Word and His plan for us. With this foundation they learn how we serve God by serving others.

Classroom Instruction
Our first objective is to teach basic Bible stories that tell how much God loves us. In early childhood, Bible stories are taught each day. These stories emphasize the love of God to make us, to forgive us and to take care of us. By the elementary years, the number of stories is expanded and they are heard again in more detail. By fourth grade, the stories are put into the context of a time line as the children learn that the stories all work together to tell us an important truth about God and humankind. Fifth and Sixth grade students read major sections of the letters of the New Testament and learn about the context of life in the early church and the movement of Christianity from Palestine to the Mediterranean basin. Seventh and Eighth grade students survey the history of the church from the end of the Bible to the reformation, and then from the reformation to modern day in one year. In the second year, they spend a semester learning about world religions and a semester discussing Christian ethics.

Elem

e Chap tary n

l hoo le Sc ass d Mid ion Cl snack Relig tim

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Chapel
Our second objective for our students is to learn the ritual of worship. In an age-appropriate chapel setting each class from early childhood through middle school hears a story, sings songs and prays to God. Weekly chapel is led by a member of the pastoral staff.

Beyond the Classroom

Families and students are encouraged to attend weekly public worship at their home churches and are always welcome to join us on Sundays at 9:00 or 10:30 a.m. St. James faith formation opportunities are open to any student. After school youth groups are available free of charge on Wednesdays when school is in session for students in first through eighth grade. Students learn how to live in community with others while applying their Christian faith to life.

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
At St. James, in addition to the educational and cognitive growth of our children, we work to equip each student with the character that will guide them through high school and beyond as successful people. Many schools are unable or unwilling to attend to the spiritual or behavioral development of their students, but at St. James we believe our children are created with more than just physical and academic needs. Our responsibility as parents and caregivers is to focus on the whole development of a child. Through many extracurricular programs and daily student life in the classroom, we strive to help each student learn to be the best they can and to provide an intellectual and moral foundation that will last a lifetime. We integrate six traits of Christian Character into our students lives - Faithful, Gracious, Accountable, Compassionate, Forgiving and Serving. We expect that a graduate of St. James knows the importance of character by modeling these values.

BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

Consider the value of living in a small community of people who care about each other, who watch out for each others kids as they work and play, who share their stories, their celebrations and their social lives, who know each other intimately - the good and the bad. Sounds like a family, doesnt it? In this big, impersonal city filled with people from all over the world, it is hard to network the group of people where you are safe and secure. The St. James family is like a big clan with a diversity of ideas and experiences who share a common purpose of living in the city with meaningful relationships. Our size affords us the luxury of many people to befriend while remaining small enough to know each other.

ta annual Operet

Athletics
Go Mavericks! We offer a wide array of athletics including cross country, basketball, volleyball, track and field and marathon challenge. We are an inclusive environment; therefore, there are no tryouts for sports teams. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to participate. From pep rallies with our mascot Marty Maverick, to all school cross country meets, the school spirit is never lacking.

Cross Count ry Meet

Volunteering
We believe that it is every parents responsibility to commit to some aspect of service in support of the school. We further recognize that serving is in response to what God has done for us so we do not mandate any amount of service hours. We prefer to encourage each parent or family to be good stewards of their time and find an appropriate place to use their gifts. There are always opportunities through Parent Network and in classrooms to get involved.

launc otato P

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After School Enrichment

In addition to athletics, St. James offers after school and academic enrichment opportunities throughout the year. No matter what their interests, students can satisfy their creativity and curiosity by participating in piano, guitar, Math Club, Science Olympics, faith formation programs and scouting. Academic enrichment opportunities are scheduled as to not conflict with athletics, making it possible for students to participate in multiple activities.

Community Events
St. James has a place for everyone in our community. While our children learn and grow, we live together sharing each others joys and celebrations. Beginning with a full calendar of social events for the whole family from block parties to seasonal festivals, we also offer many parent-student outings to foster the relationship between each parent and child. Additionally, adult events like Oktoberfest and The Travelers Gala provide plenty of times to socialize and build friendships.

Urban Education
Chicago is an exciting place to live and work. Just as you take advantage of what this urban area has to offer, we integrate a St. James education into the urban experience by expanding the boundaries of the schools walls. Field trips to world-class museums and local businesses, cross country races in urban woodlands, theatre outings, and ice skating in the shadow of sky scrapers all contribute to the whole education of the child. What could be better than to learn and grow in a place like Chicago?

ADMISSIONS

Thank you for considering St. James Lutheran School for your child. Our admissions process and important dates can be found at school.stjames-lutheran.org/admissions. We invite all families to visit and tour the school. Please contact the Director of Admissions, admissions@stjames-lutheran.org or 773.525.4990, to schedule a visit or with any questions.
St. James Lutheran School enrollment is open to students of any race, color and ethnic or national origin. Acceptance to a class is determined by the Admission Committee on the basis of the optimum class profile. Members of the St. James fellowship, returning students and siblings of current students are given priority in the admission process. Admission is subject to St. James being able to meet the educational needs of a student.
Scan the code to go directly to the admissions section of our website!

Phone 773.525.4990 Website www.stjames-lutheran.org Address 2101 North Fremont Street Chicago, IL 60614