Every year, faculty, students, parents and their pets gather in the Magnolia Courtyard for Blessing of the Animals. A special chapel service takes place under the magnolia tree prior to the pets receiving their blessings. A prayer is said over each of our students' special friends for healing, comfort, anxiety, temperament or just a general blessing for a long happy life. All pets are welcome both big and small.  

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Our students spend the month of September preparing for a day of celebration focused on their grandparents. It is a time where students can show off their voices in chapel, all their work they have been doing since the beginning of the year and treat them with refreshments. After all, a grandparent is a little bit parent, a little bit teacher, and a little bit best friend. 

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Christmas is a special time at St. James. Our student go to local businesses around the downtown area to spread Christmas cheer with our annual Christmas Caroling. The student work on songs for caroling as well as for the Christmas program during their music classes throughout the first part of the school year. It is a highly anticipated event amongst our friends and families as the students get to showcase their talents while teaching others about the birth of Christ. 

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On Shrove Tuesday, just before the beginning of Lent, we have a school wide pancake lunch and Marti Gras parade. Students and parents are invited to eat with their students and watch as they parade around Greenwood Park in their festive masks and noise makers. Marti Gras is the feasting period before the beginning of Lent that begins the following day, Ash Wednesday. 

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Each of our nine classrooms transform for a month out of the year into a different country. Students are taught about cultures, traditions, language, foods, geographic location and more. At the end of the month, students get to "Tour the Nations" and sample traditional foods along the way. They also preform for their family members at our annual Cultural Awareness Performance. Songs, dances, and facts are presented showcasing what the students have learned about their country.