: We’re in the last day of an unexpected four-day weekend thanks to the cold weather. Things were back on track by Saturday and we had over 1200 7th and 8th graders attend our “Fun Night/Dance.” Thanks to all those parents who were able to assist us as we once again had a problem-free evening. The success of these events is a real tribute to all the young people who attend and enjoy the time without causing any problems. Anytime you have 1200 people in one place there is a chance there could be some trouble, but credit goes to these young people for their outstanding behavior and their ability to have a good time in a positive manner.
Tuesday we will begin the day with an Academy assembly that will include a presentation from Jake Eddingfield, a SJJ alum who is spent the fall semester in Guatemala working with impoverished children at a local school. Jake is trying to raise the financial support to go back for the winter semester and weare happy to help himaswehave committed to raising
$280.00 to support Jake for a month in his mission to the children of Guatemala. Also at our assembly we will split the students into small groups to be lead by Mr. Nichols, Mr. Carroll, Mr. Szynkowski, Mr. Bumpus, Mr. Butler, and me. The purpose of these groups is to provide more individual attention and support for the students. As we have grown to 100+ students we don’t want to lose the personal attention that is such a key component of our program and important for this age group.
Over 30 students are actively engaged in the filmmaking process with Ed Radtke, our artist in residence. One lesson they are all learning—making a film is hard work! What we see on the screen is the result of hours of planning, rehearsing, shooting, and editing and it’s not all fun. The end result, though, is a product to be proud of. We are looking forward to the premier of the students’ films on Thursday, Janaury 29 at 7:00 p.m. at the Maumee Theater. Please plan to attend to support these young filmmakers. The theater holds @ 400 people and we want a full house!
Next Tuesday all of the Academy students will learn even more about the film industry when local movie producer (and SJJ board member) will be here to discuss the producing aspect of the film business. Mr. Iott’s latest film, “Call of the Wild 3-D” (www.callofthewild3d.com) is premiering at the Santa Monica Film Festival this week. You are welcome to join us at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 27 to hear Mr. Iott and Ed Radtke share their experiences and their views.
The first meeting of the Academy Boy Scout troop will be after school tomorrow, January 20. If your son is interested but unable to attend please contact troop leader Kym Sloan at kymbsa@buckeye-express.com.
Starting the first week of February in partnership with the Wolf Creek YMCA we are able to offer a swimming phys. ed. unit for any students who would like to learn to swim or become better swimmers. The unit consists of eight lessons in the mornings. We can work around student schedules so there are no class conflicts. We’ll be asking the students if they are interested, but they will need your permission to participate. Also, in conjunction with Aqua Hut Diving Center we are once again offering an introduction to scuba diving for 8th grade students. The two hour lesson takes place on Friday mornings and the students can pick a day that works best for them.
A great evening for parents is coming up—Saturday, February 21 the Fathers’ and Mothers’ Clubs are sponsoring a “Mardi Gras Night” with dinner provided by Bravo’s from 5:30-7:30 p.m., a reverse raffle, and a silent auction. Contact the school office for tickets or call Julie Sofo at 419-829-9928. More info will be coming.
