St James’ Day School will add a grade seven class beginning in the 2018-2019 academic year and plan to roll out grade 8 in 2019-2020. St James’ currently offers classes from age 3 through the 6th grade.
“We have heard, both from our own students, and from the wider community, that this is a needed educational option in Texarkana,” said Cheryl Brown, Head of School. “People are looking for educational excellence in a safe, nurturing Christian environment, and we have assembled a first-rate teaching team.”
Nicole Ayers will teach math and science. Ayers hold a BS in chemistry and chemical Engineering from Purdue University, and a MS in curriculum and instruction from TAMU-T. She was the 2017 Ross Perot STEM Academy teacher of the year at Texarkana ISD. Her professional development includes the NASA Train the Trainer Institute at the Johnson Space Center.
Shannon Kirkland is currently Director of Innovation and Academic Technology, having come to St James’ after working at Texarkana ISD where she served as coordinator of secondary instructional technology. With a keen interest in robotics and drones, Kirkland is a member of the International Society for Technology in Education, the Texas Computer Science Teachers Association. Kirkland introduces students to cutting-edge technologies that extend classroom learning into the real world.
Rounding out the teaching team is Jennifer Jordan. Jordan teaches Social Studies, English and Latin. Jordan was educated at Washington and Lee University in English and Classics, and subsequently at the Catholic University of America in law and library and information science.
“We are confident that our seventh graders will have the most advanced STEM-plus education in Texarkana: Science, Technology, Engineering, Math—plus music, art, PE, world languages and leadership,” said Brown. “This will build on our already-solid foundation and move educational opportunities in Texarkana to a whole new level.”
St James’ Day School was founded in 1948, and has a proud history of educational excellence. St. James graduates regularly and consistently finish high school in the top ten percent of their class, receive significant college scholarship awards, and are admitted to many of the most selective colleges to which they apply. Since 2000, thirteen St. James graduates have been either the valedictorian or salutatorian of local public high schools. In eight of those years, St. James has seen both valedictorians and salutatorians amongst the several local schools.
