-易胜博

Happy Advent.

My hope is that this letter finds you and your family well as we come to the end of another calendar year. The 2022-2023 school year has been off to a wonderful start, and I wanted to take a moment to share some recent highlights and blessings of the past several months.

In August we opened a new space in our school known as the Student Support Center (SSC). The services provided by the SSC aim to help students with all facets of their high school experience including academics, college and career goals, health and wellness, and their social/emotional/spiritual needs. Just recently the SSC forged a relationship with the Mental Health Association of Frederick County to find ways to better support our students and their families.
The official ribbon cutting ceremony of Warner Stadium took place in early October. Our fall athletic teams enjoyed their first season on the new turf field, and we concluded the season with a fireworks display after the final home football game. It made for an incredible night!
Next semester we will introduce ceramics as a new course offering in our Fine Arts Department. Our art teacher, Mrs. Bernadette Miller, and members of the National Art Honor Society have worked tirelessly over the past year to raise funds to make this possible. The kiln has been installed, several pottery wheels have been purchased, and there is already a waiting list to get into the course!
As things continue to “open up” in this post-COVID world, our students have once again been able to benefit from many experiences outside the classroom this fall. Students in our Publications class attended Hood College’s High School Media Day and several of our art students traveled to Fallingwater, a house designed by architect Frank Llyod Wright. Students in our AOPA STEM program traveled to Reagan National Airport to get a behind the scenes tour of the FAA’s Flight Program Operations, and our upper-level Spanish classes visited the “Mexican Geniuses” art exhibit in Washington, D.C.
Two reunions were held in late October for the Classes of 2012 and 2017. These young alumni gathered on campus for a social, followed by a home football game. We look forward to hosting more alumni events in the future, including a 50th year reunion to be held around the time of this year’s Commencement ceremony.

As we look to continue this great momentum into 2023, and for many years to come, I ask that you please consider making a year-end gift to our school. Your support of Saint John’s continues to make it possible for us to advance our school’s mission and provide our students with the Catholic, college preparatory high school experience that sets our school apart from other schools in our area.