April's This, That & Other
St John Academy
...To love is to be vulnerable...
~ C.S. Lewis
April Greetings
April 5, 2019
Dear Friends and Families,
I hope this note finds you well. As ever, April will be an eventful month here at SJA, especially as we prepare for the great feast of Easter--and Easter Break!
Included below are a few things for your enjoyment. One is a famous poem by Wordsworth and another is a highly popular song (not too long ago) by Mumford & Sons.
Last week, as part of an afternoon development session, the faculty read and discussed the poem. They then ventured out, with their nature journal, into the campus to note at least five trees, sit, observe, and sketch one in particular, and write a short reflection. I encourage all of us to make a similar adventure, perhaps more than once, especially with the beauty of Spring in Washington.
You may also enjoy the song by Mumford & Sons--Roll Away Your Stone--they have some strong Augustinian leanings and often surprise with the depth of their lyrics. There are many ways to look into this particular song, especially in the time of Easter. One way to engage it, and simply as one way among many, is to explore it as the narrator's ongoing conversation and spiritual "wrestling" with Our Lord.
Kind regards,
Jeff
Jeffrey P. Presberg
Headmaster
Saint John Academy
What's Up...Next Week and so
happenings
ADVANCED BAND RECEIVES “SUPERIOR” RATING! Congratulations to the Advanced Band for receiving a "Superior" rating at the annual Diocese of Arlington Band Festival this past Saturday April 6, 2019. "Superior" is the top rating a band can earn at the event. Thank you Mr. Stickeler for your talented guidance.
April 9 - 3:15 p.m.Tennis Club grades 4-6
April 11 -
- Kindergarten to Alden Theater
- 3:05 p.m. Information session for girls in grades 6 through 8 for Choir of Our Lady of Ephesus in Music Room - See below for more information
- 3:15 p.m. Tennis Club grades 7-8
April 12 -
- 2:45 p.m. Stations of the Cross (with short narrations)
- 5:00 - 7:00 pm Rugby Introduction for middle and upper school boys at SJA.
- The Great Falls Rugby Club (along with Coach Buckis) will be offering an introduction to rugby at the SJA field. Check in with Coach Buckis for more information at cbuckis@stjohnacademy.org
April 15, 16, 17 - Mid Trimester Parent/Teacher Conferences
April 15 - Grades 2 and 7 field trip to Whiffletree Farm
April 16 - Spring Pictures, students DRESS UP
Mid Trimester Parent Conferences
Parents, next week marks the interim of Trimester III. Please consider your student(s) social, academic and friendship needs. If you would like to stop by and speak with a teacher, feel free to reach out via email and set up a time for Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday April 15th, 16th or 17th after school hours. We love seeing you in the building and working with you to enhance your students studies. Click here for our faculty and staff directory.
Choir of Our Lady of Ephesus
Stations of the Cross on Friday, April 12
These devotions will be done with short narrations and with an emphasis on touching silence, imagination, and the heart of prayer.
A Musings
I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud
WILLIAM WORDSORTH
I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed- and gazed- but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
MUMFORD & SONS
Roll away your stone, I'll roll away mine
Together we can see what we will find
Don't leave me alone at this time
For I'm afraid of what I will discover inside
'Cause you told me that I would find a hole
Within the fragile substance of my soul
And I have filled this void with things unreal
And all the while my character it steals
"Darkness" is a harsh term don't you think?
And yet it dominates the things I see
It seems that all my bridges have been burnt
But you say that's exactly how this grace thing works.
It's not the long walk home that will change this heart
But the welcome I receive with a restart
"Darkness" is a harsh term don't you think?
And yet it dominates the things I see
"Darkness" is a harsh term don't you think?
And yet it dominates the things I see
Stars hide your fires
These here are my desires
And I will give them up to you this time around
And so I'll be found
With my stake stuck in this ground
Marking the territory of this newly impassioned soul
Hide your fires
These here are my desires
And I will give them up to you this time around
And so I'll be found
With my stake stuck in this ground
Marking the territory of this newly impassioned soul
But you, you've gone too far this time
You have neither reason nor rhyme
With which to take this soul that is so rightfully mine
One of the greatest problems of our times is that many are schooled but few are educated.
An invitation to explore the Word of God this Lent
Drawn to Jesus - Lenten Series
This Lent our parish will take a deeper look into the Word of God through the Opening the Word video series. Listen to a reflection from Fr. Pollard or Fr. Melmer, and share a light meal and conversation with our groups.
Choose either Tuesday ( April 9) or Thursday (April 11).
To register, please visit bit.ly/DrawntoJesus or call 703-356-7916.
Tuesday, Apr 9, 2019, 07:00 PM
St. John Academy, Linway Terrace, McLean, VA, USA
New Uniform Information for 2019-2020
Middle painting: On the Way to Calvary by Titian
Middle painting: Arranging Daffodils by Carl Thomsen, 1894
Bottom Painting: The Calling of St. Matthew by Caravaggio