Visual Art
The Visual Arts program at SJCS enriches the student learning experience with constant
exposure to art history, a wide variety of art processes, techniques, and styles. Students gain experience in drawing, painting, printmaking, ceramics, sculpture and mixed media. Students from all grades participate in various opportunities to exhibit their artwork. This includes art shows on our school campus, online, at special events, and at the Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts for the annual Youth Art Month exhibit.
The visual art curriculum at SJCS puts the "A" in STEAM while integrating science, technology, engineering, and math into the art-making process from the development of content to the execution of each project. Students are given the freedom to explore their creativity while discovering the value of art in society and making connections to other subjects.
Spanish
St. John Catholic School is excited to offer Spanish from PreK-3 all the way through Eighth grade. Students can look forward to building a rich vocabulary in a comprehensible atmosphere that focuses on listening and reading. As the students progress, their language abilities expand, and are then more comfortable with language output in speaking and writing. Cultural elements are also emphasized as the students build an appreciation and respect for Spanish-speaking people, art, food, music, holidays, and much more.
Band
The band program at St. John Catholic School starts in fifth grade and carries on to eighth grade. In the state of Georgia, as in most states, middle school honor band auditions are only for grades sixth through eighth. With our students having that extra year of experience, they can begin the journey of participating in honor bands with a well-established foundation a year earlier than the other middle school band students. Students have attended District, Region, and All-State Honor Bands.
The band program continues throughout the middle school at St. John Catholic School with performances at Christmas, Spring, Catholic Schools Week Mass, All Saints Day, and other possible masses at St. John Church. Students also participate in Solo & Ensemble Festivals where individual students perfect and perform for a judge for a rating. Every band student at St. John Catholic School has received either a superior or excellent rating.
Library
The T.J. LaHood Memorial Library
The T.J. LaHood Memorial Library is located above the school office and features a wall of windows offering a serene view of our woodsy campus. We have brand new appealing and comfortable furniture inviting students to cozy up and read. PreK-5th grade all have bi-weekly library classes. We incorporate Diocesan standards that build reading and information literacy skills. We also make time each library class for a fun and enriching read-aloud and for students check to out books. Students in grades 6-8 are encouraged to check out books when they are in the library for their Digital Arts classes each week. They are also invited to use the welcoming space to study and do research. Our large library collection includes fun and award-winning picture books; popular middle-grade chapter books and series; a wide variety of non-fiction titles about science, history, sports, entertainment, etc.; and a strong collection of books about Catholicism and faith for all ages.
Digital Arts
Middle school classes have a weekly Digital Arts class in which they learn all about visual storytelling in our exciting new Broadcast Lab. Students work together to plan, create, and edit videos, using state-of-the-art technology, including a video TriCaster, a green screen, professional cameras and lights, and Adobe editing software. Through these hands-on projects, students are learning essential skills for the future, among them collaboration, digital problem-solving, scriptwriting, and public speaking.
