Dear Friends,

"Nothing is so beautiful as Spring - 

when weeds, in wheels, shoot long and lovely and lush...."

So believed the great Jesuit poet, Gerard Manley Hopkins. Here on 29th St., there's plenty of beauty, too, in this long-awaited spring of 2025. We've got some lovely and lush green grass of our own on our new playing field. AJC teams will no longer have to travel to play. In another week, our soccer team and our boys' and girls' flag football teams will be the first to play on it. What's better than that?

Meanwhile indoors, nothing says Spring like a pie the face--or why not make it three! Lower School students read over 300 books in their Read Across America week and they pied several of us to celebrate. Several grads were here working during their Spring break, the poets kept writing, the high and holy days of parent-student-teacher conferences successfully came and went (100% attendance again), and the Sneaker Ball surpassed the beauty of a Hopkins' poem.

Now it's time for a strong finish. Two more months to love, educate and uplift each other. Nothing is so beautiful as that.

Mike Maruca, Head of School

Celebrating Read Across America Week

Our middle schoolers visited BBGB bookstore in Carytown to select a book to call their own and our youngest students read over 300 books to earn the reward of pieing Mr. Maruca!

 "I've actually never been excited about a book, until this one. I can't wait to read more tonight!"

- Haley, 5th grade

Reading has always been a top priority at AJC because we know it has the power to change the trajectory of a student's academic journey. We’re proud to celebrate a week that gets kids excited about reading, a vital skill that will broaden their horizons and last a lifetime.

Tacos, Pizza, and More in Speech Contest

Middle School students in our Public Speaking elective recently put their persuasive skills to the test in a fun and engaging speech competition. As part of the elective, which is one of many offered each quarter, students chose to focus on topics like "Tacos vs. Pizza," "Pancakes vs. Waffles," and "Snowball Fight vs. Water Balloon Fight," using the PEEL method (Point, Evidence, Explanation, Link) to structure their arguments. After revising and practicing their speeches, they made their case to our 2nd grade class who served as the audience and judges, evaluating the speeches based on eye contact, volume, enthusiasm, and confidence.

"I thought it was an amazing experience. I liked being able to express myself freely. I felt like the 2nd graders were listening and I felt confident. I knew I was pretty good at public speaking so I wanted to take this class to get even better."

-Sherman, 7th grade

Our Mardis Gras Sneaker Ball

The Today Show at AJC? You heard it right. Last week the Today Show visited to film a story involving our Boy Scout Troop, led by Andrew Fortune, through an outreach program called ScoutReach. The spot will air tomorrow, Friday March 28th, during The Today Show's Jenna & Friends segment!

Filming was an exciting experience, culminating in a troop meeting where our scouts started a fire, cooked dinner (chicken alfredo...it looked delicious), set up tents, and enjoyed s'mores. We’re incredibly proud of the boys and grateful to Andrew, their dedicated troop leader, for his time and commitment. Over the past several years our scouts have gone camping, learned life skills like cooking, and have built positive relationships. Tune in to Jenna and Friends to hear more!

The mission of ScoutReach is to recruit strong adult leaders and to develop solid relationships with chartered organizations in urban and rural communities nationwide to ensure that culturally diverse youth have the opportunity to join the Scouting program.

Parent-student-teacher conference day is one of the most meaningful days of the year, a time to connect with families and celebrate the pride we all share in their children. We know parents play a vital role in their child’s academic success, and this day offers a chance to strengthen our partnership and tell them how much they are valued.

For many of our families, getting to AJC can be a challenge – whether it’s due to limited transportation options or the demands of hourly work schedules. Parents arrive by foot, by car, and by bus. One parent even pushed a stroller on her hoverboard to make her way here. If they can't find transportation, we go out to pick them up. That's what makes our 100% family participation for our 16th year in a row so remarkable. 

Lots of little celebrations and, yes, a handful of tough conversations happen on this "high and holy day." Teachers approach each meeting with an uplifting spirit, making it a positive experience that aims to leave families with a sense of pride and dignity. 

Meet Gilly and Henry, AJC grads and current St. Christopher’s School students. Gilly, a senior, has secured a full ride to Radford University, where he’ll major in Criminal Justice next year. He will soon deliver his Senior Talk at an upcoming chapel service at St. Chris. Though nervous, he plans to speak from the heart about his self-growth journey, which he says began in 5th grade when he “started caring.”

Meanwhile, Henry, a sophomore, is excelling in honors chemistry, Spanish, and computer science at St. Chris. They both receive academic support and transportation from our non-profit partner, UPRVA, returning to AJC twice a week for dinner, tutoring, and camaraderie. They spent spring break with us too, helping Ms. Katye with several hands-on tasks.

Both Gilly and Henry recently shared a little about one of their favorite mentors, 5th grade teacher Steve McNamee (Mr. Mac). They both said Mr. Mac’s approach was a turning point in their academic lives, as he taught them that 'success is directly tied to effort.' With tough-love mottos like 'luck is for losers' and 'success follows success,' Mr. Mac’s lessons have stayed with them throughout the years. As Gilly heads to college and Henry continues his journey at St. Chris, they are both grateful for the foundation they gained at AJC, the ongoing support they receive from UPRVA, and the friendship they've built along the way.

Track and Soccer are in full swing. Please come out to cheer us on, our Lions love spotting you on the sidelines! The schedule below is posted on our calendar, so be sure to check back to confirm locations and times.

As Middle School chapel service concludes each week, the student congregation, led by Principal Gilliam, erupts with an upbeat song that goes a little something like this... "It's shout out time, it's shout out time! What time is it? It's shout out time!" Afterwards, each teacher stands up to announce a "student shout out" for the week. This week, 6th grader Mekhi, was recognized by Ms. Hughes for his positive attitude during the first day of Archery class, his 4th quarter elective. Ms. Hughes shared, "He showed up ready to try something new. He had never even held a bow and arrow, but by the end of the first class, through persistence and determination, he was able to hit his target."  Nice job, Mekhi! 

To give of your time and talent as a volunteer, please contact Ashley Raggi at [email protected].

Check out our Amazon Wishlist or make a gift here.

AJC is registered with Kroger Rewards.

Link your card through Kroger Community Rewards today.

We're hosting a Yard Sale at AJC on Saturday, April 26 from 8:00–2:00. All benefits will support the AJC Lions Cheer Squad. If you’re interested in helping out, please contact Ashley Raggi at [email protected]. We’ll be happy to share more information as the date gets closer.

Thanks for all the love!