JANUARY 2026 NEWSLETTER

Martin Luther King Day has always been a 'day on' here at AJC, and this year was no exception. Beginning with a whole-school morning assembly, Principal Gilliam reminded students of “the why” behind coming to school (when, as many a middle-schooler had pointed out, everyone else had the day off!). She spoke of her own childhood and helping neighbors—cleaning up yards and mowing grass for folks who weren’t able. She called it “doing God’s work” and explained that working together and simply being kind to one another is God’s work too. And that’s what we were there to do.

Middle school students reflected on their strengths and core values and how they can use them in service to others. Hands-on projects in K-8th grades—from assembling snack bags for teachers at nearby schools to cleaning up the neighborhood and making cards for veterans—made for a busy morning.

We’re proud of our students for rising to Dr. King’s challenge to serve others and are hopeful that their good work will ripple out into their communities well beyond their days here at AJC.

Every Friday and Saturday night, AJC opens its doors to middle and high school boys from the community for Open Gym. Thanks to financial support from NextUP RVA, in partnership with The City of Richmond’s Positive Youth Development initiative, we are able to provide a safe, welcoming space where youth can build relationships, have fun, and develop basketball and teamwork skills.

Open Gym is lovingly overseen by husband and wife duo, Bree and Oldson Duclos, who find joy in creating a safe place for youth each weekend. A brainchild of Head of School Mike Maruca, he recently shared, “Open Gym is so symbolic of who I believe AJC is at its best: an open door to a safe and loving space for our students and our neighbors.” About 40 boys participating each week—some AJC students, and many from the wider community.

The Positive Youth Development initiative, which funds AJC's Weekend Open Gym, was created in 2021 when Richmond City Council unanimously voted to declare gun violence a public health crisis and made plans to fund gun violence prevention programming. 

Every year during our school Christmas program, we award one or more volunteers with the Gabriel Award. This award recognizes volunteers who have gone above and beyond in the way they show up, care for, and serve the AJC community. In December, we honored Betsy Fauntleroy, Lee Hatcher, and Janet Williams. We're delighted to share more about each of these devoted volunteers in the coming months.

Anthony Bullock, AJC Class of 2019 and UPRVA student, discovered theatre during his high school years at St. Christopher’s School, where he performed in plays and announced for the football team.

Now pursuing a Bachelor Fine Arts in Theatre at VCU, Anthony reached out to Head of School Mike Maruca with the idea of bringing a theatre elective to AJC. The result? His class performed The Grinch during our Christmas program, sparking confidence among a handful of budding actors.

Seventh grader Ne'Veah, who played the Grinch, shared, “I just really like expressing myself — this was a new way to do that, so I wanted to try it.” She appreciated Anthony’s willingness to model projection and movement in each class. “He didn’t just tell us what to do, he showed us,” she said.

Anthony hopes to offer the elective again next year, giving more students the chance to find their voices on stage. After watching him perform an act from Macbeth, students seem open to tackling a bigger challenge next quarter: Shakespeare, anyone?

The fighting Lions girls and boys basketball teams have worked hard all season alongside our cheerleaders, who bring electric energy to every game—and now the playoffs are here!

Come out and support our Lions as they take the court on Jan 29th at 7:30 PM vs Seven Hills at St. Chris (Bolling Field House, Court 1). Our athletes love seeing you in the stands!

Upcoming Games

Thu, Jan 29 — Playoffs: Lions vs Seven Hills (St. Chris Bolling Field House, 7:30 PM)
Fri, Jan 30 — Boys Basketball vs Elijah House (Home, 5:00 PM)
Sat, Jan 31 — Girls 6th Grade vs Collegiate (Home, 9:00 AM)
Sat, Jan 31 — Girls Varsity vs Our Lady of Lourdes (Home, 10:00 AM)

Thu, Feb 5 — Boys Championship Game, TBD (St. Chris Scott Gym, 7:45 PM)

Exciting things are happening on our Lower School construction site — and they’re happening fast. Despite the occasional weather hurdles (hello snow!), crews have been keeping up the pace by working weekends to stay on track. Thanks to that dedication, construction is moving right along toward a June completion, in time to welcome students for Summer School.

This progress means something big for our community: we’ll be able to open our doors to a second section of 2nd grade this summer, expanding opportunities for even more students to learn and grow at AJC.

Inside the building, important decisions are coming together too. Furniture and finishes have been selected, paint choices are up next, and AJC staff have been actively involved in shaping their future classrooms and workspaces.

 Aniylah, AJC Class of 2025,

now a freshman at St. Catherine's

The First Night

Aniylah, AJC Class of 2025

The first night we got there

No one could sleep. 

We weren’t used to having 

silence at night.

In our old neighborhood,

we could hear girlfriends yelling at 

Their boyfriends, moms yelling 

At their kids, people getting killed and 

The ambulance to their rescue.

For most people you would think that it’s 

Nice to have peace and quiet.

And it is, but it’s something we weren’t 

Rewarded back then.  

In those project apartments the 

Walls were so thin that it seemed like 

We were in the same room as 

Our neighbors. 

Plus they didn’t bother to respect us. 

I could hear the loud music and 

Feel the hardcore bass, filling and shaking 

The house. Outside, their big dogs barking, 

with a thin leash tied to a pole and no supervision. 

Gunshots sounded so loud and near us 

That it became a routine to 

Lay on the floor, away from the windows. 

As I laid on the floor, I could feel 

My scalp, partings, and twists 

Touching the cold tile floor.

After a couple of years

of tears, panic attacks, 

hugs, sunsets and frowns, we finally 

Moved away from the place we couldn’t stand,

To a house where we couldn’t sleep.

There are many ways to support our students.

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