Academics
Academics
Service Learning
At St. James’ Episcopal School, service learning is an essential part of who we are — woven into the fabric of our community from our youngest 2-year-olds to our graduating 6th graders. Each week, one homeroom class takes responsibility for preparing salads and sandwiches for our local soup kitchen’s Friday and Saturday meal service. This weekly rhythm of giving connects students to the needs of others in a meaningful, hands-on way.
Through this ongoing partnership, students not only learn the value of compassion and care for their community, but also engage in real-world learning. Math comes alive through measuring ingredients and calculating servings. Social studies becomes personal as students thoughtfully consider the dietary needs — including dental restrictions — of the soup kitchen’s guests.
Each class contributes four times a year, often adding their own personal touch: a new twist on a salad recipe, a carefully made card tucked into a sandwich bag, or a group reflection on what it means to serve. This program reminds our students that service isn’t something we do once — it’s something we live, together, every day.
A kind gesture can reach a wound that only compassion can heal.
— S. Maraboli
Community Service
At St. James’, students learn that taking care of each other and our environment is an essential, meaningful, and beautiful part of life. Our service learning program creates compassionate citizens who actively seek out ways to support and serve their community.
Soup Kitchen
In addition to homerooms providing salads and sandwiches on a rotating weekly schedule, upper grade students can volunteer at the Friday afternoon and Saturday morning Soup Kitchen alongside adults. Our 4th–6th graders hand out hygiene kits to unhoused neighbors and serve the meals their fellow Huskies prepared. Guests often share how much joy it brings them to see children each week.
community support
St. James’ students volunteer with groups like Heal the Bay and Little Green Giants, helping clean beaches, pick up litter, and support pet adoption events. Alumni also give back, including organizing backpack drives for children on Skid Row.
Children's Hospital LA Ambassadors
For a number of years, students across various grades have become Ambassadors to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. They have organized fundraisers in partnership with a local ice-cream shop, Jeni’s on Larchmont Boulevard, and have also taken it upon themselves to host parties like Gingerbread House decorating where their classmates make donations to CHLA.
Community Cards, Greetings & Gratitude
Age-appropriate service is important for our younger Huskies. St. James’ preschoolers create Halloween and holiday cards for residents at St. James’ Manor, while Dolphins make thank-you cards for firefighters and Butterflies for police officers. Elementary students also connect with the community throughout the year, especially during times of need like wildfires.
Soup Kitchen
Every Friday, St. James in-the-City opens the church doors for our unhoused neighbors to enjoy a hot meal as part of the Soup Kitchen Program. At certain times throughout the school year, St. James’ students support this community program by donating produce and chopping vegetables for the soup. Most Fridays, 5th and 6th graders gift our hungry guests with fresh produce inside decorated brown bags that students design during Friday lunchtime.
Children’s Hospital LA Ambassadors
For a number of years, students across various grades have become Ambassadors to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. They have organized fundraisers in partnership with a local ice-cream shop, Jeni’s on Larchmont Boulevard, and have also taken it upon themselves to host parties like Gingerbread House decorating where their classmates make donations to CHLA.
Food Pantry
St. James’ 6th grade Servant Leaders run their own food pantry, collecting canned and packaged goods that they take over to the Church’s food pantry for weekend and mid-week distribution to unhoused community members
Donation Drives
Donation collection boxes can be found at various times throughout the year in St. James’ courtyard. Each grade is tasked with collecting certain items to be donated to foster kids through KFAM in response to a request from the Department of Children and Family Services. There is an annual toy drive in mid-December as well as a drive for warm items like socks and hats for our unhoused neighbors.
Community Cards, Greetings & Gratitude
Age appropriate service is important for our younger Huskies and St. James’ preschoolers can often be found making Halloween and Holiday cards for nursing home residents in the neighboring St. James’ Manor. The Dolphins class make thank-you cards for local firefighters while Butterflies mirror this art project for police officers. Most Fridays, elementary aged students have the option to decorate brown bags with supportive and uplifting messages for the local unhoused community which older grades then fill with fresh produce and bring to Parish Hall for the weekly Soup Kitchen.
Community Support
St. James’ students also volunteer their time at organizations like Heal The Bay which cleans local beaches, Little Green Giants which involves litter pickup in the Country Club Park neighborhood as well volunteering at pet adoption days. St. James’ alumni have started their own charitable endeavors including filling backpacks with helpful items for children living on Skid Row in Downtown LA.
Future Fighters
A group of 6th grade activists have formed a group called Future Fighters who focus on social issues like the environment. Below they describe their activities and speeches made at larger community events. Please check out their Instagram account here.
Madeline C.
Hi, my name is Madeline. I’m in 6th grade at St. James’, and I’m a youth environmental/LGBT+/female rights activist, musician, and avid writer. I support the LGBTQIA+ community and am extremely passionate about the rights of every beautiful creature on the planet.
I am also part of an environmental group called the “Future Fighters”! The Future Fighters was founded at Marlborough School Summer Camp in 2021, by Betty (who is another fifth grader at our wonderful school), a friend named Lulu who attends The Willows, and me! Many members of our school joined us later as we expanded.
Byrdie H.
Future Fighters is a group of young kids that want to make a difference and help climate change. We do lots of things including having a garden, raising money and giving speeches. I wanted to join Future Fighters because I learned about the climate crisis and wanted to do something. Future fighters was a great way to do that and show that I can make a difference even if I’m only in 6th grade. Recently we spoke at a youth climate strike. We were invited by the organizers and it was a really amazing opportunity.
Here’s my speech: My name is Byrdie, I’m in 6th grade and a part of Future Fighters. I don’t understand why the government hasn’t declared a national emergency for climate change. Why would you not declare a national emergency when all it’s going to do is help? Our planet is suffering. People all over the world don’t have clean water to drink or clean air to breathe. Both should be human rights!!! There are wildfires and hurricanes and lots of other natural disasters that even just a decade ago would not have happened this often or in the places that they’re happening. Like a hurricane in L.A. or wildfires in Canada, Washington State, and Hawaii. The list of problems caused by climate change goes on, so why not declare a national emergency? All it’s going to do is begin to help this long list of problems. Is the White House too scared to declare an emergency? Or maybe they just don’t care enough about our future. Because to me it seems like they don’t think this is real. We need to accept that this is happening because climate change is as real as it could be. There’s no other place for us to live, no next option. If your only home was on fire and about to burn down wouldn’t you do whatever you could to save it?
Betty D.
Ever since a young age I have always cared about the environment. By the time I was eight, I had a clue on what was going on. So when I heard about an environmental group starting I knew I had to join. Fun fact: I was actually one of the first three founders along with two other girls. In 2023 we gave two speeches, one at ‘The Los Angeles City Council’ and one at a ‘Youth Climate Strike’.
Here’s my speech: Hello, my name is Betty and I am 10 years old and I am a Future Fighter. Future Fighters is an environmental group of kids. I am here today to talk about trees. Trees are so important to everyone. Trees help with mental health, learning, and oxygen.
I think that everybody deserves the right to clean air and the right to a happy and healthy world and I think that every school and neighborhood should all get clean air, and do you know what you need to get clean air? Trees. Many children have trouble learning and I think that trees are the answer to this problem. I also know that many people agree with this issue and studies such as a study done by Marci Raney studied two elementary schools, one with grass and many trees and one with concrete and no trees. Raney found out that the school with trees and grass had students with higher grades. The school with concrete and no trees had lower grades. I think that everyone deserves cleaner air and trees.
