“We hold our students to high academic and moral standards, and that combination appeals to our community,” says Kim Hanner, Principal.
With two classrooms in Pre-K3 and three classrooms in every grade from Pre-K4 through eighth grade, SJRCS draws a thriving community of students. A testament to its reputation for blending rigorous academics with strong character formation. Central to the school’s philosophy is the CRUX framework: Courageous, Responsible, Unselfish and Christlike. The X is actually the Chi-Rho symbol, which stands for Christ. Teachers reinforce these values daily through a positive behavioral interventions and supports system, where students earn Wildcat Cards for positive actions.
Such moments of encouragement often spark deeper experiences of faith. Mrs. Soto recalls one student who used his Wildcat Cards to buy raffle tickets for a gift card, prayed the night before to win, and beamed the next day when his name was called. “I got on my knees last night,” he told his teachers. For Soto, the joy came from his win and witnessing a child connect prayer to everyday life. Weekly or biweekly praise and worship sessions bring the entire school community together, reinforcing that, at SJRCS, faith isn’t just taught but developed from within and strengthened through shared experience.
Supporting this growth is a well-rounded curriculum, which offers core subjects ELA, math, science, social studies and religion, complemented by art, music, Spanish, PE and technology for younger grades. Seventh and eighth graders have Spanish twice a week, while technology is integrated into their coursework. To prepare students for the digital world, SJRCS provides Chromebooks, uses Google Classroom and leverages online tools.
“We want technology to be something they’re comfortable with, not just as a tool but as a skill set they can take anywhere,” says Noemi Soto, Dean of Students.
The arts also flourish, with band open to students in grades four through eight and rehearsals held once a week. Bell choir and chorus add to the creative programs after school, while chess and martial arts programs broaden opportunities for students to build focus, discipline and confidence.
-
We hold our students to high academic and moral standards, and that combination appeals to our community
Athletics are equally integral to student life, with soccer in the fall, basketball in the winter and lacrosse in the spring. Students compete with Catholic and other local schools, broadening their experience and sportsmanship. Programs like Girls on the Run and Let Me Run combine physical fitness with emotional well-being over a 10-week season, culminating in a celebratory 5K run that teaches perseverance and teamwork.
One of SJRCS’s distinctive programs is Wildcat TV, a weekly broadcast produced entirely by eighth graders. Under the guidance of the technology coordinator, students write scripts, anchor news segments, run cameras and edit the final production. The program’s impact has been profound. One alumnus, inspired by Wildcat TV, pursued a career in broadcast media after high school and college. Opportunities like this ignite passions that students might never have discovered otherwise.
SJRCS’s achievements are impressive, being a two-time National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence with a loyal community. Looking ahead, the school aims to regain its STEM certification and secure a third Blue Ribbon by strengthening its academic and technological initiatives.
The school sees itself as a modern Catholic institution grounded in Christ and committed to academic rigor as well as technological fluency. Nearly two centuries in, St. John Regional Catholic School proves that tradition and innovation can thrive together, shaping students who are faithful, future-ready and embody the CRUX values of courage, responsibility, unselfishness and Christlikeness.
