Academic calendar
First Semester 2026 runs Aug 7, 2026 – Dec 18, 2026. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.
- First Semester 2026Relevant now
- First Quarter 2026
- Second Quarter 2026
- Second Semester 2027
- Third Quarter 2027
- Fourth Quarter 2027
Campus language
Search the full glossary. Nothing is sampled or hidden when the search field is empty.
Showing 25 of 25 terms
B
- Bai Yuka
- The name of the campus natural spring and the title of the school's annual yearbook.
C
- Claggett
- Claggett Hall, which serves as both a dormitory and the location of the Admissions office.
- Coors
- Coors Hall, a student dormitory building.
F
- Forms
- The English-style system used to designate grade levels (e.g., 2nd Form is 8th grade, 6th Form is 12th grade).
H
- Holloway
- Holloway House, a campus residence named after Admiral James L. Holloway III.
I
- II Former
- A student in the 8th grade (similarly III, IV, V, and VI Formers for higher grades).
- IPSL
- Independent Parochial School League, an athletic league in which the school competes.
M
- MAC
- Mid-Atlantic Athletic Conference, the primary athletic conference for the school's sports teams.
- Maroon vs. White
- The traditional annual field day competition between the school's two color-coded teams.
- Mattingly
- Mattingly Hall, a residential building for students.
- Mummer's Society
- The campus drama and theater organization.
O
- Onderdonk
- Onderdonk Hall, one of the primary student dormitories.
S
- SAC
- Student Activities Committee, the group responsible for organizing campus events and weekend trips.
- Seated Meal
- A formal lunch or dinner where students sit at assigned tables with faculty members to foster community.
- Seated meals
- Mandatory family-style dining sessions held five times a week where students and faculty eat together without distractions.
- Senior Steps
- The stone steps of Claggett Hall, traditionally reserved for seniors to stand on during graduation and special events.
- Sixth Former
- A senior student (12th grade) in the school's traditional form-based grading system.
- SJS
- Saint James School, the common abbreviation for the institution.
- SJS Times
- The Saint James Times, the official student-run campus newspaper.
- Syrinx
- The name of the school's student literary magazine.
T
- The Circle
- The central grassy lawn area around which the main campus buildings are situated.
- The Ref
- The Kerfoot Refectory, the primary dining hall on campus.
- The Refectory
- The Kerfoot Refectory, the primary campus dining hall where students gather for meals.
- The Saints
- The official mascot and collective name for the Saint James student body.
V
- Vespers
- The evening chapel services attended by the entire school community.
Places and practicalities
Buildings, logistics, and other local references drawn from the approved campus snapshot.
- Alumni
- Alumni Hall, which contains the library, fine arts classrooms, and the theater.
- Alumni Hall
- A multi-purpose building used for student check-ins and housing.
- Check-in
- The mandatory procedure of reporting to Alumni Hall upon returning to campus from leave.
- Claggett Hall
- The historic building housing admissions and the iconic Senior Steps.
- Cotton
- Cotton Gymnasium, the historic athletic facility used for wrestling and volleyball.
- Cotton Building
- The Cotton Fine Arts Building, used for arts and cultural activities.
- Honor Code
- The strictly enforced pledge ('I will not lie, cheat or steal') that all students must sign annually in the Chapel.
- John E. Owens Library
- The primary academic resource and study center on campus.
- Kemp
- Kemp Hall, the main administrative building which also houses classrooms and the school store.
- Kemp Hall
- The student center used for refreshments, social gatherings, and events.
- Kerfoot Refectory
- The campus dining hall and social hub.
- Late Start
- Occasional schedule adjustments for faculty meetings or inclement weather, typically communicated via the school calendar.
- Pohanka
- The Pohanka Fine Arts Center, the hub for music, visual arts, and theater.
- Powell
- Powell Hall, the dedicated building for science classrooms and laboratories.
- Powell/Fulton
- The main academic building housing classrooms and faculty offices.
- Senior Circle
- The grassy area in front of Claggett Hall used for processions and commencement ceremonies.
- Study Hall
- Mandatory quiet study time held in the evenings, usually in dorms or the library.
- The School Store
- Located in Kemp Hall, the primary spot for purchasing snacks, school supplies, and SJS apparel.
- the_commons
- The Commons
- Turner
- The Turner Athletic Center, the modern field house and main athletic complex.
- Weekend Leave
- The formal permission process required for students to leave campus for the weekend.
- Work Squad
- A disciplinary or service duty where students perform campus labor to work off accumulated demerits.
Quick answers
Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.
- What academic term is relevant now?
- First Semester 2026 runs Aug 7, 2026 – Dec 18, 2026.
- How much campus context is included?
- 25 approved campus terms and 22 local details are included in full.
- Are all approved campus terms included?
- Yes. The complete approved glossary is available in the scrollable, searchable campus-language section.
- Where does this guide come from?
- Calendar dates, campus terms, and local details come from DormWay's approved campus reference library.