News
Mayor Declares October 13 as St. John’s School Day in Houston
Houston Mayor John Whitmire, represented by Mayor Pro-Tem Martha Castex-Tatum, declared October 13, 2026, as St. John’s School Day in recognition of the School’s 80th anniversary.
At the request of Council Member Alejandra Salinas, who holds At-Large Position 4, the City Council honored the School with an official proclamation celebrating its eight decades of academic excellence, character development, and leadership.
“I have the esteemed pleasure of recognizing today one of our city’s most incredible academic institutions, St. John’s School,” said Council Member Salinas. “The School recently came to my attention when some of their students signed up for my office hours. I was so blown away by their passion and excitement for civic engagement, their ideas for how we can make the city better, and the work they are doing. In our conversation, I learned about St. John’s 80th anniversary.”
Council Member Sallie Alcorn, a former SJS parent who holds At-Large Position 5, joined Salinas at the podium to congratulate the school with an enthusiastic “Go, Mavs” rejoinder.
After the reading of the proclamation, Head of Upper School Dr. Kevin Weatherill gave brief remarks thanking the City Council for the acknowledgment.
“We would like to thank Council Member Salinas for visiting with our St. John’s students to speak with and listen to earnestly,” said Weatherill. “We also thank Mayor Whitmire for his support of this proclamation. While much in education in the country and in Houston has changed, the School’s mission has remained the same for 80 years. It has welcomed industrious, motivated, and intelligent young people into an environment that celebrates the mind’s life and ensuing action. The four students here today are wonderful examples of the hardworking and bright students with whom St. John’s tradition has been built.”
“We would like to thank Council Member Salinas for visiting with our St. John’s students to speak with and listen to earnestly,” said Weatherill. “We also thank Mayor Whitmire for his support of this proclamation. While much in education in the country and in Houston has changed, the School’s mission has remained the same for 80 years. It has welcomed industrious, motivated, and intelligent young people into an environment that celebrates the mind’s life and ensuing action. The four students here today are wonderful examples of the hardworking and bright students with whom St. John’s tradition has been built.”
Along with the anniversary proclamation, Council Member Salinas presented a separate recognition to the SJS Open DiscoursE Club (ODEC), honoring its mission to foster civil discourse among students. ODEC Founder and President Aris Hanna ’28 accepted the recognition alongside Vice President Beau Blanton ’28, Secretary William Byers ’28, and Club Liaison Elliott David ’28. The group was accompanied by one of their three club sponsors, Dr. David Castillo.
“On behalf of the Open DiscoursE Club, I am honored to accept this recognition,” said Aris. “I believe that conversations around politics and social issues are the most important and simultaneously the most difficult conversations to have. That is why I started the Open DiscoursE Club. At ODEC, we don’t crown winners, and we don’t force consensus. Our mission is to bring people together and to exchange ideas, and we hold ourselves to that mission strictly. I want to thank St. John’s for providing such a nurturing environment for ODEC to take root.”
The students also expressed their thanks to Upper School Assistant Dean Lori Fryman and club sponsors Eleanor Cannon, Callie Carnahan, and Castillo for their support of ODEC.
St. John’s School extends its deep appreciation to Mayor Whitmire, Council Member Salinas, and the Houston City Council for this honor. To watch the presentation in its entirety, please visit the Houston City Council website. The presentation begins at timestamp 16:52.
St. John's School
© 2018 St. John’s School. All Rights Reserved.