Children at St. John's Parish Day School arrived in their classrooms on Wednesday dressed in SJPDS spiritwear and the color Yellow, symbolizing friendship and hope, to honor the Japanese during a time of national crisis. Students 3 years old through the 5th grade, along with faculty, made donations to support the humanitarian efforts of Episcopal Relief and Development, a non-profit agency providing international emergency relief and long term development and rehabilitation. 

This event followed closely on the heels of the school's annual World Fest celebration, a multi-day cross-curricular activity designed to expand awareness and knowledge of the world's countries and cultures. In a special chapel service, a guest speaker shared her own personal Japan travel experiences, and the children learned about the importance of helping others. 

St. John's Parish Day School is a private, independent day school located in Ellicott City, MD. In addition to an ethnically diverse student population, the school is noted for its daily academic specialty classes and on-site after school enrichment offerings. In 2010, SJPDS won Maryland Family Magazine's Reader's Choice Award for Howard County's Best Early Childhood program.