Eighth-Grade Information
Making the Transition to High School
As you and your 8th grader consider plans for next year, Matthew Farley ([email protected]) is an excellent resource for information about any high school you are considering. He can help you connect to the correct guidance counselor/admissions professional, provide insights on deadlines for various schools, and supply transcripts to schools.
To ensure that transcripts are released at the appropriate deadlines, please complete and return the transcript release form linked here by December 1, 2025.
Career Shadowing
The Career Shadowing Experience, also known simply as Career Shadowing, is an opportunity for students to visit a business they’re interested in and observe in person for a day to see how it operates. Students discuss the pros and cons of a particular field with someone who performs that job. The insight they gain into a particular career can be transformative. Many alumni have said that this brief mentorship has stayed with them and helped them, either confirming their interest or showing them that another direction might be a better fit.
Whether it has any bearing on their future employment decisions or not, Career Shadowing is exciting. From beginning to end, Career Shadowing is student-led and leverages the many skills students have acquired during their years at James River. The students must:
- be introspective and thoughtful about determining their field of interest and researching the opportunities available in that field.
- communicate effectively with the professional/business mentor to arrange their experience.
- prepare for the visit itself.
conduct themselves professionally and courteously during their shadowing day. - thank their professional mentors afterward with a formal letter.
- collate all the information they have gathered.
- prepare a presentation that shows what they have learned, and
effectively communicate their findings to people from kindergarteners through adults on Career Day in early April.
Please direct any questions about this program to Mrs. Crowther, the Career Shadowing Experience faculty sponsor. The guidelines and permission forms are linked here.
Graduation Attire
James River asks our eighth graders to dress more formally for this significant occasion. The School dress code applies on Graduation Day. All clothing must comply with the School dress code. Traditionally, students wear the following:
- Navy blue or black blazer
- Tie or bowtie
- Dress Shirt (tucked in)
- Dress Slacks (no shorts) with a belt
- Dress shoes (no flip-flops)
- White dress or dressy pants/skirt and white blouse (no strapless, backless, or spaghetti strap dresses)
Please see the Student and Family Handbook (found in the FACTS Family Portal) for the full dress code.
Graduation
This year’s Graduation ceremony will be held at Randolph College in the Smith Hall Theatre on Friday, May 22. Twelve handicapped parking spaces will be available, which must be reserved in advance. An opportunity to reserve one of these spaces and a Randolph College campus map with other available parking areas marked will be available in mid-April 2026. No handicapped parking reservations will be taken before that time.