News list
In the first week back at school three teams of superb scientists made up of pupils from Year 5 and 6 took part in the online Inter-School National Science Quiz Championship heats. The competition was fierce with a number of schools from all over the country competing to show off their knowledge. Both Year 5 teams made it to the Finals after battling for 1st and 3rd places respectively. The top 10 teams from each Area Heat are invited to take part in the National Finals which will take place next term online.
After returning to school on 8 March, many signs of spring were emerging around St John's and on the College Playing Fields opposite school. It was the perfect opportunity for T2 to get out into the fresh air to discover the opening buds, blossom and new life for themselves and to investigate their thoughts further back in the classroom with the help of microscopes, light boxes and different ways to find answers to their many questions.
After two months of remote learning, the Sixth Form debating teams were ready and eager to begin the highly anticipated House Debating Semi-Finals during their first week back in school. The motion, 'This House would abolish examinations', was proposed by the team from Sandys with Beaufort as the Opposition. The Gunning team proposed the second motion, 'This House would choose when it goes to bed', and this motion was opposed by Fisher.
Many lessons throughout the school begin with a moment of mindfulness to recentre, calm and focus the mind with discrete lessons structured around activities based on the Mindfulness in Schools Project (MiSP). During the first week back in school many children were able to take this a step further when they embarked on an experimental watercolour lesson which was designed to also be a lesson in calm reflection with mindfulness at the heart of it. The aim was to relax, unwind and de-stress with a meditative watercolour tutorial where the children's intention was on the
Children in all primary and secondary schools in England returned to the classroom on Monday 8 March, after over two months of remote learning at home. St John's was no exception and the children were welcomed back with much excitement and anticipation across all ages. The Form 1 teachers created an opportunity in the first week for the whole year group bubble to be out in the fresh air and to collaborate together with energetic team games as a way of bonding the children once again and reinforcing friendships across the three classes.
As part of their Humanities remote learning project, Form 1 identified different types of trees, discovered what trees do for us and how we can all become 'tree heroes' to help protect trees and increase the tree canopy in Cambridge and beyond. They also learned about the different types of forest in the UK, what grows and lives there, and made their own woodland models reflecting the different forest layers. As a culmination of their project, the children wrote thank you cards which they hung from their chosen tree.
Forms 3 and 4's recent Philosophy sessions have centred around the concept of 'hope', what this word may mean, what it is to have hope and why this is important for each of us as an individual but also for our school community and, at a wider level, for society as a whole. The children discussed the notion that to have hope is to want an outcome that makes life better in some way and that this mindset can not only help make a tough present situation more bearable but also can eventually improve lives because envisioning a better future motivates people to take the steps to make it
The Young Shakespeare Company have been delighting St John's pupils for many years with their interactive and energetic workshops at school and the current lockdown did not deter any enthusiasm for the virtual workshops Forms 4 and 5 took part in. One company actor brought 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', one of Shakespeare's most enchanting comic tales, to life via Zoom with a fast-moving workshop which included active involvement for all the children.
Form 4 spent their French lessons during Book Week creating their own Monsieur Madame (Mr Men & Little Miss) books. The project enabled the children to explore lots of new language, to practise their artistic skills and to tap into their creativity as they chose where their character lived, what their hobbies were, what they ate and drank and what they were like.
Five authors and poets gave talks to inspire our children during this year's virtual Book Week, including Chris Bradford, Matt Dickinson, Onjali Q. Rauf, Joseph Coehlo and Gillian McClure. Senior House Librarian, Mrs Kelly Johnson, explained, "What an incredible and memorable Book Week this year! Despite the challenges of an online Book Week, the children and staff enjoyed it immensely. The visiting authors were entertaining and inspiring and managed to interact with the pupils in a way that made them feel they were actually with us in school." The children also loved, new to this year