News list
Form 6 pupils were eager to get their hands dirty and wade into the river, when they visited FSC Epping Forest, a Special Area of Conservation. Head of Geography, Miss Grant explained “this field work experience is very important as it allows our pupils to practise their collaborative skills, appreciate that they are all part of a team with a specific task to complete and to enjoy and saviour the fluvial landscape around them. It gives them the opportunity to test their understanding of the theoretical aspects of fluvial environments with reference to an actual example."
Following the success of last year’s Third Form Greek Myths, expectations were high when, as the Fourth Form, the children took to the stage again. The BFG posed a different kind of challenge to the year group; there were no songs or dancing, and the focus was instead on telling the story, with comedic moments peppering the performance. The cast stepped up and produced a performance which was highly amusing and entertaining for all of the audience.
Our festive ‘Services in Preparation for Christmas’, held over two days in the magnificent Chapel of St John’s College, once again heralded the start of the season with a range of carols, poems and readings all presented by the children. The carols and readings were interspersed with 5 congregational hymns. The Services provided a sense of calm from the busy nature of this time of the year and created up a contemplative mood to help prepare for Christmas. Due to current restrictions, Sixth Form parents were invited to attend in person and it was live streamed and recorded so that all could
Kindergarten’s rendition of their nativity production, Whoops-a-Daisy Angel, was broadcast live to the school community this year so everyone could share the children’s production and all their hard work leading up to the performance. We were fortunate to be able to invite parents to watch in person. This delightful nativity play tells the story of a disorganised but loveable angel who is chosen to show the way to Bethlehem.
Parents and children alike were enchanted by T1’s rendition of their Russian Christmas story, Babushka. Babushka lived in the countryside and opened her door, one snowy night, to find three men standing before her. She wanted to join them in giving gifts to the King of Kings but had too much cleaning to do. T1 parents were invited to watch in person and the rest of Byron House enjoyed the Nativity being live-streamed to their own classrooms.
Parents and friends of the School were treated to a Christmas musical feast at our annual ‘Piazza Brass’ event at Senior House. Our brass players were also joined this year by many of our other talented young musicians to get the crowd into the festive spirit, including Form 5 and 6 Pop Choir, Big Band and Rednotes.
Children throughout St John’s have worked hard to produce individual Christmas card designs during their lessons as part of our annual Festive art project. Any profits from the cards go to the Parents’ Association’s chosen charity Castle School which is a Special school in the centre of Cambridge which caters for pupils with a range of learning needs from aged 2-19 years.
There was a buzz of excitement in the Byron House Library as some of the children in Form 2 assembled to take part in an online sketching workshop by author and illustrator Chris Riddell. Mr Riddell, who was Children’s Laureate, has also won the prestigious Greenaway Medal three times for his illustrations. The online session was designed to help inspire a love of reading and drawing and Art Teacher and Librarian Mrs Julia Clarke remarked, ‘Author visits are so crucial to inspiring children to read from an early age. Seeing Chris in action, doodling and sharing stories was
The children at St John's showed they had big hearts by giving Christmas gifts to disadvantaged children and young people in Eastern Europe as they took part in the ‘Love in a Box’ project organised by the Mustard Seed Relief Mission. The children take part every year and this year 200 boxes were collected, decorated and filled with various goodies which will be sent to children who would otherwise not receive a Christmas present.
On 15 November 2021, St John’s joined schools across Britain to embrace the message of ‘One Kind Word’, the theme for this year’s Anti-Bullying Week campaign created by the Anti-Bullying Alliance (ABA) which works to raise awareness of bullying and bring lasting change to children’s lives.