November 2017
Nov 2017
This year marks the School’s fifth year of participation in the Shakespeare Schools Festival (SSF), which is the world’s largest youth Drama Festival; in 2016, over 27,500 children from over 1,000 schools took part.
This year’s play from the St John’s team was Romeo and Juliet, the classic tale of the ‘two star-crossed lovers’ from opposing families, the Capulets and the Montagues. The use of elastic and contrasting black and white to represent the tension and conflict between the two families was a striking element of the production. The elastic was used to create objects from a
Nov 2017
Fireworks Night at St John’s College School always marks the real start of winter and is, without exception, the most splendid display in the area. This year parents, children and friends came out in large numbers to marvel at the rockets and Catherine wheels in a cold, clear sky. There was barely time for the Headmaster, Neil Chippington, to count down before the first blast of colour rocketed upwards.
There is something quite special as a young child to be out late in the dark with your friends. As you looked across the playing fields the air was full of laughter, smoke and glowing
Nov 2017
Form 4 visited Wandlebury Country Park, a 110 acre estate in the Gog Magog hills, just south of Cambridge for an orienteering activity and to learn about the history of the park and park management.
The children spent the morning completing a walk around the historic heart of the park, such as the Iron Age fort, the 2,500 year old ditch and the granary. The focus centred on park management issues such as the human impact of visitors, providing sustainable development, preservation, protection and the conservation of wildlife. The children had the opportunity to become slingshot
Nov 2017
Three St John’s Choristers, one aged 13 and two aged 11, performed an organ recital at the Church of Our Lady and the English Martyrs, known affectionately as OLEM, on 3 October 2017. All three performers have been taught by Mr Nigel Kerry, Director of Music at OLEM.
The music included:
Intrada by Grayston Ives
Praeludium in D (BuxWV 139) and Toccata in F (BuxWV 157) by D Buxtehude
Chorale ‘Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier’ (BWV 731) and Chorale ‘In dir ist Freude’ (BWV 615) by J S Bach
Rhosymedre by R Vaughan Williams
Nimrod by E Elgar
The Archbishop’s Fanfare by Francis Jackson,
Nov 2017
Form 1 experienced the world of ancient Rome with a Roman Day workshop. The children were transported back to Roman Britain with a recreation of life in the past including role-play, practical activities and hands-on experiences with Roman replica artefacts.
The Byron House Big Room became the villa near a Roman occupied town during the 60 AD Boudican revolt where the children were busy working as apprentices, learning, making and trading crafts whilst sharing all the latest gossip as Romano-Britons. The children all took the role of Roman citizens or slaves during the revolt and,
Nov 2017
The St John’s community has supported the Mustard Seed Relief Missions charity for over 15 years to help underprivileged children throughout Eastern Europe by inviting children and families to think of others by filling a shoebox with gifts for a boy or girl this Christmas. The appeal is called ‘Love-in-a-box’; for more information please see http://www.msrm.org.uk/liab.html
Approximately 160 boxes were collected this year, containing a range of gifts such as toy cars or dolls, small jigsaws, sweets, stationery, toiletries, hat/gloves, marbles, costume jewellery, sewing kit, travel