November 2020

Nov 2020
In the Michaelmas term each child in Form 5 created a clay rhino sculpture as part of their Thursday Afternoon Enrichment Programme at Senior House. The children learned about the risk of extinction to many species of rhino, particularly the Northern White Rhino. The collection of rhino sculptures are now on display outside in the Piazza for all to admire. The children themselves came up with the idea of donating £1 each to The World Wide Fund for Nature as a contribution to help protect these endangered animals and have since raised £169 for the charity.  WWF is the world’s leading
Nov 2020
This year, like many things, Armistice Day was a little different because of coronavirus. England was in the middle of a four-week national lockdown during this time but, with stringent safety measures in place, St John’s was able to come together at Byron and Senior House to commemorate those who have fallen and mark this occasion with sincerity and respect. Armistice Day is on 11 November and is also known as Remembrance Day. It marks the day World War One ended, at 11am on the 11th day on the 11th month in 1918. A two-minute silence is held at 11am to remember the people who have
Nov 2020
T1’s rendition of their nativity production, Christmas with the Aliens, 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. The nativity tells the delightful story of a disorganised but lovable angel with a wonky halo who is chosen to show the way to Bethlehem. One T1 parent commented, "It was absolutely awesome and such a treat be able to watch it as if we had front row seats." Christmas with the Aliens centres around the traditional Christmas story being retold to some alien
Nov 2020
For some, Odd & Silly Socks Day comes around 365 days a year. However, on one day of the year it is not simply about grabbing whichever socks you can find. It is about helping raise awareness during Anti-Bullying Week. At St John’s, we took part in Odd & Silly Socks Day on 16 November, the first day of Anti-Bullying Week – a day designed primarily to spread an important message but also a day designed to be fun; an opportunity for the children to express themselves and celebrate their individuality and what makes us all unique. The School encouraged participating children to
Nov 2020
Every October children at Senior House look forward to taking part in the World’s Biggest Drawing Festival and this year was no exception with another opportunity to celebrate the transformative effect of drawing for Forms 3 and 4.The theme: ‘Climate of Change’ seemed particularly apt when sustainability is very much an on-going focus at St John’s. 2020 marks the 20th anniversary of The Big Draw and the campaign that shines a light on the need for drawing and its role as a tool for expression, creativity, learning and sharing ideas.  An arts education charity, The Big Draw "aims to
Nov 2020
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 children were aptly dressed as Roman citizens, slaves or even barbarians! 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
Nov 2020
Current parent, Mrs Patel, gave an insightful talk to Form 4 about the customs and traditions of Hinduism, one of the world’s oldest religions and the religion they are currently studying in class. The children found out about the Hindu belief that life is a cycle of birth, death and rebirth and that the actions in this life, or ‘karma’, have an effect on the future.  Mrs Patel explained that Hinduism is over 4,000 years old and is made up of a variety of different religious beliefs and practices. It originated in India, near the Indus River, from which the name 'Hindu' is derived.