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St John’s School Weekly Newsletter
Issue 54
Red Nose Day at St John’s
From the
Headmaster
Today all the boys and staff came
together for a fun walk to raise money
for Comic Relief. I was very impressed
with the Pre-Prep jokes and the Year 2
surprise song in assembly at lunchtime.
The musicians formed a large part of the
combined Merchant Taylors' Prep
Schools Orchestral afternoon. The boys
and girls produced an excellent concert
as a result which concluded with ‘A
Hard Day’s Night’. I would like to thank
the Merchant Taylors' music department
for staging this event.
On Monday the Year 6 visit to London
by tube and the DLR was a great
success. They were given a grand tour of
the Merchant Taylors' Livery Hall by the
Beadle and thoroughly enjoyed the visit
to the Museum of London docklands.
Our assemblies have focussed on using
the internet safely. Caroline, the
Childnet representative, was able to help
boys, teachers and parents to
understand how to be a responsible
digital citizen.
We have had a superb day of fun and fund raising today as boys across the
School dressed up for Comic Relief Day. We heard jokes (of varying standards) in
our assemblies and walked around the School grounds as a whole school
community. The Pre-Prep staff commented on how caring and engaging older boys
were as they took the young boys round the course and the tuck shop, of course,
was a huge hit! On a more serious note we have watched a film about life for one
nine year old girl in Africa and we tried to compare our situation with hers. It
certainly made us all realise how fortunate we are. Thank you once again for your
generosity and support of our charitable events.
In sport congratulations to the U11
hockey team who won the UCS
tournament. Gayhurst were the team
winners of the St John’s U11 Cross
Country with St John's finishing a
creditable third. Looking forward to
next week I would be pleased to
welcome you to the St Johns Invitation
Rugby Sevens on Wednesday afternoon
and the Junior Drama Production "Can
you see it from here?" on Thursday
evening.
Many thanks to all parents who have
completed the questionnaire. It will stay
open for another week.
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March 13 2015
Comical pictures for Comic Relief!
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March 13 2015
Year 6 visits Merchant Taylors’ Hall and the City
We left school at about 9.10am and arrived at Bank by
10.35am. After exiting the station we walked to Merchant
Taylors’ Hall passing by a statue of George Peabody. The Hall
is owned by the Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors and
when we arrived we were greeted by the Beadle who is
effectively the manager of the Hall and whose job is to
guarantee the upkeep of the Hall and oversee the booking of
external functions. The room we first entered was called the
Parlour. There was a magnificently designed carpet and lovely
portraits including one of the Queen Mother. Also, there was a
marvellous mirror with the crest of the Company on the top of
it. The Library contained a huge quantity of books all of which
were first edition and therefore very valuable. There was also a
desk said to have been used by Queen Victoria and which was
thought to be priceless. Then we went down a hallway to a
room where meetings are held. Again the crest could be seen
and there were some attractive paintings of Elizabethan and
Tudor Masters of the Company. Next we visited the kitchens
which were busy with chefs preparing for a lunch. One of the
highlights is the Great Hall which is used for weddings,
banquets and concerts. There was a huge organ at the top and
magnificent chandeliers and stained glass windows. Upstairs
there is an amazing Victorian painting which celebrates the
rivalry between the Skinners and Merchant Taylors’ on the River Thames. Afterwards we travelled to the King’s Gallery which
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includes portraits of Charles I (with his head still attached) and
Henry VIII.Once, James I had dined in this room at a banquet
and not in the Great Hall possibly because he thought that
people in the Great Hall were malodorous or that because he
had a very long tongue he didn’t want people to see him
dribble! Sadly this was the end of our tour and it was time to
move on.
We all walked back to Bank station and took the DLR to West
India Quay station from where it was a short walk to the
Museum of London Docklands. After lunch we visited many of
the major exhibits focussing on the growth of the Port of
London and its experience of the Blitz. First we saw Sailor
Town where there were many old fashioned shops which sold
objects like lights, weapons, shells, food and drink, cages and
models. Sailors sometimes lost everything in Sailor Town
because they were drunk which made them an easy target. Then
we visited the exhibition of First Port of the Empire which told
us that London’s first steam ship was built in 1814. We also got
to see a model of Brunel’s Great Eastern. It had 6 masts, a motor and contained twenty boats. All too soon it was time to return to St John’s via the Jubilee line from Canary Wharf. It was
a great trip and all boys in Year 6 would like to thank Mr Russo,
Mr Gurton, Mr Vince, Mrs Cook, Mr Lawrence and Mr Blunt
for taking us. This report was written by Adeel Salam in 6V
March 13 2015
Exploring the Hall and Docklands
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March 13 2015
Year 8 visit the Royal Institution
Yesterday Year 8 travelled to central London to watch a
lecture on Engineering for Life at the Royal Institution.
The trip was organised as a part of Science Week, which
officially starts on Monday. The lecture looked at how
engineering plays a part at every stage of our life, from cradle to
grave. It looked at many techniques from ultrasound scanning
to cryogenics and involved plenty of demonstrations to keep
the pupils transfixed. The trip also gave us the opportunity to
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learn some of the history of the Royal Institution, where for
almost 200 years science lectures have been presented to
children. We were also able to visit the actual laboratory where
Michael Faraday, the father of the Electromagnetism, worked at
and developed his ideas behind the electric motor and the
dynamo. The boys were very well behaved and were rewarded
with a visit to the sweet shop on the way back to St Johns!
March 13 2015
Log on to internet safety
Our assembly theme this week has been Internet Safety
Awareness and on Tuesday we were pleased to welcome
Caroline Hurst from Childnet UK who gave presentations to all
boys from Year 1 to Year 8 on the pros and cons of using the
internet. Childnet last spoke to St Johns in 2012 and it was clear
that there had been many developments in the online world in
this relatively short time since the last presentation.
All boys listened attentively and had many excellent questions
which Caroline was pleased to answer. The boys learned about
the actions to take and who to speak to in case they roamed
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into areas they were doubtful about and many illustrations of
scenarios were given. To finish our day, parents were invited to
an after-school session where many pertinent points were
discussed.
Later in the week Mr Brown talked to boys about cyber bullying
and what to do if it ever happened to them. Despite all the
information given this week, we should remember that
educating boys about the internet is not just done in one day
and should be a part of our on-going education process, both at
school and at home.
March 13 2015
Gardening Club winter update
In Gardening Club we’ve recently chitted our Casablanca
Scottish potatoes in readiness for planting them in mid-March.
This is a delicious variety, white skinned and with a smooth white
floury texture. They are great for boiling, mashing, baking, chipping and roasting. As we’ve planted early, we are expecting good
results in June and we look forward to sampling these delicious
potatoes. Further vegetables in the pipeline are beetroot, carrots,
lettuce, pumpkin and radishes.
Weather and pests permitting we hope to reap the harvest of our
labours in June!
UKMT Maths Challenge at Haberdashers’
Last Friday a group of four boys went to Haberdashers’
for the UKMT Maths Team Challenge. The boys who
went were Aditya Varshney, Sam Bickerstaff, Jayme Patel and
Sachin Aggarwal. The challenge consisted of four parts: the
group round, the cross number (a number crossword), a shuttle and a relay. Overall we finished 8th out of 35 schools
which was an incredible achievement as the competition was
meant for Years 8 and 9 and we had two Year 7 and two Year
8 boys. We beat a number of schools including Merchant
Taylors’ and we were the highest ranked Prep School in the
competition. It was a really enjoyable experience.
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March 13 2015
The Lambs are out and about
The Lambs have been learning about journeys this week
so they took advantage of the lovely spring weather and went
walkabout around the School grounds.
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They went armed with maps and took advantage of our aerial
map next to the car park for extra help.
March 13 2015
Eagles make cups and saucers
Modelling with clay is harder than it looks! It’s a good job the Eagles have patience and perseverance. The boys have worked
hard to produce some beautiful teacups and saucers. Surely Queen Victoria herself would have been proud to drink her afternoon
tea from any of these!
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March 13 2015
Learning about magnets in Year 3
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March 13 2015
Success at Watford Festival
The Watford Festival is one of the largest and oldest
regional Music and Drama Festivals in the country and
students of St. John's have taken part for over fifteen years.
This year's musicians came from the brass, woodwind and
string players of the school and included trombonists,
trumpeters, clarinettists, flautists and guitar players. Almost
thirty boys of all ages and abilities took part and were up against
some stiff competition. Adjudicators listened to each individual
performance and offered encouragement and good advice to
help the young players develop their performances. Well done
to all of the boys as it takes real courage to stand up in front of
a strange crowd in an unusual place and perform a piece. This is
an immediate skill that is a transferable skill, too. No sitting
time or thinking about an answer here; there is an immediacy to
that moment when you have to commit yourself. Don't
underestimate how amazing this is. Well done to everyone for
giving up your time and putting yourself on the spot. Special
congratulations go to the medal winners as follows:
Silver - Skye Pagnini (trumpet), Jayme Patel (cello), Daniel Reid
(flute) Harjeevan Sandhu (guitar) Joshua Shackleford (violin)
Bronze - Neel Goenka (violin), James Edwards (trombone),
Arav Oodit (cello)
Well done to the following boys who took part and gained
Distinction, Merit or Special Merit for their performances:
Daniel Odejinmi, Alex Hobbs, Aaron Meghani, Husain Tayeb,
Iowan Dale, Avi Shah, Ramy Nawar, Sabarish Ganesh, Harris
Felton, Adeel Salam and Aaron Patel.
Gold - Harry Bridgewater (trumpet), James Curtler (trumpet),
Zain Ahmed (violin), Netanel Lawrence-Ojo (violin), Dominic
Murphy O'Connor (flute), Dominik Knight (clarinet)
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March 13 2015
Year 5 boys play to the Lambs
Year 5 boys are using their own instruments to practise and perform a folk piece from Eastern Europe called, Lomka Po
Lomka. On Wednesday they played their instruments to the Lambs who also listened to a demonstration from our very first harp
player, Kairav Bhudia - what a treat!
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March 13 2015
Prep Schools Orchestral Day
St John's orchestra joined in the annual Prep Schools Orchestral Day at Merchant Taylors' School this afternoon.
Combining with Comic Relief Day, there were plenty of wonderful costumes as well as super music. Sectional rehearsals, followed
by a full rehearsal made for a very busy afternoon. All fifty boys involved learnt more about performing as a group and got to
know children from other schools. Tea was very welcome and the evening concert was great fun.
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March 13 2015
Under 9s Score York House Double!
Under 9 A Team vs York House
Won 35 -0
Scorers: Netanel Lawrence-Ojo x 2, Jamie Wood x 1, Alex
Leitch x 3, Rohan Mangat x 1.
The St. John’s side dominated much of the play and it was the
excellent defence and winning the ball in the contact area from
the York House players which enabled the side to keep the
opposition scoreless. There was some very strong running
from Alex Leitch, Netanel Lawrence-Ojo and Rohan Mangat
that allowed the St. John’s side to go forward and score some
tries. Jamie Wood at half-back played well and managed to
score a good try. All the other players played their part and
James Curtler, Josh Fletcher, Taiga Suzuki, Avi Shah and Yuri
Zykov all ran and tackled well in the match. A good win.
Under 9 B Team vs York House
Won 45-15
Scorers: Oliver Atkins x 3, Ryan Reynolds x 2, Shivam
Sangani x 1, Skye Pagnini x 1, Kianu Smith x 1 and Joseph
Pressinger x 1.
The match was played as a 7 a-side game with a number of
changes with boys moving up to the A team. The Bs played
well and were very strong winning nine tries to three. A number of tries were a result of slick passing especially from Oliver at fly half. This season the under 9 B team have really
come on and improved throughout the year; this was the
culmination of all the hard work that they’ve put in. It has
been pleasing to see how some boys have moved up into the
team and coped with the extra physicality. Well done, boys!
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June 6 2014
Honours even with Northwood Prep
Under 12 vs Northwood Prep Won 8-4
This was another cracking game with both sides trying to pass
the ball with purpose and pushing forward into space. The St
John’s boys were really on top form in the first half and were
attacking the D on a regular basis. It was this continued
pressure that was winning the seven second penalties and this
put us in front early on in the game. Northwood Prep, however,
are not a team that will lie down and they quickly got back into
the game and scored three good goals to keep themselves in the
game at half time. At 6-3 up it looked like we could win this
game comfortably but the opposition came out in the second
half with more determination and it meant that we had to play
much better in the second half. Shiv Parmar in the midfield was
ably assisted by Andrew Holt who made some excellent runs up
the right where Shiv was able to find him with some accurate
passes. This allowed us to get the ball into the D quickly where
Harry was on target again. Niam Shah was making his debut in
the team and acquitted himself well in defence. This was another great team performance and it bodes well for the future that
we are developing a squad that has good strength in depth.
With only the Aldenham tournament left to play next week it
can already be considered a highly successful season for the
Under 12 squad having won all but one of the fixtures we have
played this term. In seven fixtures we have amassed a total of 53
goals for and 19 against. The mantra has always been to get the
ball wide and pass the ball quickly. In this game the boys
showed that they are now confident on the ball and can keep
the ball for extended periods of time. Well done to all the boys
who have been involved this term.
Scorers: Harry Whistler x 3, Krish Patel x 2, Andrew Holt x 1,
Rohan Patel x 1, Shiv Parmar x 1.
Man of the Match: Shiv Parmar for his long passes that sliced
the defence up.
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Honours even with Northwood Prep
3rd VII vs Northwood Prep Lost 3-2
Scorers: Anand Shah 2
Man of the Match: Sachin Aggarwal
The first half was largely played in the St. John’s side of the pitch with Northwood Prep dominating possession and persistently
attacking the St. John’s goal. Due to the fantastic efforts of Sachin Aggarwal in his first match as a keeper, Northwood Prep had
only scored one goal by the end of the first half having had four opportunities to score seven second penalties all of which were
kept out by Sachin. In the midst of Northwood Prep’s onslaught, St. John’s had some good spells of play and executed some fine
passing at close quarters. Two goals were scored by Anand Shah who calmly finished off some excellent counterattacking play by
St. John’s.
The second half saw the intensity of the game increase as Northwood Prep sought to swing the scorecard in their favour while St.
John’s fought to maintain their advantage. Unfortunately the pressure told and Northwood scored two goals while at the other
end St. John’s were unlucky in being unable to finish off their opportunities in front of the goal. In spite of the loss the boys had
played well in an intense game and Sachin Aggarwal was deservedly named as man of the match.
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June 6 2014
Under 11 Hockey team triumph at UCS
U11 UCS Hockey Tournament
Winners of main Shield Competition
Game 1 vs St. Anthony’s. Won 1-0 Harjeevan Sandhu 1 goal
We started well and the ball was moved quickly around the
pitch. Each game was only seven minutes so to score first was
important. Matthew Crow on the right made a good run and an
excellent cross resulted in Harjeevan Sandhu scoring the
winning goal.
Game 2 vs South Hampstead Drew 1-1 Max Davies 1 goal,
Michael Ohio-Ezomo 1 goal, Harry Bridgewater 1 goal.
We dominated the play and in defence Daniel Sayani and Daniel Odejinmi were very solid in defence. Max Davies scored a
super goal again from an excellent cross from the right. We
started to play some very good hockey and two more goals was
just reward.
Game 3 vs UCS Won 1-0 Max Davies 1 goal
We again dominated this game and had numerous chances to
score but again Max Davies was in the right place to score an
important goal. Alex Bickerstaff passed the ball very well and
Matthew Crow always looked dangerous when he had the ball
in attack.
Game 4 vs Highgate Won 1-0 Michael Ohio-Ezomo 1 goal
The two best sides in the final and we played the best hockey of
the tournament. We had numerous chances to score in the first
half but just could not finish. On the break Highgate looked
dangerous but our defence again showed excellent defensive
qualities. In the second half an early ball to Michael OhioEzomo enabled him to sprint around the last defender and
score a great goal by beating the goalkeeper to win the match.
We deserved the win and all the boys who were in this squad
should be very proud of what they have achieved this year.
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June 6 2014
Caldicott Sevens Tournament for Senior 7s
Caldicott Schools Sevens
Place in Tournament Knocked out in Plate quarter final
Man of the Tournament Joshua Ogunnaike
Game 1 vs St. Mary’s Hall. Won 36 – 7 Joshua Ogunnaike 3
tries and 1 conversion, Luke Kenny 1 try and 2 conversions,
Daniel Zarach 1 try, Sam Bickerstaff 1 try
A very promising start and the side played with great patience
in attack and defence. We moved the ball very well and this
allowed our strong players like Joshua Ogunnaike to run in a
few tries. The handling was very good and Luke Kenny, Sam
Bickerstaff and Alex Shaikh all had strong games. A good
start.
Game 2 vs Dulwich Prep Lost 22 – 15 Joshua Ogunnaike 2
tries, Shore Ojutiku 1 try
A thrilling game with Dulwich Prep scoring two quick tries.
However, the St. John’s team rallied and Joshua Ogunnaike
scored two excellent tries to close the gap. In the second half
good defence resulted in the St. John’s team winning the ball
and Shore Ojutiku sprinted 50 metres to beat a number of
defenders and score a very good try.
Game 3 Moulsford Lost 29 – 0
Moulsford were well known to be a very good side and so it
proved as they moved the ball superbly but the St. John’s side
never gave up. In the end they were too strong and in fact
they were to finish runners up in the main final.
Game 4 Winchester House Quarter Final of Plate
Lost 27 – 10
Joshua Ogunnaike 1 try and Shore Ojutiku 1 try .
Winchester House were under real pressure and it was a
missed tackle that allowed their player to run the length of the
pitch to score a try. They then scored two more tries and we
never really got the ball to attack. However, in the second half
the St. John’s side battled and we scored two good tries to
make the match much closer.
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June 6 2014
Smashing Cross-Country Event at St John’s
With over 120 pupils running, 12 boys teams and 3 girls teams, this was the largest St. John’s U11’s Cross-Country race
since the event started. The competition was very strong and the St. John’s runners had a real challenge. However, we had some
excellent individual performances with Matthew Crow coming in 3rd and he was just behind the front two runners.
Alex Bickerstaff in Year 5 came 4th which was a superb effort and Daniel Barnett, again another Year 5, came in 19th. There was
also a very good run from Rohan Mangat, Year 4 who came in 34th position. Daniel Sayani, Louis Rich, Devan Patel and James
Coop all ran well and finished in the top 80.
Overall out of the 12 boys teams we came third which was a tremendous achievement. Out of the 8 runners in the team only
three were in Year 6 and all the other runners will have the chance to compete next year in this event. This has been an excellent
season for the U11s Cross-Country team.
U11’s Boys
Individual 2 and a half Laps
Winning Time. 10m.29 seconds
1st PLACE
Aaron Phillips (Gayhurst) 10m.29 seconds
2nd
Thomas Creighton (The Beacon) 10m.34 seconds
PLACE
3rd PLACE
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Matthew Crow (St. John’s) 10m.41seconds
June 6 2014
Smashing Cross-Country Event at St John’s
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U11’s Girls
Individual 2 and a half Laps
1st PLACE
Evelyne Fonteyne (Belmont)
2nd PLACE
Eloise Palmer (Belmont)
3rd PLACE
Lauren Walker (Belmont)
June 6 2014
Land yacht racing in Year 6
In D.T. boys in Year 6 have been constructing yachts from
soft wood and nylon fabric. They have been working on them
for the last two weeks and on Wednesday the finished articles
appeared for the all important race!
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We timed the yachts over a six metre course and timed each
run. The boys loved it and, after some fierce rivalry, the winners
were announced as Edward Blunt’s solo run (0.94 mps) and
Sebastian Wynn’s team run (0.57mps).
March 13 2015
Year 3 is learning all about the Ancient Greeks. They are
currently decorating Greek pottery using a technique called
scraffito – layers of wax crayons are applied to the paper and
then using a sharp tool a design is then scratched out. They are
beginning to look really lovely.
The Year 4 boys are learning all about the artist Kandinsky.
One of his famous paintings is an abstract piece called
‘Concentric Circles`. The boys are reproducing their own
version using pastels. They have been practising their blending
techniques and their work is looking promising.
Year 5 has had an interesting week. They have finally finished
their aboriginal boomerangs and a lucky few were allowed to
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test them out. We are now looking at Picasso – particularly his
portraits. Boys have been learning about proportion and
tone - they begin by drawing a self portrait and will end with an
abstract portrait in Picasso’s Cubist style.
Boys in Year 6 are finishing off their Matisse collages and are
now beginning their new project on Tessellation patterns and
optical illusions. They will be learning about the wonderful
work of M.C. Escher.
All boys across Years 3-6 have worked really hard on their
entries for the House Art competition and Mrs Green has been
so impressed with the quality of work produced. The work will
be judged this week and winners announced at the end of term.
March 13 2015
Calendar and important dates
Contact details
14th March: St Benedict’s Colts A Sevens Tournament 10.00am
Junior Drama Rehearsal 10.00am-1.00pm)
St John’s Association Quiz Evening PM
Updates: please continue to visit
www.st-johns.org.uk for all the latest
information on sports fixtures and results.
The website will have announcements in case of
emergency. You can also
follow us on twitter
@stjsnorthwood.
16th March: Aldenham U12 Hockey Festival (10.00am-3.00pm)
Normandy Information Evening Year 7 (4.15pm)
17th March: Year 2 trip to Synagogue (10.00am-11.45am)
Year 6-8 Science Workshops (all day)
Caldicott Mini rugby Festival U9 A (1.45pm)
Knapp House Meeting Year 8 (4.15pm)
18th March: St John’s Invitation Sevens Tournament 1st VII, Colts A VII
(1.30pm)
19th March: Years 3-5 Science Wizards Workshops (all day)
Local Primary Schools Tag Rugby Festival (2.00pm-4.00pm)
Junior Drama Production ‘Can you see it from here?’ (7.00pm)
20th March: Year 7 to Greenwich Observatory (all day)
Hockey v UCS U11 A, B (h) (2.30pm)
21st March: Caldicott Rugby Tournament Colts A (1.00pm-4.00pm)
22nd March: Chamber Choir Rehearsal at MTS for Joint Concert
Mailings: if you have received The Lamb
from someone else and would like to be
sent your own copy direct each week,
please email: Lamb Editor. Let us know
your contact details and you will be added
to the list.
Photographs: Do please continue to send
in any photographs which could be
included in The Lamb.
Notices and Reminders
Junior Drama production. You are most welcome to come
and support our Junior Drama Club as they put on their
production next Thursday,‘ Can You See it From Here?’ by
Geoff Bamber. The performance starts at 7pm with an interval
where refreshments will be served.
House Music Festival. The lunchtime rounds next week are
as follows:
Tuesday 17th March: Grade 6 all Houses
Friday 20th March: All drummers
Congratulations to everybody who has performed so far - you
have all gained a house point. Well done also to all those who
have been selected to play in the final or during assemblies.
String Group and Wind Band. These are both happening on
Monday - don’t forget your instrument!
Chamber Choir. Please have in your diaries the Sunday
rehearsal on 22nd March at Merchant Taylors’ School
(4.00pm-6.00pm) prior to the concert on 23rd which starts at
7.30pm.
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St John’s Sevens Tournament is on Wednesday. Please come
and support our boys as we host this annual event. 1.30pm start.
Questionnaire. Many thanks to all parents who have
completed the questionnaire. For those who haven’t yet had an
opportunity to do so, we will keep it open until Friday 20th March.
St John’s films. Make sure that you watch Mr Vince’s latest
video which features some of our talented Year 8
mathematicians who achieved an A* or A grade in their recent
transfer exams. Click on the first link below. To view our other
short films you can click on the following links:
Maths Superstars
Au revoir, Miss Gillen
Chicks are for kids!
Year 6 trip to Northumberland
Austria Ski Trip
Wind Band goes West
Year of 2014 at Knapp House
St John’s YouTube channel
Guitar group video
Year 8 Bikeability video
Yr 5 Chinese New Year video
St John’s Sevens video
Good luck to the Colts A team this weekend at St. Benedict’s
and enjoy the St John’s Association quiz if you are attending.
March 13 2015