Month: December 2012
Alumni enjoy return to St. John’s for the annual Christmas reunion
This afternoon, we welcomed more than 40 former students back to campus for the annual Christmas alumni reunion. The students dated as far back as the class of 1988 and as recent as the class of 2012. Teachers enjoyed speaking to their former students and hearing what they have become after leaving St. John’s. As much as the students enjoy their time at college or university, they always remember their days at St. John’s with fondness and realize what a special time they had at school and what strong friendships were developed here, lasting a lifetime in many cases. Continue reading Alumni enjoy return to St. John’s for the annual Christmas reunion
Thank you to the bus drivers for keeping our students safe
This morning, we held our traditional Christmas breakfast for the bus drivers. Every year around Christmas, we invite them to a breakfast to thank each of them for their dedication to the school and for keeping our students safe on the bus throughout the year. Our bus drivers face difficult weather conditions and traffic situations throughout the year, but have an excellent safety record. They are not only responsible for the daily bus service to and from school, but also for the many trips throughout the year for sports teams, various trips in Belgium and also for the Middle School … Continue reading Thank you to the bus drivers for keeping our students safe
Fond farewell for Mrs. Gillman as she retires
Students from grades 3, 4 and 5 found a great way to bid a fond farewell to Mrs. Gillman who retires at the end of the week. They surprised her this morning by forming a message on the courtyard. Mrs. Gillman was led to the top floor of the building from where she had a beautiful view of the touching tribute. The students and teachers did a great job keeping this a secret! We wish Mrs. Gillman a wonderful retirement and thank her for the many years of teaching and care for our students. Continue reading Fond farewell for Mrs. Gillman as she retires
Our Happy Christmas Hotchpotch
Now that we prepare for Christmas, we see how much color our moves around the world have added to our lives. Our children love opening the drawers of the wooden advent calendars that we have found on a Swiss Christmas market. Though we still struggle with the pronunciation the Christmas songs in Swiss German have remained part of our repertoire. Since we have lived in the States, red and green stockings hang on our chimney. Santa Claus still comes on Christmas morning and of course, we leave cookies and milk for him. Now that we have moved to Belgium, Saint Nicolas … Continue reading Our Happy Christmas Hotchpotch
Grade 3 learns about electricity from Middle and High School science teachers
Grade 3 had an exciting experience this week for their unit on electricity: they went to both the Middle and High School science labs to learn more about electricity. Mrs. Adams and Dr. Carlin showed the students many intriguing experiments related to electricity. The experiments related mostly to static electricity and how forces attract and repel. It also show how magnets can create movement without actually touching. A big thank you to Mrs. Adams and Dr. Carlin for taking the time to give these third graders a great introduction into the magical world of science! Continue reading Grade 3 learns about electricity from Middle and High School science teachers
St. John’s students make an impact in Japan
When the tsunami hit Japan two years ago, teachers and students at St. John’s tried to find ways to comfort the people of Japan and give them encouragement for the future. One way 7th grade did this was by making beautiful drawings which they sent to the Japanese School in Brussels who would forward them to Japan. Today, we received a surprise visit from a retired Belgian couple, Mr. and Mrs. Charlier from Rixensart. They shared with us that our students’ drawings really did make an impact in Japan. The couple has friends in Japan who noticed drawings made by … Continue reading St. John’s students make an impact in Japan
Working together to create Primavera
During these cold dark days before Christmas, my grade 6 art class is working on their rendition of the Primavera by Botticelli. Even though we enjoy Winter, we love the thought of Spring! To inspire us and to explore the magnificent details, we watched the Khan Academy lesson on Botticelli’s classic painting. The Khan Academy explanations and zooming–in-to-the-details certainly enriches our learning. http://bit.ly/TUhRWn Learning from the great masters is still a powerful strategy in art education. Each of the students has two wooden blocks to draw and paint their section of the masterpiece. Mixing the right colours and making sure the … Continue reading Working together to create Primavera
Santa’s workshop brings holiday fun and cheer for ES students
Our very own elementary school “elves” are creating a myriad of crafty gifts to give each member of their family for Christmas. Each ES class visits Santa’s Workshop for an hour of gift making fun, including painting, beading, and embellishing. Parent “elves” assist the classes during their visit and provide Christmas cookies and hot chocolate for the little elves to enjoy following their gift making efforts. Continue reading Santa’s workshop brings holiday fun and cheer for ES students
St. John’s students and parents enjoy traditional Santa Lucia celebration
Today we enjoyed the Santa Lucia performance by the Scandinavian students at St. John’s. This traditional event is celebrated every year on December 13 in Sweden, Norway and in Finland as a Festival of Light. This holiday tradition is tied to the beautiful white clad figure of Lucia, the “bearer of light,” who illuminates the darkness of winter on the morning of December 13th. St. John’s students between the ages of 3 and 18, wearing white gowns, carried candles during the procession and the singing of carols while the girl playing Lucia, with a red sash and a crown of candles on her … Continue reading St. John’s students and parents enjoy traditional Santa Lucia celebration
Today is Human Rights Day!
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was adopted on 10 December 1948. The date has since served to mark Human Rights Day worldwide. The Declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948, consists of a preamble and 30 articles, setting out a broad range of fundamental human rights and freedoms to which all men and women, everywhere in the world, are entitled, without any distinction. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said today “Every citizen shall have the right and the opportunity to take part in the conduct of public affairs, directly or through freely chosen representatives. … Continue reading Today is Human Rights Day!
Things you might not know about Belgium
Belgium is somewhat of an unknown entity. Since there is so much more to Belgium than beer and chocolate, here are some facts about Belgium that you might not know: In 1066, Huy, Belgium became the first European city to receive a charter of rights, making it the oldest free city on the continent. Brussels sprouts really do come from Belgium and have grown in the Brussels area for over 400 years. Although the exact number is disputed, Belgium makes over 800 different beers. Belgians drink an average of 150 liters of beer per year per person. Belgium produces 220,000 … Continue reading Things you might not know about Belgium
Give the gift of giving
Finding the perfect gift for our loved ones and donating to charity are important parts of our holiday traditions. Psychologists find that, rather than being just a costly tradition, giving to others actually makes us happy. “People who donate their money to charities or splurge on gifts for others are more content than those who squander all the dough on themselves,” says social psychologist Elizabeth Dunn of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. As parents, we could not agree more. My husband and I love to see our children’s happy little faces when they unwrap their Christmas gifts … Continue reading Give the gift of giving
St. John’s ladies enjoy VIP status at Maasmechelen Village Outlet
The St. John’s Welcome committee hosted an exciting shopping trip to Maasmechelen last Friday. Maasmechelen is an outlet village in northern Belgium hosting a wide variety of shops and over 90 brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Michael Kors, Nike, Versace, Ugg and Dolce and Gabbana. Our group had VIP status and was treated like royalty. The Village sent a luxury coach that drove us to and from the mall! The morning started in the VIP room with champagne breakfast, where each shopper received a goodie-bag that contained a small gift, coupons and a special discount bracelet. We power-shopped, finding wonderful … Continue reading St. John’s ladies enjoy VIP status at Maasmechelen Village Outlet
6th grade art class visits local artist
Last Friday, my grade 6 art students and I visited Belgian artist and sculptor Yves Bosquet at his home just a few steps away from our St. John’s Art Studios. Yves first welcomed us at his front door, then to our delight, he took us on a tour right through his house filled with amazing paintings, carvings, sculptures and all sorts of fascinating artefacts. At the back of the house accessible from the garden, is his studio and workshop: a magical wonderland inhabited by his wooden sculptures, standing proud and dignified. Yves showed us his tools and techniques, he shared … Continue reading 6th grade art class visits local artist
Student teacher enjoys High School experience at St. John’s
Student teacher Ilse spent last week in the High School, working in the religion department. She has a teaching degree and significant experience already, but with Dr. Tengan at a conference in Africa, Ilse had a chance to get additional teaching experience as part of her Master’s Degree in Religion from the Catholic University in Leuven. Ilse worked closely with Dr. Castillo-Coronado and very much enjoyed her week at St. John’s: “it is a very welcoming school, people are very open and positive and the students seem quite responsible”. She would like to pursue a career in international schools. The mother … Continue reading Student teacher enjoys High School experience at St. John’s
The Tom O’Donnell indoor soccer tournament will be on March 16
The first Tom O’Donnell indoor football tournament took place at St. in 1998 in memory of Tom O’Donnell, a student from our school who lost his battle with cancer. While Tom was ill, it was brought to the attention of his family and friends that there were no hospital wards adapted to teenagers – the wards were either for adults or children. After his death, the Tom O’Donnell football tournament began to raise money for the ‘Teenage Cancer Trust’ in the U.K. (www.teencancer.org) and the Belgian charity ‘Jour Après Jour’ which aims to save and improve the lives of children with cancer (www.jourapresjour.be). The … Continue reading The Tom O’Donnell indoor soccer tournament will be on March 16
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