Our Elementary school Peacemaking Program is a successful kid-to-kid program teaching children conflicts resolution skills. Our program promotes non-violent communication, problem solving thinking and stresses that students can be responsible companions to each other. Our peacemakers are trained in conflict resolutions: they listen actively, they do not take sides, they do not solve other students’ problems but they help other students solve their problems fairly. Training stresses the importance of respecting one another and what children can do when faced with a difficult situation. From kindergarten to second grade, students are trained to use the “I” messages, an essential part … Continue reading Peacemaker program teaches conflict resolution skills

Last week, during French class, the 7th grade beginners French students went to a restaurant in Waterloo.  They had the opportunity to put into practice the vocabulary studied in class:  food, drinks, how to order, how to ask for the bill. At the restaurant, we discussed the table etiquette in Belgium and other countries.  We also discovered some new vocabulary about typical Belgian dishes. Here is what Isha and Ellinora think: “My experience was fantastic, the food was delicious and the waitress was nice.  I learned many things like to order,  table etiquette in Belgium as well as drinks.  Overall, … Continue reading Middle School French students enjoy restaurant experience

The Middle School math department’s 5 main learning outcomes are to: Communicate using correct mathematical language. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of grade level concepts. Model problems using mathematics and apply problem-solving skills to find elegant solutions. Reason using mathematical thinking rather than memorizing procedures. Collaborate effectively and confidently. The 7th grade have finished their unit on basic geometry and were given a formal summative assessment.  This question was one of the final questions on the test and required higher level thinking skills as they had to analyse the question and decide on the best strategy to solve it.  To achieve … Continue reading Applying problem-solving skills to find elegant math solutions

Last week, the South African community in Brussels hosted by the South African Embassy gave thanks for the life of Nelson Mandela. The magnificent Cathedral of Saint Michiel and Saint Goedele in Brussels, which has been the venue for christenings, marriages and funeral ceremonies of Belgian royalty, was a fitting venue for the South African community, friends, supporters and admirers of Nelson Mandela to meet together to reflect on and celebrate the life of this great man. In a sober ceremony led by Bishop Jean Kockerols and Canon Robert Innes, special guests were called upon to speak about Nelson Mandela. … Continue reading Remembering Nelson Mandela in Brussels

Last Thursday, 7 students of 7th and 8th grade went to visit  the Banque Alimentaire Bruxelles-Brabant in Anderlecht. They were met by Irene, a volunteer working in the bank. They were given a tour of the warehouse. She explained to them how the food bank worked, how it was supported,  who the donors were and which associations benefited from the bank. The students were very interested and had a lot of questions to ask. It is an important service project for our Middle School. Our students will understand what food insecurity is and how it can be helped. There has been … Continue reading Middle School students visit food bank

A few weeks ago, several St. John’s Elementary School parents joined me, Tebra Page (PYP/ICT Coordinator), during our monthly Parent Information Meeting (PIM) to draft a Parent Attributes Learner Profile to support our children in their IB PYP Learner Profile development. We reviewed the IB PYP Learner Profile as well as our student-friendly version. As you know, there are 10 Learner Profiles – Inquirers, Knowledgeable, Thinkers, Communicators, Principled, Open-Minded, Caring, Risk-taker, Balanced, Reflective.  A person demonstrating these attributes shows understanding of what it means to be internationally minded. So we asked ourselves; as parents – how can we support our … Continue reading Parents and staff draft learner profile for parents

The Middle and High School Library closed early on Monday, but it was far from empty. Librarians Veronica (High School) and Margaret (Middle School) hosted a thank you party for this year’s library volunteers. Complete with smoked salmon, plenty of cookies, and mulled wine, the volunteers felt very appreciated and enjoyed visiting with one another. During a regular school week many of the volunteers do not see each other, coming in only once or twice. These volunteers, made up of loving St. John’s mothers, keep the library running smoothly. They come in to help circulate books, prepare and process new … Continue reading Thank you to our wonderful library volunteers

Food is so much more than mere sustenance!  In class, it was companionship, celebration, community and a chance to share expertise. The fourth graders of Mr. Savva’s class were the junior chefs with Mrs. Rose’s Food & Textiles Technology class doing the instruction on how to make Pumpkin Soup.  Measuring, weighing, and following written procedures were some of the younger children’s learning goals. For the 6th graders, they were learning how to lead, instruct, explain, manage their time and monitor safety of their young charges.  The older children found it hard not to take over and do it for them, … Continue reading Sixth graders teach cooking class to grade 4 students

Our fifth grade students were asked to write a story from a boy’s perspective on how his life changed in the space of a few minutes. Clare used a photograph of a young boy standing in the middle of rubble after the typhoon swept the Phillipines. “Loneliness, anger, sadness, unfairness, and so many other feelings I can’t express fill my heart to the brim. It’s almost as if I don’t have any room for the good feelings that I wish I could feel again. Houses gone, family gone, friends gone, everything demolished. That dreadful typhoon passed through my home country … Continue reading Fifth grader writes touching story about Phillipines typhoon

Middle School welcomed a guest speaker during their assembly last week: Irene Rademaker, a Belgian volunteer in the “Banque Alimentaire Bruxelle-Brabant”, a food bank to help those who don’t have enough money to buy food. She talked about the number of needy families in the Waterloo area and how we could help them for Christmas. This will be our challenge: fill  boxes with non perishable food, biscuits and chocolate for the festive season, wrap them nicely, write a small greeting card and bring some joy into other homes! By Marie-Pierre Gayou, Middle School French teacher Continue reading Middle School students help local needy families

Saint Nicolas’ feast is one of the most important celebrations in Belgium and we would like you to participate in this event. Saint Nicolas visits every child who lives in Belgium during the night of the 5th to the 6th of December.  He leaves chocolate, speculoos, or toys to be found by the children on the morning of the 6th of December. The night before, children usually leave a glass of milk for the Saint and a carrot for his donkey. Here is an internet site you can go to that explains about St Nicolas’s history and gives you ideas for … Continue reading Saint Nicolas is coming to St. John’s

Mr. Ryan aims to develop our 7th grade English as an Additional Language (EAL) students into fluent readers of English. This week, students learned how to prepare for a read aloud.  First, students silently read their own book to practice individual reading comprehension.  Then, they put a post-it note every few pages and wrote a question on it that they could ask their audience during the read aloud.  Then, each student read their book aloud, which is an important task for teachers to assess reading fluency. By Sara Rich, Middle School curriculum coordinator Continue reading Developing EAL students into fluent readers of English

This semester’s High School theater production of the musical “Rent” was a total success. Thanks to the intimate performance space, the Black Box, student’s voices could be heard perfectly. Having the audience closer to the stage allowed student performers to move the audience in a way that would not be possible in the main theater. By midway through Act II, not a single eye was left dry. Rent contains some very adult themes, such as the struggles of living with HIV/AIDS. The cast was incredible in their maturity and handle on those dark themes which they may never have to … Continue reading High School performance of Rent a roaring success