ISTA (International School Theater Association) is a four-day long trip to schools all over the world where you can have fun with old and new friends while enjoying drama. Each individual festival has a theme and ours was bridges. We learnt and thought about how they connect friendships, relationships and build trust. During the festival there are lots of fun adventures to take on, such as the workshops, acting with ensemble groups, presenting and much, much more. Although there were many really fun activities, we enjoyed the out and about the most. Sticking with our theme, we went out into old … Continue reading Student account of Grade 5/6 theater festival trip to Dresden

As part of the recycling projects the students are involved in throughout the school year, 7th grade students picked up trash on the school campus to offer a service to the community. They realized that dropping trash causes an overload of work for the maintenance team every day, in order to keep the school campus nice and tidy. In the end, they concluded that the easiest way to keep our environment clean is to throw trash where it belongs: in the bins. By the 7th grade team Continue reading Grade 7 cleans up the campus

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will address young people at an event in Brussels today on the role of youth in the post-2015 agenda. Sixteen St. John’s International School Grade 9 Social Studies students will have the privilege to attend the event. The event, organised by the European Commission and the United Nations, is called: “Our World, our Dignity, our Future. The post-2015 agenda and the role of youth” and will be hosted at the Palais des Beaux-Arts (BOZAR) from 16:00 to 18:00. It will be livestreamed to audiences across the world (http://un4.me/YouthNow). Mr Ban’s visit is set within the European … Continue reading St. John’s students attend U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon address

Can you imagine Beyoncé listening to the life history of Manjiro (the first Japanese person to go to America) … or Vladimir Putin and JRR Tolkien coming face to face with with Einstein? NO?  Well, this is exactly what happened during our breakfast reception in the Middle/High School Library! Having been introduced to the wide variety of biographies available in the MHS library, Grade 6 students checked out their chosen book to read during the Easter break.  In an attempt to “get under the skin” of their chosen famous person, students were invited to take on their chosen persona during … Continue reading Biography Breakfast: Big Hit with Grade 6 students

Last week Grade 1 had a great adventure as we stepped back in time.  As part of our Unit “Where We Are In Place and Time”, the children and teachers came dressed up to experience a day in a classroom 100 years ago.  The boys sat on one side, girls on the other.  They used slates and chalk to write with.  We all did the same activity at the very same time and there was very little talking allowed in the classroom that day! They wore clothes similar to that of 100 years ago and played games like hopscotch, knuckle … Continue reading Grade 1 steps a hundred years back in time

Our Pre-Kindergarten students visited the Art Studio to admire the artwork by the Elementary students. They very much enjoyed the artwork. Here are some comments from the children after the visit: – We saw all different things they had created – They used paper/card and markers – The children used the colours they wanted – We saw lots of wings with eyes – Amazing circus with animals – Pictures with splashes in the swimming pool – There were beautiful things to see. By Mrs. Gahan, Pre-Kindergarten teacher Continue reading Pre-Kindergarten students appreciate artwork of older students

The St. John’s ninth grade social studies students took a trip to the science museum in Frameries. The museum was based around the history of coal mining in Belgium. Some groups saw “H2O – The Movie”, which presented an extraordinary juxtaposition between images of water on earth and of those who today are completely deprived of this essential source of life. Tremendous amounts of water used, each day, for agricultural uses collide with the needs of millions of people suffering from diseases relating to water. The figures shown really make you reflect on how much responsibility we have regarding the water resources … Continue reading Grade 9 students explore history of coal mining in Belgium

As part of her PYP project action, Grade 5 student Victoria shares her fashion tips: Graduation: Women: Dress & of course high heels Men: Suit which includes a well-tailored jacket and elegant leather shoes What SHOULD be in your beach bag: Suncream, so you don’t burn Towel so you can lay on the sand Sunglasses in case there is too much sun and if you don’t have sunglasses you can always carry a hat because it is going t have pretty much the same effect A little bag for some money or your telephone And last but certainly not least … Continue reading Summer time tips from a 5th grade student

Today was yet another example of the engaged parent community at St. John’s. Parents brought in cooked and baked dishes for a lunch buffet for all teachers, to show their appreciation to the teachers who take such excellent care of their children. Thank you to the three parents groups, Parent Teacher Program (PTP), Art Support Program (ASP) and the Booster Program, and to all the parents who brought in delicious dishes for the staff to enjoy!               Continue reading St. John’s parents treat teachers to delicious lunch

The St. John’s National Honors Society (NHS) students were touched by the stories of devastation surrounding the recent earthquake in Nepal, and they decided that they wanted to do something to make a difference. Tara, the new president of the NHS, volunteered the services of her mother who comes from India and is an amazing cook, and they decided to sell Indian food during lunchtime in order to raise money to support the earthquake relief efforts. Everyone wanted to help, but the real question was how they could make sure that their efforts and financial support would really make a … Continue reading St. John’s NHS students raise funds for Nepal with lunch initiative

Students in Grade Five at St. John’s carry out an extended, collaborative inquiry process, known as the Exhibition, under the guidance of their teachers and mentors. The Exhibition is the culmination of the Primary Years Program (PYP). Students are involved in synthesizing the essential elements of the PYP and sharing them with the whole school community. It is an opportunity for students to exhibit the attributes of the IB Learner Profile that have been developing throughout their engagement with the program. Students are given flexibility in their choice of real-life issues or problems to be explored and investigated in the Exhibition. The central … Continue reading Grade 5 students celebrate completion of their PYP projects on exhibition day!

The St. John’s Golf Tournament on Sunday, May 3 at Golf d’Hulencourt was a resounding success. A total of 96 golfers participated in the event, including players from the St. John’s golf team. The team is coaches by Jérôme Theunis, has 4 players with a single handicap and is among the favorites for the season ending ISST golf tournament in Vienna in late May. Photos of the event are available on the website at http://www.stjohns.be/about/multimedia/photos/st-johns-golf-tournament We would like to thank the Golf Club d’Hulencourt for their hospitality and their ongoing support St. John’s and its golf team! Continue reading St. John’s Golf Tournament draws 96 players to Golf d’Hulencourt