newsletter junior september2019 - st john's college, cardiff · 2019. 9. 29. · issue 15...

St John’s College Cardiff

Newsletter

Junior School

Issue 15 September 2019

029 2077 8936 www.stjohnscollegecardiff.com @SJCCardiff

Dear Parents, Welcome back to what will be an exciting year. As well as our usual excursions, co-curricular and activity weeks, we have our biennial production, ‘Pantastic’. This is an adaptation of Peter Pan. The pupils have learnt that J M Barrie, donated the copyrights to his book and play, to Great Ormond Street Hospital. This year is the 90th anniversary of his gift and you may be interested to know that commemorative coins are available to mark this anniversary. Our Juniors are starting to learn the songs and auditions will commence soon. Most of the pre-production activities for all pupils, will occur in the Lent term. Please can I offer a big welcome to our new pupils, from R8 to R11, our new R8 cohort and our new teaching assistant, Mrs Jo Hubbarde. It is always reassuring to see how well the new pupils settle so quickly, reflecting our friendly and approachable Junior community. I look forward to seeing you all at our ‘Meet the Teachers’ where you will meet your child’s new Form Tutor and can be reassured that your child has settled well into School life. Mrs R Thompson Head of Junior School _______________________________________________________________________________________

R11 Trip to Techniquest

The R11s spent the morning solving puzzles to ‘Escape from the Tower of Doom’. They used mathematical skills learnt in the classroom to solve the many clues in the show.

After lunch, they were able to explore the many interactive exhibits Techniquest offers.

Staff were impressed with their recall of mathematical facts and mental calculations.

Well done R11! Mrs Taylor


Newsletter

Junior School



Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm Trip R8 and R9 The day dawned bright and clear, and a frisson of excitement coursed through the form rooms. Trip day! Children poured off the coach and first of all tackled the outdoor playground, climbing and swinging like monkeys. Then it was a short trek to the Giraffe House ready for the first of our informative talks. Genevieve and Kito were the cow and bull giraffes housed at the zoo, and the keeper explained how you could tell the difference between them; the females have hairy horns! Big cats and elephants came next, and another fascinating,fact-filled talk from the elephant keeper. Noah’s Ark Zoo has decided to house only male elephants who in the wild are naturally evicted from their herd, which is a matriarchal society. They will then be rehoused throughout Europe when a zoo has a female who is ready to breed. A restful lunch sat on the lawn, followed by a gentle amble through more of the animals. The visit culminated in a visit to the Gift Shop and then the children tackled the indoor play barn. The more intrepid launched themselves off the “Death Slide”, whereas Miss T joined in on the more sedate Rainbow Slide. A final farewell to the monkeys, and then it was time to return home; hot, tired, but having had a fantastic day, and having learnt a great deal about how zoos help care for the animals entrusted to them. Miss Teideman


Newsletter

Junior School



R10 Trip to ‘Go Ape’ Children from R10 enjoyed a fantastic end of year trip to Go Ape in the Forest of Dean on the 11th July. All of the children (and teachers!) showed their adventurous sides as they challenged themselves to complete the two high ropes courses, tackling the many unsteady and challenging obstacles. It was such a delight to see how the children encouraged each other along as they made their way through the treetops on the lovely sunny day! A highlight of the day was seeing their smiling faces as they each zoomed down the zip-wire to finish the course. A fabulous ending to another wonderful school year! Miss Taylor R11 Trip to the International Centre for Birds of Prey R11 enjoyed a wonderful end of year trip to the Bird of Prey Centre in Newent. The day started with an introduction to the different types of birds housed at the centre ranging from owls, eagles, falcons to hawks and more. Our R11 pupils were polite and respectful asking thoughtful questions. They gained so much from the experience during the informative question and answer sessions. Later in the day we looked up in awe as we watched the birds soar through the sky and respond to the calls of their personal handlers. It is quite impressive how each species behaves so differently. A picnic lunch was enjoyed by all, although a few cheeky dogs tried to join in! After lunch there was a bit of free time to play and the teachers treated the pupils with an ice-cream or lolly for all their hard work throughout the year. The day ended with the obligatory visit to the gift shop, where the pupils enjoyed spending their money. I think I can safely say that a fun day was had by all, as many pupils had never experienced anything like this before. Mrs Criddle


Newsletter

Junior School



Induction Days On Thursday morning we welcomed back our Junior pupils. It was lovely to see such excited and cheerful children. The morning was spent with our new form classes; sorting and preparing for the term and year ahead. The pupils were very impressed with the new homework diaries! We then had a whole school assembly, where pupils were welcomed to the new academic year and listened about the life of St Oscar Romero.

In the afternoon we split into our school houses, ready to rally the teams for a competitive year of house competitions. We then enjoyed some September sun whilst playing team building activities on the lawn.

On Friday, the PE department organised a fun-filled morning of football and netball games. All of the pupils showed such enthusiasm and team spirit. In the afternoon, we joined together for an assembly with a theme of how we can make a recipe for success, with lots of ideas shared. Finally, the children went back to forms where they carried out creative activities based on Peter Pan in readiness for our production in the Spring.

A busy and enjoyable first two days back!

Mrs Taylor

Canoeing A big well done to our R11s who came 1st in the Cardiff Games Canoeing competition. A special well done to Leila J and Reece M who won individual races.


Newsletter

Junior School



Our pupils are excited to share with you their recent achievements: Musical achievements Meriam A achieved her Prep Test in Piano; Anya I achieved a medal for her singing exam; Ava J moved up a level in Drums; Mary M achieved level 2 recorder; Maya H achieved her Grade 1 Violin; Nia S achieved her Grade 2 Violin; Joanne S achieved her Grade 1 Violin; Robert S achieved his Grade 3 Piano; Gabriella G achieved her Graded 4 Piano; Sporting achievements Dylan A won 3 medals in swimming; Georgina E gained her 100m badge in swimming; Henry E gained a medal for goal keeping; Kiaan G gained a medal for swmming; Myah H moved up a stage in swimming; Anya I moved up a stage in swimming; Mary M moved up a level in swimming and won a tennis match; Millie P was awarded a swimming badge; Huw S came 2nd in a skiing competition; Brandon D has completed all of the wave swimming levels and is now in a pre-competition group; Kyran H was awarded Man of the Match in football; Maya H swam 600m; Natasha K came first place in a gymnastics competition; Sophie M came first place in a gymnastics competition; Prajna M completed a Triathalon; Cameron N swam two miles and came first in a go-karting competition; Ben H got into the Rangers football team; Ada has made good progress in horse-riding; Manu D moved from orange to green in tennis; Giulio moved up a level in football; Calum L was Captain in his first rugby match for Rhiwbina; Charlotte S came second in her fleet in race week and was runner up in the Mumbles CYRC; Johnny has achieved Grade 5 swimming; Noah V has completed sailing courses; Aditya A was awarded a trophy for getting 5 wickets in cricket; Matilda D swam 1000m; Rohan G was player of the match in football; Benjamin J has joined a new football team; Darcey J moved up a level in swimming; Annabella D was awarded a certificate for archery; Gala S represents Cardiff and the Vale in U11s Football; Noah D achieved his Karate licence; Joe M was Coaches Player of the season in Ice Hockey. Other achievements Meriam passed her latest LAMDA grade; Malak A completed the summer reading challenge; James A completed the summer reading challenge; Charles S completed the summer reading challenge and got 96% on a Maths test in a summer club; Shuchen X completed the summer reading challenge; Ethan Z completed the summer reading challenge; William H started a Rookie lifeguarding course; Benjamin J came first in a chess Mega final; Ayush S came first in a chess Mega final; Alexandra D has achieved Grade 3 Ballet; Robert S is in the top 10 challengers chess competition; Namita C achieved her Grade 3 Dance; Rhys M achieved level 3 in Climbing.

newsletter junior september2019 - st john's college, cardiff · 2019. 9. 29. · issue 15...

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