Many parents and teachers consider the years of Secondary education to be the most stressful for pupils, and the most critical for their future development. GCSE performance is more than a reflection of a pupil's innate ability and GCSE examinations, including their coursework components, require a steady and supportive framework of classwork, homework and ongoing motivation throughout the 5 years of Secondary schooling. These disciplines and routines need to be established at the age of 11 or 12 in order to allow the student to maximise his or her potential at 16.
At St John's College, a nightly programme of homework is set, and this forms an essential part of each subject's study. Pupils are introduced at an early stage to the concept of refining their work to prepare themselves for the demands of GCSE. Most important for pupil development, however, is the sense of a secure and supportive school environment, where effort and achievement are recognised and applauded.
By the age of fourteen, each pupil will have arrived at an individually chosen programme of study, leading to a balanced set of GCSE qualifications, in as many subjects as will encourage the best quality of achievement of each individual, aiming at grades A*, A, B & C. Particular support is provided for pupils for whom the target of five GCSEs or more represents a particularly stressful goal.
New French Cinema Club (R14-R16 Tuesdays at 12.55pm. Tuesdays 12.55-1.25pm Madame Lhermitte's Room
Starting Tuesday 31 January for all French Speakers
Cinema première: Bienvenue chez les ch'tis ... tres rigolo!
Senior Debating Society: ‘Smoking should be banned’ - Thurs 2 February 2012. It was excellent to see even more new faces at debating this week. In preparation for the English Speaking Union (ESU) Public Speaking Competition on Tuesday 7 February, this week's debating followed a slightly different format this week. Abhinaba Guha (R15) chaired the discussion while Aashika Luintel (R15) was the Questioner. Our Speaker, Karthik Kumar (R16), should be particularly commended for his impressive delivery of a convincing speech. We wish Abhinaba, Aashika and Karthik the very best of luck in Tuesday's heat at Ysgol Glantaf.
The next debate is on Thurs 9 February, led by an all-R13 team of speakers - Iolo Williams, Michael Lingham, Matthew Chung and William Langley: ‘Torturing terrorists is justified when thousands of lives are at stake’.
Mr J. Neville.
R13 English Trip to see Warhorse - Wed 18 January 2012.
On Wednesday 18th January R13 enjoyed an English trip to the cinema to see the newly released film 'Warhorse', based on the book by Michael Morpurgo and also adapted into an extraordinary stage play. This was part of an ongoing Key Stage Three initiative to promote wider reading and a love of literature, encouraging pupils to read widely, and not just focus on their class texts. The film was hugely enjoyed by all and also provided useful background information on the battlefields of World War One. The trip was very successful and, in particular, pupils were also praised for their polite and courteous behaviour by cinema staff! Well done R13!
R14 Art Group Trip to National Museum of Wales - Wed 18 January 2012.
On Wednesday the art group visited the National Museum for a morning of drawing insects in the
Clore Gallery. Pupils looked at insects under microscopes and developed fantastic A3 sheets in a variety of media. After a delicious lunch, pupils excitedly visited the dinosaurs before undertaking a tour of the galleries to study landscape paintings. Pupils focused on the mark making and anguished brush strokes in Van Gogh's Rain Auvers before viewing Millet's Gust of Wind and discussing the drama of the painting as the wind blows the tree from the ground. The group's final task was to choose their favourite landscape image and develop a sketch and notes in preparation for the next term's tasks and exam. The group should be commended on their behaviour and the work that they produced. Well done everyone!
Mrs Crowley-Davies.
Senior Debating Society
Motions - Lent Term 2012:
‘This House would lower the legal driving age in the UK’
‘Advertisements do more harm than good’
‘Governments should always be collectively responsible for the actions of their members’
‘Smoking should be banned’
‘Written examinations are the least effective form of assessment’
‘Torturing terrorists is justified when thousands of lives are at stake’
On Tues 7 February, three Senior debaters (Aashika Luintel, Abhinaba Guha and Karthik Kumar) will compete in the English Speaking Union Public Speaking Competition.
‘This House would lower the legal driving age in the UK’ - Thurs 12 January 2011. Senior Debating started the year with a spirited debate about changing the legal driving age in the UK. R15 students, Aashika Luintel and Natasha Sturrock, led the Proposition convincingly, making pertinent comparisons with driving ages in other countries and alluding to the benefits of independence for young people. They were opposed by Jack Israel and Ali Jaffar (also of R15), who mounted a defence of the existing age limit, citing examples of irresponsible teenage drivers and the pollution created by additional cars on the road. Congratulations to the speakers and to the many pupils who made astute points of information once the debate was opened to the audience. The next debate on advertising will take place on Thursday 26 January.
Mr J. Neville.
All round success for Chess Champion, Nudhara Y (R12) - Autumn 2011.
Nudhara has had an action packed few months, first travelling to Bulgaria for the European Youth Chess Championships in September and then winning several matches as the Welsh representative in Brazil in the World Youth Chess Championships in November. Nudhara is rated 1st in the Alec Baldwin Memorial Award for the highest progress in Grade awarded by East Glamorgan Chess Union and is over 120 points ahead of her closest rival. Nudhara has also gained a trophy for leading our very own senior school team - the Positrons - to being crowned league champions in 2010. Many congratulations, Nudhara!
R16 Team Win University of Glamorgan U17 Mathematics Pop Quiz - Thurs 24 November 2011.
Two teams from St John’s College, supported by Mr L Stewart and Mrs M Minton, joined 46 other teams of talented young mathematicians in this annual event at the University in Pontypridd. One team - Anna Jones, Richard Griffith, Matthew Edwards, Max Price and David Birley came a creditable 4th (just one point lower than third place) whilst the other team – Jonathan Tong, Morgan Foley, Joseph Evans, George Thomas and Karthik Kumar – won and were presented with the Gold Cup. This team is no stranger to success. Three years ago they won the Regional final of the UKMT Team Challenge, even though they were the youngest team at the competition. Well done, everyone!
Mrs Regan.
R13 (Year 8) Quiz Team Wins Crime Prevention 2011 Quiz organised by South Wales Police - Fri 18 November 2011.
Five pupils from R13, Georgi H, Charlie W, Keisha M, Tanya C and Isha M took part in the local round of the All Wales School Liaison Core Programme National Quiz 2011/2012 held at the Star Leisure Centre in Splott, Cardiff. The pupils were selected for the team based on their contributions in their Citizenship lesson on Thursday afternoons.
The quiz questions were based on topics such as drug and alcohol misuse, social behaviour and community and health. Each pupil had to study public information booklets in preparation for the quiz.
St John's College were up against 5 other schools in Cardiff including Fitzalan and Radyr Comprehensive. Our pupils emerged victorious by a margin of just 3 points from our closest challengers, Radyr, having led right the way through the six rounds.
Today's victory means the pupils have qualified for the Regional round due to held at Police Headquarters in Bridgend on Monday 5th December. If we win that round, we qualify for the National final which will be in Cardiff on 9th and 10th February 2012.
I would like to congratulate the pupils on this superb achievement and they did themselves and the school very proud with their conduct and behaviour.
Mr Taylor.
R12 - R16 Success in Four Nations Maths Challenge - Thurs 17 - Fri 18 November 2011. Pupils from R12 to R16 took part in The Four Nations Maths Challenge on the 17th and 18th November. This was an online Maths competition between pupils / schools in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. Points were given for every correct answer to a variety of Maths questions. Pupils used this competition as part of their revision for the forthcoming exams. Joel Neelankavil (R12T) had the top score in the school – an amazing 14, 311 points. Well done, Joel!
Senior Trip to Remembrance Gardens at Cardiff Castle -Wed 9 November 2011. Senior pupils represented St John's College at a very moving Remembrance Service at Cardiff Castle on Wednesday and were interviewed by Real Radio. Here is a selection of pupils' reflections on their visit to the gardens.
Michael Lingham (R13) gives his account of the ceremony:
I thought the Remembrance Service was very dignified. Lots of war heroes were present, and there were so many crosses, with pictures of people who had died in the service of our country, on them.
I think it is important for the younger generation to learn about people who died for our freedom. We bowed our heads in respect for those who had died.
Olivia Davies (R13) writes:
The service was very moving. What really stood out was an elderly lady who began telling me about her brother. She told me that he had died aged 17 during battle, when she was just 5 years old. However, instead of being depressed, she was happy. This is because she thinks of this day as a celebration, and that he died protecting his country, the work that he loved, so she was happy.
Joe Payne (R14) has written about the First World War. His work is entitled 'Blood No Glory'.
The day began and the silence was deafening, A chilly, light breeze blew through the fields. Their side was ready and so was ours, Battle lines were drawn. Eagerness was in the air amongst the young pretenders. But I knew that in a few hours the fields would be red. Red with blood not glory.
New Urdd Club meets every Wednesday at 12.55pm. All R12-R16 pupils are warmly encouraged to come along. Please see Mrs Emms for more details.
R15 Biology Trip to National Botanical Gardens of Wales, Carmarthen - Wed 2 November 2011.
R15 had a busy educational visit to the National Botanical Gardens of Wales in Carmarthen which gave them practical experience of ‘How Science Works’. They made many observations of natural pollution indicators, performed scientific measurements and collected much data for future scientific analysis.
This whole experience will enhance the Controlled Assessment (CA) aspect of their Science GCSE’s. This will in turn greatly assist them during the new ‘Quality of Written Communication’ (QWC) sector of their examination papers.
An enjoyable trip was had by all. We even managed to escape the rain and boarded the bus just before the storm arrived.
Mrs Thomas.
Senior Debate on Animal Testing - Thurs 3 November 2011. Motion: 'This House Would Ban Experiments on Animals For Human Benefit'
Another exciting debate this week saw some accomplished debating from Proposition Speakers Eleanor Spencer-Evans (R14) and Ashley Randall (R15) vs. Opposition Speakers Ali Jaffar (R15) and Ben Rawi (R12). Congratulations to the Opposition who gained a convincing victory. Particular mention should be made of Ben Rawi's outstanding performance, especially as the youngest of the four speakers.
Senior Debate on Nuclear Power - Thurs 13 October 2011. This Week's Motion: 'This House Believes There Is No Future In Nuclear Power'. This week's Senior Debating Society saw many new faces for a debate on Nuclear Power. Following some excellent speeches from the Proposition Aashika Luintel (R15) and Aimee Howell (R15) and the Opposition Shaun Malloy (R15) and Michael Lingham (R13), the result was 18 For, 9 Against and 2 Abstentions.
Mr J. Neville.
R13 Enterprise Activity - Fri 14 October 2011.
Doug Corp came in to deliver the enterprise activity with R13 on Friday, 14 October. Congratulations to Ahmed, Charlie, Keisha, Olis and Andrea for coming 1st in the blue groups and also James, Olivia, Isha, Ahmed and Charlie from the yellow groups.
Daisy Thompson (R13W): 'I thought that the enterprise activity was very educational and enjoyable. It also really helped us work on our key skills'.
Jessica Hill (R13W): 'Today I thought the enterprise activity morning was really fun but it also taught our year how to communicate and work as a team. It was a really good morning and a good experience. We can't wait to do it again!'
R14 Enterprise Activity - Wed 12 October 2011.
The task for R14 was to create, produce and market chocolates for their own company - quite similar tasks to the BBC's The Apprentice! Pupils were in mixed gender groups and had to work together to create a successful brand. Congratulations to Daniel Cullen, Eve, Ryan, Dominie, Mahima, Kiaran, Daniel Jones, Sam, Joe, Sarah, Kudzai and Chloe for achieving 1st and 2nd positions.
R12 Enterprise Activity - Fri 7 October 2011.
R12 had a wonderful time in their enterprise activity. They worked together designing outfits for one female model and also one male model. All pupils developed their team-working, communicating and problem solving skills tremendously. A huge congratulations to David Griffith, Rachel Evans, Dylan Rees, Nicholas Daly and Nudhara Yusuf for coming 1st! Excellent effort all round R12.
Here is what some of the R12's thought about the activity:
Gaurav Menon - 'An exciting team-building experience, it helped us work together and get to know one another further in R12.'
David Griffith - 'There were so many resources to use.'
Anthony Smith - 'It really helped us develop our communication skills.'
Samuel Wink - 'It was really well organised.'
Aditya Joshi and Lily Morris - 'We had to be creative and imaginative.'
Mrs Emms.
Senior Debate on Welsh Independence - Thurs 6 October 2011. This Week's Motion: 'This House Would Support Welsh Independence'. This week our Senior Debating Society witnessed some outstanding speeches from two of our youngest debaters, Jack Browne (Opposition) & Praneet Bolusani (Proposition) of R12 on the question of Welsh independence. They were supported by Rick Banerjee (R16) and Ross Lisney-Wilson (R15). The debating result was 13 Against, 9 For and 2 Abstentions.
Next Week's Motion: 'This House Believes There Is No Future In Nuclear Power'
Next week, Proposition Speakers are Aashika Luintel (R15) and Aimee Howell (R15) vs. Opposition Speakers Shaun Malloy (R15) and Michael Lingham (R13).
Mr J. Neville.
R14 Biology Field Trip to the National Botanical Gardens of Wales- Tues 4 October 2011.
R14 enjoyed an interesting field trip to the National Botanical Gardens of Wales in Carmarthenshire. The aim of the Educational Visit was to collect data from natural sources of the pollution in the area. The pupils used natural indicators such as lichen and pond species to determine the air and water quality.
Pupils found many varied species in the ponds such as Bloodworms, Caddis Fly larvae and Efts (baby newts!). They also became experts on crusty, shrubby and leafy lichen as air pollution indicators. Much data was collected regarding the water quality in the Gardens. Pupils measured the temperature, dissolved solids, acidity, and oxygen availability of the water.
Following a very busy and productive day, pupils returned to Cardiff with enough data for many hours of analysis. Well done, R14.
Mrs Thomas.
R12 Trip to Senedd and Millenium Centre - Fri 30 September.
Mrs Emms, Mr Taylor and Miss Goulden took R12 on a trip to Cardiff Bay for a fun-packed day out. The aim of the day was for the pupils to get to know one another, especially those who have recently joined us at St John's College. During the activities the pupils had the chance to develop their communication, numeracy, IT and problem solving skills. The boys and girls behaved and listened very well, da iawn chi.
Mrs Emms.
Lily Beere's (R12) account of the day: Today, we went on a trip to the Senedd and the Urdd Centre at the Millennium Centre. At 9.40am, all of R12 got on the coach and off we went. When we arrived the sun was shining and we made our way over to the Senedd where we were greeted and taken for a tour of the whole place. We learnt lots of interesting facts about the building itself. Our final room was the debating chamber where our tour guide told us all about the Assembly Members and what they do. We then exited the Senedd and walked over to the Urdd centre to have lunch. After lunch, we did lots of team building activities including activities to improve our rhythm. We had a great time! We learnt a lot of Welsh. Then we went out into the sunshine and had an ice-cream. After that we walked back to the coach and all got on. We had a fabulous day and we thoroughly enjoyed it!
Joe Reed's (R12) account of the day: First we went to the Senedd, we got packed with information and had lots of fun. We got told about the politics and our guide answered loads of our questions! The building was nice and the wood roof was wonderful, he said if you put it in one line it would stretch out 50 miles! That's all the way to Swansea!! We entered the chambers and saw where all the Assembly Members debate, then we watched a short news flash on the interactive touch-screens in front of us and then learnt all about the Mace. The Mace was used to kill people to protect the Queen, but now it's motionless at the front of Rosemary Butler's desk. We left at 11.37am and went on our way to the Urdd centre. We arrived at the Urdd centre and had our lunch, we were very hungry by then. We played games in the hall and had lots of fun. I won one game! We left after an hour and walked to the ice cream stand where I had a toffee ice cream with Sammy! I really enjoyed our school trip!
R13 Coastal Geography Field Day at Llantwit Major - Wed 28 September. At the end of September all pupils in R13 went to Col Huw near Llantwit Major where they had the opportunity to observe how the coast was being subjected to erosion. Steve from Ty’ Morwydd Environmental Study Centre led the day and he arranged for one of the sunniest days of the year! Pupils sketched sections of the coast and saw an example of a wave cut platform, a coastal delta and sedimentary rocks. Pupils also learnt about the different coastal management strategies being used to protect this section of coast. A highlight of the day was eating lunch on the beach with the sun shining down (this rarely occurs on a geography trip!). The visit into the cave was also spectacular. Many pupils commented that it had really helped them understand what happens at the coast. Later in the term pupils came into school and said, “Did you see what happened at Porth Kerry last night? It was probably because the coast is being eroded like at Col Huw.” A very successful trip!
We all had a wonderful day learning about sustainability in Talybont, Brecon. All pupils behaved extremely well and we will hopefully be booking the trip for next years R15's. The weather held off and we saw some spectacular views while walking around Usk reservoir. A big thank you to Brecon's group leaders for making the day exciting and enjoyable.
Miss Goulden.
An account of the trip by Natalie L-G (R15):
'We arrived in a small, quaint village and our first task was to find out what everybody did to recycle at home. I was surprised to find that not many people recycle as much as I had envisaged. At the Parks Authority Building, there were solar panels where they made their own energy and sold the energy they didn’t need back to the National Grid. There were also communal recycling bins for the whole village to use and electrical car chargers. By having these, the people of the village were giving back and making more money for their village. Before lunch we walked to a river with several barges floating peacefully by the edge of the path. The guide told us about the history of the area, the different rocks found there and how the river is used to generate energy. After lunch, we all put on our wellies and rain-coats ready to make our own dams.
First, we walked to a generator where we saw rain-water being made into drinking water. This was a clever process to provide drinking water for the village. Finally we went to another stream to build our own dams. We got into groups and were assigned our own section of the stream to build in. Soon enough, we were all drenched in water and had successfully built a dam deep enough to fill a normal size bucket in under 2 seconds maximum! We used stones and rocks from the river-bed to build up an area of the stream. It was a very fun and educational activity. It was good to be in the fresh air and we all had fun. When we were all dry, we said thank-you to our group leaders and hopped on the bus back to Cardiff now more aware on how to help our environment than we were that morning.'
Forthcoming R12 Trip to Senedd and Millenium Centre (Fri 30 September)
An educational visit has been arranged for pupils of R12 on Friday 30th September. The trip will be an excellent opportunity for the pupils to get to know one another and will include a guided tour of the Senedd (National Assembly). Pupils will learn about the sustainability of the building as well as the history of the Welsh government. We will also be visiting the Urdd section of the Millennium Centre, where the pupils will have structured activities to develop their linguistic skills. R12 – please make sure you return your consent slip, medical form and cheque by Monday 26th September.
New Senior History Debating Society meets every Thursday 12.55-1.25pm, room 3.1.
All R12-R16 pupils are warmly encouraged to come along. Please see posters in school for more details or speak to Mr J. Neville.
Outstanding Success for 5 Senior Girls who have been selected for the Welsh Hockey Development Squad- Thursday 15 September 2011. Congratulations to Eleanor Dimond (R15), Natasha Sturrock (R15), Anna Jones (R16 ), Sally Williams (R14) and Olivia Evans (R14) who were all successful in the Welsh hockey trials on Sunday. The girls will now join the Welsh Hockey Development squad for their age group, which will create fantastic opportunities for them, involving further training and coaching. Well done girls, the PE department would like to wish you all the very best for the forthcoming season, we are very proud of you all!
Mrs. Jones
R14 & Sixth Form Music Trip to Elgar's birthplace - Thurs 7 July 2011.
On Thursday 7th July, Sixth form and R14 music students undertook an excursion to Malvern to see the birthplace of the famous English composer Edward Elgar. They watched a presentation on Elgar and were able to view some of his original scores, before visiting the cottage where the composer spent much of his life and the modest graveyard where he was buried. They then climbed to the top of an old Iron Age hilltop in the sunshine, while eating ice creams, for a fantastic view over the Malvern Hills, a sight which provided inspiration for many of Elgar's compositions. (Isabelle Thomas, Lower Sixth Form student).
R15 Work Experience - Mon 4 July - Fri 8 July 2011.
Congratulations to all R15 pupils who had a very successful work experience week 4th-8th July 2011. Industry Visits were carried out by St John's staff. Pupils were hard at work embarking on new experiences, we were delighted by the feedback received during our visits and we have already received a considerable number of emails for pupils who were carrying out their work experience further afield. The pupils were a credit to our school. R15 pupils built up quite a versatile career portfolio as a year group, from medicine, veterinary, sport, leisure & arts, optometry, pharmaceuticals, teaching, physiotherapy, psychotherapy, accounting, law, property development, industry supplies, media to aircraft engineering.
R14 History Trip to the Somme battlefields - Thurs 16 - Fri 17 June 2011.
Just passing through the rolling, verdant countryside and coming across so many neatly maintained cemeteries and memorials to British and Commonwealth dead, proved to be an experience never before encountered and likely never to be forgotten. The sheer incongruity of prosperous life-sustaining agriculture alongside the countless graves of our recent ancestors gave rise to mixed emotions of awe, bewilderment and soul-searching questions about whether we might have had the courage to risk all in the name of freedom.
Many of our party bore the same names as those on the headstones and a few had details of their great grandfathers who had fought and died with names inscribed on monuments atThe Menin Gate in Ypres and on the huge Thiepval Memorial. It was here that one of our party sounded the Last Post as we bowed our heads to ‘remember them’.
There was a visit to the haunting museums at Thiepval and Ypres, as well a visit to the trenches of the front line at Sanctuary Wood. The zig-zag of the trenches brought the classroom lesson to life in a unique way. Next was a visit to the Newfoundland Memorial where the lines of trenches could be clearly seen and a detailed account of the appalling losses on the first day of the Battle of the Somme were relayed to us by a Newfoundler who acted as guide.
On this trip the dead paradoxically brought history alive and there was a stirring of emotions profoundly moved by a realisation that, truly, for our tomorrow they gave their today.
Mr G. Goode
R13 Latin Trip to Caerleon Roman Amphitheatre, Barracks and Baths - Fri 10 June 2011.
R13 pupils enjoyed a very informative trip to Caerleon Roman town which has complemented our study of Roman life. The pupils completed worksheets on the fascinating exhibits in the museum including fully-armed Roman soldiers, Roman jewellery, Roman vases and even some Roman teeth!
Next we arrived at the recently updated Roman Baths which were brought to life by 3-D projections and sound effects of Roman swimmers and interactive displays and commentaries.
The finale of our trip was a guided tour of the amphitheate and Roman barracks.
Mr J. Neville.
R14 & R15 Trip to the Urdd Eisteddfod, Swansea - half term holiday.
Miss Rowlands and Mrs Armour took a coach load of the R14 & R15 pupils to the Swansea Urdd Eisteddfod in half term. Everyone had an excellent day experiencing the best of Wales’ youngsters who participated in song, recitation, drama, dance, composing, poetry, arts and crafts competitions. The pupils walked around the ‘maes’ (field) where there were numerous stalls where they purchased things such as Welsh cards, books, jewellery, clothes and food at lunchtime. There was also a fair where they had tremendous fun on the rides. This trip was really worthwhile, providing a great insight into Welsh culture and especially the Welsh language.
R12 History Trip to Chepstow Castle and Chepstow Museum - Mon 16 May.
R12 historians have had a thoroughly enjoyable trip to Chepstow Castle and Chepstow Museum, including a guided tour by a Norman knight who gave fascinating demonstrations of Medieval weapons, armour and many aspects of daily life in the Castle.
The pupils then had some free time to explore the many passageways and staircases of this imposing and atmospheric castle.
Following lunch and a visit to the gift shop, the girls and boys (and some staff members!) had great fun reenacting battles with toy wooden swords and bows and arrows.
At Chepstow Museum the children filled in worksheets on historical exhibits which traced the development of Chepstow as a town. It was a wonderful day for both staff and pupils and brought to life much of what we have been studying in class. The girls and boys can be particularly commended for their excellent behaviour throughout the trip.
Mr J. Neville.
R14 pupils awarded certificates for KS3 Mathematics Masterclasses at Glamorgan University - May 2011.
Ali J, Jack I, Abhinaba G, James B, Namitha M, Hannah S and Natasha S of R14 proudly show their certificates, awarded for completing the KS3 Mathematics Master Classes at the University of Glamorgan.
Chess club is open to all pupils after school on Mondays from 4-6pm. Beginners are very welcome. Please contact Dr Howells for more information.
Positrons Chess Team win promotion to division 3 of East Glamorgan League. St John's Chess Club (SJCC) participates in the East Glamorgan League on a Monday from 7.30pm to 10pm. Congratulations to St John's Positrons (Senior team) who are at the top of division 4 and will be promoted to division 3 in September. Pupils represented the school at this level are:
Karthik Kumar, Tom Boocock, Abhinaba Guha and Aditya Nanapaneni.
R15 History Trip to Imperial War Museum - Wed 30 March 2011.
On Wednesday 23rd March the R15 History pupils visited the Imperial War Museum in London. We left St John’s College bright and early at 7:00am and arrived at the museum just before midday.
Our first activity was centred around the subject of the Holocaust. After being kitted out with our audio guides and having a brief talk with our museum tutor, Miriam, we spent time reflecting on this most tragic period in history.
After a hearty lunch we took part in the ‘Blitz Experience’ where we were walked through a bombed out London street by an ARP warden. This was followed by some free time where pupils were able to see exhibits about conflicts involving this country throughout the twentieth century to the present day.
We left London just after 3pm and arrived back in Cardiff at 7:30pm. Overall, it was a wonderful day for both staff and pupils and went a long way to enhancing our understanding of conflicts past and present and their consequences.
Mr Taylor.
Red Nose Day Cake Sale - Fri 18 March 2011. By popular demand, St John's College pupils organised a Cake Sale and a variety of actvities - Joke Factor, sponsored sing-along and sponsored skipping (to name just a few) to raise money for Red Nose Day. The day was a great success and hugely enjoyed by all the pupils. We had a magnificent response to our cake sale and raffle. Mrs Brown would like to thank all those who generously donated cakes and raffle prizes. The total amount raised so far is £1,150. We are expecting to raise extra funds this week from the sale of the joke book produced by pupils in the Junior Department. Congratulations and well done to everyone involved!
Mrs Brown.
R13 theatre trip - A Midsummer Night’s Dream - Tues 15 March 2011.
R13 enjoyed an afternoon at the theatre watching Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' at the Wales Millennium Centre. This was a lively and energetic production of the comedy, enhanced by the state-of-the-art staging and setting at Wales' newest theatrical venue.
R15 Geography Field Trip: Rivers- March 2011.
The R15 geography students had a very enjoyable and informative trip to The Ty’r Morwydd Field Study Centre in Abergavenny. From the Talybont reservoir, the pupils climbed the hill to their first site. Three sites were explored on the Afon Caerfanell, which were chosen to represent the upper, middle and lower stages of the river. The pupils produced field sketches and photographs and measured and recorded characteristics, such as width, depth, wetted perimeter, bedload size and shape and velocity. Personal observations are perhaps the most memorable way to bring the textbook to life; to see the river features in their natural surroundings.
Back in the classroom the students are processing the data collected and will analyse the results, draw conclusions and evaluate their investigations. In September the same students will embark on another fieldtrip day to carry out a human geography investigation; this time for their GCSE Controlled Assessment and so their experience now in R15 will be invaluable.
Mrs Waters
Intermediate Mathematical Challenge 2011
Congratulations to the following students for some outstanding results in the recent competition:
Gold Certificate: Joanna Leigh, Sandeep Karthikeyan, George Thomas, Morgan Foley, Richard Griffith.
Silver Certificate: Dylan Robson, Graeme McCann, Rebecca Stevens, Catrin Taylor, Tom Morris, Anna Jones, Karthik Kumar, Jonathan Tong, Jack Israel, Abhinaba Guha, James Ball, Natasha Sturrock.
Bronze Certificate: Sam Butcher, Chun Yin Choi, Scott Gordon, Emyr Thomas, Lucy Daly, Waseem Jawad, David Birley, Joseph Evans, Max Cliffe, Charlie Hall, Hannah Son, Ali Jaffar, Yuchen Zhu.
Next Round Qualifiers: George T (R15) and Jack I (R14) Good luck, both!
Mrs Regan
Senior School Production
After months of rehearsal, the talented thespians of the Middle School were at last ready for curtain-up on the 4th and 5th March. Theatre of the highest order graced the stage which transformed our school hall into a playhouse worthy of any dramatic presentation - but in particular, the adventures and comic antics of Bertie Wooster and his ingenious valet, Jeeves. Thanks to the up-and-coming Middle School cast members and some Senior pupils, the show was a resounding success with audiences giving their fulsome praise for all who made their evening so memorable. They were entertained with some superb performances, scintillating dancing and witty musical interludes while the swift and slick scene changes owed much to our fully committed backstage crew.
Nick Sturrock rose to the challenge of playing Bertie with some deft comic touches and his foil, Jeeves, played by Joe Evans, was a feast of subtlety and irony. They were most ably assisted by the ever talented Kate Gildersleve whose Honoria Glossop was convincingly formidable and Ieuan Lewis whose Chaplinesque comic talents were a highlight for many in the audience. These were beautifully supported by some fine acting from all the cast.
St John's Middle School has an abundance of talented pupils and none more so than those who embraced the opportunity to shine in the footlights of a very polished theatrical treat. Well done to all!
Ski trip
The school ski trip to Switzerland hosted many R14 pupils who demonstrated great skills and talents on the slopes. The pupils took part in many fun activities such as tobogganing, ice skating and curling. The pupils had every opportunity to flaunt their musical talents in the music room that hosted a grand piano, guitar and a violin, which contributed nicely to the Cabaret Night!
A selection of recent artwork by St John's College pupils:
GCSE Results 2011 - Thurs 25 August 2011.
Pass rate: 100%
A*/A percentage = 59.92%
(299/499 entries) - a record increase of 9% on 2010!
A*- C percentage = 96.2%
A* = 152
A = 147
B = 108
C = 70
Candidates achieving at least 5 A*- C = 96.15% 50/52
Candidates achieving at least 7A* - C = 94.23% 49/52
Candidates achieving at least 8A* - C = 90.4% 47/52
Dr David Neville said "Congratulations to all our pupils and their dedicated teachers. We are very proud of our GCSE performance with our unselected 52 students who have sat no entrance examination, just as we are of our sixth form who have again topped league tables in Wales, achieving a leading position in the whole of the UK" (The Times table of all UK schools).
This Week's Motion: 'This House Would Support Welsh Independence'. 
