• News of the 'The Snow Queen' and 'Jeeves & Wooster' Junior and Senior Musical Drama Productions to follow shortly. Congratulations to all the pupils involved, whose outstanding performances matched the professional set last Thursday and Friday (4 & 5 March).

*Please check 'Sports News' page for regular updates - lots of wins for St John's this week!

• Early Years & Infants celebrate Chinese New Year
- see 'Early Years & Infants' for details

• Cathedral Choir BBC radio broadcast - 14 February
- The Choir performed Bruckner's Os Justi magnificently

• Junior Swimming Gala (Pentwyn Leisure Centre) - Tues 9 February 2010, 9.30am - 1.00pm
- see this week's 'Sports News' for details

• Maths Pop Quiz success for fifth form pupils!
- see 'Senior School' page for details.

• 6th Form Open Evening 6.00pm - 8.30pm - Tue 9 March

• Easter Concert given by Cardiff Metropolitan Cathedral Choir at St David’s Hall, Cardiff, 1.00pm - Tues 23 March

• A Level and GCSE vacation revision courses: Mon 29 March - Thurs 1 April

• Cathedral Choristers committed to Holy Week services - Sun 28 March to Sun 4 April:
Palm Sunday (28th), Maundy Thursday (1st),
Good Friday (2nd), Easter Vigil (Sat 3rd) & Easter Sunday (4th)

* Please also see the 'Term Dates & Calendar' page for a complete list of dates for the academic year

• Boy & Girl Cathedral Choristers in BBC's Doctor Who - Christmas 2009
- see 'Music & Performance' page for details.

• The Christmas Tableau at St Cadoc’s Church at 10.30am (Early Years & Infants) - Tues 8 December

• Christmas Production of The Bossy King in the school hall at 7pm - Mon 14 December

• CHRISTMAS CONCERT & AWARDS PRESENTATION
Founders Day, School Hall, 7.00pm: Tues 15 December
Awards Ceremony for R16 pupils, Lower Sixth, Upper Sixth & former Sixth Form students.
This was a most enjoyable evening for pupils and parents alike, celebrating the achievements of our current and former pupils, and showcasing the latest musical offerings of the school's many talented musicians. It was wonderful to see so many former pupils at the ceremony, many of whom had just returned from their first term at University. Congratulations to members of the Concert Orchestra, the Training Orchestra, the Flute Choir as well as the Cathedral Choirs for performing so beautifully.

• R7 to R11 trip to the Sherman Theatre ‘A Christmas Carol' - Wed 16 December

• For the 'Jeeves & Wooster' cast list & weekly rehearsal updates, please see the Drama section of the 'Music & Performance' page.

• Gibraltar Tour Bowling Trip - Tuesday 15 December
Mrs Crawford organised a fantastic trip to the bowling alley at Cardiff Bay on Tuesday night for the Gibraltar Netball Tour squad. We
had an excellent turn out with 26 pupils and 4 members of staff. Mrs Brown ensured that we all had a pair of tour socks to mark the occasion. Winners received a free bowl on their next visit.

• Trip to Brecon Mountain Railway - Thurs 3 December
The Nursery & Infant children had an immensely enjoyable day at the Brecon Mountain Railway, experiencing an authentic steam train, breathtaking views and even time to have fun in the play area.
- see 'Early Years & Infants' page for details.

• Music for Advent & Christmas
Lunchtime Concert at St David’s Hall, 1.00pm - Tues 1 December
The Cathedral choristers performed outstandingly to an audience of around one thousand people on Tuesday. Congratulations to the boys, girls and gentlemen for such a beautiful performance.

• Full Junior School rehearsal of 'The Snow Queen' - Fri 27 November
Thank you to all parents for assisting your children with learning of lines in preparation for the forthcoming Junior Christmas Production. There outstanding performances, and I am sure the final performance will be immensely enjoyable!

• Operation Christmas Child - Wed 25 November
The 'Shoebox Appeal' has been a great success this year. More than one hundred boxes were donated. Thank you for your generosity.

• L6 Biology DNA Fingerprinting Workshop - Tues 24 November
- see 'Sixth Form College' page for details.

• Children In Need Cake Sale - Fri 20 November
Our annual cake sale and raffle took place on Friday 20 November. Thank you to all parents for your generous gifts of home-made cakes, sweets and raffle prizes. This year we raised more than £1000 for Children In Need.

• R10 visit to 'Horrible Histories' at the New Theatre - Wed 18 November
R10 attended a 'Horrible Histories' production of the First World War at the New Theatre. The children enjoyed it very much and learnt a great deal.

• R11 Victorian Day - Mon 16 November
The recreation of a Victorian lesson in Maestir School House at St Fagan's was both very informative and fun for all the children involved. Many children bought the bread baked in the traditional wood-fired oven for their parents after their visit to the school house.

• Charity News
Harvest Festival: Many thanks to parents for your most generous response to our Harvest Festival. Your contributions enabled us to distribute more than 100 parcels to the elderly, sick and needy in our local community. The school has received many messages of thanks from individuals and organisations we have supported.
Remembrance Day: On Wednesday 11 November we had a whole school assembly for Remembrance Day with beautiful and moving offerings from the Concert Orchestra including Dido's Lament by Henry Purcell and the Music from Band of Brothers by Michael Kamen, as well as The Last Post, performed beautifully by trumpeter Joseph Evans. Poppies were on sale throughout the school as well as a small number of wooden crosses. Pupils wrote on the crosses the names of family members who were casualties of war, and these were placed on the table of remembrance during the service.

On behalf of the staff, I wish to express my appreciation for your continued support.

• Please click below for Senior School Exam Timetables for Advent Term 2009:

• Early Years & Infants News - for news of our youngest gardeners, storytelling, Book Day, this year's Christmas Production, and the latest photos of forest school activities, please see the 'Early Years & Infants' page.

• R9 Special Assembly
The R9 Special Assembly took place on Friday 6th November, attended by many parents. The children delighted the audience by performing a play, by recitation and their musical talents. The children were presented with certificates outlining their achievements in R9. All the children are a credit to the school. Congratulations to everyone in R9.

• For news of the recent Gibraltar Netball Tour and this year's Sports Awards Assembly, please see the 'Sports News' page.

• Snow Queen News
All pupils are now learning the songs for the musical 'The Snow Queen'
R10 and R11 are practising the play every Tuesday. Please would parents help their children with the learning of their parts.

• Weekly Café Schedule:f/Schedule_daily_2.11-16.12.pdf

• R11 Enterprise Week & Trade Fair - Mon 12 Oct to Fri 16 Oct
R11 have raised about £600 for the Children's Hospital in Wales.
- see 'Junior School' page for details.

• Junior Book Week - Mon 28 Sep to Fri 3 Oct
£300 was raised for books and the children especially enjoyed the visit of Enid Middleton, Welsh storyteller on Fri 3 Oct.
- see 'Junior School' page for details.

• R14 pupils' Art & DT trip to Bristol Zoo - Monday 21st September.
- see 'Senior School' page for details.

• The Cathedral Choir sings to thousands at the Benediction and Mass for the Reception of the Relics of St Thérèse of Lisieux - Tuesday 22 September.
- see 'Music & Performance' page for details.

• Infant Sports Day '09 Photos are now on the 'Early Years & Infants' page!

• St John's College Gibraltar Netball Tour October 2009 News!
- see 'Sports News' page for details.

• New Adventurous Activities introduced to PE this year!
The entire Junior & Senior Schools (R8 - R16) have greatly enjoyed the introduction of 'adventurous activities' to the PE curriculum since the beginning of the new term. The activities have helped pupils develop their team building skills, problem solving, communicating and working with others.
- see 'Sports News' page for details.

Junior School News this Week:
• R8 Trip to the National Museum of Wales to aid science, history & art studies (Wednesday 16 September).
• Snow Queen Audition scripts have been distributed to pupils in R10 & R11
- see 'Junior School' page for details.

Leading Wales again in combined A+B grades as confirmed by the ISC webpage:

*No. 6* in The Times Top Co-educational School League Table in the whole of the UK (Saturday, 29 August 2009)

*No. 34* in the Daily Telegraph League Table of top performing schools in the whole of the UK (Saturday, 29 August 2009).

This result out-performs results which we achieved at the time of the ESTYN 2006 Inspection when achievement at A level was identified as an outstanding feature of the school.

Congratulations to all our pupils on the fruits of their dedicated work; also to their parents and to our exceptional teaching staff.

We have achieved this leading result in Wales for the 9th consecutive year.

DJN 20th August 2009

• GCSE Results 2009

100% of our age 16 students today achieved at least 7 A* - C grades!

* Many achieved 8, 9, 10, 11 or 12 A*s.

• Cathedral Choristers' trip to Cambridge & evensong at King's College (Sun 12 July)

The Cathedral Choristers (girls and boys age 8-15) and GCSE Music pupils have recently returned from a summer trip to the historic university town of Cambridge, where they were given a warm welcome by King's College and had the privilege of hearing the world famous Choir in its last service of the academic year.

• Congratulations to all pupils in Bute House, winners of 2009 Junior Sports Day (Tuesday 7 July)
- see the Sports News page for details.

• George Thomas (R13) is invited to Junior Mathematical Olympiad 2009
George Thomas performed so well in the Junior Challenge that he was invited to take part in the Junior Mathematical Olympiad 2009. In the two hour long paper, he performed exceptionally well and was awarded a Distinction and a JMO medal.
- see the Senior School page for details.

• Congratulations to all pupils in Bute House, winners of 2009 Senior Sports Day (Friday 3 July)
- see the Sports News page for details.

• Junior School News 29 June - 9 July
* R7 Transition Week & Africa Assembly, 29 June - 3 July
* Lego City, 3 July
* Junior School Open Hour (Q&A for parents, 3.1), 8 July, 4-5pm
* R11 Parents' Assembly (the Dining Room), 9 July, 2pm
- see the Junior School page for details.

• Junior Girls' Cathedral Choir & R13 pupils' Summer Concert at Nazareth House, Cardiff - Wed 1 July, 2pm
As part of our commitment to wider public benefit, the Junior Girls' Cathedral Choir and R13 instrumentalists performed their annual summer concert for the residents of Nazareth House.

• Sixth Form & R14 Trip to Wimbledon - Wed 1 July
The Sixth Form & R14 Tennis teams had a very enjoyable day at Wimbledon. The excellent weather was matched by some inspirational tennis playing.

• Morgan Foley (R13) has passed ABRSM Grade 5 Oboe with distinction (an outstanding 140 points!). Congratulations Morgan!

• R11 Trip to the New Central Library & R10 Cycling Proficiency (22-26 June)
- see the Junior School page for details.

• Sixth Form Tennis Success - June 09
Following victories over Lewis Boys, St Cyres, Monmouth Boys and Christ College Brecon, Matthew Davies, Samir Almitwally & Scott Thompson of Lower 6th, and Andrew Wright of Upper 6th should be congratulated for reaching the regional tennis finals at Cheltenham.
- see Sixth Form College page for details.

• R14 History Trip to the Battlefields of the First World War 4-5 June
- see the Senior School page for details.

• R8 First Holy Communion at the Cathedral
Congratulations to all the R8 pupils who made their First Holy Communion on Sunday 14 June. The boys & girls behaved immaculately, and the Cathedral Choir sang magnificently.

• R7 News:
Winners of Blooms 'Vegetable Growers' Competition
History Trip to Big Pit
Dr Isaac's Visit - fossils, minerals, metals & gems!
- see Early Years & Infants page for details

• Announcing next year's Drama Production .... P.G. Wodehouse’s Jeeves & Wooster

Auditions will take place on the following date and times:
Tuesday 7th July

R12 – 12.15pm. Room 0.1
R13 – Periods 2 & 3 (English Office)
R14 – Period 6 (English Office)

• Wed 13th to 15th May - R11 Geography & Science Field Study visit to Ty'r Morwydd Environmental Centre, Abergavenny
- see the Junior School page for details.

• Congratulations to Morgan Foley (R13, principal oboist of the Concert Orchestra), who recently won second place in the Cardiff County & Vale High Schools' Orchestra Young Musician of the Year

• Three of our Girl Cathedral Choristers have been selected to sing in Welsh National Opera's performance of The Queen of Spades at the Milennium Centre, Cardiff 13 May - 4 June 2009

• Congratulations to Jamie Halpin and Arvind Kumar who recently represented the School at the final of the Oxford Union Schools' Debating competition, against debating champions from all over the world.

R9 and the Nursery recently collaborated on a project to enter the RHS Flower Competition. The pupils of R9 excelled themselves in helping and working with our youngest pupils. There was also a photographic display of the wheelbarrows in Queen's Arcade. Congratulations to all the pupils involved.

April

• BBC recorded Doctor Who with our choristers, David Tennant, Bernard Cribbins & Claire Bloom on Monday 20 April 2009

• Readathon raised £1322.62 for CLIC Sargent and the Roald Dahl Foundation!
See the Junior School page for more details.

• St John's College pupils to represent Wales in National Final of UKMT Maths Challenge
On Wednesday, 11th March 2009 the Welsh regional Final of the UKMT Maths Challenge was held at Howells School, Cardiff. Despite being the yougest team there, the St John's College team of Morgan Foley, Joseph Evans, Karthik Kumar and George Thomas emerged victorious and now go forward to represent Wales in the National Final to be held in London in June 2009. Congratulations!

• Victory for Girls' Cathedral Choristers at Wells Cathedral School
See the Music & Performance page for more details.

On Wednesday, 4th March 2009, the Senior Girl Choristers were crowned champions of the Choir Schools' Association Sports Festival, following successes over Llandaff (7-1), Wells (6-1), Exeter (6-1) and Bristol (12-1).