Roar spring 2014 web

Dual language acquisitionAlumni share fond memories

The effects of video games

ROARSpr ing/Sum mer 2014

Join the almost 2,500 St. John’s alumni already on www.facebook.com/stjohns

St. John’s videos available on www.youtube.com/mystjohns

ALUMNI

Please make sure we have your correct mailing and e-mail addresses. Go to the alumni webpage at www.stjohns.be/alumni and fill in the contact update form or send your contact information to Marcia De Wolf at [email protected]

The spring edition of The Roar always means some exciting news is

in the air. With spring comes the excitement of the spring sports season, special trips for the students, PYP exhibitions, alumni reunions, and yes, those wonderful exams! These spring rituals at school are part of the life-cycle which provides us the opportunity to share our best and brightest with the rest of the world through graduation and the end-of-year moves which come with these international lifestyles.

Greetings and welcome to our extended St. John’s family around the world. Staying connected is as important to us here as to you so far away. As we prepare for the 50th anniversary of the school in school year 2014-2015, we prepare for a new chapter in the life of the school. Much of this edition of The ROAR will preview that new chapter and next year’s editions will continue to keep you informed of the celebrations to take place. We are proud of the St. John’s tradition of caring for students, providing great opportunities in academics, arts, and athletics, and instilling the values of Companionship,

Tom Hawkins, Head of School

ROAR appears three times a year. To submit articles, please e-mail the unformatted text in a Microsoft Word document to the editor.

Editor: Marcia De Wolf - [email protected] Layout & design: Spargo Communications - www.spargo.eu

St. John’s International SchoolDrève Richelle 146, 1410 Waterloo, BelgiumTel. +32 (0) 2 352 06 10

©2014 a.s.b.l. St. John’s International School F.C.J.

Integrity and Respect. We are proud to send our students off to “Live our Values to Impact the World” as we say in our school vision.

Some of you have noticed that the school is seeking a new Head, as I will be departing in 2015 after 5 years here at St. John’s. This transition will allow a new Head to take over from the 50th celebration, and this is a great time for me and my family to transition as my two oldest sons will graduate in 2014 and 2015. It has been a great experience so far, and I look forward to another great year before I depart.

Please enjoy the magazine, stay connected, and stay well in the coming summer months. And remember, if you are in Europe, please stop by St. John’s for a visit!

Sincere best wishes for a wonderful spring.

kids!Don’t forget to check out my Web site:www.stjohns.be/lucky

ROAR Spring/Summer 2014

Simultaneous Dual Language Acquisition; Yes, They Can! ...................1

The International Award program at St. John’s .....................................3

The Model United Nations team at St. John’s .......................................3

Equestrian sports in Belgium ................................................................4

Alumnus involved in invention of revolutionary 3D printing pen ............5

Alumnus Recalls Mrs. Greene’s Impact on her Life ..............................6

US Alumni Reunions 2014 .....................................................................7

ES Art Show ..........................................................................................8

Amazing memories and friendship for life .............................................9

The Negative and Positive Effects on Video Games ...........................10

IB Auction ............................................................................................10

Textures Art Show .............................................................................. 11

Numbers .............................................................................................. 12

Embrace your years at St. john’s ......................................................... 13

TEDx “The Sustainable Future ............................................................ 15

ISST Winter 2014 Reports ................................................................... 17

Thank you Mrs. Bambridge! ................................................................19

Family day ............................................................................................20

Grade 7 students meet Jane Goodall at the European Parliament ......21

St. John’s Hosts Theory of Knowledge (TOK) Encounter for International School Students ..............................................................21

Speechwriter teaches students the art of speech writing ..................22

St. John’s HS students appear in World War 1 documentary .............22

The Tom O’Donnell Tournament .........................................................23

What else has been happening? .........................................................24

We invite you to check out our blog at blog.stjohns.be

Relay for Life for the International Community

of Brussels

June 14-15 at St. John’s

Join a team, volunteer or come and support!

www.relayforlife.be

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Simultaneous Dual Language Acquisition; Yes, They Can!by Melita Dawson, EAL Elementary Head Teacher

The European Council of International Schools’ theme for their English as a Second Language (ESL) and Mother Tongue conference in Amsterdam, February 2014, was Developing Multi-literate Global citizens; from language policy to classroom practice. A frequent re-occurring message was the importance of maintaining one’s mother-tongue while simultaneously developing English proficiency; the dominant language used for instruction in international schools. It pleases me to say that St. John’s elementary school has been researching and incorporating best practices since 2011 when we began offering a dual language program in our Pre-K classes. Starting next school year, dual language classes will be offered from Pre-K through 2nd grade.

Interestingly, in our international community, there are still some common misconceptions which exist regarding dual language acquisition. One is that children should develop one language completely before learning another one. Another common belief is that learning two languages simultaneously will confuse them, retard their academic progress and lower their self-esteem. However these beliefs have been dispelled by brain-based research that is currently available to educators.

Dr. Fred Genesee, a guest speaker from McGill University, shared his current research in Dual Language acquisition for young learners. He presented his findings based on peoples’ fears of children learning two languages simultaneously. “Through today’s rigorous research, we now know

more about bilingualism and its impact on the brain than ever before.” He emphasized that it is crucial that curriculum decisions be based on current research findings and not on one’s beliefs.

Here are a few of the common beliefs that parents worry about.

Language acquisition in young children will be delayed if they are learning bilingually. Genesee explained that this popular myth has been researched and there is no evidence to support this claim. The research shows that their rate of language acquisition is the same as that of their monolingual peers.

Children who mix the vocabulary in two languages are “confused”. Research has dispelled the myth of the monolingual brain. Switching words is a common practice among bilingual individuals and the reasons for this are many. Languages are not kept in separated parts of the brains, being turned off and on at will. Instead there is a common underlying link between them. There are continual cognitive connections being made between the languages, as they are being developed and used. Children will adapt their language to the situation they are in. To help strengthen these cognitive connections, both languages need to be taught and nurtured simultaneously.

Children “at risk” who demonstrate difficulties in their mother-tongue, should not be expected to learn another

language. It will be too much pressure for them and will set them up for failure. Research shows that it is important to instruct both languages simultaneously. Children with

language impairment have difficulty learning any language. The English as an Additional Language (EAL) students having difficulty learning English, should not be denied the possibility of learning another language. It is also very important that they not be labeled as having a “learning difficulty” unless their language development has been tested in both languages. Students with language difficulties in

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their mother tongue language will have similar difficulties in other languages as well. Their difficulties learning in L1 (mother tongue) will also appear in L2.

Learning bi-lingually, does not make it harder for children to learn two languages.

Research has documented that it is very common for English Language Learners (ELL) to perform a little below grade level. It is often around the ages of 14 or 15 that the gap between ELL students’ performance, compared to their monolingual peers, closes. ELL academic weaknesses might

just be due to language issues and not a learning difficulty so it is important not to make hasty judgments. Classroom teachers can also help by identifying the

language skills, functions and vocabulary needed to access the academic content specific in the lesson. Close observation and documentation by teachers and specialists will help determine the correct course of action for helping ELLs make continual progress.

Monolinguals are used as the standard of assessment in research, clinical practice, and education. ELLs are expected to perform as well as a monolingual English speaker. Limitations of the monolingual bias are evident in interpretations of differences – often interpreted as deficits. Instead they should be seen as ‘different’. They are learning 2 languages in 2 different contexts. They will never look like a monolingual in a testing setting. In order to assess ELLs accurately, they need to be assessed in both languages. This is especially true in the Dual Language Programs.

More Exposure to the second language is better! There is no simple correlation between the amount of exposure to language (at home or in school) and competence in language development. It is a complex situation requiring educators and administrators to make policy decisions based on research. Simultaneous bilinguals go through the

same linguistic milestone stages as monolinguals even though they don’t get the same amount of time as monolinguals in both languages. Learning in school; time-on-task can help develop good language skills through repeated practice, but the language growth will probably develop in the same manner as for monolingual students. This is a strong argument in support of keeping students in language rich environments as opposed to the practice of pulling them out for intense English support/instruction. McLaughlin (1992) notes that continued support in the home language has proven beneficial for children; “The use of the home language in bilingual students enables them to maintain grade-level school work, reinforce the bond between home and school, and allows them to adapt and participate more effectively in school activities.”

There are so many benefits to being bilingual, but it is a long process! St. John’s Elementary School’s curriculum framework, the Primary Years Program, ensures that all our young learners 1) can and will learn 2) take risks and try new things, and 3) are engaged in relevant and authentic learning experiences. All of these expectations are provided in a positive stimulating, language rich, learning environment.

The last word: Dual language acquisition is not a challenge for young learners; they can do it!

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The International Award program at St. John’s

St. John’s is a proud participant in the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award, the world’s leading youth achievement award.

On April 4th five of us took off on our gold award expedition, we went to Luxembourg and camped for three nights and hiked for four days. All of us have progressed through bronze and silver award and now completed our gold. For bronze award you have to complete one night and two days and for silver it is two nights and three days. Completing all of the levels feels like a big accomplishment for all of us!

We chose to do our hike in Luxembourg, which has a beautiful landscape but it is VERY hilly! That was definitely not what we expected. Although at the beginning of the trip we were very unhappy with the type of landscape that we had to hike in for 4 days, by the end of the four days we were used to it and had actually grown to appreciate the beautiful countryside that we were walking through.

The aim of our trip was teamwork and I definitely feel like our teamwork improved throughout the trip. We began as five separate people and by the end we had grown into one team. To grow the strength of our team we did lots of exercises like trust falls, and putting up the tent together, as well as making dinner together every night.

Although it was very difficult and tiring, it was also really fun and a great, worthwhile experience.

by Ella Watson, High School Student

The Model United Nations team at St. John’sby Arthur Vandervoort, High School Student

Being a part of the Model UN team at St. John’s has been an incredibly enriching experience that goes way beyond merely writing resolutions and speaking in front of large amounts of people. The Model UN society gave me the opportunity to travel to The Hague with a very driven, intelligent and all-round great team.

The Hague itself was a turbulent experience to say the least. It was a week that our whole team had been practicing for every Thursday at lunch for months on end, and we were all keen to show off our political shrewdness to our peers. On the first day of the conference, I walked in with a smug smile, excited to begin. After lobbying for just half a day, that smug smile was all but wiped off my face, and I realized that

all of my fellow delegates had been much smarter than I was in preparing for the conference. With a lot of talking and not a small amount of luck, I became the main submitter of a resolution that found its way to the front of our general assembly committee, passed with an overwhelming majority, and was then passed on to plenary sessions.

The plenary sessions are

Overall I would definitely recommend this to everyone because although it is physically strenuous and tiring it is a great experience where you get to make lots of close friends and learn lots of new skills.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award is the world’s leading youth achievement award, bringing together practical experiences and life skills to equip young people for life. Since it was founded in 1956 by His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh (husband to Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom), over eight million young people have participated in the Award in over 140 countries and territories.

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Belgium is a well-known country for many things including equestrian sports like show jumping. There are lots of people in Belgium who enjoy riding

horses. Looking around you may notice that there are many equestrian centers for people who are looking for a place to stable their horse, or just simply ride with the horses provided for them by the center. More common riding events here in Belgium are Show jumping and dressage.

Show jumping is a sport where horses and riders can show their skills. This is a sport for both men and women who compete as equals. In jumping competitions

horses jump over a series of manmade obstacles with a rider on their back to guide horses the right way. The obstacles are made to be able to be knocked down. Show jumping tests your skills in courage, communication between you and your horse and speed. To win a show jumping competition you would have to make a clear run in the fastest time possible. Show jumping is judged by three judges. Your results are judged by the amount of faults you have and your speed.

As a baby, horses are handled in different ways by different people, generally trainers and sometimes breeders. This helps them to get used to being around an environment of humans and trusting them. When the trainer feels that the horse is ready to put a bridle on, it will find a bridle to fit

the horse/ponies head perfectly. By the age of two or three, horses are ready to have a saddle put on their back.

Show jumping is a sport that tests your courage, communication in between you and the horse and your riding and jumping abilities. Horseback riding is an amazing sport for all ages and genders. It can help you build muscle in your back, arms and legs, it can help you have better posture and is a great sport for people who like animals and nature. Belgium provides a wide range of forests and fields for people to take their horses and enjoy the nature as well. So if you ever think of starting another sport you might want to consider horse riding even if you’re just looking for friendly company.

by Carolina Vargas, 5th grade student for her PYP project

Equestrian sports in Belgium

at the end of a conference when all general assembly’s come together and vote upon resolutions that have been selected out of each committee. Being our resolution’s main submitter, I was to read out this resolution in front of 2500 people, and then I was to convince them that the solutions that I proposed with my sponsors were viable and much needed. A seemingly daunting challenge at first, but it was not as stressful as it would seem. Standing on a stage where world leaders have stood before me and looking into the

conference hall all I could think was ‘I thought there’d be more people’. The lighting on a stage, whether it is at a concert or a conference, are made to stop the performer/delegate from seeing the audience, and to calm his nerves. It is then, when you’re looking into that faceless crowd that you realize: ‘These kids know just as much as I do and perhaps less about this resolution. I’ll be fine.’

And it was just that. Public speaking, really, is only as difficult as you make it for yourself.

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Alumnus involved in invention of revolutionary 3D printing pen

We caught up with Delphine who is involved in a very exiting and innovative project with her company.

After St. John’s I went to do a foundation in Arts and Design at Central Saint Martin’s – University of the Arts London. This was a very important moment in my life because it was hard to have a place and no one really believed that I could do it. I cried of joy when I was contacted. I spent an amazing year in CSM where I actually found out that I did not want to do arts but shoe design. This was very new to me because all my life I knew I wanted to go to Goldsmiths to do history of art and then another subject comes up randomly and you find it even more interesting. I followed my intuition and applied to Goldsmiths and London College of Fashion for a footwear course. I luckily got both places, and even though I knew at Goldsmith there was only a 4% chance to have a place I still went to the other school. I am still in London College of Fashion, where I am happy, doing what I want and I never regretted my decision. I always have projects outside of school. It can be a Russian language course at King’s College London or creating businesses as a hobby.

The first business I opened was last year in Belgium. Me and my partner opened a company called Al Café which consists of small trucks selling coffee and Russian snacks all around Belgium at bus stops, metro stations, train stations, etc. However we postponed the project for the moment. I learnt the skills to do all of that from Business & Management at Saint John’s! We designed a pen called Lix Pen from scratch. Lix is a 3D printing pen that allows you to doodle in

the air. What we wanted to do is change the vision of the world from 2D to 3D. This ergonomic pen allows you to draw anything you can imagine. It sounds like science fiction but it’s not. Designing the pen, designing the mechanism, creating the website and making the prototype from

China took us 8 months in total. My partner did most of this part however I was the one to open the company and the business bank account in the UK. Now Lix Pen is on Kickstarter, a crowd funding website where we ask for donations or if you are interested in our product you can pre-order. Our pens are currently available at €90.00 instead of €100.00. The money would really help us out to start the production and pay off all our expenses such as patents (super expensive), lawyers, prototypes, factory, shipping, website, etc. Everything we have done for the moment has been paid from our own pockets. We asked for £36.500 on Kickstarter and reached our goal in less than 2 hours. We have more than 300% of our goal and we hope it will continue to grow. The Kickstarter campaign is on for another 29days! So if you want to help us please go on our Kickstarter page at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lix3d/lix-the-smallest-3d-printing-pen-in-the-world .

If I have an important message it would be: Kid, always believe in yourself and remember you are super cool.

by Delphine Wood (class of 2010)

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We talked to Alessandra Magistrali (class of ‘83)

Please tell us about your life since you graduated from St. John’s?

I was one of the lucky ones in that I was able to finish high school at St. John’s before my father relocated again. The Magistrali family moved to Ann Arbor, MI, in 1983 where I attended Albion College for undergrad followed by Michigan State for grad school. I have since worked in the automotive, insurance, and media industries. For the past 19 years, I have been in the Northern Virginia area raising my two daughters, working in public radio and television (PBS and WETA), active as a volunteer in my community, and rescuing dogs. I still move every four years because I can’t get the “relocating bug” out of my system.

What are your best memories about St. John’s?

Honestly, I was not the best student. My memories are mostly on the social aspects of high school - hanging out on C-level, the sport trips, Friday nights at Messana, Oktoberfest,

etc. Being prom queen was exciting and awkward. Being picked for the P.E. award at graduation was funny considering I was probably one of the few seniors taking P.E. at that point – or else the award would have gone to Laura Hansen or Nancy Everittt. A big treat for me was hearing about how my brother Marc got into trouble, again.

When and how did you decide your career path?

I decided on my career path when I was looking at graduate schools. Michigan State offered an Advertising degree that appealed to both my creative and numbers side. If you’d like more detail on my career path, check my profile on Linkedin and don’t forget to join the St. John’s International School Alumni group!

Which teachers had a profound impact on you?

Mrs. Greene, the art teacher. Hands down. Although I only took her art class for one year, she profoundly changed the way I looked at teachers. Mrs. Greene graded based on the level of enthusiasm versus talent. She made you feel like anything was possible, and instilled a love of learning and excitement. She even let us use her class after hours to work on projects while listening to loud music (thanks to Simon Arpino).

What did you learn at St. John’s that helps you in your professional life?

We were very fortunate to have attended St. John’s. The small and diverse community allowed me to take risks and do many things that I would not have been able to had I gone to a

larger school. That confidence to attempt the unfamiliar has helped me in my professional life.

What advice do you have for current students at St. John’s?

Having two teenage daughters, I understand that teenagers know everything ;-) My words of advice for the years spent in High School are simple:

•Be nice to everyone. Treat them as you would want to be treated.

•Remember names. People feel special when you remember their names.

•Be on time. It’s respectful and the teachers like it.

•Get involved. You don’t have to be the best at every sport or the President of every club. By getting involved, you learn great skills about working with others and as a team.

•Always be prepared. Study the night before each test, and get projects done ahead of time.

•If you have a lot of trouble in a subject, get a tutor.

•Don’t take a class because your friends are.

Alumnus Recalls Mrs. Greene’s Impact on her Life

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US Alumni Reunions 2014

Three St. John’s alumni reunions were held during the Easter break in Atlanta, Washington, D.C. and Boston. It was a great way to connect with alumni and share information about the 50th anniversary and other happenings at St. John’s.

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ES art show

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We talked to Bianca Hutton (class of 2002)

What are your best memories about St. John’s?

I have so many amazing memories from my 5 years at St. John’s! I started at St. John’s in 8th grade and on my first day in class we prayed for Princess Diana and her family- that was a very special moment. Other great memories include our 8th grade trip and graduation, an amazing trip to Barcelona with art class, choir practice, the legendary french fries in the cafeteria, forming ‘Junior PTA’ to help raise funds to fly in a prom date from Vienna for a friend, countless inspiring moments playing basketball, soccer and tennis, winning ISST gold with our golf team, recording our honor choir submission tapes and waiting anxiously for the results, tossing our caps up high in the old gym at graduation in 2002 and so many more...

When and how did you decide your career path?

My career path is still wide open, but I always knew I wanted to do something with an international

scope. I chose International Studies for my major at Northern Kentucky University and my first job after graduating was working with the Global Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. Since moving to Washington, DC six years ago, I have worked at Johns Hopkins Medicine International in various roles. I currently manage the Washington, DC based medical concierge office where I have the opportunity to assist patients from all around the world who are looking for highly specialized medical care at Johns Hopkins Hospital. It’s a very rewarding role where I get to fully apply my international background and language skills. I’m also currently in the process of completing my M.A. in Communication at Johns Hopkins University.

Which teachers had a profound impact on you?

Each teacher I had at St. John’s helped shape me in different ways. Mrs. Smith and Mr. Jackson helped me grow so much in 8th grade. In high school, Dr. Blok opened up a whole new world for me in TOK, Mr. Savage endured my questions about why it was so important to analyze poetry, all of my math teachers offered all of their support when I struggled in class and Mrs. Thompson made IB biology a

Amazing memories and friendship for life

fun and memorable experience. Mrs. Gortari inspired me to spend time in Spain and Cathy Swanson became everything to me during countless hours of choir practice and the most amazing honor choir trips one could ever ask for.

What did you learn at St. John’s that helps you in your professional life?

St. John’s instilled in me the importance of giving back through community service and friendship. These values continue to shape and guide me both as a communications professional at work and as an individual who is always looking for ways to give back or ‘pay it forward’.

What advice do you have for current students at St. John’s?

Take advantage of all the wonderful resources St. John’s has to offer you and enjoy each day you have on campus. St. John’s is such a special experience and we are all lucky to be part of the St. John’s community. St. John’s as a school is more than just spending time learning in the classrooms, it’s an experience you take with you for life.

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The Negative and Positive Effects on Video Games

“Kids don’t even read comic book anymore they have got more important things to do -like video games, “By Ang Lee. 70% of the world people play video games. Have you wondered about if it is negative or positive .My name is Christel Kiwanian and I am in 5th grade, my inquiry is “Technological Games & Apps”. Video games can be positive, there are lots of ways but the most important ones are helping you with your memory, accuracy and perseverance. Video games can also help you learning arts like the playing piano, drawing

and being creative. They are also good in thinking quickly, planning and managing your time. As well there are negative parts about video games when playing too much. Violent video games can result as a negative influence for you because it can make you aggressive in real life. You can also ignore the people and nature you can even be obese. It can also affect your health and eye sight and most important the most important thing is the way you think. At St.John’s top app in elementary school is Minecraft.

Minecraft is an addictive game that is positive but as well exaggeration is negative depending on how many hours a

person spends on it. 30 minutes - 1hour per day is acceptable. If a person that is not very balanced, should definitely avoid video games for during the week and play on the weekends. There are a lot of things to do in world rather than sitting and challenging an electronic calculated characters that are pointless. Playing with a friend a table tennis or any other group sports will give much more satisfaction and develops stronger social character.At home spending time with the family members is more productive than sitting in front of the electronic screen and makes a person more balanced.

IB visual arts auctionThe IB visual art auction for the class of 2014 made a record grand total of 2145 euros for The Rahula Trust this year through the great spirit, kindness and generosity of the students, their parents and teachers. Special thanks to Joshua Tewes-Mc Coy who was a truly excellent auctioneer, to Mrs. Carrie Canfield for her help at this event and many others on behalf of the art support group, to Mrs Wintjes for all her work

with these students and the use of her room, to Katherine O’Shea accompanied by Mrs. Swanson for her outstanding performances at this and many previous events in the at studios, and to the 11th grade IB visual arts students who prepared food, organised and ran the auction. Congratulations to all these graduating seniors in the IB visual art class and a big thank you to all who helped to make this event a success.

by Christel Kiwanian - 5th grade (for her PTP Project)

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TEXTURES

SHOWART

The Textures art exhibition combined the amazing talents of two of our St. John’s teachers: the paintings and drawings by Borislav Varadinov and the ceramics by Michelle Cornez-Mathot.

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the number of students who have graduated from St. John’s in the past 50 years (through summer 2014)2019

years – our anniversary coming up in the 2014-15 school year50

the postal code of Waterloo1410

flags – the number of nationalities currently represented by students at St. John’s50

the number of Directors/Heads St. John’s has had over the past 50 years5

the number of birds in the artwork commissioned for the 50th anniversary50

the number of special events dedicated to our 50th anniversary7

the year St. John’s was founded1964

seniors will graduate from St. John’s this year79

the number of 2.5 year old students in our new Timbertots class10

our current ISST ranking out of 16 schools3

NUMBERS

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Embrace your years at St. john’s

Interview Elie Stowe – class of 1976

My life since St. John’s has been spectacular, in part because of having been at St. John’s. Early on I became comfortable with, and curious about other people, cultures and countries. I became unafraid to travel, became a better person and tourist, and have continued to be extremely tolerant of others and their cultures. As a result, I’ve been to places and met people whom I cherish to this day.

Some of my fondest, and most vivid, memories are of being in “Take Her, She’s Mine,” being on the basketball team, and stomping around Belgium and northern Europe. I loved skiing in Switzerland, Biology and French (where I apparently did so well, that I ended up in all Senior classes as a Sophomore when back in the states), and my classmates. I remember all of the concerts we went to, and the never-ending rivalry with ISB.

I always felt safe and valued at St. John’s. Brother Saldago was fantastic, as was Sister Mary John (of course)... I wish I could tell you I remembered others, but time has erased most of their names and faces (has it really been 40 years?).

The only advice I have is to embrace your years at St. John’s. Embrace the people, the cultures, and the languages; they will allow you to go places and meet people you otherwise may never have

had the fortune to experience. Do everything you can inside and outside of the school - these are years that the rest of your life will be built upon. And hug your parents, for they are sending you to this extraordinary place, with extraordinary people. Fortune has smiled upon you indeed.

14To celebrate the St. John’s heritage and all that our school stands for, an art work has been commissioned to be placed in the foyer of our Performing Arts Center. Fifty individually crafted birds will hang from the ceiling in one giant flock, symbolizing our unity in diversity. You now have the chance to sponsor a bird and have your name placed on the

name plaque of the Artwork - www.stjohns.be/content/adopt-bird

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In late March, St. John's hosted TEDx "The Sustainable Future" on the future of sustainable energy. The event, in partnership with the European Commissioner for Energy, Accenture, the Royal Society of Chemistry and Amcham, featured an impressive list of speakers from across the sustainable energy spectrum.

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ISST Winter 2014 Reports

Swimming by Soraya Kezelmann

All the St John’s swimmers were extremely excited for ISSTs in England this year, where the venue for the competition was the official London Olympic Pool. Getting to compete against international swimmers from countries from the Netherlands to Egypt, the exciting venue made the whole ISST experience much more thrilling than usual. All those early practices were about to be worth it for us, as we prepared to race in the final challenge of the season.

This season was at times a bit of a muddle for the swim team.

Girls Varsity Basketball by Elin Iredahl

The basketball season 2013-2014 was one with a mix of many different emotions. At the beginning, it is safe to say a lot of the members of our team were considering whether or not to actually play basketball. Seeing as we all loved our team and coach, we decided to suck it up, and play on. This was an extremely good decision, seeing as we ended up having the best season possible playing with eachother. Our team was made up of three seniors; Zara, Kate and Charlotte, all of which will be

Not only did we have fewer swimmers than usual, but there

was also a mid-season change of coaches. I was fortunate enough to be able to know these coaches beforehand, but others were not as lucky. Additionally, one of the coaches spoke very little English. At first it was a bit tough for the younger ones with all the changes and all the French going on, but overall I’d

have to say as a team we adapted very well to the new situation. Soon enough we were back on track on the road to ISSTs.

Just as the adrenaline level was reaching its climactic point, the St John’s swim team had arrived at the London pool. I can still remember how our jaws dropped when we entered the venue. The pool had been opened to the public just a couple of days before for the first time since the world’s best swimmers had competed there in the 2012 Olympics. We’d be swimming in the lanes that world records had been broken

in, where professional swimmers’ hardships and dreams had finally come to realization. It was a really special atmosphere.

Overall St John’s faired very well. We won 4 medals: 1 bronze for senior Miguel Cohnen in the varsity boys 200 IM and 3 silver medals for sophomore Soraya Kezelmann (myself) in the 50, 100, and 200 freestyle varsity girls race. There were also multiple ribbons won in the individual and relay races. JV girls came 13th, JV boys came 13th, varsity girls came 5th, and varsity boys came 7th. Overall we came 11th. I, as one of the team captains, was extremely proud of the whole team and our progress. We fought through the weekend with enthusiasm, achieving personal goals and enjoying the atmosphere. Can’t wait for next year!

missed greatly. We had four juniors on our team; Gaby, Astrid, Sofia and Ashley. We also had two sophomores, myself and Francesca, and a single freshman, Sarah. And, let’s not forget our wonderful Coach Adam.

Throughout the season we grew as a team and, even though we probably had only one practice throughout the whole season where everyone was present, everyone got to know each other extremely well, both on and off the court. I have been on quite a few St. Johns

teams, and I have to admit, this is one of the closest teams I have been on. It was a real pleasure practicing and playing with all these ladies. Throughout the season the Girls Varsity Basketball team had a total of

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Boys Varsity Basketball by Cameron Black

This year Coach Davis made it clear that staying in division I was the goal of the season and understood that it would be an upward climb noting the previous season’s struggle, even with basketball veterans David Klintstam and Cameron Black on that team. Everyone knew adjustments had to be made and the team needed an offensive corner stone player. Names were being whispered but the search didn’t last long because at the Christmas invitational Joe Hawkins answered that call with a stellar performance against The American School of Paris, by scoring a buzzer beating three to tie the game and then went on to lead the win against ASP in double overtime resulting in a 53-50 win for St. Johns.

As the season progressed the team faced the challenge of trying to build a team since it was the first year that the starting five played Varsity level basketball together. This challenge was reflected in the four game losing streak following the ASP win. It was clear that half court sets weren’t producing offensive results and after winter break the team focused on a run and gun offense which consisted of running fast breaks and playing pressure defense.

By the time the ISST’s came around in March the St. John’s basketball team had already made impressive wins against TASIS and ISB in the regular season. However on the first day of the ISST’s at the International School of Brussels, St. John’s faced Munich and TASIS in their pool and lost both games the first day. However it should be noted that Munich ended up placing first and TASIS second in the overall championship. After that first day it was one grueling game after another in the war to stay in division I which resulted in a gut wrenching loss to The American School in Israel by four points and a loss to the American School of the Hague by double digits. Nonetheless, on the last day of the ISST’s the team still persevered and went on to beat Vienna to earn 11th place.

Being relegated however isn’t the end of St. John’s basketball and in some ways it can prove to be a reset button for the program if perceived the right way. St. John’s basketball has a seemingly bright future with freshman Alejandro Colmenares showing signs

of promise during the regular season and Joe Hawkins having solidified his role as a corner player. Moreover both JV and Varsity teams as a whole have made substantial improvements during this season. In division II, the team can focus on building a solid system to produce wins instead of relying on run and gun tactics. St. John’s has a history of producing championship-winning teams and this author is confident that with the continuing dedication of the upcoming team and Coach Davis’ coaching, St. John’s will come out of division II prepared for revenge. Being in division II will replace the stress of possible relegation, with the determination to win first place, something that has been lacking in St. John’s basketball during the previous seasons.

11 wins and 11 losses, making us the most frequently winning winter season team. We had a great season, and we were hoping to have as much success at ISST’s. However we were not as successful at ISST’s as we had hoped. Being placed in the same bracket as the two finalist teams, we had a very hard draw. Even before going to ISST’s we knew it would not be easy for us to win against these two amazing

teams, TASIS and ASL. However, when it came down to the relegation matches, we showed our strength, and it bought us the 8th place in the ISST tournament, out of the 12 teams that were competing. Overall, our season was an amazing one, and even though some of us did think of leaving the team at the beginning, we are very thankful that we did not follow this train of thought. It was an amazing honour to

play with all these wonderful girls, and of course having such a great Coach like ours, Coach Adam. Even though he can be a bit strange at times, he was the perfect Coach for us, seeing as we were all just as weird. The season was amazing, just like the team, and I could not have asked for better team mates and Coach. Thank you all!

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THANK YOU, MRS. BAMBRIDGE!

drawing by Alison in grade 2

Mrs. Bambridge is leaving St. John’s after many years to start a new adventure in Paris. We thank her for her dedication to the Elementary students at St. John’s and

wish her all the best in her new position.

We will miss her!

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Family

Day

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Grade 7 students meet Jane Goodall at the European Parliamentby The 7th Grade Team

As the conclusion to our electronics recycling campaign, 20 students got the opportunity to hear Jane Goodall, famous primatologist and founder of the Jane Goodall Institute, at the European Parliament on May 7th.

After the presentation of projects by 8 different schools, she thanked everyone for their contribution to respect every individual: humans, animals and environment. She also stressed the importance of building bridges between cultures. In the afternoon, students visited the Parliamentarium to get acquainted with the organization of the European Parliament. A few reactions from students: “It’s more special for you to hear her (Jane Goodall) telling you her

story than reading about her on the Internet. It is really fun to be a “part” of where they make the decision on your future” “All the community services inspired me to suggest this to the student council” “It was a one-of-a-kind experience.” “It gets you inspired to help and nice hearing everyone’s way of helping.” “It was better for learning because the museum was hands on and kid friendly, so a lot of the info was easier to remember.”

St. John’s hosts Theory of Knowledge (TOK) Encounter for international school studentsby Mr. Jones, HS English teacher

On March 26th, the St. John’s Middle and High School Library hosted the first ever Theory of Knowledge (TOK) Encounter for students of the international schools of the Brussels area and one team of students from the Catholic University of Louvain (KU Leuven). The TOK teachers of these schools have been meeting on a regular basis, but in their last meeting they decided that it was time to organize something bigger and different where their students would be the main protagonists. This Encounter, hence, brought

together students and teachers who are passionate about today’s big questions and challenges. This year’s main topic was “What is an International / Global Citizen?”

Zoe and Eduardo, two St. John’s seniors, started off the discussion by presenting their TOK research project entitled “Third Culture Kids and Global Citizenship.” They explored the idea of how growing up in a foreign country fosters global awareness and respect for diversity. Following the student presentation, Middle School teacher and PhD Candidate Mr. Young explained part of his dissertation in a discussion entitled ‘The Aspirations of the Global Citizen.” His research on 8th graders and their perception of identity opened a dialogue concerning the difficulty many international students have

answering the simple question, “Where are you from?”

After the opening remarks the students were broken up into 6 smaller groups and were asked to engage in topics and issues raised by the two presentations. The library was filled with a rich enthusiasm as our students and those from the international schools of Antwerp, Brussels, and KU Leuven shared their mutual experiences of growing up abroad. Each small group was also asked to create and deliver an original presentation involving the ideas and discussion carried out in their respective groups. The results included a variety of presentations where skits, debates and even a courtroom style cross examination of a Belgian student volunteer claiming to be an international

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Speechwriter teaches students the art of speech writingby Mr. Jones, HS English teacher

Mr. Jonathan Parish (Speechwriter to the NATO Secretary General and St. John’s parent) delivered the second of two presentations on Speech Writing recently. Although principally aimed at 11th Grade IB Language and Literature classes, several students and staff from other subjects dropped by.

The King’s Speech is a central ‘text’ for the Media component and so Mr Parish’s explanations of the inner workings and surrounding contexts of modern speech writing were especially valuable. In addition, many of his points could be extended to UCAS Personal Statements and college applications.

According to Mr Parish, the art of speech writing can be distilled down to three key terms: ethos, pathos and logos. To put it another way: the authenticity with which you speak, the way

you establish sympathy with your audience and the internal logic with which you construct your argument. Woe betide the public figure when these are out of alignment – as witnessed, Mr Parish suggested, when Tony Blair addressed the British Women’s Institute in June 2000.

A recording of Mr Parish’s presentation is available to staff and students.

student were used as pedagogical tools. All in all, the day was a real success and students left with new friends and new insights into their own identities.

By the end of the day, the TOK Encounter students came to maintain a consensus idea: To be truly internationally minded, one has to integrate with the local culture, not only stay in the “International Community Bubble.” Vice versa “local” students also saw the need to be open to interact with students coming from other geographical areas and cultural backgrounds. They all agreed that next year the event should include more students and teachers both from Belgian and international schools.

St. John’s HS students appear in World War 1 documentary

The TV show Fans of Flanders, appearing on the main channel VRT, recently produced a documentary about World War I and asked 5 of our High School students to participate in the making of the documentary.

The students went to visit historic World War I places such as Menin Gate, Talbot House, Lijssenthoek Cemetery and the trenches ‘De Dodengang’ with the TV crew.

Please see the documentary here:

http://www.fansofflanders.be/Categories/TV%20Show/20_April_2014/03042014_WWI_Epi

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The Tom O’Donnell Tournament

In March, the gyms were full of action, fun and sportsmanship all day in support of a great cause. The Tom O’Donnell tournament

brings students, parents, teachers and alumni together for a day of indoor soccer and fun, in memory of a former student, while raising

well over 1200 Euro for two cancer charities!

May 2014 21-24 ISSTs baseball, softball, tennis and track & field29-30 Ascension break, Public holiday – no school

June 20147 Graduation9 Whit Monday – Public Holiday - no school25 Last ½ day of school for students26 Last day of school for teachers

School Year 2014-15

August 201428 First day of school for grades 1-1329 First day of school for grades PK and K

October 201427-31 Fall break

December 201422-Jan 3 Christmas Holiday

February 201516-20 Winter break

April 20153-17 Easter Holiday

June 201524 Last ½ day of school for students

What else has been happening? Mane Events

Giulia Prenna’s wedding

Former teacher Bernadette Perry

Former teacher Bernadette Perry in February in London with her husband Richard and daughter, former Director’s secretary Nadine Tyteca and former St. John’s parent Mrs. Moore.

Alumnus Giulia Prenna (class of 97) married Robert Orr on April 16 in Brussels. Mother of the bride Sandra Prenna is a former teacher at St. John’s and both of Giulia’s siblings graduated from St. John’s as well. The happy couple lives in the U.S. where Giulia works in the movie business.

Stella Kuhn von Burgsdorff’s wedding

Robin and I got married on 14.02.14 in Cape Town, South Africa. It was a very special day with beautiful friends and family making it forever memorable. A very international event as well as our guests arrived from six different continents and Robin being from Australia, yet another diverse angle was added to my globetrotting family. We have also decided to call Cape Town our home for the coming years before we look at embarking on a new adventure. Life is beautiful.

John, Ian and Savana Greene at the inauguration of the Greene Gallery

Students invited to hear Obama speech in Brussels