St John's Grammar School in Belair, South Australia, Australia | School
St John's Grammar School
Locality: Belair, South Australia, Australia
Phone: +61 8 8278 2233
Address: 29 Gloucester Avenue 5052 Belair, SA, Australia
Website: http://www.stjohns.sa.edu.au
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25.01.2022 With the Year 12 exams coming to a close last week, we had planned to mark the ‘official’ end of school with the Year 12 Graduation Dinner. However, with the lockdown forcing the cancellation of this annual event, our Head of Senior School and Senior Heads of House quickly adapted and came up with a new event our first ever Year 12 Graduation Drive-Through! Organised and completed just in time before the South Australian lockdown, our Year 12 teachers decked out the front o...f Retreat House with colourful decorations, played musical instruments and danced along to a 1980s playlist as families drove through. Our Year 12 graduates collected their Graduation Book, a poster handmade by their Year 7 buddy and a letter they wrote to themselves in Year 8, and took photos to mark the unique occasion. Our teachers put in a wonderful effort, organising the last minute details and decorations, dressing up and celebrating each student and family as they drove through. Some families also dressed up and held a celebration in their car, arriving prepared with their champagne, streamers, music! While it wasn't the celebration we had hoped to hold, it was certainly a memorable and uplifting way to celebrate the extraordinary achievements of our Class of 2020, and those who have supported them.
25.01.2022 As part of our Book Week celebrations, 11 brave Middle School students challenged themselves to enter the 'Write a Book in a Day' competition. Working in two groups, students had to address a unique set of parameters to write, illustrate and publish a book between 8am and 8pm. Both groups had to use all their collaborative and problem solving skills as they negotiated a shared plot, divvied up the writing, illustrating and editing tasks, and produced two amazing books that w...ere cohesive, engaging and beautifully written. Energy levels were high throughout the day as students raced to beat the clock. The Blue team wrote 'The Pigeon of Love', featuring the complex relationship between the Prime Minister, his partner and his chauffeur, as told by a very hungry bird. In contrast, the Maroon team wrote 'My Father Told Me', a moving tale of a young rugby player trying to come to terms with his poor relationship with his deceased father, all with the aid of an old hat. The finished books will be distributed to childrens hospitals around the country for patients to read during their treatments. In addition, our students raised over $800 for The Kids Cancer Project which provides valuable funds for cancer research. Gold coin donations from yesterday's Book Week Dress-Up day also went to this charity. If you wish to make a contribution, you can do so by following the prompts at https://writeabookinaday.com/ Copies of both books will also be available in the The Learning Commons on the Secondary Campus for students to read.
25.01.2022 Tournament of Minds is a problem solving program for teams of students from both primary and secondary years. The Tournament's aim is to develop diverse skills, enterprise, time management and the discipline to work collaboratively within a challenging and competitive environment. Tournament of Minds looks beyond academic achievement and the process provides a platform for excellence and equips participants with twenty-first century skills and strategies. Teams are required t...o solve demanding, open-ended challenges from one of the following disciplines: The Arts, STEM, Language Literature and Social Sciences. While it wasn’t possible for the Tournament of Minds to run in the same way this year as in previous years, we were pleased to hear that TOM hadn’t cancelled the program, instead offering an online version for 2020. Two Junior School teams participated in the online final and both demonstrated excellent teamwork, diverse skills, creativity and hard work. During this week’s Junior School Assembly we celebrated the students who participated and Mr Smith interviewed them to find out what they enjoyed about the experience. Congratulations to Team 1, who were one of only 6 teams to receive a Merit for the Junior Primary Tournament of Minds final! The Merits replaced the usual State Winner places due to the Nationals being cancelled for 2020. While Team 2 did not place, they put in a great effort and should be very proud of their performance. Well done to all of the students and staff involved!
24.01.2022 As part of last weeks Book Week celebrations, Year 6 students were invited to the grand opening of a pop-up Mexican restaurant with a difference - La BOOK-aracha, a book tasting restaurant inside our Centre for Creativity! Our fun and creative Junior School Library Services Coordinator Ms Saxby was keen to pilot this new event with our Year 6s, in preparation for all year levels attending book tastings in 2021, and it was clear from the moment students entered the perfectl...y themed restaurant that the event was a hit! The aim of a book tasting experience is to provide students with exposure to books they may not have thought about trying. Students were treated to a diverse menu of age appropriate books carefully selected for them by Ms Saxby, with each table in the restaurant featuring a different genre. The diners spent time tasting the books featured on their table before filling in a menu review card and moving on to the next genre. At the conclusion of the tasting experience the Year 6s filled in a reflection napkin, outlining what they thought of their tasting experience and recording their favourite book. This was a highly enjoyable and memorable experience for the students involved, and we cant wait to see what restaurants appear in 2021!
24.01.2022 To round up a jam-packed National Science Week, today we visited experiments being conducted in Year 9 and Year 6 that connected to the 2020 theme of Deep Blue: Innovation for the future of our oceans. Our Year 9 students looked at photosynthesis, investigating the effect of carbon dioxide concentration on the rate of photosynthesis in aquatic plants. Most of Earths oxygen comes from tiny ocean plants called phytoplankton that live near the waters surface and drift wi...th the currents. Scientists believe that phytoplankton contribute between 50 to 85 percent of the oxygen in the Earths atmosphere, a finding that demonstrates yet again the importance of protecting our oceans and waterways. In Year 6, students discussed the devastating impact that plastic has on our oceans, and investigated steps they can take to reduce plastic pollution. One option they experimented with is the creation of edible water bottles that are biodegradable! Our students used sodium alginate, water and calcium lactate to create the edible blobs that look and feel similar to an egg yolk. To drink from them, you simply bite into the sphere and drink the liquid from inside. When you are finished drinking, the container can be eaten or discarded, and will decompose in just a few weeks, the same as a piece of fruit. The students were inspired by the idea, and full of more exciting ideas to reduce pollution in our oceans. Thank you to our passionate and dedicated Science teachers for setting up so many interesting activities and experiments connected to the Deep Blue theme this week!
24.01.2022 Congratulations to Year 6 student Ruby Harris, who recently completed her third MS Readathon challenge and finished 6th in Australia! Inspired by her grandpa, Ruby has participated in the MS Readathon for the last three years. Her original goal for 2020 was to read 1,000 pages and raise $1,000 in the month of August, but she quickly surpassed this, reading over 1,400 pages and raising $3,708! Over the three years she has been involved in the challenge, Ruby has raised approxi...mately $8,000. Funds raised from the MS Readathon will help fund vital support services, like the special MS Family Camps. These camps provide an opportunity for children who have a parent living with multiple sclerosis to spend quality time with their family, learn more about multiple sclerosis and bond with other children who are sharing their journey. This year Ruby took her involvement in the challenge to the next level, making it the focus of her Year 6 MI Space project and learning how to fundraise. She organised a fundraising casual day in the Junior School, and also held a scrunchie stall, selling beautiful handmade scrunchies that she and her mother Bonnie created. Well done to Ruby, who has not only raised vital funds, but has also increased awareness of MS and inspired our Junior Campus students and staff with her passion and dedication!
24.01.2022 While the Australian music industry celebrated musical talent at the virtual ARIAs on Wednesday night, we celebrated the future stars of Australian film at The 'Ozcars’ Awards, held in The John Bray Centre for Performing Arts. This year our Year 9 Drama students have been studying Australian Theatre with a focus on iconic Australian plays based in realism. They have taken excerpts from these plays, explored and prepared their characters, costuming and the set, and then filme...d the scene. The plays included Morning Sacrifice by Dymphna Cusack, The House of Bernadette by Patricia Cornelius, Summer of the Seventeenth Doll by Ray Lawler and So Much to Tell You by John Marsden. Students also filmed and directed monologues from Who’s Afraid of the Working Class by Andrew Bovell, The Black Sequin Dress by Jenny Kemp, Europe by Michael Gow, Black Rock by Nick Enright, The Female of the Species by Joanna Murray-Smith and The Golden Age by Louis Nowra. Their hard work was celebrated on Wednesday night at the Ozcars, with the actors, directors and guests dressing up for the occasion, walking the maroon carpet and posing for photos in front of a large Oscar statue painted by Year 9 student Daniel Rowe. Judges Mary Angley, Wendy Morecroft and Ben Clark had a difficult task awarding the Oscar-like trophies for Best Actor, Best Supporting Role and Best Director, and the audience were also involved, voting for the People’s Choice Award. Excited award winners gave acceptance speeches, and in true 2020 style, we even had some accepting their awards over Facetime! Congratulations to the award winners and all students and staff involved in this glamourous event!
24.01.2022 In Week 9, our Year 7s were excited to share their 2020 learning journey with their parents during the Year 7 Sharecase afternoon. Students took on the role of tour guide, taking their parents on a unique tour of the Secondary Campus to see the learning spaces and hear first-hand about the exciting learning taking place within, and outside of, our classroom walls. Parents were able to view student work completed across the year, speak to teachers and other parents, and take p...art in activities and demonstrations set up to showcase each subject area - including dressing up in traditional clothing in the Languages area! After the tour, parents attended a connection and support session titled ‘Supporting Your Young Adolescent’, facilitated by School Counsellor Mandy Seyfang. This session aligned well with the Wings Wellbeing Program our students undertake over their Secondary journey, focusing on respect and communication within families, the positive use of technology and the importance of balance.
24.01.2022 It has been an exciting fortnight for our youngest Junior School learners, our new Mid-Year Reception students. They have enjoyed exploring their classroom and play areas, making new friends and getting to know their class teacher Mrs Abram, Head of Junior School Mr McKenzie and their specialist teachers. Last week Mrs Abram introduced the children to the CARES values of Courtesy, Awareness, Responsibility, Empathy and Service. These values are central to our pastoral care pr...ogram and our new students will be looking at each value in detail across the Term. Last Thursdays focus was Courtesy, and the class discussed what this value looks like at school and at home before illustrating their ideas. The students had the Courtesy value in mind as they listened to each others All About Me presentations and learnt many interesting facts about their new classmates. Lior shared one of his favourite books about Pig the Pug during his presentation, and Mrs Abram found another funny book about the same character to read later in the day. A favourite lesson for this enthusiastic and inquisitive class is Guided Inquiry, where the children explore the myriad of resources available to them in their new classroom and engage in self-directed learning individually or with others. Our Junior Primary nature play and play pod areas have also been very popular, with students getting to know both their classmates and the other Reception students who have completed their first Semester and are now enjoying the responsibility of showing the new students around! Mrs Abram also introduced the children to our House System, and announced who would be joining each of our four Houses: Gooch, Halstead, Moffatt and Prince. To help them remember which House they belonged to, the students created a special necklace and proudly wore it to their first House Meeting with students from Reception to Year 6. We extend a warm welcome to all our new Junior School students and their families we look forward to following your journey through the School!
23.01.2022 Last week we were proud to witness innovation and enterprise at its best as we staged the finals of Year 8 Innov8. Year 8 Innov8 is a signature experience of our Year 8 program whereby all students are encouraged to identify, devise and create an invention to solve a problem, fulfil a passion or expand on an idea. The diversity in student projects is one of the highlights of the competition, and this year was no different with just some of this year's interesting ideas includ...ing: a koala carrier, a care package bag, films and computer games through to a door opener, an outdoor fitness station, a selfie stick and even a blanket remover for teenagers that refuse to get out of bed! Congratulations to the overall Winner and People's Choice award winner, Nicole, who designed and 3D moulded playing card holders to support those with disabilities that may affect their grip. Following closely in second place was Peter with his web-based computer game, and tied in 3rd place were Riley, with his repurposed shovel guitar, and Annecy, with her dance shoe orthotics. The ideas don't get pushed to the side when the competition finishes either; as part of our school-wide innovation and enterprise learning framework, we are in the process of establishing an innovation 'flight fund' which provides funding for students to develop their prototypes and receive support to take their ideas to industry.
23.01.2022 On Day 2 of National Science Week there were a number of activities happening across our Junior and Secondary Campuses, including a tensile strength experiment in Year 4. Students worked individually or in pairs to complete their 'Snap, Tear or Stretch?' experiment, where they measured the force required to pull or stretch a material to the point where it breaks. Ms Sharpe had a variety of familiar materials for students to use in their experiment, such as biodegradable bags,... paper, tissue, foam, microfibre cloth and plastic bags. Before beginning the task, the class had a discussion about the importance of keeping experiment conditions the same in order to achieve reliable results - while the material changed for each test, each piece was cut to the same size and stretched across a wooden peg with the same force. In Round 1 students recorded their predictions and results for each dry material, and Round 2 involved soaking the material in water to see if this resulted in a different outcome. Our Year 4s were excited to see which materials snapped, teared and stretched, and particularly enjoyed using magnifying glasses to inspect the fibres of each material before and after!
23.01.2022 There is plenty of excitement on the Secondary Campus this week as we count down the days until the 2020 Secondary Campus musical, The Addams Family, opens next week! Students from Year 7-11 are involved in onstage and offstage roles, and The John Bray Centre for Performing Arts is looking spookier every day as the finishing touches are added to the set. One way students can be involved offstage is by working on hair and make-up. In The Addams Family this role is quite compl...icated, as ghoulish makeup is required for the majority of the cast. Our hair and make-up students enjoyed participating in a workshop earlier this Term with Vanessa Shirley, a St Johns Grammar parent and experienced performer and make-up artist. Vanessa has been involved with other productions of The Addams Family and had many tips and tricks for getting the look just right for each character, and for making the most of each make-up and hair product. The students have been refining their skills throughout the Term and we can't wait to see the hair, make-up and costumes come together to create some spooky characters next week!
23.01.2022 Wishing our community a happy, safe and joyous Christmas. Our Reception students celebrated Christmas together on the last day of Term 4, holding a concert for family that was filled with their favourite Christmas songs. Their handmade Christmas headpieces, excited faces and enthusiastic singing and dancing filled the audience with the Christmas spirit - a perfect way to finish their first year in the Junior School!... We are grateful for all we have shared and accomplished as a community this year, and know there is much to look forward to at St John’s Grammar in 2021.
23.01.2022 Our Secondary Campus students and staff had a ball dressing up for Book Week today, with a gold coin donation going to The Kids Cancer Project for the honour of wearing a costume. This years Book Week theme is Curious Creatures, Wild Minds, so there were many colourful creatures and beloved characters to be found in classrooms and around the school grounds! Students and staff also enjoyed participating in the first annual Book Week Quiz at lunchtime in The Learning Commons..., with teams of six answering questions related to this year's theme. It wasnt all about the students though. Staff, as always, certainly got into the spirit of thingstoday our students were taught by Maleficent, Thing One, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Sherlock Holmes, Hermione Granger, Wally and Newt Scamander, to name just a few!
22.01.2022 Last week our Year 1s could hardly contain their excitement as they arrived at school dressed in pioneer outfits in preparation for their trip back in time to Old Tailem Town. As part of their History studies during Term 3, students learnt about the past, focusing on a range of areas including transport, clothing, education, technology and communication. This excursion tied in perfectly, providing the students with a firsthand experience of what life was like for the settlers... of South Australia from 1860-1960. On arrival to the pioneer village, students marched into an authentic 1800s classroom where they were informed of the strict nature of schooling back in the day including the use of the cane! Parent volunteers also dressed in pioneer costumes and accompanied small groups of students as they spent the day exploring the town and discovering the similarities and differences between the past and the present.
22.01.2022 Happy Fathers Day to all of the fantastic fathers and grandfathers in our St Johns Grammar community! On Thursday (which was also a fundraiser casual day) our hardworking Parents and Friends Association brought much excitement to the Junior Campus by running a Fathers Day Stall, with a wide array of gifts available for children to purchase for fathers, grandfathers and special friends. With stock lists provided beforehand, children arrived at the stall with a gift in mind,... and left as happy customers. Our parent volunteers even gift-wrapped the presents, so the children were all ready to surprise their family members today. Of course, children have also been making some special cards and gifts throughout the week. We hope all of the fathers in our community have an enjoyable day with family and enjoy opening some beautiful gifts!
21.01.2022 Yesterday our Year 1 students Science curriculum was interactively extended through a visiting science lab courtesy of Lee from Mobile Science Education, a STEM education support provider offering a range of programs and services for children of all ages. Through a variety of fun and hands-on demonstrations, experiments and investigations, our students examined energy in the form of light, sound, heat and movement, with the visual and interactive activities explaining how th...ese energies travel. The students experimented with kaleidoscopes, clucking chickens, rainbow light wheels, sound tubes, torches and more as they explored some of the things in our world that use the energy of light and sound. From the moment Lee began the session, the children were highly engaged in Lee's presentation. There were shocked faces as they heard amazing facts about light and sound, and squeals of delight as they tried each experiment for the first time.
20.01.2022 Last week our Year 9 students embarked on their Rite Journey camp. In the beautiful surrounds of the Northern Flinders Ranges, they took part in the important Abyss experience, which saw them complete an overnight solo camp challenge. The Rite Journey program features 7 unique stages to support our Year 9 students during their transition from childhood to adulthood, and each stage incorporates a ceremony or celebration that leads the students to acknowledge their personal j...ourney towards adulthood. Stage 5 is the Abyss: Solo experience. The solo experience and the entire camp is the biggest challenge of the Rite Journey year, and certainly put our students out of their comfort zone, with the purpose of helping them learn more about themselves. Significant challenges included a 60m abseil, the solo night and hiking around the iconic Wilpena Pound, carrying all their belongings. These experiences are designed to challenge the students physically, mentally and socially. The focus of the Rite Journey program for Term 3 was exploring the question Is There Something More?, where students were encouraged to connect with their own and others spirituality. We know these experiences and many others in Wilpena Pound allowed students and staff to reflect on a fantastic week away. The camp provided so much opportunity for challenge, reflection and growth, we are confident this has prepared our students for the challenges ahead in adulthood.
20.01.2022 The Class of 2020 achieved excellent final results. In a most challenging year, the students showed great conviction and resilience to generate wonderful outcomes that will now open those doors to their chosen fields of further study and work. It was a year that their teachers went above and beyond to ensure the learning flowed and the extra care and support was always provided. They will be very proud of what has been achieved this year. Congratulations to our Dux, Willard R...avenscroft who achieved an ATAR of 99.35 (Merits in Modern History and English) and Proximae Accessit, Mitchell Keegan who achieved an ATAR of 98.90 (Merit in Research Project). Nine students were awarded a total of ten Merits across seven subjects, and a perfect score equivalency was achieved by another five students across eight University subjects. A commendable 20% of our Year 12 cohort finished in the top 5% nationally, with an ATAR above 95. A total of 27 students join our Top Guns, a unique group reserved for students who achieve an ATAR above 90, placing them in the top 10% nationally. A pleasing outcome was that 90% of all grades achieved were A or B grades, and a special mention to our International Students, who performed very well under particularly difficult circumstances. We would like to extend congratulations to all parents who worked in partnership with the School in guiding and supporting our Year 12 students throughout a year like no other. Generating such outstanding results requires a team effort, and that marriage between home and school remains formidable at St John’s Grammar.
20.01.2022 During Children’s Week, we were excited to celebrate one of our Year 6 students, Liv, who was awarded the Minister for Education’s Children’s Week Award (Primary School category). The awards celebrate students who have demonstrated outstanding achievement and Liv was nominated for her role as Library Leader which she took on as part of her MiSpace Project (our student agency and innovation program in Year 6). As part of her role as Library Leader, Liv lent assistance to stude...nts and staff by helping to prepare activities, field questions and queries and helping students in accessing library resources. Liv also co-hosted a school-based read-a-thon during Term 3 and organised and implemented a fundraiser for the Library. Liv even coordinates the children’s library which sees her promoting the work that students are doing and ensuring that the library design, displays and furniture are arranged to best highlight these works. Due to COVID-19, the awards celebration looked a little different this year, however we were proud to celebrate Liv’s achievements as a school community. Well done Liv!
19.01.2022 Last week, over 60 students were involved in our 2020 Secondary Campus Musical, taking on roles as actors, singers, dancers, band members, stage crew, costume, hair and make-up designers, set and props makers, lighting engineers and sound mixers in ‘The Addams Family Musical’. For many students, this production was their first time being involved in a musical, and the excitement level was high all through Production Week! A production of this size requires many hours of hard... work from the Performing Arts staff, who mentored our students along the way and produced an impressive show full of great music, energetic dance numbers, spooky props, elaborate costumes and hilarious characters who were perfectly cast. Since auditions were first announced, students have collaborated, shared their knowledge and developed their skills, and there have been many new friendships made along the way. The Addams Family would not have been possible without the hardworking staff from our Performing Arts and Visual Arts Departments, as well as staff from other learning areas who assisted with costumes, props and set construction. Many parents also assisted across Term 3, and our Friends of the Performing Arts provided wonderful front of house support. The Musical was a certainly a hit with our community, with all performances selling out well before opening night! Anyone who was lucky enough to score tickets has raved about every aspect of the production, commending the cast and crew for their attention to detail and professionalism. Congratulations to all students and staff involved for creating such a high quality musical that audience members will remember for many years to come!
19.01.2022 Last Friday, all Junior School students competed in the annual Junior Athletics Carnival in Belair National Park. Students participated in a range of field and novelty events through some cold and damp conditions, but the weather didn’t dampen the team spirit and enthusiasm on display from Reception to Year 6! Our student House Captains displayed excellent leadership skills throughout the day, leading their Houses in group chants to begin the Carnival and driving the cheerin...g during the highly anticipated Whole School Relay. All students then eagerly took to the track and field events where they displayed excellent teamwork. House tops and colours were proudly worn as students competed and worked together to gain the most points for their House. At the end of the Carnival, an unstoppable Moffatt (871) came away with the victory, followed by Prince (686) as the runners up, Gooch (682) in third place and Halstead (574) fourth. The following students were awarded Age Championship medals on the day for their outstanding performances: 8/9 Year Olds Boys Age Champion Jett Thomas (Moffatt) Runner Up Joe Welsh (Prince) Girls Age Champion Dayna O’Connell (Moffatt) Runner Up Tilley Behrndt (Gooch) 10 Year Olds Boys Age Champion Boone Donnelly (Moffatt) Runner Up Remy Keys (Prince) Girls Age Champion Marlie O’Connell (Moffatt) Runner Up Remy Rawlings-Way (Gooch) 11 Year Olds Boys Age Champion Josh White (Moffatt) Runner Up Archie Molyneux (Moffatt) Girls Age Champion Lily Maros (Gooch) Runner Up Millie Brandwood (Halstead) 12+ Year Olds Boys Age Champion Alex Renfrey (Gooch) Runner Up Charlie Donaghey (Halstead) Girls Age Champion Reese Johnston (Moffatt) Runner Up Alexis Clayton (Moffatt) Josh White and Reese Johnston also won the Best Year 6 Athlete Cup Award. Thank you to the many family members who attended and cheered from the sidelines, served food to our hungry athletes and even participated in events! An extra thank you to our wonderful Parents & Friends Association for their coordination of the food and beverages. A great display of community spirit in the beautiful Belair National Park, well done to all who participated!
19.01.2022 In the lead up to the end of Term 4, our Early Learning Centre got into the festive spirit with its annual Christmas Craft activity, involving both parents and grandparents in this special event. Over the course of several weeks, family members enjoyed the opportunity to work with their child on some creative Christmas themed activities. In addition to nurturing the extended family partnership, the activities also provided the opportunity for children to explore their creativ...ity, hone their fine motor skills and bond with family members. A variety of tasks were on offer in both the 3 and 4-Year-Old Programs, including ornament and decoration making, tree making and decorating, card making, puzzle solving and much more. Aside from Christmas Craft, it was also wonderful to see children take pride in sharing their learning environment with family members through a range of learning activities.
18.01.2022 As part of our Year 6 transition program, we have a number of special opportunities for our Year 6s to come across to the Secondary Campus. Most recently our Year 6s have been working collaboratively with our Year 7s on a Shoebox Poetry project. The Shoebox Poetry project involves designing and decorating a shoebox with objects, pictures and special mementos based around a central theme of 'hope' and 'imagine'. Once the shoebox is created, a piece of poetry is written to rep...resent the meaning and relationship between the contents of the shoebox and the theme. All sorts of odds and ends were brought together as each student contributed small objects or pieces representing the central theme. Working in duos, our Year 6 & 7s buddied up in the new Year 7 Precinct to tackle the initial design. From handmade items and bought objects through to natural materials, an array of items were carefully brought together. For the next visit, our Year 7s had their turn visiting the Year 6s at the Junior Campus to complete the poetry component. With the shoeboxes complete and taking pride of place in our Whitechapel Art Gallery, the students were delighted to see their creations being treated to the gallery experience.
18.01.2022 This week our students will perform our 2020 Musical, The Addams Family, to four sold out audiences! This is such a great result for our cast, crew and staff who have worked so hard to bring this musical to life. In addition to the efforts of our Performing Arts teams, our Visual Arts department has played a large part in the preparations. Turning their creative skills to set design and prop making, our students have been involved in creating everything from portraiture and gothic-style sets, through to creepy bats and tombstones. It's all part of the experience of collaborative learning for our students, whereby interdisciplinary experiences facilitate unique and engaging learning. Did you see the sneak peek of some of the students' works that were shared via our Whitechapel Art Gallery instagram page over the weekend?
18.01.2022 Did you know that in three decades, it’s been predicted there will be more plastic in the sea than fish? With 8 million tonnes of plastic is being dumped in the ocean every year; that’s a dump truck of plastic every minute. Even more alarmingly, only 1 per cent of plastic is on the ocean’s surface. These are just some of the facts our Year 9/10 students heard while viewing the BLUE and War on Waste documentaries as part of their Media Studies lessons. Armed with this knowled...ge and after doing their own research, our Year 9/10 Media Studies students took action by creating their own documentary about the impact of plastic waste using our local impact as an example. Screened at an assembly prior to lockdown, our students aimed to bring to light the issue, physically show our impact and made simple suggestions that we can all do to reduce, reuse and recycle. But, it’s not just up to our students, we implore our parents and wider community to watch the film and consider what steps you can take to have a positive impact on our environment.
17.01.2022 In Week 6 our Year 8 students headed to Roonka Campsite on the Murray River for a week-long camp designed to take students away from the school learning environment and develop their skills in lightweight camping and other outdoor activities. Building resilience, taking risks, team work, self-reflection and a myriad of other attributes are positively developed as part of this experience. This camp, run by Wilderness Escape Outdoor Adventures, provides the opportunity to step ...away from technology for the week and helps build positive relationships with the students’ 'inner selves', classmates, teachers and the beautiful natural environment that we are so fortunate to have access to. The camp sees students spend two nights sleeping in dormitory accommodation at Roonka Camp, and two days and nights canoeing and camping along the River Murray between Blanchetown and Morgan. The campsites had zero facilities, developing the student’s resilience, ability to self-sufficiently camp and teaching them how to use the natural environment sustainably. Base camp activities included caving, an Aboriginal cultural tour, raft building and billy cart making all in the beautiful surrounds of the Roonka Campsite. Due to the implementation of lockdown restrictions the camp experience had to be cut short to 3 days and 2 nights. Our students were disappointed to come home early, but happy to have experienced the river camp with their peers and staff.
17.01.2022 The development of our St John’s Grammar School Innovative Agency Framework has established a signature experience at each year level that provides students with an opportunity to develop their agency, enterprise and action skills and knowledge across their entire St John’s learning journey. This year all Year 7 students participated in the B.E.S.T (Business Enquiry Solutions Teams) Project. Their goal was to gain an authentic understanding of the world of business, seeking ...innovation opportunities as well as building skills in problem seeking, posing questions, engaging and connecting, knowledge diving, synthesising and generating solutions. In collaboration with their team members, they connected with a local or St John's family business and posed questions, engaged and connected, enquired and then developed a potential business improvement plan for their company and present it to the class and to the business. From the outside it could be easy to wonder what Year 7 students could offer long running businesses is regards to improvement. However, it was quickly evident to all those involved that the skills needed - problem solving, posing questions and synthesising - are not restricted by age, and the ideas of our Year 7 students were unrestricted and innovative. To conclude the B.E.S.T Project, all groups celebrated for their hard work, and winners were announced, at a ceremony in Week 9. We were lucky to have the mentorship and entrepreneurial skills of St John's Grammar parent Ben Campbell from ‘The Self-Made Theory’, and thank him for providing our students with valuable guidance and support. We would also like to thank the businesses involved in this project, and we look forward to working with them in the future, as this signature experience will be offered to our 2021 Year 7 students. If you would like to be involved please contact Catherine Emmerson at [email protected].
17.01.2022 Our Secondary Campus students demonstrated extraordinary levels of house spirit today, as students from Year 7 to 12 braved the cold and wet conditions to participate in cross country running as part of the Friday lunchtime House Sport Competition. Students represented their House by running around the Campus or officiating at the finish line, and there were plenty of spectators cheering their team on in the rain too! House spirit is always at a high on Fridays as valuable s...hield points are up for grabs, but todays spirit was particularly high, with students across all year levels ignoring the weather conditions to participate or provide support, and staff even ran for their House too! Our weekly House Sport Program includes team sports such as touch football, netball, soccer, basketball, table tennis and European handball, as well as some more unusual team activities like ultimate Frisbee, Billsy Ball, skittles and UNO! Senior and Middle House Captains encourage participation and lead the cheering throughout, resulting in a great buzz around the Campus on Friday afternoons!
16.01.2022 Anglicare SA support South Australian individuals and communities in need. They support more than 60,000 South Australians through their diverse range of programs including parenting, youth, foster care, financial literacy, new arrivals, Aboriginal services, disability care, emergency assistance, homelessness and aged care. The Magdalene Centre is one of Anglicare’s three emergency relief centres. Recently, Anglicare has experienced an increase in demand for their emergency a...ssistance services, and this demand is expected to grow. Our School Chaplain, Reverend Wendy Morecroft, ran a campaign during Term 3 to collect non-perishable household items and donations to be put towards emergency support. There were so many donations received at our Junior and Secondary Campuses that Reverend Wendy had to make a number of trips to the Magdalene Centre, with the last of the items being delivered on the final day of Term 3. There were many students who volunteered their time to assist with the organisation of items, demonstrating true St John's spirit and a passion for helping those in our local community and beyond. Thank you to the many students, parents and staff members who donated to this important cause!
16.01.2022 As part of our Triple E (Exciting Educational Electives) program, a small group of Year 6 students chose to develop a Kaurna themed mural for Belair National Park. Kaurna Elder, Uncle Tamaru, worked with the students to share some stories and language typical of the area and the mural came to life based around this understanding. Elements of the design include a rainbow serpent, which is said to have created the waterways in the area and brought language with it, and a kanga...roo, which symbolises the formation of the ranges in South Australia. Students even looked at a topographical map of the ranges which follows a kangaroo-like shape, with the Mount Lofty Ranges at the tail, which explains why the tail is so prominent in the mural. Many Kaurna symbols are also in the background of the mural to symbolise aspects of Belair National Park, including the flora, fauna and waterways and the people. Additionally, all Year 6 students and teachers contributed a hand symbol to the mural. Well done to Peyton, Matilda, Isla, Jayla, Ashalin, Ella, Millie, Alexis, Liv, Victoria and Sophia who painted the mural over the course of several weeks in conjunction with Junior School Art Specialist Teacher, Ms Routley, before it was official unveiled on October 24. If you're walking the Valley Loop hike at Belair National Park, ensure you keep your eye out for the stunning mural on the dam wall, not far from the playground. Thank you to kaneophoto https://www.kaneophoto.com.au/ for the wonderful photos from the unveiling.
16.01.2022 With only weeks until the first camp of the year, our Year 9s have thrown themselves into camp preparation, with our Year 9 girls going on a hiking trek through Belair National Park. As well as the practice hikes, the students have been involved in sessions held by our Outdoor Education partners, Wilderness Escape Outdoor Adventures. As you can see from the pictures of last year's camp, the preparation is extremely important for this unique camp which sees our students trave...l to Wilpena Pound in the Flinders Ranges to undertake a range of outdoor education pursuits, including bushwalking and abseiling. The camp also incorporates a solo overnight camping experience which entails 18 hours of independent camping in the magnificent surrounds of Rawnsley Park. 'The Solo', as it is known, permits students to experience solitude, whilst providing the space to reflect upon the year and their individual progress. Such opportunities for time out are rare in a hyper connected world and provides students with a greater sense of personal courage and resilience. This is expected to be the biggest challenge of the year in the Rite Journey program and aims to put students out of their comfort zone to help them learn more about themselves. During Term 3, the focus of the Rite Journey program is the question Is There Something More?, with themes focusing on mindfulness, stillness and solitude. Preparation for the solo experience is part of the program and honours this experience as an important rite of passage on their journey into adulthood.
16.01.2022 Wow! We are beyond excited to hear that our à la cARTe exhibition has won the SALA Festival School Award! This is the second year in a row that we have claimed the top prize for our SALA Exhibition. In a communication from the SALA team we were proud to hear that the judges commended the quality of work that students produce, and that they were also taken with the innovative modes of presentation and the sensitive exploration of current world matters. What a wonderful recogni...tion for our talented artists in Years 7 - 12 and to our Art department who encourage creative expression and enable talent to flourish. You can view the students' prize winning works by following the link in the SALA story below. And, if you haven't already, you can still view our online exhibition gallery on our website, https://www.stjohns.sa.edu.au/2020-sala-exhibition/
15.01.2022 House life is central to our inclusive and collaborative culture at St Johns Grammar, so the role of House Captain is an extremely important one. House Captains work as ambassadors for every member of their House, representing their interests, driving change and improvement, and developing the sense of community within the School. They are strong role models, encouraging participation in School activities, and are involved in the organisation of many School events and fundra...isers. Our 2019 2020 House Captains have excelled in their positions and we thank Emma Eade, Caelan McNish, Sam Button, Naresh Elango, Nik Gacic, Lauren Mitchell, Charley Kennedy-Dinan and Angus van Gorp for their passion and hard work over the last 12 months. It was with great pleasure that we inducted our new Senior School House Captains for 2020-2021 at a special Assembly this morning, attended by proud family members. Family members and Heads of House joined our new leaders for a special morning tea after the Assembly. Congratulations to our 2020-2021 House Captains: GOOCH: Sarah Zammit and Will Jordans HALSTEAD: Caitlin Hill and Emily Harwood MOFFATT: Charlie Aitken and Mitchell Masters PRINCE: Harriet White and Heath Oetjen Having been elected by their peers as well as staff, and with big plans already being developed, these influential leaders are sure to make a huge difference over the coming year!
14.01.2022 At the weekend we officially opened our SALA Festival Exhibition, la cARTe. As the name suggests, this food-focused exhibition was a delicious riot of colour, texture and form that showcased the unique skill and creative expression of our Year 7 11 students. If you missed the launch, not to worry, watch our sneak peak below and, if youd like to see more, you can view our online gallery any time. https://www.stjohns.sa.edu.au/2020-sala-exhibition/ Of course, we still welcome anyone who wishes to come and see the exhibition in person during school hours for the month of August 2020. Please contact us to make a time. Congratulations to our talented and creative students and to our Art Department for all the hard work - admist COVID-19 nonetheless - to make this exhibition a reality.
14.01.2022 We were delighted to have Dr Jared Thomas, an international award-winning author, education consultant and proud Nukunu man of the Southern Flinders Ranges, visit both our Junior and Secondary campuses today to mark the start of our Book Week. As well as talking about his books, Dr Thomas also brought his wealth of knowledge as a Nukunu person and Curator of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art and Material Cultural at the South Australian Museum to talk about aspects o...f country and culture which made for interesting, informative and engaging sessions with our Year 3-6 and 7-8 students. With several titles under his belt, Dr Thomas' books focus on the stories, histories and aspirations of Aboriginal people and communities with a strong focus on belonging, culture and marginalisation. The students were captivated listening to Dr Thomas read passages from his books and experiencing the world from the perspective of the protagonists. Dr Thomas also shared the process of writing his Game Day series with Australian Olympian and NBA player, Patty Mills and how he spent time in Jamaica writing Calypso, which not only won a major international White Raven Award but is now being turned into a six-part TV series. Thank you Dr Thomas for sharing your language, culture and your wealth of knowledge and, of course, answering dozens of questions from our intrigued students.
14.01.2022 This morning we welcomed back all students and staff after a relaxing holiday break. We extend a warm welcome to the families joining our community this Term, and the students who had their first day as a St John's Grammar student today. While most students were enjoying one last sleep in yesterday, the cast, band and crew for the 2020 Secondary Campus Musical returned one day early for a day of rehearsals and workshops. This Term our students will be performing 'The Addams ...Family Musical' in Week 10 in the John Bray Centre for Performing Arts on our Secondary Campus. 'The Addams Family' is a musical comedy with music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa, and the book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. Based on the bizarre and beloved characters created by Charles Addams, this original story finds the famously macabre Addams Family put to the test when outsiders come to dinner. There was plenty of excitement backstage yesterday as the crew experimented with costumes, props, sets, lighting, sound and spooky makeup looks. The onstage performers enjoyed blocking scenes and learning the notes and movements for some of the musical numbers. We'll keep you updated with ticket information and more behind the scenes photos throughout the Term!
13.01.2022 Over the school holiday break we were thrilled to learn that 3 of our 2020 Year 12 Visual Arts students were selected to showcase their pieces in the 2021 SACE Art Show. Congratulations to Tom Ai, Eli Campbell and Charley Kennedy-Dinan. The 2021 SACE Art Show will run from Tuesday 23 March Friday 16 April with viewing times able to be booked during the week and on Saturdays at the Light Square Gallery, Adelaide College of the Arts.
13.01.2022 Each year our Reception students take part in fundraising activities to support Beacon Emergency Relief as part of our CARES program (courtesy, awareness, responsibility, empathy and service). Beacon Emergency Relief is a local Charity, based at Blackwood Church of Christ. The organisation provides free services to local members of our community in financial distress, including emergency provisions of everyday items. Due to the restrictions in place this year, students were u...nable to complete their usual fundraising activities of cupcake selling and carwashing at school, so instead brainstormed a list of tasks they could complete around their homes to raise money. The students raised an impressive $436 to spend on food donations, and were visited by Jeff from Beacon earlier in Term 4 to learn about the types of food that would most benefit those in need this Christmas. Usually, once the fundraising is complete, the Receptions hop on a train and spend time in the Mitcham community, purchasing items to donate and visiting the library. With excursions on hold after the recent lockdown, our wonderful Reception teachers ensured the highly anticipated event still went ahead, reimagining each aspect and creating a memorable incursion to reward the students for their hard work. The incursion began with a trip on the ‘train’, heading through two fabric ‘tunnels’ on the way to the shops a very exciting experience for all involved! The Receptions then arrived at the ‘shops’ and enjoyed working together to create an online shopping order of items to donate to Beacon before heading outside for their picnic lunch (usually held outside Mitcham Library). Once they had arrived at the ‘Mitcham Library’ (our Centre for Creativity), they were keen to jump in to some Christmas craft activities set up by Ms Saxby, and then settled in ready for an afternoon of book readings by special surprise guests. The Receptions were delighted to see a number of ELC and Junior School staff walk in with their favourite book, and some puppets also joined in! To complete the incursion, the children travelled back to class on the ‘train’, keen to go through the tunnels again. This incursion was yet another example of the imagination, positivity and passion our teachers have continued to bring to the classroom throughout this challenging year. Our Reception teachers have gone above and beyond to ensure our youngest Junior Campus learners have had an enjoyable and positive first year of school, and have made the most of every moment they have spent together. A commendable effort from our Reception students and staff, with many memorable learning opportunities along the way!
12.01.2022 Our Year 12 Drama students are proud to present The Art of Suffering next week in The John Bray Centre for Performing Arts, with performances held on Wednesday 12 and Thursday 13 August, 7:15pm - 8:15pm. The Art of Suffering is an original work, written for this Year 12 ensemble to showcase their talents, strengths and sense of humour. Old Scholar Harvey Newland-Harman (2017) worked with the cast and crew to produce a promo video that gives a sneak peek at the characters..., plot and set, available to view here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xU1G3Dq9Pfs&feature=youtu.be Entry to each performance is free but tickets are required due to current restrictions, and seating is limited. Please book your free tickets through TryBooking: https://www.trybooking.com/BKUNM
12.01.2022 Our 2020 Stage 2 Music students were thrilled to finally perform live for the first time this year in the Year 12 Showcase on Friday 31 July in The John Bray Centre for Performing Arts. Complete with a full supporting band of professional musicians, the students took their audience through an evening of songs that made them laugh, cry and marvel at the extraordinary talent on show. Congratulations to Lucy, Tom, Emma, Sophie, Ella and Stef, our Year 12 Stage 2 soloists, whose... musical talents amazed the audience and will be talked about for years to come. Year 11 student Lauren also joined the Year 12s when the SATB Ensemble performed their Stage 2 Ensemble pieces. The feedback from this performance has been outstanding - below are just a few comments from those who attended: "The 7 students who sang performed at an unbelievable standard - I really forgot that I was at a school event." "Tom, Stef, Ella, Lucy, Emma, Sophie and Lauren completely and utterly took my breathe away with their talent, the variety of songs and styles and their heartfelt words in between the sets." "The Year 12 Music showcase was the most amazing music show I have seen. I was moved to tears on more than one occasion. The talent was exceptional, the range of songs selected and the heartfelt stories the students shared were just incredible. The supporting musicians lifted the whole show but I especially enjoyed watching their faces as they were clearly so impressed by the talent of our students as well." We are looking forward to sharing video footage of some of the songs soon, but for now, we hope you enjoy these stunning pictures of our students shining on stage.
11.01.2022 Wow! We are beyond excited to hear that our la cARTe exhibition has won the SALA Festival School Award! This is the second year in a row that we have claimed the top prize for our SALA Exhibition. In a communication from the SALA team we were proud to hear that the judges commended the quality of work that students produce, and that they were also taken with the innovative modes of presentation and the sensitive exploration of current world matters. What a wonderful recogni...tion for our talented artists in Years 7 - 12 and to our Art department who encourage creative expression and enable talent to flourish. You can view the students prize winning works by following the link in the SALA story below. And, if you havent already, you can still view our online exhibition gallery on our website, https://www.stjohns.sa.edu.au/2020-sala-exhibition/
11.01.2022 With the winter weather really setting in over the last few weeks, our ELC 3 and 4 year old classes have discussed how lucky they are to have access to warm clothing and heating, and brainstormed ways to help those in our community who are experiencing homelessness this winter. Last week the children and teachers held a Winter Woollies Day on Tuesday and Thursday to raise money for the Sunday Mail Blanket Appeal. Students wore their beanies, scarves, gumboots and jackets and donated gold coins as they arrived for the day. With the weather being particularly cold and wet on the two fundraising days, students certainly appreciated being able to wear their extra layers, further developing their understanding of how challenging the cold weather is for some South Australians and the difference their donations will make.
11.01.2022 This week our musical, The Addams Family, will play to four completely sold out audiences! This is a fantastic result for our cast, crew and staff who have put in a phenomenal amount of work. However, it's not only our Performing Arts teams that have been hard at work, our Visual Arts students and teachers have been placing the final touches on the set design and prop making. From portraiture and gothic-style set architecture, through to creating creepy life-like bats, a range of artistic endeavours have given students the opportunity to create pieces to add to the mood, drama and impact of the musical. This collaborative experience is just one of the ways we encourage interdisciplinary learning and collaboration at St John's Grammar. Enjoy this sneak peak shared via our Whitechapel Art Gallery's instagram page.
10.01.2022 In Week 6, Year 7 students headed off to Hindmarsh Island for their Year 7 Camp. This Outdoor Education experience, run by Wilderness Escape Outdoor Adventures, was an opportunity for our youngest Middle School students to end the year on a high and enjoy the beautiful surrounds of Hindmarsh Island as they further strengthened the relationships they have built with peers and staff across the year. A series of land and water-based challenges pushed our students out of their co...mfort zones and required them to draw upon their physical and mental strength. Unfortunately students had to return from camp early due to the implementation of lockdown restrictions, but during the time on camp they participated in an array of activities including kayaking, sailing, surfing, overnight camping, cockling (and sampling) and exploring the natural environment. After such an unpredictable year it was disappointing that the camp experience had to be cut short but the students still got a taste of ‘camp-life’ on the Secondary Campus, and are prepared for 2021 camp experiences.
10.01.2022 Our Year 12 Drama students are proud to present 'The Art of Suffering' next week in The John Bray Centre for Performing Arts, with performances held on Wednesday 12 and Thursday 13 August, 7:15pm - 8:15pm. 'The Art of Suffering' is an original work, written for this Year 12 ensemble to showcase their talents, strengths and sense of humour. Old Scholar Harvey Newland-Harman (2017) worked with the cast and crew to produce a promo video that gives a sneak peek at the characters..., plot and set, available to view here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xU1G3Dq9Pfs&feature=youtu.be Entry to each performance is free but tickets are required due to current restrictions, and seating is limited. Please book your free tickets through TryBooking: https://www.trybooking.com/BKUNM
09.01.2022 Today our Junior and Secondary Campuses held special services to observe Remembrance Day, a day where we commemorate all who have served and died in our honour. Students recited the Ode of Remembrance, the Last Post was played and one minute’s silence was observed. A special mention goes to Year 9 student, Patrick, who played the haunting tune of The Last Post with great care and skill. Lest We Forget.
09.01.2022 This mornings Book Week Parade at the Junior School was greeted with glorious sunshine as all types of 'curious creatures and wild minds' converged on the oval to show off their colourful costume creations. From Captain Underpants, Harry Potter, storm troopers, and Mary Poppins through to the Gruffalo, Grug, Thelma the Unicorn and more all types of fun characters paraded around our makeshift oval runway. Although the parade was a little different this year due to Covid-1...9 precautions, we werent short of cheer, laughter and fun as students from ELC to Year 6, including the biggest kids (the teachers), enjoyed their time in the sun. A huge thank you to all involved, especially Ms Saxby, our Junior School Library Services Coordinator extraordinaire, who made Book Week such a fun and enjoyable occasion throughout the week.
09.01.2022 In Year 7, students at St Johns Grammar benefit from specialist teaching and experience a wide range of subjects. In addition to their core subjects that are studied across the year, students study Indonesian, Japanese, Philosophy and Digital Technologies for one Semester each, and Art, Music, Drama and Design & Technology electives for one Term each. This experience will hopefully inspire some of the elective choices and study pathways students choose to pursue in the years... ahead. As an introduction to the subject of Philosophy, students are encouraged to think in different ways and at different levels in a supportive environment. They are nurtured to value and respect the ideas of others, while at the same time being encouraged to look for reasons for what they think, say and do. By teaching students to think carefully about ethics, moral questions and philosophical issues, we enable them to make sound judgments based on good reasons. These skills and values are embedded in a variety of texts and experiences such as stories, poems, films and news articles. Students are expected to interact and contribute to class discussions with comments that are inquiring, show sound reasoning and are creative. To finish their Semester 1 Philosophy studies, Mr McKenzie presented students with the task of creating a philosophical board game that would present players with scenarios and questions that challenge their thinking and require them to think critically and creatively. Some students based the design of their game on well-known board games like Pictionary, Snakes and Ladders and Monopoly, while others developed a completely unique game. In the last week of Term 2, the Year 7s invited other Middle School classes and teachers to join them to test out the games, and they received outstanding reviews! The classroom was buzzing with excitement as students discussed the scenarios and questions in each game and presented their points of view. The games were finished to an extremely high standard and resulted in some inspiring and creative discussions taking place!
09.01.2022 On the last day of Term 2, our Coordinator of School Life and Year 3 teacher Bronwyn Sharpe organised a special activity for our Junior Campus students - daffodil planting! The Diggers Club provided 340 daffodil bulbs, and Mrs Sharpe carefully marked out an area behind the Hall and across from the Sheaok Cafe for each class to plant theirs. Bulbs hold within them the promise of brighter things to come, so it was fitting that each child in Reception to Year 6 planted one on ...the last day of Term 2 as they looked back on what a memorable Semester 1 they had experienced, and looked forward to returning to more of their favourite school and co-curricular activities in Semester 2. Thank you to the Diggers Club for organising the bulbs for us, we are excited to see some beautiful flowers appearing soon!
09.01.2022 While they may not look like much, the bread tags attached to bags of fresh bread have the potential to change lives. Bread tags are made of high impact polystyrene (Type 6 PS Plastic), which is denser than many other types of plastic, making them compact and easy to recycle. Aussie Bread Tags for Wheelchairs collects bread tags nationally in Australia. The tags are recycled locally, raising funds to buy wheelchairs for adults and children in South Africa, and saving the tag...s from ending up in landfill. Our 2019/2020 School Captain Lucy Stevens discovered Aussie Bread Tags for Wheelchairs a year and a half ago, and after travelling to South Africa with World Vision in 2018, thought the idea was a great symbol for how the tiniest of things can make the biggest impact. Lucy introduced the idea to our AWARE group, who have since been running collection points on our Secondary and Junior Campuses. Over the last year and a half our School community have donated 30,000 tags (10kgs) to our collection points! Aussie Bread Tags for Wheelchairs have recently celebrated the milestone of recycling 2 tonnes, or around 5.4 million bread tags that would have otherwise ended up in landfill, and we are proud to have contributed to this important cause. Earlier in Term 3, Lucy and our 2020/2021 AWARE captain Wirra Benveniste donated the 30,000 tags to EcoLateral, a collection point for Aussie Bread Tags for Wheelchairs. While at Ecolateral, they also had a look at some of the other products that recycled bread tags can create, such as plates and bowls. This has been a great project for our community, with households setting up collection containers in their kitchens and involving friends and family. A special mention goes to Year 12 student Charley Kennedy-Dinan for spreading the word to her grandparents, who then involved their church community, resulting in 3000 tags being donated to the St John’s Grammar collection! Our collection will continue in Term 4, and we encourage all households to get involved and donate their bread tags to the Secondary Campus Learning Commons or Junior Campus Centre for Creativity.
08.01.2022 Today a number of local schools converged on St Johns Grammar School to compete in our inaugural Mathletics Day - a fun and free Maths challenge day for Year 6 and 7 students. Small teams competed in a series of challenges which were organised into timed rounds featuring everything from quizzes, puzzles and treasure mazes through to code breaking to diffuse a pretend bomb. Students raced the clock, and each other, to complete the challenges and rack up as many points as po...ssible to ultimately be named as winners of the Mathletics Day event. Amongst furrowed brows and furious scribbling, there was lots of laughter and camaraderie as the teams worked together to calculate and formulate their answers. Our Year 11s were present and acted as Mathletics coaches, with one Year 11 student designated to each team to lend support and encouragement as required. Overall the scores were neck and neck throughout the event, with several teams jostling in and out of first place. In the end, one of our St John's Grammar Year 7 teams won the overall event by just 1 point with Seacliff and one of the Mitcham teams tying for equal second placing. Congratulations to all teams, it was incredibly close throughout the day! The day would not have been possible without the hard work of Mr Crawley and the St John's Grammar Maths Department, our Year 11 helpers and the fellow Maths-loving local schools who took part.
07.01.2022 Todays National Science Week activities had some of our Junior School students delving into this years theme Deep Blue: innovation for the future of our oceans with an artistic interpretation of their explorations into pollution within our marine wildlife. Did you know that more than 8 million tonnes of plastic finds its way into oceans each year? Thats the equivalent weight of nearly 57,000 blue whales! Our Year 1s today learnt about the impacts of micro-plastics in mar...ine animals, and designed their own creatures, showing the impacts of pollution and waste on their bodies. Then at lunch time, some of our Secondary students assisted the Junior School students to reduce their plastic waste and keep it out of our oceans, by up-cycling CDs into spectacular flying fish! Stay tuned for tomorrows National Science Week installment.
06.01.2022 While today may be the beginning of National Science Week, we celebrate our love for Science every week. In fact, just last Friday our Year 11 Physics class was challenged with another one of Mr Riach's legendary escape rooms. As part of learning about the nuclear model, the Physics lab was transformed into a nuclear powerplant battling an impending nuclear meltdown. Complete with smoke machines, strobe lighting, crime scene tape, various audio effects (including the emergen...cy calls from the Chernobyl Disaster) and a range of concealed clues and props - students felt as though they were thrown into the midst of a nuclear situation. After setting the scene with an introductory, instructional video shown outside the closed laboratory doors, one-by-one each small group had their turn entering into the dark, smokey lab and used their Physics knowledge to solve a series of riddles, puzzles and quizzes to locate clues, find keys and unlock boxes to uncover the secret codes to prevent a nuclear meltdown. All of this was under time pressure, of course! As well as engaging their Physics knowledge, the task required students to problem solve and work together as a team in order to progress through each station. Stay tuned this week for video footage!
05.01.2022 Today's National Science Week activities had some of our Junior School students delving into this year's theme 'Deep Blue: innovation for the future of our oceans' with an artistic interpretation of their explorations into pollution within our marine wildlife. Did you know that more than 8 million tonnes of plastic finds its way into oceans each year? That's the equivalent weight of nearly 57,000 blue whales! Our Year 1s today learnt about the impacts of micro-plastics in mar...ine animals, and designed their own creatures, showing the impacts of pollution and waste on their bodies. Then at lunch time, some of our Secondary students assisted the Junior School students to reduce their plastic waste and keep it out of our oceans, by up-cycling CDs into spectacular flying fish! Stay tuned for tomorrow's National Science Week installment.
05.01.2022 On Friday 6 November, all Junior and Secondary staff and students, and many of their families, joined together on the Secondary Campus for a wonderful celebration of the ideas, creativity, passion and innovation of our students. This year’s theme, ‘What Can We Do?’, saw collaboration and teamwork at its best, and gave an opportunity for our students, staff and parents to articulate with clarity and passion, their ideas and convictions. At this year’s event, there was a clear ...sense of purpose of supporting others in many of the ideas and activities on display. From student enterprise and agency projects through to causes, concerns and challenges, the Festival promoted student agency and encouraged all who attended to broaden their thinking, ask questions and build their knowledge. Our Junior and Secondary Campus bands and ensembles were excited to perform for their parents, many for the first time in 2020, and the Amphitheatre provided a stunning natural backdrop for the audience to enjoy. Thank you to all who presented their ideas, and to the many families who came along to support our students. We look forward to the Festival of Ideas continuing to grow in 2021!
05.01.2022 Congratulations to Tamsin Savery (Year 9) for achieving an outstanding result in the 2020 ICAS Science Competition. ICAS assessments are designed to recognise academic excellence in a range of subjects. Tamsin scored the highest Science score out of all participants in South Australia and the Northern Territory! She was presented with a well-deserved medal by Head of Middle School Ben Clark at the end of Term 4. Well done Tamsin!
04.01.2022 After performing to sold out crowds at the end of last Term, our School Musical, The Addams Family, received rave reviews. While the onstage performance from our cast and ensemble was exceptional, there were many hands behind the scenes that brought this outstanding show to life. Captured superbly by Old Scholar (Class of '19) and talented videographer, Riley Williams, this video is a showcase of just some of the many talented crew members who helped to make the Musical the stand out success that it was. You can check out more of Riley's work at Riley Williams Photography or on instagram @rileyy.williams or via his YouTube channel @rileywilliams
04.01.2022 With COVID-19 stalling the planned volunteer work in Semester 1, our Year 10s were proud to be able to complete the service learning component of their Purposely Well program last term. Visiting the Vinnie's Men's Crisis Shelter over a series of days, small groups of students were tasked with preparing a BBQ lunch for the attendees. The experience not only developed teamwork and camaraderie, but it was also, most importantly, an experience to help students live beyond themselves and provide a valuable service to those in need. The experience is just one part of the Purposely Well program, which sees students volunteering for a not-for-profit initiative. As well as volunteering their time, students are also tasked with raising awareness, support or funds for the initiative they support.
03.01.2022 The Oliphant Science Awards is an annually held competition for South Australian school students from Reception to Year 12, with the aim of developing their interest in science through a science based competition with a range of categories to suit a wide variety of abilities and interests. We are very proud to announce that the following students, from both the Junior and Secondary Campuses, have won prizes in the 2020 Oliphant Science Awards. Pictures and descriptions of th...eir entries can be viewed by following this link: https://www.oliphantscienceawards.com.au//2020-online-proj Lachlan Miegel & Blake Tourneur - 1st place in the Computer Programming, Apps & Robotics category (Years 9-10), for their project entitled ‘HydroSoil: Smart Irrigation Solutions’. Lachlan and Blake also achieved 2nd place in the Department for Education Young Scientist Award (Years 712), and are among only 23 students in the state as finalists in the national 2021 BHP Foundation Science and Engineering Awards. The BHP Foundation Awards are Australia’s most prestigious school science and engineering awards, with finalists recognised as the best and brightest student researchers and innovators in the country. Jackson Burford 1st place in the Computer Programming, Apps & Robotics category (Years 3-4) for his project entitled ‘Hidden Waves Doppler Shift Simulator’. Jackson submitted a great video demonstrating how his product works, check it out here: https://youtu.be/ds1qXxgTECA Willem Schinckel & Harrison McCall 2nd place in the Games category (Years 3-4) for their project entitled ‘The Race Around Space’. Tahlia Keegan 2nd place in the Posters category (Years 9-10) for her project entitled ‘The Science of Bushfires’. Jess Williams 3rd place in the Posters category (Years 9-10) for her project entitled ‘Forces in Children's Toys’. Rowan Barnett 3rd place in the Models and Inventions category (Years 9-10) for his project entitled 'Hand Powered Generator'. Rowan also won the University of South Australia Sustainable Future Prize. The following students were awarded Highly Commended or Encouragement Awards: Faye El-Sayed (R-2) Evie Desteno (7-8) Abella Seaman (7-8) Chelsea Adams (9-10) Isabel Bennett (9-10) Mia Drake (9-10) Congratulations to these outstanding students, and well done to all those who submitted an entry in the 2020 competition!
03.01.2022 On Thursday 29 October, we showcased the incredible talent of our art students in the Year 12 Art Exhibition, 'Lockdown 2020'. Each year, students present their SACE Stage 2 Visual Art and Design submissions, and this year our community was once again blown away by the unique and thought-provoking creations of each student. An impressive number of students, staff, families and old scholars attended the Exhibition, on display in our Whitechapel Art Gallery. If you weren't able... to attend, don't worry - we have an online gallery available to view from the comfort of your own home! Each student has provided their practitioner’s statement and their corresponding art pieces. The online gallery is available to view here: https://www.stjohns.sa.edu.au/year-12-art-show/ Congratulations to our hard-working Year 12 students and art teachers! For up to date art news, jump over to Instagram and follow our feed @whitechapelartgallery to view images and videos of our students in their creative spaces.
03.01.2022 On Friday our Year 5 and 6 students visited the Secondary Campus for a fun filled morning of Indonesian and Japanese culture as part of the Year 8 Language Fair. The Language Centre and Asian Fusion Garden had an exciting festival atmosphere throughout the morning, with 16 teams of Year 8 students using the Innovative Agency Framework to guide their generation of language learning opportunities for the Year 5 and 6 Junior School Students. They had to seek ideas, problem solve... and knowledge dive to communicate their knowledge of Indonesian or Japanese culture to a continual flow of younger students as they visited each station. This is the third year the Language Department has run this event, so this was the first year that the Year 8 students had also participated in the activity as Year 6 students themselves. The Year 8 students were motivated, independent and organised and ran the event confidently, and our Year 5 and 6 students enjoyed seeing some of the activities and experiences that they can participate in when they move across to the Secondary Campus and select Indonesian or Japanese. A big terima kasih and arigatou to all the students who organised and participated!
03.01.2022 Despite the pouring rain, lunchtime at the Junior School was a flurry of activity with our Year 1s and 2s participating in a hoop glider activity for National Science Week. Armed with straws, strips of card and copious amounts of sticky tape, the students created hoop gliders that were capable of flying. Students learnt about concepts such as lift and drag and how the construction of their glider impacted its flight trajectory. Aided by our Year 4s and Year 11 volunteers, our Years 1s and 2s were delighted as they took to the makeshift landing strip to test their creations in flight. Experimental designs were also tested as students explored how they could improve or impact the original 2-hoop design.
03.01.2022 On Friday our Junior School held its Cross Country Carnival at Belair National Park. Graced with better weather conditions this year, we were proud to see the students cheering on their Houses and supporting each other. Congratulations to our place winners who smashed it out for their Houses. Usually our place winners would go on to represent our School in the District SAPSASA Carnival, however it is not running this year due to COVID-19. Regardless, we are incredibly proud ...of the superstar efforts of the following students: 8/9 Year Old Boys - 1st Jett Thomas (Moffatt), 2nd Lenny Mitchell (Gooch), 3rd Joey Keynes (Gooch) 8/9 Year Old Girls 1st Lucy Young (Gooch), 2nd Matilda Behrndt (Gooch), 3rd Dayna OConnell (Moffatt) 10 Year Old Boys 1st Jacques Bartlett (Halstead), 2nd Boone Donnelly (Moffatt), 3rd Remy Keys (Prince) 10 Year Old Girls 1st Marlie OConnell (Moffatt), 2nd Scarlett McCall (Halstead), 3rd Majandra Hymers (Moffatt) 11 Year Old Boys 1st Gus Hennessy New Record (Prince), 2nd Jude Thomas (Moffatt), 3rd James Robinson (Prince) 10 Year Old Girls 1st Lily Maros (Gooch), 2nd Zara Headon (Moffatt), 3rd Millie Ellson (Gooch) 12/13 Year Old Boys -1st Charlie Donaghey (Halstead), 2nd Boden Chan (Gooch), 3rd Liam Gerrard (Halstead) 12/13 Year Old Girls 1st Hannah Tourneur New Record (Moffatt), Reese Johnston (Moffatt), 3rd Isla Morrison (Gooch) House 1st Moffatt 522 2nd Gooch 455 3rd Prince 385 4th Halstead - 352
02.01.2022 As part of last week's Book Week celebrations, Year 6 students were invited to the grand opening of a pop-up Mexican restaurant with a difference - 'La BOOK-aracha', a book tasting restaurant inside our Centre for Creativity! Our fun and creative Junior School Library Services Coordinator Ms Saxby was keen to pilot this new event with our Year 6s, in preparation for all year levels attending book tastings in 2021, and it was clear from the moment students entered the perfectl...y themed 'restaurant' that the event was a hit! The aim of a book tasting experience is to provide students with exposure to books they may not have thought about trying. Students were treated to a diverse menu of age appropriate books carefully selected for them by Ms Saxby, with each table in the restaurant featuring a different genre. The diners spent time 'tasting' the books featured on their table before filling in a menu review card and moving on to the next genre. At the conclusion of the tasting experience the Year 6s filled in a reflection napkin, outlining what they thought of their tasting experience and recording their favourite book. This was a highly enjoyable and memorable experience for the students involved, and we can't wait to see what restaurants appear in 2021!
02.01.2022 During Term 2, our Reception to Year 6 students studied Indonesian music in both their Music and Indonesian lessons. This collaborative study across two specialist subjects culminated in a special online performance by the Musica Viva Group Makukuhan. Students watched the concert from their classroom through Zoom, and parents were able to join in from home. Makukuhan are a dynamic mini-Gamelan orchestra, whose performances are a riot of colour and rhythm, including pitch-b...ending drums, a mesmerising masked dance and unbelievably rapid Javanese clapping. Gamelan features a series of bronze gongs and metallaphones which are integral to Indonesian culture. Our Junior Campus students were captivated by the pattern-based sequences and explored the difference between interlocking and unison musical concepts. They enjoyed joining in throughout the performance, and were also able to ask the performers questions. Thank you to Musica Viva Australia and Makukuhan for making it possible for our students to attend such an engaging, fun and educational concert from their own classroom!
02.01.2022 This mornings Secondary Campus Assembly was a memorable occasion for many reasons. It was the first real life assembly with Year 7 12 students, staff and special guests in the Sports Hall since March, the first opportunity our four Secondary Campus Big Bands have had to play in front of an audience since Term 1, and our new School Leaders and Ambassadors for 2020-2021 were inducted into their positions with their proud families in attendance. Congratulations to our new S...chool Captains, Lauren Mitchell and Joel Ransom, and new School Vice-Captains, Olivia Manser and Jake Kuchel. Passing on the batons were Lucy Stevens, Mitchell Keegan, Ruby Stewart and Patrick Douglas, who have represented the School with distinction over the past year. They have implemented many new initiatives, made meaningful connections with students across our three Campuses and provided much needed motivation and entertainment during the online learning period. We look forward to our new leaders paving the way forward with their own leadership styles and new ideas. Our 2019-2020 Wellbeing Ambassadors, Emily Harwood and Lana Turbill, have been particularly busy over the last 4 months, introducing the House Wellbeing Challenge and providing students with a range of creative ways to stay engaged in school life despite social distancing requirements . Congratulations to our new Wellbeing Ambassadors Olivia Gray and Ellie Ray, who will be building on the excellent work of Emily and Lana. We congratulate our new AWARE Captain, Wirra Benveniste, and Reconciliation Ambassadors, Phoebe Coombes and Violet Malzard-Moody. These students are passionate about making a difference across the School and in the wider community. They will be continuing the excellent work of Lily Biggins-Baker (AWARE) and Sarah Zammit and Jake Kuchel (Reconciliation) over the past year. Congratulations to Candice Chen and Alex Lum, our new International Student Captains, and Cade Kennedy, our new Sports Ambassador. They will be building on the hard work and passion displayed by outgoing leaders Ethan Zhang (International Student Leader) and Joel Ransom (Sports Ambassador). We thank our outgoing leaders for their extraordinary leadership and hard work over the last 12 months, and wish our new leaders the very best for the year ahead!
01.01.2022 At the weekend we officially opened our SALA Festival Exhibition, à la cARTe. As the name suggests, this food-focused exhibition was a delicious riot of colour, texture and form that showcased the unique skill and creative expression of our Year 7 11 students. If you missed the launch, not to worry, watch our sneak peak below and, if youd like to see more, you can view our online gallery any time. https://www.stjohns.sa.edu.au/2020-sala-exhibition/ Of course, we still welcome anyone who wishes to come and see the exhibition in person during school hours for the month of August 2020. Please contact us to make a time. Congratulations to our talented and creative students and to our Art Department for all the hard work - admist COVID-19 nonetheless - to make this exhibition a reality.
01.01.2022 Happy Father's Day to all of the fantastic fathers and grandfathers in our St John's Grammar community! On Thursday (which was also a fundraiser casual day) our hardworking Parents and Friends Association brought much excitement to the Junior Campus by running a Father's Day Stall, with a wide array of gifts available for children to purchase for fathers, grandfathers and special friends. With stock lists provided beforehand, children arrived at the stall with a gift in mind,... and left as happy customers. Our parent volunteers even gift-wrapped the presents, so the children were all ready to surprise their family members today. Of course, children have also been making some special cards and gifts throughout the week. We hope all of the fathers in our community have an enjoyable day with family and enjoy opening some beautiful gifts!
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