A time to leave

Its been a very emotional and special week as we have taken the time to say goodbye to children and staff that are leaving the school at the end of the term.

These moments help us as a school to remember what is importnat to us and the way in which each individual contributes to our whole school community.

For our children who are leaving us at the end of year 5 and year 6 it is time for them to move on to new things. It gives us great pleaseure to see them ready for this challenge, excited,  a little nervous, but clearly ready to make the most fo the opportunities that lie ahead.

It always seems only five minutes since they joined us - their first day in Foundation Stage a very special memory for staff and parents alike.

In our year 5 and year 6 leavers events we have celebrated all that they have achieved and all that they have given to our school. Encouraging them to take with them the knowledge that we have every confidence that they will continue to make a difference where ever they go.

In our moments of reflection within these celebrations we have prayed that they will know God's peace and blessing as they move on and that they will continue to grow in their knowledge and understanding of His love for them. One of the gifts we give our children is a bible, a guide book for their future where ever they are!

As a staff we have also celebrated the contribution, friendship and difference that our colleagues who are leaving us have made to the school. Each and everyone one of them has been an important part of our team and it is with great sadness that we see them go. But we are also aware that they too are moving on to new things and we know that they will leave with many great memories of their time at St Johns.

Our tradition is to use the following Irish blessing at this time of the year as we ask God to be with each and everyone of us as we move on.

It has been a long week, but a one full of great memories!

Final assemblies

Yesterday we said goodbye to our year 5 and year 6 leavers in two different forms of assemblies.

Our morning focused on our year 5 leavers and our evening celebrated the achievements of our year 6 leavers.

It was great to reflect on the jounrney that both these sets of children have made through our school and to join with their parents to celebrate all that they have achieved and shared with us.

The year 6 celebrations included a dramatic presentation of  Let Loose - a hilarious reflection on school residential trips. The children have worked really hard over the past few weeks with the staff to bring this together. Their acting, singing and enthusiasm was brilliant and we all had a wonderful evening.

As part of our goodbyes, each child is presented with a bible for them to take with them. A reminder that God is with them as they start their new journey. In addition, they all recieve a class photo and for our year 6 children we create a photo book of all their friends for them to take with them.

A very emotional but memorable day!

Today they all become authograph hunters, seekingout friends to sign their school shirt and books. Its a manic day, but it will no doubt produce many new memories.

FS2 visitor

Dr Tobin has been giving scientific talks to FS2 for the last 25 year and we still love every minute. 

Using acid and alkaline to change liquids different colours and showing us that science and magic are very different. We dressed up in scientists safety clothing. We always love his dry ice finish. 

We had comments over lunch that Dr Tobin and Anna were 'epic' and 'awesome'.

Hopefully some future scientists will remember this demonstration for years to come.

KS1 activity afternoon

On Monday we were blessed with sunshine and blue skies - as well as a few clouds, but no rain for our activitiy afternoon.

Children from across KS1 worked together to respond to a wide range of athletic challenges. Teamwork was enthusiatic and there were smiles on every face. Lots of fun and lots of achievments to be proud of!

A big thank you to all the staff who worked so hard to prepare for this and for the parents and other family members who gave up their time to help it all run so smoothly.

Wake and shake for one last time

Our final day at school started with our last wake and shake of the year with the year 6 children leading the way! 

Wake and shake for one last time

Our final day at school started with our last wake and shake of the year with the year 6 children leading the way! 

Around our school

As all the displays start to come down for the end of the academic year, there reains a few snapshots of the things we have studied and celebrated this year. As well as a few reminders about some of our assembly themes.

A rainbow community

A time to celebrate and reflect.

This week as part of our assembly theme we have been focusing on the things that we would wish to celebrate, that have been part of our journey this year. Taking the time to stop and think and mark something special is very important and in KS1 assembly on Monday we considered the story of Nehemiah and the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem. It's a great story of God calling one man to follow his desire to make a difference by returning from exile and organising the people to restore the walls of Jerusalem. The rebuilding of the walls was a very challenging undertaking but it was achieved in 52 days. 

Once complete, Nehemiah gathered all the people together to celebrate their achievement, it was one great party!

As we look back over this school year there are many things to celebrate, success and personal achievements right across the curriculum and beyond. For some, these final weeks will be their last at St John's and for those children the reflecting will cover a far greater time span. Stopping to reflect and to celebrate is a very important part of our school life. We do this every Friday in assembly when we celebrate individual and team success. The pride and joy that this brings is really important and it is a key part of establishing individual confidence.

This Celebration though is not only about success in terms of individual achievement it is also done within the context of who we are as a school community. Part of the celebration of the people of Israel was that the rebuilding of the wall, reinstated their identity, their sense of belonging and their sense of pride in their community. It was a corporate and community celebration of what was important to them.

This celebration of identity and community is in complete contrast to the number of incidents that have happened across the country and even outside our school this week. Such incidents do not celebrate diversity, instead they seek to undermine it. Racial intolerance is not part of the community that we all believe in and is not part of the diversity and culture that brings something so special to the life of St John's and the city of Leicester. Our celebration is about the fact that diversity is at the heart of what makes us special, it is as Nelson Mandela once said the heart beat of what makes a 'rainbow nation' so beautiful. 

As we draw to the end of this summer term, may we take the time to reflect and celebrate, but also to remember together what we value as a school and wider community. Over the next few weeks let us be thankful for and celebrate together, our rainbow community! 

Summer music concert

Last night we once again enjoyed our summer music concert, with a packed church at St Johns.

The evening saw a range of solos, duets and whole group performances on a wide range of instruments as well as contributions from our school choir.

It always makes me immensely proud to observe the standard, commitment and sheer joy that the children involved get from taking part in such an event. We have been very fortunate to have performed at many different venues over the year, we have even been invited to play at the Lord Mayor's Christmas concert this year. But the time when we gather together to perform to parents and other family members are always the most special.

Congratulations to every child who took part in the concert. It was a great way to bring to an end our musical journey this year.

Hopes and dreams

This week in assemblies we have been thinking about what our hopes and dreams might be for the future as we face a new school or a new term after the holidays.

I talked again in assembly on Monday about the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem by Nehemiah. A task that was completed in 52 days, through an incredible amount of team work. At the end there was a great celebration, with Nehemiah bringing the people up onto the walls to survey what they had achieved.

Standing there, I wonder what they thought about? Maybe they focused on what they had achieved, but maybe also what they hoped to achieve.

In our moments reflection we considered the same - something we were proud of for this year and something that we wanted to achieve in the future.

Our hopes and dreams brought together in silence as a school community.


As we left assembly I played 'Hall of fame' by the Script - a song about being aspirational in your  hopes and dreams, seeking to put them into practice and making a difference in the world we live in.