Table tennis

Sainsbury's School Games Table Tennis competition

On Friday 6th November, eight children from Years 5 and 6 took part in a Table Tennis competition at Judgemeadow Community College.  Our boy and girl teams played against 13 other city schools and secured 5th/6th place in the competition.  Competition was fierce and all our competitors played with skill, determination and exhibited excellent sportsmanship throughout, being exemplary models for St John's. 

 

Well done to everyone.

Who would you remember?

I listened to a motivational speaker the other day talking about remembrance, not linked to poppies, but linked to those people who have made a difference in your life. His challenge was to think of one person who had made a real difference and to make the decision to get in touch and thank them for the difference they had made. Quite a challenge really, as there are so many people in our lives that have made a difference. In fact some of them we never even knew!

His talk did lead me to think of those who I would wish to thank personally and those who I have never met. The list is long and varied, from family members to school teachers, from church youth workers to friends and colleagues. But also there is another list of people who although I have never met, have made a difference in my life. This list would contain Jesus Christ, Dr Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandella, Mother Teresa, Mahatma Ghandi and Peter the disciple of Jesus, to name but a few. All are well known names, but there are others as well, many not well known, but they are still significant people to remember. 

One of them would be Nicolas Winton probably be a name not known to many, but a man who is remembered today by the many people and their families that he left such an impression on. In 1939 with the German army about to invade Czechoslovakia , Nicolas put into place a plan to enable Jewish children to travel to London. Why? Simply because he realised that the impending German invasion would lead to these children and their families being transported to gas chambers. The task he undertook was immense and time critical, yet in the time available he enabled approximately 670 children to travel to safety. 

The thing is that he told no one of his actions when he returned to England, it was only, because his wife found a scrap book in the loft that listed all the children that he had saved, that his actions came to life. She sent the book to Ester Rantzen and her team, who tracked down some of the children he had saved. The result was an emotional reunion through her This is your life programme. Check out the You Tube clip to see the full emotional impact!  These people had continued to refer to themselves as Winton's children. His actions saved their lives and he will always be remembered for this.  

I wonder who would be on your list and for what you would wish to remember them for? 

 

FS2 fun

After a fun afternoon collecting Autumnal items, observing changes, and running & jumping in the leaves on the field & nature trail, our new Autumn area is ready to investigate,

 

We also had a wasps nest in our shed. It's now been removed, but it was fascinating to see it (from behind a glass door) being removed. A real talking point in the classroom & thanks to the observant parent who spotted it.

A time to knit

Our knitting club have been working really hard to make a blanket to supply to the RSPCA this Autumn. They have written a joint letter and are looking to dispatch their gift of 'warmth' later this week.

Dear RSPCA

 

We are writing because knitting club has made a checked blanket for a puppy or kitten to use. At knitting club we have knitted a lot and have been helped by the staff who run this for us. They have sewn together our squares to make the blanket. We hope that it will be useful.

 

Yours sincerely

 

The St John's knitting club

A time to remember at St Johns

Today we gathered together as a school community to remember the significance of why we wear poppies at this time of the year. This took the form of two church services, in which each class laid a wreath at the war memorial at the front of the school. This was a particularly important act of remembrance as this week is significant for the community of St Johns Church

One hundred years ago seven members of the parish were killed in action in the 1st world war in the same battle. One of them was a the son, Benjamin, of a former church warden, Guy Russel. Guy donated the Reredos at the front of the church  in his son’s memory.  The laying of wreaths in our service was an important way of  marking this anniversary, but also of honouring all of those associated with our local community, who gave their lives in the two World Wars and since.