St. John's School

Our Senior Boys Basketball team headed to the 2012 BCCS Senior Boys Provincial Championships held at Trinity Western University.  The St. John’s School Senior Girls Basketball team had a successful season, qualifying for the Senior Girls “A” Provincials in Prince George. Entering the tournament in 15^th position and finishing at 13^th in the province. Our sports teams enjoy a high level of participation; 75% of Grade 4-7 students play on the basketball team. In the off-season, and over school breaks St. John’s School offers a variety of camps for students to complement the athletics programme. St. John's teams compete at the single ‘A’ level and participate in tournaments both locally and nationally.

After being invited to compete for a spot on the Canadian National Debate team last October, one of our Grade 12 senior debaters was one of fourteen members to qualify for team Canada. She headed with the team to the World Individual Public Speaking and Debate Championships in Australia this year. It was an impressive performance, ranking 19th in the world for Persuasive Speaking and 35th overall.

St. John's offers several public speaking and debate opportunities and this year co-hosted the Provincial Championships. In addition to local tournaments, St. John's is a member of the International Independent Schools Public Speaking League (IISPSL). The IISPSL competition is an annual event at which participants gather from around the world to compete. Our debaters have participated in the League's international tournament since 2001 and travelled to Deerfield, Massachusetts to participate this past year.

IB Visual Arts is one of those courses that I am sure any student will have memories of years after graduation. I, for one, can attest to this. Being able to choose your own theme allowed for great exploration within a field that you were interested in. The projects we completed sincerely improved our knowledge about the subject and benefited critical thinking skills by not only having to make art look aesthetically beautiful, but also conceptual as well. As a student who chose the theme of power, my concept of “power” expanded far beyond what I had originally thought it could be, with my final portfolio achieving a multitude of perspectives that power could be interpreted as. It is definitely a course that stays true to the sort of international mindedness that IB promotes to students. I am grateful as an Art student to have this experience. - Jackson, Grade 12

From the moment we first gathered in a stuffy portable last summer to hear Mr. Bolina speak about the wonders of volunteering in India we knew this would be the trip of a lifetime. On Sunday, March 25, after months of planning, 27 hours of travelling and a twelve and a half hour time shift, we stepped out of the Mumbai airport into the sweltering heat of the world’s fourth largest city. The sights, sounds, and smells that greeted us in Mumbai will forever remain in our memories as the hallmark of Indian city life.

I am sure my classmates will agree that the true highlight of the trip was the volunteer and cultural experience we had in the small village of Damsewadi. Mahatma Ghandi’s view that “A nation’s culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people” could not be more fittingly experienced than in a primitive, tribal village of central India. The lifestyle and culture we were immersed in for five days was unlike anything that we had ever experienced before, and taught us that neither happiness nor spirit is compromised by a lifestyle lacking in wealth and opulence. Our work for Habitat for Humanity allowed us to make a lifelong difference in not only the lives of the families we assisted, but in the fabric of the village which is bound together by housing and shelter. No less importantly, a lifelong change was made within ourselves; having the opportunity to experience the joys and values of volunteering and making a difference internationally left us with an appreciation for the needs of our global community.

Eric, Grade 11

This year, 16 students and three staff members spent their Spring Break taking part in a Habitat for Humanity sponsored build in Punta Gorda, Florida. Throughout the year, students and staff plan and participate in local building projects. Next year, a team of students and staff will be off on a building project in Nepal!

"I'm mostly in sports clubs like basketball, track and field, soccer and running club. I really like to get physically active. I like these clubs and teams because they really bring friendship and teamwork all together. It brings us closer to our friends and our teachers and we just all have a good time." -Josh, Grade 7

St. John's offers several public speaking and debate opportunities. In addtion to local tournaments, St. John's is a member of the International Independent Schools Public Speaking League (IISPSL). The IISPSL competition is an annual event at which participants gather from around the world to compete. Our debaters have participated in the League's international tournament since 2001 and travelled to Deerfield, Massachusetts to participate this past year. Highlights this year included co-hosting the Provincial Championships and having a senior debater be invited to compete for a spot on the Canadian National Debate team after placing third in a BC Qualifying tournament.