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St John’s Beaumont SUMMER TERM 2016

St John’s Beaumont

SUMMER TERM 2016

Contents

02 Headmaster’s Introduction

03 Rudiments Valete

08 Rudiments Leavers

10 Friends of St John’s

11 SJHCT

12 Chapel

14 Nicholas Owen Block

16 Middle School

19 Upper School

22 Drama

23 Music

26 Art

27 Open Morning

27 Formation

28 Prizegiving

30 Food Committee

32 Mission Fair

34 Activity Day

36 Boarding

38 Sport

Headmaster's Introduction

Dear Parents, boys and friends of St John’s

I do hope you enjoy the opportunity in reading this magazine

to reminisce over what has been another memorable term; a

time in which the boys and staff have enjoyed great success

both in the academic curriculum and far beyond. It details

some wonderful opportunities and courageous decisions, some

remarkable achievements and extraordinary generosity and it

makes us all tremendously proud to have been a small part of its

evolution. The boys’ performance at Common Entrance this year

showed a very large number of astonishingly high grades and

our Mathematics results in the National Primary and Intermediate

Challenges were amongst some of the best in the country.

There have been too many events to mention individually

but I am extraordinarily grateful to the staff for the tireless

commitment they give to the boys each and every day: the

added extra that is so integral to St John’s and to their leading

future lives that bring about positive change. The boys

have shown so many examples of kindness, compassion and

generosity this term both towards their peers but importantly

towards people they have never met and in all likelihood

never will. This has not stopped them making every effort to

understand and empathise with the plight of those less fortunate

than themselves: children living in some of the world’s most

dangerous war zones, families living in poverty around the world

and closer to home and those who do not have enough food

even to live.

Their achievements and development on the sports field across

an ever widening range of sports does them tremendous credit

also: whether on the rugby or cricket pitches, in rowing, football,

golf, swimming or polo, all sports have enjoyed great success

and we hope to build further upon these next year.

Thank you to you, our parents, for your support of St John’s;

your active involvement in the wider life of the school has gone

a very long way to helping us nurture your sons and we look

forward to seeing you return in September. To those Rudiments

boys who will not be returning, you leave with our very best

wishes for your future and we hope that you will come back and

visit us often in the future.

Whatever your plans for the summer I hope they bring you

peace and enjoyment and time with your family that you will

treasure.

Giles Delaney

Headmaster

St John’s Beaumont Preparatory School

Old Windsor

Berkshire SL4 2JN

Rudiments Valete

Adeosun, Adebade

Chicken McBade

Armella Gutierrez, Alvaro

Muppet

Emu – Rudiments B

Official – Common Entrance

2nd XV, 2nd VII – 5th XI

Football 1st XI, Rowing,

Rugby – The Oratory

Yak – Rudiments A

Sacristan – Common

Entrance – 2nd XV – 4th

XI – Swimming, Tennis team,

Polo team (Captain) – Drums

Returning to Mexico

Adeyemo-Dakoh, Joel

Baby Jay

Asquith-Evans, Nathaniel

Ginger Ninja

Tiger – Rudiments A

Colours – Common Entrance

1st XV – 2nd XI – Rugby,

Touch rugby – Piano Grade 4

Charterhouse

Tiger – Rudiments A

5th, 4th, 3rd, 2nd XV

4th XI - Windsor Boys

3

Albo Torres, Eugenio

Azofra, Guillermo

GJ

Tiger – Rudiments A

Common Entrance – 1st XV

4th XI – Rowing – Returning

to Mexico

Emu – Great Figures A

Captain of Tennis, Sacristan,

Official – Scholarship – 4th

XV – 4th XI – Tennis, Drama,

Maths Scholars – Piano Grade

3 - Winchester

Arizti Rosales, Andres

Bandido

Bhat, Rushil

Bandwagonner

Yak – Great Figures A

Emu – Rudiments B

Head Sacristan – Common

Entrance – 4th XV – Tennis

Returning to Mexico

Deputy Head Boy,

Official – Eton King’s

Scholarship, St Paul’s

Academic Scholarship – 2nd

XVB -1st XI – Debating, Maths

Scholars – Guitar Grade 4,

Music Theory Grade 1 –

St Paul’s

Boakye, Pier

Pie

Connolly, Patrick

Paddy

Emu – Rudiments B

Common Entrance – 5th XV –

Cycling, SJB TV,

Mandarin – St Edwards

Emu – Great Figures A

Official – Common Entrance

– 2nd XV, 2nd VII – 1st

XI – Ancient Greek, Maths

Scholars, Cricket nets, Rugby,

Football – Eton College

Brooke, Riley

Twig

Elizalde-Gibert, Jorge

Tiger – Rudiments A

Official – Colours – Common

Entrance – 1st XV – 1st XI –

Rugby, Cricket - Wellington

Emu – Rudiments B

Common Entrance – 5th

XV – Cricket Development

Squad – Swimming, Tennis,

Self-Defence, Cycling, Quiz

Club – Returning to Mexico

4

Brun, Joaquin

Gao, Jing Yang (Kingsley)

Panda

Emu – Rudiments B

Common Entrance – 2nd, 3rd

XV – 3rd, 4th XI – Swimming,

Tennis, Self-Defence, Cross

Country – Returning to

Mexico

Emu – Rudiments B

Common Entrance – 3rd XV –

5th XI – Polo, Cross Country,

Touch Rugby – Piano, Violin –

St Edwards

Casas Iriarte, Alvaro

Garcia-Gayou Ruiz, Diego

Rubik

Emu – Great Figures A

Sacristan – Common Entrance

– 3rd XV – 4th XI – Cross

Country, Tennis, Football,

Touch Rugby – Returning

to Mexico

Tiger – Rudiments A

Head Sacristan – 3rd XV – 4th

XI – Cycling, Football, Tennis

– Returning to Mexico

Garson, Oliver

1/16

Hullait, Juskarun

Jussy

Yak – Great Figures A

Official, Colours, Captain of

Rugby – Common Entrance

– 1st XV – 1st XI – Rugby,

Debating, Rowing, Maths

Scholars - Stowe

Yak – Rudiments A

Deputy Head Chorister,

Monitor – Common Entrance

– 4th XV – 3rd XI – Scholar

Cantorum, Singing Grade 3,

Orchestra - Charterhouse

Gifford, Kyle

Khan, Danyaal

Danchal

Yak – Rudiments A

Sacristan – Common Entrance

– 3rd, 4th, 5th XV – 5th XI -

Charterhouse

Yak – Rudiments B

Common Entrance – 5th XV –

6th XI – Tennis, Self Defence,

Polo - Holyport

5

Haitzmann, Leonardo

Khan, Musa

Mouse

Emu – Great Figures A

Head Chorister – Full Colours

– Common Entrance &

Scholarship – 1st XV – 3rd

XI – Swimming, English club,

Maths Scholars –Choir -

Harrow

Emu – Rudiments A

Common Entrance – 5th XV –

3rd XI – Windsor Boys

Hatton, John

The Golden Snitch

Kofarsauri, Kamal

Camel / Grandad / Zebo

Yak – Great Figures A

Head Boy, Official – Common

Entrance – 1st XV, 1st VII – 1st

XI - Ancient Greek, Debating,

Cricket, Maths Scholars

– Bagpipes – Wellington

College

Emu – Rudiments A

Librarian – Common

Entrance – 2nd XV – 2nd

XI – Swimming Development

Squad, Football 1st XI,

Cricket, Polo – Guitar Grade

3 - Charterhouse

Konovalov, Kirill

Munro, Ryan

Trash

Tiger – Rudiments B

Common Entrance – 5th

XV – 7th XI – Golf, Debating,

Rowing, Chess, Self-Defence

– Returning to Russia

Tiger – Rudiments A

Captain of Swimming –

Common Entrance – 2nd XV

– 3rd XI – Swimming, Rugby,

Touch Rugby – Drums Grade

1 - Stonyhurst

Li, Shaoyi (Eric)

Eli

Ngu, Kieran

Bus Stop Ngu

Tiger – Rudiments A

Common Entrance – 3rd XV

– 5th XI – Football, Art, Jolf –

Piano Grade 5 - Oundle

Emu (Captain) Rudiments A

Colours – SFX - Common

Entrance – 2nd XV (Captain),

1st XV – 4th XI (Captain) – Art,

SJB TV, Rowing, Touch rugby

- Stonyhurst

6

Lipman, Benjamin

Mount Potato

Ni, Francois

Chingling

Emu – Rudiments B

Librarian, Food Committee

– Common Entrance – 2nd

XV – 5th XI – SJB TV, Current

Affairs, Cross Country –

Double Bass Grade 2 - Worth

Emu – Great Figures A

Harrow Scholarship – 5th XV

– Cricket Development Squad

– Maths Scholars, Current

Affairs, Football – Piano

Grade 4 – Harrow

Marin, Rafael

Rafa

Owusu-Brew, Timothy

The best

Tiger – Great Figures A

Colours (Art) – Scholarship –

4th XV – Cricket Development

Squad – Art scholars, Cycling,

Drama – Violin Grade 1,

Drums Grade 2, Orchestra,

Choir - Stonyurst

Emu – Rudiments A

Sport Colours – Common

Entrance – 1st XV – 3rd

XI – Rugby , Touch rugby,

Athletics – Oratory School

Pettit-Page, Alfred

Stone Cold Steve Austin

Seuren, Mattias

Matty

Tiger – Rudiments B

Official – Common Entrance

– 3rd XV – 5th XI – Tennis,

Football – Bradfield

Yak – Great Figures A

Official, Captain of Cricket,

Colours (Rugby) - Wellington

Sports Scholarship, Common

Entrance – 1st XV, 1st VII

– 1st XI – Rugby, Cricket –

Wellington College

Rocco, Thomas

Shourie, Yudhvir

Mr Hutchinson-Lawson 2.0

Emu – Rudiments A

Colours, Primus Dormitorii –

Common Entrance, SFX – 1st

XV – 2nd XI – Swimming,

Football, Rowing, Open

Water Swimming, Cricket,

Cycling – Percussion

Ensemble – Stonyhurst

Yak – Great Figures A

Official, Captain of Boats –

Common Entrance – 1st XV,

1st VII – 1st XI – Swimming ,

Rowing, Rugby, Swimming,

Debating, Cricket, Maths

Scholars, Ancient Greek -

Eton College

7

Salah, Zayn

Panda

Sparkes, Alexander

Spud

Yak – Great Figures A

Librarian – Common Entrance

– 5th XV – 3rd XI – Debating,

Rowing, Maths - Harrow

Tiger – Rudiments B

Sacristan, Food Committee –

1st XV – 4th XI – Swimming,

Self Defence, Rugby –

Cheltenham

Sau, Too (Jed)

Fluffy Duck

Tenconi Gradillas, Alfonso

Ale

Yak – Rudiments A

Captain of Music, Chorister

– Common Entrance – 5th

XV – 4th, 5th, 6th XI –

Swimming, Music theory,

Kickboxing – Piano Grade 5,

Trumpter Grade 4-5, Choir –

Charterhouse

Tiger – Great Figures A

Official, Captain of Football –

Colours – 1st XV, 1st VII – 1st

XI – Swimming , Football,

Debating, Maths Scholars,

Rugby, Cricket nets – Music

Theory Grade 2, Violin Grade

2 - Eton College

Rudiments Leavers‛

Trip to Poole 13-17 June 2016

8

Tully, Malachy

Rice and Peas

Yak – Rudiments A

Captain of Yaks, Colours

(Stonyhurst) – Common

Entrance – 3rd XV – 2nd XI –

Tennis, Football, Self Defence,

Golf – Cello Grade 1, Cello

Orchestra - Stonyhurst

Vinayak, Rowan

Clash Royale/My name is Jeff

Tiger (Captain)

Great Figures A

Captain of Golf – Eton King’s

Scholarship – 3rd XV (Captain)

– 1st XI – Golf, Maths

Scholars, Cricket nets –

Eton College

Mr C. Lamprecht reports

Our Rudiments (Year 8) boys,

Common Entrance behind

them, attended their annual

Leavers’ Trip. After several

years together, this trip

afforded them the opportunity

to enjoy each other’s company

within an adventurous setting

for one last time.

The boys spent the week

at Rockley Adventure’s

Poole Park (Dorset), which

is located on the shores

of the UK’s largest inland

saltwater lake. Significant

focus is given towards

understanding leadership

and team dynamics: both

rounding off the education at

St. John’s and giving the boys

a head start for shouldering

the greater personal

responsibilities they will be

expected to bear at their next

school.

Despite some grey weather

about, the boys displayed

a colourful demeanour

throughout the week and

participated fully in all the

activities on offer. These

included windsurfing, SUP

boarding, sailing and raft

building to mention a few. The

highlight of the week was the

day sail where the boys took

their pico boats out for an

extended journey around the

harbour. Seeing twenty hulls,

in formation, chopping rapidly

through the water, with the

windy conditions testing their

concentration all the time, was

a joy to behold.

My scurvy crew and I had

to work hard to get the

landlubber boys out of bed

each morning. It was good

thing I remembered my handy

little squirt gun, which greeted

numerous boys to great effect

before breakfast. What would

any trip be without some light

entertainment?

Despite some unruly

behaviour at the Euro

2016 tournament, our fine

young gentlemen drew the

Vishnyakov, Ivan

Ishvan

Emu – Rudiments B

Colours (Art) – 2nd XV – 2nd

XI – Swimming, Art - Oratory

Watson, Lucas

Mr Tickle

Wu, Yuhan (Jimmy)

Gemmy

Yak – Great Figures A

4th XV – 6th XI – Swimming,

Tennis – Piano Grade 1 -

Charterhouse

Tiger – Rudiments A

Colours (Art) – Common

Entrance – 2nd XV – 5th XI –

Rowing, Art Scholars - Oundle

attle lines on the Thursday

afternoon, as they watched

England take on Wales in

a hotly anticipated home

nations encounter. Needless

to say that the whole of

Rockley Park was witness

to Mr Jackson’s cheers of

elation as Sturridge found

the back of the net to seal

an English victory. To the

boys’ disappointment, this

high was followed by caravan

inspection and packing of

bags (one can never be too

organised). However, the

evening was topped off with

the traditional visit to the

entertainment arcade. I am

sure the proprietors of this

establishment were very

pleased at our generous cash

injection. Not to worry mums

and dads – we did administer

some impromptu gambling

awareness messages!

The last morning was

reserved for some team

games, all of which were in

favour of qualifying times

for the eagerly anticipated

raft building competition

thereafter. The boys

embraced their inner survivor

as they clumped together

some rudimentary objects

with questionable confidence

ready for the big race. Large

quantities of haribo sweets

promised to the winners

elevated the stakes of course.

The staff, anticipating visions

of the Spanish Armada in full

flow, were sadly disappointed

at the distance covered.

However, the entertainment

value was second to none. In

good spirits, the boys were

glad to hand the wetsuits

back and freshen up for the

journey home, but not before

the heavens decided to open

overhead for the walk back to

the lodge.

My sincere thanks goes out to

the boys for their super efforts

during the week, as well

as Mr Hutchinson-Lawson,

Mr Hennessy, Mr Jackson,

Mr Arenas and Mr Pau for

accompanying me and the

boys during the week.

Friends of SJB

A Year with FSJB: Charity, community and a lot of cake!

10

The summer brings another

academic year to an end

and with it the opportunity

to reflect on the community

spirit that has raised an

incredible £35,000 for the

school’s chosen charities: St

John’s Holidays for Children

Trust; The Dermot Gogarty

Memorial Trust; HART

(Humanitarian Aid Relief

Trust), Mary’s Meals and the

Jesuit Missions. The aim was

to have fun; capturing the

imagination of boys, parents

and teachers, and what a year

it has been …

The year’s main fundraiser,

the bi-annual school ball held

at Wentworth in November,

raised nearly £25,000 and,

perhaps most importantly,

brought together our school

community. As we settled

into 2016, the quiz night

provided a more relaxed but

no less enjoyable evening of

entertainment for the parents

and staff alike. More recently

the Summer Fair provided

welcome respite from exams

(and the rain). We know just

how busy this final term can

be and so a huge thank you

to everyone who supported

the event, especially those

who ran the stalls whilst still

trying to keep an eye on their

sons! We were blessed with

wonderful sunshine and it was

great to see so many families

enjoying the atmosphere

and entertainment on offer.

Special thanks to all the

Class Reps who prepared a

fabulously creative array of

activities; from Mr Delaney

proving (yet again!) what a

good sport he was in the

stocks, to Nerf Gun, football,

golf, rat-splatting and tin can

challenges as well as tombolas

and raffles galore and not

forgetting the beautifullycrafty

and ever-popular Jolly

Jars!

Lynne and the catering

team provide huge support

throughout the year to many

of the social events and the

fair was no exception. The

morning overran by over

an hour which is testimony

to the school’s community

and always the sign of a

good party! As well as a lot

of laughter and merriment,

we raised £2,500 for our

charities, money which can

be used to provide a week’s

holiday at the school for five

children with S.J.H.C.T. or to

pay the annual salary of five

teachers in Northern Nigeria

with HART or contribute

significantly towards the

conversion of a container into

a classroom with The Dermot

Gogarty Memorial Trust and

Breadline Africa.

Thank you for all your support

over the year. The school’s

charities will hugely benefit

from your generosity - next

year we hope to bring to

life where your money goes,

sharing stories from the

people it directly benefits.

The time and effort offered

by so many does not go

unnoticed and it is the

tremendous passion,

commitment and involvement

of the parents, boys and

staff at the school that are

the cornerstones of our

community and the secret

of our success. So thank you

again and we wish you a

wonderful summer break.

SJHCT

St John’s Holidays for Children Trust

by Dr. Trevor Fernandes, Chair of Trustees

Thanks to huge support

from the St John’s Beaumont

Community, we were able

to offer a 5-day holiday

during the Easter break,

to a fantastic group of 21

children with special needs

from the Thames valley area

accompanied by 1:1 volunteer

helpers, within the excellent

facilities of the school.

They enjoyed an action

packed holiday offering

the usual balance between

relaxation time with helpers

and the other children, and

a list of activities guaranteed

to bring smiles to their

faces: these included ten-pin

bowling, cinema trip, soft

play area, disco, swimming,

inflatables in the gym, rock

climbing with Mr Delaney and

a trip to Chessington World of

Adventures.

The catering staff produced

fabulous meals to keep up

the energy levels and we are

hugely grateful to them. We

were particularly grateful for

support from the school with

catering and minibuses, as

well as financial assistance

with the disco and the muchloved

inflatable day. We

really appreciate the massive

amount of work required by

the Friends of SJB in order

to help support our charity,

amongst others, which is

entirely run and staffed

by volunteers and has no

overheads other than what

is spent on the holiday and

the necessary registrations

and insurance.

We have now been running

holidays for over 40 years

and it is great to see that

the ethos and enthusiasm

of helpers continues

just as strongly as it

did, despite many

other calls upon

their time: do come

and visit next year

as the pupils of

today will be

the helpers of

tomorrow, as

indeed I was

a long time

ago!

Chaplaincy

Family Mass May 2016

The family mass is a time

where the St. John’s

community come to celebrate

mass together. It gives

parents, students and staff

the opportunity to not only

build closer relationships

with one another, but also

for the community to grow

spiritually closer to God.

Those preparing for their

Holy Communion were also

present. Max Warren from

Bellarmine 1 reflected on the

experience and wrote the

following,

‘The family masses at St.

John’s Beaumont are a time

for families and friends to

come together to celebrate

the mass and life itself.

This terms family mass

was extremely special for

those taking their First Holy

Communion. Fr. Porter made

us feel so welcome and

helped us to understand the

importance of being at mass

with our family and friends.

The mass itself was a beautiful

service that collaborated faith

and fun in a modern way.

We were able to understand

the readings from the New

Testament and link them to

how we could be more like

Jesus today. After mass we

were so excited that the next

mass we would be present

at would be our First Holy

Communion. Most of all, the

experience was a magical

memory as it was a shared

one with those we love.’

Upper Figures retreat 2016

The Upper Figures retreat day followed the theme of mission

and leadership. It was an opportunity for the boys to prepare

for them becoming the top year in the school. It explored what

they are called to do and be for the good of the school (and

eventually the wider world). The boys enjoyed the creative

activities that helped them explore their mission as boys of St.

Johns, the Catholic community and as examples for all. The day

ended with a time for quiet reflection in the chapel, which was

an ideal way to bring such a lovely day to a close.

Rudiments Retreat and Vespers

The Rudiments retreat day was focussed around the boys

reflecting on their time at St. John’s Beaumont and looking

forward to the journey they will soon undertake at their new

schools. The retreat morning began in a calm and meditative

manner in the chapel. This enabled the boys to quietly think

about God’s presence in their daily routine. After some

peaceful reflection the boys then took part in some more active

approaches to reflecting on God’s presence in their lives, by

taking part in group work, watching videos on inspirational

individuals and discussing what they were thankful for in their

lives. It was a day that was thoroughly enjoyed by all boys, which

was made even more memorable by ending the day together in

the chapel with Leaver’s Vespers.

First Holy Communion by Timur Filyk

On the 12th of June, 2016, 16 St John’s Beaumont boys and one

special girl made their very First Holy Communion. It was the

most memorable Sunday morning, filled with family, friends and

faith.

The year was very inspirational, interesting and active. We learnt

about Mass, spoke about God and read a lot of stories from the

Bible. We were very lucky to have Miss Carver and Mrs Katnik to

lead and guide us through this faithful journey and are thankful

for their love, care and guidance.

In our First Holy Communion, we shared in the practice for our

first time; taking the bread and wine. It was a joyful experience

in which we learned more about what Jesus did during his life.

Our rehearsals were exciting and exhausting but brought us

together and we made our own family in Christ. The First Holy

Communion was even more special as while we all made our

First Confession too, some boys were baptized and accepted

into the Catholic church. We were proud of each other and the

experience made us value our lives and the lives of those around

us. We are all disciples of Christ and the 17 of us are eager to

take our discipleship to the next level, engaging in the Mass in

an active and special way.

Bible and the Mass. Everyone that was part of the Communion

was told of the importance and significance of becoming

closer to God. One of the best lessons we learnt was to follow

traditional footsteps, in a modern way, to bring out the best in

ourselves, in others and to become closer to God.

Father Porter was helpful and supportive all the way. On the

actual day a lot of teachers, the Headmaster, friends and

relatives came to celebrate with us; this made the day even more

special to us. We were all ambassadors for St. John’s Beaumont

and were honoured to complete our First Holy Communion in

our own school. Filled with pride, we let our balloons up into the

air and along with the Headmaster shouted ‘HIP HIP HOORAY’

to celebrate our day.

We can collectively say, that making your First Holy Communion

is like nothing else and doing it here at St. John’s Beaumont with

your friends, teachers and families makes something valuable

and memorable extra special. Wishing the best of luck to next

years’ Holy Communion boys and we ask that you keep us in

your thoughts and prayers as we eagerly make our second, third,

fourth Holy Communion as we attend weekly masses with our

families now.

We are sad that our lessons are over and if we could, we would

do it all over again. The activities made us more aware of the

Nicholas Owen Block

New Pre Prep Playground opened

We were delighted to open our new pre-prep playground as

part of our Open Day celebrations on Saturday 14th May. The

new playground, which houses a play fort, miniature climbing

wall, fireman’s pole and slide, has been installed beside a

climbing frame, balance beam and benches and will provide a

wonderful environment for the boys in our pre prep to develop

their physical and coordination skills and creative and inter-active

skills. Mrs Powell-Harper, the Head of Pre-Prep was on hand to

open the new playground and cut the ribbon, allowing all of the

boys from our Nursery and Reception to christen all of the new

equipment with a tremendous degree of enthusiasm.

Words Summer

This term has been extremely busy but also extremely enjoyable.

The boys had the opportunity to participate in a Healthy Eating

PSHE Day. They were fortunate enough to make fruit salads,

practise mindfulness, try different forms of exercise and learn the

importance of hygiene. Following on from the topic of healthy

eating the boys joined in activities day with great enthusiasm by

learning new skipping and swimming skills. Even Mrs Powell-

Harper showed off her skipping talent!

Each class thoroughly enjoyed their termly trips, which included

visits to Odds Farm, The Lookout, Brockets Farm and Busher

Farm. The boys joined in all the fun at the Mission Fair and

showed great sportsmanship and enthusiasm during Sports Day.

We’re sure the cheers could be heard at Windsor Castle!

An unmissable music concert showcased the talents of the boys

in the Nicholas Owen Block. It was wonderful to watch and

was enjoyed by pupils, staff and parents. Although the weather

didn’t allow for us to enjoy our Teddy Bears Picnic outside this

year it didn’t dampen our spirits. The boys played parachute

games, a game of rounders, and did art and craft activities.

Middle School

Happy Birthday to her Majesty

from the Bellarmine Boys at St John’s

To celebrate the Queen’s 90th birthday, St John’s Beaumont

School Year 3 boys have sent a birthday card to the Queen which

they have designed and drawn for her, based on the design of

a £1 coin. Each of the boys drew a cameo of the Queen, within

the outline of her face, as can be seen in the attached photos.

Inside they pasted photos from the Queen’s visits to the school,

in 1961 and again in 2009, when she opened the new Sports

Hall; and they wrote a verse for her, using the letters of her

name:

Eloquent in all you do

Loving to your country too

Inspire the public every day

Zealous approach to what you say

Always, health and happiness, for you we pray

Beautiful in every single way

Each of us hope to meet you one day

Thank you for all that you continue to do

Hope your 90th birthday wishes come true.

Signed by the Bellarmine boys.

16

The card was sent to the Queen with a copy of our pictorial

history book written by Dr Plant.

Humanities Day by Sarosh Rustomjee

On the 22nd of April 2016

a few boys from Year 5 and

6 went on a trip to Stowe

School for Humanities Day.

The trip was about politics,

the history of art, history and

philosophy and religion. The

boys had a great time with

all the fun, exciting activities

we did during the course of

the day.

At the start of the day we

went straight into the first

session of the day, politics.

In the session they were

explaining what democracy

was. The issue we had to

deal with was how to divide

a bunch of different types

of Haribo packets so that

everyone would get the type

of Haribo they wanted. How

do we divide them? This was

one of the major questions

we faced. There were many

ideas, including a vote, or

just giving everyone what

they wanted, but none of

these resulted in most people

getting what they liked. After

some discussion, eventually

someone from another school

answered, “we should get

into groups of six and then

each group decides what type

of Haribo they want.” That’s

what we did, got into groups

of six (two from each school)

and then chose which one

the group wanted altogether.

Most people got out of the

room munching on a random

packet of Haribo!

We then learned about

the history of art and the

“worthies” (worthy people

that had done good) within

the last few centuries. At the

end of an interesting talk

about the worthies the boys

had to find eight people that

could be worthies for the

21st century. Some of them

included Queen Elizabeth II,

President Obama and Steven

Hawking. The boys had to

draw which one we thought

was the most important

person on a cut out cardboard

face.

For philosophy and religion

we talked about a person

named Jeremy Bentham who

was an English philosopher,

jurist and social reformer. He

is seen as the founder of modern utilitarianism, which means

evaluating actions based on their consequences. They explained

that Jeremy had made a calculator, which could tell if you were

good or bad, known as the Hedonic Calculus.

Right after lunch we went to the music room to hear the Speaker

of the House of Commons, John Bercow. He came to talk about

what he did as the House of Commons speaker. He explained

what this job meant and how he did his job.

In our last session we learnt about the biggest threats to

democracy. This was about people like Hitler and Napoleon and

how people like them destroyed so many democracies and killed

so many people.

At the very end of the extraordinary trip to Stowe, the

headmaster of Stowe School presented the first place prize for

winning the Winton cup quiz competition to another school.

We all headed back, and even though we did not win, I’m sure

everyone had a good time. Thank you to Mr Hutchinson-Lawson

and Mr Clements because without them the trip would not have

taken place.

Fathers & Son Bushcraft Weekend by Oliver Ryan

On Friday afternoon, 19

Upper Elements boys and

their dads, braved the late

April weather and lugged our

kit down to the ‘Beaumont

Flats’ for the annual Year

5 Bushcraft weekend. We

joined the Woodlands Ways

Crew at our tents - Ian, Acer,

Terry and most importantly

Kev (our cook for the

weekend).

The weekend started with

everybody pitching in and

getting their hands dirty,

cave man style, preparing

the secret evening meal –

which was pigeon! We were

given our pigeon which we

had to pluck, gut and fillet

- something none of us had

ever done before, but we all

got stuck in to get the job

done so that we could go

off and play football. After

using up most of our wipes to

clean our hands, everybody

gathered on the pitch for a

19-a-side, Dads versus Lads,

football showdown. The Lads

were joined by Mr Moore

in attack and Mr Delaney

who defended the Goal like

an octopus. It was a fierce

and competitive match that

continued until a final goal

in the dark by the Dads who

managed a 4-3 win.

After the match we gathered

around the communal

campfire to talk about the

day’s events.

Kev did an

amazing

job turning

our earlier

efforts

into a very tasty pigeon stir

fry, which, surprisingly, we

all enjoyed. We had lots of

fun late into the evening,

playing with torches, and

stoking the fire before going

back to the tents and

burying ourselves in

our sleeping bags to

keep warm.

Next morning

both the

sun,

and

most

of the

boys were up at 5:30am.

The dads straggled out for

a coffee a little later. After

an early bowl of coco pops

around the fire, we split into

three teams (Mythbusters,

Gunners & 21 Bear Grylls) to

learn three different bushcraft

skills. We had a great day

with the Woodland Ways crew

learning about Knife Safety,

Fire Starting and Shelter

Building.

After a long day and night,

jam packed with activities, we

all helped pack up our tents,

whilst the different teams

competed in a stick throwing

competition. Based on our

performance, most animals

should feel quite safe, but

the event was won by the

Mythbusters.

We all then said our goodbyes

and helped our dads drag our

kit back to our cars. Despite

an amazing weekend with

our dads, it was a luxury to

get home and have a hot

bath and use a modern toilet

rather than a tree and shovel.

A big thanks from Upper

Elements to Miss Theodore,

Mr Moore and all those who

helped coordinate this great

experience.

Bellarmine Open Afternoon by James Durup and Thanuj Patel

During Open afternoon, we

invite all the parents in to

come in to our classroom and

have a look at all our work so

they can see the things that

we have been doing in class.

The best part was when the

parents came in the classroom

as it was a really nice surprise.

It was also fun watching the

parents talk to our teacher.

We really enjoy Open

afternoon as it is very exciting

and we feel proud when we

show them a good piece of

our work.

Go-Karting

18

Mr Fountain reports on an exciting project for Lower Elements

Over the last year, the boys of Lower Elements have been

working on a go-kart project, which culminated in mid-June with

an exciting Race Day on the Front Field. The project was unusual

for St. John’s, in that it was the first time such an undertaking

had been considered by the school for boys of this age group.

For the Christmas term, the boys researched other examples

of go-karts: what features they had; why these features were

important; and, ideas to inform design.

At the start of the Easter term, both classes were introduced to

the tools being used: saws, hammers and screwdrivers. Within a

couple of sessions, every boy was capable of safely setting up an

area to work in and making superb use of the tools. As the term

drew to a close, such progress meant only one thing: it was time

to start making the go-karts themselves!

The style of go-karts used was traditional and simple, but still

required a good degree of accuracy for every cut made. The

boys threw themselves wholeheartedly into this, learning the

mantra of every DT project: ‘Measure twice, cut once’. As the

weeks went on, the karts began to take their shape and the

excitement was tangible.

By the Summer term, the karts were approaching the final stages

of completion. In order to make each kart that much more

individual, teams chose colour schemes for their masterpieces.

On the 16th June, six sleek speed machines were rolled down

to the front field and the fruits of Lower Elements’ labour were

put to the ultimate test. After a rigorous showcasing of the karts’

agility and speed (helped by willing pushers and drivers), one

team- The Solid Six- reigned victorious. Their name was etched

onto the SJB Jim Jackson Memorial Cup (named in honour of

Mr. Fountain’s late grandfather, who taught him how to make the

karts) and enters the annals of school history!

Next year, it all begins again… and we can’t wait.

Upper School

Author Visit

Steve Cole visited St John’s

early in the summer term and

proved a richly entertaining

guest. He is the new author

of the Young Bond books and

his riveting talk truly inspired

the boys. He gave an expert’s

insight into the gadgetry of

the 1930s, the time frame

for the books, and whilst

delivering a very funny speech

included a special gadget

of his own - his drinking

binoculars.

He was very modest and

very approachable with the

hundreds of pupils who

attended. Once again we

were delighted to entertain

children from other schools,

both independent and state,

who integrated very nicely

with our boys. All in all,

another excellent visiting

author event. We hope that

Steve Cole will return in the

not-too-distant future.

19

Verse-Speaking

This year’s senior school

Verse-Speaking final proved

to be a real highlight for the

English department, with an

astonishing variety of readings

from a very large number of

boys, all of whom had put a

huge amount of effort into

not only learning their poems

by heart but also thinking

about how best to perform

them in front of an audience.

In the end our adjudicator,

Mr Christopher Elliot, Head

of English at Radley College,

selected Louis Pearson for

his impassioned reading of O

Captain, My Captain, John

Chang’s evocative recital

of a speech from Henry IV

Part Two, and Kieran Ngu’s

powerful rendition of Not

My Business as the Junior,

Intermediate and Senior

winners respectively. The

overall prize went to John

Chang.

Maths Challenge

21x5

50-16

St John’s Beaumont School

were delighted to take part

once again in the national

Intermediate Maths Challenge

(IMC). This challenge is

written for pupils aged 14

and upwards and provides a

very worthwhile challenge for

all of our boys in Years 7 and

8. We were thrilled therefore

this year once again to see so

many boys winning bronze,

silver and even gold awards.

Typically, the highest scoring

pupils from Years 9, 10 and

11 nationally are awarded

certificates and this amounts

to approximately 15% of the

national cohort. Miss Murphy,

Head of Maths, was very

75+27

20

10+7

proud of the boys for their

outstanding achievement,

winning 20 awards. Seven of

those winning awards were

in Year 7, one of 118 very

prestigious gold award was

won by John Chang.

Miss Murphy commented,

“It is wonderful to see the

passion for numeracy and

mathematics that runs through

St John’s and these boys are

only a small number of those

who have made outstanding

progress over the course of

this year in the subject. We

are really proud of them.”

10x18

24-8

88+21

Verulamium and St Albans

21

On Tuesday 5th July, Upper Figures undertook a cross-curricular

trip to St Albans, where they explored how the Roman and

medieval towns are linked by the Roman occupation of Britain

and the coming of Christianity, specifically the martyrdom of

the first British martyr, St Alban. The morning began with a visit

to the Verulamium museum, to learn about the Roman town

and Boudicca’s revolt, and to get hands-on with some real

Roman household items during an artefact handling session.

With the sun coming out at last, the boys enjoyed a picnic

al fresco and a ramble across the park, eventually going up

the hill to the cathedral, the site of Alban’s execution. Inside

we learnt about the story of Alban and the founding of the

cathedral itself. An enjoyable day combining Latin, Roman and

medieval history, and RE all in one.

Drama

This has been a

wonderful year

for Drama at St

John’s.

Our school play took

over the professional

Windsor Firestation in

an original production

called Shakespeare’s

Inspiration. The boys

wrote, devised and

rehearsed this to an

exceptional standard and

received some rave reviews.

22

The LAMDA at school has been

of an equally high standard. We

have entered over 20 boys for

solo examinations between Entry

Level and Bronze Medal. Whilst

we are still waiting for the majority

of these results to come back to us,

we are so proud to announce that Alfie

Pettit-Page has achieved an extremely

high Distinction for his Bronze Medal Solo

Acting exam. This is a real accolade, and

means he has already gained UCAS points

for university!

We have entered students for a variety of

subjects including Verse and Prose, Acting and

Public Speaking.

LAMDA continues to thrive and we look forward to

announcing the rest of the results when they reach us.

Music

The Queen’s Six Turns Into The Queen’s Thirty-Six

by Leonardo Haitzmann, Head Chorister

On the evening of May 11th

the Choir of SJB had the

privilege to sing with The

Queen’s Six in the School

Chapel. The Queen’s Six

sing at Windsor Castle in St

George’s Chapel and for over

two hours all in the Choir

felt part of the Royal world,

accompanied by Mr Spencer

at the organ.

The Queen’s Six comprises

two countertenors (Daniel

Brittain and Tim Carleston),

two tenors (Nick Madden and

Dominic Bland), the baritone

Andrew Thompson and bass

Simon Whiteley. Yes you read

well, our singing teacher Nick

Madden is one of the Queen’s

Six: we have the privilege of a

Royal teacher in our school for

the past eight years!

In the afternoon we rehearsed

with the Queen’s Six the four

pieces that we sang with

them: I waited for the Lord

by Mendelssohn, Evening

Hymn by Balfour Gardiner,

The Turtle Dove by Vaughan

Williams and Wade in the

Water by Gareth Dayus-Jones.

We were also given a lot of

tips on how to become fine

professional singers.

At the evening concert,

the Chapel was packed full

with pupils and families. All

of us were overwhelmed

by the power of those six

unique voices in a magic

atmosphere. It is a puzzling

thought that our voices will

change so much when we

grow old and develop into

baritones, tenors, basses or

countertenors. I wonder which

one of our voices will turn into

which one of their voices?

The sounds of the Queen’s

Six were so unique, one could

differentiate each voice like

instruments in an orchestra.

Even humming was turned

into fun and magic sounds to

our ears.

Standing and singing in front

of the Queen’s Six at the

altar was very exciting. Their

voices on top of our young

voices felt overwhelming. We

could also see the audience

enjoying every moment of

the concert. The repertoire

was a new experience for the

Choir, also including Disney

songs. Several arrangements

were by Tim Carleston’s dad,

and by the Queen’s Six bass,

Simon Whiteley. We were also

privileged to listen to the first

performance of the traditional

English song The Water of

Tyne arranged by our very

own Dr Plant. All of us could

not stop applauding and

could not even wait for the

songs to finish before starting

the clapping.

I am sure that we as the SJB

Choir made Mr Madden, Dr

Plant, the Headmaster and our

families very proud. The Choir

is still applauding Dr Plant,

thanking him for organizing

this memorable event,

preparing us and conducting

us. We shall all treasure

this unique experience –

in addition to our signed

programme showing we were

there on the evening of May

11th, turning the Queens’ Six

to the Queen’s Thirty-Six for a

night at SJB.

Vespers at The Oratory by Thomas Bennett

The Chapel Choir visited The

Oratory School on Friday 6th

May to join some of the Sixthform

students in Vespers. Mr

Burrows, the Director of Music

at The Oratory, rehearsed us,

and was impressed with our

sound! There were several

psalms for us to sing, as well

as the Magnificat, and a sixpart

anthem Great Lord of

Lords by Charles Wood. The

two choirs also sang a series

of chants and responses we

had learned and practised

previously during our choir

practice at St John’s.

The Oratory has a much larger

chapel than our school, but

we managed to fill the whole

church with our voices. It

was an excellent experience

to sing with other choristers

and make such a powerful

and heavenly sound together.

We finished Vespers by

singing the hymn Lord of All

Hopefulness to the wellknown

Irish tune which we

often sing at St John’s.

Many thanks to Dr Plant for

taking us.

Jazz and Beyond by Monty Staveley

24

On the 22nd of April 2016,

three St John’s boys went

to a Jazz day at The Oratory

School in Reading. When

we got there we were quite

nervous, but we got over

it and had a very fun time!

There were boys from the

age of eight up to fifteen,

with standards of Grade

Two to Grade Eight. The

instruments being played

were trombone, trumpet,

clarinet, French horn, bass

guitar, drums, saxophone,

flute, piano, clarinet, tuba and

oboe. Different instruments

worked in different groups,

to practise their parts with

each other. It made me

feel confident in playing

with other people. The jazz

teacher, Mark Armstrong,

was amazing! He was able to

bring all the parts together

to create a brilliant jazz show.

Performing to the parents

was very challenging but very

enjoyable. I was proud to be

part of it and I would like to

do it again. Thank you to Dr.

Plant for arranging it and to

Mr. Millington for also coming

with us.

Chapel Choir at Quarr Abbey by Finn Pearson

On Friday 24th June the

Chapel Choir paid a return

visit to the Isle of Wight to

sing Vespers at Quarr Abbey.

The day began early with

us arriving at school at 7:15

a.m. We took a coach to

Southampton Docks, and

then boarded the ferry to the

island. We arrived at Quarr

Abbey about 11:30 a.m.,

where we were given a tour

and sat down for lunch in

the tea rooms. After this, the

Choir entered the Abbey to

start an hour’s rehearsal for

the service. We were then

taken to the Monkey Haven,

where we saw a wide range

of monkeys, meerkats, owls

and snakes.

After visiting the shop we

returned to the Abbey for

the service. We changed

into our robes and found our

places in the choir stalls. This

was a very special service

because it was Benediction

after Vespers, because it

was St John’s the Baptist’s

Day. We sang The Call and

He that is down (both by

Vaughan Williams), A Prayer

by Richard Lloyd, and John

Ireland’s wonderful Ex ore

innocentium.

After singing, the choir

quickly boarded the coach so

we wouldn’t miss the ferry,

and finally arrived back at St

John’s at 10:00 p.m. Thank

you Dr Plant, Mr Spencer

and Madame Calder for

taking us.

Middle School Concert, Thursday 16th June 2016

by Patxi Larraz Ramirez

25

What a wonderful afternoon

the middle school concert was.

For me, all the performers

were excellent. Some of my

favourites were Will Masterson

(trumpet), Nathaniel Ng

(piano) and Amir Pedersoli

(piano). I also took part in this

amazing experience: I sang,

and I played the cello. I am

very happy to be part of SJB’s

music school, and to have Dr

Plant as a mentor. Thanks to

all the teachers that helped

and supported us with the

concert.

Inter-Animal Music

On Wednesday 29th

June, SJB welcomed Tim

Johnson (Precentor and

Director of Music at Eton)

as the adjudicator for our

annual Inter-Animal Music

Competition. We have some

really outstanding musicians

at present, but the Emus won

comfortably after a string

of excellent performances.

Many congratulations to all

the boys who volunteered

to participate; it was a most

satisfying morning.

Art

26

Once again it has been a very

successful year for the Art

School. Top art scholarships

at Charterhouse, Worth

and Stonyhurst have been

awarded to Rafael Marin

and a further art Exhibition

at The Oratory by Ivan

Vishnaykov. The Scholars’ Art

Exhibition, held every year

in the balcony in the Sports

Centre, shows a wide range

of media and techniques

and in addition there is

an exhibition of a young

potential artist Yat Fei Lang.

The Art School continues to

provide opportunities for

those students keen to pursue

excellence and the chance to

succeed at scholarship level.

The fundamental skills of

draughtsmanship still remain

at the core of the curriculum

enabling students to follow

their GCSE courses whether

in Fine Art, Design or Art

History.

Open Morning

14th May 2016

Saturday 14th May saw the sun shine on a wonderful open day

at St John’s.

Our annual open day offers both current and prospective parents

the opportunity to see St John’s in operation in all its glory. Every

curricular and extra-curricular area was on display and the boys

had the most wonderful time demonstrating to their parents

and visitors the wide range of activities and lessons in which

they engage on a daily basis. Whether it was building volcanos,

designing and building life size working go-karts, orienteering,

dissection and microscopy, open water swimming training, a

music concert, pottery or any one of the academic disciplines,

both boys and parents seemed to have a tremendous morning

and everyone left with a big smile on their face. One such

highlight during the morning, particularly for the boys in our Pre

Prep Department was the opening of their new playground.

Formation

Formation Time

Mr Barr refl ects on this new addition to our school day

As we come to the end of the

first year of Formation Time

it would seem to be a good

time to pause and reflect

on the opportunities the

boys have had. This initiative

continues to gather pace

and is evolving into a really

useful part of the curriculum.

This year has seen activities

ranging from Philosophy to

Cricket and French to SJB TV,

to name but a few. Each and

every boy has received either

his first or second choice

option. We aim for this trend

to continue next year.

Over the summer we will be

reviewing this process and

there is potential to amend

the Monday session slightly

by offering a more prescribed

choice of options to support

the boys’ study habits moving

forward. Too often we fail to

teach the boys how to learn

and remember information

and nearly every school is

guilty of this. At SJB we have

always been proactive in this

area and plan to see how we

can improve further the use

of this time to support these

key skills.

The Friday

sessions

have

proved

very

popular, with many boys

commenting on the help they

have received during clinics

or the chance simply to catch

up on missed work. Next term

tutors and class

teachers will

keep an

even

closer eye on this and we will

use Wednesday tutor time

to help the boys make these

decisions in line with their

academic needs.

Finally as parents we would

ask that you take an active

role in this by encouraging

your sons to attend the right

clinic or use his time on a

Friday to complete a piece of

work that maybe was missed

due to a fixture or similar.

At the end of year 1 of

Formation time we believe

it has been an extremely

worthwhile exercise but one

that will continue to evolve.

The boys that have used

this time wisely have found

it to be both useful and

interesting and we feel that

these sessions will continue

to provide your sons with

further opportunities outside

the classroom to develop their

skills and talents.

Prizegiving 2016

28

We were delighted to

welcome so many parents

and extended family as

well as old boys, to join

with our current boys and

staff in celebrating the end

of another tremendously

successful year. Mass which

was celebrate by the School

Chaplain, Fr Adrian Porter sj,

was a marvellous opportunity

to celebrate and recognise

all of the blessings we are

fortunate to have at St John’s

and so may boys played their

part in making this a very

beautiful experience; whether

they were readers, sacristans,

members of the orchestra or

our choristers.

Prizegiving offered an

opportunity to recognise

those boys who had excellent

academically during the

year as well as outstanding

contributions to the pastoral

and community life of the

school. In his speech the

Headmaster recognised many

of the academic, sporting and

artistic achievements of the

boys and the Head Boy, John

Hatton, gave an outstanding

speech reflecting on his 9

years at St John’s and the

many opportunities that had

been offered and which had

contributed to the growth of

both he and his peers.

We were delighted to

welcome as our guest of

honour Baroness Cox who

spoke about the potential for

each boy to make a difference

later in their life and it is hard

to find a better example of

someone who has made a

difference to the lives of 100s

of 1000s of people in some of

the most dangerous war torn

areas of the world.

The day was topped

off resplendently with a

wonderful family picnic and

provided a time for all visitors

to the school to share their

memories of SJB and wish

each other well on their future

journeys.

Food Committee

The boys of the Food

Committee had a busy term,

helping with the organisation

of the Queen’s 90th Birthday

celebrations on 21st June and

the Grandparents’ Tea Party

which took place at the end of

the last week of term.

The boys (Joe Bowman, Alex

Sparkes, Max Eddis, Fraser

McDade, Ben Lipman, Edima

Umoren) met every fortnight

to plan these events, with

Lynne Johnson and Miss

Buckley, and together came

up with the ideas for the

events. The morning of

the Queen’s 90th Birthday

celebrations the boys helped

to set all the tables outside

on the gravel, proudly

wearing their Union Jack

waistcoats and putting up all

the decorations. We were

blessed with a bright sunny

day and it was wonderful

for the whole school to sit

together outside, with older

boys helping younger boys

and conversations flowing

between all age groups. We

were delighted that some of

our Governors were able join

us too.

Despite the weather that

we experienced in June and

early July, we were fortunate

once again to have the sun

pop out at exactly 3 p.m.

as the grandparents arrived

to enjoy an afternoon tea,

served by their grandsons,

at the front of school. With

Mr McKillop playing some

musical favourites for them,

tea, sandwiches and cake

being consumed, a table quiz

and some games of boules

to round off the afternoon, it

was a wonderful afternoon.

Thanks are due again to the

boys for helping with all of

this – from the theme, to the

table names and the quiz

they were extremely helpful,

ensuring that both events

were enjoyed by all and went

off without a hitch.

Mission Fair

On Thursday 30th June the

school came to a standstill as

the Rudiments boys hosted

the annual Mission Fair, where

all proceeds raised go to

support our sister school St

Rupert’s in

Zimbabwe. The day was

the usual fun and games

with sweets, milkshakes

and doughnuts the food of

choice. Despite Matron’s

concern about an epidemic of

tooth decay, the event was a

huge success with in excess

of £3,500 raised for this

worthwhile cause. Highlights

included the annual water

slide down the bank (sorry,

Bursar), and this year saw the

first ever rodeo bull arrive, Mr

Barr wining the staff challenge

with a very average time of

22 seconds. The House of

Pain and Hit the Mexican

proved to be popular

stalls, particularly with staff

for some reason! Fun was

had by all and the boys did

an amazing job. Thank you

to all of Rudiments and the

rest of the community for this

amazing day.

Activity Day

Mr Smiley reports on a busy day at SJB

Activities Day at St John’s

Beaumont saw boys between

Reception and Year 7 all

take part in a variety of new

activities on Friday 17th June.

Boys from the Nicholas Owen

Block took part in skipping

lessons, with Year 1 and 2 also

having a free swim session

in our Pool, before everyone

came together to watch a

skipping demonstration by

“Dan the Skipping Man”.

Year 7 undertook the now

traditional visit to Datchet

Sailing Club, where they learnt

the basics of sailing ahead

of their being let loose on

the Queen Mother reservoir,

with Mr Williams effectively

refereeing the boys when he

took to the water after lunch.

Year 4 undertook a new

activity which saw them

having to make their way back

to school, following a route

that they’d planned, starting

at the different drop off points

around Virginia Water. In

four groups, the boys were

given a list of landmarks to

visit, and photograph, on

their way back to St John’s

Beaumont – upon their

return to school, all within

45-minutes of each other, the

boys proudly announced that

they’d covered over 10-miles

… before playing football on

the front field!

Years 3, 5 and 6

stayed at school,

and rotated around

a number of

classroom,

outside and sports

centre based activities that

included Animation, Archery

Tag and elastic band racing.

Working in their year groups,

each boy spent two hours

learning about Stop-Motion

animation, creating their own

short movies in the process,

using plasticine, paper cutouts

and simple drawings. In

their classes, everyone took

part in Archery Tag, which

is an Archery-based version

of Paintball. Using rubber

tipped arrows, the boys

practiced shooting each other

from behind different kinds

of targets… needless to say,

the teachers got involved

too! Bellarmine competed in

the annual Bellarmine 1 vs.

Bellarmine 2 cricket match

during the afternoon, and

in its place, Years 5 and 6

did orienteering around the

school site and made elasticband

powered racers.

The day was a great success,

and all of the boys embraced

the chance to try something

new, either at school, or offsite.

Boarding Life

36

Mr Jackson refl ects on the end of another year

I can’t believe how quickly this year has passed and as I look back

on events in the boarding community over the last year I can’t

help but smile to myself as I recall some of the most memorable

moments of boarding life here at St John’s. This year we have

seen a fantastic group of boys live and work together and each

and every one of these boys has made a vital contribution to

the positive atmosphere in the Boarding House. The boys have

achieved academically, sporting and socially and I am delighted

to have witnessed many boys establishing long lasting friendships

which I am sure will continue wherever life takes them. To

celebrate the end of a very successful year the boys and staff had

a splashing time at the Boarder’s Dinner where a delicious dinner

was served followed by a huge water fight which was such fun

for everyone involved. We said a fond farewell to all our senior

boarders who are going on to pastures new and wish them every

success in their new schools. Until September …

Sport Report

Mr W. Lamprecht refl ects on an extremely busy Summer term of sport

Cricket

As we end the Summer term, it is with great frustration that

we look back at the Cricket season. Many matches were rain

affected in the end. This, no doubt, left many boys and coaches

frustrated to say the least. Our 1st XI has struggled to find form

this season, but sometimes that is how life goes and, hopefully,

the experiences gained by our Upper Figures boys will stand

them in good stead for next year.

Mr Moore, in particular, was keen to point out that his U10 C

team was the most successful one in the school after having

the best results at the end of the season. Another was the U8 A

team’s nail biting win against Donhead earlier this term.

During the month of May the Games Department hosted the 3rd

annual Ignatian Premier League. A very exciting U10 and U13

semi-final took place, with a sudden death bowl-off needed to

determine who would go through. Xavier Mullen and Dawei Sun,

in particular, showed wonderful big match temperament to get

their respective teams through to the final.

The winning teams per age group were as follows:

• U9 Faber Fireballs

• U10 Lewis Lightning

• U11 Owen Openers

• U13 Kostka Knights

38

Our most sincere thanks goes out to all the parents for their

generous support of the boys, as well as the Games coaches

for their tireless efforts and time in making the IPL a resounding

success.

Staff vs. Parents Cricket

In sporting terms the historic final weeks of a thrilling premiere

league campaign gave way to the nail-biting tension that has

become the annual Staff vs. Parents cricket fixture. This year

the adults had to share the limelight for the first time with a

group of focused and highly motivated young men – namely

our Bellamine (Year 3) boys who where challenging their

mums to a game of cricket. The boys played with tremendous

enthusiasm and the match was touch and go at times with some

wonderful batting and fielding from the boys. In the end it was

the narrowest of wins for the Mums but the gauntlet has been

laid down now for many years to come and we suspect this will

become every bit as popular as fixture as the Staff vs Parents

match.

On the other cricket square the same competitive, although

more relaxed, spirit was evident and at times the match could

have tilted either way. The parents brought their big guns in

early on and seemed to be holding their own but a late flurry

of wickets mid-innings allowed to the staff to take a grip on the

game and register a narrow win. However peace and harmony

was restored over a wonderfully friendly barbecue at the end.

Thank you to all those who contributed to the day – whether

players, ground staff or supporters and here’s to next year when

we get to do it all over again!

Rowing

On the rowing front, the St.

John’s annual Charity Row was

organised by Mr Hutchinson-

Lawson this year and it

centred on Mr Elliot Miller,

a former Gap student, who

tragically passed away earlier

this year due to cancer.

The boys could not have done

better as they reached their

target with ease on the last

day. Well done to our Captain

of Boats, Yudhvir Shourie, for

leading the charge with his

troops.

40

This year’s Inter-Animal

Rowing competition was

a repeat of last year as

the Emus kept a dominant

lead throughout. It was a

battle right to the very end

between the Yaks and Tigers.

Eventually the seniors in the

Yak team swayed it their way

and they claimed second

place. A special mention must

go out to Emu captain, Kieran

Ngu, who smashed the senior

individual record. It was truly a

moment to behold.

Athletics

A team of 14 boys travelled

to the London Area Athletics

meeting and, despite the

heavy rain, our boys’ spirits

were not dampened.

Highlights on the day included

Samuel, our youngest

competitor, coming 2nd in his

heat and went on to finish 3rd

in the 100m final. He also did

well in the 200m to finish 4th

in the final. Arthur smashed

his 200m heat, then finished

2nd in the final, qualifying

for the National Finals in

Birmingham.

The U12 Relay did a surprising

job, even though Bosco did

a little dance whilst receiving

the baton (apparently that’s

what happens in Spain!),

getting through their heats

and coming 3rd in the final

races. Following an illness in

the U14 team, Riley Brooke

stepped up to the mark

and again they got through

to the final. With the help

of Joel’s 2nd leg speed,

John was able to carry

the baton home in

3rd place.

On Sunday 19th

June, the athletics

team travelled to St

George’s Weybridge

for the Catholic Prep

Schools Competition. In

the Jumps completion, U12s,

Joe came 3rd in the high

jump whilst Arthur came 1st

in the Long Jump. In the

U14’s, John came joint 2nd

with a jump of 1.30 m. Joel

had a better day throwing

the shot put and coming in

4th, missing out on a medal

by 2 cm.

On the field, Tom and Bosco

came 1st and 3rd respectively

in the U12 800m,

whilst Charlie had an

amazing 1500m race winning

by 20 m. The final medals

came in the relays with both

U12’s and u14s coming in 2nd

place taking the silver medal.

Excellent team moral and

support was shown by the

boys, they fought hard in their

event and displayed great

sportsmanship

with the other boys

and schools. Many of these

boys have been part of the

Athletics team for a long time

and it is with great sadness

that we see them complete

their schooling career at St.

John’s. Thank you for the

years of blood, sweat and

tears.

Sports Day

The Tigers kicked off the

defence of their title in

glorious sunshine on the

morning of our annual Sports

Day. The Tigers took an early

lead, but the Emus slowly

clawed their way back and

overtook both Yaks and

Tigers. The junior section

was dominated by the Emus

and later on the senior Yaks

and Tigers stepped up their

game to make it a close affair.

Unfortunately, rain had the

final say and the relays and

tug-of-war were abandoned.

The Emus ended the day as

worthy winners with the Tigers

in second and the Yaks in third

place.

The stand-out performance

of the day was five Rudiments

boys all breaking the school

Shot Put record. In the

end it was Tom Rocco that

triumphed with a distance of

9.30m.

The Victor Ludorum in each

set was as follows:

• Samuel Tabares

• Arthur Owens

• John Hatton

Well done to our athletes and

to Mrs MacPhee for her time

and sacrifice.

Set on a hill overlooking the Thames at Old Windsor,

with a glorious façade designed by the architect of

Westminster Cathedral, St John’s Beaumont may

claim to be the oldest purpose-built preparatory

school in the country. Since its establishment in

1888 as a Jesuit institution, with a brief to educate

sixty sons of Catholic gentlemen, it now has a school

roll of three hundred, and continues to promote its

faith and traditions, often in idiosyncratic ways. This

celebratory volume traces the School’s history by way

of its rich archival holdings, filtered through the lives

and memories of its pupils.

Publication details

Casebound with dust jacket,

extent 120 pages, 176 illustrations,

size 225 x 240 mm

Edition 800 copies

Published by SJB, November 2015

ISBN No 978 0 9934520 0 0

Price £25.00 + P&P

Publication date 20 November 2015

st john’s beaumont

St John’s Beaumont

Priest Hill

Old Windsor

Berkshire

SL4 2JN

Design and print by

FE Burman Ltd

Crimscott Street

London SE1 5TF

info@feburman.co.uk

www.feburman.co.uk

M @feburmanltd

C /feburmanltd

SJB Summer Term 2016 High Res

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