During the weekend of the 8^{th -} 10^th December, seven pupils from our school took part in the 12^th Costeas-Geitonas Model United Nations (MUN) which this year had as its main theme ‘The Rise of Populism’. Our pupils acted as delegates of Turkey and the Republic of Korea in the Human Rights Committee, the Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee, the Environmental Committee, the Disarmament Committee, the Economic and Social Council and the Special Conference on the Rise of Populism.

They discussed and debated topics as diverse as addressing the risks of cyber-terrorism, enhancing humanitarian assistance in times of conflict, ensuring access to healthcare for migrant populations, analysing the rise of populism as a threat to human rights or finding measures to counter hate speech.

MUN participation is very popular in our school and although this year only seven pupils took part, they were the most dedicated pupils to MUN ever attending, with one of them taking part on crutches and very bravely climbing up the many steps of Costeas-Geitonas school! As always our pupils made a noticeable presence in their Committees, with one of them being voted the best delegate of the Special Conference. The dedication of all our participants is remarkable since, as they describe it, they enjoy meeting other young people and learning a lot about world affairs through serious discussions on contemporary problems; and this became even more apparent in the way they have already started to prepare themselves for their next conference. Well done to all!

The Annual Speakathon in the Cultural Hall starts at 9:30am and goes on until 3pm. An example of important topics that will be discussed by the teams are:
-Professional athletes should not express political beliefs at sporting events.
-Abolish prison as a punishment for non-violent crimes.

On Monday 20th November the Foundation Stage One & Two classes donned their wellington boots and visited the Cultural Park in Keratea to participate in an educational programme called 'At the Olive Press'.

The children travelled around the muddy olive groves on the wooden train which excited them greatly. 'This is the best place, EVER!' three-year-old Rasha exclaimed as they trundled around the farm.

The children worked as a team to collect olives and take them to the olive press where they witnessed the process of pressing the olives and observed the olive oil running into traditional ceramic pots.They learned how olive oil could be used to make soap and watched how olives are produced for eating at the table. 

The children made olive bread which was baked in a wood-fired oven. What a lovely trip to the countryside!

Year 10 Geography pupils went to Viotia, in central Greece, for a two day trip last week to gather data for their IGCSE coursework. On Mt. Parnassos they investigated the impact skiing is having on the soil and vegetation. In the stunning town of Arachova they evaluated the effect of tourism on the environment by conducting litter, traffic and environmental quality surveys. They interviewed locals to ask them about whether the town has changed economically and socially/culturally due to it being a tourist honeypot.

After gathering information for their projects, the pupils then enjoyed a guided tour of the ancient Delphi site and the museum. Moreover, they spent an afternoon by the sea in beautiful Galaxidi. All the pupils were enthusiastic about having the opportunity to do their tourism research in the field. As well as learning, much fun was had by all!

On Friday 27th October, at 11:30 am in the Cultural Hall, the Junior School’s Year 6 pupils will commemorate the 28th October 1940 anniversary of OXI Day by presenting a performance based on Alki Zei’s book ‘Petros’ War’ («Ο μεγάλος περίπατος του Πέτρου»), about a young boy's life in occupied Athens during the Second World War.

On Friday 10th November we will be having  a whole school assembly and singalong for Junior School  in the Cultural Hall to launch the 2nd Puzzle (theme) of the Jigsaw PSHE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic education) scheme entitled ‘Celebrating Differences’. We will reflect on how wonderful it is to be unique and how much more fun and interesting the world is because everyone is different.

life would be a mistake," according to Friedrich Nietzsche. Who could disagree?

On the evening of Friday, 12th May, music filled the air as the Annual Music Concert was held in the cultural hall. Our talented pupils from KS1 up, shared with us the results of their many hours of determined practice. We heard the choir sing songs from Mary Poppins, beautiful piano recitals, violins and guitars being played with varying degrees of complexity but always with an edge of growing confidence and a desire to please the crowd. 

The specialist music teachers supported their children with accompaniments that added to the atmosphere of celebration in this valuable added element of the children's learning at St Lawrence College.

...is contagious, pass it on," as Albert Einstein said.

Year 2 were inspired by their annual visit to the excellent Vorres Museum in Peania. First stop, Mr Nektarios Vorres talked us through some of the inspiring art works in the exhibition. 

After a short snack in the beautiful adjoining gardens, the children were then more than happy to attend a workshop where they were invited to make their own collage using recycled materials, inspired by some of the art they'd viewed. 

Finally, they all enjoyed a walk through the folk art section of 19th century buildings, courtyards and gardens in the expansive grounds of the Vorres Museum, Paiania. Here are housed antiquities, icons, ceramics, popular artefacts and other objects that were used in daily life centuries ago. A most rewarding cultural experience indeed!

Well, Monday 8th May started the week off with a bang! It was an excitingly different morning for Years 2, 3 and 4 when “The Beast” visited St Lawrence College in the Cultural Hall. The English Theatre Club’s musical rendition of 'Beauty and the Beast' had the children mesmerized and actively engaged in their production of this classic. “Beauty” was put in jail, entertained by Mrs Potts the Teapot, Lumiere the Butler, Cogsworth the Clock and let’s not forget Philippe, the horse everyone wanted to pet as he trotted around the audience! We all enjoyed the music, the Beast, the laughter and the message that LOVE can transform any beast into a human again.

The following day saw the turn of Years 5 & 6 to enjoy another captivating, interactive performance by the English Theatre Club. The pupils laughed unstoppably at a hilarious performance of 'Plaza Hotel'. The cast invited members of the audience to participate which they did willingly and took on the roles of Juan the Cockroach Exterminator, Suzy the bride, the Mexican band and many more! We could not stop smiling and laughing as they had us captivated at every moment, following the shenanigans of Billy and Suzie’s wedding day in the disatrously disorganised Plaza Hotel. We're already looking forward to next year's treat if they come back a third time to us!

The beauty of the world lies in the diversity of its people. This holds true no matter where you look around you, and the significance of the idea it portrays was illustrated with care and vitality by the children of Ms Gkogkou's year 5 class on Friday 31st March in their annual class assembly. 

With a thoughtful look at how we are all seem to be so different in our ways according to our cultural norms, the children showed us how similar we really are. They gently reminded us how insignificant our differences are when we look at the bigger picture. Does it matter whether we greet people with a kiss, a hug or a shake of the hand? No, of course not. What really counts is how well we cooperate and get along - seeing our similarities and finding common ground. 

Bravo Year 5 on a super assembly. 

The Senior School celebrated the National Independence Day with a presentation of the Greek National Anthem by the Head of the Greek Department and Senior Mistress, Ms E. Panayiotopoulou. The history of the Greek Revolution, the political and cultural background of that time as well as the philosophy and the feelings of the poet were depicted through the 158 stanzas of Dionysios Solomos’ poem.

An adaptation of J.B. Priestley’s An Inspector Calls.

The stage in the Cultural Hall of St Lawrence College came to life on Friday the 17th of February, with an outstanding performance by the Senior Drama Club under the direction of Lindy McMullin.  Transformed by the superb antique furniture, the candles lit by Gabrielle Ross in her role as Edna and the professional lighting skills of James Ratcliffe, the audience was transported into the 1900’s and the Birling residence. The investigators, who opened the play, invited the audience to look at the evidence of the case of Eva Smith who had committed suicide in 1912.  Ali Alkoc in his role as Butler, opened the door of the residence to Arthur Birling played by Rea Karkabi, Mrs Birling played by Christina Grammatikopoulos, Sheila Birling played by Katerina Ross, Eric Birling played by Andreas Hagis and Gerald Croft, Sheila’s fiancée, played by Artem Shtefan.
The highlight of the play came early on in the evening as Arthur and Gerald chatted in front of the fireplace and the ladies sat in the drawing room, playing cards and talking to Eric. Inspector Goole played by Yannis Apostolakopoulos made his grand entrance, accompanied by his assistant played by Andreas Kalketenidis. The tension rose as each member of the family were brought to reflect of the role they had played in the life of Eva Smith, that reached a peak with Eric Birling’s perfect display of emotion. Were they all responsible in some way for the girl’s death, and if they were, could the investigators played by Nefeli Vitoraki, Alexandra Michaelides, Aurora Petzetakis , Filippos Chen and Eleni Kalendi persuade the audience that this was a cold case that could never be solved? The performers were exceptional, each in their unique way, and the audience was kept spell bound for the entire duration of the play. 
A true success for the start of Education through Drama, all who were involved in the play are to be highly commended. 
We look forward to welcoming you all to the next performance on the 9th of June 2017, in the open theatre when the Junior Drama Club will enact an adaptation of Mary Poppins.       

There are always fevers spreading like wildfire every winter, and on Friday, 10th February, a serious case of DISCO FEVER hit the pupils of Years 4, 5 & 6! The children excitedly piled back to school on Friday evening for a few hours of crazy dancing and exuberant antics in the cultural hall. Teachers loved seeing the children delightedly laughing, grinning at each other and spinning their little legs as much as they could in time to the music... and occasionally not so in time to the music but it's the effort that counts, isn't it?

With the classic half time snack of pizza and juice on offer to revitalise any weary dancers, the dance competitions continued the fun and saw many-a-pleased child take home a pair of cinema tickets for their whole-hearted efforts. Bravo kids!

The 18^th Annual Speakathon, taking place at the SLC Cultural Hall

Years 5 & 6 Disco at the Cultural Hall