On 26th September, our years 5&6 pupils celebrated the European Day of Languages which is an event aimed at promoting the interests of pupils in learning a foreign language. It acknowledges the richness of Europe linguistically speaking, as there are over 200 languages spoken across the continent. 

Here at St Lawrence College, many pupils speak other languages, and they are always very happy to share them. On Thursday in their MFL lessons, they listened to songs from different European countries in various languages and teams of pupils competed to guess the language they were hearing.  The children sang, danced, and experienced a range of new languages. How interesting!

On 20th June, the junior school drama club put on an outstanding performance of J.M. Barrie's famous tale of lost childhood, Peter Pan. Our drama club pupils from years 2 to 6 worked tirelessly with our director Ms Kiriou, to create a wonderful evening of entertainment. The children acted as Peter Pan, Tinkerbell, Wendy and the Darling family, the lost boys, fairies and pirates with some super choreography involved too. The St Lawrence choir accompanied the production under the musical direction of Mr Terzakis and added an atmosphere of sweetness and dramatic appeal to the whole event. 

Congratulations to all our amazing pupils for a delightful performance!

Last weekend, our International Award Silver team successfully completed a rigorous three-day hike in the Taygetus mountain. Setting off from Athens early on Friday morning, they began their first hike at noon upon arriving at the Magganiari Spring, their starting point. Spirits were high as the team embarked on their journey, despite the challenging uphill trek that lay ahead. By early evening, they reached their campsite near the Taygetus refuge, where they promptly set up their tents and prepared a hearty meal.
On the second day, they faced the longest hike of the weekend. Navigating the rugged terrain like real explorers, they put into practice the extensive skills they have honed over the past two years in the IA program. As the sun set, they enjoyed a well-deserved hot meal at the campsite, sharing stories of the day's adventures and the breathtaking views they had encountered.
On the final day, Monday, they embarked on an early morning hike. Determined to make the most of their last day in the mountains, they set off with renewed energy and enthusiasm. Impressively, they managed to beat the clock and complete the hike earlier than expected, a testament to their growing proficiency and endurance.
Congratulations to the entire team on their outstanding achievement! Well done to all of them!
 

On Wednesday 29th May and Friday 31st May, the Senior School swimming galas were held for KS3 pupils. The children were in high spirits and their energy levels were clearly at their peak! Every last one of our swimmers gave it their all and enjoyed two fantastic days of competition in the pool.  

In exciting news, a year 8 pupil set a new school record in the 25m breaststroke with an impressive time of 18.37 seconds, breaking the previous record of 18.67 seconds that had stood since 2019. Congratulations to her!

In the house points competition, Macedonia collected 400 points, Attica earned 550 points, and Epirus topped the leaderboard with 600 points. Well done to all the swimmers!
 

Congratulations to our International Award Bronze team for successfully completing their final expedition last weekend, marking the end of their IA programme. The Year 10 pupils embarked on a two-day hike on the island of Kea for two days, culminating in a refreshing swim at Pisses beach, where they also camped for a night, cooked their own meals and bonded under the starry sky.
Throughout the IA programme the pupils demonstrated resilience, stretching their comfort zone and trying new things. We hope that the skills and experiences gained from this programme will benefit them in their future endeavours. We are proud of their achievements and the personal growth each student has shown. Well done to everyone!
 

On the last day of the Spring term, the pupils of the junior school participated in our annual Easter bonnet Parade. It was a delightful exhibition of creativity and togetherness which was thoroughly enjoyed by all the children and staff. 

A chocolate Easter egg was the much sought after prize to the best hat in each year group, although it was a difficult decision for the judges!

Congratulations to all who took part in this traditional celebration!

On Friday 19th April, our Early Years classes visited the ‘Oasis Activity Farm Park’ to reflect on their learning about their current topic of ‘Animals’. There, they met a variety of farm animals including donkeys, ponies, ducks and chickens which coexist freely, harmoniously and naturally at Oasis Park.

Some of the activities our pupils participated in included feeding the animals and visiting the horses in their stables, where they could brush them. As well as getting to meet the friendly farm animals, the children thoroughly enjoyed participating in musical games, riding pedal-karts and enjoying a fun Easter egg hunt!

In celebration of the British Science Week this March, teachers organised a wide range of events including several lessons taught by senior school pupils to our junior school children. They were terrific and enjoyed by both the children-as-teachers and their pupils. Through lessons involving STEM activities with exciting physics topics, and exciting biology topics like Adaptation, the children were completely engaged in learning. Bravo to our budding teachers from Year 7!

Valentines was in the air on the evening of the Junior school disco in February. The children came along ready for a night of dancing, hugging and smiling! Years 4, 5 & 6 were really pleased to be together for the evening to dance and laugh with their friends. The dance competitions were taken very seriously too, with some super prize tickets up for grabs, and a lot of fun was had all round!

On Wednesday 10^th January 2024, Year 1 took its turn to visit the highly acclaimed Life in Space Exhibition, at the Goudi Olympic Complex. This exhibition aspires to bring children closer to scientific thinking, encouraging them in an educational but at the same time entertaining way to discover the positive impact of space technology on people's daily lives. Very exciting for our children of the future!

On the Monday just before Christmas, a welcome visitor called by to see our children and check out who's on the Naughty or Nice list this year. The children were ever so excited to meet Mr & Mrs Claus in the junior school library and to hand over their Christmas lists! Along with the Make a Wish charity Chritmas tree, and the upcoming carol concert, it's beginnng to look a lot like Christmas round here!

Congratulations to our International Award Bronze team for completing their first two training expeditions! The first one was a two-day expedition to Mt Parnitha, where the Year 10 pupils completed two hikes of approximately 6 kilometres each, one on each day. They also attended some orientation and navigation lessons and had the chance to practise these skills in the mountain. The second one was a one-day expedition to Mt Hymettus, where the pupils built on their navigation and orientation skills acquired during their first expedition. Well done to all of you!

A school disco was held for pupils in Years 5 and 6 on Friday 24th November in the school indoor gym. The disco was a great success and was thoroughly enjoyed as the children danced, laughed and made memories as their smiles clearly show! There was line dancing, there were dance competitions for wonderful prizes and there were a whole lot of excited moves being made on the dance floor all evening. What fun!

On Thursday 23rd November, Year 3 and 4 pupils visited the Cinemax 1&2 in Kifissia to view a selection of short films as part of the 6^th Athens International Children’s Film Festival.  This educational initiative promotes film and media literacy, making films accessible to young people and allows them to analyse and critically engage with the media. After the thought-provoking screenings, which correlated with our curriculum in relation to pastoral care and Persona, Socia, Health Education lessons, an open discussion about the issues highlighted in the short films was held.

This November, Years 5 & 6 went on school trips to the Life in Space Exhibition at the Goudi Olympic Complex.  This exhibition brings children closer to the natural sciences and encourages them to grow their interest in learning about the positive impact of space technology on people’s daily lives (STEM). During the visit, pupils were encouraged to consider questions about why space research is so important; about how the International Space Station (the ISS) was built; and to explore how astronauts live in space. A fascinating topic to look into!