Drama

PE Competitions

Year 3 and 4 gymnasts progressed from winning our area’s qualifying competition before then finishing in a very respectful 4th position out of 10 schools.The starting number of schools was around 80 different teams and to finish just out of the top three is something we are very proud of.Well done to all the pupils who took part in the competition and in the lessons en route to the finals.

The school council held a lovely‘Be Heard’ event, collecting together 62 ideas from the school to be brought forward to the attention of their peers,teachers and staff of St John’s. Ideas varied from lunch time suggestions to school trips, pupils were enthusiastic and very passionate about allowing everyone to see the school through their eyes.A good voting system was in place in the safe hands of our chairperson and vice chairperson which also allowed children to push forward their ideas in various areas.

We took a large group of pupils to Tockington for cross country ranging from Year 3 to Year 8.We have some fantastic runners and their passion for the school shines through in what is a difficult sporting event! Taking on the challenging course, pupils had to show true grit and determination to ensure they did not let their team mates down in a relay based competition.We also competed extremely well at Abberly Hall in what proved to be an incredibly tough course but one we did not shy away from.With such interest in cross country we hope to attend more events in the future.

Drama

A Pudding for the Chimney Sweep

Our Year 3 & 4 Christmas production transported the audience back to a bustling Victorian England town in a production that showed the great wealth and poverty of the era collide.

There was a fine group of bad guys: Boyle,the chimney sweep’s bullying master; Quigley,the dishonest rent collector and necklace thief and Gradshaw the corrupt factory overseer.Their led Light-Fingers, a story telling of their delight in all things evil.

The poor of the town were represented by market stall holders and factory workers who feared for their lives in the dangerous Mortimers’ Mill.They sang one of the cast's favourite songs This is a Horrible Place to Work, complete with actions that showed their hard lives. Kind-hearted Mrs Perkins is helped to keep her business by the secret recipe provided by one of the many orphans she has taken in. Secret Recipe was a great number that showed the puddings being made with the additional challenge that it got faster and faster.

Things take a turn for the worst when the secret recipe is stolen and also a diamond necklace that was to be a Christmas present for one of the wealthy Mortimer children.

The Mortimer children had no idea of the poverty and conditions at the family business.They came to the rescue helping Jim,the chimney sweep to prove his innocence and also return the stolen secret recipe to Mrs Perkins and the orphans, saving them from eviction - all in time for Christmas!

This was a sparkling production with fun songs which told the highs and lows of a Victorian tale accompanied by high-energy dance moves.There was some super characterisation to be seen too and the cast worked really hard to pull off the fantastic ensemble pieces.

The Tempest

For the Year 6 production,we took on the challenge of an adaptation of Shakespeare’s play.

The play opened with the whole cast on stage in performing some great physical theatre as the tempest of the title, complete with thunder and lightning,wrecked the ship of the King of Naples.The whole story of this scene was told brilliantly through ensemble movement and song.

This was no ordinary storm though as we soon discovered it was conjured up by the great magician Prospero in an act of revenge he had waited many years to enact. A group of spirits perform the tale of Prospero’s life for his bemused daughter who can only remember life on the desert island they call home. She is bowled over by a “brave new world” when she sees a handsome young shipwrecked prince.

Ariel, Prospero’s servant spirit, ensures that true love does not run smoothly but also helps to taunt Prospero’s enemies and bring them to him.This includes the great comic duo of Trinculo and Stephano who make friends with the wild Caliban who was born on the island.

The major actors in the play all had lines from Shakespeare’s original play; they delivered these with understanding and ease, reminding us just what a great storyteller Shakespeare was and also that if you set the bar high, our children will rise to the challenge.

The show was interspersed with songs which were sung beautifully.The cast’s favourite was the high-adrenalin Run for Your Life, completed with running through the audience.

Although categorised as one of Shakespeare’s “problem plays” ,there was no denying the comedy that the cast bought out which was rewarded by hearty laughter from the audience.