On the pleasantly warm evening of Friday 17^th June 2022, we held our 42^nd Annual Awards Ceremony for pupils of the junior and senior schools. Our Guest of Honour was Mr Matthew Lodge, the British Ambassador to Greece since August 2021, who spoke of the importance of savouring every moment of the journey towards reaching life goals – a valid point for these challenging times that we live in.

The pupils proudly received their awards for academic excellence, for effort, progress, sportsmanship, and overall contributions to school life, in front of their families, friends and staff. Our graduating pupils in Year 13 were in high spirits as their prospective paths in life were announced by our Headmaster, Mr Holden. The mood was uplifting and there were smiles all around as everyone of us appreciated being able once more to participate in this special event on such a grand scale after a hiatus of several years through the pandemic. A fine reception with delicious foods and drinks was enjoyed by guests afterwards.

To the graduating class of 2022, we wish you every success in your future endeavours!

From Tuesday 14^th to Thursday 16^th June, Year 6 were taken on a residential trip to Milias Camps Village in central Greece. They spent a wonderfully enjoyable two nights in the countryside and took part in a range of fun-filled activities organised by Mr George and his team of instructors. After arriving there and taking a welcome dip in the pool, there was time for an early evening hike to a colossal cave high on a mountainside where it is said, in the olden days, whole villages would take shelter from invaders on the plains below. Wednesday was busy with a pleasant walk along the river in Pavliani, where art and adventure come together to create a unique countryside experience. Later, there was swimming, cycling, archery and climbing which carried on the following day too. The children’s only complaint was that it was too soon to leave when Thursday afternoon rolled around, and they had to pack their bags ready for their return to Athens. What an amazing experience the children had to finish off their junior school years!

On Wednesday 15th June, Year 2 visited the Vorres Museum as part of their art curriculum on super sculptures this term. As Pablo Picasso said, “Sculpture is the art of the intelligence.” The children appreciated the wide variety of sculptures and other artworks on display, no doubt enjoying the trip and the new environment they found themselves in for the day.

With the onset of their very first internal exams at the end of the academic year, the pupils in Year 8 spent several PSHE lessons learning about different revision skills and healthy study habits. Their final PSHE lesson focused on finding healthy ways to deal with stress. For the second part of this lesson, the pupils in Year 8 were asked to share everything they had learned and write a letter of encouragement and advice to a pupil in Year 11. This gesture resulted in some truly touching responses of gratitude among our Year 11 pupils. All in all, it was an educational and most rewarding experience that brought our school community closer together! 

On the last day of the summer term, Year 5 donned their swimsuits and happily headed off for the Aquapolis Water Park in Spata for a day of fun in the sun. The children were thrilled by the prospect of one whole school day of water play and could barely contain their excitement. The teachers remarked how well organised it was and how easily the children could be kept safe but hugely entertained by their surroundings. The sun shone, the water sparkled, and the children laughed. A great way to finish up the year!

On Thursday 10^th June, Year 6 attended their end-of-school Formal, a wonderful evening of celebration specially designed and planned for our junior school leavers. The event was held next door to St Lawrence, at the Efilena Estate, and comprised of music, delicious finger food and all the children putting their very best foot forward in the dressiest outfits they had. They looked wonderful and seemed to relish the opportunity to attend such a classy evening party, just for them.

Here at St Lawrence College, the Queen's Platinum Jubilee was celebrated with fun events to mark this important occasion. Assemblies were held to ensure all our pupils from far and wide understood the significance and meaning of the events, and teachers created a variety of lessons and activities to involve the children in a way that gave relevance. We held our very own street party picnic on Friday and played outdoor games; furthermore, we hosted soldiers from the Royal Welsh Regiment, who gave an amazing drumming display to the delight of our pupils! What an amazing week it was! 

Long live the Queen! 

The summer term is always packed with activities and events, particularly the sporting kind. This year has been no exception as the pupils have run, swum, jumped and hopped around the sports fields here at school. Children and parents alike came to school with a competitive edge, ready to take on the world! And they thoroughly relished the process of smashing their personal bests or even in a few instances, some long standing school records!

Well done to all our young athletes and all their physically demanding efforts to excel!

In early June, parents and friends were invited to the gym to watch a wonderful display of young skills with some of our After-school clubs showing us their learning. The routines were the result of determined practice by the children and their coaches. There are a range of clubs for junior school children, and this display was brought to us by the Cheerleading club, the Dance & Movement girls, the Rhythmics enthusiasts and our Karate children who were judged for their next belts too.  

A very enjoyable show! 

On Tuesday 7^th June 2022, some of our budding tennis stars in our Early Years classes took part in a celebratory display of their growing tennis skills on one of the tennis courts here at SLC. With racquets clutched proudly in their small hands and some fancy footwork too, the children showed off what they’d learnt in front of pleased friends and families. Delightfully entertaining!

The staff of St Lawrence were treated to an activity weekend at the end of May and certainly made the most of it. Organised down to the finest points by the indomitable Head of PE, Ms Kalara, 53 members of staff headed off to Kalavrita in the Peloponnese for fun & games and taking in the mountain air. What a welcome break it was from the usual routine of school activities and duties! Very much appreciated indeed.

This term Year 8 pupils have demonstrated excellent research and critical thinking skills by completing an action science project. We are delighted to be sharing the outcomes with you.

The pupils chose topics relating to our Year 8 science curriculum, particularly our Chemistry unit 8E and Biology unit 8C. These are 1) climate change and extreme weather events, 2) electric cars and 3) smoking. They carried out a pupil-directed collaborative research process, giving over much of their personal time, thus going above and beyond their normal science work.

First, the pupils became involved in secondary research, collecting and analysing information from articles and the internet. Then, they designed a primary research in order to learn more about their chosen topics. This took the form of surveys and/or experiments. Their final step was to utilise their findings in a way that would make a positive difference to their community, mainly by informing members of the public.

Through their actions, the children link knowledge gained in lessons to everyday life, as well as undertake the responsibility to seek sustainable and equitable solutions to controversial issues. Thus, they make a vital step towards becoming active citizens.

Below you can find the pupils’ actions:

• a video on electric cars, by Sergios and Aris
• a leaflet on smoking by Pervin and Panayiotis
• a video on electric cars by Tara and Isabella
• a leaflet on electric cars by Konstantino and Thisseas
• an art poster on electric cars by Apollon and Nikolas
• a video on climate change and extreme weather events by Antigoni and Konstantino

Last week, the Year 7s went on an exciting trip to Larisa. First, we stopped at Metaxochori which was a memorable experience and definitely worth the long journey. We saw the waterfalls and walked around the very traditional village streets. In the afternoon, we visited the old Girls’ School, and received a talk about the history of this significant location. We also learnt about the process of the production of silk.   

On Friday, we had a really fun day at Pineios River where we were introduced to rafting techniques and had the opportunity to practise our skills for three hours. In the evening, we enjoyed a range of activities such as archery, ziplining and hiking across the beautiful mountain of Kissavos.     

On the last day, our pupils participated in a rafting competition along the same river route they practiced the day before. At the end, all pupils received a gift of a t-shirt from Trekking Hellas, to remember the day. The winners also got their medals and extra prizes!   

Overall, this was a highly engaging, fun and educational experience enjoyed by all, and we look forward to taking our new intake of Year 7 pupils next year!

Green fingers everywhere have helped to create an impressive little collection of plants in our junior school. The children in our lunchtime gardening club have worked with some enthusiastic members of staff to plant, water and harvest a modest range of vegetables. The flowers too, that have blossomed this springtime have really brightened the entrance to our school with colour and beauty.  

The next crop we are waiting to pull up is the pumpkins. Let's see how they do! Pumpkin soup orders at the ready! 

On the last day of the Spring term, St Lawrence College Junior School welcomed the Easter holidays in with a traditional celebration, an Easter Bonnet parade. Many pupils from our youngest children in FS1, right up to Year 6 children with high school right round the corner, adorned themselves with flowers, Easter eggs, chicks, ribbons, and even Greek churches atop their head!  

With a theme of 'recycled material use’ given, the judges looked for home-made efforts that used everyday materials creatively to put a modern twist on an old theme. Prizes were awarded for the top effort in each year group and the winners eagerly received their big chocolate Easter eggs. Bravo to everyone who participated, it was another fun event to make us smile!