On the 13^th and 15^th of February, St Lawrence College Junior School hosted its annual Years 5 & 6 mini-basketball tournaments. Our pupils prepared for this event throughout their PE lessons this year and were full of excitement when the days of the tournament finally arrived. It was an achievement to host so many welcome visitors from other schools in Athens. Approximately 130 pupils from 5 schools took part in the year 5 tournament, whereas the year 6 tournament had 180 pupils from 7 different schools!

The tournaments focused on friendly competition, and everyone left a winner as there were smiles on the faces of all those who came and played.  

On Tuesday 13th February, our senior school Environmental Club embarked on a memorable excursion to the Hellenic Donkey Sanctuary in Koropi. This experience proved to be both captivating and enriching for our pupils. As they stepped foot into the sanctuary, they were greeted by a team of volunteers whose profound dedication to the welfare of the 23 resident donkeys was most impressive. St Lawrence College pupils really enjoyed being able to get up close with these adorable and charismatic creatures who simply lapped up all the attention they were given. Many of these animals bear the scars of a traumatic past and yet they enjoyed the care, attention and treats they were given by our Environmental Club members. Seeing this sanctuary firsthand served as a valuable reminder of our shared commitment to animal welfare and conservation.

In a heartwarming display of support, the Environmental Club proudly adopted Vasoula, the oldest donkey at the sanctuary. Welcome to the St Lawrence College community, Vasoula!

Our pupils in the junior school rugby club took part in friendly matches against Attica Springboks in Glyka Nera on Saturday 3rd of February.

Our young rugby players thoroughly enjoyed their touch rugby games, where they were able to display everything, they have learnt this term.

A big thank you for all the parents and supporters who were in attendance, as you made this day truly special for our team. Congratulations to all the pupils that took part and a special thank you to Mr Stephanou for his brilliant work with the rugby club.

Our over 16 boys’ basketball team took part in the annual tournament hosted by ACS on Saturday 3rd of February.

Our boys comfortably won their first two games against Byron and ISA and advanced to the semi-final. In the semi-final our team defeated St. Catherines advancing to the final against host team ACS. It was a bittersweet evening for our boys as they lost in the final after a very tiring day. Overall, our boys placed in 2nd out of six schools, a result that we are extremely proud of!
Congratulations to all the boys that represented our school and achieved such an amazing result. Thank you to all the parents and supporters in attendance. Lastly, a special thank you to Mr. Karamatsios for training and coaching the team this academic term.

On 29^th January, the Y4 French pupils of Ms Economou and Ms Torres celebrated La Chandeleur (Crêpe Day).

To make this day a success, three Y10 French pupils, Mando, Aleksandra and Amalia, delivered a presentation explaining one of France's most beloved celebrations La Chandeleur to our curious and enthusiastic Y4 French learners. The pupils enjoyed learning about the superstitions around the holiday as well as discovering and enjoying the tastiest French crêpe toppings - traditionally the classically simple lemon and sugar - before ordering a crepe, all in French, from our Y10 crêpe makers.

Next challenge for our pupils? Make crêpes at home with the recipe used for our ‘real French crêpes’!

On Thursday 25^th January, the Greek Department organised an outing to Katerina Vasilakou Theatre in the centre of Athens for our Year 5 and Year 6 pupils. The pupils watched the play “A child counts the stars” by Menelaos Loudemis, one of the greatest Greek writers and poets. The play presented the desire and the efforts of a poor child to be educated, and revealed timely messages such as acceptance of diversity, freedom of opinion, children's right to equal opportunity in education, etc. All our pupils enjoyed this play having enriched both their cultural and linguistic experience.

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 Friday 12th January, Reception pupils enjoyed a school trip to the Life in Space Exhibition at the Goudi Olympic Complex. The exhibition brought the children closer to the topic of space, encouraging them to wonder about what's “out there”. Well informed and enthusiastic guides helped our children understand the history of space exploration, showing them objects from various missions such as replicas of spaceships, rockets, satellites and real spacesuits. The children were particularly impressed with a genuine piece of moonrock. The Life in Space Exhibit was a great experience. During our visit, pupils attempted to answer questions such as:

What is space?

How do astronauts live in space?

A fascinating topic for all learners young and old.

We have started back for a fresh new term and the beginning of the new year with our very best intentions. Today, in the junior school, we held an assembly to think about what our new year's resolutions could be for playtime conduct outdoors.

We thought about our three school rules and how important it is to follow them in the playground. Be ready, be respectful and be safe! Our pupils shared their own playground resolutions and promises to make this year one filled with playtime kindness and consideration. Now that's cause for celebration!

On Friday the 15th of December our school hosted the parents vs pupils matches.
The day began with the draw of the raffle. Pupils and teachers celebrated winning incredible prizes with the whole school in attendance.
With the conclusion of the raffle, the parents vs pupils football and basketball matches took place. The matches brought smiles to both the parents and their children who competed valiantly against each other. The day produced lots of laughter and unforgettable moments for both pupils and parents alike.
All the proceeds will be added to the total sum of money raised for Thessaly.

On Friday 8th December, Year 2 enjoyed a fun-filled day at the XPLORE Entertainment Center in Athens, as part of their science curriculum: Animals & their Habitats. Learning is always so much fun when it’s taken out of the classroom and our pupils thoroughly enjoyed their time in the aquarium, which is home to over 2,000 different kinds of fish. Ask them anything about animals that live under the sea and what they do there, and they’ll have lots to say! They also visited the science section, where they investigated basic scientific ideas through experiential play. It was one of their most memorable days in Year 2 so far!  

On Wednesday 7^th December, Year 1 classes took a very pleasant trip to the Cultural Park in Keratea, Attiki. There, the children had the opportunity to play some traditional games from the recent past and from ancient times too. Their learning coincided perfectly with the children's latest topic of study: Toys, Games & Books of the Past. After an enjoyable morning, the children returned full of ideas and learning.

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!

On Monday 4th December, our Year 10 pupils participated in an educational trip to Lavrio, organized by the Greek Department and the Assistant Head of Key stage 4.
The day started with a visit to the Technological & Cultural Museum of Lavrio, where pupils enjoyed a guided tour of the museum and mining galleries. They had the opportunity to interview former miners from the metallurgical factory and took part in practical workshops, gaining experience and information about ancient mining techniques and the importance of mining in the development of Attica in the old times.
 
The workshop at the museum added a practical and scientific dimension to their knowledge, deepening their understanding of historical mining practices. Then followed a visit to the ancient theatre of Thoriko, the oldest theatre in Greece, which provided the pupils with a unique insight into the architectural evolution of ancient Greek Theatres.
 
To culminate the day, pupils spent some time exploring Lavrio town and enjoying local food.
It was a day filled with valuable experiences, combining new knowledge and cultural insights.

On the 29^{th of} November the Greek Department organised an educational trip to the Acropolis for our Year 7 pupils.

During their visit pupils had the opportunity to see the significant buildings, the age-old statues, the ionic columns, and old temples that draw millions of visitors every year. Experienced guides provided our pupils with all the necessary information about the history and the myths of ancient Athens to help them understand and appreciate their whole experience on the Acropolis hill.

The pupils enjoyed a day out of school with their classmates and had the opportunity to see and learn about the cultural treasures of ancient Greece.