the johnian Once St John’s... always St John’s The Magazine for Association Members and Past Parents of St John’s College School 2016 Farewell to Mr Jones Upcoming Events Association Day 6 July 2016 Golf Day 13 July 2016 Byron House Redevelopment News from over 150 members Also available online at www.sjcs.co.uk 63-75 Grange Road, Cambridge CB3 9AB ~ 01223 353532 ~ [email protected] the johnian Once St John’s... always St John’s 1 editor’s letter 3 head’s retrospect 6 innovations 12 byron house The Eaglet 2015 Please contact Mr Robert Grove ([email protected]) or Senior House Reception ([email protected] 01223 353532) 14 2011-2014 25 2010 27 2000-2009 34 1990-1999 to request a copy of The Eaglet 2015 or our annual summary, Highlights 2015. 36 before 1990 38 events 39 diary dates Front Cover: Mr Jones in school uniform for a charity “Head’s Back to School Day” Back Cover: Luke Davenport celebrating victory at Brands Hatch © St John’s College School St John's College School is part of St John's College, Cambridge, registered charity no. 1137428 staying in touch To keep abreast of current school news throughout the year please visit our homepage, www.sjcs.co.uk, where editor’s letter you’ll see links to recent news articles and publications and follow us on Twitter @SJCS_Cambridge for up to the minute news. You can also subscribe to receive email newsletters using the link at the bottom of the Alumni page of the website. Producing The Johnian is possible thanks to your kind submission of news and photographs. Please help us to make next year’s edition even better by staying in touch. You will find a form enclosed for this purpose. Dear Association Members and Past Parents, Welcome to this year’s edition of The Johnian. This magazine is designed to share members’ news and keep you all in touch with getting involved current school developments. The success of the first two editions was thanks to all the news items which I received from you and, The enrichment programme at Senior House continues to flourish by providing a varied diet of activities for the in no small measure, to your contribution of such wonderful children. We have enjoyed successful visits from a handful of former pupils and would be delighted to welcome photographs; please continue to send us high resolution images to back any of you who would be interested in returning to St John’s to enlighten, amuse or excite the children illustrate your news. with details of what life can offer. Please let Mr Grove know if you would be keen to do so. The magazine includes Mr Jones’ Retrospect for 2015 which It has been wonderful in recent years to welcome several former pupils back to St John’s to perform alongside provides a wonderful insight into the School over the last year. current pupils in concerts at the West Road Concert Hall. Former pupils have joined the school’s Visiting Music This is then followed by a look at some of our recent innovations Teachers to form a chamber orchestra which has accompanied current pupils as soloists in performances of in teaching and learning, as we continue to evolve and improve, various concerto movements by Mozart and Schumann. and a glimpse of the redesigned classrooms at Byron House. Simon Kirk, Director of Music at St John’s, is continuing to set up a register of those former pupils and their You will then find members’ news, initially from those of you at secondary school and then arranged by parents who would be interested in taking part in future projects, be they alumni-only events or performances decade. We include a list of staff who died in the last year and many of you will be sad to read of the death in collaboration with current members of the school community. He would be delighted to hear expressions of Mrs Jane Seberry, who taught at the school for 20 years, and Mrs Joan Grover, who was Assistant Matron of interest from former pupils of all ages; currently active and lapsed musicians are equally encouraged to in the Boarding House for 19 years. We then close with details of upcoming events and some dates for your respond; professionals and amateurs will both be welcomed. At this stage, there is no specific event in mind, diary. but rather Mr Kirk hopes to find inspiration from former pupils’ and parents’ responses to create occasional opportunities and events at points in the future. Please remember to contact me with news and photographs at any time, either using the enclosed form or by email. It is good to hear what members have been doing, and though some time may have elapsed before it If you are interested, do please contact Mr Kirk directly at [email protected] or by telephone on 01223 272734. appears in print, I know you too very much appreciate reading this news. After twenty-six years as Headmaster, Mr Kevin Jones will be retiring from his position in July 2016. He has been responsible for overseeing many changes within the School during his headship, in which he has translated his vision for the education of the children into a reality, assembling a staff and developing the buildings so that this education can be delivered to the highest standard. Many of you will have fond memories of your association with Mr Jones and I am sure would like to wish him well for whatever he decides to do with his time after leaving St John’s. You are all very warmly invited to visit on Association Day (Wednesday 6th July) where there will be an opportunity for you to say your farewells to Mr Jones. So, it is for the final time that I write that Kevin Jones and I send you our best wishes and look forward to seeing many of you at Association events or whenever you might simply be passing along Grange Road. Yours ever, Former pupils performing at the 2015 West Road Summer Concert Robert Grove [email protected] the johnian 2016 ~ editor’s letter 1 headmaster’s farewell to mr jones retrospect Mr Kevin Jones, will be leaving St John’s in July 2016 after 26 years as Headmaster at 2015 the school. In his own words, “It will sadden me greatly to bid farewell to the children’s have found a product, soon to be At our wonderful summer party for pensioners, ‘When you do your speech,’ one of the children laughter in the playground but there are commercially available, that will the generosity of the children flowed as freely as remarked to me recently, ‘you look like a no unhappy reasons for this decision. I am solve all the problems of home the Pimms. Mrs O’Sullivan announced, ‘And now Headmaster but when you come out to sports approaching my sixtieth year of life in this and school. it’s time for entertainment and cakes.’ day we can see that you are really just a funny old lovely and wicked world and it would be Grandad, in a nice way.’ Manufactured by the Behavioural And young Tom turned to me and said, ‘Isn’t that unseemly to go on until I drop. While I am still Technology Group, the Pavlok, we what life is all about - entertainment and cakes?’ I It is touching to be greeted as such an affectionate full of energy, if I am to do other things, the are promised, doesn’t just track what you do. It hadn’t the heart to correct him. And why should I? figure in the world of the children. clock is ticking a little, so the time seems right I transforms who you are, using what its makers call Childhood should not be built in the image of our to wander and to wonder what lies beyond a powerful commitment ecosystem. Pavlok, the wicked world. It is another country entirely and it Be it in the glorious innocence of the country the shelter of St John’s.” latest piece of life-coaching wearable technology, should indeed be full of entertainment and cakes, dancing troupes at the Byron House fair, or the Addressing current parents, Mr Jones also or Nag Tech, is a wristband which can emit electric laughter and warmth. jazz band playing on the Piazza while the Fourth explained, “My great achievement at St shocks of up to 340 volts. Form girls dance freely beneath a barbecue sun, John’s has been to gather together the most On a snowbound morning, I arrived at Senior it is clear that the Pavlok is not on at St John’s. Whenever you give in to a temptation, you House to find the children on their best behaviour, remarkable group of people whose love of Childhood cannot be all entertainment and cakes children is deep in their bones. That will not can administer shocks to yourself and, we resisting the obvious temptation. But my own are told, retrain your reptile brain. The Pavlok inner Pavlok was switched off so I launched a but there must be room for joy and laughter and change and they will guard your children’s freedom from care and affection. childhood and help them to become their can also be operated remotely so, the makers snowball in a beautiful and powerful arc towards best selves as they have always done. Your suggest, a friend could shock you every Mr Clarke, which set off the friendliest of teacher: At the Parents’ Association Garden Party, whether children are and will still be in the safest of time she sees you eating a piece of cake - pupil bombardments.