The Flame Challenge is an international science cotest sparked by an editorial Alan Alda wrote in the journal Science.  Scientists from all over the world have submitted answers to the question Alan asked as an 11-year-old, “What is a flame?”  Hundreds of their answers have been judged by panels of 10- to 12-year olds from 131 schools, from California to Western Australia, including your local school.  

The judging process will culminate on May 9 in a Worldwide Assembly, a video conference of 10 schools, including St. John’s. The assembly, hosted by Alan Alda, will available for viewing on the Flame Challenge website at 9:00.  www.flamechallenge.org.

Students will talk with Mr. Alda about the entries, the process of judging, what they learned about flames and science in general.  All other judging schools are invited to participate by sending their ideas and questions by instant message to the assembly, and by taking part in the final voting.   The Worldwide Assembly is an opportunity for students from many diverse walks of life to gather virtually, to discuss, celebrate and help decide on the winner of the Flame Challenge.

On Thursday Rachel’s sister, Dana, visited Middle School as part of the Advisory Program, her aim in speaking to our children was to equip and empower every person to create a permanent positive culture change in our school, home and community by starting a chain reaction of kindness and compassion. Dana quoted Rachel in saying ‘I have this theory that if one person can go out of their way to show compassion then it will start a chain reaction of the same.’ The students learnt during the assembly, and for some of them later in the day in a workshop, that building a caring atmosphere within school, just as in the wider world, is a responsibility of all members of the community.

Dana left us with 5 challenges to help us on our way; these were:

1. Look for the best in others.
2. Dream big.
3. Choose positive influences.
4. Speak with kindness.
5. Start your own chain reaction.

We thank Rachel’s Challenge for the inspirational afternoon they spent with us.

Three words, ‘outstanding,’ ‘interesting,’ ‘unique,’ those three words would be the best ones to describe the work of the IB Visual Art year two students. However, the first question would be, why was it called a message in a bottle? While I was interviewing the teacher, mentor, and person who organized this show, Mr. Alan Mitchell, he told me that “a message in a bottle is a way to communicate to people from different distances, especially those far away, and bottles with a message are usually placed in oceans and rivers.” Therefore, the different pieces of art are all-unique and have a different message that they want to express to the people looking at that masterpiece.

In my little adventure through the gallery, I saw all the different individual pieces of work from each artist, none of them seem to be even a bit similar. In addition, each artist was excited to see what people thought of their work since they all have different works of art that they have put up in the gallery. As one guest told me, ‘there is a contrast between each of the artists and that shows through their work.’ Plus, as I talked with some of the artists, they explained to me how they want to tell their own story even if it is abstract, a representation of a famous work of art, or photographs.

“You get to see all the thought process in each work of art,” Ms. Stranquist told me and even though she has just arrived to the show, she was able to see that the excellence in the work of art represents that thought process. Another person looking at one of the art workbooks told me that she was ‘struck to see them [the artists] have a passion to continue.’ In other words, it is not really the fact that they have to, it’s that they want to and it really showed. Many people came to the art show, including Mrs. Brooks, the high school principal, who was stunned with the artwork she saw and mentioned that ‘you see the cultural identity of each artist.’ So I just wanted to say: artists of Message in a Bottle, you did an excellent job and gave the message that you wanted to express go further than the gallery.

 The art show was one entertaining event, but the auction was another different but intense one, with most pieces of work starting at twenty euros. Since the first lot, which was the painting called “The Flag” made by Philip Gjertsen; it showed an active start of the battle for the masterpieces when it was taken for sixty euros. Then, by the fourth lot by Ines Malonne called “I’m guilty” was an intense battle with the Elliot family who did not want to give up bidding and really wanted that work of art. At the end, the Elliot’s won the battle having Malonne’s abstract piece go for 150 euros. In addition, names do no not take out value according to the bidders, as the final price of Malonne’s second piece of work called “Shit” was taken for 170 euros, after another bidding battle. However, Savannah O’Hare’s oil on canvas called “The Gallery” went even higher than 170 euros, making it the highest bid with 230 euros. All money paid for artworks will be given to Rahula Trust, a charity in the UK that raises funds to sponsor the education of some of the world’s poorest children.

If I had the chance to put a message in a bottle, I would say that the art show was a great experience in which you could observe talent, thought, and a message that has been sent to you.

- Brittany Snozzi, grade 10 student

The Rahula Trust -a fully-registered charity in the UK – raises funds to sponsor the education of some of the world’s poorest children. Donors to the Trust come from many religious and social backgrounds and children are selected for sponsorship regardless of their faith, race, sex or nationality, the only requirement being that they be poor and academically gifted. Currently, the Rahula Trust already sponsors children in Sri Lanka, Kenya and Nepal. Now having proved so successful, the Trust is to expand to other countries such as South Africa (including sub-Saharan Africa), Tibet, Burma (now Mynamar), Thailand, Bhutan, and the poorest regions of China and India. But to help others we need your help.

Coming soon, immediately after the Easter break is IB 2 ART EXAM, EXHIBITION AND AUCTION. The IB 2 students are preparing an exhibition in the gallery and studios featuring a selection of their work as it has progressed over the two years of their course and will be interviewed by the visiting examiner on the 23nd of April. The vernissage/opening will be Friday the 27th April from 6.00pm-8.00pm and the auction starts 7.00pm. All the proceeds will go towards ‘The Rahula Trust’ to help some of the world’s poorest children receive an education. http://www.rahula-trust.org/ Look out for the poster below and around school after the break 11the grade IB 1 students are finishing off their transcription projects which are going up around school with their statements both before and after the Easter break. The students chose a specific work of art as a starting point for a personal interpretation. Based on careful critical and contextual research and analysis in their investigation workbooks they made an original work of their own developed in the studio through visual experimentation and a variety of media and processes.

Apart from taking part in the all school art exhibition in May they will be putting their final personal assignments up in the gallery in June for the IB1 Summer Show which will stay up over the summer for visitors to see. The 10th grade’s digital and darkroom photography assignment based on Pablo Neruda’s ‘Odes to Common Things’ can be seen around school. Students made sequences of photographs of ordinary objects viewed in unusual ways. They manipulated light and shadow, colour, viewpoint and framing to create visual ‘poems’. Their anatomical studies can be viewed alongside their developing ‘Hidden Structures’ projects, in which they explore original ideas in variety of different media and processes on 22nd May till June in the gallery at the All School Art Exhibition. The 9th grade’s intaglio printmaking project using the new high school etching press can be seen framed around school and in the middle school foyer. Students developed and extended their observational drawings and sketches through the process of engraving and printing series of impressions using black oil based ink and overlapping oil and water-based coloured ink in layers. They are currently working on a ceramics unit called ‘Empty Vessels’ in which they are researching contemporary ceramics, drawing natural forms and developing designs on paper and in clay of ceramics vessels using a pinch pot and other modeling techniques and different glazes.

Alan Mitchell – HS Art teacher

The arts can be used to develop intercultural relationships, inspire creativity and influence how people “see things” and open them up to new possibilities. Just as the painter gazes at the blank canvas, and the actor steps onto the darkened stage, and the musician is surrounded by the silence that precedes the first sound, the journey of the artist is not defined by any destination ,but by the infinite possibilities uncovered in the pursuit of profound human communication.

There have been many possibilities this term starting with the HS musical “Fame” in January. There was a second visiting artist vernissage, Rock for Rosie and the Refugees, IB Drama Showcase, School-wide Dance Showcase and the Chamber Concert. Students have been able to meet and work with students from across the world at HS ISTA in Munich, MS ISTA at ISB and St. John’s hosted the AMIS International Senior Honor Orchestra and Mixed Choir Festival with students from 42 international schools with 35 nationalities all performing together. There is one more event this term, the School-wide Spring Concert on Tuesday 27^th March at 7pm. Come and join us for an evening of music with students from Grades 1 -12 performing together.

Next term promises to be just as busy with a new venture of a combined ES and MS Spring play “Wind in the Willows”. Please look at the Visual and Performing Arts Calendar on the Arts  page of the website (www.stjohns.be/arts_welcome.php) for details of all upcoming events.

To finish I would like to share two comments given to me by Grade 2 Irish Dancers at the Dance Showcase. When asked “what did you like the best thing about this evening?” they said ‘that we could dance” and  “that you would let us”.

Cathy Swanson – Visual and Performing Arts Coordinator

ACS Athens was the dominant team of the tournament, winning its five games by an average margin of 41 points, and beating the American School of Paris in convincing fashion in the championship game, 69-26. The St. John’s girls finished in a very solid sixth place, posting wins over the International School of The Hague and Zurich International School.

Our basketball players were not the only St. John’s students working hard throughout the tournament. A group of 8^th grade media students in Caitlin Krause’s Media Studies class led the way in covering the event. The students wrote game stories, interviewed players and took photos, which all contributed to a daily newsletter, recapping the day’s events. This newsletter was posted on the tournament’s website (http://www.stjohns.be/ath_isst_gb_2012.php) at the end of each day and handed out to spectators, coaches and players first thing in the morning. In addition, the students managed a live video stream of all games played in the Arena, which included a live score update at the top of the screen – just like on TV! The icing on the cake was a live score update for both gyms throughout the day on the website itself. While the students were given ideas and some guidance, they surpassed all expectations and displayed the incredible amount of talent present at St. John’s.

The boys’ basketball ISST Championship took place simultaneously down the road at the International School of Brussels. While only losing one game, the St. John’s boys finished fifth overall, beating the American School of Paris, Cairo American College, the International School of Brussels and Frankfurt International School along the way.

The swim team travelled to The Hague for this year’s ISST Championship. The team won 7 medals, 6 bronzes and 1 silver, and finished 7^th overall.  Helene Seegert ended the season in style, beating three school records at the ISST’s. Soraya Kezelman and Elliot Sodemann impressed as well, setting two and one new school record, respectively.

The St. John’s community has many reasons to be proud. As the spring sports season is getting started, let us all hope for many more good moments to come.

 Preben Gietz, Assistant Athletic Director