St. John's International School
Encyclopedia
St. John's International School is an international
private day school located in Waterloo
, Belgium
. The school was founded by a group of Catholic
nun
s belonging to Faithful Companions of Jesus
(FCJ) in 1964. The school has a student body from a very international background with students from most major religions attending. St. John's (abbrev. STJ) runs from pre-kindergarten
to 12th grade, the final year of high school. It offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma program. AP programs are also offered by the school.
In the middle school, students graduate after 8th grade.
(ISB).
In Elementary school, students are encouraged to participate in numerous sports and can join school teams such as the Track and Field Team. Once in Middle School, the sports program becomes more competitive and the students can participate in all of the sports that the school has to offer. The Middle School teams are divided into the "A team" and the "B team". The High School Sports program is the most competitive and draws the most school spirit. In high school the teams are divided into JV and Varsity, and compete against schools from as far away as Cairo. It is the High School teams that compete in the ISST tournaments.
In 2007, the Varsity Girls squad won the Division II Football ISSTs in Vienna, beating Cairo American College 4-1 in the final. In the following years, they have achieved respectable results in Division I, placing 4th place in 2009, and 6th in 2010.
On the 13th of November, 2010, the Varsity Boys squad made St. John's history by becoming the first boys football squad to win the ISSTs since the first team was organized 25 years ago. A remarkable run of 5 wins, no draws, no losses and 17 goals scored, one conceded was enough to crown the boys champions of the 2010 ISST Division II Football Championship. They beat their hosts the British School of Brussels 2-0 in the final, winning each of their four group matches. St. John's beat the International School of the Hague 5-0, the American Community School of Athens 3-1, Cairo American College 2-0 and the American Community School of Hillingdon 5-0. Throughout the entire season, the boys squad showed quality and great footballing technique as they played 28 matches (including the ISSTs); winning 18, drawing seven and losing just three. Along the way, the boys managed to bag in 83 goals, letting in just 38 culminating in an overall goal difference of +45. Memorable moments include beating rivals the International School of Brussels 3-1 at the ISB campus (after losing 1-0 at home,) drawing 5-5 against 2010 Division I runners-up TASIS at home, beating the International School of Luxembourg 2-6 in Luxembourg by scoring four goals in the final 15 minutes of the match, coming back from 1-0 down to beat ACS Athens 3-1 during the group stages of the ISSTs, beating ISST rivals CAC 2-0 and thus securing promotion to Division I and a place in the final with one match to spare, and beating hosts BSB 2-0 in the final after a quick start which resulted in two goals within the opening eight minutes.
Wrestling
In 2008 and 2009 Matthew and Christopher Lyon competed in the DODDS- Europe (Department of Defense Dependent Schools) and became two time European Wrestling Champions. Matthew also was voted in 2008 Most Outstanding Wrestler in Europe and was recognized for having the most pins.
International school
An International school is loosely defined as a school that promotes international education, in an international environment, either by adopting an international curriculum such as that of the International Baccalaureate or Cambridge International Examinations, or by following a national...
private day school located in Waterloo
Waterloo, Belgium
Waterloo is a Walloon municipality located in the province of Walloon Brabant, Belgium. On December 31, 2009, Waterloo had a total population of 29,573. The total area is 21.03 km² which gives a population density of 1,407 inhabitants per km²...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. The school was founded by a group of Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
s belonging to Faithful Companions of Jesus
Faithful Companions of Jesus
The Faithful Companions of Jesus Sisters was founded in Amiens in France in 1820 by Marie Madeleine de Bonnault d'Hoüet. They are a Christian religious order of the Roman Catholic Church in direct service to the Pope.-Service:...
(FCJ) in 1964. The school has a student body from a very international background with students from most major religions attending. St. John's (abbrev. STJ) runs from pre-kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
to 12th grade, the final year of high school. It offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma program. AP programs are also offered by the school.
Admissions
Admission to St. John's is based on academic ability. The school is an equal opportunity enroller. In order to be admitted to the school, students must follow these procedures:- Present a review of students academic records from past three years
- Undertake placement testing
Graduation Requirements
To graduate from St. John's, a student must meet certain requirements. They must complete a base amount of 22 credits (each class, scheduled on an annual basis, generally gives one credit). If they are part of the IB program, they must have at least a passing grade in their IB subjects to be able to graduate with their IB diploma.In the middle school, students graduate after 8th grade.
Athletics
Along with a prestigious academic program, St. John's also possesses a rigorous and highly successful athletics program. Using the team name "The Lions", the school competes regularly in the ISSTs (International School Sports Tournament), among others. Over the years St. John's has won top honors at the ISSTs for track and field, volleyball and basketball. The school boasts a state of the art gymnasium, as well as a newly refurbished soccer field that now also holds a baseball diamond. Teams usually compete on weekends and St. John's main rival is the International School of BrusselsInternational School of Brussels
The International School of Brussels is an English-language international school that provides an international education to over 1500 students aged 2 ½ to 19 from 62 countries. The secure campus lies in the Brussels commune of Watermael-Boitsfort, about 9 kilometres southeast of the city...
(ISB).
In Elementary school, students are encouraged to participate in numerous sports and can join school teams such as the Track and Field Team. Once in Middle School, the sports program becomes more competitive and the students can participate in all of the sports that the school has to offer. The Middle School teams are divided into the "A team" and the "B team". The High School Sports program is the most competitive and draws the most school spirit. In high school the teams are divided into JV and Varsity, and compete against schools from as far away as Cairo. It is the High School teams that compete in the ISST tournaments.
Sports
St. John's possesses a lot of talent in each of the different sports offered. The mascot is the lion, and team names are often abbreviated to SJIS or more often; STJ. St. John's offers a wide range of sports throughout the Autumn/Fall, Winter and Spring seasons: Football (Soccer), Volleyball, Cross Country, Swimming, Basketball, Rugby, Track and Field, Baseball, Softball and Golf. Most sports include Middle School "A" and "B" teams, and High School "Junior Varsity" and "Varsity" teams.Basketball
St. John's won 3 consecutive Div. 1 ISST Varsity Boys Basketball Championships in 2003, 2004, 2005.The team is led by coach Dennis Davis, a former NBA player for the Atlanta Hawks. Josh Davis, the coach's son, now plays for Yale University.Volleyball
In 2004, the Lions Div. 1 girls' varsity volleyball team won the school their first volleyball ISST's in 11 years. On November 13, 2010, the Lions Div. 1 boys' varsity volleyball team finished 3rd in the volleyball ISST's.Track and Field
In 2004, St. John's secured themselves another ISST win; a boys' varsity track and field ISST win. The scored a first place in the event, making it the school's second ISST win for anything in under a year. In 2008, St. John's won the track and field ISST's.Girls
In 2007, the Varsity Girls squad won the Division II Football ISSTs in Vienna, beating Cairo American College 4-1 in the final. In the following years, they have achieved respectable results in Division I, placing 4th place in 2009, and 6th in 2010.
Boys
On the 13th of November, 2010, the Varsity Boys squad made St. John's history by becoming the first boys football squad to win the ISSTs since the first team was organized 25 years ago. A remarkable run of 5 wins, no draws, no losses and 17 goals scored, one conceded was enough to crown the boys champions of the 2010 ISST Division II Football Championship. They beat their hosts the British School of Brussels 2-0 in the final, winning each of their four group matches. St. John's beat the International School of the Hague 5-0, the American Community School of Athens 3-1, Cairo American College 2-0 and the American Community School of Hillingdon 5-0. Throughout the entire season, the boys squad showed quality and great footballing technique as they played 28 matches (including the ISSTs); winning 18, drawing seven and losing just three. Along the way, the boys managed to bag in 83 goals, letting in just 38 culminating in an overall goal difference of +45. Memorable moments include beating rivals the International School of Brussels 3-1 at the ISB campus (after losing 1-0 at home,) drawing 5-5 against 2010 Division I runners-up TASIS at home, beating the International School of Luxembourg 2-6 in Luxembourg by scoring four goals in the final 15 minutes of the match, coming back from 1-0 down to beat ACS Athens 3-1 during the group stages of the ISSTs, beating ISST rivals CAC 2-0 and thus securing promotion to Division I and a place in the final with one match to spare, and beating hosts BSB 2-0 in the final after a quick start which resulted in two goals within the opening eight minutes.
Other Sports
The St. John's junior varsity teams also possess strong talent. In 2005, the JV boys' basketball (led by the late Richard Katherman, former player for the Houston Rockets) team won the JV tournament held at St. John's. The Team has also won the JV Tournament in 2004, 2006, 2007, and 2008.Wrestling
In 2008 and 2009 Matthew and Christopher Lyon competed in the DODDS- Europe (Department of Defense Dependent Schools) and became two time European Wrestling Champions. Matthew also was voted in 2008 Most Outstanding Wrestler in Europe and was recognized for having the most pins.