St. John's International School is an English-language international school located in Waterloo, Belgium. The school has a student body from a very international background with 55 different nationalities represented. St. John's International School runs from day-care to 12th grade, the final year of high school. It offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma program, AP programs are also offered by the school.
History
St. John's International School was established by the FCJ Sisters in the annexe of their pre-existing school in Brussels, Montjoie, which still exists but is under Archdiocesan control. It was founded at the request of American businessmen based around the Brussels Capital Region who were seeking an English-medium Christian education for their children. There were 114 students from grades 1 to 8 that first school year. In 1969 it moved to its current campus in Waterloo. The high school was added gradually from 1971 onwards. The International Baccalaureate programme was adopted in 1978. In 2016, the school was acquired for an undisclosed sum by the Inspired Group of schools (www.inspirededu.co.uk), led by Nadim M Nsouli, educating over 48,000 students across an international network of over 60 schools on 5 continents.
Curriculum
The International Baccalaureate Primary Years, Middle Years and Diploma programmes are offered. Advanced Placement (AP) courses are also available.
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 honours at the ISSTs for track and field, volleyball, golf, tennis and basketball. The school has two art gymnasiums, as well as a new Astroturf soccer field. Teams usually compete on weekends.
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 in Europe and as far away as Cairo. It is the High School teams that compete in the ISST tournaments.
Sports
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.
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 which it repeated in 2011.
Softball
In 2006 and 2008, the St. John's softball team won the Div. 2 Softball ISST's.
Football
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.
In 2013 the Varsity Girls squad came in third place for Division I Football ISSTs in London, beating TASIS 3-0. The team finished the tournament with three shutouts in five games, only conceding four goals. Players included; Juniors Kate Gerlach and Charlotte Scott (captain) and Sophomores Gabrielle Brocious and Isabel Roche (captain).
