Local school celebrates the Mardi Gras in true French fashion

Children at St John’s College in Southsea enjoyed a themed Mardis Gras event, based on the Carnaval de Nice, which occurred on the same day in France.

The event, which was designed to broaden the children’s knowledge and experience of other cultures, saw the youngsters take part in a full day of activities, which started with their arriving at school dressed in costumes inspired by the Carnaval de Nice’s ‘King of the Mediterranean’ theme. During the day, they made crêpes and took part in pancake races. Other entertainments included bracelet design and production, a boules competition, and carnival mask-making. At the end of the day, the excited young students gathered for a colourful parade, in which each class showed off their giant class-made Mediterranean themed mascots and culminated with the crowning of the carnival King and Queen. The Mardi Gras was planned by the School’s French coordinator Madame Golding, who teaches the subject throughout the Nursery, Infant and Junior Departments. “The children really entered into the spirit of the carnival and learnt a lot about this cultural event. We even had a little Mediterranean sun to help us along!” said a delighted Madame Golding at the end of the busy day. Located in Southsea, St John’s is a thriving co-educational day and boarding school for children between the ages of 2 and 18. The School’s mission is to provide pupils with a well-rounded academic, social and personal education, based on Christian principles and values. The next St John’s Open Event takes place on 17 March 2011. To find out more, please contact St John’s on 02392815118 or visit www.stjohnscollege.co.uk -Ends- Word Count: 279