NEWSLETTER—BEACONHOUSE HSPR Term: 01 | Issue 01 | January, 2018
Exotic Series of Events: Debate Competition Annual Sports Gala Culmination Day — Project Based Learning Middle School Trip Year Book Nazam Nigari Open Day
Inside this issue: Investiture Ceremony
2
Annual Prize Distribution 2016—17
3
Orientation Session
4
Global Dignity Day
5
Open Days
5
Middle School Tournament
6
Islamiat Quiz
6
From the Head’s Desk “Play is the highest form of research.” – Albert Einstein Dear Parents, I hope this finds you in good health and joyful spirits as we commence the new year with a fresh outlook and renewed intentions. As we begin the next term this season, we must remember to take special care in the cold weather with proper precautions to avoid the flu and build our strength with a nutritious, healthy diet. The previous term proved to be fun-filled and exciting as ever where our students enjoyed a steady stream of engaging extra-curricular activities, special assemblies, sports rallies and outdoor excursions. Earlier last year, we were visited by the School Evaluation Unit and I am pleased to report that we have received encouraging feedback regarding our academic and administrative procedures in practice. It has been a wonderful experience working alongside them and we will continue to review and refine our internal systems with their able guidance in the second term as well. We are very confident that the outcome will benefit our students and help us identify better ways to create a conducive and comfortable learning environment for everyone concerned. I am also very pleased to announce the acquisition of the empty plot neighbouring our school, which will give much needed room to our students for sports and extra-curricular activities. I would like to extend my thanks to our Executive Director, Mr Nassir Kasuri, for responding so quickly to our request to meet the developmental needs of our children, who require physical activity as much as mental stimulation for balanced personal development. No doubt, physical health is a keystone of academic achievement and enduring individual resilience. It is especially important to remember this in
the information age where our children face greater intellectual pressures as well as distractions to their natural routines in the form of social media outlets. The students themselves understand this need intuitively and it has been wonderful to observe their enthusiastic involvement during our ongoing Sports Events. We wish the best to all the participating House Teams. We are trying to extend maximum leadership opportunities for all our students this year. Our Student Council and House Captains have shown great promise and we look forward to their contributions to improving the school experience of their peer body in the institution. Club Activities have also been going strong with weekly meetings and hands -on, goal based activities. You are welcome to offer your suggestions to your child’s club participation as they offer a very important aspect of learning outside regular studies. In addition to physical activity, I must encourage you all to help your children develop healthy reading habits. Reading books is of paramount importance, especially now, in the digital age, to build longer attention spans, patience and stronger analytical skills. There is a strong correlation between showing a love of reading at an early age and future educational achievement. Reading fiction stimulates the imagination and develops empathy which builds creativity and improves behavior. We must never underestimate the time-honoured power of reading. I wish you the best for the new term. Best regards,
Sumairah Naveed HM, BSS — HSPR
Beaconhouse School System
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Election Campaign
Investiture Ceremony 2017—18
BSS HSPR held a captivating school election for the positions of Head Boy and Head Girl for the academic year 2017-18. Students were visibly excited to be able to vote for their favourite candidate after a lively campaign. Selected candidates i.e. Momin Raja, Shariq Salman, Omer Aziz and Hamza Khalid from Grade VIII-Boys and Eman Ejaz, Jalisha Khalid, Omaymah Hussain and Sara Tanveer from Grade VIII-Girls, delivered stirring election speeches for their vision for the school. Competition proved to be very close. The Heads and final members of the Student Council are listed in the investiture ceremony.
Team learning is the process of aligning and developing the capacity of a team to create the results its member’s desire. It builds on the discipline of developing a shared vision, for talented teams are made up of talented individuals. HSPR marked 31st October, 2017 for the Investiture Ceremony of the newly elected students’ council for the session 2017-18. The Council took oath of allegiance to our Headmistress, Maam Sumaira Naveed, who highlighted the significance of students playing an active role in maintaining discipline and school representation. The Chief Guest for the event, Regional Director North, Mr. Nassir Kasuri emphasized the significance of strong leadership and team work in grooming young adults to be conscientious leaders of tomorrow. This year’s main council constitutes: Head Boy Momin Raja Deputy Head boy Hamza Khalid Head Girl Jalisha Khalid Deputy Head Girl Omaymah Hussain Counselor Girl Zainab Noor Counselor Boy Shariq Salman Global Ambassador Boy Ali Zain Ul Abideen Global Ambassador Girl Manahil Fazal English Literary Club, President Rayyan Ahmed Vice President M. Usman Wajahat Urdu Literary Club, President Eman Younas Vice President Azan Ali Kazmi Math Club, President Eman Shafeeq Vice President Abdul Muqeet Community Services, President Zainab ZulfiqarVice President Rahma Eman Arts & Crafts Club, President Abdullah Faisal Vice President Eshal Naeem Raja Music Club, President Wania Fazal Vice President Shehryar Ali Khan Fatima Jinnah House Captain Eman Ijaz Vice House Captain Fardeen Tahir Allama Iqbal House Captain Omer Aziz Vice House Captain Ishmal Burhan Quaid e Azam House Captain Nouman Khan Vice House Captain Momina Khalid Sir Syed House Captain Haroon Mehmood Vice House Captain Mahnoor Altaf Liaqat Ali Khan House Captain Sarah Tanveer Vice House Captain Filza Ghalib Sports Captain Azlan Tanveer Vice-Captain Maryam Mansoob Prefects of the year were: Raja Saad, Tayyab Afridi, Zakriya Amjad, Nida, Rabael Athar, Rameen Tahir, Saaim Noor Nafeh Mohammad, Mahnoor Imran, Fatima Khanzada, Huda Rehman, Eshal Ayesha Deputy Prefects of the year were: Ahmed Tariq, Aarij Salman, Abdul Hadi, Abdul Rasheed, Muhammad Zain Hassan, Muhammad Murtaza, Anashiya Mahmood, Nawal Mahmood, Mahd Shahzad, Syed Musa Ali, Kaianat Malik, Armeen Ali Khan
Class I & II House In charge and Monitor Appointments The Head Boy, Head Girl, House Captains, Club Presidents and Vice Presidents held a badge appointment ceremony for appointments of House Incharge, Club Incharge, Prefects and Monitors from Grade II. The ceremony was very well received by the student body, where the selected representatives were applauded for the prestigious positions allotted to them for the present school year.
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Volume 1, Issue 1
Annual Prize Distribution 2016—17
International Peace Day
We believe that acknowledgement always enhances motivation and fervor in students. According to Emerson, “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm!” The Annual Prize Distribution ceremony 2016-17 was held at HSPR with great zeal and enthusiasm. Parents were invited to laud and appreciate their children. The stage decor, music, announcements, all contributed to elate the spirit of celebration. Students of grades I-VIII, all smartly dressed and displaying exemplary discipline, were awarded certificates of merit, shields, cups, and medals, for their academic achievements.
Peace is not something you wish for; it’s something you make, something you do, something you are and something you give away. (John Lennon)
Defence Day Students commemorated Defence Day with great patriotic fervour. A special assembly was held on the day linking the significance of the day with the spirit of sacrifice. Students delivered passionate speeches on the true meaning of patriotism and the role of our soldiers in safeguarding the country from external aggressors. An interactive quiz competition was also held during the assembly to enhance the general knowledge of the students regarding national events, which the students greatly enjoyed. The proceedings closed with an emotional musical tribute to the martyrs and heroes of the nation who selflessly sacrificed their lives to secure the future of our generations.
Eco Friendly Science Inventions Grade 7 put their creativity, scientific knowledge and skills to the test and came up with some amazing ecofriendly inventions by recycling waste material for their environment- friendly Science Project. Using everyday objects such as plastic bottles, rubber bands, pencils, cardboard boxes and garden pebbles, the students put together a homemade mousetrap, a wind-mill powered mobile charger, a hand-sized vaccum cleaner, solar fan, water purifier, bird feeder and a pen holder.
To make children understand the importance of ‘peace’, International Peace Day was celebrated. The day started with different art and craft activities. Young minds enhanced their creativity and collaboration through different projects which they completed together under their respective teachers’ guidance. A special assembly was also organized in which each and every child participated and added their bit to make it a big success.
Beaconhouse School System
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Orientation Sessions
HSPR held its Academic Orientation Session for Parents of Grades 1 - 5, which provided a highly important platform to communicate the academic goals of the new school year to our respected Parents. The session was held after school hours to facilitate parents' participation and ensure maximum benefit to all concerned. Members of the audience also availed the opportunity to discuss their queries, and give feedback and suggestions regarding the curriculum, which were key objectives of the session. The session also introduced the curriculum philosophy of the new foreign language classes which include Mandarin, French and Arabic for Grades 3 to 6.
Striking the Right String: Music at Beaconhouse Music is all around us and an important part of everyday life. Music is a universal language with its own symbols, shapes and styles. It is the science of sound, symbols, rhythm and melody. Students of Music learn to form relationships between the discipline and their understanding of the world. Music at Beaconhouse is about letting students become fluent in the language of music so that they may analyse, manipulate, arrange and communicate information. Music education fosters creative and aesthetic development, and enhances the growth of reasoning through the use of investigative techniques in a musical context. The ages between 0 and 7 are the most critical for brain growth. Brain connections are formed at their fastest rate. Whole-brain and whole-body activities taken on during this time create a network of connections across the brain that can last a lifetime. Daniel J. Levitin (2006) wrote in his book, This is Your Brain on Music that “Music activates all areas of brain”. Music has the unique ability to go through alternative channels and connect different sections of the brain. Music makes students smart, many studies have been done to prove that music education is linked to better grades and test marks in other subjects. At Beaconhouse when students are involved in different music activities, actually they are developing and enhancing 21st century skills:
Creativity & Innovation Critical Thinking & Problem Solving Communication Collaboration Interpersonal Growth Language & Literacy Self Confidence Social Skills Motor Skills Sensory Skills
Memory The Beaconhouse Music curriculum is a research-based curriculum and is aligned with international standards. The curriculum provides rich music specific experiences throughout the academic year, as well as, opportunities to experience music across the curriculum. Effective integration of music enables meaningful connections to be made across disciplines and contributes to the acquisition of knowledge, skills and attitudes in all areas of learning.
1st PTM Parent Teacher Meeting, provides an excellent opportunity to parents to meet with their children’s teachers in a one-to-one setting. There was a good turnout, and parents gave encouraging reviews, commending the staff on the arrangements. At HSPR, we highly appreciate parents’ participation in a PTM as it not only
gives them a chance to see how their children are getting on in school, where their strengths and weaknesses lie and how they socialize with other children, but also gives an opportunity to the teachers to learn more about each child. In this way both the parents and teachers can work together for the child’s success.
Interview Session with Environmental Scientists Students of grade IV, HSPR had an interactive interview session with environmental scientist Ms Xunaira Mateen (Research assistant at University of ARID Agricultural) and Dr Sadia Cheema about Ozone layer and its importance. The honourable guests shared valuable facts about Ozone
layer, UV rays and the environment in general, which helped expand the horizon for our young visionaries. Students eagerly participated and asked pertinent questions. The esteemed guests also observed and appreciated posters made by the students.
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Volume 1, Issue 1
Global Dignity Day Global Dignity Day was celebrated with colourful fanfare and worthy enthusiasm. The event was commemorated in a special assembly where students delivered earnest speeches, poems, quotations, songs and performed role plays displaying dignity and honour for each relation. The event proved to be very enjoyable, where students and teachers expressed their hope to build self-esteem and respect the junior staff members around them.
Eid Milan Party
The spirit of HSPR was pulsating with colour, vibrancy and laughter, as students, attired in their Eid best, celebrated their Eid Milan party. Every class celebrated their day with their respective teachers and participated in different activities such as facepainting, games and mehndi application. The success of the whole event was evident from the beaming faces of the students, who took home wonderful memories of the day!
Open Days Open Days were organized for Pre-Nursery, Nursery, KG, Grade I and Grade II classes. On different days, parents were invited to attend a lesson in their child’s class to experience the ongoing teaching process and understand our approach to learning. This was an excellent opportunity to provide them with insight into their child's learning process. Parents observed how a classroom lesson progresses, with a multitude of activities using different mediums and methods of learning. It is an excellent opportunity to watch, listen and learn while observing the vibrant student-teacher interactions.
Teachers’ Day A teacher nourishes the soul of a child for a lifetime. On the 5th of October, HSPR along with the rest of the world, celebrated the World Teachers’ Day. During the second half of the school day, friendly dodge-theball matches were held between teachers of different levels. Students, as spectators, cheered and lauded their respective teachers. It turned out to be a highly entertaining and relaxing event for teachers and students alike.
Volume 1, Issue 1
Middle School Tournament
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Trip to Museum
HSPR hosted the Middle School Sports tournament on 11th October, 2017. A total of 11 Beaconhouse Campuses participated namely, BSS Wah Cantt., BCLR, BPC, BEI, BSS NL, BEC-G/15, BSR, BMI, F-11 Campus and HSPR. The event was a jovial display of exquisite performances of sportsmanship, vigor and teamwork. There were two main sports groups: Basketball for boys and Futsal for girls. The event was a splendid success as the participants were at their best, exhibiting the spirit of competition, enthusiasm and excellent organization.
Iqbal Day
NEWSLETTER—BEACONHOUSE HSPR
Islamiat Quiz
HSPR provides its students with different opportunities to explore their potential and participate in a variety of activities. An informative Islamiat Quiz was arranged for grades III, IV and V. First round was held on 14th of November ensuring 100% participation by all three levels. The final round was held on 6th December 2017, in which parents of the qualifying students were also invited. All the students participated with great zeal and enthusiasm, which was highly appreciated by parents.
Mrs. Zainab Hussain (SM)
Educational Trips give students an opportunity to learn from their own experiences and from the experience of others. To enhance this learning, students of grade I till V were taken to the Pakistan Museum of Natural History. Adding pleasure to this trip, students were also taken to Shakarparian, Islamabad where they shared and enjoyed their food and had fun time playing with friends.
Students celebrated the 140th birth anniversary of the poet-philosopher of the East and visionary of the Pakistan movement, Allama Muhammad Iqbal. The event was led with passionate and informative speeches Students added an engaging variety to the proceedings and presented well-rehearsed excerpts of 'Kalaam-e-Iqbal' through verse and song. Students also greatly enjoyed an interactive quiz session which tested their awareness on the theme of the day. It was heartening to see how keen the students were to share their knowledge of Allama Iqbal's poetry, which they recited with effective and moving elocution.
Competition on Peace Manahil Fazal from BSS HSPR was awarded the First Prize in a poster competition held at the Rawalpindi Arts Council (RAC) on the International Day of Peace celebrated on 21st September 2017. The event was held by Islamabad Devcom Centennial Leo Club (IDCLC) and Development Communications Network (Devcom-Pakistan) in collaboration with the Beaconhouse School System (BSS) Northern Region. As many as 113 posters of students from fifteen secondary schools from the region were put on display at the Rawalpindi Arts Council (RAC). The exhibition received coverage in online and local media. We are proud of you Manahil!
Mrs. Shumaiza Rizwan (SC)
Mrs. Maria Sukrat (SC)