ISSUE 3
WHAT'S UP BJAB?
UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT
Tony Kountouris- Renzulli, Chief Editor [Credit: Varden Media]With the rapid expansion of the school newspaper, a new editorial team (Tony, Flora, Hiya and Maria) has swung into action Led by the very capable Tony, the editorial team and their budding journalists have toiled to make this the best edition of What's Up BJAB? yet. The team is grateful for the support of all the staff and parents who have contributed to this issue A special mention to Mme Desiderio for her patience and good humour in the production of this issue.
A NOTE FROM THE HEADTEACHER
“I want this magazine to become an institution at the school” Mr Varden told me at the beginning of term. I fear that he is quite wrong – it clearly already is, having quickly established itself as required reading in BJAB circles, with far more than just a cult following. I congratulate the editorial team and all contributors on their excellent work – each copy seems to be even better than the one before!
Enjoy reading this latest edition – and do feel free to pass on your printed copy to others within and outside the BJAB community!
Mr F Retter
HEY GOOD LOOKIN'
WHAT'VE YOU GOT COOKIN'?
By Advika HoskoteJournalist: Miss Angela, can you please tell us about your journey on becoming a chef?
Miss Angela: Yes, I was actually teaching kindergarten for 18 years and Madame De Maertelaere knew I loved cooking and offered me the position of school chef. I think the real reason why I love cooking is because my mum was a terrible cook and so I decided that I wanted to learn how to cook. After I was offered the position, I said no because I knew how to cook for 5 people - but not the whole school! With a little bit of encouragement I took a few courses where I was taught more about what proportion of meat was supposed to go with the vegetables and etc. and took up the offer! I also watched a lot of cookery shows and read a lot of cookery books which helped me.
Journalist: How do you plan the school menu? How easy or difficult is it?
Miss Angela: Making the menu is pretty easy, but I am not here on the weekends to prepare for the next week so I usually make pasta on Mondays. I then have time to prepare and cook the meat and vegetables on Tuesdays and on one day I usually keep a surprise which is usually on Fridays.
Journalist: Which dish do you love cooking?
Miss Angela: I love cooking chicken curry! And that’s because everyone likes it and everyone liking what you prepare makes you happy. But I also quite like baking, though I don’t always have the time for it since it takes up a lot of time. I try baking whenever I can though.
Journalist: What is your favourite cuisine?
Miss Angela: I love to eat Indian or Thai food and I don’t mind the spice. I just love the cuisine. But if I have to cook I would say it depends, but all the children at school and my own children love pasta. At my house, they love roast dinners (roast chicken, potatoes and vegetables) especially on Sunday where we all sit down and eat together.
Journalist: What is your signature dish?
Miss Angela: Spaghetti and meatballs. Everyone just loves to eat the dish!
Journalist: What is your comfort food on a rainy and cold day in Brussels?
Miss Angela: Well, I’m Scottish! So, it doesn’t really matter! But if I were to choose a comfort food, I would choose British chocolate or just chocolate.
Journalist: Do you have a recipe book where you keep all of your recipes?
Miss Angela: No, I don’t actually, it’s all in my head with memory! But if I do need to bake cakes or do some baking then I do have to follow instructions precisely because it needs to be measured properly.
Journalist: What was your favourite food as a child?
Miss Angela: Well, my mum was a dreadful cook! But my family actually owned a bakery and they always had sausage rolls and I quite enjoyed them! I would say that was my favourite food as a child.
Journalist: Do you have a specific memory where you travelled to another country and the food there was especially good?
Miss Angela: Yes, me and my kids travel to Crete, Greece every year because we just love the food there and every year we go to a small village with just 15 or so restaurants. We go to each of the restaurants each day. On the first and the last day we go to our favourite restaurant!
Journalist: Who cooks your favourite food for you?
Miss Angela: My eldest daughter who is 23 years old is quite a good cook and she likes cooking quite a lot! But my younger daughter is actually quite a hopeless cook because she just doesn’t read the instructions properly!
Journalist: And my last question, what are you looking forward to in 2023?
Miss Angela: That is a good question, I think I just want to learn what the other kids down at the lower school like and don’t like eating. I feel I now the children here at the Prep school better than I do at the lower school!
Journalist: Thank you so much Miss Angela for being interviewed for our new edition of What's Up BJAB?
Miss Angela is a much-loved member of the BJAB community.
A NATO INTERVIEW
By Guilherme Antunes dos SantosGuilherme: What is NATO?
Emanuel Santos: NATO is an organisation that aims at protecting suzerainty of today. It’s an organisation made in response of the Cold War after the Second World War, in which countries felt threatened, and so they get together to protect themselves together. The organisation has evolved with the financial crisis. There was more and more the sense that nations need to work together, so it evolved to a defence organisation in which nations share their defence capabilities so instead of going on and on, they go into technology that they share. Moreover it’s an organisation that aims at making all countries able to communicate with each other, I am talking about systems communicating with each other; so if we go on a military mission: Bulgaria militaries can easily interact with English militaries or the US or the Canadian forces. We can all operate together although we have different backgrounds and different uniforms.
Guilherme: What is your role?
Emanuel Santos: I am the head of office of chief technology officer at the NATO agency, that provides all the IT info structure and all the communications from satellites to ballistic missile defense systems to NATO.
Guilherme: What do you enjoy about your job?
Emanuel Santos: I enjoy working with people, I enjoy working with technology, I enjoy working on the field of innovation, always ahead in the latest developments of technology and how we can apply those technology developments to make it a better organisation and safer community.
Guilherme: Why did you join this job?
Emanuel Santos: I joined this job for multiple factors. One that counted for me the most was working for an organisation with such a noble objective and such a mobile mission that is to protect more than altogether one billion people in this world. It is an organisation that works on the military and on the political side to ensure peace in the territory of the 30 allied countries.
Guilherme: What are the day-to-day responsibilities of this job?
Emanuel Santos: My day-to-day responsibility is to make sure the chief technology office Is with all these technical teams: architecture, innovation can work together, and that they are focused on the objectives and on the purpose of the organisation and to make sure they work as best, as smartest as possible for a better outcome.
Guilherme: What are the biggest challenges of your position?
Emanuel Santos: The biggest challenge apart from all the IT developments, adaptations, and constant cultural changes that we have to go through to adapt to the fast pacing technology world, are managing people. People are the most challenging resource but also the most rewarding.
Guilherme: What is it like in a day of working for NATO?
Emanuel Santos: Well, working for NATO is fantastic, it’s an international working organisation. You have people from multiple countries and different cultures.
We always have something to work on, there is always something to be said, there is always the need for an open mind to understand and not judge what others are saying; because there is always a huge cultural background to their thoughts and we need to respect, and listen, and learn from everyone.
Guilherme: What criteria do you have to meet to be a good employee?
Emanuel Santos: To be a good employee, first of all you better be a good team player. You need to watch out for your colleagues, you need to care for the work you do: how your work affects others, how others' work affects yours, how can you better work together for the same objective. But obviously, you need to be a good professional, you need to have your technical skills, you need to understand the organisation you are in, you need to understand the job you are doing and the purpose of the job, all those are qualities of a good employee in my opinion.
Guilherme: How is NATO run?
Emanuel Santos: NATO is run by the heads of states of the 30 different countries soon to be 32. It has what is called a NATO council, it’s the highest NATO body. It provides all the political guidance to NATO. They can be in different formats, they can be in the heads of states or with the ministers that can be from the former affair or defence ministers, but also they meet on a weekly basis at least once a month with all the ambassadors from the different nations that are residents at NATO HQ in Brussels. So that’s how it’s run at the highest level and then it narrows down into other committees with different responsibilities that meet at different levels as well, like ambassadors down to team leads from the different countries and from the different areas of NAT. All with the same objective but with a big sculpt that needs to be covered from all those forums.
Guilherme: Would you recommend working for NATO?
Emanuel Santos: I would strongly recommend working for NATO. Not only the mission is more mobile and up to date, as the environment is an international environment that you never get tired of, you always meet plenty of people, very very interesting people and very very bright people. It’s an organisation that although being a governmental organisation is very much looking into innovation and being up to date in the market, it’s competing with the similar organisations in the world, so I would strongly recommend. There is everything to be proud of.
Guilherme: What advice do you have for children that aspire to work at NATO?
Emanuel Santos: Well, I would recommend them to get their training properly, their education properly. This world is more and more competitive. To get a good job in a big organisation such as NATO can get really competitive: it’s very hard to get in The competition is very hard, so I would recommend to get prepared at school, study, make sure you understand, follow the news of the organisation so you keep up to date on what’s going on and what the organisation is doing, what are the changes in the world, the organisation adapts to it. So keep on there, participate on forums of NATO there are debates, there are news, participate on all those things so you get acquainted so you understand what’s going on, so that once you grow and you are In a position to actually apply for a job in NATO you are prepared and you know exactly what you’re going for.
MATHSMANIA by Advika
HoskoteThe upcoming maths competition is on Saturday 25th March 2023. Each Prep School year group has selected two delegates using a difficult maths test. Congratulations to Erik, Aarav, Nadine, Veronica who will make up the Junior Team and Eric, Flora, Hiya and William who will make up the Senior Team Both teams will be attending competition which will be taking place in Antwerp and will be accompanied by Y8 teacher and STEM enthusiast, Mr. Varden!
ROUND 1 ROUND 2
In this round, our teams must solve some mental Maths problems in 15 minutes. Each question is worth 10 points. If our teams finish early with all answers correct, they will be awarded with a bonus of 10 points per complete minute remaining.
ROUND 3
This round is 20 minutes long and consists of worded problems. If our teams finish early with all answers correct they will earn a bonus of 10 points per remaining minute. Partial marks may be given for any correct answer with a missing unit.
ROUND 5
In this round, students will use a range of mathematical techniques to solve these real life scenarios They will need to select at least 2 forms of Mathematical technique and presentation to show their answers, for example: graphs.
In this round our teams have to solve some questions on Google Forms and will have 20 minutes to do so They will be given four options of which you have to select the correct one There are 10 points for each correct answer and -5 points for every wrong answer The total mark will be calculated once the team has submitted their form If they finish early with all answers correct they will earn 10 points for per minute remaining
ROUND 4
Erik (5B) and Eric (8V) will have to sit on a seat stage on the ‘hot seat’ and answer as many questions as quickly as they can. If they get all right then they will gain a bonus of 10 points.They will earn 10 points for every correct answer and -5 for every wrong answer.
We wish our teams good luck and all the best!
by Miss GreyThis is my column where you can read about all things weird and wonderful. The world is a strange place- I’ll let you decide the truth!
The Mystery of the RMS Titanic- a Dark, Sinking Feeling.
Time: 11:40pm Place: The North Atlantic Ocean
Event: Sunk in 2 hours 40 minutes
Date: 14th April 1912
Number of Deaths: 1,500 people. Cause: Uncertain
The Titanic was said to be ‘unsinkable’. The popular film starring Leonardo Di Caprio and Kate Winslet suggests that at 11:40pm in April 1912, Titanic hit an iceberg which after almost three hours, caused the ship to buckle, fold and sink to the bottom of the North Atlantic sea. But how did an iceberg manage to cut a hole in the side of a ship made of 3cm thick metal? A number of people have come up with some interesting and bizarre ideas that I have researched. Could any of them be true?
Freaky Nature?
Some scientists say that the Aurora- a solar storm- could have messed with Titanic’s compasses and caused them to direct the ship off course and into the flotilla of icebergs. There is also a theory that the Full Moon caused strong tides to uproot the icebergs and they floated into the path of Titanic, unexpectedly But even so, would an iceberg still be able to cut into 3cm of metal? If they were ‘floating’ wouldn’t they just move as Titanic plunged into them?
Hunted down!
Another theory is that Titanic was targeted by a torpedo launched from a German U boat. Weirdly though, three years after the sinking, a ship called Lusitania did get torpedoed- and sunk by a German U Boat. Maybe they mistook Titanic for the Lusitania? But why? What could have been the motive?
Was the maiden voyage cursed?
Records show something very sinister was aboard Titanic. It was an Egyptian mummy! But not any old mummy- a cursed mummy of a Priestess! A well-known historian had brought it on the voyage and it was stored on the Captain’s bridge for safety. I don’t think a cursed mummy can be safe anywhere, do you?
Fire!
Records also show that there was a fire, maybe deliberately started, in the coal bunker of the ship ten days before departure and burnt for several days straight. Could this fire have damaged the metal structure of Titanic and weakened it? This could explain how easily the iceberg cut!
Money Talks
A rich financer, JP Morgan, bought the White Star Line (the company that owned Titanic), in 1902- ten years before Titanic set sail He also wanted to create the Federal Reserve in the USA which manages inflation, stabilises the financial markets, controls the Banking system and a lot more. His idea wasn’t liked by several well-known millionaires of the time, but weirdly, on the Titanic’s maiden voyage, they were all on board! Even weirder is the fact that JP Morgan cancelled his trip at the last minute and never got on board. Of course, those millionaires died that night Something smells fishy, right? But why would JP Morgan want the ship to sink? Maybe he wanted to claim insurance and get rid of those men who disagreed with his plans at the same time
The spooky coincidences
In 1886, 26 years before the Titanic disaster, British Writer T.Stead wrote about a steamer that collided with another ship. There was a high loss of life due to a lack of lifeboats. (Does this sound familiar?). Then, in 1892, 20 years before the Titanic disaster, he wrote again- this time about a vessel that rescued survivors from a ship that had collided with an iceberg. Unbelievable! Did this guy have psychic powers? This is doubtful, as he was on board when the Titanic sank- and he lost his life!
So what do you think?
There are so many coincidences and strange happenings surrounding Titanic and this catastrophic event, that it’s difficult to delve into the murky waters to find the truth. Maybe we’ll never really know.
“Think before you speak. Read before you think.”
Fran Lebowitz, The Fran Lebowitz Reader
THE TITANIC: A STUDENT VIEW
by Barbara KukharenkoOn the night of April 14-15, 1912, one of the most terrible disasters on water occurred. In the waters of the North Atlantic, the largest and most modern British transatlantic liner "Titanic", was making its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York. Famously, the ship did not make it to New York crashed. There were 2,208 people on board, of which only 704 survived.
Despite assurances from the White Star Line (the company which owned the Titanic) that it was unsinkable, it was sank by an iceberg. On April 14, 1912, at 11:40 p.m., the Titanic went off course for unknown reasons. According to the official version, the tragedy was caused by the fact that "the ship was moving at high speed in dangerous frozen waters, and the crew could not avoid a collision with an iceberg."
In general, the whole process lasted almost three hours, but the final stage of the death of this titan took very little time - the ship reached the bottom about 15 minutes after the start of the dive. The Titanic sank to the bottom at a speed of 16 km / h. Now it rests at a depth of 3750 m.
DID YOU KNOW...?
by Barbara KukharenkoOn February 18, 1979, snowfall was recorded in the Sahara desert for the first time in history. But such anomalous weather seriously got scientists thinking about global climate change when snow fell in the desert again, 30+ years later, in 2012.
The Great Barrier Reef, the length of which is almost 2,500 kilometers, is the largest natural object formed by living organisms that exists on Earth. It can be seen even from space!
17th - 21st
STEAM WEEK
April
WHITTAKER'S WONDERS
This term, the subject of Year 5's art lessons is Impressionism. They have been learning about the features that make this popular art movement easy to recognise Here are some examples of their Monet inspired haystacks and a landscape painted using thick layers of paint and quick, loose brush strokes. (Below)
Year 6 pupils have been inspired by the post-impressionist painter Henri Rousseau and a contemporary painter, Kate Morgan. They have created digital art works using Art Set, which reflect the nature loving style of these artists. (Below)
This term year 8 have been studying their facial features in preparation for portrait painting next term. Here are some of their wonderful eye and mouth studies. They have also enjoyed exploring the drawing application Art Set. Here you can see Greta's exploration of oil on canvas. (Above)
Year 7 are continuing to develop their observation skills by drawing and painting studies of birds and animals They have researched the artist Abby Diamond, who is a bird and animal illustrator, to give them inspiration These vibrant watercolour sketches demonstrate energy and emotion (Above)
The journalism team are very grateful to Miss Whittaker for her continued support!
GOODES NEWS
NOW THAT'S WHAT I'M (TED) TALKING ABOUT
A huge well done to all students across Year 7 and 8 who will be participating in BJAB’s first TED event this Thursday, 16th February. All students have worked incredibly hard to research and compile their talks about topics that interest them and I am looking forward to their final presentations this week. Please do join us to celebrate this achievement and to learn something new!
READING IS FUNDAMENTAL ALL GROWN UP
The latest reading challenge is ongoing and will end this World Book Day on 2nd March, 2023. You should complete your bookmark by reading five books – each corresponding with a letter in BJAB or your LAMDA texts. Good luck to all of prep – there are 50 house points at stake!
Exciting news as the latest BJAB poetry anthology heads off to be published. This year we focused on the theme of growing up and the ‘Only the Young’ anthology will be launched soon – keep your eyes peeled!
BLOG OFF
The BJAB blog as been a little quiet this year. I am looking for contributions from across the school for blog posts. All you need to do is write a short article or listicle about something you are interested in – it doesn’t have to be book related! Email these over to m.goodes@bjab.org. You can find examples on the BJAB Library Website – just click ‘BJAB Blog’
The journalism team are very grateful to Miss Goodes for her continued support!
MRS SHARMA’S DRAMA
By Daniel CherednykDaniel: Why did you decide to join BJAB?
Mrs Sharma: I decided to join BJAB, because it’s a lovely school, I saw the videos on the website, read about it’s environment and culture.
Daniel: What inspires you in the creation of your lessons?
Mrs Sharma: A student’s excitement to work in different applications
Daniel: What are your hobbies?
Mrs Sharma: I love dancing, doing yoga and cooking
Daniel: What is your favourite book?
Mrs Sharma: It is an Indian mythology books by Amish Tripathi
Daniel: What is your favourite place to visit?
Mrs Sharma: I have been to Rome once, and I would like to go there again
Daniel: What do you like to do in your free time?
Mrs Sharma: I don’t have a lot of free time so I just sit, relax and take care of myself
Daniel: Have you worked somewhere else before?
Mrs Sharma: Yes, I work in the European school III.
Daniel: What are your three favourite things about BJAB?
Mrs Sharma: 1.Teacher student connection.
2 The student’s energy is amazing
3 Using iPads in positive way
Daniel: Do you have any degrees?
Mrs Sharma: In 2014, I got a Masters in computer applications and a Bachelors in computer science in 2011
Daniel: When did you start teaching?
Mrs Sharma: I started teaching in India in July of 2014
Daniel: How long have you been in Belgium?
Mrs Sharma: I have been in Belgium since March 2020
Daniel: When did you start teaching in Belgium?
Mrs Sharma: I started teaching in Belgium since September 2021
A FRIENDLY REMINDER
By Toni LehnekeThe school uniform is a unique design for BJAB It is important to follow the rules so everyone feels the same and doesn’t brag about their clothes. It begins with an chequered shirt and a dark blue jumper with the BJAB logo on it. Then we go on with grey pants or a grey skirt. If you choose a skirt you also could wear some black trousers or socks For a Girl or Boy black shoes on your feet
Be a BJAB ambassador and wear your uniform with pride!
I interviewed of Mrs Sharma, so every BJAB teacher or student can find out something new about her.
AVATAR: EXPLAINING THE WAY OF WATER
by Sathayamoorthy MadhavanAvatar: The Way of Water is a 2022 American epic science fiction film
directed and produced by James Cameron, who co-wrote the screenplay with Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver from a story the trio wrote with Josh Friedman and Shane Salerno.
Distributed by 20th Century Studios, it is the sequel to Avatar (2009) and the second instalment in the Avatar film series Cast members Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Stephen Lang, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Giovanni Ribisi, Dileep Rao, and Matt Gerald reprise their roles from the original film, with Sigourney Weaver returning in an additional role
New cast members include Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Edie Falco, and Jermaine Clement.
In the film, Na'vi Jake Sully (Worthington) and his family, under renewed human threat, seek refuge with the Met Katina clan of Pandora
SUPER SOIRÉE INOUBLIABLE Par Véronica Godwin Mangado
Avez-vous déjà voulu savoir à quoi ressemblerait regarder un lm en pyjama et manger une délicieuse pizza à l’école? Eh bien, voici votre chance, en tant qu’élève de BJAB, de participer à cet événement très amusant Chaque année au mois de février, les élèves d’année 1 jusqu’à l’année 8 peuvent venir à l’école le soir en pyjama, apporter un doudou et regarder un lm en partageant un bon morceau de pizza italienne! Cette année, cette fête aura lieu le 9 février pour tous les étudiants de BJAB Si vous voulez en savoir plus sur le choix des lms, chaque classe peut choisir un lm qu’elle souhaite regarder ensemble, et après voter pour son choix préféré en tant que classe Pour la soirée 2023, les lms choisis par les années 5 jusqu’à l’année 8 sont les suivants:
ANNÉE 5: Indiana Jones
ANNÉE 6: Enola Holmes
ANNÉE 7 / 8: Matilda the Musical
Je crois vraiment que cette année la soirée pizza et pyjama sera la meilleure de toutes!
Cameron stated in 2006 that he would like to make sequels to Avatar if it was successful, and he announced the first two sequels in 2010, following the widespread success of the first film, with the first sequel aiming for a 2014 release However, the addition of two more sequels, for a total of five Avatar films, and the necessity to develop new technology in order to film performance capture scenes underwater, a feat never accomplished before, led to significant delays to allow the crew more time to work on the writing, preproduction and visual effects
The filming process, which occurred simultaneously with a currently untitled third film, began in Manhattan Beach, California, on August 15, 2017 The filming location moved to Wellington on September 25, 2017, which ended in late September 2020 after three years of shooting With an estimated budget of $350–460 million, the film is one of the most expensive films ever made After repeated delays in the expected release schedule, Avatar: The Way of Water premiered in London on December 6, 2022, and was theatrically released in the United States on December 16, 2022
The film received positive reviews from critics, who praised its visual effects and technical achievements but criticised the plot and lengthy runtime The film was a major box office success, breaking multiple records, and grossing over $2 117 billion worldwide, making it the highest-grossing film of 2022, the highest-grossing film of the COVID-19 pandemic era, and the fourth highest-grossing film of all time Organisations like the National Board of Review and the American Film Institute named it as one of the top ten films of 2022 The film was nominated for four awards at the 95th Academy Awards (including Best Picture) and received numerous other accolades
1
AVEZ-VOUS...?
Avez-vous déjà dit ? par Mme Rozie
POSER UN LAPIN
Ceci signifie ne pas aller à un rendezvous sans prévenir la personne avec qui on a ce rendez-vous.
AVEZ-VOUS DÉJÀ LU ?
par Mme Desiderio
"Ce livre fascinant se passe pendant la seconde guerre mondiale en France, et nous raconte le voyage bouleversant de deux frères d'origine juive qui veulent rejoindre la zone de la France libre. Une histoire émouvante qui nous fait part d'un passé compliqué et sombre.
LES DEVINETTES DE MME ROZIE
Qui aime rigoler tout en se remuant les méninges ?
A chaque édition de ce journal, vous aurez l’opportunité de remporter une pluie de Dojos si vous êtes le premier à trouver la bonne réponse
Réponses de l’édition numéro 1 :
1 Le silence
2 Les flèches de l’horloge
3 La nuit Bravo à tous les gagnants !
Un Monstre à Paris
Ce film d'animation est un mélange d'aventure, romance et comédie musicale. On y retrouve des musiciens talentueux tel que Vanessa Paradis et Mathieu Chedid qui prêtent leurs voix aux personnages principaux.
C'est l'histoire d'un monstre qui ne peut s'exprimer que par la musique et qui essaye de se faire une place dans un monde qui fait beaucoup plus attention aux apparence qu'à ce qui se trouve vraiment à l'intérieur.
DEVINETTES
ÉDITION NUMÉRO 2
1. Quels sont les chiffres préférés de la poule ?
2. Quels sont les deux animaux les plus intelligents ?
3. Que fait un cheval au supermarché ?
Vous avez jusqu’au vendredi 24 mars pour soumettre vos réponses à Mme Rozie ou à Mme Desiderio. Bonne chance à tous !
ETRE LE DINDON DE LA FARCE AVEZ-VOUS DÉJÀ VU ? "Un sac de billes" par Joseph Joffo.THE BENITEZWILKINSON BEAT
Welcome to the Benitez-Wilkinson Beat, where we’ll be discussing all things music: our favourite new releases, can’t-live-without classics, and more. This time we’re choosing our top albums from 2022.
Ms Benitez’s picks Mr Wilkinson's picks
Being Funny in a Foreign Language
The 1975
After four albums, The 1975 know their strengths: ‘He's got a funny way of using the same four chords for every song he makes,’ lead singer and songwriter Matty Healy reflects in the nostalgic holidaythemed tune ‘Wintering.’ The band makes the four chords work, layering a jazzy saxophone on the more danceable tracks, and at just over 40 minutes, there’s never a dull moment on this album. Catchy pop-rock melodies aside, Healy’s lyrics are where this album shines: self-aware, sarcastic and downright hilarious at all the right moments.
Top tracks: ‘About You’, ‘When We Are Together’, ‘I’m In Love With You’
Harry's House Harry Styles
Undoubtedly the soundtrack of summer 2022, Harry Styles made a triumphant return with Harry’s House. From sleek 80s synths to delicate acoustic tunes, Harry’s House is a delight to listen to – and it’s no wonder that its lead hit ‘As It Was’ dominated the charts for the better part of the year. After a year of sonically sparse, stripped-down releases (Solar Power, I’m looking at you), the full-powered production and charming embellishments of Harry’s House are a welcome change. Groovy but grown-up: a long ways from Styles’ One Direction days.
Top tracks: ‘Music For a Sushi Restaurant,’ ‘Keep Driving’, ‘Late Night Talking’
Renaissance Beyoncé
When Beyoncé releases a record, the world of pop stops. Renaissance isn’t just an incredible and technically perfect album; it represents a post pandemic society craving to dance away life’s struggles for the sole purpose of resurrecting joy Queen Bey doesn’t shy away from referencing and honouring the Black and LGBT+ roots of dance and disco music, inviting the listener to free themselves of any fear of judgement or rejection at the most colourful and euphoric party of the year.
Top Tracks: ‘Alien Superstar’, ‘Break My Soul’, ‘Summer Renaissance’
Motomami Rosalía
Following two critically acclaimed albums, the Spanish superstar delighted listeners with one of the most creative pop records of the year. While TikTok hits are aplenty featuring infectious soundbites and reggaetón beats, Rosalía’s grand and soaring voice provides spine- tingling moments, and for me is a true highlight of the album. Expect the unexpected, as when you think the song is going one way, the music evolves and Rosalía transforms, experimenting with sounds and genres to take us on a thrilling sonic journey.
Top Tracks: ‘Chicken Teriyaki’, ‘Bulerías’, ‘Sakura’
Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You Big Thief
A sprawling 20-song journey, Big Thief’s latest release is one of their best and most ambitious yet. As usual, lead Adrienne Lenker’s diligent (and yes, at times esoteric) song writing stands out as the songs float from genre to genre. There’s guitarist Buck Meek’s characteristic country riffs on the album’s more folk-rock titles – and fiddles to match; soft synths that veer into dream pop territory; and Lenker’s nylon-stringed guitar on its quiet, fingerpicked acoustic moments. Something to love for nearly everyone.
Top tracks: ‘Little Things’, ‘Simulation Swarm’, ‘No Reason’
Honourable mentions:
Ants From Up There – Black Country
New Road
Wet Leg – Wet Leg
Dance Fever (Live at Madison Square Garden)
Florence + The Machine
Some performers are truly meant to be experienced live and this album gives you an idea of why Florence + The Machine is part of this special group. While you don’t get to witness Florence Welch dancing, galivanting and twirling on stage, her vocal strength and the crowd’s bellowing gives you the impression of being exactly there, experiencing the rush of adrenaline as her powerful instrument bathes you in witchy and effervescent ecstasy.
Top tracks: ‘King’, ‘My Love’, ‘Never Let Me Go’
Honourable mentions: Brûler le Feu – Juliette Armanet
Wet Leg – Wet Leg
Listen to our top picks on our special Spotify playlist.
HEPBURN TAKES THE LEAD
11,582
Schuman 11,010 Cavell 10,099 Montgomery 8,810
In a shocking turn of events, Hepburn have snatched the lead from Schuman for the first time this year. How long will this last? Can Cavell push Schuman into third place? This journalist certainly thinks so!
HepburnA GEOPOLITICAL POWERHOUSE
By Daswantth Vimalnath and Sathyamoorthy MadhavanHowever, if diplomatic efforts fail, NATO has the military capacity to undertake crisis management operations alone or in cooperation with other countries and international organisations. NATO, is a strictly defensive military alliance and as such, can take military measures in the globe.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation or NATO, is a defensive military alliance with 30 member countries, 28 of them being European and 2 North American NATO was established on the 4th April 1949 and the treaty itself was signed in Washington D C The main founders being, the U K , U S , Canada, and France. All member countries agreed to defend each other against attacks by other parties The alliance still remains in place today.
But one could often find oneself asking What are the core movements of NATO? NATO is an active and leading contributor to peace and security on the international stage. NATO’s core moments include the promoting of democratic values and committing to the peaceful resolution of disputes.
But perhaps the most important principle of NATO is collective defence. Collective defence is at the very heart of NATO’s founding treaty It remains a unique and enduring principle that binds its members together, committing them to protect each other and setting a spirit of solidarity within the Alliance Collective defence is the principle of if a county is being a attacked by another country or organisation, the attack is considered as an attack to all NATO countries. An example of collective defence being used is 9/11 in the U S NATO used collective defence otherwise known as article 5.
In conclusion, NATO is a military organisation, it makes noble efforts to resolve conflicts peacefully, and it has the power to use military force on countries that have attacked a member state
You might have heard the word 'NATO' (OTAN if you're speaking French), but what does that mean?
WHAT ARE SHIH TZU?
Carolina Antunes Dos Santos
Who is Roxy? Why is Roxy here?
Roxy is a pet dog, she is here because the school decided to have a dog. Roxy's owner is Ms. Angela.
What type of dog is Roxy?
Roxy is a dog, she is black (shown below) and white, she is 1 year old. Roxie’s breed is a shih tzu, her personality is very playful and shih tzu’s are very small playful! She is also cuddly. Did you know? I have a shih tzu too!
Why is Cookie here?
Cookie is in our family because my family decided to have a puppy so we have cookie
What is Cookie?
Cookie is a puppy which is 3 months old I own her She is a Shih Tzu, just like Roxy! she is incredibly sneaky but also very playful!
Cookie (below) lives at my Dad's house and sleeps in my Dad's room because, she is scared to sleep alone!
A RIVER'S JOURNEY
Riya HaarishHave you ever wondered where rivers come from? Or how they form? Today I shall be hoping to enlighten you Rivers are formed from sources like melting glaciers or ground water This water then forms a stream which soon joins another stream, this is called a tributary The water keeps progressing until it eventually joins the sea, also called an estuary Some more river terminology that you should know is a meander, which is a bend, and floodplains, which are the side banks of a river.
There are some extremely long rivers in the world. Here are some of them.
1.The River Nile - Egypt - 6,650km
2.The Amazon River - Brazil - 6,400km
3.The Yangtze River - China - 6,300km
4.The Mississippi Missouri - USA - 3,766km
TURKEY-SYRIA EARTHQUAKE
Felix DavisOn the morning of Monday 6th February, a major earthquake hit the south of Turkey, devastating 2800 buildings and affected all the people that lived there. Several follow-up earthquakes have also struck in the same area At the last count, it was found that many thousands of people were either injured or killed. This is an incredible tragedy and we have been saddened by this news Year 3 have generously organised a bake-sale to collect fund for the victims of this ctastrophe.
COUNTRY TRIVIA
by Barbara Kukharenko1.The New Year's song of the Ukrainian composer Leotovych is sung all over the planet. We are talkin about "Carol of the bells" by Leontovichone of the most popular New Year's songs. First performed in 1916 in Kyiv, the melody spread around the world and was heard in New York's Carnegie Hall as early as 1921.
2. The hottest and driest place in America is Death Valley in California. A record temperature of 56 °C was once recorded here.
3. In the USA there are not only 50 states, but also many other territories whose residents are not American citizens, but in fact they are practically equal to them in rights. For example, Puerto Rico, part of the Virgin Islands, the island of Guam and other overseas territories.
4. The Portuguese Fernan Magellan was a great navigator and the first person to make a roundthe-world trip it lasted 3 years and ended at the beginning of September 1522
5. In the southwest of India, Kerala is locatedthe capital of spices and coconut trees, the land of rice, tea and coffee plantations. Long ago, this land attracted travelers and traders from all over the world not only with rare goods, but also with the picturesque nature and hospitality of local residents.
6. The symbol of English literature is William Shakespeare. However, no one still knows what he really looked like, because no one has found portraits of him taken during his lifetime. Shakespeare enriched the English language by 1700 words.
7. Spain did not participate in any of the world wars, but it survived the civil war, as a result of which more than 500 thousand people died.
8. In Kazakhstan, there is Lake Balkhash, which is half fresh water and the other half salt water. Scientists still cannot understand this phenomenon By the way, the division of fresh and salt water is quite noticeable
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS HELP YOU RELAX
Felix Davis
Did you know that research shows that playing a musical instrument is good for stress relief? But, why is that? Not only, playing a musical instruments allows you to focus on a positive activity, it also releases dopamine, which can amongst other things plays a role in making us happy and motivated. Additionally, playing a musical instrument helps you feel good because you are one hundred percent focused and that makes you stop thinking about whatever is making you feel bad
If you don't play yet, now is the time to try it out!
A WHILE WITH WHITTAKER
BY JULIA SCHEMBRIMiss Whittaker, you've quickly become a muchloved teacher at Prep, but what inspired you to become a teacher in the first place?
I was inspired to become a teacher because I knew a wonderful teacher called Mr Greg. I worked as his assistant for 4 years and he was an inspiration because of his creative teaching methods. Everyone loved his lessons (myself included) and I wanted to be able to deliver that same education to children.
So before you became a Teacher you were a Teaching Assistant?
“Before I became a teacher, I had many different jobs, for example, I was a teaching assistant, a graphic designer and a ceramic designer
Do you enjoy working in BJAB? If so, why?
I enjoy working in BJAB because the school environment is lovely, the children are wonderful, I have good colleagues and look forward to eating Miss Angela’s lunch every day
Is there any particular advice that you would give to us students?
I think it is important to always follow your passions in life
Don’t be afraid of trying new things and don’t be afraid to make mistakes Life is one big learning curve so try to enjoy it and gain as many experiences as possible
What created your interest in art?
I had an inspirational art teacher who recognised that I had a talent, my mum is also very creative and encouraged me to go to art school
What school subject do you like teaching the most apart from art?
I enjoy teaching all subjects, but I particularly enjoy teaching Maths
What do you like most about Belgium and do you not miss the UK?
I love living in Brussels, it is a vibrant city, and the countryside is not far away I don’t miss a lot about the UK, to be honest, I guess just my family I have lived abroad for many years, so I am used to not living in the UK
Do you have any siblings?
Yes, I have one sister and two brothers
If you are feeling sad, who would you confide in?
“If I was feeling sad, I would confide in my sister (first), maybe my mum, and my closest friends”
What is your ideal Sunday?
My ideal Sunday is lying in bed till late, eating delicious homemade breakfast (fresh fruit, yoghurt seeds and nuts) or a vegetarian full English, sometimes both! Why not, Sundays are a time to enjoy food! And most of all, I love spending the day with my dog (Eva)
Thanks for your time, Miss Whittaker! I'm sure the students of BJAB will love reading this
The lovely Miss WhittakerTOP TIPS FOR THE ONLINE WORLD
BY MARIA REED BOSWELLSOME FAMOUS PLATFORMS ARE DANGEROUS TO YOUNG VIEWERS.
Snapchat is an unsuitable platform since it includes age inappropriate content. Facebook can be dangerous because it contains offensive posts and the use of Facebook can have lots of negative physiological effects. Excessive Instagram use is linked to depression, self esteem issues, social anxiety and many other problems.
TOP 5 MOST SAFE AND SUITABLE PLATFORMS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN:
Messenger kids
YouTube kids
Kidzworld
PopJam
ChatFoss
STAY SAFE ONLINE
Many social media platforms require age limits that should be respected for lots of different reasons like inappropriate content, cyber bullying and many more.
Scientists believe that if young children are exposed to such platforms Facebook can affect them mentally, socially and physically.
NEVER post or trade images online. AVOID sharing personal information. DON'T talk with anyone you don’t know online
NEVER meet with people you do not know from the internet. ALWAYS choose strong passwords that you can remember (And not passwords like ‘123’)
IF YOU EXPERIENCE PROBLEMS ONLINE
PLEASE SPEAK TO YOUR TEACHER, PARENTS OR ANY ADULT THAT YOU TRUST.
1. 2. 3 4 5.
THE TALE OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
By Daniel CherednykIn the middle of January, Year 6 students started reading William Shakespeare’s play “Midsummer Night’s Dream” in English lessons and they were learning about Shakespeare’s writing techniques They have improved their skills, through analytical writing, posters and even through writing love letter!
I spoke to Miss Goodes, the mastermind behind the lessons about why she thinks Shakespeare remains relevant in 2023 ‘There are so many themes across Shakespeare’s works that continue to be applicable to the students of BJAB Through ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, we have explored the concepts of toxic masculinity, what a healthy relationship looks like and colonialism- and we’re just getting started’ She also mentioned her own favourites when it comes to Shakespeare plays ‘I absolutely loved getting to watch Othello this year with the Year 8 group- it took place in a real castle! When I fancy a laugh, I always turn to ‘Much Ado About Nothing My all time favourite would have to be the Scottish play though’
THE READING CHALLENGE! WHAT IS IT THIS TIME?
By Veronica GodwinI’m sure you have all been wondering about our new BIG READ of the term Well, this month, Ms Goodes has been preparing a leaflet that shows the letters of BJAB and a star All children of the prep school have to read four books that have either a title or author beginning with the letters in ‘BJAB’ The fifth book to read is your LAMDA book If a student reads all five books before world book day, they will earn 50 house points (10 per book)
World book day is on Thursday, March 2nd 2023, so keep it up Prep!
ROXY'S ADVENTURES
