ISSUE 9
READATHON! How many hours have the students read? FS Divali Primary All about science!
5 NOVEMBER 2010
5 NOVEMBER 2010
November 6
Sanlitun and Shunyi (Primary) Football Tournament
6
ISAC Secondary Table Tennis
10
Sanlitun Flu Jab
11- Whole School 12 Closed 16
17
18
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22
Sanlitun and Shunyi (Primary) Primary Reports sent home Shunyi Donuts with Dads breakfast event in main foyer 8.15am Shunyi Primary Music Concert at 6pm ISAC Secondary Cross Country Tournament Secondary Progress Reports go Home
23- Shunyi Y1 24 Y6 Parent Conferences 29
Secondary Parent Teacher Consultations
30
Shunyi ASA finish for Christmas
SHUNYI SECONDARY
SHUNYI
ISSUE 9
SANLITUN
Readathon week stops play!
Crispies in Teddies
Year 6 Science
Secondary Footballers were stopped breifly to read their books to try and reach 2000 reading hours for the school. Did they do it?
Teddies 1 at Shunyi have a treat and make Chocolate Crispies, yum!
Sanlitun Year 6 students get to grips with everything mechanical on their visit this week.
From the Executive Principal
D
ear Parents
I have just returned from a meeting of FOBISSEA (Federation of British International Schools South East Asia) Principals. Whilst in general I don’t like to be away from school It is good to forge links with our colleagues and similar schools from across the region. A number of events will come out of this meeting, some to be held at BSB and some allowing our students to travel further afield. The forthcoming musical event in Hong Kong is a good example of this as are the FOBISSEA games, this is a very valuable organisation for us to be part of. Whilst there we also discussed ways in which schools can become more socially and environmentally aware. There is a great deal of work for us to do in our own environs at present and also across the globe. Nord Anglia Schools across the world will shortly be announcing our coordinated approach through our charitable foundation. Some of you may already know that we have built a school for a village that was heavily impacted by earthquake in a remote region of China. This level of commitment, and important student direct involvement, will be stepped up. Next week almost all our teachers will travel down to one of our sister schools in Shanghai for the third annual China teachers conference. I will allow myself a little bit of pride when I say that I initiated this conference three years ago and am proud to see it become the largest conference in China for British Teachers. Leading the way in education thought and practice is important but that only comes from valuing and developing our teachers. Professor Tina Bruce has come all the way out from the UK to do just that with us in Beijing this week and I know our primary teachers have been very excited to have such a renown expert working with them in such small groups. Finally, a little update from one of our much loved teachers, Mrs Julie Ng, who is now working for Nord Anglia developing education in Malaysia. She popped back into school to say hello and asked if I would put this into the newsletter Dear All I am on a few days Diwali leave and so I have popped over from Malaysia to see my family. I dropped into school this morning and it was lovely to receive the special BSB warm welcome with smiles and hugs from staff and children as always. I am back to Malaysia Sunday evening. I am working on a Nord Anglia project with the Malaysian government to help develop practise in local schools in Malaysia.z It is a very exciting project and I am thoroughly enjoying the challenge. Best wishes to all my BSB friends- lovely to see you all! And Happy Diwali to all who celebrate. Look forward to seeing you all again soon. Julie Ng
Have a good weekend, Mike Embley
British Embassy Christmas Bazaar
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Thursday 25th November 2010 10.00am to 2.00pm at The Ambassador’s Residence 15, Guang Hua Lu.
Come and enjoy a glass of mulled wine and a Fish and Chip lunch while doing some Christmas gift shopping. Jewellery, Chinese parasols, gift wrap, Christmas cards, silk covered note pads, Christmas decorations, Turkish ceramics & jewellery, Chocolates, Homemade cakes. Christmas Hamper to be raffled Tombola Proceeds from the bazaar will go to local charities Foreign passport holders only please
Holiday photo competition A big thank you to parents and children who have sent in their holiday photos to enter our competition. We have received some great shots so far! We have extended the deadline for photos to the 30th of November, so keep them coming! Leave the pictures at reception in Shunyi with your child’s name and class. Many thanks, Charity committee
SHUNYI SECONDARY
5 NOVEMBER 2010
ISSUE 9
Secondary
D
ear Parents,
Years 7 to 9 had the opportunity to compete in the House Soccer competition on Wednesday afternoon. Teams turned out in house colours to battle against each other on the playing field. It was a glorious afternoon and students who could not make the teams all supported their peers. During the exciting matches the Readathon bell also sounded and players and spectators a alike were all invited to read their book for the ten minute interval and log more time to their reading journals. The ladies match was clearly won by the team with their excellent passing and accurate shooting, the final positions: 1st 2nd 3rd 4th
Yellow Green Red Blue
The boys played for every point and there were some excellent foot work from the fielders and saving from the goalies. The final game went to a final and then to penalties with the yellow team being able to hold their nerve and deceive the goal keepers to score the killer goal. The boys positions were 1st 2nd Joint 3rd
Yellow Blue Red and Green
Many thanks to all those that took part and supported this great event as well as Mr Barnsley and his staff for running the afternoon and the teaching staff that found time to coach and support. Rob Hewett
New Zealand Trip
I would like to give a general reminder that I need to have all deposits for the New Zealand trip (March 2011) in to me by 12th November AT THE LATEST. I will then be able to see if there are enough participants to make the trip viable. To this end I have now opened up the trip to the year 9’s and it would be nice for some of those students that are thinking about taking geography at IGCSE ( and even those who are not ! ) to have the opportunity to participate in this experience. Please contact me if your require further details. Jo.parr@britishschool.org.cn
SHUNYI SECONDARY
22 NOVEMBER 2010
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Secondary News BSB’s deadline to register for the December 4, 2010 SAT (the entrance exam for most US and many Canadian Schools) is this Friday, October 15. The exam will be given at the British School on Dec. 4th at 8am. Registration forms can be picked up in the Secondary Library.
Model United Nations Each year the school sends 10 selected secondary school students
from Year 11 to 13 to the Model United Nations event that is held in Beijing in March. Hence it is also known as the BEIMUN Conference. The conference is held over several days and students attend from schools from all over the world. There are also other MUN conferences that are held in other world regions. The students are involved in various committees, as would be the real UN, to discuss major global issues. They have the opportunity to bring forth resolutions at the conference which are then discussed and voted on. To prepare for the MUN the students attend an MUN preparation meetings as part of their ASA season 2 choices. If possible the students will also be visiting the embassies of the countries that they are to represent and a non-governmental agency. The students from BSB in previous years have represented Switzerland, Djibouti, Turkmenistan and Hungary. This year they we be representing the Gambia and Saudi Arabia. In the past they have also visited the Book Worm, UN World Health Organisation Beijing Office and the BBC Beijing news centre. This year we hope to visit the CNN Beijing news centre. Mr Nick Bourne MUM BSB coach
Year 8 History Blind Date Contest In History at present we are studying the rule of the English queen Elizabeth I and the Counter Reformation. One of the problems she faced was should she get married and if so to whom ? The students this week took part in a Blind Date contest. The students had to play either the show compare or Elizabeth I or one of her suitors - King Philip II of Spain, Duke Francis, of Alencon, Earl Robert Dudley, of Leicester or D. Prince William of Orange. At the end of the show the Queen had to let the audience know her decision of who she was marry or not marry much to the merriment of the audience. A fun time was had by all.
5 NOVEMBER 2010
ISSUE 9
SHUNYI SECONDARY
22 NOVEMBER 2010
Secondary News
A Level History and French trip to the Bookworm As part of the A level programme the school encourages students to
attend trips, talks and other activities outside school that are linked to their studies. On Thursday 4th November there was a book review at the Bookworm in Sanlitun. The famous historian, Mr Jonathan Fenby, was at the Bookworm to review his latest biographical book on the famous French general and leader Charles De Gaulle. Several of the Year 12 and 13 students who are studying History and French went to the talk. The event started at 7.30 and was followed by a question and answer session. The talk proved to be most informative. Nick Bourne (History teacher) & Mrs Amelie Azeem (French teacher)
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SHUNYI SECONDARY
5 NOVEMBER 2010
Secondary News
Halloween Disco Hi BSBCC fans! Thank you for participating in the BSB Halloween Disco and NonUniform Red Day!
Thanks to the BSBCC members, this years disco has been a great success! Better than the previous few years! The dance floor was throbbing with the beat of music and bobbing heads of dancers. There was a dance-off between some young dancers to show off their professional skills. Sadly, the boys had a much better dance than the girls. These girls have yet to show us their own professional dancing skills. The boys were a lot crazier and bolder than the girls. While the dance floor was raided with students in a trance, the snack stands fought a losing battle against the second-hand paper cups and spills, creating a disastrously sticky area. But don’t worry, the cleaners have restored peace and tidiness to the war-zone. The eating competition saw Ally Embley win, as she ate most of the enormous sponge cake. Yummy! The limbo competition was a great success too with students from year 7 up to year 9. There are some really flexible people out there! Lily, in year 7, Isaak, in year 8 and Kirby in year 9 are the triumphant winners of this fun exercise! Well done! Overall, the boys and girls had a wonderful time at the disco. The BSBCC was able to raise a whopping 2620RMB for charity!! These funds will proceed to a charity that Roundabout is supporting. Many students also came in vibrant red clothing that day. These students donated 10RMB each to charity and a total of 1650RMB was raised from the efforts of these “red fans”. Please do not mistake this propaganda for the red house, this was for non-uniform day; NOT the rise of some tyrannical red house leader. We also bring news about the Holiday Photo Competition. This competition has been extended to the end of this month, let me repeat, to the END of this month. So keen participants still have some time to dig through your old photo collection and find some award-winning shots. I’m sure everyone has a few of these pictures so there is no reason to not participate. The competition requires you to put an A5 print of your chosen photo, your details (name, form) and a donation of 5 RMB into the box at reception. The winner will receive their winning photo printed on a large canvas. The BSBCC are not slacking off after the tiresome preparation of the disco, no way! We are now preparing for a secret surprise for you all very soon. There will be a Christmas twist to the ever-so-close Christmas fair. Stay tuned to more Christmas fun right here at the BSBCC newsletter! Benjamin Sy
ISSUE 9
SHUNYI SECONDARY
22 NOVEMBER 2010
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SHUNYI SECONDARY
5 NOVEMBER 2010
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A few weeks ago BSB students celebrated National Poetry Day. The theme was ‘Home’, which was especially poignant because in October we were celebrating International Day and the wealth of different nationalities and influences that we have in our school. Reading and writing poems on this topic allowed students to explore exactly what they mean by the term ‘home’ and how so many of them have to deal with being citizens of the world. Below are the winning entries from the poetry competition: The English Department
Home
Before I move to Beijing I should pack my suitcase with the memories of India. Let’s not forget the lovely six seasons, With the winter as cold as ice-cream And the summer like the hot tea With the sprinkle of spices, And a variety of cuisine; I almost forgot to keep the Hundred words of greeting. Let’s make some space in the suitcase For the clock witch rings in the evening, And says it’s time to play! And here I go with my bag full. I lock it with the ink of my personal diary And keep it in the pocket of my shirt, closest to my heart. But when I arrive in Beijing I realise l left something: My real home. Prateek Pandey 11 JP (runner up)
How to Build a Home Lay down a foundation of family, Wooden beams providing support. Paint four walls; one for each brother, each sister Insulate the walls with laughter, kindness and love. Build a fireplace of warm nights, friendly debates Fill with the smell of tropical rain and home-cooking Polish the door knobs that open to holidays Grandparents gossiping, little cousins cuddling. Put up windows to see skyscrapers kissing the sky, Inject coolness of frozen yoghurt into every corner, every crevice, Stick on the atmosphere of family dinners, Arrange the hours spent lost in another world Build a roof with a view of the moon, A moon that follows you, wherever you go. Nurazlin Khalit 11JP (winner)
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Erin Cassidy (runner up 7 MP)
Muttersprachlicher Deutschunterricht an der BSB
Ich freue mich sehr, Ihnen mitteilen zu können, dass die British School of Beijing für die deutschsprachigen Schüler der Primary (ab Year 3) und der Secondary School (Year 7-12) muttersprachlichen Deutschunterricht anbietet. Hierzu eingeladen sind alle Schüler, die entweder Deutsch als Muttersprache sprechen oder ein vergleichbares Niveau beherrschen. Mein Name ist Christine Riedl und ich bin ausgebildete Gymnasiallehrerin u.a. für Deutsch. Die Inhalte der Stunden orientieren sich zum einen an denen des bayerischen Lehrplans, um eine Rückkehr an eine deutsche Schule zu vereinfachen und zu ermöglichen. So stehen hier der intensive Umgang mit Literatur und Sachtexten ebenso auf dem Stundenplan wie die wichtigsten Aufsatzarten und Phänomene der deutschen Grammatik. Zum anderen aber wird auch auf die besonderen Bedürfnisse von Schülern einer internationalen Schule Rücksicht genommen und die Schüler werden gezielt auf internationale Abschlüsse vorbereitet. Der Deutschunterricht wird, soweit möglich, in den regularen Vormittagsunterricht integriert. Mit dem beginnenden Spring Term besteht jetzt die Möglichkeit, in die Stunde einzusteigen. Ich würde mich über ein reges Interesse Ihrerseits freuen. Sollten Sie Fragen und/oder Interesse haben, melden Sie sich bitte per e-mail an christine.riedl@britishschool.org.cn. Christine Riedl
German for Native Speakers
Starting this autumn term, the British School of Beijing offers morning lessons for German native speakers, taught by a professional German teacher. Lessons focus on contents of the German curriculum (reading literature and informing texts, essay writing, grammar) as well as on the needs of students of an international school. Students will be well prepared to return to German Schools, as well as graduating with an international graduation certificate. This course welcomes all German native speakers from Year 3 on and those whose level equals that. If you are interested, please feel free to contact the German teacher directly (christine.riedl@britishschool.org.cn). Christine Riedl
SHUNYI SECONDARY
5 NOVEMBER 2010
Readathon 2010
ISSUE 9
Thanks to the fantastic support of students, parents and staff this year’s Readathon has been a great success - and it’s not over yet! We currently have over 1,000 reading hours for the first four days, which means that we need to try to match this in the last three days if we are to reach our target of 2,000 hours. Students have until the end of Sunday to try to boost their reading hours – and it’s all in aid of charity. The more we read, the more money we will raise for local charities. Please continue to support your children by checking and signing their reading log and sponsoring them to read. Happy reading! The English Department
SHUNYI SECONDARY
22 NOVEMBER 2010
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University News: Important Deadlines •
November 1 through 15: Various US Early Decision Applications Deadlines. See https://www.commonapp.org/ CommonApp/MemberRequirements.aspx
•
November 7, 2010: 1:00 – 4:00 Beijing US College Fair. Tsinghua International School. See University counselors for more information
•
December 1, 2010: UCAS Application deadline for all courses except those required to submit by October 15 (Oxbridge – Medicine and Veterinary Studies). Some art and design courses have a 24 March deadline.
•
December 1, 2010: Register by mail for January 22, 2010 SAT (US university entrance exams)
•
December 1, 2010: Book an LNAT test slot
Information for Parents: Keep informed on your university bound student’s options and deadlines. Sign up for parent news on course options,
financial aide and reminders: For UK: Sign up for parent emails at www.ucas.com/parents. For US Universities: http:// www.collegeboard.com/parents/
Useful Websites: • Student surveys on UK universities: http://unistats.direct.gov.uk • • • • •
Overall information on admission and financial aid, scholarship, etc: http://www.collegeconfidential.com/Student Reviews of US Universities: http://www.studentsreview.com UK Course Finder: http://ucas.com/students/coursesearch/ Self-Assessment/course choices: http://www.ucas.ac.uk/students/choosingcourses/choosingcourse/stamfordtest US University deadlines and requirements https://www.commonapp.org/CommonApp/MemberRequirements.aspx The Times Top 200 Universities Worldwide: http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/hybrid.asp?typeCode=144
Upcoming University Presentations: November: November 10; 8:45 University of East Anglia at BSB SAT Test taking skills tutorial at BSB University of Aberdeen
SANLITUN
5 NOVEMBER 2010
ISSUE 9
From the Headteacher, Sanlitun
Workshops and photography Dear Parents It was lovely to see the children looking so smart in their school uniform for the photographer and it would be great if they could continue to wear the proper uniform for school. In the cold weather if children need to wear tights and boots please can they be black or white tights and smart black boots. I had a lovely time this week as I spent the day in year 2 and the day in year 1. We were able to visit the foundation campus and spend time in mixed groups with the younger children. It is such a good experience for the children to work alongside the older children and for the older children to take care of the younger children. For our year 1 children who had been in reception it was a nostalgic journey back. Many parents attended the key Stage 1 Maths workshop and learnt practically how we teach maths. For those parents who have children in Y3-6 Mr Harvey will be doing the same on Tuesday November 9th at 3.45pm in his classroom. A very useful booklet is handed out giving examples of strategies we teach in maths which you can then refer to at home. There is a parent workshop for Foundation parents on Monday from 2.30-3.30pm discussing the importance of play in the curriculum. We chose this time so that there would be no problems with childcare. If you are a year 1 parent and would be interested please come along to the foundation campus, it will take place in the dining room. For all those parents who returned the flu jab consent form with the 90RMB fee, the jabs will be administered on Wednesday 10th November. If there was no money inside Hong Kong clinic will not order the shots. Please remember school is closed Thursday 11th and Friday 12th November as staff are attending a Teachers Conference in Shanghai. I will be supporting our footballers on Saturday as they are in a big tournament being held at Dulwich. We have had an extremely successful season and I know they will make us all proud. Enjoy your weekend. Janet Brock
A helping hand
Numeracy at The B
ritish School
A fun and friendl y way to support you r child’s numeracy at The British Sch ool of Beijing
1
SANLITUN
22 NOVEMBER 2010
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Foundation Stage, Sanlitun
Food and Divali This week has been very busy for Foundation children and parents. We were all very excited to have such a brilliant Halloween party last Friday and have continued to think about festivals this week. Pre nursery Pre Nursery children are enjoying learning more about food! We made pasta bracelets, sorted out food by colour and made our “Food I like� poster. We also had so much fun doing some simple cooking in school. We also learned about fireworks for Guy Fawkes Night and made decorated our handprints for Diwali. It was another busy week in Pre Nursery. Nursery Nursery has been celebrating Diwali this week! We made our own special diva lamps and painted them with beautiful patterns. We learnt that Hindu people light these lamps to welcome home Rama and Sita. We have been discussing electricity and which items use and do not use electrical power as well as where we might find them. Reception We started the week in the aquarium where we watched a fabulous dolphin show and learned all about the different fish in the sea. We then came back and wrote about our adventure there and the different things we saw. We have also enjoyed learning about Rama and Sita and finding out how people celebrate Diwali by making diva lamps with clay. Rosie Bloomfield
SANLITUN
5 NOVEMBER 2010
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Key Stage One, Sanlitun
Spooky pumpkins! Year 1 in Sanlitun have been extremely excited this week to start their new topic of Day and Night. The children
have been investigating the sun as a light source and conducting investigations in to the way that the earth travels around the sun and why this effects day and night in different parts of the world. yet more excitement ensured as they received a large special delivery on Monday morning in the form of a huge teddy bear named Archie and an accompanying letter to Year 1. According to the letter, Archie has been left Beijing whilst his parents are away and Year 1 children have been asked to care for him during this time. The letter also detailed that unfortunately for Archie his birthday is in just a few weeks and he was feeling sad to be away from his home and his family on such a special day. The year 1 children kindly volunteered to organise for him a Birthday party. The children decided this would involve making invitations, birthday cards, writing shopping lists as well as thinking of a good present to make for Archie. The children will be using Archie’s birthday as the basis for their literacy work over the next few weeks. Year 2 in Sanlitun have also had a fun-filled week. Children have been reading a variety of different poems., looking at the patterns we can find in different poems and the effect that different sounding words have in a poem. In groups the children have been reading and performing their poems taking in to account rhythm, expression and clear voices. The children also at times, chose appropriate instruments to enhance their performances and then we filmed some of the finished performances. In preparation for our trip next week the children have been looking at some of the famous landmarks of our city including the Birds Nest stadium, The Water Cube, the Forbidden City, the Drum and Bell towers and the CCTV tower. The children have learnt about what makes them distinguishable as well as discussing what they have been or are used for. The children have then begun to make models of the different buildings using different materials. They begun by making miniature birds nests out of clay and string and have had a go at making the water cube using plastic bottles. 2H have also been preparing for their assembly on Bonfire Night and Guy Fawkes by making safety posters for firework use and learning all about the history behind the 5th November.
Key Stage Two, Sanlitun
Romans! This term, Year 4 has well and truly been getting into the spirit of their topic, ‘The Romans’.
In recent weeks we have been part of a Roman school, tasted Roman food and have seen the torrid life of a Roman gladiator. As part of the Roman school we tackled some Roman sums using Roman numerals and writing our answers on wax tablets using a ‘stylus’. We researched life at a Roman school and found out that not all boys went to school and that very few girls went to school too. We then started to play a Roman strategy game called ‘Merels’, which caused much competition amongst the class. We ended with Roman hopscotch with Ms. Whicher putting the children through their paces on the playground. We then started by looking at some of the typical foods eaten by the poor and rich Romans – peacock tongues! - and went about designing our own Roman food menus – a main course of slow-roast ostrich stuffed with snails and goats cheese wrapped peacock tongues anyone? Eating the Roman food proved to be a surprisingly civilized affair although it must be said that some children delighted in the opportunity to bite into an olive whereas others were not so keen. The mozzarella, tomato and basil dish proved to be a real hit, as did the Parma ham and goats cheese. Life as a Roman gladiator, we found out, was not an easy one. As the Premier League stars of their day they were lauded by the people, yet were slaves, unable to have the freedom of the common man. We were interested to find out about the different types of gladiators and their weapons. The Retarius gladiator was the most popular gladiator, with his weapon of net and trident. No children were injured in the covering of this topic.
SANLITUN
22 NOVEMBER 2010
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Key Stage Two, Sanlitun
Spooky Instructions
Last week year 6 in Sanlitun went on a fantastical voyage of discovery to the Beijing Science and Technology museum. After spending the first term exploring forces, sound and light this was a perfect opportunity for the children to get some hands-on experience using some of the brilliant interactive exhibits. A fantastic time was had by everybody and three pupils were very keen to share their favourite memories.
Max Li – In the Museum there were
many things but, overall, I enjoyed the simulator that spun us around with us in it the most. I think the aim was for us to walk around and see how spinning affects how you walk. When we ran, we ran in circles, even if we aimed straight. I had the time of my life!
Dayna Lewis – On our trip to the
Science museum there was a variety of fun activities and rooms. Sadly though, this newsletter is only a brief explanation of what happened during the day. My favourite room was an optical illusion i.e. a room that was tilted to one side and made you feel dizzy. “It was so fun and hilarious; everyone was on the floor!” said Gwennie.
Alex Hwang – In the Science and Technology Museum there was lots to enjoy but you can’t do
everything in one day. The one thing that I enjoyed the most was the machine that is used to train astronauts. That machine made me turn around, do a back flip and more. I was the first to try it because I’m so brave! Chris Thomas
SANLITUN
5 NOVEMBER 2010
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BSB Sanlitun Sports news Our U11 and U9 Boys football teams were both in action this week, with the U11’s heading up to BSB Shunyi and U9’s going over to BCIS for their fixtures. In the U11 fixture, our boys played brilliantly against an excellent BSB Shunyi team – going in at half-time 3-2 down but then tiring in the 2nd period before losing 7-2. Goald of the day, however, was scored by Year 4W student Jorge who hit a thunderbolt from 20 yards out into the bottom corner. Both teams demonstrated excellent sportsmanship and the match was played in great spirits. The game was a very useful practice math for the upcoming ISAC Tournament at Dulwich this Saturday (6th November), and parents are encourage to come and support both the boys and girls team who are playing!
Kimbo (6B) hits a terrific shot during the U11 fixture
In the U9 division, our lads played 3 teams from BCIS and done remarkably well. We defeated the ‘B’ team 3-0, and then played the ‘A’ team twice – winning 3-0 and drawing 1-1. Special mention goes to Myles in 2M who was outstanding throughout, and an excellent goal from Evan in 3Y in the final game. The boys played some lovely passing football which was of a high standard, particularly at this age and we look forward to the next fixture.
Health & Fitness ASA
In the Health and Fitness ASA the children have been introduced to a range of different activities, all aimed at raising their fitness levels, co-ordination skills and making them more aware of what it is to be healthy. The activities range from aerobics and yoga to cicuit training. This week the children completed a circuit of activities and as you can see from the photo’s were really challenged - especially by the press ups!
SANLITUN
22 NOVEMBER 2010
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Art Club ASA
In art club this week we were looking at portraits and sketching, and our challenge was to complete the other half of some black and white images of various famous faces. First, we had to cut out just half of a celebrity face and then stick it into our sketchbooks. We then concentrated on where the features of the face should sit and sketched them in the correct place. Next, we carefully shaded some of the darker areas of the image using the mark making techniques that we learnt last week. We all worked extremely hard to complete this tricky task. Next week we will be using our fingers to shade and highlight areas of a portrait with paint! Jo Young
Sanlitun Chinese
All groups of students experienced a busy and dynamic week in SLT Chinese classrooms. Y6 Heritage group got to know some idioms describing the spring season and they tried out calligraphy them out. It seemed difficult for many students, but everyone tried their best. In group B, Y4 students reviewed the Three Meals topic and they made a booklet for that topic as well. Y3 students played Twister in their class with all the characters they learnt recently. Everyone got to stretch their Chinese knowledge as well as their bodies. Y2 A group talked about pets this week. Students tried to use a few sentences describing the pet animal according to the picture they were given. Look, they seemed to work really hard!
SANLITUN
5 NOVEMBER 2010
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Sanlitun Library News
Library was scary last week as Halloween was the topic in the library. KS1 library club members made 3-D witch and KS2 helped to decorate the library with pumpkins, bats and ghosts. Books from scary stories to less spooky stories were recommended to children. This week books from the Scholastic Book Club have been sent home if you ordered by the end of September. Children were excited when they saw the books had arrived in school. The library has also benefited by receiving some free books as a result of the children’s purchases. Many thanks for your support and I hope you all enjoy a reading weekend. Catherine Mang SLT Librarian
EAL
The EAL students have all worked really hard this week. The intensive EAL students have been finishing off their work on describing people and are moving on to talking about their families and drawing family trees. We have also been busy giving in-class support to year one students who are preparing a party for Archie the bear! Other years groups have been measuring and comparing the fire escape routes in the school, preparing information for information texts and designing their own Roman gods! The in-class support is proving to be extremely effective in pinpointing problem areas in the curriculum for EAL students and helping them to access the curriculum in their own classrooms alongside their peers. Tip for the week: Sometimes reading feels like hard work, but it is one of the best ways to learn new vocabulary, spelling and information. Talk to other people about what you are reading. It is ok to talk about English books in your first language if that is easier for you or your family. Keep reading! Kaz Michalak
22 NOVEMBER 2010
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SHUNYI PRIMARY
5 NOVEMBER 2010
ISSUE 9
A Message from the Head of Primary, Shunyi
Romans and Reading and Parent Workshops The Readathon in the upper classes of the Primary School has been going very well indeed with children putting in hours of intensive reading across school and home time. The range of books being read is wonderful – the old classics to “modern” classics such as Anthony Horowitz (ever popular in Y5 and Y6!) and his spy thrillers. We have been impressed with the children’s determination to increase their reading power – some are clocking up 4 hours plus of reading per day this week! The Primary Library’s Thursday open house session for parents and children continues – please pop up after school on Thursday’s to borrow books to take home. It’s a great weekly routine for families and a powerful way for parents to encourage their child to get hooked to books. The study of the Romans has continued this week in Y4 and Mr. Breaden’s class showed KS2 how much they had learned during the Friday assembly. It was a colourful spectacle with music, battles, gladiators and super props (thanks, Mrs Despain, for your help with these). The Class Reps meet on Wednesday for the first time. Our thanks go to all the mums and dads who volunteered their time in this way. The Reps will contact you soon to ask which of your contact details you wish included in the class’s parent contact list. Parent Workshops: as advertised earlier in the week, we have 2 parent workshops in the coming 10 days. Each will be led by a UK Early Years trainer who is visiting our Shunyi Campus to train our staff (Sunday – Tuesday). Monday 8th November – Professor Tina Bruce leads a workshop on “Unit Block Play” and this workshop is aimed at the parents of Teddies, Nursery, Reception, Year 1 and Year 2. Each FS and KS1 class has Unit Blocks and this workshop will give you valuable insight into the incredible amount of learning that can be developed through Unit lock Play: social skills, maths, language skills etc. Please do come along. 2.303.30pm Monday 15th November – UK Headteacher, Anne Louise De Buriane, leads a workshop on “The Importance of Play and Practical Experience”. Why should young children play instead of simply complete worksheets. Why is child-initiated learning so essential in the Early Years and KS1? What is the adult’s (teacher or parent) role in play? How can we help our children play more? 2.30-3.30pm. Please do come along to the workshops, which are the 4th and 5th this year for Primary parents. Have a lovely weekend. Jane Smith, Head of Primary
22 NOVEMBER 2010
SHUNYI PRIMARY
ISSUE 9
SHUNYI PRIMARY
5 NOVEMBER 2010
ISSUE 9
Shunyi Only
SHUNYI PRIMARY
22 NOVEMBER 2010
Foundation Stage, Shunyi
Wild animals and Chef’s Kitchen
This week in Teddies Pre-School 1, the children have been playing with dough and making pumpkin moulds as continuation activities from last week’s Halloween party! They have been singing ‘5 Little Monkeys’ and gained lots of fun in dancing to the rhyme. In Teddies Pre-School 2 the children have been learning all about food and drinks. They have been talking about their favourite foods, colours and flavours. They have been learning about food vocabulary and made a little book with different fruit in. On the computer, they enjoyed playing a Bobinogs game called ‘Sharing Food’. They then discussed sharing out food and where eggs, milk and apples come from—they came up with lots of interesting answers! In the roleplay area, they have been having fun in the new ‘Chef’s Kitchen’, including practising good table manners! They enjoyed in the cookery room making chocolate crispies and sandwiches and of course enjoyed more eating them! Nursery children have been talking about the Hindu festival of lights-Diwali. They have been talking about the story of Diwali and Rama and Sita and made the 10 heads of Ravana. They have made shadow puppets and created a puppet show. The children have also been practising counting objects (in a bag, e.g.) and writing their names all week. In Reception the topic has been ‘Animals and Animal Habitats’. The children have been focusing on writing, reading about, drawing and making Wild Animals. They have been practising using their weekly ‘High Frequency Words’ (e.g. on, up, no, look, can and to) to form full sentences in their speaking and writing! It has been another busy week in the Foundation Stage! Jade Oak
ISSUE 9
SHUNYI PRIMARY
5 NOVEMBER 2010
ISSUE 9
Key Stage One , Shunyi
Animals & Instructions!
This week Year 1 have been doing their own research on an animal. The children chose an animal they would like to learn more about, found several interesting facts about them and then drew an accompanying picture and labeled it. Some of the children’s work has gone up on display in the corridor. Miss Khalik’s class also has a display of play dough animals, her class made in science, which linked with our literacy work. The children’s animal research will be made into a non - fiction class book. We are also planning an exciting trip to a nearby farm this month for the Year 1 children, so they can consolidate the work we have done in literacy and science on animals. Watch this space! In Year 2 this week the children had a lot of fun in Literacy in their new unit ‘Instructions’. They listened to instructions on how to play a new game and then in groups came up with their very own games to play using various equipment such as bean bags, cones, balls and hula hoops. Each group then wrote clear instructions on how to play their games for the other groups to follow. In numeracy we have been looking measures and learning about the standard units for weight, length and capacity and reading scales. Our topic Xinjiang continues, and the children have watched clips on this region and described the similarities and differences in the food, culture, dress and landscape between Xinjiang and where we live.
Key Stage Two , Shunyi
Cameras and measurements! This week the Year 3 children have been performing to camera! In Literacy we have been writing non-fiction reports and looking at how we could present this information. The children have collected information about the largest flower in the World, the ‘Titan Arum’ and written presentations which they have recorded. The children have viewed and edited them and assessed their performance for interest and information. Next step is to produce a non-fiction book of sea creatures. In Numeracy the children have been collecting and presenting data. They have drawn Venn diagrams, pictograms and bar graphs. They enjoyed recording the distances they could jump and converting the measurements. Next week we will be making a potion for Harry Potter, watch this space! In topic the children have placed together their class maps of the campus and have now placed on it their observational drawings of landmarks from around the campus. They have also planned how they are going to construct their landmarks for the large Year 3, 3D model of a Treasure Island. Construction of this started on Thursday, lets see how long it will take! Year 4 have been reading stories from other cultures this week. They have read a selection of stories from Vietnam, India and the Caribbean. With each story the children focused on a different area. With one it was trying to select particular vocabulary that gave them clues it was from another culture. With another it was predicting the ending from reading the beginning and the last was looking closely at the descriptions of a setting within the text. In math’s the children have been looking at different units of measure. They have been identifying appropriate measuring instruments for measure set distances around the school. They have been trundle wheeling themselves around the campus and have converted different units of measure. In Science the children have been looking closely at how muscles work. They have been using detailed scientific vocabulary and made a model arm to demonstrate the contracting and relaxing of the Bicep and Tricep muscles. Next stop, medical school!
SHUNYI PRIMARY
22 NOVEMBER 2010
ISSUE 9
Key Stage Two In Year 6 this week our Literacy focus has been to write a ‘Quest” story. We have all been working hard on creating ‘cool characters’ thinking about personality traits and how we can allow our character to develop and grow through the story. On Wednesday morning we had a whole morning of Science activities. The children moved around from station to station investigating different forces. We looked at friction, air resistance, buoyancy, magnetism and gravity. Everyone had a fantastic time and we all learned lots. Year 5 have started to investigate nonsense poetry this week, reading The Owl and the Pussycat, On the Ning Nang Nong, In the Land of the Bumbly Boo and Jabberwocky. We discussed what makes a poem a nonsense poem. We did some work on adjectives, verbs and nouns, replacing the nonsense words in Jabberwocky with the correct class of word. The children had great fun writing their own poems based on the structure of one of the poems we read during the week. This involved analyzing the rhyme scheme and the rhythm of the original. The beauty of writing nonsense poems, the children found, was that if you are struggling for a rhyme you can simply make up a word to fit. In art we have been continuing our models of Easter Island heads. They main task this week was to give the models some shape and curvature, to make them looked like they are carved from stone. Maths this week has seen us gathering data and collating them and presenting them in graphical form. The children were required to make decisions about the best way to present their information.
SHUNYI PRIMARY
5 NOVEMBER 2010
ISSUE 9
Holiday photo competition A big thank you to parents and children who have sent in their holiday photos to enter our competition. We have received some great shots so far! We have extended the deadline for photos to the 30th of November, so keep them coming! Leave the pictures at reception in Shunyi with your child’s name and class. Many thanks, Charity committee
Women’s Handball at BSB At BSB, there is not only handball for the little ones but also for all the mothers, female staff members and other women interested in playing this fast and fun game. Please feel invited to join our free weekly sessions on Tuesdays at 8pm at the BSB gym (Shun Yi campus). All levels are welcome!
SAS /ISB Invitational Swim Meet on 30-31 Oct Three brave swimmers from our squad traveled to Shanghai last weekend to participate with 600 swimmers in the Shanghai American School Autumn Invitation at their Pudong Campus. This is one of the biggest meets in Asia and competitive swimmers gathered from all over the Asia. BSB swimmers were: Grace Zhao (Y8), Ashley Zhao (Y5) and Austin Liao (Y3). Ashley placed 6th in 50m Fly and 50 Breast. Grace finished 2nd in 50m Fly, 50m Breast and 3rd 200M. She broke 30 seconds in the 50m Freestyle and finished 2nd. She was rewarded with a third place over all in her age group. This was only possible because of the support from their families and their continuous effort in each and every training session. Well done and congratulations.
SHUNYI PRIMARY
22 NOVEMBER 2010
ISSUE 9
Sports News ISAC Season 1 Volleyball and Soccer Summary Season 1 came to a close last weekend with the U14 soccer tournaments (report below) and it was very good to see the U19 volleyball teams complete their first full seasons in the sport. I think we have a good base on which to build next year. Thanks you teams. Soccer was a mixed affair as it was difficult to get enough girls regularly involved in the teams. The U14 boys played with great skill and adventure during the season and had a very strong squad. It was disappointing for them not to make the end of season tournament. The U12 boys soccer team was rewarded for their fine play and team work as they came second from 13 teams in their tournament. U14 Girls Soccer Tournament An exciting day of soccer for the 7 girls that turned out for the Tournament. They were greeted by fantastic weather and some very organised teams. The girls played every game to the best of their ability, remaining positive and focused; they worked tirelessly. Their hard efforts were rewarded in the final match when they scored and managed to force another two excellent saves from the ITS goalkeeper. While the team finished 6th overall the manner in which they played and interacted with the other teams was acknowledged as they were awarded the Sportsmanship Trophy –an unexpected honour. The team: Y8 Valentine, Jade, Y7 Liz, Abigail, Corrine, Y5 Mako, Y4 Lily MVP: Valentine U19 Basketball Season 2 sports are underway and the U19 girls had their first game on Friday and the U19 boys will play HISB next Monday. Reports will appear next week. ISAC U19 & U14 Cross Country Championships The event will be hosted by HISB at their Grassetown campus on Saturday 20th November 2010. Race distances are: • U14 boys/girls 3000m • U19 girls 4000m • U19 boys 5000m Students that would like to run should contact the PE Department by Tuesday 9th November U14 Volleyball Training began this week. The boys have a full squad but there are still a couple of players needed for the girls team. Players are preparing for their first game against WAB in two weeks. Good luck. Julian Barnsley Athletic Director & Activities Coordinator
SHUNYI PRIMARY
5 NOVEMBER 2010
ISSUE 9
EAL
EAL
Key stage 1 Key Stage 1 has produced some very good work this week. The children focused their attention on family members and different descriptive words. The EAL learners also looked at different adverbs and how they can modify a sentence. Lastly, the children talked about formulating questions using a number of fun games and exercises. Key stage 2 This week Key Stage 2 has been looking at prepositions of place. The topic gave the children a great opportunity to use the playground equipment to learn during play. The children were able to very quickly pick up the new prepositions and to put them in context. Key Stage 2 has also got under way with determiners. We’ve started to look at the subtle differences between some and any. We’re also planning to have a detailed look at complex sentences and how best to structure them. It has been a productive week for the EAL children. Mr. Jonathan Chatters & Miss. Shelley Simpson.
Chinese
We had another busy and exciting week in SY Chinese classrooms. In Reception, Group H children focused on the four seasons. They learned about different clothes and activities in each seasons, and they also made a card by themselves. In Y3, Group H1 students learned a beautiful poem <Shanxing>. The poem shows us the beautiful scene of autumn. Most of the children can learn it by heart, and tell you the meaning of the poem. SY Primary Chinese
SHUNYI PRIMARY
22 NOVEMBER 2010
NORMANS
SAXONS
Sanlitun House Points
VIKINGS
ROMANS
Secondary Merit Awards
Shunyi House Points
Normans
401
Normans
605
Saxons
391
Saxons
752
Vikings
278
Vikings
418
Romans
342
Romans
327
ISSUE 9
Key Stage 3 Joseph Bradshaw
36
Erik Melander
35
Mina Shin
33
Amelie Auvray
32
Key Stage 4
Well done Normans!
Well done Saxons!
JiEun Kang
10
Randy Zhang
9
Prateek Pandey
8
Silvia Vininyu
8
Parents Page BSB is pleased to widen the scope of our newsletter by including a parentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; page, items for this page should be in keeping with the ethos of the School and should be submitted to our Publications and Liaison Officer on newsletter@ britishschool.org.cn before 4pm Wednesday on the week in which they are to appear. Please note we cannot advertise businesses, the aim is to promote charitable events and personal ads.
Ski Season in Beijing
The ski season is going to start soon and we would like to inform you about our ski-and snowboard program. You can visit our website for more information, we look foward to seeing you on the slopes soon. www.ole-ski.com