BSB School Magazine - October 2013

Issue 1 - October 2013

Building Foundations for Success

BSB Office Staff

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If you need any information or help in regard to your child’s education and support at BSB, please do not hesitate to contact our office team during

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Email: office@britishschool.ro

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Dear Parents, Students & Friends of BSB 2013 has been a milestone year for the British School of Bucharest; it is not a major anniversary in the school’s history but it is hugely important, as it sees the first student ever registered at the school move on to university.

The dreams and plans we had when the school was established have been realised and he and his colleagues graduated from BSB with the finest set of results we could have hoped for. We could not be more proud of their achievements.

BSB has always made the promise to its students and their families that with their hard work we would guide them to be ready to face the challenges of the

“…we are confident that we have waved goodbye to a group of stellar individuals who

next stage in their educational career, and for university admissions this relies heavily on a good set of examination results. However in terms of their ability to deal with university, life away from home, assuming new responsibilities and ensuring they are able to work with new colleagues and make new friends, well this demands a separate set of more creative skills and we know our new alumni have these; we are confident that we have waved goodbye to a group of stellar individuals who will make an impact for good, this was the real dream and is worth celebrating.

will make an impact Although this is the end of our Upper VIths’ time at BSB, it is the beginning

for good; this was the real dream and is worth celebrating.”

for so many others, and with the start of the new academic year our work and commitment begins afresh. We look forward to continuing this work in partnership with you all, as the journey is definitely worth it.

Jo Puddy-Wells, Principal principal@britishschool.ro

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October 2013

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Country in Spotlight: Austria

Austria is famous mostly for the food, for example: Schnitzel, Mannerschniten, Sachertorte, Moon Nudeln, Mozartkugeln. Austria is also famous for skiing and festivals.

Mozartkugeln are round marzipan chocolates with a picture of Mozart on them.

Austria is very hot in summer and extremely cold in winter.

One famous Austrian is Felix Baumgartner, the man who recently jumped from space back to Earth. Also Albert Bogen, Siegfried Flesch, Otto Herschmann and Ellen Preis.

Austria is famous for the mountains and everyone should go there for the skiing.

Austrians love to eat schnitzel When I think of the weather, I think it is very shiny!

It is different to Romania as there are fewer cars in Austria.

When we go back I visit my family.

Matthias 5M

When I go back, I normally visit my family and friends. I like to go to some museums and try to learn more about my country. At Christmas I go to the city and look at all the Christmas stands and decorations.

Visitors should see the churches and museums in Vienna, go to the opera or to a famous musical such as Elisabeth.

Also they should go to the mountains or on a hiking tour.

I love BSB because the teachers are very kind and the way we learn is interesting.

Sophie 8C

Austria is famous for the food, especially Apfelstrudel and Austrians like to eat Pasta, Knodel and Snitzel too.

The weather is good – very hot in summer and white in winter I like to go back and visit Oma to see my cousins and old friends and for ski-ing Visitors should see the weapon museums, Vienna and the parks.

I was in Kindergarten in Austria. In BSB they speak English and in my old school they spoke German.

Pablo 3S

4 Newsblast

Austria is famous for schnitzel, probably the most popular dish.

Austria can be chilly in the winter but it is greener than Romania Visitors should see Stephansdom and the fantastic mountains, where I like to ski when I go back.

Lukas 7W

Austria is bigger and warmer than Romania but also has great skiing and when I go there I just like to play with my friends.

Lukas 5H

Austria is famous for churches and horses.

Often it is raining and is colder than Romania. Not many people have swimming pools because it is so cold in Austria.

When I go back for a holiday I do lots of thing but my favourite thing is when I go to a water park. It is so cool and I love it because we jump on the slide and have so much fun.

Mozart is Austria’s most famous son.

Austria is smaller than Romania and has hot summers, so I can go swimming most of the time. When I go back I love to spend time with my family and friends and go hiking in the beautiful countryside.

Alexandra 7W

Lena 2P

Austria is famous for its nice skiing resorts, skiers, Mozart, chocolate and Red Bull. Austrians like to eat any food that is good quality and they mostly eat with a side dish.

The weather in Austria is very neutral and it snows a lot in the winter.

Austrians love to eat Mohnnudeln, which is like thick noodles. The weather is beautiful – hot summers and snowy winters. Skiing is very popular.

When I go back I like to play with my friend Johanna. Last time I was there was for my grandfather’s birthday.

When I visit Austria I like to go to the Viennese amusement park and go to the centre of Vienna. Tourists should definitely go to the mountains and also see the beautiful countryside.

Liliane, Reception

Jakob 9W

Austria is famous for schnitzel. Felix Baumgartner is probably the most famous Austrian of recent years.

It can be quite rainy and some Austrians can be grumpy.

When I go back I play with friends. If you visit, you must see the weapon museum.

Ignacio 5H

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Where are they now? Dan Brown After a long and lazy summer in which I did little but catch up with friends and family around the UK, at the beginning of September I found myself winging my way to Hong Kong with my girlfriend, Maria.

With little idea of what to expect other than a busy and bustling city, we arrived with a mixture of excitement, aspiration and a touch of trepidation. We needn’t have worried - Hong Kong is a great mix of east and west. It has many of the home comforts we have grown used to as well as a healthy dose of unfamiliar sights, sounds and customs.

I hope everyone back there is doing well and trying to get on with their lives without me. I know it will be hard at first, but we must always look to the future...

But seriously - all the best for the new academic year. And to my old form group, good luck with your GCSEs and work hard! I know you will.

Dan enjoying the warmth of Hong Kong

Across the harbour to Expo Promenade 6 Newsblast

The famous Hong Kong skyline

Introducing: Mr Rob Ford Head of Lower School I was head teacher at a successful village Primary school in Cheshire before making the move overseas again, this time to The British International School, Phuket. We spent 4 years enjoying the delights of Thailand before wondering where next. A few applications were sent to various parts of the world and one day I received a telephone call from BSB inviting me for interview. At the time, I was sitting in a kayak in the middle of the ocean on a school trip with a group of Year 4 students. I spent a short time at BSB when I came for interview and was impressed by the warm welcome I received (despite the cold February weather) and the positive approaches to learning I observed as I walked around.

It has been great to meet and get to know the Primary staff who I will be working with. My aim is to develop this team of enthusiastic individuals to help them be the best that they can be. I will encourage the teachers to constantly reflect on their practice and strive to improve in order to provide their students with the most exciting learning opportunities and challenges possible. I enjoy getting into classrooms, teaching and working with students It could be fair to say that I have joined the family business. I was born in the West Midlands to teaching parents. My brother, sister, 4 sisters-in-law, 1 niece and 1 brother-in-law are, or were, all involved in education, as teachers or head teachers of schools in the UK and overseas. I completed my teacher training at University College Chester, before starting my career in Birmingham and Solihull. My first overseas teaching post was in Islamabad, Pakistan - an amazing experience. My wife, Isobel, was nursing at the British and American Embassies at the time and we decided after 2 years to return to the UK to continue our studies. I completed my head teacher qualification (NPQH) and Isobel re trained as a teacher, so she should be on the list too.

although my opportunities for this are not as frequent as they used to be. My wife has also joined the teaching team in Reception and we have 2 sons in the secondary school: Aaron in Y10 and Josh in Y8.

In my spare time I enjoy a range of sports and outdoor activities including football, tennis, cycling and kayaking. As a family we are looking forward to hopefully getting back onto the ski slopes in Romania (we have not seen any snow for a while). In football I follow the mixed fortunes of Aston Villa.

I look forward to meeting you all over the coming months and exploring the city of Bucharest and the country of Romania.

Introducing: Paula Istrate PA to the Principal I am very happy to be a part of the BSB Community and it has been a pleasure meeting all of the people who share the same values and have so much to offer every day.

I am enjoying my time here at BSB and I am sure it will turn out to be the exciting and wonderful life experience I was hoping for when I first started here.

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Introducing: Corina Gheorghe HR Coordinator I joined the BSB team in the summer and I am lucky to have the chance of working in a school with high quality management and a high quality internationally-recognised education.

As an HR professional I know that I work with the most valuable, creative and productive resources on the market – people, and BSB is a wonderful environment that allows me to work with incredible people, to obtain experience in my career and maintain a wonderful balance of life.

As a mother I am thinking all the time of my daughter’s future and BSB is the best example that shows how a child has the possibility of a high education, of being a self-disciplined learner and can develop the ability of realising their full potential. This wonderful school teaches me how to advise my daughter to choose the best way for a better life and I encourage her, telling her every morning my favorite African proverb: “Every morning in Africa a gazelle wakes up. Knows that it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will die.

Every morning in Africa a lion wakes up. Knows that it must run faster than the fastest gazelle or it will remain hungry.

No matter whether you’re gazelle or lion. When the sun comes up, you better start running!”

Getting to know your TA: Ileana Gâlmă Hi, I’m Ileana and I am a TA in Crib.

I have been with BSB for about 7 months and I have been enjoying every minute of it! I love being with the children, playing and singing together.

Prior to working here I was involved in adult development as an assistant Soft Skills facilitator and as a Business English teacher. After having done this for 4 years I thought it was time for a shift in focus. And that same thought is the one that brought me here - but this time in child development.

When not in school I enjoy reading detective novels, organising my new flat and spending time with my 2 nephews.

My philosophy on life? “Don’t waste time doing things you hate.”

Ileana in the library 8 Newsblast

In the neighbourhood: Mrs Aurelia Stanca For how long have you been working here?

I have been working at BSB for 8 years and before that I worked in a bread factory.

Do you like BSB? Yes, it is very welcoming. I like it because it is different to other schools.

Do your colleagues treat you well and do you enjoy the work?

Yes. I work with lots of very nice people and I never get tired of cleaning.

What do you like to do during your free time?

Anything that comes in my mind.

How do pupils from BSB treat you?

Very well, they are all respectful.

If you could choose any other job, what would it be?

I like this job and so I think I would choose something related to what I am already doing.

What are your working hours?

Sometimes from 7:00am to 3:00pm, and other times from 2:00pm to 8:00pm.

Oana and Clara with Mrs Stanca

contact@ieRomaneasca.com

Interviewed by Clara and Ioana, Y8

The interview

+40 723 678 662 +40 743 760 634

www.ieromaneasca.ro Issue 1 October 2013 www.ieromaneasca.com

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BSB Congratulates: Joe Wadsworth Joe Wadsworth completed his PADI Advanced Open Water Diver certification in July 2013. This course is taken after Open Water certification and involves 5 further adventure dives: peak perfor mance buoyancy, underwater navigation, deep diving, underwater naturalist and drift diving.

Joe has completed The Open water Diver, Adventure Diver and Advanced courses by diving in the Black Sea, Arabian Gulf, the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean.

Joe setting out for a dive

Mr. Mark Monaghan This summer, on July 4th, Mark and Erika were in Vermont, USA and had invited friends and relatives to join them for our American Independence Day BBQ. However, what they hadn’t disclosed was that they were actually attending a wedding; something they had been keeping secret for 6 months.

Firstly, Mark proposed (again) in front of everyone and many people were congratulating themselves on having guessed that there was to be an engagement announcement, but then Mark delivered a double whammy and revealed that it was not an engagement party but actually their wedding!

Cue much whooping and clapping, of course, but also some guests who were simply confused or stunned. For the next 30 minutes Mark and Erika spent most of their time dealing with the “Soooo, are you really getting married right here, right now?!” type of question.

Shortly afterwards they set off on a road trip honeymoon, taking them from Vermont to Boston, then Chicago, onto Denver and the Rockies, through Colorado to New Mexico, and finally to Arizona, before heading back to Bucharest for a rest!

Mark and Erika tie the knot 10 Newsblast

Mugur Mateescu, School Photographer

The happy couple on their marks

Mugur with his son and godfather, escort Deniss into the sunshine Mugur met Deniss last winter time during an athletics meeting. After a short time they realised that they had many things in common and decided to get married, choosing a picturesque location near Snagov Lake for their big day.

BSB colleagues celebrate with Mugur

with their friends and families. It was a traditional Romanian wedding and the ‘stealing the bride’ and ‘the veil’ traditions were part of the whole ceremony.

The beautiful wedding took place on 7th September and they were both delighted to have many of their colleagues from BSB present to enjoy the day

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www.imupro300.ro

www.imupro300.ro

12 Newsblast

PTA Review

A warm welcome to new and returning families to the 2013/14 BSB school year.

• Join the PTA Committee and become involved in decision-making.

There is something special about starting a new school year. Most of us remember the feeling and we see it in our children as they are getting ready to go; maybe a nervous anticipation, relief, apprehension or excitement.

Everyone has their own experience. However, I am sure we all hope for a successful year for our children filled with learning, friendships and fun.

Our events are advertised on the Friday Flyer email and on the BSB PTA Facebook page. We also post all events in the Parents’ room. This year we will reintroduce the Hallowe’en party and will add glamour with a spring school ball, where we will invite the Secondary students to contribute to the entertainment. The KS2 school disco is a popular recurring event, as is the Teddy Bears’ Picnic for the youngest. Our first parents’ activities fair was very well received and as a result we have new cooking classes, trips, exercise groups, wine and dine events to mention a few, coming up for parents to get involved and socialise.

How can we as parents support our children in their school year? Homework yes, but we also want to know how their day was. We ask questions, talk about their day. We want to feel connected to our children’s daily environment. Almost always the children do want us to be connected too.

• Attend PTA meetings to share your ideas and improve the BSB experience.

This is where I see the primary purpose of the PTA (Parent & Teacher Association). As the new president, I wish to contribute to a connected BSB community where children and families experience a sense of belonging through friendship and the joy of working, playing and learning together. The PTA is a partnership with the school management team and staff to support children to become successful learners. Why is it important?

When our children feel connected, comfortable and relaxed, they feel safe to take risks and can grow academically and personally.

Also, we are fortunate to be part of an international school where new members enter regularly, providing an influx of ideas and cultural traditions that makes for new, diverse and fascinating cultural exchanges and crosscultural friendships. How enriching for our children and teachers to have this as a natural part of their daily environment! The PTA wants to encourage this cross-cultural learning and create a welcoming caring environment where everyone can find their friends and feel ‘at home away from home’. Through the PTA events, that are often team efforts with members working together in fun creative ways, parents can contribute to and benefit from our diverse community.

All parents and employees at BSB are automatically part of the PTA. There are many ways to shape and be involved: • Volunteer your time at community events such as the Artisan Fair, Quiz Night, and Summer Fair.

• Be a Class Representative and be the connecting link between your class, teacher and the PTA.

Please join us in our upcoming meetings and events and become a part of the BSB action. I am looking forward to a successful year together, filled with friendships, learning and fun!

PTA Committee 2013/14: Susanne Fearnhead – president Monica Ussia – vice president and treasurer Tina Reggione – secretary Candice Bird & Karen Dekker – events coordinators Other members of the Committee: Rachelle Leslie, Iiliana Grecu, Rolien van der Harten, Anca Vereanu, Sally O’Mahoney, Michèle Stoltz

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Lower School Review I would like to thank everyone for the warm welcome you have extended to me and my family as we start our new adventure in Bucharest. It has been a very busy start to the year and I am surprised how many exciting events and activities have already taken place.

It was wonderful to see so many parents at the Meet the Teacher coffee mornings. One thing I commented on at these meetings was the importance of the partnership between home and school. This year we will be looking to continue to provide plenty of opportunities for you to come into school to share your child’s learning journey. As teachers were planning their themes for the year, they have been identifying outcomes where the children can present and share their learning with you in different ways.

The curriculum at BSB is based on the National Curriculum for England and adapted to suit our international context. This is a curriculum which develops both the acquisition of knowledge and nurtures the skills of learning. Through our thematic approach we aim to encourage curiosity, creativity and critical thinking. Where possible staff will make links between subject areas to give learning context and purpose. However, some subjects will continue to be taught as discrete subjects.

Regular assessment will be used in order to determine the children’s knowledge and understanding and to move them on in their learning. Effective feedback and marking of children’s work is essential for them to understand what they need to do to make things better.

14 Newsblast

As children start new themes they will be asked what they already know, what they think they know and also what they would like to find out. The purpose of this is to allow them to build on their prior knowledge, take some ownership of their learning and allow us to provide a curriculum which is relevant. Regular assessment will be used in order to determine the children’s knowledge and understanding and to move them on in their learning.

Effective feedback and marking of children’s work is essential for them to understand what they need to do to make things better. I will be encouraging staff and students to regularly reflect on how they are doing and identify ways to improve and challenge themselves further.

There are wonderful opportunities within BSB for students to share and develop their talents in addition to the taught curriculum. I recently asked some KS2 classes about the University program and was pleased to hear their enthusiasm and justification for this initiative. The University program allows the children to have a choice in what they learn, developing an area of interest or taking time to practice skills that need refining. We will be looking at ways in which we can continue to develop this exciting addition to the taught curriculum during the course of the year.

As a student I used to love receiving a new exercise book, it was a chance for a fresh start. This new school year is like starting a new book; the pages ahead are blank, ready to be filled with new and exciting experiences. I am looking forward to what is sure to be a stimulating and rewarding year for all.

Rob Ford, Head of Lower School

Meet the Student Council I am Anya from 3S. I love Maths, Art and Music and I can speak 4 languages.

I will be a good student council rep because I know how to organise things and to achieve things. I want to achieve everybody’s dreams.

I am Hyera from 3T. I want to help others and I want to make school better with more choice of clubs and more fun universities. I wanted to be on student council to help my friends like our school better.

My name is Irina and I am in 4P and I love Literacy. I would like to give people more university choices and also organise more fun events. I am kind and helpful and I love making people laugh and smile. I will be a great student council rep because I can speak very clearly and because I will tell my class about everything that’s happening in the school.

Hello I am Thea from 4S and I have a little brother called Sasha from 2P. I have been voted for student council by my class so if you have any ideas you are welcome to tell them to me them but I am not accepting silly ones. You can think of trips, events or fairs. I hope we will have a total blast this year!

My name is Paul from 5H. I will be great on student council because I like sport and I like playing with people. I would like people to work together more to make our school even better.

Hello!! My name is Emilee. I am in Year 5M with Mrs Morgan. Something you may not know about me is that I like to donate my hair to an organisation called “locks of love”. I have donated when I was 3, 5.5 and 8.75 years old. I donate my hair to kids who can’t grow hair or who have lost their hair through illness.

I would be a great student council rep because I remember things well and I will make sure that when I make an announcement that I will get the information to my class. This year I hope to bring children closer together to help kids make new friends and learn from each other. One way I thought we could do this is by having more celebrations or parties.

Hello my name is Caroline and I am in 6C. I am happy to be chosen for student council and I will do my best to come up with lots of ideas. I also like being the one to talk to the class about things and I like listening to their ideas. What I would like to achieve this year is that I want people to like the school more than they did before and have a great year at BSB.

Hello I’m Eve, I’ve been in BSB for three years and I have really enjoyed my experience because I made lots of friends and I have had a lot of sleep overs.

This year I’m in class 5D with my teachers Miss. Bianca and Mr. Darby.

I’ve had so much fun so far. As a member of the school council I hope to look for ways to continue to make life at BSB an enjoyable experience for everyone in my class. This will mean working closely with Mrs Ali and Mr. Ford and the rest of the student council.

I hope that I will make a difference to the school and try to set a good example.

I can’t wait until I make this year even ‘’BETTER’’

Hi I am Henry. It is a massive pleasure to be the student council rep for 6H. When I walk around school I like to see smiles on your faces. I hope to achieve that goal by the end of the year by giving you all the stuff that you need..

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October 2013

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First Steps in Crib

Such fun exploring The youngest children in school are enjoying their first days in crib and finding lots of different activities to keep them busy. They have all settled into their new surroundings, in which they can find lots to occupy little learners, with a variety of toys and books to encourage their interest.

The good weather has encouraged us to be out and about so that the children can get used to their new environment. There have been lots of opportunities for outside play where they can explore the slides, play houses and sandpit.

They can even try to use the cars and bikes if their small legs can turn the pedals!

Rachel Gregory, Crib

First time behind the wheel

Hide and seek in the September sunshine 16 Newsblast

Busy builders

Creche in the Clouds

Observing the changing sky The children in Creche have been very busy settling in to their new classroom environment and exploring all the areas around school. While this has been going on, talking about the weather and the sky has been very popular, especially after reading a story about a little cloud that changed shape.

The children created clouds of their own design by using white paint and cotton wool. There are elephant-shaped clouds, train-shaped clouds and many more. These are now proudly displayed on the wall in the Creche classroom.

This has led us into a journey of sky watching and observing clouds in the sky.

The children discovered that clouds can be many different shapes and are always changing and moving.

Designing our own clouds

Claire O’Brien, Creche

No Clouds today Issue 1

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Preschool V and D embark on their Learning Journey, ‘All About Me’

Birthdays are an important aspect of our personal, social and emotional development that is part of our EYFS curriculum.

Preschool V and D embark on their Learning Journey, ‘All About Me’ After our long summer break we are looking forward to the year ahead in Preschool and making new friends. The children in both classes have embraced the theme ‘Ourselves’ and have used the past several weeks to focus on their personal, social and emotional development. We have been learning about our families and traditions.

We talked about what makes each and every one of us unique and special.

We compared some of the things we enjoy eating, the colours we like and favourite toys to those of our classmates and found out that we are all very different but also alike in many of the things we enjoy doing.

During our Maths carpet times we have been working on counting, patterns, shapes and matching numerals to quantity.

It’s been interesting learning about each other and we are keen to expand our knowledge in the weeks to come. We are certainly looking forward to more fun and learning throughout the rest of the term.

Priscilla Varban - Preschool teacher and EYFS Coordinator

18 Newsblast

We all enjoyed using our hospital role play area

Making patterns

Learning about shapes

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We are Super Learners!

We are Super Learners, and ready to learn!

In reception we started an exciting year with a visit from Mr Incredible, who challenged us to become Super Learners.

We completed lots of individual and team challenges in order to develop our skills of learning. We learnt that a super learner is always ready to ‘have a go’,’ keep on trying’, ‘problem solve’ and ‘learn from their mistakes’.

We designed and made our own Super Learner costumes and had a great time learning.

All the children have settled well into their new environment, with each class spending time on activities to encourage them to work together as a new team, to share, form positive relationships, and learn the golden rules.

Isobel Ford and Kayleigh Evans Reception Teachers

The children dressed up as super learners

Children have been exploring the outdoor area, and especially enjoy the water and sand areas.

20 Newsblast

We learned to persevere. Can you put all the numbers in order in 1 minute?

Life in Year 1

Our monster masks Y1 children have had an amazing start to the school year. All the pupils returned from their summer break refreshed, revived and ready to learn. Our five new students were welcomed with open arms and quickly became part of our 1L team.

Tig the Tiger is the latest member of our Y1 family. He loves to go on adventures with the children and meet their families. Children then have the opportunity to feedback their fun with Tig to the rest of the class.

We have been enthused and engaged in our theme ‘Magnificent Me’ where activities linked our learning in Literacy, Science, History, Art, D.T. and I.C.T. We especially loved the body parts labeling challenge in our house teams.

preparing to make a healthy snack for a TV cooking show, with our friends as the cameramen.

We really enjoyed our work on the story Not Now Bernard by David McKee. We acted out the story, made monster masks and created an audio version of the book for Reception children. We even had a visit from Bernard and asked him questions to find out more about the monster mayhem.

We are looking forward to continuing our themed work with a focus on our senses and I’m looking forward to seeing the children being as equally successful and motivated as the start of the year.

Jodie Lewis Y1 Class Teacher

We are preparing ourselves to become TV chefs and cannot wait to share our shows with our friends and families. We will be designing, planning and

Vicky’s marvellous monster mask

Sattvick was the first person to take Tig home in 1L Issue 1

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Tamar led a game of Simon Says with a focus on body parts

Olt team sharing their work

Sharing our team efforts at labelling body parts with the rest of the class 22 Newsblast

Year 2’s Healthy Me Cafe

Waiters delivering orders and getting food Y2 Students have been very excited to learn more about staying healthy this term. At the beginning of the term we had an opportunity to share with parents what we have learned about healthy eating. Y2 students opened a café to showcase our hard work. What a busy week students had getting ready for the café! Invitations were made by students and sent home to get a head count. Students worked to create a healthy menu of: cucumber sandwiches, fruit salad, and yogurt surprise. All food was prepared by students earlier in the day to share with parents once the café opened. Y2 students also learned more about the different ways to work together as we practised our different jobs. Some students worked as greeters, they welcomed the parents into the café, gave them a menu, and encouraged them to have a seat letting them know a waiter would be right with them. The greeters were very brave to speak loudly and clearly to so many new people. Well done, greeters! Another group of students were the waiters, they used notepads to take orders and went to the food table to give and collect the orders. Y2 waiters did a great job of not dropping the food, bringing it to the correct person, and speaking loudly and clearly. The final group of students worked as cooks, they read the food orders and gave the requested food to the waiters. Great jobs cooks for keeping the food clean and healthy. While we learned about great team work and splitting the jobs, Y2 students came together at the end to tidy up altogether.

Preparing the food, with a helping hand

All Y2 students did an incredible job! The café ran so smoothly thanks to all the hard work of each person. Well Done for such a professional job and being able to have fun too!

Y2 Teachers Rachel Pamplin, Stephanie Curtis, Charlotte Sloan

Many hands make light work

A bustling ‘Healthy Me’ cafe

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Passport to Year 3

3S and 3T in a combined PSHE circle time session on the topic of Respect.

All of the children in Y3 have enjoyed a wonderful start to the new school year and have settled into their new classrooms in a positive and hard-working manner. We started the academic year by creating individual ‘Passports to Year 3’ in which the children set their own personal academic and social targets for the year.

As a year group, the children have really embraced our new cross-curricular topic ‘Around the World’ and have enjoyed researching different countries and their climates. We have started questioning the reasons for different climate zones, identifying similarities and differences with Romanian landscape, infrastructure and culture. It has been a great topic to link to our Science module on Rocks and Soils and also different art around the world and we have produced some fantastic Rangoli Patterns based on Indian culture. The children were also extremely excited about the Language Café and enjoyed tasting all of the different foods!

Furthermore, the children have been indulging in lots of Kung Fu punctuation to help them remember where the important full stops, capital letters and exclamation marks go in their sentences. The children will be combining these literacy skills along with their topic work to write a newspaper report on a different climate which will also be re-produced as a live weather report in ICT. Lastly, 3S and 3T have done a lot of combined class work in PSHE and topic work and we look forward to continuing this successful co-operation.

As you can see, it has been a busy but successful start to the year and we look forward to the coming months!

Charlotte Smith and Daniel Thomas Year 3 Class Teachers

24 Newsblast

Year 3 practicing their Kung Fu punctuation in literacy

Time Travelling Fun with Year 4

Working in a small group to create their own King Tut death masks.

Wow, what an amazing start to Year 4. The children have settled in very well and made an excellent start to the year.

We started off the new term by travelling back in time to Ancient Egypt. There we met a character who came to live a daily life at BSB. From this we created an adventure story based on time travelling and this mysterious Ancient Egyptian character.

In Maths we spent a lot of time looking at 3D shapes and the way that pyramids are built. We have studied nets and the different types of pyramids that exist. We can identify different types of pyramids and prisms and name their properties.

During our Topic work we have studied a timeline of Ancient Egypt and used the information we learnt to draw a timeline of our own life events. We looked at the materials that were used for building pyramids and tried very hard to recreate our own using a variety of materials. We had lots of fun tying to decipher the Ancient Egyptian alphabet. Did you know they used pictures rather than letters to communicate with each other? We also created our very own Wikipedia pages with all the information we have learned about Ancient Egypt and compared this to our daily lives at BSB.!

Catherine Passmore and Matthew Scragg Y4 teachers

4S pupils examine an Egyptian camels’ shoulder bone

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Steph and Eleanor from 4S using the iPads to time themselves completing addition questions mentally

Arish and his group using a Drama activity called ‘Hot Seating’ to portray the life of different characters 26 Newsblast

All fired up for Masterchef!

The baking boys, happy with their brilliant bread To start the year off with a sizzle and a pop, Year 5 have been baking bread and other food products for our restaurant enterprise day at the end of the half term. To kick-start the topic the students of Year 5 attempted to bake bread without a recipe. Little did we know how talented some of our students are. Many of the products turned out to be very delicious, and while some of them fell flat, the children were able to identify what changes they would make on the second attempt. Everyone enjoyed the second bake-off where the bread was of a much higher quality. Crumbs abounded!

During the bread baking activity, the children identified the need to learn more about measures, which prompted sessions with scales, jugs and

Converting measurements in the kitchen

measuring cylinders. The students investigated the relationship between the units of measurement as well as finding out the comparative weights of various liquids and food products.

In order to advertise the restaurant and its menu, we have evaluated the different devices used by advertising companies and have had a go at using them to sell unusual inventions made under the principles of ‘Chindogu’.

We have also looked at how photography is used to support the advertising process and as a result have used iPads to capture images around school.

Year 5 have been challenged to design a sumptuous sandwich which parents will be invited in to try at the end of the topic.

Preparing for macro food photography using the iPads Issue 1

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Year 6 Get Off to a Flying Start

The features of Google Earth allow 6H to see Plate Movement in real time Both Y6 classes have started the year strongly and are working hard to be good role models to the rest of the school. They all enjoyed preparing their applications for various roles of responsibility in the school and we were pleased to see the dedication and enthusiasm they have brought so far.

The classes have enjoyed exploring our topic of ‘The Power of Nature’ and have developed their understanding of process and events through projects and group work. Both classes particularly enjoyed a lively debate for and against a proposed oil drilling site being built in the forest behind the school.

They have also explored the features of Google Earth to see volcanic activity and how it relates to the structure of the Earth.

In Science we have experimented with reversible and irreversible and developed our abilities to plan, deliver and record an experiment to test a hypothesis.

Working collaboratively is an important element of Y6 and we have been pleased to see how well the students have done this.

In Maths we had fun solving logic problems and puzzles. We solved problems in small groups through discussion, then recorded our solutions using pictures or diagrams and finally explained our problem and solution the rest of the class.

Paul Curtis and Naima Hussain, Y6 Teachers

Working in groups to solve our logic puzzles 28 Newsblast

Preparing for the Great Debate

The light bulb puzzle

Explaining our puzzle solutions to the class Issue 1

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Lower School House Captains Hello, my name is Anastasia and I am in Y6H and I am the House Captain of Arges and I am here to bring Arges to victory. I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who voted for me. I promise I will bring Arges to first place and we will have a fun time together as we get to know each other better.

Hi my name is Alex and I am House Captain of Mures. Thank you for voting me as your House Captain. I promise that I will do a great job this year and will support you in everything you do. I am looking forward to a great year. Go Mures!

Alex, 6H

Anastasia, 6H

Hello my name is Max and I am in Y6H. I am the Vice-captain of Arges and I will lead us to victory because they have been successful in the last couple of years.

This year we will be supremely successful.

Hi my name is Pavel and I am the Vice-captain of Mures. Mures is a good House team and I really enjoyed our new incredible progress. I will be at sports day to support you and help you out.

Pavel, 6H

Go Arges Max, 6H

Hello everybody, my name is Andrei from y6H. I am the House Captain of Danube and I would like to thank all my teammates for voting and supporting me. I promise I will not let you down. For this year I want Danube to win most of the House competitions and have the most house points of all the houses. Danube is a strong house team and we have demonstrated this in the past couple of years. This year I think it is Danube’s turn to win again.

I feel really privileged to be trusted with the responsibility of leading Olt House this year. I want to encourage every single member of Olt to be the best they can be, in everything we do – and prove what a great team we are. I want “Olt” to mean something really special to each one of us – for the rest of our lives.

Tabitha, 6C

Andrei, 6H

My name is Jocelyne, I am in class 6C and I am the Vice-captain of Danube.

Let’s try to support Danbute to win this year’s Sports Day!

Hi, I am Daruis Vice-captain of olt. I’m 11 years old and I live in Romania. I’m very proud of being Olt;s Vice-captain.

I will do my best to lead Olt to victory.

GO OLT!

Jocelyne, 6C Darius, 6C

30 Newsblast

Me and my pets

This is Bertie. He likes Chewing.

This is Wolfie.

Tell me about your pets?

I like my pets. I have two dogs, Bertie and Wolfie and one cat called GibbGibb.

I like playing with them all day.

GibbGibb likes relaxing.

What do your pets like?

The dogs like playing with a ball, sometimes they burst the ball. They play in the back and front garden. GibbGibb likes to play with me.

What do they look like?

Wolfie looks like a Husky and GibbGibb is a furry cat. Bertie is the cutest and Wolfie is the biggest. GibbGibb is the furriest and I like to stroke him.

How do you look after them?

Daddy and Mummy give them food and water. They eat treats.

Would you like another pet?

If I could choose another pet I would probably like a spider but in a tank so it couldn’t bite me but I’m not allowed any more pets.

Questions and scribing by Mummy Answers by Marcus, Reception E

Wolfie likes to run in the snow.

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Lunchtime Careers Presentations Find out about the world of further education and work from people who have actually experienced it‌

Details and dates to be announced across the term.

If you are a local business professional and would like to share your knowledge and experience with our students, please contact Mr Paul Farrell Paul.Farrell@britishschool.ro

Sponsored by: 32 Newsblast

Secondary Review I had the privilege of visiting two elite UK independent boarding schools over the summer whilst visiting previous colleagues in their new posts. The traditions, facilities and academic results were certainly impressive and are what we seek to emulate here at BSB; indeed reviewing our academic results at GCSE and A-Level this year, we are on target. These particular schools and several others like them, have developed many leaders in a variety of fields including industry, science, the arts, academia and even nations over their illustrious histories.

However there was one significant element that perturbed me; one in which I feel that we are treading a more appropriate and modern path is in that of nurturing leadership and indeed the notion of responsible leadership. I saw relatively widespread evidence in both schools that practices within some boarding houses were still rooted in the brutal concept of “fagging”. This is a system whereby younger students are given menial tasks or used as “lackeys” for the most senior students. It represents a definition of leadership far removed from what we work to develop. Essentially a form of bullying, this is leadership based on unquestioned orders and is morally questionable.

Coupled with this, racism was implicit within some of the banter witnessed in boarding houses. The singular Asian boy within one of the year groups was known as “Kung Fu Panda” – a reference to his shape and ethnicity which he accepted meekly but with evident discomfort.

“International understanding and genuine empathy for others and other cultures is surely vital today and we will continue to embrace this fully at BSB as our young leaders look to shape their futures.

I believe that the leaders of tomorrow will be internationally minded; they will manage others decisively yet with empathy and understanding whilst also leading by example. They will demonstrate characteristics that we hold dear at BSB and expect our students to seek to emulate such as perseverance, integrity, reason, equity and honesty. We will not allow our school student leaders to bully and there are an increasing number of leadership opportunities for all students, not just the eldest. We aim to give all students leadership opportunities whether through the House system, Prefects, CoCurricular activities such as Dragon’s Den, Community volunteering, the Duke of Edinburgh International Award or our mentoring programme to name a few. To encourage, to justify, to create ownership of tasks for others; this is arguably a more difficult route to leadership for young people to grasp and errors will be made along the way. However this is our way as we believe that the future leaders globally and within this country are likely to be far removed from the twentieth century. Responsible leadership can be developed through embracing our ethos on a day to day basis in the classroom and around school. International understanding and genuine empathy for others and other cultures is surely vital today and we will continue to embrace this fully at BSB as our young leaders look to shape their futures.

Philip Walters, Head of Secondary

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October 2013

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House Art Competition

Noor, Y13 BSB Wall of Fame.

“In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes.”

The expression was coined in 1968 by Andy Warhol, the ‘Pop’ artisit who produced a series of iconic portraits of the celebrities and important figures within popular culture.

This term, students and teachers at BSB will be given their 15 minutes of fame through the House self-portrait competition. It is hoped that work submitted

34 Newsblast

will showcase the talents of both the students and some of the teachers who are willing to put themselves up for display. Work can be created in any medium from ink to iPad; anything goes.

All work entered will be awarded house points for their respective houses and the overall winner will receive the House Art Award, which last year was won

by Mures. All work will be displayed in a Wall of Fame exhibition and also added into the BSB Year Book.

Mr. Coope

Ms. Claudia

Eve

Mr. Walker Issue 1

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The Head Boy & Head Girl for 2013-14

Akis

Noor

How long have you been at BSB? This is my 4th year

How long have you been studying at BSB? 6 years

A-Levels: Physics, Maths, German

A-Levels: Maths, ICT, Business Studies

Hobbies: Football, Music, Physics

Hobbies: Photography , Reading

Ambition: My ambition is to be a successful and useful member of a company

Ambition: To become a successful entrepreneur or CEO of a company

Where will you be next year? Next year I hope to be in university in the UK, reading Economics.

Where will you be next year? Hopefully doing my bachelor’s degree somewhere in Europe or maybe Australia

Message to BSB students: All your hard work is eventually going to pay off.

Message to BSB students: Perseverance is the key to success

36 Newsblast

A new venture for Business students

Students attend a BRCC breakfast briefing where the ‘Junior’ Chamber was officially announced.

On 26th of September, BSB and the British Romanian Chamber of Commerce (BRCC) announced that we would strengthen our relationship and agreed in partnership to support the creation of a ‘Junior’ chamber. The chamber will be run by students for students and will organise a monthly briefing for interested parties, inviting guest speakers and hosting debates on businessrelated subjects that are important for them.

The students will set the agenda and work ideas through themselves. They will develop an identity and a purpose for the chamber and also network with businesses to enhance the teaching and learning and act as a support for teachers and students looking for business input into the curriculum.

This is an exciting opportunity that we thank the BRCC and its members for their support with.

Mark Monaghan Business and Economics Teacher

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Year 7 Expedition Week in Rasnov

Y7 students observe the zipwire in action before it’s their turn On the morning of June 17th, Y7 set off for a week of adventure and fun in the Rasnov Gorges, together with Miss Finch, Mr Sykes and Monsieur Haslé. It was with pleasure that we all discovered the very comfortable hotel in which we would stay. The view from the restaurant rewarded us with the beautiful scenery of the Valley and the Bran Castle.

Thanks to our guides, we were able to enjoy a variety of activities in the Rasnov Gorges, all of them requiring team spirit, stamina and determination.

The students were able to enjoy reverse bungee, via ferrata, rappel and paintball, amongst others.

The students also enjoyed a survival day, where they were able to put into practice skills they had acquired during the week and were able to find food, build a shelter, climb and help with the cooking.

It was an exceptionally fun and tiring week, but all the students had a great time.

Putting into practice their shelter building skills

“It was fun because you were challenged to do things that were difficult.”

Eniola, Y8

“I found it fun and a bit scary at points. We all had a good time and used a lot of teamwork” Isabella, Y8

“The trip was fun and interesting. I loved spending more time with my good friends” Malika, Y8

38 Newsblast

Y7 built their own shelters during survival day

Filip demonstrates the correct way to tackle the rock face using the rappel

Sophie in the reverse bungee activity

While Miss Finch is knitting, Y7 are on a quest for food during survival day

Patrick is practicing his climbing and improving his confidence

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Just before the paintball activity, Dong Min and Luka.

Portrait mementoes

Mr Sykes proved to be a very talented archer

Back at the hotel, the students were also able to enjoy a well deserved dive in the pool

40 Newsblast

Year 8 Trip to Herăstrău Park

Y8 begin the trip Fieldwork enables students to engage readily with the curriculum and provides us with an opportunity for learning outside of the classroom. In a recent visit to Herastrau Park, Year 8 students had the opportunity to conduct pH testing of soil, quadrat sampling and belt transects to investigate the ecology of the park. Not only did the students enjoy the trip, but they also

Line Transects

started to develop the fieldwork skills that will be needed for studying IGCSE Biology.

Clair Sugdon, Science Teacher

Results recorded for analysis

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Fire Display Year 7

Firemen tackle the blaze On Wednesday, 11th September the whole of Year 7 set off from BSB with our teachers and Mr Lupu to go to see a Fire Display in the car park of Metro supermarket in Voluntari. This event was to mark National Fire Service Day, held on 13th September in Romania. When we arrived, we were welcomed and listened to policemen and fireman giving speeches in Romanian. Then there was a march past with a band and different groups of the fire service.

Later on the firemen demonstrated how to rescue people from a car accident scenario. They had to cut the side off a car to rescue an injured man and a baby and demonstrated how they were taken to hospital.

Last but not least we saw a shed being set on fire and how the firemen extinguished it and then went in with breathing equipment and dogs to rescue casualties. The explosion was frightening and unique! I would like to thank: Mr.McGowan, Miss.Clark, Mr.Porter and Mr.Lupu for organising this trip.

Sara, 7M

Removing the casualty from a car 42 Newsblast

Paramedics work on a casualty

Community Service in the Secondary School

For those not going on the Expeditions, an Activities Week was organised, and it was a great opportunity to take part in a combination of activities with a focus on community service.

We firstly got involved in helping at a local primary school, where our group (eight students) attempted to teach fifty Romanian children some English.

Stepping into the classroom, we all became more aware of the conditions that some children have to cope with and we were humbled when the children were overwhelmed by the thought of having visitors, and their excitement to be learning from us. It took a lot of patience as there were more than five children per person, and the language barrier was complicated, but as children communicate easily without words, we crossed that bridge.

We had the opportunity to meet the children from the very same school again later on during the week, when they came to visit BSB. Seeing their joy and answering their questions about our school was very fulfilling and I think it made everyone realise how lucky we are to be able to study here. Visiting and playing with disabled children in a residential home was just as emotive. Our group took pleasure from creating a child-friendly atmosphere and linked closely with some of the younger ones. I don’t know about the others, but being with these children definitely triggered something in me, and it incited me to further involve myself in these kinds of activities.

Helene, Year 11

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Secondary Co-Curricular Activities

Tim and Tasos attempt to outmanoeuvre each other In the Secondary School we aim to not just provide the opportunities for students to achieve high academic results but also to actively promote the benefits of a wider curriculum. We have designed a comprehensive range of Co-Curricular Activities to include sports, skills, drama, music, languages, community service and entrepreneurial experiences. Additionally, we seek

Getting thoughts down on paper

44 Newsblast

to provide leadership opportunities for our 6th Formers. We encourage all students to recognise the value of these activities as part of their further development – in other words co-curricular, not extra-curricular.

Mr O’Brien

Mohammad Y11 represents the USA in the Model United Nations

Y7 girls investigate exposure times for the pinhole camera

Arina 8C putting her Science Practical skills to the test

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I am not young enough to know everything Oscar Wilde

News for Autumn 2013: Romania’s British College for further education, continuing professional development and lifelong learning

The UK’s CMI Diploma in “First Line Management” December session announced.

Romania’s first bespoke “Corporate & Social Responsibility Reporting Workshop” opens for enrolment.

BPTC Courses for All @ www.bptc.ro

World Food Day October 16th 2013 was named World Food Day by the FAO. As part of World Food Day awareness the FAO launched a global competition to encourage students of all ages to design a poster with the theme ‘Sustainable Food Systems’. BSB students were informed that World Food Day is a day that helps increase understanding of problems and solutions in the drive to end hunger. Year 7 and 8 students saw the there is a need to eat more nutritious food and reduce the amount of waste we produce. After brainstorming what could be done to ensure that we have healthier food systems they designed the poster to encourage people to change their eating habits. Their entries have now been submitted to the FAO so we eagerly await the news that we have won!

Sarah Palmer

After discussing the challenge, students get to work 46 Newsblast

BSB Summer School 2013

All activities are run by qualified adults Summer School provides a safe, high-energy and rewarding summer school programme based on the core values of communication, creativity and teamwork. Our staff is made up of the most energetic and dedicated group of teachers.

Our activities-only group takes advantage of the extraordinary outdoor facilities the school offers such as the zip wire, the dome, the outdoor swimming pool and the impressive climbing walls, some of which are positioned above the pool to allow for pool climbing lessons. Orienteering, ICT, football, basketball and table tennis are included in this programme also.

Students registered in the other summer school programmes take part in various activities too, besides their three daily English lessons. For these students we offer swimming lessons, fencing, cookery, zip wire, slack line, climbing, arts and crafts - and the list continues. All of these amazing activities taking place several times a week and being included in the fee.

Helmet on, safety harness fitted, ready to climb

Most of our summer school students return year after year to our school and we would like to take this chance to thank them for choosing BSB Summer School.

As one parent commented: “It was a pleasure to see my daughter enter and leave BSB each day with a big smile on her face. Even in the short time she was there, I have definitely noticed an improvement in her English!�

For those families wanting to find out why our programme is enjoyed by so many students, we look forward to passing on the details of the 2014 BSB Summer school in the near future.

Priscilla Varban - BSB Summer School Director 2013

Plenty of shade for KS1 Issue 1

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48 Newsblast

A Summer Fair worth waiting for

Loredana entertaining the crowd For everyone involved and for those simply looking forward to the day, it was a huge disappointment having to postpone this year’s fair, so for the delayed event to be such a spectacular success was a huge bonus.

This time there were no clouds to be seen and so the day was uninterrupted.

A fantastic array of artisan goods, international food stalls, drinks and exhibitors meant there really was something for everyone.

There were many fun activities for children and parents to enjoy, as well as demonstrations and performances by students. Topping the bill of course

were Loredana and Antonia, both of whom thrilled the crowd with their energetic shows.

Needless to say, the day could only have been the success it was because of the hard work and generosity of so many people. So a massive ‘thank you’ to the exhibitors, refreshment providers, staff, pupils and parents who all gave so much.

See you next year.

Pupil performances were a huge success

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All eyes were on the stage for Antonia’s performance

A thrilling display from Parada

A mystery duo brought a touch of the avant garde to the fair

The international stalls were very popular

50 Newsblast

First Day of the New School Year

Last minute adjustments The start of the 2013-14 school year was a happy and very successful occasion and school life was quickly underway. Teaching, maintenance, admissions and office staff worked tirelessly in the preceding weeks to ensure that the school was fully prepared to welcome back students moving up to the next year, as well as those arriving for the first time.

Much credit too to the parents, new and returning, for ensuring that their children arrived on time and were properly equipped to start learning; it really is a big help to have this level of support.

So with such a positive start behind us, expectations are high for another fantastic year at BSB.

Miss Hussain leads her Y6 class into school

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The start of two important years for A Level students

Mr Thomas gets to know his new Y3 class

New Head of Secondary, Mr Ford, welcomes pupils on the first morning 52 Newsblast

Technology at BSB

The iPad is now an essential tool for Secondary students Technology underpins today’s modern lifestyle, so it is essential for students to gain the confidence and ability required to prepare them for the challenge of a rapidly developing and changing technological landscape.

The BSB vision for technology supports our commitment to developing confident, motivated, self-disciplined learners who can realise their full potential and make a responsible contribution to the world. The technology that we use will inevitably change over time therefore it is important to develop students with the right mindset and skills rather than knowledge of a specific tool or software.

In order to do this we use technology as an enabler to facilitate the creation of a culture of innovation, creativity and collaboration, empowering students to be self-directed, responsible and adaptable.

Teachers and students use a variety of technology tools to support and promote student learning. In doing so, we will increasingly focus on digital communication, information literacy, critical thinking skills and digital citizenship, emphasizing the balance between screen time and other activities. Tools used on a daily basis include the well-equipped ICT suites with laptops for cross curricular use, the use of the interactive whiteboards and a wealth of educational software, internet based learning, digital cameras and iPads across the school in both Primary and Secondary.

The Secondary school also use a Virtual Learning Environment that can be accessed anytime, anywhere to facilitate learning. It has information about homework and resources to use and support the classroom learning and the ability to hand in work online.

In attempting to lead the way, innovative approaches carry risks as well as opportunities and we thank our learning community, the parents, students and teachers, who provide ongoing dialogue and feedback to help us continually improve and move forward.

Mark Monaghan Director for Technology Integration

Portability is a key benefit Issue 1

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The creative possibilities are boundless

Interactive whiteboards are multifunctional 54 Newsblast

Clubs

Children have thrown themselves into athletics club with a new specialist teacher with enthusiasm.

Secondary students are learning key life skills in cookery club... and enjoying it!

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Children are coached to develop their control and flexibility in ballet lessons.

Basketball is an enjoyable way for the students to develop tactical awareness.

56 Newsblast

Climbing continues to be a very popular club all year round in our all-weather climbing area.

Dance for younger children helps to encourage coordination.

Dodgeball is a very popular CCA that helps to develop speed and physical awareness

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Gardening club not only allows the children to get involved in making our green spaces more beautiful but also to meet our animal friends in the KS1 garden and learn about hygiene and how to take care of them.

In parachute games it is important to listen to the rules and work as a team for the most fun.

58 Newsblast

Romanian for Native Speakers is a relatively new CCA for secondary students who wish to enhance their Romanian language skills using a variety of teaching techniques.

Rugby for KS2 has been a very popular and successful club, run by parent volunteer Mr Kilbane who has a lot of experience in coaching students to achieve their potential.

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Children are natural scientists and they all love finding out about how things can change. Science Explorers club for KS1 brings experiments and investigation to life.

Students of all ages have been enjoying developing their physical control and gymnastics skills on the school trampoline.

60 Newsblast

Jeans for Genes day

Yay, it’s Jeans for Genes Day Jeans for Genes day 2013 was a fantastic success. In Secondary, Y9 were charged with the responsibility of getting the message across to the rest of the school. They rose to this challenge admirably. Preparations began the week before with a series of original ideas to spread the word about Jeans for Genes day. The week began with an interesting and informative assembly which was conducted by Mena, Laura and Julia and the message was reinforced throughout the week by a number of Year 9 students performing a range of activities. These included performing a ‘news blast’ in registration – where Jakob, Joe, Tudor and Luca visited Y7 & Y8 forms and performed a short play getting across the important information. Other students chose to pass the

message on through chalk writing in the playground – an activity in which many students joined in, including primary children.

Y9 also gave up their lunch and break times to sell pin badges throughout the week. On the day itself, the entire school enjoyed wearing jeans happy in the knowledge their 10 RON donation would go to good use, funding research into genetic disorders and supporting the sufferers and their families. Thank you to everyone who participated and congratulations to Y9 for organizing such a successful Jeans for Genes day 2013. On the day we raised a very impressive 4 548 RON for a vey good cause.

Hannah Straw, Humanities & PSCHE

Paolo and Tasos collecting for the cause

Floor media hits BSB Issue 1

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Beating the traffic on the Vocab Expressway!

Year 9 German class enjoying the vocab express challenge BSB Secondary school students were given a new challenge this year as part of Languages Week: taking part in an online vocabulary competition, battling against schools across the UK. From 26th September to 2nd October, students logged on to www.vocabexpress.com to test their vocabulary in a range of languages, including Spanish, French, German, Italian, Urdu, Arabic, Russian,

Anisia in Y8 boosts her score for French 62 Newsblast

Latin, Mandarin and Japanese. Our students quickly scored thousands of points, placing them in a strong position against the other schools. Top scorers were awarded with a Headteacher’s Award for their hard work and team spirit.

Antoine Y9 thinks carefully before choosing the right word!

Language Cafe selection

Students had the chance to get a taste of Russian for the first time at this year’s Language Cafe!

As part of Languages Week at BSB, on Wednesday, 25th September the Year 5 classes were given a Russian taster lesson by Mr Porter, who was dressed in Russian national costume. They looked at and repeated the letters in the Russian alphabet and used them to decipher words in Cyrillic, which included

a “Guess the Teacher” game. They practised phrases and short dialogues and listened to Russian folk music before parting with an enthusiastic “Do svidania!”

Mr. Xu, did I get the right tones?

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Time to learn some Greek, or just try the food

Y3 explore Language cafe

Students showing their helpers badges and Language Passports are getting ready to explore other languages 64 Newsblast

Who Speaks What In order to showcase the BSB teachers’ many linguistic talents, the MFL department decided this year to record them speaking a language they know.

The videos were then put together in the form of a quiz. It was shown during the KS2 and Secondary assemblies and challenged the students to recognise both the teacher and the language.

The languages were extremely varied and the students had a lot of fun guessing who spoke what.

Miss Ali had the children’s attention as she asks them to listen to her very carefully in Swahili.

‘Vreau să rezerv o masă pentru șapte persoane.’ Mr Farrell only needs to find six other people to sit around the table with him after booking a table for seven in Romanian.

Please invite Mr Walters to a Thai restaurant as he says that he really likes ‘dim sum’ in Thai.

‘Îmi place să schiez’. Look out for Mr Scragg on the ski slopes next winter as he mentions he likes to ski in Romanian.

Mrs Walker tells us that her favourite colour is red in Urdu.

We were happy to hear Mr Hughes telling us that he speaks Welsh with his grandmother… in Welsh.

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BSB celebrates Language Week

Federica moderating the talk show about summer language courses in Secondary Assembly The week started off with students wearing their ‘Talk to me!’ -Stickers in a variety of languages which got them thinking about the different languages spoken around school. The whole week lived from the idea that being able to

learn another language is an opportunity, not a chore. This is especially true in such an international environment as our school, where plurilingualism is the norm, not the exception.

Secondary Language Week Assembly The idea that learning languages is fun and easy was prominent in the Secondary Language Week Assembly. Federica (Y13) moderated a talk show with some students who talked about their experiences in summer language courses: Laura (Y9) and Dilara (Y10) improved their German enjoying delicious food in Germany, Beatrice (Y11) was immersed in a purely French environment in a summer camp in France, while Ilinca T (Y10) and Helene (Y12) combined a beach holiday in Spain with a Spanish course.

Sara, Lena, Tudor and Mattia perform sketches based on the importance of foreign languages 66 Newsblast

Primary Language Week Assembly In the Key Stage 2 Assembly, students from Year 3, 4 and 5 performed a South African song in Zulu with support from the band. Special thanks to Mr Vic for preparing this amazing performance.

David, Lukas, Patrick and Noa (Y5) performing the Zulu song KS2 Students performing a Zulu song in Primary Assembly

Y6 pupils acting out a Language Café scene during assembly

Mr Vic explained why ‘ingozi’, the Zulu word for danger, is repeated in the lyrics of the song - the danger of dropping the water when carrying it from the well.

Smaragda and Pavel (Y6) act out a language barrier situation and show how it can be overcome with knowing even a little bit of someone else’s language.

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School sport gets off to a flying start

BSB Basketball team launch another attack in their victory over Olga Gudyn Sport is becoming an increasingly integral part of life at BSB and this year we have made a variety of positive developments to our PE, and extra-curricular sports provision. The curriculum has been substantially extended as we move our lessons to a well-equipped club in town, while extra-curricular activities and school teams will also benefit with new opportunities for training, competitive matches, and a Bucharest Schools’ League.

This year will see the first Bucharest International Schools football leagues.

These leagues will be for Under 9, 11, 13 and 15. They will begin in October and run through to May next year. This will be additional to some friendly matches at the start of the season, a tournament being held by BSB in November and other tournaments throughout the year.

Our swimming team will be holding trials in December and their season will begin in term 2. Successful students can look forward to high quality training provided by Amateur Swimming Association Level 2 coaches, as well as two competitions between Bucharest’s international schools.

Our Athletics team will also be holding trials in December and their team training sessions will start in Term 2. Successful students will be able to participate in three competitions between Bucharest’s international schools as well as receive weekly training sessions.

This year you will be able to find all information regarding fixtures, results and all other sporting information in the parents’ room and on the school’s website.

David Hughes, Sports Teacher

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3 BSB students fill the podium during a swimming competition last year

Footballers celebrating a successful Primaveri Cup last year

Alice (Y5) representing BSB at an inter-schools athletics competition last year

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My world connections

As part of Languages Week at BSB, students across Primary and Secondary worked on their links across the world. In their displays, the students identified their links with other countries and their languages. It was very interesting to analyse how our students not only speak more than one language, they also go on holiday to different countries, have a relative or a friend living in different parts of the world.

Overall, this fun activity made them realised how important it is to be aware of multiculturalism and learn languages for their daily life.

Rocio Marti Spanish teacher

Reasons to learn Spanish by Year 4 and Year 5 70 Newsblast

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Year 8 - 10 Trip Summer 2013

All the crew!

It was a bright, Monday morning. The Year 8s, 9s and a handful of year 10s were all sitting around the Design & Technology room eagerly waiting to begin the adventure. Little did we know that in a few hours time we would be stumbling down mountains, clambering in the highest tree branches and camping out underneath the brilliant, twinkly stars…

When we first climbed off the bus, stretching our sore limbs from the three hour journey, we were greeted by the sight of our hotel. We met with our instructors and we were sorted into our hotel rooms. My group took the penthouse apartment. However, how eight girls managed to survive five days with only one shower between us, is still a mystery to me…

Soon after we settled we were taken to a place where we scaled the cliffs, abseiled and sailed down on a zipwire. The next day we were whisked up a mountain and we were commanded to trek down it. Think steep slopes, nettles and a bunch of loose stones tripping us as we went down. Soon after we were sitting on horses, crossing the fields in total bliss and tranquility… sort of.

As the week progressed, we shot arrows, ran assault courses, had our lives flash before our eyes several times and before we knew it we were shoved on the bus back to school. Our days in Sinaia becoming nothing more than a memory!

By Calista, 9W

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Incredible rock climbing being supported by Cristina the expedition leader

A three hour hike up and across the top of the mountain

Taking a well earned rest atop the mountain

Barbecuing bread around the campfire

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Tasos working on the design of his shelter

Team work strategy games kept everyone on their toes

Some serious firepower, Joe practices his sharp shooting

Calista trying out the zipwire

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EAL-friendly classrooms How do we, as a school, best support EAL (English as an Additional Language) students? This was the main focus of a course I attended last summer. For me, the most important difference between EAL and EFL (English as a Foreign Language) is that language learning alone is not the aim of EAL support.

Indeed, its main focus should be to make the curriculum and lessons as accessible as possible.

Activities involving talking are always a good place to start. If certain students have half the information and the remaining students have the other half, they will need to talk to each other, using key words from the topic, in order to complete the exercise. Equally beneficial are exercises where pupils work in a group to gain information and then form new groups to share that information.

Such activities can be used with whole classes, but different levels of support can be offered to students with varying levels of understanding.

In a nutshell: EAL as a stand-alone department will only do half the job. EAL as a whole-school ethos is the way forward.

Sarah Porter, EAL Support

Never Standing Still

Ms Joyce Taylor has been an adviser to BSB for many years, helping the school incorporate some of the latest best-practice initiatives developed in the UK.

back to the management team, along with her recommendations for any required action.

Describing herself as “a critical friend”, Joyce is skilled in identifying points of strength and weakness across the academic function, which she then feeds

Joyce’s involvement in the school has proved invaluable over the years but is just one element of the continuous drive to instil and maintain the highest standards for BSB and its pupils.

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Interview: Robert Visoiu How long have you been racing?

How many races per year do you go to?

I could say that I’ve been doing it my whole life. Racing is a part of me and I can’t imagine my life without it.

This season for instance I’ve been racing in two championships: the GP3 and the Auto GP, with a total of 16 race weekends and 32 races.

When did you start racing and why?

How do you feel when you travel in a taxi in Bucharest?

I’ve started racing when I was only 4 years old. My father wanted me to try out a go-kart and I liked it so much that I’ve never stopped. Now, more than 13 years later I am running in one of the most important competitions in the world.

I try not to pay to much attention to the driver, so I just get my phone out and start texting. It’s safer for my emotional well-being 

How many titles have you won?

A Dacia is not exactly on my wish list, but it’s a good car. I might own one for commercial reasons one day…

I’ve won many karting and formula races and I’ve always scored well in the overall rankings. I’ve started out by winning national karting titles in Romania before I started winning international races.

What’s the fastest car you have ever been in?

Will you ever think of owning a Dacia Logan?

Personally which race was your favourite?

Speed is relative. I’ve been in some very powerful cars, like Bentleys, Ferraris, Porsches and so on, but I couldn’t say which one was the fastest. It depends on the road and on the driver 

The race I’ve recently won in the Hungarian GP3 weekend was the one that comes to mind. I led for the whole race and won with quite a margin from my competitors.

How do you feel when you are stuck in traffic?

Have you ever been injured due to racing?

Well, there’s not much you can do in that situation. I just try to make the time go by as good as possible and to make the most out of it. I don’t get tense about it, that’s for sure!

It sometimes happens that I get injured because of crashes, but I was lucky not to have anything really bad happen to me.

Does it bother you when you are in the car and you are not driving?

How often do you train?

I am very focused on what I am doing and I try to work out as much as I can. I also do simulator runs with the teams I work with.

Normally I’d love to drive every car I’m in, but my age doesn’t allow me so there’s not much I can do about it. I usually don’t get in cars driven by people I don’t trust, having said that. Safety on public roads is not to be taken as a joke.

By Mohammed

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EYFS Parent Workshop October 2013

Mrs Ford talks to parents about the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum Children’s learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) needs to be a partnership between home and school. At BSB we are committed to developing a quality education and sharing our curriculum with our parent body.

observing, encouraging and extending their play. Through well-planned play activities in a structured environment, children are provided with rewarding and enjoyable experiences in which they explore, investigate, discover and create, and secure the foundations for their future learning.

The first Early Years parents’ workshop this term at BSB was ‘An Introduction to the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum and Assessment’. During this workshop parents were welcomed in to find out more about our curriculum and how we observe and assess children in order to move them on in their learning journey.

Throughout EYFS, children’s learning is developed through taking part in a wide variety of fun, play-based activities. Sometimes these activities are directed by teachers and carefully planned, while at other times children follow their interests, plan and create their own activities, with teachers

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Art and Design – More Than Just a Pencil and Pad

Mr.Williams and Haruna In art students critically analyse and compare artwork of relevant artist models (both historical and contemporary artists, from a range of cultures). They

discuss aesthetics, use of media, technique, meaning, emotion, ideas and the influence of an artist upon their own work.

Y12 and Y13 drawing 78 Newsblast

Clara, Y8

Erin, Y7

KS4 and KS5 Art and Design qualifications have a large workload. Students who take the subject must adapt as a matter of survival. While the heavy workload can be an initial shock those who survive emerge with focus, organisational and time management skills that many other students dream of!

Drawing is the foundation of Art and Design and lessons begin with observations of the real world: recording, analysis and creation of a visual response to the surroundings. Art makes students look at things anew – even mundane ordinary aspects of the world.

Cristian, Y9

A sketchbook is a creative document that contains both written and visual material. It is a place for researching, exploring, planning and developing ideas – for testing, practising, evaluating and discussing a project. It is the place where students learn from other artists and express and brainstorm ideas. The sketchbook is an important part of the coursework project. It shows the journey (or development) towards a final piece.

Observational drawing is an integral component of KS3, IGCSE, A Level Art and Design courses. For many students, drawing is the core method of researching, investigating, developing and communicating ideas. While it is accepted that there are many wondrous types of drawings - and that non-representational drawing methods have an important role in student art projects – it is usually advantageous to demonstrate competent, realistic observational drawing skills to the examiner

Tonal Sugar Work 2

Drawing, Photocopying and Collage: Joe, Y13

In response to Vik Muniz Tonal Sugar Work Issue 1

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Research discussion designing a tower

Initial design concepts towers design and technology

Y9 exploring design process of towers

Mr. Walker investigating organic forms in structures

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A-Level Results and Higher Education Destinations 2013

Students and parents were keen to listen to speakers from top UK universities who visited BSB in October We are delighted to announce that following the recent A-Level results, all of last year’s leaving students have confirmed places at universities or higher education establishments of their choice around the world.

The A-Level results were outstanding, with 83% of final grades being A*-B, in line with the best HMC schools in the UK. Two students achieved truly exceptional results (A*A*A* and A*A*A). They had not applied for Oxbridge for a variety of reasons and remain happy to commence their courses on very highly ranked Engineering courses at Imperial and Southampton Universities.

Viewing the full list of destinations, it is worth emphasising that the A-Levels qualification is recognised globally and we can assist our students in gaining entry wherever best suits the student and their family. The majority of our students are likely to continue their studies in the UK and our aim in that respect will be to seek places at Russell Group institutions, or on other highly ranked courses, evidenced by students starting courses at Bristol, Manchester and Kings’ College. We were delighted that our students received multiple offers of places during their final year at BSB and gained the grades required to access their choice of university.

Our sincere congratulations to the students and their teachers on these superb results, and good luck to the class of 2013!

Philip Walters Head of Secondary

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A small world?

Although many of our teachers came to Romania straight from the UK, many others have been teaching the UK curriculum all

over the world. For an international school, having access to such a breadth of global experience is a great benefit.

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www.britishschool.ro

42, Erou Iancu Nicolae Street, 077190 Voluntari, Ilfov County, Romania T. +40 21 267 89 19 F. +40 21 267 89 69 E. office@britishschool.ro

Self-belief will bring success