BSB School Magazine - February 2014

Issue 3 - February 2014

Flying forward together

BSB Office Staff Otopeni Airport

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Administration If you need any information or help in regard to your child’s education and

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Dear Parents & Friends of BSB, This academic year has allowed me the chance to enter the classroom once again as a teacher, not for a few one-off reading sessions, or observations of other staff but to have a subject and a year group, and work with them to complete a unit of study. While much of my career in education has been about developing the teaching and learning of students across the school it is now fascinating to work with the students in the face of all the recent changes in education and development of teaching styles. One of the definite changes is how independent the students are as they approach their tasks. With the right scaffolding the children easily take on a challenge and plan their way through it as a group or as individuals, managing their time and considering the next skill they should learn. This independence and confidence can at times make the teacher feel quite invisible.

The students will ask questions and they will seek out suggestions to develop a project, but it is no longer a given that they will act on the suggestions from the teacher, as they exercise their own opinions more often than not. This change in attitude certainly seems to lead to quality learning; the students are readily focusing on a problem, weighing up two sides of an issue, making a concrete decision when a choice presents itself, following their instinct, negotiating time constraints, considering the use of appropriate resources - all powerful life skills. This is a far cry from the teacher-led learning of my youth, where the decisions made were solely the teacher’s, the opportunity to exercise choice was highly limited to the resources presented before the students, and suggestions from the teacher were thinly veiled instructions where failure to follow meant a certain drop in grade.

“The best teachers have mastered the modern classroom�

The best teachers have mastered the modern classroom, achieving the correct balance of input and student freedom to keep the flow of learning throughout a topic or theme. Inside the most innovative classroom you will see the teacher moving among the children supporting and answering questions, and most importantly asking questions of the students to take their thinking forward. Of course you will not see the vital hours the teachers put in to create these quality moments of learning, or the time it takes to design assessments to accurately pinpoint where each individual is. Yet the synergy of all these things comes together to produce confident learners, a consistent aim of BSB.

I am glad that schooling has moved on, and the rigid teaching styles are being confined to the past; school is still such an exciting vibrant work place for students and teachers alike, and I am very lucky to have even just a few hours a week working alongside our pupils and to feel part of this positive change.

.

Jo Puddy-Wells, Principal principal@britishschool.ro

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Countries in Spotlight: Australia, India I am from Western Australia. In the summer it is very hot and in the winter it is cold, but there is no snow.

Most of my friends and family are there. My best friend Olivia lives in Australia.

My country is famous for the Opera House and kangaroos.

In Australia we have Koalas, wombats, kangaroos, kookaburras and iguanas.

Vegemite is a popular food. We make delicious sandwiches for breakfast and rolls with it.

It is best to go to Australia when it is winter in Romania because then it is summer in Australia. You can enjoy the beach and the nice parks.

I have lived in Bucharest for more than three years. I started in Miss Dibble’s class, then Miss Pamplin’s class and now Mrs Smith’s class.

I like BSB because is a big school and I can make a lot of friends. The teachers are really nice and helpful and I like that we have Drama classes too.

I think the national’s sport is the Australian football.

Isabelle, Y3S

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I am from Subiaco. The weather is warm and pleasant!

My country is famous for its beauty and adventure.

We have kangaroos, platypus and wallabies. The traditional food is Fish’n chips.

Don’t forget to bring your flip flops!

The Australian national sport is the cricket

Rebecca, Y9S

I am from New Delhi which is in Northern India.

I am from India. We have there a tropical weather.

India is a tropical country and is known for its diverse climate.

I like the festivals.

I like the festivals in my country. Diwali, the festival of light; Holi, the festival of colours.

In India we have lions, tigers, leopards, elephants, crocodiles, horses and zebra.

Our traditional food is tandoori .

I like BSB because it is fun.

The country’s national sport is hockey and the most popular tourists’ destination in my country is Agra.

Rakshit, Y2S

The Indian traditional foods are wheat, rice and pulses with chana.

My country is the seventh largest in the world by area. Bounded by the Indian Ocean in the south, the Arabian Sea in the South West, the Bay of Bengal in the South East and the Himalayas in the North.

I’ve been living in Bucharest for one and a half years.

I love my school because of my teachers, friends and the way of teaching. This is helping me to be more confident, motivated and disciplined. I like the school building which is very big and spacious and I also get the opportunity to play many outdoor games.

Indian’s national sport is the hockey M. F. Hussian, Rabindranath Tagore and Staish Gujral are some of the famous artists. Salman Rushdie, Vikram Seth and Ram Charan are some of the famous authors.

My Dad is from Bangalore.

In July it’s rainy and after that it’s sunny.

In Bangalore I play games with my friends.

In India we have pythons. I saw a cobra eating a python.

I eat chad masala and bread.

The most populat tourists; destinations in your country is a restaurant called Taj Mahal Sattvik, Y1L

The most popular tourist destinations in my country are the Taj Mahal, the Ganges and the beaches of Goa.

Adya, Y2C

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From the Engine Room!

Registration The reregistration process for the next academic year has been progressing smoothly and I would like to thank all of the parents who have submitted their completed forms. Registration is now open to external candidates so, if you haven’t returned your forms, please return them as soon as possible.

Social Media

COBIS Conference for Marketing, Development and Admissions Staff

If you are not already following us on Facebook and twitter please do.

We post on Facebook on a daily basis and there are always interesting links on twitter which will take you to pictures of the school, articles on educational development and news from other schools around the world.

In the coming months many of the departments within the school will be tweeting and it’s a great way to keep up to date with all that is going on.

Next month the school will be welcoming delegates from all over Europe and beyond who will be attending the school to take part in a conference.

This will be a fantastic opportunity for us to share ideas with other international schools. Speakers will be talking about Social Media, Marketing for International Schools and Alumni Development – all areas of growth for BSB.

facebook.com/BritishSchoolBucharest

twitter.com/britishschoolro

Internationalism In the last couple of months we have welcomed pupils to the school from India, Ecuador and the United Arab Emirates and have shown prospective families around the school that have come from Venezuela, Korea and Scotland amongst others. BSB continues to provide a truly international environment for all.

Summer School Registration will shortly be opening for the BSB Summer School which will run for four weeks from Monday 30 June to Friday 25 July 2014. There will be an academic programme and an activity programme. Students do not have to attend for all four weeks, they can sign up for one, two three or all four if they wish. If you require any further details please email summerschool@britishschool.ro

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Our students leave to pursue Higher Education studies in all parts of the world, or move to other countries when parents are relocated. We are keen to find out what they are doing, what they are studying and where they are living.

In order to help this process BSB is in the process of setting up an Alumni association, more details of which will follow towards the end of the academic year. If you know of any former students please ask them to get in touch by emailing alumni@britishschool.ro

ALUMNI

BSB Alumni

Where are they now?

Chris Stowe It was a big shock for me in summer 2012, when my cancer diagnosis meant I was unable to return to BSB. I had been enjoying a very happy three years among great colleagues and friends, and lovely children and their parents, and I was very sorry not to be back in Bucharest with you all.

Since being back in the UK, I’ve been able to extend my arts and crafts skills, which do involve the glue and glitter that were so popular in crèche! I’ve also got involved with the charity Macmillan, which provides valuable support for people fighting cancer.

I am now coming to the end of my treatment, and from the difficult times at the start I now feel a lot better. One thing that has really helped me keep positive has been having the support of Jo and many of you during my recovery. I’ve truly appreciated all your warm wishes and being able to keep up with all the school news courtesy of copies of Newsblast! All this has really made me feel still part of the BSB family!

I’ve very much missed you all and watching the children learn and thrive. I’m really looking forward to seeing you all as soon as I can. Thanks again for all your support!

Chris - still feeling part of the BSB family

Chris Stowe

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Introducing: Michael Evenson Hello, My name is Michael Evenson. I’m from a small city about two hours north of Chicago in the state of Wisconsin. I grew up preparing food and working in a resort. My grandparents owned a resort on a lake and we hosted weddings and banquets of all kinds. We served American style food at a good price. Later I ventured away from home and worked in a few fine dining establishments where I enjoyed learning to cook high class food.

Being the new Food and Beverage Manager of BSB is something I am very proud of. Working with the friendly staff and amazing children make coming to work every day enjoyable. I hope to bring some of my cooking skills and ideas to the school. I believe every child should eat a good breakfast. It’s probably the most important meal of the day. We are investigating the possibility of opening a breakfast club.

Introducing: Phil Doganay My name is Phil Doganay and I have just arrived here at school to work as the new Laboratory Technician in the Science department. I’m 49 years old and married. I studied at Istanbul University where I graduated with a degree in Geology and prior to my arrival I was working at the British International School Istanbul. I am very much looking forward to working with the staff in the science department.

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www.imupro300.ro

www.imupro300.ro

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BSB Congratulates: Aoife Kelly Hi everyone, Hugo Stefan Vornicu was born 2 days early weighing 6lb4oz. For the mums... labour was fine (well as fine as labour can be), things moved quickly once I got to hospital at 7pm, he was born at 2.51am.

This picture was taken when he was a few days old.

Thanks to all the parents and children from my Y3 class for Hugo’s gift. With the money we had a newborn photoshoot when he was 21 days old. I also wore the necklace the children got me but you can’t really see it.

Aoife Kelly

BSB Congratulates: BSB Staff

Staff and students have been supporting an initiative to raise funds to buy a washing machine for Casa Ioana. Thanks to their generosity, two washing machines have been purchased and installed. Upon payment of a donation, staff entered a fiendishly difficult quiz written by the Principal! Well done

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to everyone involved. If you want to have a go at the quiz you will find it published in full at the back of the magazine. Answers will be printed in the next issue.

PTA Review So what is BSB really like?

It is the first week back from winter holiday and I am in the Parent’s room having coffee greeting new families into the BSB community. Other parents and senior school staff are also there to greet, reconnect and enjoy a friendly chat. Lots of information is exchanged; where can I get a ballet teacher for my daughter, extra swimming lessons, school uniforms, who else is going on the school ski trip, is it week 1 or 2 now… and so it goes on. But the new parents mostly want to know what BSB is really like – from another parent’s point of view. So how do we respond?

When parents arrive at a new school they have usually gathered all information available about the school, seen the premises, met the staff and compared the academic achievements. What they often lack is a sense of the place – its culture and social environment - something equally important to most parents.

Being a member of the PTA I often find myself faced with this question and it has prompted reflect on my own response, which would go something along these lines…

It’s a young growing school that has managed to keep its ‘family feel’.

Children are well mannered and courteous.

Academics are strong and students are ambitious.

My comments spring from multiple discussions with many different parents about their experiences of BSB (something that seems to come with

contact@ieRomaneasca.com

volunteering to be part of the PTA!). One Mum told me her son, who did not speak much English before joining Secondary School, now feels that BSB is like home. “It’s so friendly” she continues, “one day my son was carrying his artwork to art class when a passing girl in another year stopped and commented: “That’s a really nice painting.” Who would not feel ‘at home’ in such a friendly, sharing environment?

One Dad told me that at the December Artisan Fair he enjoyed a conversation over a glass of mulled wine with a teacher about the latest snowboarding tricks to prepare for the upcoming skiing season… … another Mum said that she was delighted to hear so many ‘please’ and ‘thank yous’ from the children at pick up. “Much more than I ever heard around my school back in the UK…” Others tell me about their children making it into top ranked UK boarding schools, winning competitions, returning to local schools one year ahead academically… the list of achievements goes on.

We have much to be proud about at BSB. And this is what I’d like to highlight when anyone is asking about the school.

A school can’t be everything to everyone but there are very good things to be said and by doing so we make BSB stronger and more enjoyable for everyone.

Now, talking about having fun. Please mark March 21st in your calendars.

It’s the BSB School Ball! Together with Fratelli Studio 1 we are planning an extraordinary night together in black tie, eating superbly and partying until late. Bring your friends – there’s much to celebrate!

Warmest regards,

+40 723 678 662 +40 743 760 634

Susanne Fearnhead

www.ieromaneasca.ro Issue 3 February 2014 www.ieromaneasca.com

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Lower School Review Design and Technology As a class teacher one of my favourite subjects was and still is Design Technology. In many ways this subject reflects what great learning and teaching is about. The students are given a challenge which they have to answer using the range of skills and resources at their disposal.

There are some key skills that need to be taught, rather than letting students learn by trial and error. In my first year of teaching I was taught to make a simple wooden frame using square section wood and card triangles. We were shown how this simple rectangle could be transformed into a cube or a photo frame and also into a vehicle. Over the years I have taught this skill to many classes of students and these simple frames have been made into moon buggies, houses, fire engines, racing cars, cranes and many other things.

When designing and making, students inevitably come across problems which have to be solved. It is important at this stage for the children to persevere with the task and accept that they will not always get it right first time but will be able to learn from their mistakes. The key is to encourage the children to always keep trying and to keep taking risks. They should not be afraid of getting it wrong in order to succeed. The key to effective teaching at this stage is to know when to step back and not give all the answers. Students need to find things out for themselves through skilled questioning and guidance from the teacher and collaboration with others. When working in a group, students are able to share skills and utilise each other’s strengths to overcome their own weaknesses.

“The key is to encourage the children to always keep trying and to keep taking risks�

When designing and making products there are a number of transferable skills from different subjects which can be applied. Through Design Technology challenges students can apply their learning from Maths, Science, Art and ICT to name but a few. Following questions asked by students I have had to investigate the basics of pneumatics and hydraulics in order to help students incorporate these into their designs when making ladders on fire engines rise or lifting a vehicle off the ground for stability. When creating vehicles incorporating a motor, students learn to apply their knowledge of circuits in order to make the wheels go round.

Once a piece of work has been completed, the children reflect on their finished piece and are able to evaluate the design and say what they would change if they made it again. Feedback from teachers or peers is a crucial part of this development process and encourages further improvement.

Design Technology although only one curriculum area encompasses the skills needed in order to become an effective learner. Designing and making a product encourages the development of transferable skills including creativity, problem solving, perseverance, risk taking, collaboration and reflection. These skills are essential to provide students at BSB with a firm learning foundation.

Robert Ford, Head of Lower School

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Crib Spring term

Children using wood blocks to make a tower The children keep very busy in Crib discovering how things work and what things can do. As the weather has been so cold they have been doing lots of activities inside. We continue to go for a walk or to use the play equipment

outside when we can. While inside they enjoy playing and learning together as we encourage them to remember to share their toys and games.

Rachel Gregory

Moulding playdoh can be a great activity when it’s raining!

Making patterns using cornflour can be very messy and a fun activity

The train is always a popular choice for the crib children

They always enjoy their time in the sand tray

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Creche Bears, bears and more bears

Engaging in a role play picnic with a bear This half term in Creche, the children have been reading a collection of bear related stories. Our favourites were “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” “Whatever next?” and “We’re going on a bear hunt” This has led the children onto many different learning adventures and brought out a vast range of new words and ideas.

Creche have been discovering the concept of different sizes. They have been looking at small, medium and big Bear related objects and attempting to order them correctly.

There is a real bear cave in the classroom where the children use their imaginations to act out their favourite stories or where they can just have a quiet space and a cuddle with the class bear.

Claire O’Brien

Using the IWB to tell a story to the class

Using the cave to interact with each other and play cooperatively 14 Newsblast

Small, Medium or Large? Using the language of size to compare bear related objects

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AG&T projects in Primary Accounting Technician Diploma

IT Support Technician Diploma Legal Secretarial Diploma Administrative Assistant Diploma Management Business IT with HR Diploma arrive. The different articles Children in the able or gifted groups in KS2 work on different projects expanded theirDiploma viewpoints from life at BSB itself, throughout the year in withdrawal classes. These classes challenge children to Bucharest and then to Romania as a whole, to help them to make the most Medical Office Diploma Business IT with Marketing & PR Diploma to meet a brief by applying and extending the knowledge they have and can of weekend trips and holidays around the beautiful country we live in.

Medical Secretarial Diploma Business Skills Diploma help them to develop additional skills such as time management, teamwork, Our second project this year is based Office around Philosophy.

In small groups, leadership, participating in discussions or independent BSB is a Media Diploma Microsoft Plus Diploma Business focus.

IT with Social children began by querying what philosophy was and the ‘BIG’ questions member of NACE, the National Association for Able Children in Education, and Support Technician Diploma Business Management Diplomathey felt were important inNetwork life, coming to realise that these were the same we use their guidelines to inform our AG&T policy and procedure. philosophers tried to or are trying to Office Managerhave Diploma Diploma in Workplace Skills questions that many famous The first projects of this year had either a literacy or numeracy theme. In answer. We moved onto discussing moral dilemmas and comparing the major Receptionist Diploma Essential Social Media for Business Diploma numeracy, we examined different types of number sequences, codes and World religions to search for what they may have in common. Finally children Payroll Diploma Event Management Diploma will be asked to produce Sage cyphers. After experimenting and honing their code-cracking talents, children their own ‘Philosophical Guide to Life’, working in went on to produce their own codes or sequences as a display for passers-by teams under the leadership of Y6.

Sage Line 50 Accounts Diploma Executive PA Diploma to try and solve.

Secretarial Diploma Foundation Diploma in Book-Keeping Emily Thomas The literacy focus group worked on individual elements of a welcome booklet Primary AG&T coordinator Social Media for Business Diploma Introduction to Management Diploma to BSB, imagining all the information that a new family might need when they Web Design Specialist Diploma Introduction to Office Skills Diploma

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Pre-School

‘We can make a rainbow!’ Children in Pre-School D grouping colours to make a beautiful rainbow We have had another exciting half term in Pre-School. In Pre-School D we have really enjoyed our learning journey ‘Winter’ and have developed a great understanding of the world and how the weather and things around us can change during a year.

We have been using different weather maps and forecasts to predict what the weather for the week ahead will be like and we had fantastic fun using our amazing rain catchers to find out how much it rains in Bucharest! We have practiced our number skills by comparing numbers on our temperature chart and have seen that although it is cold here in Bucharest, it is very hot in different parts of the world.

The children carried out a fun science experiment on melting and freezing and were all very intrigued by what would happen to the water when we put it into the freezer.

In Pre-School V our learning Journey ‘The three little Pigs’ taught us the importance of accepting and understanding each other’s feelings. We learned about shapes, we measured using straws, rulers, our hands and our feet. We thought of an alternative ending to the story and looked at the way stories are structured and attempted to describe the setting events and main characters.

Our role play corner was turned into a ‘The three pigs construction site’ where we used various resources to help build and repair our houses. We had fun making our own puppets to help us reenact the story and if you heard some wolves howling then for sure you must have been walking past the Pre-School V class.

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Super scientists making ice melt

The Pre-School V role play area ‘Three Pigs construction site’

Ivon and Vanessa worked together to make the brick house

“Please don’t blow our house down”

Tudor is making a pattern using hid fingerprints

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Using ICT to enrich learning in Reception

Developing handwriting and letter formation on a large scale using the IWB In Reception we aim to provide a rich and varied curriculum which inspires learning through a whole range of media. The children have free access to many learning areas. We always have a writing area, a creative station, a book corner, a construction area and an interactive Maths area which includes number, shape and measuring.

At BSB we believe in enriching our curriculum through the use of ICT and as technology evolves, so do the opportunities for applying ICT across the curriculum to enhance learning. Here are some of the ways we use ICT in Reception.

Isobel Ford and Kayleigh Evans

Creating stories

Creating stories on the iPad 18 Newsblast

Adding pictures to develop creative ideas

Developing phonic skills

Phonics practice

Consolidating phonetic knowledge by reading an online story together using the iPad

Developing number skills

Using the laptop in the classroom to reinforce number skills

Developing mathematical vocabulary of position using the Beebot

Counting doubles to help with mental calculations

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Year 1 Toy Story

Exploring and comparing toys for younger children, during a visit to Crib and Crèche Y1 pupils have been enjoying the start to their latest theme ‘Toy Story’. We have had great fun so far exploring a range of toys in our toy shop role play area, puppet theatre and learning how to play and invent new games. This has linked well to our Science work on investigating forces and controlling a programmable toy in ICT and Geography.

The fabulous stories, This is the Bear and the Where’s my Teddy have been the inspiration for our own story writing. The children bought in their own

bears to star in our class book and also to use for observational drawings and description writing.

Our next unit in English will be on instructions, which we will be following to make our own simple toys. We will also be focusing on toys from the past and we are looking forward to ‘Puppet Week’ and excited for more fun whilst learning.

Jodie Lewis

Sequencing instructions to move BeeBot 20 Newsblast

Printing with toys such as Lego to create an image of a toy

Sattvik using papier mache to go on his Mr. PotatoHead junk model

Practicing our skills in turn taking and cooperation

Evelyn and Sattvik in the role play shop

Vicky and Sofia in the role play shop

Tatiana’s observational drawing of her teddy

Luca contributing to the class PowerPoint version of ‘This is the Bear’

Jonah using books to find out more information

Exploring and comparing toys for younger children, during a visit to Crib and Crèche

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Year 2 Working independently and together

A few girls in Year 2P working together for puzzle building during Golden Time on Fridays The children in Y2S have been taking part in the Big Write once a week.

Children are enjoying planning their story before writing independently using the many different resources available to them. Keeping to the Pirate theme,

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children are rewarded with being able to wear a Pirate hat for hard work and good concentration.

Floating and Sinking The children in Y2S were investigating floating and sinking in small groups and recording their results in tables. All children enjoyed discussing different materials, mass, up-thrust, density and gravity in relation to this activity.

Maths Working With Shapes The children in Y2C were building a palace using 3D shapes. They identified the many different shapes used in their building. They counted the number of edges, vertices and faces of their shapes and recorded it.

Making Pirate Boats The children in Y2C designed their own pirate boat after their Science lesson on floating and sinking and after researching what pirate boats looked like in the past during their History lesson. They used their knowledge to produce a suitable boat, which they will test on water later.

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Year 3 Who were the Romans?

Thomas and Alex painting their Roman shields Y3 started the year learning all about the Romans. The children started their topic by taking ownership of their learning choosing the questions they wanted answering, such as ‘Did the Romans brush their teeth?’ ‘What did a Roman soldier wear?’ and ‘Did they eat the same food as we do?’ The Year 3 teachers have had great fun planning the topic around the children’s questions and suggested activities. We have learnt all about the Roman army, houses, clothes, schools, toys and inventions. We even made a Roman shield, sword and some beautiful mosaics for our upcoming Roman Day. In English, the children have begun planning their own adventure story set in Roman times. We have been learning about the importance of a good plan in narrative writing to ensure that there is a clear beginning, middle and end.

The children have been encouraged to show off all the punctuation they have learnt in Kung Fu Punctuation and have done an amazing job! The children have also done a lot of work on persuasive writing and have created some bold posters about road safety with catchy slogans and had some good oral debates about school uniforms and owning pets.

In Science, we have been learning about materials and their important properties. We had great fun putting the Three Little Pigs houses to the test to see which materials were the strongest and most waterproof. We also helped Jack, from Jack and the Beanstalk, to test absorbent materials for him as he accidently spilt some water on the giant’s floor! It has been a fun way to learn about scientific investigations and fair testing.

We cannot wait to share lots more news with you in April!

Charlotte Smith and Dan Thomas

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Isabelle engaged in her reading during Golden Time

Symmetrical Self Portraits – Aaron

Symmetrical Self Portraits – Sofia

Symmetrical Self Portraits – Oggie

Symmetrical Self Portraits – Yul

Symmetrical Self Portraits – Alessia

Symmetrical Self Portraits – Daan

Y3T are always keen to answer Mr. Thomas’ questions

Y3 made their own three frame comic strips

David, Pablo and Damian enjoying a book during Golden Time

Jack and Mr. Thomas enjoying creating a symmetrical pattern

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Year 4 Yorkists vs. Lancastrians

Camila happily sharing her family tree with her friends Y4 started the year learning about the Tudors. The children began by learning how to design and create a headdress for a Tudor King or Queen, in Art & Design. They then leant the Tudor family tree in History. To do this they learnt the features of a family tree by looking at a range of examples, some of which were their teachers’ family trees. Using a range of resources to help them, including books, laptops, iPads and ‘The Tudor Song’ from ‘Horrible Histories’, the children re-created the Tudor family tree. Following on from this, as a homework task, the children created their own family trees to share with their colleagues once back at school.

Tudors and created a shopping list for an upcoming banquet. After selecting ingredients for a meal in the style of ‘Ready, Steady, Cook’ the children created their own disgusting Tudor recipes.

Our work in English taught the children how to write instructions. After researching different types of Tudor food the children imagined they were

After watching a video of Tudor dancing, the children were taught how to use the Apple Software ‘Garage Band’. Their task was to use the program to create appropriate Tudor music to accompany the dancing.

In Geography, the children carried out independent research to create presentations to deliver to the other Y4 class about Yorkshire’s (Y4S) and Lancashire’s (Y4P) involvement in the War of the Roses. In addition to this, Mr Scragg’s class presented what Sheffield was like during this time and Miss Passmore’s class what Burnley was like.

Catherine Passmore and Matthew Scragg

Children share their family trees with their colleagues 26 Newsblast

Modern inventions in Year 5 Gears, lasers, microchips and screwdrivers. Broken technology was left lying in pieces around the room after the Year 5 classes had the chance to dissect modern inventions to kick-start our Spring topic on the ‘Six most important inventions of mankind’. We discovered why floppy discs are called ‘floppy’, what a laser looks like on the inside and how, equipped with a pair of pliers and a screwdriver, 9 and 10 years olds can take apart anything!

Students taking apart different pieces of technology

We began by asking questions: “How can we decide the importance of each invention?” and “What is the difference between an invention and a discovery?” and “Is cake an invention?”, which we then proceeded to answer using our research skills on the iPads and critical thinking. The children also looked at the timeline of significant inventions and what the impact of each has been on human development. This allowed the students to generate their own research questions into inventions of their interest, studying technology from pencils and silicon, to the printing press and diesel engine.

As we have furthered our understanding of historical technology we have encountered the industrial revolution and have begun looking into the effect of the industrial revolution on both the advancement of industry and society.

To help with our understanding of this time period, we have been studying the book ‘Oliver Twist’, by Charles Dickens and have examining the rights of children in Victorian times in comparison to modern day society. This work has been culminating into a ‘Great Exhibition’ which will showcase pieces of written work on the industrial revolution, our newly-invented technology and all of the mathematical learning necessary for its production and packaging.

The Y5 Team

Figuring out what makes a remote control work

Students were amazed to see how microchips are in everything we use

Y5 finding out what makes a watch tick

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Year 6 Chocolate, Amazing Chocolate

Year 6 giving the art supplies Throughout the run up to Christmas Y6 combined their skills and talents to create a successful Chocolate selling business. They went through a designing and making process, which included making prototypes for both packaging and products and learning about the language of advertising. They used their knowledge of Excel in order to keep records of their expenditure and were all happy to make a considerable profit. Thank you to everyone who bought our products at the Artisan Fair.

The children learned the importance of teamwork, as well as the value of being organised and paying attention to detail. They used a variety of ICT and art and design skills throughout the task, as well as honing their knowledge of making 3D shapes from nets.

Arriving at St Stelians 28 Newsblast

At the end of the task they spent their profit on art supplies to donate to one of the school’s charities. On December 17th, just before Christmas both Y6 classes visited St Stelians in person and delivered their supplies. It was an enjoyable experience, as well as an educational one. We learnt about what help some of the most vulnerable children in Bucharest receive from charities like St Stelian’s, as well as having the chance to speak to the children and swap stories of football and school. Both sets of children sang songs to each other and were very complimentary of each other’s singing abilities. It was a lovely way to spend a morning and a great experience for everyone involved.

Both sets of children had questions about the others

It was interesting to hear about the work St Stelians do for the community

Sharing Christmas songs

Children from St Stelians were happy with the gifts of new art supplies

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Me and my pet

Ben and Tiger We have a new pet cat. He followed us to our house one day and as he seemed to like us, we agreed to keep him. We decided to call him Tiger because he crouches and gets ready to pounce on us like a tiger. He is only a kitten so is very playful and affectionate and likes to have lots of naps, especially on a warm radiator or on our laps. Even though Tiger often scratches us when playing, we have grown very fond of him and have bought him toys to keep him happy when we are out at school all day. Apart from fish, Tiger is our first family pet and we have learnt how to feed him, clean up after him and teach him some house rules. He has doubled in size and weight since we have had him but we are still waiting for him to bring home his first hunt!

Max and Ben

Tiger 30 Newsblast

Max and Tiger

Argento Let’s start with my cats. Nala is a Burmese cat and she loves to play with just about anything. She isn’t afraid of my dogs and is very curious. Roxy is a Russian Blue and is quite small. She is a shy cat, but is very affectionate.

Alfie is a mix between a German Shepherd and a Romanian Sheepdog. He is white with a brown face, and has three big brown patches on his back. He loves going for walks. We are also fostering Misty, a pure black Labrador from Light Into Europe. She is a very friendly and lovable dog.

Argento is a dapple grey horse with a silvery mane and tail. He is full of energy and absolutely LOVES jumping. Bella is a half thoroughbred bay horse with a black mane and tail and she has done successfully in jumping competitions.

Polo is a frisky chestnut who is the son of Bella. He is full of energy and is curious about everything.

I am extremely lucky and couldn’t ask for better pets in my family.

Lena

Roxy

Nala

Alfie Issue 3

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Universities

Children on the photography university course discover more about the history of photography, how to use cameras and frame shots and then how to edit and present their images

In Indian cookery university children are learning how to make specific traditional dishes and delicacies

32 Newsblast

Upper primary students are receiving specialist training in university time and out of school to prepare them for the COBIS games

The BSB primary orchestra has been developing over the year and children are loving the opportunity to apply their instrumental skills to bring pieces of music to life as a group

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Clubs

And breathe ... Y1, Y2 and Y3 are improving their ability to stretch and quietly focus in Yoga club

Chess and board games club, across upper primary and secondary gives children the chance to learn and develop specific strategy skills

One of the advantages of mixed age clubs is that children get to meet and have fun with others with whom they wouldn’t normally come across 34 Newsblast

Children are guided through practical science experiments to help them to understand more about the World around them

Practical investigation can be one of the best ways of finding things out

Children have a wide range of opportunities to work with different forms of technology and software across the curriculum and in clubs and universities

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Primary Swimming Lessons Begin with a Splash

Primary students began swimming lessons as part of the PE curriculum this term. The importance of learning to swim, and being confident in water, opens up a plethora of activities that one can then take through childhood and into adulthood. Activities such as canoeing, sailing, snorkelling, jet skiing and surfing can all be accessed by people who are confident in the water.

David Hughes Head of PE

Y4 students work on developing their frontcrawl leg kick

Y1 students learn the basics of good stroke technique with the help of an instructor 36 Newsblast

Assessing each students’ ability before the unit begins

A BSB Christmas

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Year 1 Christmas production

Performing the Red Riding Hood Rap Good morning, good day, here’s a letter coming your way…

On the 10th December Y1 performed their amazing version of ‘The Jolly Christmas postman’.

Their Christmas play was based on the wonderful stories and illustrated books, The Jolly Postman and The Jolly Christmas Postman by Janet and Allan Ahlberg.

Y1 had been studying traditional and fairy tales and their work in English, ICT and Art was incorporated into their production. The children sent postcards as invitations and wrote individual cards and envelopes as programs.

All of their hard work and efforts were reflected in a truly amazing performance and Mrs Lewis and Ms Andreea were so proud to see all of their Y1 stars shine.

Jodie Lewis

Watch out for the wolf Red Riding Hood.

38 Newsblast

Inaya, Salima and Sattvik were fantastic narrators

Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf?

The Postman and Daddy Bear having a cup of tea

The woodcutter saves the day

Delivery for Humpty Dumpty

The hungry wolf

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Waiting for our time to shine

Singing Jingle Bell Rock

Merry Christmas fairytale characters 40 Newsblast

Year 2 Christmas market

Soloist, instruments, and a full choir performing Silent Night All the proceeds raised from the Y2 Musical Market were donated to Asociatia Vasiliada. The charity provided much needed food for children in a rural village.

Y2P displaying their Christmas crafts to sell after many days of hard work

Y2C musicians are performing the first verse of Silent Night

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Musical Extravaganza in Year 3!

Year 3 performing Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree Y3 amazed all of the parents and teachers with all of their musical talent during their Christmas production which took place on Wednesday 11th December. The children sang a range of traditional Christmas carols such as Deck the Halls, Jingle Bells, and some traditional Christmas jingles such as Rockin’ around the Christmas Tree and Wonderful Christmas Time. The singing was supported by some Y3’s playing the violins and recorders and a number of excellent solo music pieces were played throughout the show. The singing, dancing and instrumental work was absolutely superb!

In addition to the singing, the children performed a poem called ‘Sir Winter’ which they had worked hard to perfect during their specialist drama lessons with Miss Oliver. 3T children performed a poem called ‘Santa’s New Idea’, displaying a great deal of confidence in their performance. Furthermore, many of the children performed poems which they themselves wrote during their English lessons. They certainly showed a range of amazing adjectives and super similes.

David, Ritvik, Oggie and Jack during the performance of Sir Winter

Y3 performing Jingle Bells

42 Newsblast

Many thanks to Miss Oliver, Miss Clark and Mr Vic who worked hard with the children to enable them to showcase such a festive delight.

Esperanza and her solo ballet performance to The Nutcacker

Y3T performing Santa’s New Idea

Taking a Bow – what a great show!

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Year 4’s Christmas Variety Performance

Year 4 singing one of their Christmas songs that they learnt in music Y4’s Variety Performance took place on Thursday 12th December, and what a show it was! The children were involved in a variety of acts ranging from singing songs from their Music lessons, to performing plays practised in their Drama lessons.

The children worked extremely hard for a number of weeks in order to create the perfect show. Some children performed songs using instruments, others were brave enough to stand on stage and perform a solo piece.

Children told jokes to the audience that made them laugh and read poems about what Christmas meant to them.

Each class got into the Christmas spirit by singing, dancing and all in all having a ‘Wonderful Christmas Time’

Children in Y4P acting out a scene from ‘The Boy who Laughed at Santa Claus’ 44 Newsblast

Hannah, Ambra and Thea playing their instruments to ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’

Children in Y4S acting out a scene from ‘Saint Nicolas’

‘Twas a night to remember’ with the festive Year Fives

Year 5H ready to recite their poem which they had been learning as part of their drama lessons Y5 ended a wonderful first term with the ‘Y5 Winter Variety Show’ in which all three classes had the opportunity to display their fantastic dramatic skills. The show kick started with class 5D re-enacting the poem ‘Twas the Night before Christmas’ and was swiftly followed by class 5H with Benjamin Zaphania’s amusing Christmas verse titled ‘Talking Turkey’s’. Then class Y5S ended the drama part of the show with a modern twist on the old classic ‘Twas the month before Christmas’.

In between all these enjoyable Year five poetic performances individual Y5 children got to show off their musical talents with different individual pieces they have been learning either at home or in their private music lessons. These were wonderful and the children should be very proud of their achievements.

A big thanks needs to go to Miss Oliver, Miss Clarke and Mr Vic who worked incredibly hard with all the classes and, of course, a big well done to all the children for performing so well on the night.

The Year 5 Team

Y5D used props, including their pj’s, to create the perfect scene

Iggy, one of the fantastic soloists, playing on his guitar

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The Silent Members Christmas… A big smile can be seen on everybody’s face when that word is said, heard, whispered, mumbled or sung. When winter settles in, dozens of coloured lights cover the neighbourhood’s houses, snowmen suddenly pop up on our porches and snowballs are being thrown about in every direction, for as far as the eye can see. Skilfully and swiftly, carollers are dodging them from door to door, for their mission to bring spirit and liveliness can face no delay.

But what is this, on our joyful street? A house filled with two sweet children, brother and sister, so different in habits and manners, that have been waiting playfully for the most exciting night of the year: Christmas Eve. The living room in our great manor is filled with boxes to the top, all of them pouring out little elves, globes of all sorts, magical music boxes and many, many more small items that shall soon turn our humble room into Father Christmas’s Workshop.

And, of course, in the middle of it all a tall pine tree towers over, scraping the ceiling with its tip. Our dear siblings have been up since dawn, mustering and mumbling who should open what box, count how many elves are left from last Christmas, or even eat what’s left of the shortening-bread mother left on the counter. This serious task was looming in front of them, as all of the boxes had to be opened and organised before afternoon arrived, for that was the time to decorate the tree. An easy mission to accomplish, one might say, but not for our two little rascals, as they constantly argued, fought, screamed, ran, threw little bits of tinsel at one another and took a shortening-bread break every once in a while, which was quite often for the two.

The afternoon was closing in…

But who I am that sees all this? How can I know such things that are going on in a winter day, in a warm manor, with two little children oh so playfully waiting for Christmas… I sit on the first box our dear two opened, gazing with my wooden eyes at their cheerful scenes and cheering with joy every time they uncover one more of my kind. I see brother Joseph lying on the couch, with his tin hat and pointy ears, aunt Miriam there on the chair in the corner, popping out of her box with her bright green eyes and pointy ears, greatgrandfather Francis gazing with his thick coal eyebrows from across the room, right from the bottom of the pine tree. Do I really need to say he has pointy ears? We all have pointy wooden ears in our family, my mother and father do and it’s not something uncommon among Christmas decorations. I pity the tree elf without pointy wooden ears.

The afternoon was nigh.

Our children are still strutting around the room, trailing through the boxes and toys, but what is that sound coming from the door? A swift click and a clank, and two parents come inside. The father shakes his moustache at the sight of the terrible mess in the living room but then cheerfully bursts into laughter and joins the children. Mother smiles and jumps in, but not before bringing another batch of sweet ginger bread that was baking in the oven. Of course, now that some adults have finally arrived, the games and lack of productivity stopped, and my family was reunited on the armchair next to window and near the lamp. You could almost hear us clatter with joy, finally reunited after such a long time. There were more of us than usual, as even uncle Thomas with my cousins Jeremy and Laurence came by, in an incredible feat of colour, as they were skilfully painted in the green of hills, yellow of suns and red of roses.

Truly a sight to behold, as all of our family, from me (the smallest piece of tinder was larger than thee) to my father (tall as a pencil) was there, anxiously waiting for the great Eve of Christmas.

As the afternoon passed and the sun had set, our dear family started decorating the pine tree. With our family’s oldest members at the top, proudly 46 Newsblast

showing off their colours to the evening lights of Eve, to me and the other little ones here, at eye level, gazing curiously at what is going to happen, as this was our first Christmas Night. Strips of tinsel were thrown about, almost finishing the transformation of our pine tree into a proper Christmastide Tree.

Only one more thing had to be done: pick the elf who was going to crown at the top, in the tip of the tree, for this year. The parents gazed in astonishment, wondering which one of my kind should they choose, while the children gazed curiously, poking and pointing at numerous of my cousins and sisters.

Suddenly, out of the nowhere, two small pairs of hands grab me, lift me up proudly and deafeningly cheer : “Mother, father! ‘Tis he whom we choose! ‘Tis he who shall be our great elf for this Eve of Yule!”.

Even if I had a mouth, I still believe I couldn’t have blurted out a single word, as I froze in a flash of surprise, barely making out what had happened. Before I knew it, I was at the top of the tree, gazing over all of the room, the great elf of our Christmas Tree. The keeper of the Eve. All of my kind was whispering and throwing glances upwards, whilst my mother and father nodded proudly at me, with silvery tears of joy in their eyes.

From there on, there was little to be seen : our children were exhausted, our parents tired and my kind could finally rest after a whole day of reuniting. But it was only the Eve of a great time : tomorrow, we would have all rested and our stories of past and cheerful happenings may soon be told. I heard it’s not too different for humans. It will be easy to listen and see everything this year, as I have the best overview a wooden toy Christmas elf with wooden pointy ears could wish for.

Our family has gone to sleep, the children slumbering until the time to open the presents comes near, my kind sleeping, awaiting another proud day of reuniting, but I still silently await for the Sandman to close my eyes. Gazing outwards through the windows, my eyes begin to close as I faintly distinguish a small figure, with a neat red suit, bright green eyes and pointy little ears?

Could it be…

by Gruia

Christmas Eve It’s become more and more of a game of torture watching over them. Christine is slowly moving on, I’m starting to slowly fade away. She’s taking good care of Maddie and the poor kid is still baffled by my sudden disappearance.

‘Where’s daddy?’ she would ask. Depending on how Christine feels, she’s getting actual or ambiguous answers. I love how Christine has never used the “he’s on a long trip” card. She still keeps her sense of reality and never lies to Maddie.

As it passes, each day cuts through me and I feel weaker. It’s been long since I left my girls and they are slowly forgetting the pain that clawed at them the day I died. All I remember is me screaming at them to look at me. I don’t remember why I laughed so hard when I realised I wasn’t technically there anymore.

Since then I dared not to leave our house. I was somehow stuck there too, given that I’d died in a completely different place. I spent every single day watching Christine waking up, living her life, and Maddie as well. At first I refused to look at them, but I soon came to terms that they were never going to talk to me again, so I just continued with my after life as well.

I would make myself a cup of tea every now and then, but since I couldn’t drink it, I would leave it on the kitchen counter and Christine would think Maddie made it for her. I try to do small unnoticeable things to brighten their days, and the days when I succeed are the best days of my not-life.

So here I am, weaker than ever before, trying to catch a last glimpse of my girls decorating the Christmas tree. They say a ghost ceases to exist when their families genuinely forget about them. This cannot be undone and I’m living in fear of what’s going to happen next: who will watch over them? What does come after death? Millions of questions crowd in my head and I try to ignore them. Will they ever forget me? I do hope not.

together. The next hour or so is filled with their laughter and cheer, and for a brief moment I forget I cannot share my happiness with them. I look at them from what feels like miles away, and I want to be happy with them and have just another slice of Christine’s amazing cake.

And what’s Christmas without presents of course?

Maddie is then told that Santa will only come if she is a good girl and she goes to sleep. She protests at first, but she eventually lets Christine tuck her in. She also gets her favourite teddy bear and a kiss goodnight, but only after she says her prayers and gives mommy a big hug.

I’m close to leaving them again, I’m fading. The last words that come to my mind are ‘please don’t make me go’.

‘Aren’t you forgetting something?’ I hear Christine say and a flicker of light flashes through me.

‘I miss you and I love you, daddy,’ Maddie says as she pulls her teddy in a tight embrace.

The flicker I felt earlier transforms into a large flame. I know my girls aren’t going to forget me anytime soon, so I will get to spend another Christmas with them. I placed a bet against fate and dared it to take me away from Christine and Maddie. Their love was strong enough to keep me near them. I know they still feel me around.

by Alessandra

After the star is placed on the top of fir tree and the tinsel is carefully wrapped around it, Maddie begins a quest of gathering flour, milk, eggs and whatever else Christine asks her to bring for the Christmas cake they make every year

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The Shoe Box Trip, 19th December 2013

Ioana, Arina, Luka, Ana Maria and former student Dora are loading the car with the shoe boxes for Casa Ioana The experience of the journey to Casa Sf Iosif has allowed us to know how privileged we are. On the 19th December we went to the charity located in sector 3 to deliver a part of the shoe boxes made by BSB students during the Shoe Box Appeal. The Day Centre Casa Sf.Iosif provides everything the children need in order to live the healthiest lifestyle they can possibly enjoy and to balance out the negative effects of their lives at home. Even if at home, with their parents, the children often get negatively influenced and suffer from various household, health and family problems, the centre tries to offer them a loving surrounding and many activities that benefit them in their development.

When we arrived the children were delighted to have some guests and they enthusiastically showed us the small production they had prepared. After the production we had time to play with them individually and connect more personally with them. The journey back was slightly less enthusiastic, as some of us as well as some of the children found it hard to be separated from their guests, which had shown concern for their situation. We enlightened their day whilst they enlightened ours.

“I really liked the show which the children did. They worked really hard and it made me remember being that little myself. The show made me really happy and I enjoyed my time with the young children as we did creative activities. I hope that we get to visit them next year as well.”

Eleftheria - Y3S

“I felt really happy and excited visiting the children and I liked seeing the children who were getting our boxes. I hope that they liked the presents and that they got the fat Santa Claus they wanted!”

Alessia - Y3S

Helene, Mariam, Mohammed, Y11

“I thought it was really interesting to see how children without a lot of money lived and how their school helped them. My favorite part of the trip was watching the show they put on for us. If I got the opportunity to return I would play with the children and make more friends.”

Brecht and David, Y2

Presents piling high under the generous BSB Christmas tree 48 Newsblast

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Christmas Carol Service

Primary choir This was held at the Anglican Church and was in the traditional ‘Service of Nine Lessons and Carols’ format. The readings to illustrate the Christian message were read by Y6 students through to Y13 and the culmination of the story was read by Mrs. Puddy-Wells.

Between each reading there was a musical performance; soloists, small ensembles and whole congregational singing of the most popular Christmas Carols. Ana Maria gave an angelic performance of Schubert’s Ave Maria and other highlights included Alisa Mielu’s singing group’s rendition of Adams’ O Holy Night with Abisola taking the solo verses.

There were moments of sweetness with the Primary School Choir singing Silent Night and the massed voices of Y6 and Y7 in Away in a Manger.

We should thank Adina the organist and Father Jan Jensen for accommodating us in the beautiful building and helping our service to run smoothly and also the parents who came to share the seasonal atmosphere.

Sally Clark 50 Newsblast

Ana Maria’s angelic ‘Ave Maria’

A festive feel inside the beautiful church

The choir singing ‘O, Holy Night!’

The Primary choir leads the congregation

Listening to the Nine Lessons

Parents, staff and students enjoying the service

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Artisan Fair 2013

The annual jamboree that is the Artisan Fair took place in school towards the end of the Autumn Term. Many local artisans and charities were in attendance as was Father Christmas! Performances from the steel band and choir added to the great atmosphere in the Dining Hall and Newlands.

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54 Newsblast

Secondary Review I am clear in the belief that any curriculum which is trying to guide our children towards an unpredictable future must seek to educate for creativity alongside more traditional values and systems which were, arguably, the mainstay of education in the twentieth century. Sir Ken Robinson has been at the forefront of a movement highlighting the need for a change in educational emphasis and he argues that “creativity is not an ability that only some people have….. [but] a process that draws on aptitudes that we all have”. One could easily go further and suggest that the leaders, managers and shapers of the twenty first century will need to draw heavily upon their creative abilities in order to be successful in any sphere and thus it is our duty to ensure that creativity is fostered and developed.

Creativity is development, transformation and innovation. The BSB Art and Design teachers believe and convince with justification that it is at the root of all we do. The designer’s job is to reimagine, reinvent and refine. Whether this be the design of a new camera, website, financial tool or a marketing strategy, the fundamental principles and strategies are the same. It is the business of assessing what came before and exploring new visions for the future. To learn the skills and aptitudes in this field is to become equipped with the tools required to be creative - skills required for any future career.

I have been extremely impressed and inspired by the work of our Year 8 students using SketchUp in the past few weeks. This is a digital tool for modeling in three dimensions and the program can tackle a vast range of design projects encompassing architecture, interior design, mechanical engineering and product design. The students will continue to use the application to refine their skills and begin to incorporate their own design elements developing a unique identity for their product. This will include designing a distinctive form and aesthetic as well as considering the product’s specific purposes and target markets. The point of the skills being taught is to equip and empower students with a diverse range of experiences and knowledge that can in the future be applied to a huge range of contexts.

“It is our duty to ensure that creativity is fostered and developed”

Mr Williams described possible next steps which can include Shaderlight and V-ray programs enabling SketchUp models to be more realistically rendered whilst further programs will include data presentation applications, image editing, video editing and communication software. He anticipates that projects will increase in breadth and necessitate knowledge of a larger range of skills including research, data collection and analysis.

I witnessed one further significant benefit. The power of this type of work is evident in engendering genuine collaborative work. Opportunities such as these are vital - to practise communication, active sharing of ideas and a real working dialogue as students constructively critique each other’s work.

Proactivity and ownership of work is expected and the process encourages this. This has to be a central tenet of education for a future we cannot as yet visualise.

Philip Walters, Head of Secondary

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Secondary Poetry Poetry Corner “Poetry is like music, only with less notes and more words.” Eddie Izzard makes poetry sound so simple, but creating a meaningful, effective poem without resorting to bad rhymes and clichéd images can be exceptionally difficult. Last term, Key Stage 3 studied a poetry unit and Year 8 were asked to produce their own conflict poem. After studying the work of Wilfred Owen, Jessie Pope and Imtiaz Dharker, they produced some high-quality verse which I am proud to share with you.

You Out There!

You, leaders out there You command us in a way that makes us think That your souls are bare The things we saw You would see in horror movies!

Worse than werewolves…

We thawed our fingers with salt You had a bath with some bath salts The last time we bathed, we were in blood!

Your kids are crying because they lost a game, Our are crying because they might never see dad again!

We are humans, we stand for freedom Not demons standing for hate and pain We once dreamed that no one could be a demon But right now our dreams have ceased…

Alexandru, Y8

Dear Arthur...

The time has come.

It has arrived.

War...

As my heavy, old legs are rushing through the snow, My hands are trembling.

My 100 years have passed.

And war has come, at last.

Hard times, Memories.

The cinnamon smell.

Life was an apple pie, Now the time has come for us to die.

In heaven we will be, Still, together, my beautiful Arthur, We will rest in peace...

Cristina, Y8

Conflict Poem As I look down to the city below Where there are bombs and bullets I see the little children crying And the dangerous flies flying Once again, I ask ‘Why?’ The people I know Have changed Most of them are dead I wonder what they did?

Again, I would like to ask ‘Why?’ The nearest building just fell Everyone must feel like they’re in hell The fire comes roaring up Blazing in my eyes Yet again, I will ask ‘Why?’ Now I start to cry The most important person is about to die Her powerless body gets elevated up to the sky She gets blown into the sky like she is trying to fly I simply want to know ‘Why?’ Thanks to you, people have died Thanks to you, people have cried Thanks to you, people will fly But yet, still no one knows why.

Josh, Y8

As the bomb has come and death has arrived, a SPLASH of memories flew suddenly in my head.

The time of our lives when we were together.

The time of our lives when we lived happily.

The time of our lives when we got old, no children.

Now... The time of this melancholic life when we drew breath together.

My dear sweetheart, this magic has died, Old with no children and no family.

Yes, now death is right here.

56 Newsblast

Going Over the Top I knew my time would come soon, The grip of life was tightening on me.

As I look up, I notice the dark clouds, Menacing, growling, and suddenly the crack of thunder Starts the never-ending rain.

I see my friend Kneeling, praying, With tears in his eyes

And sweat down his face But he couldn’t resist, no one could.

We’re not like that Like old hags Who cough sad jokes We’re bigger than that Wake up women – Should I give you a poke?

As the deafening whistle sounds, We all charge, half asleep, Towards the enemy trench, Through the soft mud, And then we see them.

Dear, oh dear….

Are you all afraid?

Of big old generals?

Will you hide in the shade?

As I look around me, I see my friends dying, Blown to shreds by the merciless shells, A mixture of blood and mud splatters on my face, I see my friend on the floor with his stomach beside him, But no, I must keep going.

I see a poor young soldier, His leg blown off and his eyes full of terror, He uses his rifle as a crutch, limping to the rear, Some stretcher-bearers come to help, But the pain is too much.

Among the living, lay the dead, The population ever-decreasing, A useless sacrifice of life And an ever-increasing amount of dread.

Suddenly the cold bullet rams into my chest, I look down, blood oozing out of my wound, The shrieks of agony and pain are becoming more distant now, I fall to the wet soggy ground and I see a white light, For the first time in all my life, I felt peace.

Luka, Y8

We Are Women

I am a fighter IN FACT I am bigger Fixing people’s wounds From a poxy trigger!

I want to be nursed I want to feel the pain I am not insane!

We have rights We are women!

We are equals Just like men I don’t want war Between us and males But we want to fight And set sail Set sail to war For the enemies Not for each other We are women We are fighters Malika, Y8

I am a woman A strong one indeed And we women Well, men… we do need, But when we’re restricted To just one simple job It’s frustrating, you see But it does NOT make us sob.

We can fight Like men may do Just as well, in fact, We’re a bigger crew But we’re pathetic Apparently Men think low of us All we do is laundry I am a woman In the war Just a nurse But I want to be more Like a giant, In charge of them all Like a boss, I shout the calls Women are fighters!

Never doubt that We can do the same

Conflict Poem Is war a joke?

Is it you who lets young children play vile games?

Is it you who lets the concept of guns, death and war seep Into their minds?

When I walk past the local school, All I see is children holding guns, as if they Were a peace machine.

Every time I visit my grandchildren, I step through the door And I’m hit with the sound of guns booming, My own grandchildren playing the vile war games, Laughing and joking about this serious matter!

The war games in our shops, Are they what is needed for our society?

Are these the things we want our children thinking are ‘OK’?

You might be playing them In front of your children’s eyes.

Is that a good example?

Bang boom boom, Boom bang boom, This is all our children hear!

Constantly, constantly letting the concept of war, terrorism and Conflict burn into their minds!

Patrick, Y8

Issue 3

February 2014

57

Secondary “How We Teach” Open Evening

I hadn’t expected to be cutting onions last Thursday evening, or dropping acid. But it was an evening full of surprises.

Staff of Secondary departments in Science, Maths, MFL and Drama hosted How We Teach in order to give parents insight into the British approach to education. The main message: People learn by doing. In Science at BSB, kids prepare slides to view under the microscope themselves, rather than sitting and watching their teacher do it; in MFL they actually converse in French, or Spanish, or German, rather than just looking at a text; they master maths in classes that require them truly to understand how to use it, whether they need more support or more stimulation, rather than simply being pushed to memorise and repeat facts.

Staff also clarified other distinctive features of the British system. Messrs Flood and Coope illustrated the ‘spiral system’ of learning maths, where topics are cycled through repeatedly at increasing depth and complexity to ensure that children grasp and retain the themes and how they relate to each other. Ms Oliver involved us in a demonstration of why Drama is such an important part of a British education. Group work is central to drama, as it is to success in life. At the same time, drama instills in our kids the ability to stand up alone in front of others and speak without laughing (or crying), which will be used by them long after they have left school.

Parents appreciated the forum for asking questions about the curriculum our kids engage with everyday. Many of us had very different experiences in our own secondary education. Few of us had been allowed to drop hydrochloric acid on calcareous rocks to watch them fizz. And it was thrilling to suddenly see that onion zoom into focus on the microscope, revealing its tiny nuclei, cell walls and hidden beauty. All of this was fun - but, more importantly, it was memorable.

Jennifer Mahon (Year 8 parent)

58 Newsblast

ISTA Trip to Istanbul Just before Christmas, I took nine secondary students on a trip to Istanbul in order to participate in a theatre festival. The International Schools Theatre festival is an organisation that promotes theatre across the world, mounting four day long events for teenagers. During the festival, the students stay with students who are at the host school and take part in a variety of different drama workshops run by professional actors, musicians and directors.

We arrived on the afternoon of Thursday 5th December. What seemed like hundreds of teenagers milled around in a huge hall, all speaking different languages. Our nine students looked slightly nervous and I wondered whether it had been such a good idea! However, they gradually began to introduce themselves to the hosts and once they had participated in some introductory drama workshops, began to look much happier.

The next three days passed in blur. After the first day, we didn’t see much of our students. They were far too busy in workshops or hanging out with their new friends! Mr O’Brien and I made sure we checked on them every couple of hours but they were either so engrossed in what they were doing that they didn’t see us or they looked vaguely embarrassed whenever we enquired whether they were OK. I even got to take part in a couple of teacher workshops - a huge treat - while Mr O’Brien made his excuses, citing ‘too much work’ when invited to a take part in a lesson on Dance-Drama!

Sunday, the final day of the festival, arrived far too quickly. After the performance of an hour long piece of devised theatre, the students had to say goodbye to their new friends. I think there were a few tears. I certainly felt very sad to be leaving and saying goodbye to the teachers and workshop leaders I had met.

The technical rehearsal for the final performance

Was it a valuable experience for those students who took part? Definitely!

Watching them become more confident and independent as the festival progressed was incredibly rewarding, not to mention the obvious enjoyment they took in learning and applying their new drama skills. I really hope it is something they will remember for years to come.

Victoria Oliver

Students participating in one of the many workshops

Aryan, Luca Stefan and Sasa on the trip to a nearby palace Issue 3

February 2014

59

Winston Churchill Champions

On 3rd of February the BSB debating team took part in the Winston Churchill debating competition along with three other international schools in Bucharest. After a shaky start debating whether or not the street dogs in Bucharest should be euthanised, the team won the next two impromptu rounds to reach the final. Here the BSB team had to oppose the motion that the free movement of labour is more beneficial to individuals than nations.

After a heated and gripping debate against Cambridge School, BSB won over the distinguished panel of judges to claim the 1st place prize. Congratulations to all our debaters, some of whom were taking part in their first ever debating event. We look forward to hosting the Winston Churchill competition at BSB next year.

Elisabeth Citron

60 Newsblast

BSB Humanities Week The 1st BSB Humanities week was held between January 20th and 24th. It was launched in an assembly on the 20th when the students heard why the Humanities teachers loved their subjects and the importance of studying them. Over the course of the week there were a range of activities that the students participated in. Here is a summary: The whole school was invited to participate in the World Flag quiz which was on display in the library. The lucky winners of this won their own Romanian flag!

Year 7 We (the Y7’s) had a trip to the Synagogue to find more about the Jewish traditions and their beliefs. When we arrived there, it was magnificent. The paintings on the windows and the beautiful sculptures made us feel pure and unique. We had to sit on some old chairs that were sometimes moving. Ina, who was our guide, talked to us calmly about their traditions and answered all our questions. I think that the most interesting thing that I learned is that the Jews and the rabbi can’t touch the Torah. They have a stick and while reading their holy book, they use it. When it breaks, they do not throw it in the garbage… they bury it. This thing really impressed me. At the end we thanked Ina for helping us understand the Jewish culture. It was a really interesting and fun journey!

Elenis, Y7M

Year 8 For Humanities week, Y8 combined their lessons in Geography, History, PSHCE and World Religions. We had to create a poster or a booklet about either a historical figure or event and design it in a Horrible Histories format.

Some of the examples that my peers chose were: Elisabeth of Austria, the Titanic and Florence Nightingale. I enjoyed this project as it was riveting and because we could choose a topic that we found impressive so we could learn more about it.

Chloe, Y8C

Year 9 On Monday, all of Y9 went to the Newlands lunch hall for special geographical activities, in honour of Humanities Week. We began the day with a special trading and manufacturing game. Students were separated into several groups; each one representing a country (U.K., USA, Brazil, Kenya, Ghana or India). Our goal was to earn as much money as possible by manufacturing goods using only paper, pencils, rulers and scissors. This was played very competitively (and noisily!). In the end, the winning countries were Ghana (who were assisted by a late gift of extra paper), U.K. and the USA. After the lunch break, we were all put into different groups for special team working games based on the values of farming cooperatives that have been set up in some developing countries. Some of the activities involved getting hoops around a circle and building a bridge blindfolded guided by our peers.

Overall, it was a good day and everyone enjoyed their time.

Calista, Y9S

Year 10 Y10’s visited an exhibition of the Czech photographer Josef Kouldelka. His photos of the Warsaw pact invasion of Prague 1968 were on display in the Annex of the Museum of Contemporary Art. Humanities week was a great success and we look forward to developing it further next year!

Sarah Palmer, Ciaran McGowan, Hannah Straw

Issue 3

February 2014

61

Learning to cooperate during Humanities Week

62 Newsblast

School Teams Gear Up for Second Half of the Year

U9 line up against IBSB The football season takes a short break over the winter months and the Inter-School leagues are planned to start up again in March. Meanwhile, the basketball teams are preparing for their matches and the swimming teams have begun training ahead of competitions in March and April.

David Hughes Head of PE

U9 Football Team against IBSB

Inaugural Student-Parent-Staff Football Tournament Ends in Stalemate The inaugural Student-Parent-Staff took place on Sunday 8th December at Herastrau Park. The first game was won by the students, beating the parents in a classic youth versus experience battle. The student team was dealt a blow in their bid to become the first winners of the trophy after losing to the teachers in the second game. The teachers then needed a win or draw against the parents but came unstuck and lost out resulting in all teams winning and losing one game. With no clear winner the trophy remains unclaimed until next year. Many thanks to all the parents, staff and students who took part in what we hope will become an annual event.

David Hughes Head of PE

Teams line up ahead of the tournament Issue 3

February 2014

63

All Students Roped in to Second Inter-House Competition of the Year

Olt working hard as a team The second Inter-House competition of the academic year took place with students competing in the Tug-of-War competition. This year the spoils went to Mures in the Primary competition and Arges in Secondary. The winning teams not only picked up the trophy, but they were then able to compete against a team of teachers as their reward.

It was great to see all the students enjoying themselves and particular congratulations to Mures and Arges in for winning the Primary and Secondary competitions respectively.

Arges lifting the Secondary trophy 64 Newsblast

Mures battling to get the rope to their side

Teachers taking on students from Arges

Issue 3

February 2014

65

Manners Maketh Man (and Woman!)

Filippo and Muhammad from Year 11 holding the Competition Box At BSB we are very proud of how polite and courtesy our students are in and around the school. It is not an uncommon sight for our students to hold a door open, express their gratitude to the kitchen staff in the lunch hall or to a teacher at the end of a lesson. These simple courtesies are not to be taken for granted; their importance in social interactions later in life are not to be underestimated and they are valued at BSB. In recognition of International Thank-You Week starting on 11th January we held an assembly to promote ways in which we can all uphold these simple values. There was a competition, where students translated the word thank you in 26 different languages and the winning entry was drawn from a box. Thank you for reading!

These girls prove that manners cost you nothing!

66 Newsblast

Secondary Art

The new mural is now well underway and we are happy with its progress. It should look particularly spectacular in the bright sunshine!

In Design Technology we have utilised the spare laptops in order that all students can learn the basics in SketchUp at once, albeit on different platforms. The students are all at various stages in their experience and knowledge and so a YouTube account has been specifically set up to provide tutorials to the more advanced students. Once the students have learned how to animate their work they will be able to directly upload our YouTube account and share their designs with each other. Watch this space!

Currently Y8 are creating models of cameras in preparation for their own concepts later in the term.

SketchUp Y8 Designing Cameras

Issue 3

February 2014

67

Rehearsals for ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ We’re three months in to our five month rehearsal process and I am feeling optimistic. The students returned from their Christmas Break with their lines learnt and songs memorised and now we’re at the stage where we can really start exploring the play in rehearsal.

Without scripts, the students are discovering connections and ideas that they never saw before. They are moving more freely about the stage and beginning to use gesture and vocal tone in a way that is appropriate for their character.

The best part of rehearsal is when one of them will look up and say ‘Miss, I never knew this play was so FUNNY!’ To me this means that they’re making sense of it all and that the wariness that they had at the beginning of the process (‘But Miss, Shakespeare’s boring!’) is dropping away.

Gradually we’re adding bits of music and using it to underscore the text. Who knew that Shakespeare and ‘The Beatles’ fit so well together? The characters of the fairies have become yoga fanatics somewhere along the way and the dynamics between the four central characters are becoming much clearer, with hilarious results!

Dilara (Titania) and Filippo (Baottom) work on the blocking for their scene

Tudor (Theseus) and Stefan (Demetrius) rehearse the opening scene

68 Newsblast

‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ opens on March 19th and runs for two nights are Fratellis Studios. Tickets will be available two weeks before at the main reception.

30TH JUNE TO 25TH JULY 2014 AGES 4 TO 16 YEARS

www.britishschool.ro/summerschool summerschool@britishschool.ro

42 Erou Iancu Nicolae Street, 077190, Voluntari, Ilfov County, Romania T. +40 21 267 89 19, +40 728 133 432, +40 728 133 433

BSB Quiz 1.

Which track took One Direction to #4 in the US Charts, #7 in Australia and #1 in the UK?

26. Only 2 countries in the world are not only landlocked but are surrounded by countries that are landlocked. Name them both.

2.

206=BITHB

27. 2=WDMAR

3.

Sir Issac Newton invented a simple household device, still used by animal lovers today. What was it?

28. Which language was spoken by the members of the RAF squadron that scored the most “kills” during the Battle of Britain?

4.

What linked the 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony to the horror movie The Exorcist?

29. Which lyricist wrote the line, “Why do birds suddenly appear, every time you are near?”

5.

Second line of a limerick by Lear, name the place that the subject of the limerick comes from, ‘Who stood on one leg to read Homer’.

30. What year did Romania join NATO?

6.

In 2004 which symbol became the first to be added to the Morse Code since WW2?

7.

At the end of the nineteenth century British soldiers who had finished a tour of India were usually holed up at a military camp 100 miles NE of Bombay, sometimes for months, and it drove many of them barmy.

A slang form of the camp’s name quickly passed into common usage.

What was it?

8.

Which former international cricketer’s initials were MCC?

9.

The impact of the BBC TV drama Cathy Come Home was so intense it led to the founding of which charity?

10. Yes, No and Goodbye are the only words found on what?

11. Which SE Asian country has 9 royal families, each of whose heads takes it in turn to be king?

12. 50=GWA 13. Johnny Cash became addicted to painkillers after being attacked by what?

31. Despite the fact that his nurse was in attendance at his deathbed, Einstein’s last words are unknown. Why? 32. Which European city claims to be the setting for more operas than anywhere else in the world?

33. The first was a comedian in 1942 since then there have been more than two and a half thousand. What?

34. What links a theatre and the number 46?

35. Which notorious figure from 1950s Britain is buried in an unmarked grave in Amersham?

36. Who wrote Hotel du Lac? 37. What is the common Japanese abbreviation of a longer phrase meaning ‘the digits must remain single’?

38. Asked in a 2002 survey which was Britain’s highest mountain, what percentage of respondents answered ‘Mount Everest’?

39. 42=TATLTUAE 40. Who owns the pitch at the Chelsea Football Club?

14. What is the most read publication in the UK?

41. What did Heinz reintroduce due to parental demand?

15. What phrase do you get when you combine the Beatles’ first ever record and an orang-utan?

42. How many replies did Sting get to his message in a bottle?

16. Which Twentieth century poet’s nickname was Possum?

17. Which US state has more types of mosquito than any other?

18. In 1994 he appeared in a film whose title contained just 2 letters. Just under a decade later he started hosting a TV show, the title of which was the 2 letters reversed. Who is he?

19. 36=SOTCL 20. In September 2005 The Mirror reported that a Frank Sinatra impersonator had been arrested for speeding. What was the name of the policeman that arrested him?

21. How many centimetres at it’s widest is the world’s narrowest street?

22. Which Oscar winning actor turned down the role of Del Boy in Only Fools and Horses, but did appear in several episodes?

23. Who according to legend sent a telegram to the Queen in the 1970s that began, ‘Dear Liz’, and urged her to be in touch if she wanted to know a real man?

24. Uniquely, what crime is considered an instantly sackable offence for a BBC employee?

25. What was the first major film in which the 2 lead actresses both had surnames beginning with Z?

70 Newsblast

43. Which death is the odd one out James Dean, Jackson Pollock, Albert Camus, and Marc Bolan?

44. H.R.H. Crown Princess Margarita of Romania inherited her mother’s collection of what?

45. What can be estimated by the formula √(3x/2), where x is height above sea level in feet?

46. In 1993 why did so many people deliberately misaddress their envelopes in the USA after attaching the Post Office’s most profitable stamp?

47. Eight kings named Edward and eight named Henry have ruled England.

But which ruled collectively for the longest, the Edwards or the Henrys?

48. 10=GBHOTW 49. What percentage of snake species are venomous?

50. Who said, ‘I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully’?

51. Which London Underground station has the same name as a station on the Paris Metro?

52. What were soldiers in the British army first allowed to wear in 1902?

53. Who spent decades being addressed as Prisoner Number 7?

54. How long in miles is the River Danube?

55. What name links Mr. Burns and Scotty?

56. What is the percentage of British adults that do not believe in evolution?

57. What is ‘snarge’?

58. How many teams in the American NFL? 59. 4=PIAQ 60. Which legend is associated with Polovragi Cave located in Oltenia?

61. In Sergio Leone’s film, which character gets killed in the 3-way duel at the end: The Good, the Bad or the Ugly? And who played him?

62. What does a turkey do for 28 days and a pigeon for 18 days?

63. According to the song what might you do on the Pont St-Benezet in the South of France?

87. Which family band began as a duo playing in their aunt’s pub McManus’s, and were awarded honorary MBE’s by the Queen in 2005?

88. What cable connects a cable modem to a wireless router?

89. Edgar Allen Poe, Chairman Mao, Doris Day, Harold Wilson, Sir Walter Raleigh, Bob Dylan, Matt Busby. All mentioned where?

90. Misty the dinosaur’s skeleton was bought at auction for 400 000 GBP this year, which type of dinosaur was he?

91. He is now number 266, and before his current job he had been a chemical researcher, bar bouncer and cleaner? Who is he?

92. 3=BM 93. Which 2012 film starred Bill Nighy, Judi Dench and Tom Wilkinson?

94. Which bank founded in 1852 in San Francisco has a tagline today that reads ‘Together we’ll go far’?

64. Dallas returned to the TV screens in 2012 after more than 20 years, but when was it first broadcast?

95. What was Sherlock Holmes’ brother called?

65. Which Shakespearean character spoke the line, ‘There is a tide in the affairs of men’?

96. Which philosopher established the Academy in Athens that is recognised as the first institution of higher learning in the Western world

66. Which neutral country was invaded by an Anglo-Soviet force in 1941?

67. Where can you find George Enescu, Isadora Duncan and Oscar Wilde?

68. Who was the first full time President of the European Council?

69. 100=CIAE 70. What name links a character in The Italian Job, novels by Catherine Cookson and a song published in 1902?

97. 7=BFSB 98. Which famous French artist worked as a labourer on the Panama canal?

99. Who does Kendall Jenner owe her middle name to?

100. To whom does Superman give his Kryptonite ring for safe keeping?

101. 267=TOBSBC

71. Why did Nadia Comaneci’s perfect score at the 1976 Montreal Olympics only show up as a 1 on the judges’ scoreboards? How old was Comaneci at the time?

72. Who said ‘I don’t mind living in a man’s world as long as I can be a woman in it’?

73. Name the fruit that earned its name because of the way it hangs in bunches?

74. Giant George the world’s tallest dog passed away in 2013 at the age of 7. To which breed did he belong?

75. How many old pennies were in a Groat?

76. 25=KATWRT 77. Which general inspired Bram Stoker’s Dracula character?

78. There has been a lot of debate about the cause of death of the boy king Tutankhamen, what does the latest research declare as the reason?

79. Which is the highest navigable lake in the world?

80. On her opening night in Las Vegas how many costume changes did Britney Spears make during her performance?

81. 4=WAAF 82. Who was inaugurated as the mayor of New York City on 1 January 2014?

83. Which English football team train at Wilford Lane?

84. Who links Dollar, ABC, Seal, Grace Jones and Frankie Goes To Hollywood?

85. At the end of Octopussy James Bond is seen defusing a bomb dressed as what?

86. To the nearest million, how many lego blocks would it take to make a tower that would reach the Moon?

Issue 3

February 2014

71

72 Newsblast

/BritishSchoolBucharest /britishschoolro

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

www.britishschool.ro

“Take pains. Be perfect!”

William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream… coming soon