2015 11 20 bsb newsblast preview 2

NEWS

BLAST

The british school of bucharest magazine • VOL 9 • Issue 1 • November 2015

BSB OFFICE STAFF

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FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Jo Puddy-Wells Principal

Now that the school year is underway it is worth taking a moment to look at the opportunities that will be offered to our students during the forthcoming months. Already some students have been on a theatre trip to London and a cultural trip to Nice. They have been to the northern town of Bacău to take part in a Model United Nations conference and many of the Secondary students have been in to the mountains to take part in the various levels of the Duke of Edinburgh International Award.

Others will have the chance to compete in a nationwide debating competition, go on the annual ski trip or undertake the adventure of a lifetime as we send our first trip to China.

Other members of staff will be venturing further afield to present to educationalists from around Romania and the world at conferences both here and abroad. Notably Helen Stevens who presented at the ECIS Conference in Nice – congratulations to her!

“We shall not stand still and will continue to seek improvements in all areas of the school”

There are lots more adventures to be had much closer to home. The launch of the Bucharest International Schools Athletic Conference will give many children the opportunity to perform against other schools in a variety of sports. The F1 in Schools project is giving children the opportunity to work with friends and classmates in a team to produce a miniature Formula 1 car. This endeavour will eventually lead to a team representing the school and Romania at the World Finals in September 2016 in the United States of America.

But it isn’t just the students who are afforded the chance to undertake this kind of learning journey. All members of staff are also expected to be learners and to continue their education during their time here. They were fortunate to have a two-day training course with Sir John Jones at the beginning of the academic year, and staff will be going to conferences in Holland, the Czech Republic and the UK to further their learning and to bring new techniques, new methodologies and

developments in education back to BSB to share with their colleagues.

Last year was without a doubt interesting, informative and successful. We were pleased with the results of our inspection, a copy of which is available to read on the website. We will look to advance the recommendations of the inspectors and further improve on those areas where there were no recommendations. We shall not stand still and will continue to seek improvements in all areas of the school. This will enable us to build on the achievements of last year and the tremendous grades that the students gained in the external examinations.

I look forward to hearing of the adventures of all of the pupils as they move through the year. I wish them all the best.

F R O M T H E P R I N C I PA L 3

Houses in Focus

by Jason Porter

W

4

e really hit the ground running this year with the House system. Within a week of the start of the school year we had our House Captains ready to be appointed at the first House Meeting.

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We were proud to appoint the following Senior and Junior House Captains; Chloe and Ilayda for Danube, Joe and Sebastian for Olt, Calista and Georgina for Mureș, Ilinca and Ipek for Argeș. They have worked hard so far in attending meetings and Captains’ training sessions, as well as getting teams ready for inter-House competitions. All of this is under the guidance of the four Heads of House; Mr. Allsop for Argeș, Miss Ellingham for Danube, Miss Hindley for Mureș and Mr. Smith for Olt. The events this term began with the Languages Week quiz in which Argeș conjugated their skills to take first place, with Danube subordinating to second place. Next up on the tableau

was House Art in which Olt outshone Mureș to take first place, followed by the House Football, in which Danube were booted into first place for the second year running, chased up by Mureș in second. In our Harvest Festival collection, Danube delivered the goods in first place, with Mureș in second place, but all four Houses deserve praise for donating so much for St. Stelian’s Association. Well done! Finally, Olt conquered first place in the History Quiz, followed by Argeș.

We are looking forward to more leadership, competition and team-building over the coming term, as well as students gaining their first House Colours of the year.

H O U S E S I N F O C U S 5

International medical expertise close to you Intermedicas provides the patients with high class expertise through our international afďŹ liated physicians, through an exclusive monthly consultation program.

Ana-Maria Y11 student, Ana-Maria perfomed Vivaldi’s ‘Vieni Vieni o mio diletto’ at a special event at the Romanian Athenaeum in October. She appeared alongside some of Romania’s most renowned opera singers. Ana-Maria studies under the tutelage of former Romanian opera singer and performer on the international opera circuit, Liliana Dumitrache. Ana-Maria gave a powerful performance with style, grace and confidence and we wish her nothing but the best for her future performances.

Mr. Flood and Ms. Marti Congratulations to John and Rocio on the birth of baby Liam.

We all believe that Liam is a miniature Mr. Flood!!!

BSB Congratulates

David Y7 student David won the final of the Romanian national karting championship for the 9 to 13 age group, held in Bacău in late September. In a nail-biting finish, David thought it was all over when he was passed on a bend in the last lap, but stormed through to overtake his opponent on the final straight before the finish line to claim first place on the podium.

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Continual stomach and bowel problems (flatulence, constipation, irritable bowel) or headaches and skin problems over many years (itchiness, neurodermatitis, psoriasis), chronic tiredness and obesity?

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You are then provided an individual dietary recommendation on the basis of your personal test results: You find out the foods you should avoid eating for a certain time and you also get a personal recipe book with suggestions for tasty meals that you can enjoy as an alternative.

Important for you to know: Chronic discomforts can be triggered by delayed food allergies.

Ask your therapist about ImuPro300. They will provide non-binding advice as to whether ImuPro300 could provide you with a form of treatment that promises success.

The decisive question is: What is the cause of the discomforts and what triggers them? Only when this question has been answered is it possible to successfully fight the complaints.

Today we know that many chronic pains can be caused by inflammation reactions. Food products can also cause these inflammations - when certain antibodies are created. These antibodies can be uncovered with blood tests. This means you gain a picture of which foods can cause what complaints.

Many people are thought to suffer from a so-called delayed food allergy without knowing it. The complaints are often wideranging and only occur several hours or even days after the consumption of the relevant food product. For this reason it can be helpful to look for these foods with a blood test and to make them, visible‘ in this way.

www.imupro300.ro Additional information is available from: S.C. Imupro Distribution S.R.L ImuPro Distributor - Romania & Moldova T. +40 735 303 001, F. +40 21 267 89 69 E. office@imupro300.ro www.imupro300.ro

Where are they now?

Roithinger family Although only recently departed the Roithingers have landed in Austria and the three boys have been reflecting on their time at BSB. Jakob: Now living in Vienna things are a bit different but for the better.

I have already fully settled into the ‘new’ house at the edge of the city with a nice quiet atmosphere and a green environment.

With a park and a tram station at our doorstep and the school 15 minutes away getting around is fast and easy. I now go to a Bilingual school meaning I have to learn everything in German and in English. The school system is very different here but I haven’t had too many difficulties yet. I am happy to be actively speaking my mother language wherever I go. I have met many new friends there and I am enjoying school as much as I did at BSB. There were a lot of great times during my 6 years at BSB ranging from trips to the summer fairs to sport days. I miss friends and teachers at BSB very much and will surely come back for a visit.

Lukas: We now live in Austria in a Bi-Lingual school where all subject are taught in English and German. My new challenge is to learn all the new Vocabulary in German and English although, its much easier for me to learn everything in English from what I’ve learnt at BSB. In Austria I can use the tram and the bus to find my way around Vienna and of course with the bike. We don’t have any end of year test and end school at 2 everyday and on Thursday until 1. BSB was a great experience with good teachers who taught me a lot to help me with my English in Austria.

Maxi: I am back in Kindergarten as school in Austria starts at the age of 6 years. I had a good start, few friends, but it is fine. I miss BSB a lot, my best friend Hamdan and of course many other friends as well. I miss learning, writing and reading, but mum said that it will start next year so I play a lot. I live close to a nice park, joined a football club called “the soccer factory” and a gym club.

It’s already quite cold in Austria but still sunny. I miss Bucharest a lot and want to come back for a visit soon.

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Book Review – Un Lun Dun

by Jennifer Webster

Getting to know your TA

Claudia Gagea Hello everybody, I am Miss Claudia Gagea (Mitroi) and I married in June 2015.

I have been working in our school since August 2006 and this year I am teaching Y6S. I love working closely with students and I am very happy when I see their progress. As a teaching assistant I enjoy implementing new ideas and strategies, recognising the importance of change and development within the teaching and learning cycle.

When I am not in school, I love spending my time with my family and with my friends. I have many hobbies that include travelling, reading and listening to music.

I really enjoy working here at BSB because every single day is complety different. Working in this school means teaching, learning, helping others, friendship and respect from students and staff. Support from friends and smiles on children’s faces, making a difference.

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Have you ever noticed that peculiar things seem to be happening all round you? Perhaps messages for you appear in the sky.

Strangers appear to know you and refer to you as the ‘Shwazzy;’ The Chosen One. Or do you find that poisonous clouds of fog come through the gutters to attack you on your way home from school?

No? I can’t say this has happened to me either… At least not yet.

In China Miévilles acclaimed fantasy novel Un Lun Dun, twelve year old Zanna becomes the focus of these strange events. One night, Zanna, along with her friend Deeba, are led by a broken umbrella to a portal to an alternate world .They go inside and discover how to cross over from London to another reality, an outlandish and distorted version of their own, a place called Un Lun Dun - or unLondon.

Zanna soon discovers that her role as the’ Shwazzy’ is “Sort of a standard Chosen One deal”. In short, it is Zanna’s destiny to save unLondon.

Her enemy is a sentient and highly malevolent cloud of smoke, the Smog. The Smog is determined to control unLondon following its removal from London by the ‘Klinneract’, or as we know it: the Clean Air Act of 1956, which reduced the dangerous pollution of London’s air.

Miéville’s unLondon is a fantastical city, reliant upon by MOIL technology. “Mildly Obsolete In London. Throw something away and you declare it obsolete. You’ve seen an old computer, or a broken radio, or whatever, left on the streets? It’s there for a few days, and then it’s just gone. Sometimes rubbish collectors have taken it, but often as not it ends up here, where people find other uses for it. It seeps into unLondon.”

The inhabitants of unLondon also include broken and wildly bizarre creatures. Miévilles own drawings weave through the text; bringing to life carnivorous giraffes, Smombies, nun chuck wielding garbage bins and hybrid creatures such as the half human half ghost Hemi and Obaday Fing; a tailor, whose head is huge pin-cushion.

Nothing is quite what it seems in Un Lun Dun and our expectations of heroines, quests, and destiny are turned as upside down as the world of unLondon itself.

This is a fast moving and engrossing novel which will appeal to teenagers and adults alike. I even sacrificed my sleep in order to finish it on a school night. What better recommendation can there be?

FROM THE ENGINE ROOM

by Simon Lambert

Another year has started and the school has grown once more.

Grown in terms of numbers and academic provision. We are understandably delighted that we remain the school of choice for many companies and Embassies and look forward to furthering our relationships in the coming year.

We ran a very successful Summer School in July and it provided an excellent opportunity for students from other schools and other countries to experience what BSB has to offer. In the past this has led to students joining the school to continue their education and we are hopeful that this will be the case this year.

Do look out for our Summer School offering when we announce our plans in the new year – there are always lots of exciting things to see and do.

This year we have launched our F1 in Schools project, the largest STEM challenge in education that operates in countries all over the world. We are delighted to be the first school in Romania to take part in this initiative and as such, we are the coordinating school for the country. As the programme develops we will host other schools from around the country as it grows into a truly nationwide competition. In the meantime, we have two teams who, over the coming months, will be designing, building and racing balsa wood cars. Working as a team they will design uniforms, websites, social media platforms and more. They will produce a portfolio of work in order to prove that their team is best suited to represent BSB and Romania in the World Finals in Austin, Texas in the United States this time next year. We wish them well.

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Introducing:

Paul Gildea

Tobias Davies

Hello everybody, My name is Paul Gildea, and I would firstly like to say how privileged I feel to be part of the BSB team. I join the school as Key Stage 2 Co-ordinator and Y4 teacher, having spent the last two years at the British School of Beijing, and several years before that teaching in London. I know already that this is a wonderful school, and I am excited about the new challenges ahead.

I am joined in Bucharest by my wife Laura, and my daughter Ava who has just celebrated her first birthday. We are touched by the warm welcome we have received, and we very much look forward to being part of the BSB community.

Born and raised in South Wales, Tobias Davies gained a love of Physics, Mathematics and the sciences at a young age.

He gained some industrial experience as an intern working in world leading Neurostimulation company, Magstim’s Research department before going on to study Physics and Nanotechnology at Swansea University. A love of rowing took him into coaching before realising that teaching would be a perfect career for him. He embarked on a PGDE teaching qualification at Aberystwyth University before spending two years working in two separate schools in South Wales. A love of travel and Latin dance lead him to move to Gran Canaria where he spent three years teaching Maths and Physics before a desire to experience a different culture bought him to Romania.

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Jonathan Smith

Adam Pegrum

A little bit about me ‌ One of my earliest memories is my first day at school. I was nervous and maybe even a little scared about it, but that was soon forgotten when we discovered that my mother had written the wrong date in her diary and there was nobody at the school when we arrived! (I remember thinking to myself that it must be a very strict place as I could not hear any children laughing or even talking).

I taught English as an additional language for almost 16 years in Prague, Czech Republic in schools, language centres and privately. I am looking forward to being part of the BSB team and watching the school and children develop.

My name is Adam Pegrum and I am proud to be the teacher of Y3P. I have spent a majority of the last ten years teaching in Asia. I really enjoying living and working in Bucharest, although I am not looking forward to the cold weather during the winter months! Travel is a huge part of my life and I love exploring new countries, cultures and cuisine.

Rugby is another huge passion in my life. When I am back in England you can find me cheering on my local team, the mighty Bath Rugby. In fact I enjoy most sports and would love to see some of you attending Dodgeball Club over the coming years.

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PARENT TEACHER ASSOCIATION

PTA Review

by Hollie Pate-O’Keeffe As Chair of this years PTA I would like to thank all of the parents that have helped with our events thus far. We started our year with an activities fair to introduce members of our community to opportunities to participate in various clubs and social groups as well as help with local charity initiatives. The event was well attended and helped to set the tone for our community.

Secondly, the PTA, with the help of many parent and teacher volunteers, hosted the Primary Halloween carnival and aided the Secondary disco. The staff, children and parents alike had a wonderful time playing games and being social. We had an amazing group of parents from many nationalities that helped out throughout the day and it was a wonderful way to meet other BSB parents and to see our children interact with their friends and teachers in the school environment. A giant thank you to all

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of you from parents who sent fun fancy dress with their children to staff who were supportive and jumped in to help and play as well as the many parents that volunteered their time and efforts to organize the games and events.

As for upcoming events we have the Artisan fair on the horizon which will offer parents a chance to share their culture by way of donating baked goods and helping to sell them on the day. PTA is a great way to get involved with and really feel part of the BSB community. Through various events throughout the year we get the chance to meet so many other parents and staff, share our ideas and hobbies all while enriching our children’s education.

If you are interested in joining please look for us on Facebook at BSB PTA and join in on one of our upcoming events.

PRIMARY SCHOOL REVIEW

Student Voice is defined as “the individual and collective perspectives and actions of young people within the context of learning and education.

This can include, but is not limited to, active or passive participation, knowledge, voting, wisdom, activism, beliefs, service, opinions, leadership, and ideas.” - (Sound Out Student Voice Tip Sheet,2006).

Victoria Smith Head of Lower School

We believe that our children should have input into the teaching and learning that goes on in our school in order to ensure that their needs are met and interests are explored in the best way possible.

There are several ways in which Primary children can be involved in developing Student Voice:

Teaching and Learning Committees: Children continue to take part in activities to identify strategies, environmental factors and behaviours in school that help motivate children to love

“Children continue to take part in activities to identify strategies, environmental factors and behaviours in school that help motivate children to love learning”

Class Council: Classes meet fortnightly to raise issues and ideas to be brought to the Student Council by the class representative.

This allows every child the opportunity to help identify the strengths of our school and contribute to the ongoing development of our curriculum.

Student Council: One child from each class is delegated to represent the ideas and opinions of their peers at Student Council meetings. Issues raised with Student Council are related to a wide range of areas that contribute to children’s experience of school, including student well-being, teaching and learning, work with charities, events, environmental concerns and campaigns.

An example of the impact Student Council can have on the wider curriculum is the implementation of our new ‘Value of the Month’ programme, launched this academic year. Primary children worked together to develop a list of values, qualities and characteristics which they felt BSB pupils and staff should espouse. At the start of each month, a new ‘value’ is launched through Key Stage Assemblies, and this is

then supported through activities in class.

learning. Last Half Term, one delegate from each of the KS2 classes participated in a ‘Learning Walk’ across the whole Primary School, during which, pairs of children visited each classroom and made observations on a particular area of focus. This information was then fed back to the Primary Leadership and teaching staff, and a working group was organised to address the points raised.

The children who participated will be invited to conduct more in-depth lesson observations in Term 2, as well as to help teach new additions to the committee how to conduct future Learning Walks. We are extremely proud of the mature and thoughtful approach each delegate took towards our first Learning Walk and look forward to hearing more of their insights next term.

We are pleased to have an increasing number of children showing an interest in taking ownership of their learning and their school and look forward to being able to share more exciting innovations in the future. Well done, children!

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EYFS

Commotion in the Crèche Ocean

by Claire O’Brien

The children have settled well this term, and have really been engaged with our Sea topic. So far we have read lots of sea stories but the children have particularly enjoyed the Book called “Hooray for Fish” written by Lucy Cousins. The children painted different fish to create their own tale, bringing the story to life in class. Each child picked their favourite fish to paint.

The children have been experimenting with sensory skills making

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jellyfish to hang from the ceiling along with our papier-mâché octopus and have enjoyed getting arty and crafty as well as very sticky! The children are beginning to learn concepts of big and small, for example the big whale and the small fish. All the children are having a blast with the sea theme and have even had a go at yoga poses.

Secondary students visited Crèche as part of their PSHCE

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EYFS

Learning to be independent in Preschool

by Priscilla Varban and Katherine Dibble

We have made a fantastic start to the school year with some excellent learning taking place.

In Preschool we love to make the most of the outside areas and have been having fun with our friends with all of the great equipment that we have which helps us to learn and grow as individuals.

We have been working hard in our number work to learn the numbers up to 10. We have been counting out groups of objects

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and singing loads of number songs to help us with this!

The children have learnt how to be good listeners over this past term and we took a lovely walk around the school with our BIG ears to help us to listen as best as we could.

All of the children have had a great time in the creative area. They are becoming more independent when making choices about activities that they would like to engage in and are becoming very good at getting things out and tidying away.

Making the most of the outside spaces

Y3 pupils visiting Preschool

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EYFS

Getting to know our friends in Reception

by Emma Sauer and Kayleigh Evans

In Reception we have started the school year getting to know each other and developing our friendships. We have been participating in circle times and group games in order to get to know each other better, and finding out about our classmates likes and dislikes.

This term we have learnt about how to be a super learner in Reception. This has involved the children learning and keeping the Golden Rules so that they can work together in a safe, secure and enjoyable environment. These child friendly rules are specifically created to develop the children’s personal and social skills as they learn to acknowledge and respect the thoughts and feelings of others. We encourage the children to listen carefully,

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always have kind hands and feet, share and take care of each other, as well as their belongings, to develop their independence throughout the year.

Throughout this term we have talked about having a healthy brain in order to be a Super Learner. We learnt that for a healthy brain we need to drink lots of water, do lots of exercise, get a good night’s sleep and eat healthy food to give us energy.

In Reception we have completed lots of individual and group challenges in order to develop our skills of learning. We have learnt that to be a Super Learner we need to be ready to ‘have a go’, ‘keeping on trying’, ‘problem solve’, and ‘learn from our mistakes.’

Fantastic facilities and equipment provide opportunities to acquire new skills and foster friendships and team spirit

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KS1

Sssh ……Secret School for Superheroes

by Jodie Lewis and Ann-Marie Isaac

Y1 pupils decided to accept their top secret challenge from Fire falcon, leader of the superhero agency, and train to become the next cohort of superheroes. Pupils have been given many superhero challenges and tasks to complete to enhance their skills and understanding in all curriculum areas.

They have created their own superhero identities including special powers, superhero names and designed their allimportant costumes. Pupils listened to superhero stories and poems to help them identify appropriate behaviours and develop ideas for their own nemesis. Everyone designed a new pair of superhero pants as in the story “Charlie’s Superhero Underpants” his had blown off the washing line in the wind. They listened to a variety of superhero alphabet rhymes and songs and thought of a superhero that began with each letter of the alphabet.

In Maths their superhero aims were put to the test by throwing bean bags at a number whilst creating addition and subtraction number sentences and they enjoyed exploring the symmetry of superhero logos before designing their own symmetrical

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shields. Pupils measured length in metres to compare how far professional superheroes could jump.

In Science, trainees used their senses to complete investigative tasks, such as identifying the best material for a superhero mask.

They had fun dressing up in their superhero masks and cloaks in the top secret superhero hide out (the role play area) thinking of different problems they could act out and solutions to solve these problems their enemies created. The emergency telephone was red hot!! Constructing superhero getaway cars and hideouts were also created using building blocks and lego.

They participated in superhero exercise drills, to ensure their physical fitness was as its peak, kapow and bam.

Training was completed with an exam and then a graduation ceremony for our successful superheroes, during which Fire Falcon herself made an appearance to congratulate the next generation of superheroes in Bucharest This article must remain confidential and will self-destruct in 5...4…3...

Is it a plane? Is it a bird? No...it’s a superhero!

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KS1

We’re going to the zoo, zoo, zoo. How about you, you, you?

by Jo Coxage, Louisa Ramsden and Charlotte Sloan Ending the first half term on a high with a visit to the zoo was a fantastic way to celebrate a lovely, energetic and enthusiastic start to Y2. All of the children displayed amazing behaviour and thoroughly enjoyed taking their learning into the real world.

We have spent a lot of time learning about animals including humans and how we can look after ourselves and animals.

The children have shown themselves to be such hard workers and incredibly focused throughout every area of learning. The Takeaway Homework Menu has been a huge hit in KS1 with some of the best homework we have ever seen being delivered to us each day. The children and parents should all be very proud of

Taking our learning to the zoo

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the effort that has been put in to complete these tasks.

A letter from an avid explorer got the children excited about celebrations from around the world and they showed a huge enthusiasm for researching and learning about many different cultures.

The children had the opportunity to learn about bonfire night, Diwali, Hannukah, Thanksgiving and Christmas. We heard stories, cooked food, listened to music and created crafts related to those celebrations.

Let’s hope next term is full of just as much excitement and enquiry as this one!

Primary Science Enrichment Day gave pupils the chance to carry out lots of experiments

Extending learning through the use of technology

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KS2

Y3 go around the world

by Karen Cojocaru and Adam Pegrum

We have made a great start to our learning journey in Y3 this year. The children have been getting to know new teachers, new routines, even finding their way around a new building! It’s all been so exciting thus and all of the children are now well-settled into life in KS2.

Straight away we set down to work on our new topic ‘Around the World’, where we have been learning about how our planet is made of human and physical features that can be identified when using maps in a variety of forms, including digital. We have been practicing our map reading skills and exploring the

climates, continents, countries, oceans and cities around the world, particularly focusing on Romania. Our English work this term is related to this topic and we have been enthusiastically researching information on Romania and other countries to create our own travel brochures using a word processing package, focusing on the features of an information text. We have also written adventure stories, looking at how we can describe characters and settings to engage our audience, using the children’s favourite ‘Flat Stanley’ as a model for our own writing. We have been wearing our scientist hats too and have

Experimenting with soap powder under the watchful eye of the Teaching Assistant

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been designing experiments on the topic of light and shadow, looking at how light is reflected so that we can see things as well as looking at which materials create the darkest shadows. A favourite activity was exploring coding and programming on the Scratch program in Computing sessions and we even planned and created our own simple programmes. In Maths, we have been recapping our mental and written calculation skills from Y2 in order to prepare ourselves for the really hard Maths we are now doing in Y3. Fun is a huge part of what we do in class, and we had a great time exploring 2D and 3D shapes in our

Y3 enjoying Drama in the Secondary Studio

classrooms, labeling and describing shapes on post-it notes.

Our new ‘Takeaway Homework’ is proving to be a hit and we have received some wonderful quality examples of homework, which have been ardently shared in class and in KS2 assemblies. It is delightful to see just how creative our new Y3 children are!

We all agree that we are going to have a thrilling time in Y3 this year and we are looking forward to the continuation of our learning journey into next term, with more fun and excitement to come!

“Takeaway Homework” is proving to be a hit K S 2 29

KS2

Collaboration and perseverance in Y4

by Catherine Passmore, Morwenna Hurst and Paul Gildea ‘Mummy Mania’ In Y4 so far we have had an exciting first half term. We have been looking at the topic ‘Ancient Egypt’.

The children began to look into the history of Ancient Egypt and explore what it would be like to travel back in time approximately 6000 years.

The children became very interested in the topic ‘mummification’ so much so the children went through the different stages of mummification and provided information based on their findings. The children should be very proud of their homework that they have created so far. They have created some magnificent pyramids that are available to view in the Primary library. Based on this they looked at the hierarchy of a pyramid and where we would like to be placed.

During our Science topic we have been looking at Sound and Animals including Humans. We took a walk around the school grounds to listen to where the noisiest and quietest parts of the school were. We looked at the decibel level in these different areas. The children explored the digestive system and how our teeth work.

A Harvest Feast As part of our ongoing drive to develop our children’s personal, social, moral and citizenship education, we have introduced

Y4 visiting McCann Bucharest

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a Value of the Month. Each month we will focus on a different value, discuss why it is important, and explore ways that we can incorporate it into our everyday lives. The value for the month of October was ‘Sharing’. The children of Y4 worked exceedingly hard to produce a show that promoted the importance of sharing and doing good for others.

The show was based on the Charles Dickens classic ‘A Christmas Carol’. It tells the story of Mr. Jack Havers, a miserable, bitter old man who is only interested in money. He is visited by a series of ghosts, each one showing him different harvest times, and how he has changed over the years to become mean and selfish.

Jack eventually comes to realise that being selfish and only thinking about riches is not the path to a happy and fulfilled life.

He shares his food with his downtrodden workers, celebrating harvest, and giving thanks for all they have.

Y4 learned the importance of collaboration and perseverance while rehearsing for the show. They learned about attention to detail and that it is vital to listen to others. The developed the confidence to stand on stage and act and sing in front of a hall full of people. Most of all, they learned about sharing, selflessness, and looking out for the welfare of those around them. Oh, and they had great fun too!

Everybody sang in the Harvest Feast production

Picasso Yourself in Y4

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KS2

Creating Greeks myths in Y5

by Alex Baines and Anna Kemp-Garcia

Y5 started the year as archaeologists delving back through time in our school garden to find Ancient Greek artefacts. The children were able to use these found items to begin to uncover how the ancient Greeks lived. The Y5 teachers were fascinated by the student’s imagination as they created their own Greek myths.

It was very exciting for the new Y5’s to experience the Secondary

Y5 during their weekly visit to the Library...

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science facilities. They carried out a range of experiments to explore the effects of forces, this involved using apparatus such as catapults, rowing machines and huge long rope for a tug of war competition.

We have some budding computer scientists in our year group as they have already begun their journey using algorithms to

make simple programmes which affect real sensors. Google Drive changed the way we worked collaboratively this term and has led to the children discovering how important good communication is.

Our Greek unit was concluded with an enjoyable and informative trip to the National Museum. We were very impressed with the

children’s knowledge and it demonstrated how hard they had worked on their homework and during the term. The children’s favourite part was exploring a mini labyrinth and getting to perform on a mini Greek amphitheatre in full costume.

Well done Y5 and we look forward to another great term.

...and to the Music Room where the new risers are put to good use

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KS2

Developing collaborative working skills in Y6

by Jenny Whiteman and Jenna Batson

Y6 have made a tremendous start to the term and have impressed the teaching staff with their maturity and conscientious approach to learning.

The children have embraced their new cross-curricular topic ‘Remembrance’ and have thoroughly enjoyed studying the causes and effects of World War One. In English, the children

Learning about communication and problem solving

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have written some outstanding fictional recounts based on our class text ‘Private Peaceful’ during which they developed their descriptive language and advanced sentence structure.

Following their study of life in the trenches and the Christmas Truce, the students wrote some historically accurate letters to families in 1914. The children have enjoyed leading their

own learning in their WW1 projects and have developed their collaborative working skills with their project teams. The project has made strong links with all areas of the curriculum and this has strengthened their learning experience. We also really enjoyed our Y6 Remembrance Assembly.

We have been extremely impressed with the time and effort

which the majority of children have dedicated to our new Takeaway Homework programme. The children are enjoying the flexibility and independence which they have been allowed over their homework this year and it is clear that it has so far been a great success.

A great start Y6 – well done!

In Physical Education pupils have taken inspiration from the Rugby World Cup

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Remembrance Assembly

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UNIVERSITIES Painting backgrounds in Motion Magic

by Dan Batson

N

ow timetabled at the half-way mark within the school week, University brings a distinctive buzz to Wednesday afternoons in Primary. All of the children make their way to the course they selected back in September and join different friends from other year groups and classes, to continue working on their specialised curriculum focus.

The University program has always been an area of our Primary curriculum that we are especially proud of, and this term’s courses are no exception. Nineteen different courses have been planned and led, offering a rich range of skills and experiences for both Key Stage 1 and 2 children. These have included: • Café BSB • Je Parle Français • Photographic Fun! • Recorder Karate • Scratch Jnr Coding • Signing Hands • The Magical World of Book Illustrations • Bouncetastic • Cartoon and Comic Creations • Circus Skills • Knitting’s not just for Nanas • Legal Eagles • Made for the Stage • Motion Magic • Nice Nosh!

• Primary Patchwork Party • Really Awesome Russian • So you think you can DANCE? • Zentangling The majority of the courses this term have never been offered before. We now have two language courses, including ‘Je Parle Français’ run by Miss Stevens and ‘Really Awesome Russian’ run by Mr. Gildea. One of the most physically demanding

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courses would have to be Mrs. Smith’s ‘So you think you can DANCE?’ This extremely energetic program has drawn together boys and girls from Y3 to Y6 to choreograph an outstanding dance performance to REM’s ‘It’s the end of the World’. Another extremely successful and popular University course new this year is ‘Café BSB’, which is run by our wonderful parents Hollie O’Keeffe and Philippa Wheatley. During the sessions, the children have learned dining room etiquette; how to set a table properly for a formal meal; fold fancy napkins; make a menu and basic chef skills, such as how to chop fruit and veg.

As Term 2 fast approaches, we look forward to the many new courses currently being planned – we are confident that there will be something exciting for everyone.

Knitting is not just for Grandma

Trampolining in Bouncetastic University

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Creating beautiful images in Zentangling

The Magical World of Illustration

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Making bruschetta in the Nice Nosh University

Preparing for the patchwork party

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Photo: BSB

CLUBS

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by Helen Stevens

E

ach term at BSB we aim to provide a range of after school clubs, ranging from sporting and musical opportunities, to arts and crafts activities, as well as those that provide support for our students’ learning.

We strive to cater for the needs and interests of all the children and encourage them to give us regular feedback regarding the current provision. Through our clubs we wish to provide students with the opportunity to learn new skills, build upon those they already have and, most importantly, have fun whilst doing so.

We plan for three separate terms of after schools activities and although some are available throughout the year, others may change depending upon the children’s interests and also depending upon the season and what facilities and resources are available as a result. Our clubs run daily and for the most, except some musical and sporting clubs, from 3.10pm until 4.00pm.

This term we have continued to provide some of the old favourites, such as climbing and cooking along with the introduction of new and different activities, such as Philosophy and Ukulele club. It has been a great start to the year with many

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of the children showing real enthusiasm for the clubs they attend.

When the Primary children were asked why they liked their clubs these were some of the responses we received: ‘I like sewing because I like making teddy bears.’

‘I like iPad champions because we get to learn and play with different apps.’

‘I like arts and craft because we have fun and make new creations.’

‘I like Dance because it makes me happy.’

‘I like photography because I love taking pictures and improving my camera skills.’

‘I love dodgeball because you learn new skills.’

Being able to offer a broad range of clubs allows our students to have the opportunity to try something new and perhaps find an interest that they will continue to enjoy beyond school.

Fierce competition in Dodgeball Club

Ukulele Club gives pupils an opportunity to learn a new instrument

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Preparing meringues with ‘Chef’ Catalina

U9 Football Club training for upcoming competitions

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Learning to move gracefully in after-school Ballet

Healthy mind in a healthy body

C L U B S 51

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SECONDARY SCHOOL REVIEW

We were extremely pleased by our most recent IGCSE examination results for a number of reasons. The absolute figures were very strong with A or A* grades achieved in over 72% of exams taken. These best ever results at BSB compare favourably with the best independent schools in the UK and overseas. They demonstrate well the high ability levels within the group, the hard work of the students and the quality of the preparation from our dedicated teachers.

Philip Walters Vice Principal

Within this figure though, there are other key elements which reflect our resolve to ensure that all students achieve to their full potential. I was again delighted that our accelerated Y10 mathematicians all achieved the very high grades that we had anticipated and that many of our Y10’s and several younger students were able to take an early Foreign Language GCSE and achieve to the very highest standard. Acceleration in such areas is central to our desire to personalise timetables wherever possible to secure appropriate challenge. This must always be a considered approach whilst targeting a broad range of academic results in the quest for the optimum individual academic pathway, but it is very important – the message delivered to a potential university or employer is indeed evident from early success.

of sports; Science enrichment days for all year groups; growth in the numbers of students completing International Award expeditions; attendance at our first MUN conference; the highly successful studio production of the Breakfast Club and the launch of F1 in Schools. The continuation of so many co-curricular opportunities is what we are about and is reflected within the pages of Newsblast once again. Enrichment is and will continue to be a central tenet of our approach

“Acceleration in such areas is central to our desire to personalise timetables wherever possible to secure appropriate challenge” as we aim to stretch and challenge all of our students. Meanwhile teaching to and providing for the top of the academic range whilst of course ensuring that no student is left “at sea” underpins any credible pedagogy.

Acceleration in this manner is one way that we seek to provide for our most academically talented students. However, I believe a more important provision is via the enrichment of our curriculum within the classroom and via a wide range of co-curricular activities and events. I am delighted that these enrichment opportunities have grown even further this term through the creation of BISAC events and leagues in a variety

S E C O N D A R Y R E V I E W 53

The Café of Cultures

by Dorothea Draser

At the beginning of term the Languages Department at BSB hosted yet another highly successful Café of Cultures. This year the event took place in the brand new languages block. The wind and rain did nothing to dampen what was a very enjoyable occasion for all of those who took part. Parents provided stalls from all four corners of the globe, from Australia to the United States, from Korea to Chile. Not only did students have the opportunity to speak to up to twenty different languages, but all of the stalls provided plenty of delicious national foods to try.

Students from Y2 to Y13 were spoilt for choice whilst visiting the stalls: a Dutch and Belgian quiz; Korean traditional musical instruments; Romanian delicacies, both sweet and savoury; Turkish water painting; Austrian Sacher cake; Australian vegemite; the most popular Spanish Chupa Chups; Chinese

calligraphy; waffles a la française; Italian sweets; US American linguistic differences and famous sports; Polish and Czech attractions; Chilean Pastel de choclo; Indian mandalas; Danish fairy tales; a refresher on Greek gods; Egyptian garments; Russian sights; Bulgarian spring traditions; Kazakh traditional dress. These were just a few of the cultural delights on offer.

This year we had the added bonus of the bingo card; students asked questions at the different stalls and once the answers were secured, they had the opportunity to get winning numbers for their bingo card from the adjudicators in very nice hats! A big thank you to all of the parents who gave their time and food so willingly and to the Sixth Form for helping at the Café. See you next year!

Many parents and 6th Form students were involved in The Café of Cultures

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Egyptian specialties, costumes and books attract interest from Y5

Jordan finds out all about the Australian currency

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Korean traditional instruments and costume

Primary students engage on a cultural quest to find out more about India

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The volunteers at the Romanian stall wearing traditional ie shirts

Y11 ready to play Language Bingo in The CafĂŠ of Culture

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French Study Trip to Nice

by Elisabeth Citron

The first ever BSB French Language trip to Nice took place in October. Nine excited students from Y10 and Y11 set off for the south of France for a week long language course.

On arrival, students were taken to host families to settle in and begin their immersion in the French language. Mornings were spent doing three hours of lessons at L’école de Langues, Azurlingua. After lunch each day, the group went on a range of excursions to nearby places of interest including Cannes, Antibes, Villefranche-sur-mer and Eze. The students were impressed by the beauty of the French Riviera and enjoyed taking

On the steps in Cannes

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photos of the magnificent views and tasting a variety of local specialities such as the crêpes, macaroons, olives and the local onion and anchovy tart “la pissaladière”. Some of the highlights of the trip were the visits to the Parfumerie Gallimard, the Musée Picasso and the Saturday morning markets where local inhabitants could be heard and seen buying fresh produce.

The students proved excellent ambassadors for both BSB and Romania and all agreed that the best way to learn a language is to spend time in the country itself, communicating in real life situations.

Ready for another day of lessons at Azurlingua

Coming up smelling of roses at Parfumerie Gallimard

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London Theatre Trip

by Philip Walters

As a theatrical trip we went and watched two musicals/plays - Matilda and War Horse. Matilda was amazing but I loved War horse. For the horses they used life size puppets, and it was amazing. I enjoyed everything but my favourite parts of the trip were the Asian restaurants and seeing War Horse. We went to two Asian restaurants, a Sushi bar with small conveyer belts carrying the sushi around where you could pick what you want.

The other one was in China town and we ordered some fantastic dim sum although the chicken’s feet were not that delicious! It was a pleasure to accompany our students and my thanks go to them all for their company and to Miss Hindley for all her work on the trip.

Paloma (Y7S) The London trip was really fun because we got to see loads of great things in London visiting so many fantastic places such as Hamleys and Covent Garden which were really cool. We saw the

Tower of London, the National Art gallery, the Globe and much more. We also saw two amazing plays, Matilda and War Horse.

Overall, my favourite part of the London trip was seeing Matilda and also having so much fun with everyone on the trip.

Alexandra (Y8C) We packed a tremendous amount into our 5 days in London.

Views from Monument and The Shard competed with the treasures room at the British Library, Science Museum and a river boat cruise as some potential highlights. This year’s theatre trip was though inspired by a new literary festival in Kew Gardens in which we managed to secure tickets for an audience with the inspirational Michael Murpurgo. Seeing him in the flesh and listening to his stories was superb especially when combined with an evening performance of the acclaimed staging of War Horse.

Model United Nations

by Muhammad and Alexandra

Being the first BSB Model United Nations team, six nervous delegates took a journey to the north of Romania, to the delightful town of Bacău, where every place in town was 6 lei away by taxi. Whilst arriving at the conference, it was evident that Bacău MUN’s team, including Ana, a new student at our school, had put a tremendous amount of effort into organising the 1st Edition of the conference.

The first day, everyone was concentrated on making allies (and enemies), while drafting the resolutions to be debated the next day. There were three committees, Political, Economic & Social and Human Rights, and BSB was represented by two delegates in each one.

On the second day, the delegates were actively engaged in pulling apart resolutions, ruthlessly passing amendments while the chairpersons smiled upon our speeches.

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During the final day, all delegates gathered in the General Assembly, where each committee passed one resolution from six to be debated. Beatrice and Muhammad’s resolution had passed from the Human Rights committee, and was thoroughly discussed by all, as well as resolutions from the UK and Pakistan from the other committees.

Two BSB delegates emerged from the conference having won best speaker prizes from their committees, along with one delegate being awarded an honourable mention.

COBIS Leadership Weekend in Madrid

by Muhammad and Beatrice

In October we attended the COBIS Leadership Weekend. We were taught ways to become the best leaders, to positively affect the communities we reside in and to expand the many interests we have to extend our curriculum further. Through several workshops and presentations, the COBIS Leadership Weekend really opened our eyes to the way we use technology and social media in our everyday lives and how much they can contribute to university and job applications. A professional online presence is essential for a good job application.

We attended interesting and interactive seminars about our digital footprint, public speaking skills, and leadership qualities.

Moreover we also had the amazing opportunity to explore the city of Madrid and had the opportunity to taste some of the traditional Spanish cuisine.

During the conference one of the tasks was, within groups of four and five, to create a video to encourage other students

to attend the conference by illustrating what activities we did.

Lastly, perhaps our favorite event was the 1920’s themed murder mystery, in which we had to dress as we were part of that era, and had to solve a murder which was filled with clues, riddles and anagrams. We also had to get over other obstacles such as the dim lighting or random figures trying to scare us.

Overall, it was an interdisciplinary course where we were challenged about our views and definitions of leadership, and where we got to meet many interesting, intellectual and enthusiastic leaders from all over the world! Alongside gaining invaluable skills that we will benefit from in our future study and work places, we also made friendships and bonds that we will never lose!

We would recommend this trip to any student eager to gain more insight on how to contribute to their society and learn more about public speaking and leadership techniques.

Student Leaders of COBIS schools from all around the world

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Science at BSB

by Claire Sugdon

This year, Science Week concentrated on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) activities. STEM activities emphasise the application of knowledge to real-life situations and allow students to use and develop concepts that would normally be taught in separate subjects. As such, Key Stage 3 students were set the challenge of designing a community garden, whilst Key Stage 4 students were challenged to create the stage design for a music festival. In both activities, students were split into House teams and assigned specialist roles within their teams. The assigning of roles allows students to either concentrate on their existing interests, or to experience something new, such as project management. In short, STEM activities give students the opportunity to research, design and

make prototype solutions to genuinely tough problems. Students enjoyed the activities and we will hopefully be offering a STEAM activity later in the year, which also incorporates an artistic element.

Y8 also had the opportunity to visit Herăstrău Park early in the year to explore the ecology of the park. This trip built upon the first topic of the year and reinforced the importance of outof-classroom learning. The trip turned out to be a fairly damp experience as the weather turned against us. However, students were still able to gather meaningful data to bring back to school.

We are aiming to run further local trips later in the year and hope that all students will continue to enjoy, and benefit from, these enrichment days.

The Ashfield Music Festival

by Tobias Davies

During Science Week Y10 and Y11 spent a day away from their normal schedules to complete the Ashfield Music Festival. The pupils worked under the tutelage of a handful of teachers to organise the Ashfield Music Festival Project. This was a crosscurricular day to encourage the young people to consider STEM careers. The day necessitated pupils working in House based groups of 4-6 to prepare a bid to manage the running of a main stage at the fictional Ashfield Music Festival.

The day was a huge success with all pupils enjoying the day.

The variety of activities meant that there was something for everybody – including those who aren’t studying all of the sciences at iGCSE level, Elisse from Y11 said “Though I consider

KS3 students presenting their ideas for a community garden

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myself to be more of a linguist than a scientist I enjoyed the day with the chance to use my linguistic skills during the presentation being a highlight for me.” My hope is that more students will consider Engineering or Industrial based careers with an increase in awareness from the pupils that there is a need for a variety of skillsets in these workplaces.

The best pitch was comprised of Alina, Elisse, Alessandra and Engin whose presentation stood out as the strongest with the group having worked hard to compensate for the fact that they were the smallest group. The team was well balanced with a mixture of strong leadership, mathematical skills and determination.

Studying the structure of the heart

Y8 flower dissection in Biology

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Art at BSB

by Derek Walker

Students taking Art and Design at exam level are expected to develop their visual language by communicating ideas through a sketch book which is eventually submitted to the UK for the exam board to grade. This internal set assignment is worth 60% of the overall marks at GCSE and A level and it is vital that the students work with dedication and rigour in order to impress the examiners. Students at exam level will need to provide evidence of skills using formal elements including line, tone, colour, shape, pattern, texture, form and structure. The expectation is upon experimentation with a wide range of methods using materials and techniques to explore the potential of their personal ideas. Teachers in the creative faculty encourage visual flair by guiding students to develop and communicate ideas through an informed use of visual language. It is essential that students place their ideas into personal context to ensure their

Design Technology is now an integral part of the curriculum

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ideas are original and not derivative.

To encourage the students to make their work personal Key Stage 4 and 5 were taken out of the BSB art studio and were taken for a visual learning walk in downtown Bucharest. The students were asked to look, find links and connections through drawing, photography and annotation and were expected to document their ideas as sketch book pages. A creative classroom needs a creative curriculum and school trips are rich in educational possibilities as students learn from actual hands-on experience.

Involvement in the real world makes learning more meaningful and memorable. Come and see the GCSE and A level course work within the secondary library at the end of January and see how our BSB creative thinkers join the dots by thinking outside the lines.

Cindy, Y12

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University Applications and Visits

by Paul Farrell

The university application season is now firmly underway and we are pleased to be able to guide our students across the hurdles which face them. It is always an exciting as well as slightly intimidating time - personal statements are reviewed and tweaked, judgements on predicted grades sought and university choices agonised over. It is a great pleasure to see the scale of our students’ academic achievement and intellectual engagement.

Without question this is a pressurised time for the Y13 students.

Entry to world leading universities will always be exceptionally competitive but it is important to recognise that the expansion of places on most university courses in recent years will benefit good students. In short, there is arguably more opportunity to find places on top courses. They want to study great courses at great universities, but similarly, top universities want the best students too.

It is becoming more and more apparent that cultivating an engaged mind with sufficient breadth is of great benefit, not only

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for university admission but also for life. So, intellectual curiosity beyond the classroom cannot start too early. It may seem early in the year for the Y12 students, but harnessing this key trait will be very important to their academic success and contribute to the rich tapestry of their lives.

University representatives from King’s College London, University College London and the University of British Columbia Canada recently spent time in school with the Sixth Form students and each gave a presentation about their specific academic institute. The focus of each presentation was to help students make informed decisions about higher education in the UK and internationally. Students were also given advice on what makes a good application, including key areas to be addressed within their personal statements. These presentations are an excellent opportunity for students to seek information and ask questions from admissions experts from top worldwide universities. As such, they will continue throughout the year as part of the ongoing careers and University guidance curriculum at BSB.

Student Voice

by Elisabeth Citron

This year we have a new Student Voice committee made up of students from all Secondary year groups who are keen to represent their peers and work hard to make positive changes to their school life. So far this term, the committee has successfully gained ID cards for all students above Y8, and has been involved in discussion groups about possible changes to uniform and learning techniques.

One of the roles of the Student Voice group is to plan and organise social events for pupils during the school year. The

first of these is the annual Halloween party which was held on the last afternoon of term. Pupils in Y7 to Y9 were encouraged by the committee to sign up to run party games and to bring in Halloween themed dishes. There were prizes for best costume, best dancing to the spooky tunes played by DJ Allsop, and best food. It was a fun way to end the term and thanks goes to the PTA for their wonderful decorations and snacks, to the Student Voice members for organising the activities and to Mr. Porter and Secondary teachers for overseeing the party on the day.

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Symposium!

by Matthew Cox

We have been privileged to have enjoyed two expert speakers at our Symposium! talks for senior pupils recently. We have heard from Ms. Alison Mutler, an experienced Agence Presse and freelance journalist based here in Romania, and also from Mr. Ismail Radwan, the World Bank representative to this region.

The beating heart of Symposium! is to expose our seniors to a diverse range of opinions and perspectives, and to pose challenging questions that have no one solution, whilst at the same time ensuring that our young people recognise their potential to become a business, social or political leader of the future.

Both of our speakers this term met these requirements superbly.

Ms. Mutler was able to recall some key events from Romania’s immediate past, and gave the pupils a strong sense of the excitement a journalist feels as she sends through reports on world-changing events. We were also shown that change is constant and that the role and style of media has changed

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massively in the last thirty years. Our budding writers and photographers were delighted to ask questions.

For all students, and for our local Romanian students in particular, the role of the World Bank in supporting Romania’s economic and social progress, as outlined by Mr. Radwan was hugely interesting. Our speaker brought clarity to the murky waters of international finance, and delivered a strong message on how inter-country collaboration across the globe can be a catalyst for positive change and development. Again, our seniors asked plenty of questions and were impressive in the depth of thought and knowledge displayed.

Massive thanks go to our speakers, and also to the students who interacted so positively with our guests. If any parents or families would like to contribute to our Symposium! talks, or have contacts who would be suitable please do let me know.

ICT Guest Speaker

by Shazia Walker

In October the Secondary students were very fortunate to have Martin Sloan, Cyber Security Specialist, discussing a topic that is a concern for us all, internet safety. The talk was very interactive and students were encouraged to ask questions and respond when needed. Martin explained the dangers that are out there and also what you can do to reduce them and keep yourself safe in this developing world. His question and answer session really made the students think about the dangers online and how it affects them. By explaining terms such as Social Engineering he showed how vulnerable we all are and what we can do to protect ourselves. From tips to keeping our passwords safe to what we should and shouldn’t be posting online. This talk was one you really didn’t want to miss. Here’s what a few Y11 students had to say about the talk:

‘The speaker was particularly interesting because he worked for

‘This was my favourite talk so far. It really made me think personally

‘Security was talked about in depth in order to be able to understand

about all of the online decisions I have made, it was extremely relatable to everybody’s lives and a very thoughtful speech. He didn’t

agencies like MI5 which caught our attention. As well as he helped to raise awareness of social problems and how we can be hacked as he is working in this domain and knows better.’

‘I found the speaker really interesting and eye-opening about the dangers we face on the internet and that motivated me to put in use some of the tips he gave, such as changing my passwords into something more complicated.’

‘Slightly scary. Do not want to go outside & face whatever technology it is I have. But good. Interesting.’

‘Monday’s speaker was thoroughly entertaining. He brought up a new discussion and created awareness on a decision we make often.’ what he does and how he does it. Unlike other talks, Monday’s speaker seemed eager to show us why his occupation was so important and

fail to include everybody and it was very interactive, he managed to

how significant it really is.’

ask direct questions to the audience as well.’

‘I thought that what the speaker talked about was something we don’t hear a lot about (social engineering).’

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HALLOWEEN

There was a little devil in the students on Halloween

Unicorns do exist!

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Food and drink were provided by the PTA

The disco was a real ‘Thriller’

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Prefect Training

by Paul Farrell

With an all-time high number of students in the Sixth Form, this year’s competition to be chosen as a school prefect was formidable. Sixth Form Prefects play full and varied roles within BSB. As well as leading the Sixth Form students they are important role models for our younger students and always prove to be excellent ambassadors for the school.

The format of the prefect team has changed, with Y13 Senior Prefects being interviewed and elected, to reflect upon and recognise the importance of their personal achievements of last year, both academic and personal.

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Prefect training sessions held by Mr. Cox, have been completed and the response by both Prefects and younger students has been highly encouraging. The principal focus of these sessions was to learn and then implement an array of strategies which can be used to assist in the daily routine of a senior school Prefect.

I have been extremely pleased with our senior students’ positive approach and maturity in regards to this crucial role.

B r i t ish

New Horizons - Developments in Physical Education

a res t ch

h o o l o f Bu Sc

by Mark Hooper

Physical Education and extracurricular sport has received quite a makeover at BSB with many exciting new initiatives being introduced this academic year.

In the curriculum two new courses have been introduced in the senior school.

Firstly, following the success last year of the Level 2 Community Sports leadership Award, all Y11 students are taking the Level 1 Sports Leaders Award. This provides the ideal starting point for learners aged 13 years and over who wish to develop their leadership skills. The syllabus is designed to develop generic leadership skills that can be applied to a variety of sports and/or recreational situations as well as contributing to the personal development of the learner. The Level 1 Award in Sports Leadership is a practical qualification in which learners must demonstrate their ability to lead others in simple sport or activity.

Indeed a proven ability to lead is a big deal for University applications, however more important than that it’s a big deal for creating a sense of pride throughout the whole BSB community.

Secondly, all Y10 students are taking the EDEXCEL GCSE P.E. Short Course, which is taken over one year. The GCSE in Physical Education helps students develop knowledge and practical skills in a range of physical activities, examining the effects of exercise and training to improve performance, and appreciating the benefits of promoting ‘sport for all’. Students have a wide choice of roles and activities, giving students the flexibility to be leaders and officials as well as players with 60% coursework to give the course a practical focus.

BISAC will run in 3 seasons: Season 1 will include Football, Crosscountry and Senior Volleyball; Season 2 will include Basketball, Senior Badminton, and Swimming; Season 3 will include Junior Tag Rugby, Senior Volleyball, Tennis and Athletics.

In order to prepare students for BISAC events and also to cater for all students that would like to develop their skills in a particular sport, a range of sports CCA’s have been set up, which include all the sports available through BISAC. The expanding programme of CCA’s means all Primary and Secondary students have access to regular extracurricular sporting activities, which is a vital part of every student’s personal development.

Along with the new BISAC league we have developed a new logo to represent the sports teams, which will be known as the BSB bears.

We are also looking forward to unveiling our new Sports uniform in the new year and our gratitude must go to Démodé logistics for there very kind donation and support with this project.

There are exciting times ahead in P.E. and with the support of the students and parents there is the optional develop the program even further.

Both the Level 1 Sports Leaders and the GCSE P.E. Short Course give focus and purpose to P.E. lessons and allow the students the chance to earn a recognised qualification and thus be rewarded for their previous efforts in the subject.

As part of an extending extracurricular programme BSB has cofounded the Bucharest International School’s Athletic Conference (BISAC). BISAC aims to provide students with the opportunity to compete in regular, organised sports fixtures run with detailed league rules, expectations, and schedules.

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All students have undergone fitness testing in Secondary P.E.

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Aiming high with the javelin in Y7

The Primary House Girls Football competition was a tense affair

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S P O R T S AT B S B 79

Charities

by the Charity Committee Jeans for Genes Day has become a long-standing tradition at BSB and with good reason. Genetic disorders is a worldwide issue which has no regard for international borders and as such, affects thousands of families and children across the UK alone and many more abroad.

material to discuss genetic disorders, gene therapy and to research the latest advancements in initiatives which help to improve the quality of life for children affected by genetic disorders. We are looking forward to working with Jeans for Genes UK for years to come!

In September students and staff wore jeans and brought in donations. Our wonderful Y9 students sold pin badges around the school at break and lunch times and supported the fundraising initiatives and awareness schemes that day. In total we raised around ÂŁ800. This is impressive when you consider that we have 500 children in the school.

Also, this term has seen the students and pupils celebrate the Harvest Festival. A collection of food, school stationery and items of clothing was organised and donated to Saint Stelian Association. This association looks after abandoned children, the homeless and the elderly. This year we have also supported 60 underprivileged children who attend the Day Centre Steluta in Bucharest. We have also been able to assist the 21 abandoned children who live in “Speranta pentru maine� in Geaca, Giurgiu.

In the days before Jeans for Genes Day, form tutors and teachers in both PSHCE and science lessons used resources and video

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C H A R I T I E S 81

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

/BritishSchoolBucharest /britishschoolro

www.britishschool.ro