BSB School Magazine - June 2016

NEWS

BLAST

The british school of bucharest magazine • VOL 9 • Issue 3 • June 2016

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The school year is coming to an end and students will be preparing for a well-earned rest over the summer. It is worth reflecting on all of the superb work that has gone on over the past twelve months and the F1 in School stars that adorn the front cover are fantastic examples of everything that we would wish our students to develop into: confident, enthusiastic, determined, cooperative and highly skilled future leaders.

We would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a restful summer and we look forward to welcoming you back in September. BSB Staff

B S B O F F I C E S TA F F 3

Houses in Focus by Jason Porter

T

he final term often has mixed feelings for students as some prepare for examinations, some prepare to leave BSB and some begin to look forward to what the next academic year will bring. And it is also the case within our House system. We have been busy this term with Olt taking the House Music trophy and Arges chiming in at second place. In quick succession came the ICT and business quiz, in which Arges took first place, followed by a calculated effort from Danube who came first in the maths quiz.

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Students enjoyed the House Crazy Sports Challenge, in which Danube took first place and proved their skills in problem-solving and ‘welly wanging’, a traditionally British competition where the winner is judged on how far he or she can throw a Wellington boot. And finally, Arges raced to glory in Sports Day, closely chased up by Olt, who took second place. Alongside the energy and enthusiasm which the House system and competitions at BSB generate, we are also sad to say goodbye to our wonderful House Captains and Junior House Captains for this academic year and we thank them for their hard work and leadership.

Arges – Chloe and Ilayda Danube – Joe and Sebastian Mures – Ilinca and Ipek Olt – Calista and Georgina We are also grateful to our Heads of House, Mr Allsop (Arges), Miss Ellingham (Danube), Miss Hindley (Mures) and Mr Smith (Olt), for all their commitment, drive and enthusiasm and for supporting and coaching the House Captains in their leadership skills.

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

PARENT TEACHER ASSOCIATION

PTA Review

by Hollie Pate-O’Keeffe I would like to start by saying a huge thank you to all of the parents and staff that helped to make this year’s Summer Fair a huge success. All of your efforts made it a wonderful celebration of the diversity of cultures that make up the BSB family. If your country did not host a stall but enjoyed the efforts of others that did it is not too early to start thinking about hosting one next year. As many of you will visit your home countries this summer you will have the perfect opportunity to bring back some of the ingredients and supplies that make your culture special. I would also like to thank the staff, parents and student body for allowing me to chair the PTA this past academic year. It has been a wonderful experience and a great honour. I have truly enjoyed

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getting to know you all better and being able to be a part of the last school year. It is fascinating to see such a mix of cultures, experiences and personalities come together and complement each other. Lastly, if you have not volunteered to be a part of the PTA or one of its events I would like to invite you to start thinking about the next academic year. Unfortunately, my family is off to our next adventure, this time Spain so the PTA will need a new chair. In order for the PTA to thrive and enrich our children’s academic experience it needs the efforts and collaboration of many parents. The PTA offers a huge variety of volunteer opportunities and no amount of help is too big or too small.

SUMMER FAIR

S U M M E R FA I R 7 7

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S U M M E R FA I R 9 9

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S U M M E R FA I R 11 11

My first year at BSB by David Pering

After having spent nearly thirty years in a rural boarding school in Southern England, coming to BSB was quite an adventure. Not content to fade away in some remote corner of the common room, I wanted something completely different and that’s exactly what I found. The two main buildings make a striking first impression, as do the magnificent grounds. Then there was the weather. My wife and I arrived on the 1st August last year to be greeted by bright blue skies and temperatures of 35 degrees. We had left England in the fog. Having been used to class sizes of about a dozen in the 6th form and between 20 and 25 in the secondary school, it was a real surprise to be teaching much smaller groups. Because BSB is a multi-lingual school, there is a genuine enthusiasm for language among most of the students. Certainly when learning Spanish,

knowledge of Italian, French or Romanian gives you a solid basis. There seems to be so much going on during the year – the language café, special days for crazy hair or book characters and so much more. I thought the Sports day was really special and the Summer Fair was great fun. Smiley was a great performer. Apart from lessons I have been involved in football and accompanying for some of the concerts, so I haven’t just been locked in the classroom. My form group have been lively and never dull and normally send me off with a smile in the morning. Some people say there is not much to do in Bucharest. Having lived in a Hampshire village which only had one bus a week (it left on Mondays and came back on a Wednesday!) I find Bucharest a treasure trove of things to do. It has been an exciting, colourful year and I do not regret the move at all.

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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.

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Getting to know your TA

Ramona Boiangiu Hi, I remember my first day at BSB as if it was yesterday. It was the summer of 2003, right after I graduated University. I was so excited to start working, especially because it was my first job and it was all about working with children. I have a son, his name is George Nectarie and he is three years old. He is gorgeous and I love him so much! I am currently working as a Teaching Assistant in Y3, helping Mr Pegrum. I am very passionate about my role as a Teaching Assistant. I have always had the passion of teaching deep down inside, the desire to share my practice, thoughts and experience ever since I was a child. Having worked with so many dedicated and experienced teachers over the past thirteen years I consider myself lucky for learning so many things from them. Now I know what a passionate teacher is and what you need in order to become one. A passionate teacher builds respectful relationships with students and staff, is kind and helps students feel welcomed, cared for and loved, and gets to know students’ identity. The passionate teacher is compassionate, shows

empathy towards his students and always looks on the bright side to make things better. As a passionate teacher you engage in your profession and you are commited to students and their learning, you inspire your students and create an effective learning environment. Teachers with passion inspire students. They get students interested and even excited about what they are learning. Passion is what makes students decide to study more. Passionate teachers are those who make great changes in our lives. Those passionate, inspiring teachers who love what they do and love the students in their care are remembered fondly for a lifetime. It’s so nice to see students who were once in my class, coming back to BSB for a short visit and remembering the great moments we had in our class. They all remember our trip to Sinaia and the fun we had, those moments when they called me mum (as they felt like home) and all those tiny bits that make the difference. I am very proud to be part of the BSB team, but most of all I am proud of having the chance to live great moments with my students and see them grow.

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Life at University by Calin Radu

29030400 seconds. 483840 minutes. As I’m writing this, 48 weeks have passed since I had my last exam and subsequently finished Y13. So many things have happened in this short period of time, it feels like I am talking about a different life or a different person. It is almost unbelievable how many things that take place in less than a year can affect a person. However I have been well prepared. Starting an architecture course has proved to be a journey full of unexpected twists and turns. Spending more than ten years in the Romanian system there was some degree of difficulty when I had to make the transition between these systems. The UK system focuses on the student and the independence to grow and develop ideas. The lecturers at university are often only there to give advice and answer questions. The first year was set to help everyone achieve an equal set of skills for year two, ranging from drawing to computer software, whilst making it challenging. Previous preparation for the Romanian architecture exam helped me develop the technical and perspective skills required to succeed without a too much stress in my drawing unit. On the other hand, I had to work a lot for the rest of my design

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projects. For example, one unit lasts for four weeks. In this time 6 -7 hours studio time per day each week is allocated to the unit, totalling around 30 hours. An average output of at least 200 hours from every student is expected in order to be able to produce a strong presentable project. The technology unit introduced different ways of constructing a building. The main focus was about having a design that is environmentally friendly, sustainable, and uses as many locally sourced materials or recycled materials as possible. We discussed the factors we had to take into account when working on a project, from the position on the site to sun pattern, wind and climate. For the assessment part, we had to conduct our own research in order to come up with a proposition on how we can build a volume we have designed, including everything from the construction process to environmental response or site analysis and climate study. I think the first year for me has been a great opportunity to convince myself that architecture is the right course for me.

L I F E A T U N I V E R S I T Y 17

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BSB Congratulates

RPD Racing Following an intense competition and a demanding presentation to senior school staff and guests, RPD Racing have emerged as winners of the inaugural F1 in Schools competition in Romania. As a result they will go forward to represent both the school and the country in the World Championships in Austin, Texas next October. Ioana, Dilara, Harriet, Clara and Finn combined their abilities and ideas and worked hard to realise their dream of qualifying for the World Finals. However, the journey is only just beginning. They now need to raise the funds in the form of sponsorship for further research and development, travel and accommodation as well as entry fees and marketing costs. They face five months of pressure and hard work but will be rewarded with the experience of a lifetime. Their press release states that they “worked in a friendly environment with good communication, where teamwork was appreciated and sustained

by all members. It was a useful experience for us to divide the workload into separate roles and everyone had the chance to make an important contribution to the project and to practice these skills for further life lessons�. If you would like to get involved in the project please get in touch with the team (racingrpd@gmail.com), follow them on Twitter and Facebook and look out for further information as we near the finals. F1 in Schools is the only global multi-disciplinary challenge that inspires students to use DT to learn about physics, aerodynamics, design, manufacture, branding, graphics, sponsorship, marketing, leadership and teamwork, media skills and financial strategy whilst encouraging them to use those skills in a practical, imaginative, competitive and exciting way.

B S B C O N G R A T U L A T E S 19

FROM THE ENGINE ROOM by Simon Lambert

The end of the school year is always a busy time as pupils, students, parents teachers and teaching assistants look forward to the extended summer break and the chance to recharge their batteries in advance of the new academic year. For a few teachers and assistants who have volunteered and for members of the administration staff the work carries on. No sooner has the year come to an end then Summer School begins and we look forward to welcoming students from far and wide to the BSB campus. They will enjoy English lessons with our talented team of teachers as well as having the opportunity to experience climbing, fencing, zip-wire and more. Several of our current students started out as visitors to Summer School so perhaps one of these children will soon begin life as a BSB student. Much has been written in other parts of this magazine but I must

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express my personal gratitude to the ‘retiring’ Chair of the PTA Hollie O’Keefe. Her tireless work for the quiz, the artisan fair, the Summer Fair not to mention the Halloween event and the endless parties has been invaluable. As Hollie and her family begin a new chapter of their travels on Gran Canaria I wish them well. The Annual Ball was a great success last month and we look forward to next year’s event with some enthusiasm. Opportunities for parents, staff and the business community to mix are few and far between and we look forward to more chances to do so next year. Thank you to everyone for your support over the past twelve months. It is encouraging to see so many families returning next year and to those of you that are venturing further afield we wish you good luck and please keep in touch.

Adult English Lessons at BSB by Jonathan Smith

At BSB we are proud to able to offer our parents the chance to improve their English language skills at our Adult English Lessons. The courses take place on the school grounds and are held from 13:45 – 15:00 every Wednesday. Each course offers the adults a chance to better their English under the guidance of one of our EAL (English as an Additional Language) teachers. Involvement in each lesson is encouraged by utilising the skills already possessed. This, along with materials provided by the school, enables learning at a speed comfortable for each

individual. This year’s adult lessons have been as diverse as those in attendance! With smaller groups we have been able to cover a multitude of topics from cooking and home appliances to crime and punishment in modern society. The feedback from all our attendees has been very positive and we look forward to carrying on the tradition of Adult English Lessons at BSB next year. For further information on Adult Lessons at BSB please contact the Office.

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A Pair of Authors Abroad by Tim Appleton

Stan Cullimore Our guest author during Book Week was the writer, TV presenter and lapsed pop star Stan Cullimore. His past with 1980s band The Housemartins intrigued many of the teachers, but it was Stan’s enthusiasm and humour in his current career that captivated children at BSB. He entertained everyone from Crèche to Y7 with his rhymes, jokes and songs - some of which, remarkably, revealed secrets about teachers he barely knew. Some of the older groups learned how to produce pieces of travel writing too. In everything he did, Stan’s energy was infectious - EYFS and KS2 alike sang along with his ukulele - and the response he got from all his groups was wonderful to see. Book Week was packed with reading-related activities going on around the school. Parents came in to read to classes; ‘book doctors’ (from the secondary book club) prescribed reading matter to primary children; secondary students paid visits to Ringwood to read with the little ones; and the book sale did a roaring trade. As usual, on the Friday of Book Week the school was filled with a rich assortment of literary characters (and Wallies), a great way to end our annual celebration of reading. Kev F. Sutherland After the Easter break, BSB welcomed another fantastic visitor, the comics artist and comedian Kev F. Sutherland. Think you can’t draw? You’re wrong. Kev has a message for you: anyone can draw anything. If you want to draw cartoons, you don’t have to start off by imagining your own characters: that’s often quite hard. Start by copying characters you like. The more you practise, the better you’ll get. Bringing us the benefit of his decades of experience of writing and drawing for many well-known comics, including the Beano, Doctor Who and various Marvel titles, Kev inspired and entertained our KS3 students with his fast-paced, handson comics workshop. Guided by Kev’s expert tips and suggestions, with his own collection of comics in front of them for ideas, each student in the two-hour session created a character and then a comic strip of their own. At the same time, the whole group came up with a title for their cartoon anthology, and Kev drew not only the cover for the comic but also a caricature of every single student. After the session, everyone went away with a copy of their group’s comic and a cartoon of themselves. Encouraged to be as silly as they liked, here are some of the best and most outthere comic strip titles our students came up with: The Stupid Kid that Bombed the Moon, Tadpole’s Terrific Teapot World, Paul and the Bellybutton Tree, Super Chair and The Potato that Ruled the World. But the overriding theme was, bizarrely, an obsession with Donald Trump! In all four of his sessions, when Kev asked for a funny character to feature in a comic, the students never failed to suggest the US presidential candidate. Hopefully, this indicates the high level of political engagement that a healthy democracy requires from its teenagers - or it may just be the hair. So what are you waiting for? Kev started out by copying his favourite characters why don’t you?

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A PA I R O F A U T H O R S A B R O A D 23

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A PA I R O F A U T H O R S A B R O A D 25

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PRIMARY SCHOOL REVIEW

Victoria Smith Head of Lower School

Whether it is Enrichment Days or our extensive after-school Clubs programme, ‘University’ courses, performances or holiday celebrations, we take tremendous pride in helping our students explore their interests and challenge themselves in ways they may not have considered before. I would like to take this opportunity to acquaint you with more exciting things that make BSB a great place to learn. Over the last couple of years, the Primary school has been committed to meeting and surpassing the expectations of the new UK National Curriculum for Computing. We aim to ensure that we provide a range of opportunities for students to engage and interact with ‘real-life’ physical devices and not just on-screen, virtual simulations. The flagship resources we have invested in to support ‘physical computing’ are ten Lego Mindstorms EV3 robotics kits. From Y4 to Y6, the children spend several weeks a year learning basic robotics. Initially the aim is to simply control the robot’s movements accurately and complete activities, such as navigating a maze. They are then introduced to different inputs, such as touch, ultrasonic and colour/light sensors that enable the pupils to programme the robot to complete different tasks autonomously. The progress that we have seen in this area of the curriculum as a result of these activities has encouraged us to extend elements of this into KS 1 and EYFS. School trips not only offer children a welcome change of scenery and adventure, but they also provide opportunities for children to engage in authentic learning. Y3 embarked on an exciting trip to Sinaia. After a climb up to Cota 2000 on a cable car, children enjoyed a guided mountain walk and a tour of Peles Castle. Y5 set off on another mountain trip to Moeciu de Sus, where they enjoyed hiking, adventure park assault courses and a visit to the Dino Park. Y4 went

on a three day trip to Poiana Brasov, which also included a trip to a nearby adventure park, cave exploring and a bit of swimming on the side. All three residentials were thoroughly enjoyed by the children and staff, and all returned safely back to school with stronger relationships, lovely memories, and perhaps a need for a good rest! Let us not overlook the exciting adventures our

“School trips not only offer children a welcome change of scenery and adventure, but they also provide opportunities for children to engage in authentic learning.” younger children have had recently. In the last few months, EYFS and KS1 children have found themselves on a range of interesting and aweinspiring day trips that have all had links to our learning in the classroom and have been great ways to consolidate and apply the skills developed during the year. Finally, in March children from Y1 upwards had the unique opportunity to attend the International Festival of Language and Culture held at Sala Palatului. Not only were the children captivated by the diversity and quality of the acts, but they were also commended for their excellent behaviour by many of the other spectators. BSB is committed to continuing to develop and provide inspiring and practical opportunities to enrich and extend the learning experiences of our students. Well done, Primary Children, on your exemplary participation and positive attitudes to these challenges!

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EYFS

How quickly things grow by Claire O’Brien

It is coming to the end of the school year, but Crèche have been just as busy as always with Sports Day, practicing for the summer production, enjoying the sunshine and planting flowers and strawberries in the garden. Planting and caring for the garden has been a very popular activity. It has aided the children’s curiosity and inquisitive skills. They have all been taking turns to water the plants and check on the growing progress. They

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eagerly await the moment the strawberries have turned red and are ready to eat. The children have all had a fantastic year and have enjoyed many different activities though out their time in Crèche. They have all grown and are all now ready for Preschool!

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EYFS

Preschool

by Priscilla Varban and Katherine Dibble The activities are designed in such a manner that children learn a lot of basics while having fun with their peers. The singing activity we do introduce children to letters and alphabets; block counting introduces them to numbers; story time introduces them to sentence formation and language skills; and cooking introduces them to basic concepts of mathematics. Our children also get some exposure to biology and geology through nature walks. All in all, and most importantly, Preschool helps children develop their personal and social skills. We are proud of our

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children and everything they have achieved this school year through their hard work and efforts. We want to wish all of our parents and children a very enjoyable summer filled with fun, laughter and lots of beautiful sunny days. We are looking forward to seeing you back in September and want to tell those of you that are leaving that your children have created many wonderful memories while at BSB and we wish you all the best in the future.

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EYFS

The Importance of Learning Outdoors by Kayleigh Evans and Emma Sauer

In Reception we have been very busy this term and have been making the most of our lovely outdoor environment and the positive changes in the weather. We have been developing our physical skills through team games and ball games; we have especially enjoyed ‘Funny Throwing’ when we throw the balls in a variety of amusing ways. We were also very brave when our Teddy Bears came to visit for the Teddy Bears Picnic and we took them onto the big climbing frame; the bears really enjoyed sliding down the slide with us. We have been developing our communication and language skills as well as cooperation and building stronger friendships with our peers. Our listening skills have been developing through listening to our favourite stories outdoors, and then role-playing these out with our friends. We have also been making up dances and songs, and enjoyed practicing for our Summer Production.

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We have been exploring our knowledge and understanding of the world around us through planting in our garden. We planted a pumpkin, tomatoes and beans. This has helped us to understand the importance of growing things and the factors that help to contribute to this. We have enjoyed checking on them, and discussing any changes we have seen. When looking at the height of our beans we used cubes to measure them, which enabled us to develop and consolidate our knowledge of numbers and a great opportunity to use mathematical vocabulary. In the BSB Science garden we chose three trees to observe throughout the year. From our monthly visits, we have seen the trees change throughout the seasons. This was an authentic and natural way to learn about the seasons. Using our observation skills we also noted the differences between evergreen and deciduous trees.

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KS1

Old McDonald had a farm… by Ann-Marie Isaac and Jodie Lewis

Everyone in Y1 had a great time during their visit to the Animal Farm ‘Ferma Animalelor’, despite the miserable weather. The trip to the farm supported our learning in current and previous topics and across several curriculum areas. Their aim during the visit was to: Identify and compare the features of different animals; Enjoy hands on learning; Identify where food comes from; and Observe animals and their young.

years old,” Jossie. “The cow was my favourite because we got to see the farmer milking the cow, it had four tummies, it had to chew all the time,” Alessia. Ducks “The ducks were my favourite because I like their funny feet,” William. Rabbits “The baby rabbits were very cute and the mommy rabbit look big, they eat carrots,” Sophie. “I like the way the rabbits jumped,” Zane. “Seeing the rabbits was my favourite because they were bouncing all about,” Arne.

And on that farm he had some….

Chickens “The chickens were pecking a lot and they lay lots of egg,” Yahya.

Pigs “The pig was black and chubby and had babies inside,” Gabi.

Ponies “ My favourite was the Shetland ponies because they were beautiful,” Maya.

Sheep “I like the sheep best because they were soft and cute,” Sara.

Puppies “The puppies were very cute,” Samuel.

Cows “They use a machine to get the milk out but cow babies don’t need the machine they drink from the pink things that look like bottle for babies,” Ignacio. “It was female. I think it was ten

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Squirrels! “The squirrel was my favourite because it could do back flips,” Felicity. “The squirrels were jumping funny,” AnneClara. “I like the squirrels they were cool at jumping,” Mark. E, I, E, I, O.

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KS1

Superb Summer Science

by Jo Coxage, Louisa Ramsden and Charlotte Sloan The summer term kicked off with a fascinating trip to Herastrau Park where the children had the opportunity to explore land use in the park. This inspired heated debates for and against building property in green spaces. In the search for evidence that the habitats should be preserved, the children researched local habitats which led to looking at habitats from around the world. As usual, their research was presented in a variety of creative ways. The art work that came from this topic was outstanding as the children enjoyed representing insects on a large scale. For this the children used a variety of pencil techniques, watercolour and they developed their skills in creating tone as well as representing symmetry. Investigating the growth of several different types of plants has

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been another exciting part of this term for Y2. The children focused on planting the different parts of a plant and looking at how and if they would grow and under which circumstances. They carried out a number of different experiments and there was an added focus of a plant diary to track the progress of the more successful plants. The children enjoyed identifying the difference between things that are living, non-living and had once been living. This research encouraged the children to further their knowledge of where materials originate from, resulting in in-depth conversations. Stop Motion animation software has been a hit and the children have created a time lapse video of a plant growing. All in all, an exciting third term for the Y2 children!

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KS2

Year 3 Climbing to New Heights! by Karen Cojocaru and Adam Pegrum

One of the highlights of Y3 is the residential trip to Sinaia and our intrepid explorers could hardly hold their excitement as the time finally arrived! Our Topic work during the month leading up to this event was based on comparing different locations by looking at the climate and weather and how the topography of different places is affected by this. We also explored how plants in warm and cold places adapt to survive in our related Science lessons. The trip brought the children’s learning to life and they developed more understanding of how plants in colder places grow when they ventured to the top of the mountain, taking two cable cars to Cota 2000. The weather was cold and wet and the children immediately noticed the difference between the town and the mountain as the cable car trundled to the top, remarking on how it was getting colder the higher we travelled. At the top, we walked around to observe just how few plants are up there and how those that are grow close to the ground to protect themselves, just as we had learnt in our Topic lessons. The driving rain and cold meant we didn’t stay up there too long and we quickly made our way back to our beautiful hotel.

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Here we sat in an amazing conference room which acted as a temporary classroom to discuss our findings. The children were so enthusiastic and a long, engaging discussion ensued, including some very thoughtful questions from all children. They were able to link what they had learnt to other related topics and one child noted how wonderful it was to have the time to talk about their interests and to “really learn.” They loved our new classroom so much that they wanted to bring it back to school with them! School excursions are not all work though. We had plenty of time for fun, including swimming in the hotel pool, dancing and karaoke. The children were so brave during their overnight stay away from their families. We are so proud of them for displaying exemplary behaviour throughout the two days. They truly acted as excellent ambassadors of our wonderful school and are a credit to everyone. Onwards and upwards, Y3! It has been a wonderful year with you and we are sure you are all going to be even more fantastic as you climb even higher towards Y4.

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KS2

‘The Terrible Tudors’

by Morwenna Hurst, Paul Gildea and Catherine Passmore Have you ever fancied becoming a Gong Scourer? A Headsman? Or maybe even the Groom of the Stool? These were some of the unpleasant jobs that Y4 learned about as part of their History topic this term. The children investigated how life during the Tudor period was different from life today, and how it might have felt to be a Tudor schoolboy. Not a schoolgirl, however, as Y4 discovered that girls were forbidden from going to school! This led to much debate about whether we would prefer to live now or 500 years ago. The children enjoyed learning about Henry VIII and his six wives and using Tudor menus to plan an authentic banquet. In English, the children studied two of Shakespeare’s most famous plays, Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth. It was wonderful to see how the children really brought these plays to life through their acting and questioning. They created a comic strip-style

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storyboard to show the story of Romeo and Juliet, and it was surprising to find out that Juliet was only 13 years old. Developing a cross-curricular approach to learning is of the utmost importance in the Primary School. Nowhere was this more evident than in how Y4 combined English, Science and Design Technology to create model stages showing a scene from Macbeth or Romeo and Juliet, complete with working stage lights. The children were able to use their scientific understanding of circuits and switches to light up their favourite scene, and then create a set of accurate, in-depth instructions for ensuring that the circuit worked. This has been a fantastic term for Y4. They have proven themselves time and time again to be creative, hard-working and enthusiastic children, and they have given themselves an excellent foundation for Y5. What a great year they have had!

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KS2

Incredible journey

by Alex Baines and Anna Kemp-Garcia Y5 have had a ribbitting good time this term. We have been studying life cycles, which culminated in the exciting release of an army of frogs into our science garden pond. Over the course of the term we encountered a host of creatures that undergo metamorphisms to varying degrees. We also looked at the life cycle of a plant, taking particular interest in the process of pollination. We were able to use our scientific skills to dissect a plant and then view the incredible details of each part underneath a microscope. Y5 have also been looking at where our drinking water comes from and understanding how lucky we are to be able to access clean drinking water. We took this to heart and wrote, filmed and starred in adverts for a charity we had researched, which provides clean drinking water to those for whom it is

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not available. The trip to Apa Nova water treat plant was an interesting insight into the processes water goes through, before emerging from our taps. We have also been discovering the incredible journey a river will take from its source high up in the mountains to its end at the river mouth. We took this knowledge and used it to create our own new rivers in the school sand pit. In Design Technology we looked at minimalistic structures. We then built our own bridges, taking into account techniques to strengthen them, before hosting the first ‘world’s strongest, miniature bridge competition’. As this year comes to an end, we are incredibly proud of the hard work Y5 have completed and are pleased to have observed the children grow into the role models which they have become.

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KS2

Year 6 - ready for transition to Secondary by Jenny Whiteman and Jenna Batson

What amazing adventures we’ve had in Y6 this term. During Science, we have had opportunities to get our enquiry hats out and put them to good use: from observing micro-organisms and which teacher has the dirtiest hands (luckily, none of the Y6 staff); to looking carefully at how plants transpire water with some interesting coloured celery as a result. What has impressed us the most is how our students are developing their enquiry minds and really analysing the data and questioning further the results and importantly, what they could test for next. The students have enjoyed getting outside this term now that the weather is warmer. Our orienteering event was a huge hit and the students developed skills in reading six-figure grid references on a range of maps, as well as how to use the eight points of a compass with accuracy. They also relished working with Y5 during our ‘Star Wars’ themed enrichment days and solving the different problems around the treasure hunt course. We certainly are a year group of Jedi’s in training combined with trepid explorers. English has seen our eldest students of the Lower School really showcasing what they have learnt during their time in Primary and revisiting a range of genres which have really pushed their creative writing to the extremes. We especially enjoyed writing flashbacks: using pictures and videos to inspire some unfortunate events and describing how a character got in to such

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a predicament in the first place was great fun. In Art, things have been getting a little ‘fishy’! The students have been working hard on their observational skills, combined with improving their sketching and drawing skills to draw close up details of fish. They have learnt many new techniques when working with oil pastels and thoroughly enjoyed sketching in different ways: drawing standing up with charcoal attached to the end of the stick was amusing yet important in freeing up their style and realizing things don’t have to be perfect for that first mark on the paper. In Y6 we have the honour of performing a memorable show to end such a fabulous era in the student’s lives. The children have been working tirelessly on learning their lines and we have been mightily impressed by the theatrical skills and techniques that they have learnt with Miss Hindley being performed on stage in front of us. The Y6 team have thoroughly enjoyed working with every single student and will be saddened to see them leave. However, we are excited for them all on their next adventure to Secondary school and look forward to seeing them in their smart new uniform and blazers, please don’t be strangers and come and say hello to us. We are also unbelievably proud of what mature, sensible and caring individuals you have become - true ambassadors for the school. Thank you!

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PGL Trip

by Jenny Whiteman The PGL trip to Liddington was a triumph this year as Y6 proved themselves to be impeccably well behaved and a testament to the school. Our time at the PGL centre in Liddington revolved around exciting and stimulating activities which tested the children’s courage and teamwork. Some of our favourite activities involved canoeing, where children played games and learnt to manoeuvre themselves around a lake, and the ‘Giant Swing’, a ropes activity where children were hoisted to the top of a swing before pulling a rope to release themselves. Raft building was more successful this year with all rafts staying together, allowing the children to paddle around the lake and demonstrate excellent teamwork. The PGL centre is an excellent home for the children whilst they are away in a foreign country. Our students waited in excitement to see what delicious treats would be served to them every day and hash browns, baked beans and bacon, became firm favourites for breakfast. The salad bar was well used by our

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students and I’m sure many will remember their first taste of apple crumble forever! An addition to this year’s trip was an excursion to Bath. Despite the inclement weather, the students enjoyed a walking tour around the city centre before a visit to the historic ‘Roman Baths.’ Students were fascinated; they soaked up the history and had to be lured out of the museum with the promise of shopping! A visit to the old-fashioned sweet shop and traditional fudgemaking shop ensured that the students tasted British treats. No doubt family and friends enjoyed their gifts from these shops too! Everywhere we went members of the public commented on how well behaved the students were. The flight attendants and other passengers on the planes remarked on the maturity and wellmannered students, so much so we were given prizes. Well done Y6, we are incredibly proud of you.

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Primary Enrichment Days

Enriching Our Curriculum by Paul Gildea and Jodie Lewis

BSB rightly prides itself in offering our children a robust, vibrant curriculum which nourishes the skills, talents and interests of all. We strive to make learning meaningful and enjoyable, establishing links between different disciplines and developing a sense of creativity in and outside of the classroom. However, we recognise that we should always be striving for excellence and always searching for new ways to bring awe and wonder to our curriculum. Our Primary Enrichment Days are perfect examples of how we aim to enrich our children’s learning beyond the expected. Who can forget our English Enrichment Day? For many adults, learning grammar was a horror from their own school days. Not

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in the hands of our skilled teachers and teaching assistants. Bringing grammar to life with games and active learning truly enriched our children’s experience of English, and enabled them to think about the language in a new way. Our Science Enrichment Day was similarly rewarding. Giving the children the opportunities to engage in complex scientific ideas such as chromatography and electrolytes was a wonderful way to encourage questioning and higher-order thinking. Our Spring Term Enrichment Days took the theme of ‘Survival and Adventure’. This theme was voted for by the children themselves, and it was easy to see why they were so enthused by this theme. We had pirates and bear hunts galore in KS1. Incorporating

Music, Science, English, Maths, Computing and many other subject areas, our children were able to explore and discover, learning valuable life skills such as first aid and map reading. Developing these ‘non-curricular’ life skills really are a vital part of the enrichment experience. Our most recent Enrichment Days focused on the Arts. The children (and adults) had a marvelous time enhancing their learning in all areas of the Arts. But you don’t need to take our word for it – this is how the children really feel:

“When we have Arts Enrichment we get to work with different children and teachers, I liked observational drawing outside,” Marc Y1

“In Arts Enrichment we worked with children from Reception, it was good and fun.” Ellenoor Y1

Enrichment Days – truly enriching.

“I enjoyed everything!’ Salima Y3 “Enrichment days are good, I chose art and illustration. I liked making posters for some song words,” Anca Y2 “I achieved something new which I didn’t know I could do,” Anais Y4 “It’s a chance to push ourselves forward,” Avisheh Y4

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Work in Progress by Dan Batson

In January, Primary students were invited to take part in the 5th edition of the “Work in Progress” Children’s Visual Art Exhibition organised by the UniCredit Ţiriac Bank contemporary art gallery. This year’s theme was “Diary”. Students were able to use any art medium they wished, giving them the freedom to create a truly unique piece. The children had some wonderful ideas and we saw a huge array of skills and techniques being used in the work that they produced. Some used paint while others chose pencil or crayon in order to create the perfect effect. We even saw some entirely three dimensional pieces. Our judges, Art Coordinator Kate Dibble and Deputy Head Dan Batson, had the challenge of deciding which artists had shown the greatest skill, originality and creativity while still demonstrating the theme of “Diary”. They chose twelve pieces as our winners and these were submitted to the competition

organisers. Schools from all over Bucharest had also entered a range of work and the competition was stiff. It was a nervous wait but two weeks later we were delighted to hear that two pieces from BSB had been selected to be included in the final exhibition. The first, created by Saeyeoun from 4P, was a piece with three dimensional elements using watercolour crayons and delicately shaped coloured paper entitled ‘A Mixture of My Colourful Thoughts’. The second, produced by Krystof from 6W, was a detailed sketch demonstrating intelligent use of colours to depict famous landmarks from around Europe. He named his piece ‘Diary of a City Artist’. Both Saeyeoun and Krystof attended the exhibition and were very proud to see their work on display. They also very much enjoyed viewing the work of others and seeing the different interpretations of the theme.

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UNIVERSITIES Planet BSB University pupils designing their recycled bottle greenhouse

by Dan Batson

T

his term’s University has boasted some of the most exciting activities yet. Working with food is always a hit and this time we have had three different courses to choose from.

Campfire Cuisine has been a huge success and perfect for all those barbeque fans, especially in the summer months. BSB Bistro: Silver Service and BSB Bistro: Master Chef have allowed our KS1 and KS2 children to work together to prepare a meal for different special guests each week. Some delicious dishes were served and all with the added pressure of delivering them on time! With it being the final term of the year, we have increased the opportunities for our younger children to work with older students - How to be a Film Director and Yehaw! Line Dancing are two more examples where this is the case. Our new Origami course was extremely popular with our Y5 and Y6 children. What made it that little bit more special, however,

was that it was led by one of our own students, Vera from 5K. A Robotics course was also introduced to upper KS2, with Lego Mindstorms sets being programmed to carry out different tasks autonomously. A particularly ambitious project has been the Planet BSB: The Bottle Greenhouse. In this course, students from Y2 to Y4 have worked together, alongside our DT Technician Catalin, to build a functional greenhouse out of timber and recycled plastic water bottles. Other courses this term have included: Puppetry; How to train your Dragon; Dramatastic; Free Dance; Primary Patchwork Party; Stopmotion; Sports from around the World; Zentangling and Embroidery.

The KS2 Robotics University programming Lego Mindstorms sets to navigate a course

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Learning to train a dragon - a great way to spend a Wednesday afternoon

As summer arrived Campfire Cooking made use of the school barbeque

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Sports from around the world

Using technology creatively to produce time lapse movies

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Origami - the first University to be run by a KS2 pupil

Creating a thing of beauty from scraps of material in Patchwork Party

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Photo: BSB

CLUBS Preparing for a performance in the Cheerleader Club

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The art room is used at all times of the day including after-school activities

Portrait and perspective in Secondary Photography Club

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Taking fitness seriously with an evening workout

We have a growing number of fencers signed up for lessons

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A perfect time of year to watch the Ringwood garden grow

Staff and students taking the opportunity to learn salsa

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4th - 29th July 2016 42 Erou Iancu Nicolae Str. | summerschool@britishschool.ro Like us on facebook.com/BritishSchoolBucharest Follow us on twitter.com/britishschoolro www.britishschool.ro

SECONDARY SCHOOL REVIEW

Educators often refer somewhat lazily to the clear need to prepare children for jobs in the future that currently do not exist, without attempting to evidence how this can be done. I have written before in Newsblast about the value that we place on opportunities that enrich and broaden beyond our daily timetabled curriculum. I want to focus on two new aspects of our students’ experiences that have delighted me this term and that demonstrate part of our approach to tackling this issue.

Philip Walters Head of Secondary

Our Business and ICT teachers recently ran our second Enterprise Day for all Y7 students. The design of the day and task required innovative thinking, attention to detail, collaboration in no small measure and a presentation of their proposed products to groups of adults. In short it necessitated the use of skills that will be vital for success in any future workplace. Many of the groups used conference calls to ensure that the all members of the group had real-time updates and could offer input into aspects of the operation on which they were not directly working. The students appeared to relish the challenge and created some superb presentations of which they were rightly proud. The day nurtured some skills of entrepreneurship but demanded so much more from the students in terms of teamwork, respect for the views of others and importantly, creativity in no small measure.

“ The day nurtured some skills of entrepreneurship but demanded so much more from the students in terms of teamwork, respect for the views of others and importantly, creativity in no small measure.”

The ‘F1 in Schools’ project has added another new dimension with two teams of students having spent CCAs but also many hours of their own time, as they competed to create the best car and overall marketing and team package to represent BSB. Such has been the success of both teams that we will look to involve many

more students next year. Zac, Emilia, Pavel and Anastasia presented at a near-professional level. The pitch to senior teachers, parents and local business executives placed them in a situation that would daunt anyone. These Y8 students dealt with the challenge consummately; their level of preparation was outstanding and the growth in their teamwork was absolutely evident as they had shared tasks, delegated where appropriate, critiqued one another positively

and all contributed expertise and hard work. Their ideas for marketing, budgeting, uniform and logo design alongside their final car design were truly excellent. Ultimately they were pushed into second place, but the lessons learnt should be invaluable next year and well into the future. Congratulations to Finn and Dilara (Y12), Ioana, Clara and Harriet (Y10) as our winning team for 2016. We wish them every success as they go to represent BSB and Romania in the finals in the USA next term. These activities and events are very much part of our curriculum in its broadest sense. We seek actively to prepare students for both academic success but also for future workplaces, many of which may well not currently exist and from which the output produced will be the stuff of tomorrow’s world. S E C O N D A R Y R E V I E W 71

What is Year 7 Enterprise Day? by Shazia Walker

Mix all the Y7 students up into groups of four, give them a plan of what they need to do. Students work in their groups and select what their role will be. Give them lots of ingredients to choose from to prepare their sandwiches. At the end of the day they get to pitch their ideas to the judges. From team work to creativity, Enterprise Day covers many aspects of the curriculum in an environment that takes students outside of the classroom. This is what some Y7’s thought of the day: It was a great day and a great experience for me and my group. It extended our teamwork and cooperation skills. Enterprise day was awesome as it was an unusual and a fun thing to do. I also liked it because we really worked well as a group and that always

makes thing better and more exciting. I wish that we could have more days like this during the year. I enjoyed enterprise day. We developed many different skills. I think enterprise day was really fun, I really liked doing the packaging. Our group worked really good together. Enterprise day was fun, I enjoyed the teamwork, and we put a lot of effort in our sandwich and sandwich box. Enterprise day was an amazing day because we worked in groups and we created sandwiches. I think Enterprise Day was great fun. Enterprise Day has helped develop our teamwork skills. I think every team did a really good job!

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UKMT 2016 Results by John Flood

We are delighted to report on the continued success of our students in Mathematics. This term, our secondary students have again been taking part in the United Kingdom Mathematics Challenge (UKMT). There are three initial challenges that our students are entered into dependent upon their year group. These are; the Junior, Intermediate and Senior level challenges. Our students have, yet again, performed extremely well in the various challenges. They have been awarded, for high performance, the following number of certificates: 23 Bronze, 11 Silver and 13 Gold. Our students achieved the various levels of certificate at every level of the competition, showing that we have strong Mathematics talent across all stages of the secondary school. Of those who achieved the Gold certificates,

Gold Irina

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Silver Ilinca

we had three students who performed so well that they have qualified to progress to subsequent levels of the Challenge. In the Intermediate Challenge, Jason and Yan, Y11 and Y10 respectively, have qualified to take part in the follow-on ‘Pink Kangaroo’ round. In the Junior challenge section, special mention must go to Minsang in Y8 who has achieved the remarkable honour of scoring so highly that he has automatically surpassed the next level of the challenge and been invited to take part in the Junior Maths Olympiad. This is only the second time in the history of BSB that this situation has occurred and we are all extremely proud of Minsang. Well done to all who took part and we look forward to celebrating more Mathematics success in the future.

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Jason 69 (PK) Tasos 65

Yeiji 57 Octavia 50

Yan

67 (PK)

Nicolas 57

Minsang 115 (JMO) Karin 101 Smaragda 100 Andrei 91 Zack 81

Darius 70 Firas 70 Kevin 68 Alex 67

Daniel 96 Gregory 95 Ella 87 Noa 83

Connor 75 David 71 Tudor 70

Bronze Abdullah 63 Anisia 64 Alex 64 Finn 50 Alex 47 Ana-Maria 43 Yan 42 Alina 40 Stefan 40 Luka 49 Jakub 48 Clara 47 Ana-Maria 47 Ioana 44 Jenny 40 Elias 60 Emilia 51 Andrei 62 Dana 61 Paul 60 Anna 55 Elena 55 Codrut 53

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Science at BSB by Paul Farrell

The Science department at BSB firmly believes in a practical, investigative approach to learning. This of course allows for copious amounts of fun experimental work. Our aim is to train students to ask questions and develop a line of enquiry based on observations of the real world, alongside prior knowledge and experience.

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Y8 students recently had the opportunity to carry out a series of investigations while studying the Heat and Magnetism unit. A convection loop being used to visualise the flow of thermal energy proved to be very popular amongst the students.

BSB really has got Talent! by Elisabeth Citron

The annual BSB Talent Show took place on Friday 20th May this year and we were blessed with a warm, sunny afternoon for the event. The show was hosted by our Y12 Student Voice leaders Ilinca and Dilara, joined on stage by Joe. The whole school turned out to watch and for the first time, the event was livestreamed on YouTube. Our first singers, Antonia and Sonia in Y6, launched the show in style and we were treated to a range of acts during the afternoon from musical numbers to more physical performances. Special mention must go to the fabulous ballroom dancers, Veronika and Krystof in Y6 and our Y8 gymnasts, Sarah and Karin. Adya in Y4 performed a captivating Indian dance which held the audience throughout. On the musical side, Sofia in Y3 wowed the audience with her version of Adele and Lena’s guitar solo was beautiful. Amongst the other acts, the standard

of piano, cello and saxophone playing was truly impressive. Our hosts kept the spectators entertained throughout the show with their jokes and puns, not forgetting their very own rap. Thanks goes to Scott Allsop, Sally Clark and Sophie Hindley for the musical and technical arrangements, Adam Pegrum and Ms Dana for selecting and coordinating the Primary performers and to Elisabeth Citron and the Secondary Student Voice for planning and organising the event overall. Thanks also to our student judges Paloma, Eve and Jamie who joined our Headteachers in this role. Finally, it was wonderful to see so many Primary and Secondary pupils willing to take the stage and we look forward to more performances from these and other brave and talented BSB students next year.

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Inter-School Talent Show by Sally Clark

In the fourth inter-school talent show this year we were able to put forward 3 very strong acts. Miruna was the only singer to perform with her own accompanist – Haeun – rather than a backing track which gave a lot more expression and communication to the performance. Her voice is going from strength to strength. Haeun was impeccably professional and even when her music came off the music stand, she was not flustered. Lena jumped on stage and rescued the fluttering sheets. Lena’s performance also showed a step beyond most other performers by accompanying herself on the guitar while she sang. BSB’s third entry was the-band-from-BSB-which-rehearses-ona-Friday, and still, after two years hasn’t created a band name apart from ‘School of Rock’ named after Mr Allsop’s Friday CCA.

Send any suggestions to Miss Clark! They have a wide repertoire now and they shared their accurate interpretation of Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Queen on the talent show stage. Performers were Abdullah, Finn, Jesus, Stefan, Chloe and Adi. Sadly, two amazing vocal performances from the American School and a rock band playing ‘Fur Elise Goes Rock’ (Cambridge School’s own interpretation of the Beethoven Classic) stole any winning positions from our three wonderful entries. Everyone felt they had done their best and that it was a fair decision overall. The venue was the International School of Bucharest, which was comfortable with great cakes and atmosphere. Next year it is time to regain the title which Tudor won in 2013…be inspired!

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MUSIC

Secondary Music Review by Sally Clark

The school orchestras and choir continue to expand their repertoires and this term have performed in the Primary concert, Advanced Performers’ Recital and the Summer Fair. The Primary choir has grown in number and when they have performed, the huge smiles on their faces reflect the enjoyment they are getting from singing. Mrs Batson and Mr Pering have chosen great repertoire to suit their bright sound. In the school orchestra performance at the Primary Concert in May, we were pleased to see ‘The Surprise Symphony’ theme by Haydn still catches audience members unawares when the ‘surprise’ happens. They played Ode to Joy, mainly because it was in the orchestra library, not as any reference to the British

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referendum on membership of the EU! The piece #BSB7 was composed by Mr Pywell for the current Y7 classes to work on in class, and the orchestra was happy to do their version of it with a few more instruments added. They culminated their playing, and the concert, with an arrangement of ‘Happy’ that included audience participation and a rather breathless tempo for the saxophones which they managed with an extra boost of adrenalin. We look forward to more expansion of ensemble playing in the next academic year with a Primary Orchestra, Secondary Orchestra and also an audition only Advanced Orchestra for players across the school. The level of musicianship and numbers of committed

participants has meant the inauguration of an ‘Advanced Performers’ Recital’ at the end of the term to cater for those students who will be playing in their own competitions and concerts with teachers outside of school. These advanced performers are the students that inspire others to continue their studies and strive for excellence. An A level exam piece ‘Billie’s Bounce’ was played with Jesus featuring on the bass guitar along with a sax/drums/keys jazz combo. The Advanced Orchestra has achieved being able to play very detailed chamber music arrangements of Eine Kleine Nacht Musik, Eleanor Rigby and Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds which was the finale of the Advanced Performers’ Recital. For students who are not taking formal instrumental lessons, Mr Pywell continues to run the instruments CCA for students to

try orchestral instruments and after school one-to-one lessons are always available on flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, violin and ‘cello. Also bassoon and double bass, though demand is very high on these instruments so the teachers may struggle to fit them into their schedules. KS3 students will continue having access to instruments during their class lessons and hopefully progress to playing in the school ensembles. Piano students do have an opportunity to learn during the school day with two visiting teachers and most orchestral instruments are available to hire via the parent portal. Contact the office for more details any time and let’s make BSB famous for quality and access to the performing arts.

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Secondary Trip to China by Claire Sugdon

This year’s secondary trip was one of the most adventurous yet, with students visiting Beijing and Xi’an in China to take in some of the most famous sights in the world, including the Great Wall of China and the Terracotta Army. Despite a long flight, our tour started as soon as we landed in Beijing with a visit to the Summer Palace, home to numerous Chinese dynasties and famous as a masterpiece of Chinese landscape design. It was here that we were to discover that we were quite a novelty, with people keen to talk to us and find out about us. Beijing proved to be a fascinating city with a contrasting, yet complimentary, blend of ancient and modern. Despite its modern infamy, Tiananmen Square provided an interesting start to our first full day in China, with the square also acting as the gateway to perhaps the most impressive aspect of ancient Beijing, the Forbidden City, the imperial palace of Ming and Qing emperors for over 500 years. We all enjoyed touring this impressive complex, although lunch threw up a few surprises on the menu. Well done, Ioana and Eleanor, for being brave enough to try the donkey dish! China is famous for so many different reasons, but our visit to the Great Wall has to be the highlight of the trip. The Great Wall stretches for over 13,000 miles and is the only man-made structure that can be seen from space. We were able to climb a section of the wall to take in the views from the top, which were well worth the climb. Back in Beijing, and en route to catch our

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sleeper train to Xi’an, we were also able to take a quick look at the Bird’s Nest Stadium and the ‘Water Cube’, home to the highly successful 2008 Olympic Games. From ancient to modern in the blink of an eye. Bleary-eyed from the sleeper train, our tour continued in Xi’an with a visit to the Terracotta Army, one of the most important archaeological finds in history. We were also shown how the army has been, and is still being, restored in the museum, which also acts as an ongoing archaeological dig. Xi’an is also home to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, a towering Buddhist Pagoda dating back almost 1,500 years. Here, the students were able to participate in a calligraphy lesson. Whilst in Xi’an we also took time to cycle around the walls of the city’s ancient fortifications, which proved popular with the students, followed by a visit to Huimin Street at the heart of the hectic, yet vibrant, Muslim Quarter. There is so much more to mention from this jam-packed trip, such as the excitement of the Kung Fu Show, the majesty of the Temple of Heaven (complete with numerous couples having their wedding photos taken), the grandeur of the Ming Tombs, a rickshaw tour and the opportunity to observe pandas at Beijing Zoo. However, space has defeated me. This really was the trip of a lifetime; a cultural, linguistic and culinary onslaught, but worthwhile and hugely enjoyable. I hope the students remember this experience for a long time to come.

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Inter-School Dragons Den Competition by Gordon Robertson

The competition requires students to come up with an idea for a product or service and present it to three judges. Within their presentation students are expected to come up with a business name, design a logo, design and make a prototype, consider costing and profit margins for making their product, contact suppliers and have thought of strategies to market their idea to their intended target customers.

The judges were impressed with all of the projects but ISB were victorious with their imaginative idea of designing a suitcase with Wi-Fi and a tracking device so it could never be lost. Elena and Nizhoni from BSB came a close second with their range of soft toys that they had designed and manufactured themselves. Finally, the IBSB came third with an imaginative communication App.

Having already won first, second and third places in their InHouse Dragons Den Competitions’ the elite entrepreneurs from BSB, ISB and IBSB were all in full business mode ready to pitch their innovative ideas.

I would like to say thank you to Simon Lambert, Andrew Palmer and Dragos Nicolaescu for judging the competition and of course all of the fantastic students who worked so hard to participate in the event.

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Charities at BSB by Hannah Straw

It’s been a busy term for the Charity Committee. Dedicated student volunteers have continued their invaluable activities at Centrul Don Orione (a day care and residential centre for children and young adults with disabilities) and the baby hospital programme run by Fundatia Inocenti. This is particularly impressive in the Summer Term, during which students experience the additional pressures of end of year exams and the temptation of relaxing in good weather. Their commitment has been tremendous. The vast majority of our students attend the organized Expeditions during the penultimate week of term. However,

those who choose to remain in school challenge themselves in different ways. This year, students participated in activities for the children at Centrul Don Orione and also organized an inhouse Sports Day for children from the Casa Ioana family shelter. Additionally, some of our students choose to volunteer independently. Dilara in Y12 has continued her volunteering at Hospice Casa Sperantei; an organization which provides hospice care and other support to terminally ill patients and their families. The spirit of caring for others is definitely alive and well in the BSB community.

Losing the right to be lost? by Jason Porter

Anyone who has ever heard the dismembered, metallic voice ‘recalculating route’ at the white start line of a complicated city intersection when the lights have just gone green, or ‘turn around when possible’ when you have just entered the motorway slip road at full speed, will testify to just how annoying sat navs can be. But imagine for a moment a world where there was a risk of us actually getting lost. A few months ago I was listening to a BBC Radio 4 programme about the fun of getting lost. To illustrate this they went to the world-famous centre of lost souls, which is the maze at the residence of the late King Henry VIII, Hampton Court Palace. Against the background of the hoots and giggles of lost tourists, the maze gardener skillfully led the reporter round the maze until he also got lost himself. I found this strangely reassuring because, despite his constant failed attempts at trying to find the right path, irrespective of his knowledge and status, the gardener took each wrong turning in his stride, dusted himself down and carried on. In an age where we rely on a disembodied voice telling us to turn left or right for fear of getting lost, I have often questioned whether insulating ourselves from any kind of failure leaves us unable to dip into our reserves of resilience when the going really gets tough.

Developing resilience is a heated topic and well-trodden path in current education thinking. We question whether we are indeed failing the young people in our care by not allowing them the chance to overcome (controlled) adversity and (controlled) failure? Does failure necessarily have to mean ‘failed’ or does it mean ‘I will adapt and learn and now watch me?’ Probably. All is not lost because resilience can be trained. Our students have just returned from Expeditions Week, where pushing boundaries, getting lost and challenging yourself are the norms. It is not just about one week, though and at BSB we do so much more, such as the Duke of Edinburgh International Award, charity and community work, CCAs, sports but crucially what happens daily in our classrooms. I could go on. Encouraging and nurturing our young people to stride bravely into the zone of adversity is not something we should fear, but we must be there to help them ‘dust themselves off’ and develop their skills to carry on.

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Student enrichment outside the curriculum by Mark Hooper

BSB views after school activities as an integral part of the education of our children, and to that end offers a wide range of clubs that aim to introduce the child to potential hobbies, develop particular sports, provide language learning or IT support and inspire an interest in areas that perhaps they would not be exposed to through the normal curriculum. Enrichment activities not only encompass the extensive CCA programme currently offered at BSB, but there is a vast array of other opportunities available. CCA Enrichment activities are compulsory for every child at the school and parents are asked to choose two clubs per term, usually representing a balance between active/sport and more intellectually inspiring programmes. Every child is required to stick to any given club for at least a term, reinforcing the idea that any commitment to learning must be followed through. Not only are these experiences compulsory, but they are essential for the growth of every child and as such we would encourage all students to push themselves to fully engage in the enrichment opportunities at BSB. The opportunities available to BSB children would rival any school four times the size. It is so important that the children fully embrace the opportunities as education outside the classroom can be equally important as the skills and knowledge gained within. In picking out a few highlights it would be hard to ignore the massive impact of the BISAC sporting fixtures. This year there has been a tenfold increase in the number of sporting fixtures available to children. There have been over 60 fixtures in a variety of sports including football, basketball, athletics, tag rugby, and volleyball. The opportunity for children to engage in regular, formalised competition has change the face of sport at BSB. There can be no question in the value of these types of activities but in what ways do children benefit from being involved in these activities; Physical Development When children participate in sports and outdoor activities, they get good exercise and learn life-long habits of keeping mentally and physically fit. Combined with other life skills like learning how to eat right, will ensure that children know the basics of living a healthy lifestyle.

Creativity Many different activities can provide an outlet for creativity and problem-solving. Obvious choices are arts and crafts, music, performing arts, but other activities like sports and collecting can teach problem-solving skills. The best activities for your children are those that encourage their natural curiosity and interests. Stress Relief Many activities take place in a relaxing environment or promote healthy methods for dealing with stress. The more we are able to find positive ways to deal with stress, the better we feel. Self-Confidence When children learn new skills and engage in social activities, they become more self-confident. Learning social skills like cooperation, negotiation, and conflict resolutions in a fun and relaxed environment will help them interact appropriately with others - a skill valuable in all aspects of life from home life to the workplace. Team Spirit and Camaraderie Teamwork is increasingly more important in home life as well as at work. Team sports require children to work together to achieve a common goal and remove the focus from the individual to the team. The benefits not only apply to the BIAC Sports but also to a range of other opportunities including the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award, and Expeditions week. The IA programme has grown this year with 8 students registered for the Silver and 16 registered for the Bronze Award. The expeditions are the highlight however the chance to learn a new skill and sport as well as providing a service to help other people is both a rewarding and enriching experience. Expedition’s week gives the students not only to access the benefits highlighted above but a chance to cement the bond within their year group and friendships that can last a lifetime. Another enrichment highlight this year was Sports Day. This provides every student in the school the chance to extend themselves outside of the curriculum. The new venue was a proved to be extremely successful and the weather gods smiled upon us, on what turned out to be a glorious event of sporting endeavour. There were a record number of school records broken on the day and here is a summary of the winners in each event:

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Secondary Winners Year 7 Girls 100m

– Eve –New School Record!

Year 7 Girls Shot Putt

– Ella

Year 7 Boys 100m

– Paul – New School Record!

Year 7 Boys Shot Putt

– Luca D

Year 8 Girls 100m

– Sarah – New School Record!

Year 8 Girls Shot Putt

– Alex

Year 8 Boys 100m

– Tudor

Year 8 Boys Shot Putt

– Alexander

Year 9 Girls 100m

– Lena

Year 9 Girls Shot Putt

– Erin

Year 9 Boys 100m

– Mansoor

Year 9 Boys Shot Putt

– Saif

Year 10 Girls 100m

– Clara P

Year 10 Girls Shot Putt

– Harriet

Year 10 Boys 100m

– Luka – New School Record!

Year 10 Boys Shot Putt

– Luka M

Year11/12/13 Girls 100m

– Jenny

Year11/12/13 Girls Shot Putt – Alina

Year 11/12/13 Boys 100m

– Muhammad – New School Record!

Year 11/12/13 Boys Shot Putt – Andrei

Year 7 Girls 400m

– Bebhinn – New School Record!

Year 7 Girls High Jump

– Bebhinn

Year 7 Boys 400m

– Paul – New School Record!

Year 7 Boys High Jump

– Luca S

Year 8 Girls 400m

– Georgina – New School Record!

Year 8 Girls High Jump

– Joycelyn

Year 8 Boys 400m

– Tudor

Year 8 Boys High Jump

– Tudor

Year 9 Girls 400m

– Erin

Year 9 Girls High Jump

– Lena

Year 9 Boys 400m

– Mansoor

Year 9 Boys High Jump

– Ioannis

Year 10 Girls 400m

– Cristina

Year 10 Girls High Jump

– Clara – New School Record!

Year 10 Boys 400m

– Luka

Year 10 Boys High Jump

– Luca M – New School Record!

Year 11/12/13 Girls 400m

– Jenny – New School Record!

Year 11/12/13 Girls High Jump – Alina – New School Record!

Year 11/12/13 Boys 400m

– Muhammad – New School Record!

Year 11/12/13 Boys High Jump – Niccolo – New School Record!

Year 2R Boys 35m Race

– Matvi

Pre D Girls 20m

– Viola

Year 2R Girls 35m Race

– Natalia

Pre D Boys 20m

– Eduardo

Year 2S Boys 35m Race

– Sergey

Crèche Girls 20m

– Aysha

Year 2S Girls 35m Race

– Maria

Crèche Boys 20m

– Jasper

Year 2C Boys 35m Race

– Robert

Year 3 Girls 50m

– Tatiana

Year 2C Girls 35m Race

– Lucia

Year 3 Boys 50m

– Adam

Year 1L Boys 30m Race

– Yahya

Year 3 Girls 100m

– Tatiana

Year 1L Girls 30m Race

– Gaby

Year 3 Boys 100m

– Adam

Year 1I Boys 30m Race

– Mihnea

Year 4 Girls 60m

– Alana

Year 1I Girls 30m Race

– Sofia

Year 4 Boys 60m

– Sultan

Rec E Boys 25m

– Raufa

Year 4 Girls 150m

– Yunji – New School Record!

Rec E Girls 25m

– Anastasia

Year 4 Girls 150m

– Sultan – New School Record!

Rec S Boys 25m

– Matteo

Year 5 Girls 70m

– Vera

Rec S Girls 25m

– Chaya

Year 5 Boys 70m

– Jason

Pre V Girls 25m

– Aena

Year 5 Girls 200m

– Carmen

Pre V Boys 20m

– Gonzalo

Year 5 Boys 200m

– Jason – New School Record!

Primary Winners

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Year 6 Girls 80m

– Irina

Year 5 & 6 Girls High Jump – Lea

Year 6 Boys 80m

– Hassan

Year 5 & 6 Boys High Jump – Dave

Year 6 Girls 300m

– Irina – New School Record!

Year 3 & 4 Girls Shot Putt

– Caroline

Year 6 Boys 300m

– Hassan

Year 3 & 4 Boys Shot Putt

– Levi

Year 3 & 4 Girls High Jump – Tessel

Year 5 & 6 Boys Shot Putt

– Anastasia

Year 3 & 4 Boys High Jump – Danny

Year 5 & 6 Boys Shot Putt

– Zain

Congratulations to all the students that took part as Pierre de Coubertin stated “The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part; the essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well.”

S P O R T S AT B S B 89

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SPORTS DAY 2016

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S P O R T S D AY 93

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S P O R T S D AY 95

Find me

by Daniela and Cristina, Y10 GCSE Drama students In April, the Y11 GCSE Drama class performed the exciting play entitled Find Me. The story was about a girl with a confusing mental illness and the audience were guided through her life; the family problems that she causes and the people who try to help her. As the play continues Verity, the main character becomes more chaotic and sick, and we believe that the Y11s did a brilliant job at shocking, terrifying and intriguing. When the audience entered the Drama Studio they were greeted by a dark and chilling stage which instantly built tension, foreshadowing that something sinister was coming. The set design was intriguing, surrounding the black curtains were a lot of masks linked together with string. This was to symbolize that Verity has a lot of different personalities and different points of view for each situation that she has to go through. In addition to this, the staging looked even more mysterious, as there were toys hanging from different parts of stage maybe to

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make it look like a nursery or alternatively to show that Verity, due to her mental illness, had a very child-like personality. Surreal music started, the lights went down and we sat back and watched the Y11’s unique performance where every actor played every character to produce a dynamic and engaging Brechtian performance. This play inspired us to continue studying drama and to watch more abstract plays as we really enjoyed it. One of our favourite parts was when Verity was playing with the toys and blocks, saying that one of the blocks was her village. The performance here was so adorable and innocent and was a stark contrast to the insanity and tension which followed later in the play. The actors laughed, screamed and even cried as they told the story of Verity Taylor; overall it was absolutely amazing play. We think everyone who was there enjoyed it a lot, congratulations to Elisse, Jennifer, Mena, Calista, Luca and Stefan!

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OUR HOUSE PRODUCTION

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OUR HOUSE PRODUCTION 99

Year 7 visit to the Grand Choral Synagogue by Hannah Straw

April saw Y7 visiting one of the remaining synagogues in Bucharest. For the past few years, Y7 students have enjoyed a tour of the Great Synagogue, built in 1845, and a talk provided by Miss Ina. This year’s Y7 students were lucky enough to be able to visit the Choral Synagogue, recently reopened after an eight year renovation. Miss Ina and Mr Gilbert provided an informative tour and answered all Y7’s enthusiastic questions about life in the Jewish community. Y7 learned why the Torah is written on calf skin, why there are 3 different seating areas within the same

synagogue, what the speakers are for and why many seats are engraved with names. The Choral Synagogue is an incredibly impressive building from an architectural point of view and the students were lucky enough to visit all three levels and get a view of the intricately painted ceiling. Y7 impressed BSB staff and Miss Ina and Mr Gilbert with their mature and sensible attitude and left with an enthusiasm and a personal experience to help them understand more about one of the world’s main religions.

It’s good to get your hands dirty by Gary Webster

At BSB we offer a wide range of extracurricular choices and this term has been no exception. Thanks to the expertise of one of our parents Mr John Tyrell who has kindly offered his free time to help teach the art of motorcycle maintenance. During these sessions students in secondary actively learned the mechanics

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of the combustion engine by deconstructing and reconstructing a 50cc motorbike. Practical tasks like these help students to ask questions independently, make connections between ideas, think creatively, challenge and participate effectively, and reflect on their learning as well as having, more importantly, fun!

University Destinations by Paul Farrell

This year our sixth form students have secured offers of places on some of the most competitive university courses in the UK and in other countries. Indeed, several students had the difficult decision of choosing from four or five offers from different universities. The final destination of the Y13 students is, in many cases, dependent upon the A level results which are published in August. We are proud of the quality of advice and support we offer our students about their options after A levels. Whilst we seek to give accurate and realistic advice regarding individual prospects in light of their predicted grades and prior examination performance, we remain fully committed to supporting them throughout the application process whatever their chosen path. Should you wish to discuss possible routes into Higher Education, please feel free to arrange an appointment with Mr Walters. The destinations and degree choices for our 2016 cohort are as follows:

Student

Likely Destination

Clarissa

SOAS London

Beatrice Muhammad Matteo Filippo Andrei Mariam Abdullah Lilla Andreea Jiah Hanseul Johann

Studying

Arabic and International Relations University of Warwick Politics, International Studies and French UCL Economics University of Bristol Mathematics and Economics Queen Mary's London Law and History King's College London Economics Oxford Brookes Interior Architecture University of Edinburgh Mechanical Engineering Oxford Brookes Liberal Arts Foundation Place to be confirmed Further studies in Business South Korea Environmental Studies South Korea / USA Computer Engineering Glasgow Caledonian University Information Technology, Management and Business

On behalf of all teachers at BSB I would like to wish this special group of students the very best of luck in their University studies and future careers.

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Leavers dinner by Paul Farrell

A large number of BSB’s senior students recently marked the end of their secondary school careers at the annual leaver’s dinner. The dinner began with the ever-popular slideshow of embarrassing childhood photographs, kindly supplied by parents. The students and staff in attendance thoroughly enjoyed seeing images of themselves from as far back as primary school. Following a fantastic meal, students were presented with their leaver’s hoodies and a series of short speeches were given to mark this special occasion. Some of the students have been at BSB since Y1 and others have joined as recently as Y12 but the evening was a special event for all. This event is not only a way to celebrate the success of our Y13 leavers but it provides an opportunity for younger students to see where hard work and determination can lead to. I would like to take this opportunity to wish them all the best in their future endeavours.

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LEAVERS DINNER 103

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