@BSB April 2018
Adventurous Reading
Enquiring Minds PETER PAN
Production
WORLD DEBATING COMPETITION BSB University Creative Charity
PLUS HEADMASTER’S WELCOME | PRIMARY SCHOOL REVIEW | SECONDARY SCHOOL REVIEW | FUN & ENTERTAINMENT AND LOTS MORE!
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Welcome from the headmaster It is possible to observe a dysfunction between what the highest-ranking UK universities require and the attributes desired by top companies in their graduate recruits. Top-ranking universities such as Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial, UCL, Bath and Warwick concentrate on academic excellence, which is expected to be the motivation for potential applicants over and above anything else. Personal statements, part of the process for which we offer significant guidance, support and expertise at British School of Bucharest, must demonstrate pure focus on academic achievements and interests for these elite universities, whilst most other top 30 UK institutions request at least 75% of the statement to be subject based. Leading graduate recruiters meanwhile seek individuals seemingly far-removed from this ‘ivory tower’ mentality. They desire creative thinkers, risk takers with people skills, empathy, an ability
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WE OFFER SIGNIFICANT GUIDANCE, SUPPORT AND EXPERTISE AT BRITISH SCHOOL OF BUCHAREST to ‘think outside of the box’ and people with blossoming leadership traits. Future success for our students necessitates, therefore, that we must focus on both elements. We must emphasise academic excellence, with each student understanding the need to achieve to their very best potential. However, co-curricular experience is equally important, developing teamwork and leadership attributes, problem-solving in different environments and taking students outside their comfort zones to challenge and develop resilience. Interestingly, I have seen a shift in the way that some top universities are thinking. Most US institutions focus far more broadly and consider all sides of an applicant’s personality, values, attitudes and experiences – this is not new. Meanwhile, a recent email exchange with an Admissions Tutor at a top 10 UK university showed that they valued “long-term commitment to sports, music or
drama and involvement in the general running of the school and service” (Prefects, House Captains, School Councillors, community service) alongside exceptional motivation to study their chosen course. It is unusual for an Admissions Tutor to be so frank and relatively precise as to their preferences in an applicant. Recognition of these issues supports our encouragement of broad co-curricular involvement from an early age. We anticipate that all students in Secondary take at least two co-curricular activities (CCAs) each week and that our Primary students take advantage of these opportunities as much as possible whilst also gaining from the breadth of weekly Primary ‘universities’ – a unique feature at BSB of which we are rightly proud. I urge you to ensure that your children take up opportunities to stay involved in sports, community service, and creative or leadership activities. Commitment over the long term is important as is breadth
of experience. Students in Years 11 and 12 will benefit from work experience placements in the final weeks of next term. Meanwhile, I hope that all students in Years 3 to 10 will attend an expedition in the Summer term to focus on challenge, teambuilding, developing independence and, of course, creating togetherness and happy memories, I hope. These ideas, I know, are not new. They are relevant, though, in developing well-rounded individuals but also in maximising the chances of each student in their higher education applications and ultimately in the employment marketplace.
Philip Walters Headmaster
@philip_w
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Events IN SCHOOL Across the Spring Term at BSB
A busy term at BSB has seen visits from great writers including Chris White, Matt Whyman and Daniel Kearvell with his Mouse, Maya. We welcomed all the parents who ate lunch with their children, played with their toddlers and read to students in classes! We were honoured to meet Alex Prout, Director of Houses at Harrow International School, and COBIS delegates from all over the world.
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Students enjoyed special weeks, including Friendship Week, Book Week and Science Week; special days, with Crazy Hair Day, Book Day and Friendship Day; and special nights, such as the Harry Potter Book Nights. Secondary students took their mock exams and have been working hard and preparing well for their final exams.
BSB parents enjoyed the performances of their children during our amazing school productions, music concerts and sport competitions. The ‘white term’ has ended! Let another great term begin…
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Primary REVIEW We are proud to be a British International School and take pride in the high-quality curriculum we offer to our students. We also feel honoured to reside in the incredible country of Romania and actively embrace the warm culture, rich history and beauty of our host nation. Whether it be merrily sporting the traditional ‘ie’ in observance of Romanian National Day, dancing the Hora at events or showering mums and staff with flowers and cakes on Women’s Day, students, staff and parents from a wide range of backgrounds and nationalities take pride in supporting and celebrating local customs. In the Primary School, we take this a step further. We believe that we have a responsibility not only to cultivate ‘international mindedness’ in our students, but also to develop a healthy appreciation and understanding of the country we, even if only for a few years, call ‘home’. As part of our History, Geography and Science curricula, children engage in a range of comparative studies of many parts of the world, including Romania. In addition to everyday investigations of local wildlife and vegetation, students embark on exploration of specific Romanian traditions and milestones as a fixture of long-
term plans. The following are just a handful of examples: In EYFS, children learn about the world around us and engage in daily exploration of our locality. Whether it be through songs, dances or local foods, our students see, hear, taste, feel and smell Romania as part of the provision offered in the classroom. In Key Stage 1, children embark on an investigation of animals, exploring a range of creatures and their habitats with a particular focus on indigenous species. Moving into Key Stage 2, our Year 3 students begin to learn about the Romans, their contributions to modern society and their influence on Romania. Year 4 investigate the delicate ecosystems of forests and rainforests, and extend this through examining the impact that deforestation has had on Romania’s domestic wildlife and topography. Year 5 research Romanian holidays and legends as they prepare for their annual production on Martisor, and Year 6 delve into the history of Bucharest as they explore architecture and the development of infrastructure. We hope that wherever our children might find themselves in the future, they will always carry a piece of Romania with them. We look forward to the learning we will be doing in the Summer term!
WE BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY NOT ONLY TO CULTIVATE ‘INTERNATIONAL MINDEDNESS’ IN OUR STUDENTS, BUT ALSO TO DEVELOP A HEALTHY APPRECIATION AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE COUNTRY. Victoria Smith Head of Primary School
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Pre-Nursery By Raina Myson Pre-Nursery have had a Jurassic time learning about dinosaurs and where they lived. The children have thoroughly enjoyed all the activities that have engaged their cognitive, physical and communication skills. The most exciting for them was the frozen dinosaur egg topic, which explored the scientific side of things, investigating opposites. For example, for ‘hot and cold’, we asked the children why the frozen eggs were melting. We also incorporated a Maths theme: ‘How tall was a T-rex?’. We used tissue paper to lay out the length and then got the children to lie next to it to show size: big and small. The children enjoyed exploring arts and craft, painting, sticking and cutting out dinosaur pictures. To enhance their learning, Pre-Nursery went on a school trip to the Natural History Museum, which the children loved. They were so excited and really noticed small details in the animals that we saw at the museum; for example, whether the animal had fur or feathers. The Pre-Nursery children even found Nemo.
What a wonderful term it has been!
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DISCOVERY THROUGH DINOSAURS
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Nursery By Priscilla Varban
Developing Our Children Through Role Play Why is role play so important in a child’s development? Practical life skills: Many everyday activities such as cooking, putting petrol in the car, having your hair done and so on have always been copied by young children. Mimicry is one of the most fundamental ways that we make sense of the world around us. Social skills: Learning to share, taking turns, cooperation, discussion, negotiation and problemsolving are all supported and encouraged by role play. Physical development: Play in all its forms is essential to the development of gross and fine motor skills. Role play allows children to hone their dexterity and muscular definition for certain tasks. Empathy and understanding: Children are strong on empathy. They see the emotions and feelings their peers are experiencing and can relate to these. Role play supports this development. Speaking and listening: Role play encourages speaking and listening skills and leads to shared understanding, effective communication and cooperation.
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So, what do we do as teachers and parents to help facilitate role play? Hold back and observe the learning, styles of learning and creative development before intervening. In this way we can be sure that our intervention is not interrupting the story the children are telling or enacting. Your role can be to extend or challenge thinking in a focused way if you have been watching an encounter. Ask focused, open-ended, not closed, questions. Role play does not have a right answer. Take on a role or join in children’s role play and dressing up. This gives value to their play and reinforces the nature of role play as transformative and accessible because you have become someone else too! During our dinosaur topic the children enjoyed creating their Dinoland role play area and investigating how volcanoes erupt by using vinegar and bicarbonate.
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ROLE PLAY ENCOURAGES SPEAKING AND LISTENING SKILLS
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Reception Adventurous exploration in Reception
It has been another busy term filled to the brim with fabulous learning experiences. The weather eventually started to match the season of winter and we had great fun exploring what impact the freezing temperatures have on the outdoors. We even managed to make a snow tunnel before it melted away. As the children began to show an interest in big cats, especially the leopard, we therefore quickly did a ‘makeover’ of our classrooms to look like a jungle. We all became adventurous explorers. We introduced the Rainbow Challenge, which encouraged children to explore and experiment, guiding them to
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By Jenna Batson and Katherine Dibble
work in areas out of their comfort zones and complete a variety of tasks to earn themselves a coloured lollipop stick. Some of these challenges included using non-standard measuring units to compare the heights of different jungle animals, composing a piece of music, listening to clips of sounds from the rainforest and recording what they could hear, and exploring changes when materials are mixed to create a special medicine to help the injured animals. We look forward to an actionpacked Summer term with the Reception children, being able to explore the outdoors even more as we see yet another seasonal change.
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Reading ADVENTUROUS
By Ana-Maria Marin
Our Primary Library, the perfect place for students to follow their passion for discovering the world (aka ‘reading’), was very busy this term. The Harry Potter Book Night, which was celebrated twice due to popular demand, brought the spells and characters of Hogwarts to life. The events were magical and a great success: fantastic beasts were created, Voldemort paid a visit, quizzes were won, wizardry snacks were prepared and potions were mixed. The second week of the half term was all about books, authors and reading. Our students were very lucky to meet poet and illustrator Chris White and, under his guidance, have a ‘go’ at creating their own pieces. Chris’s workshops were both engaging and exciting, and the students were able to produce some interesting and amusing examples of literature. It was also a time to listen to parents read aloud to classes, sometimes in their native
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languages. A huge thank you to those who volunteered their time to bring stories to life! The book sales, held over two days in school, and the launch of the Baker Books Club provided opportunities to choose and buy books from a wide selection of fantastic reading material for all ages. The week came to a close with students parading in their wonderful book character costumes. What a delight the assemblies were and such display of creativity! The Primary Library would like to thank the Year 10 International Award students for assisting us with various administrative jobs and making it possible to keep the library open during morning and lunch breaks. More invaluable help came from parent volunteers this term, so our thanks go to them as well. Many of the projects and events taking place in the library would not have been as successful as they were without them.
SOMEDAY YOU WILL BE OLD ENOUGH TO START READING FAIRY TALES AGAIN. C.S. Lewis
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I loved hearing the mus ic when we came through Platfo rm 9 ž
Evelyn, 5C
The activities were fun, especially the memory game Sara, 5D
Hat I loved that the Sorting actually talked to you! Isabella, 4R
I enjoyed the Make a Beast activit y because we worked as a team Lili, 4H
e for all t was a great experienc gh Ni ok Bo r tte Po rry Ha der students Year 8, as well as for ol to 4 ar Ye m fro n re ild ch e food tivities and preparing th ac th wi t ou ed lp he o wh e activities, n enjoyed playing all th re ild ch e Th r. co dĂŠ d an object and game, find the missing g sin es gu e th ng di clu in especially Pictionary. Alexandra, 10C Page 18
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Year 1 By Rachel Eglinton and Emma Sauer
New Activities at ‘University’ In Year 1, we have had a fantastic Spring term. Notably we had our parent assemblies, started to attend universities and celebrated 100 days at school. The theme for the Spring term was ‘Animals and the world around us’. We started by looking at ourselves, to understand who we are and where we are from. We brought in various items from our home countries for Show and Tell – we really enjoyed sharing our items and seeing what our friends had brought to show. Then we moved on to learning about the five senses. As part of this, we got to try different foods and make texture art. Mr Bousie came in from charity Light into Europe to give a presentation about different types of sight problems. We got to try various glasses that let us experience some vision disorders. Year 1 have now joined the BSB University – our enrichment programme that takes place on a Wednesday afternoon – and children have embraced the opportunities to work with other year groups and try lots of new activities.
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Digital Photography has involved taking photographs and editing them. The best afternoon was going out in the snow to find white things! Children used lots of energy in Game Makers to design an element of a sporting game, teach that to the other groups and then play the game. Tag style games have been the favourites. Gymfinity has been popular with the girls in Year 1, helping them to develop strength, flexibility and coordination and providing an opportunity to learn a sequence linking acrobatics, balance, leap and dance. In Puppetry, children made finger puppets, hand puppets, stick puppets, paper-plate puppets and paper-bag puppets. Forest Fun has been an adventure. Learning how to respect nature, observing closely and developing a team spirit are skills that the children have nurtured, and the hot chocolate at the end of the session has been just as important! Some children have learned to play the ukulele, identifying the
features of the instrument and playing simple tunes during the sessions. Next term, everyone will be encouraged to try a different BSB University option. For our parent assemblies, we dressed up in traditional clothes from our home countries and sang a repertoire of songs we had learned throughout the term. We celebrated our 100th day in school! Every day we had been counting to this point, and when it arrived… it was a snow day! Nevertheless, we postponed it to the following day and had great fun: we counted, made party hats and pictures, played team games and, of course, ate cake!
WE GOT TO TRY DIFFERENT FOODS AND MAKE TEXTURE ART
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Year 2 By Adam Pegrum and Ann-Marie Isaac
THE CHILDREN WERE ABLE TO PUT THEIR NEWLY DEVELOPED ENQUIRY SKILLS TO THE TEST.
LEARNING THROUGH ENQUIRY The start of the Spring term saw the children of Year 2 focus on their new topic of Toys. Our English lessons focused on following and writing instructions, and the term started with us following instructions to complete an activity successfully. By the end of the unit, the children had written clear instructions, which used a variety of imperative verbs, on how to wash your hands. The children took great care in producing a final set of instructions, demonstrating their clear handwriting which they have been working hard on during handwriting lessons. It is encouraging to see so many children joining their letters in all aspects of their writing. Friendship Week allowed the children to explore poetry through performance before writing their own poem describing the qualities of a friend. Other Friendship Week activities included 2I cooking with 4R and 2P taking part in some activities with 6B. During Maths lessons, we have been developing our understanding of fractions with a specific focus on fractions of
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shapes. Multiplication has been another focus with the children starting to study arrays before moving on to learning the two, five and ten times tables. Year 2 have focused on ‘enquiry’ throughout the term, and it has been fantastic to see the children developing these skills in readiness for the move to Key Stage 2 later in the year. We spent time in the library to help children increase their confidence in independently researching different topics. The children were able to put their newly developed enquiry skills to the test during History lessons, with challenges including researching the differences and similarities between toys from different eras and also building on the timeline work from the Winter term. Other ‘enquiry’ work was introduced into the Continuous Provision areas to encourage the children to work and think independently and to consider the question put to them using the different De Bono’s Hats. What are the facts? White hat. What are the benefits? Yellow hat. What are the problems? Black hat. Improving our sketching skills was the focus during Art lessons,
and children also made a textured collage of the friend written about in their poem. Further research identifying both old and new toys led to the children sketching some fantastic pictures using a pencil. Computing lessons have once again proved popular with Year 2. The children have become masters of the Bee-Bot, developing an understanding of how to de-bug simple computer programs. Their coding skills were called upon once again when using the Egg Boxes to devise a lighting pattern and then create a simple circuit. We have also built on the enquiry work in Science lessons by completing a number of investigations into the stretchiness, bounciness and rigidity of different materials. The children really enjoyed this – and we were impressed by how much focus and understanding they showed towards fair testing. The end of the term saw the children perform The Litter Muncher, a play which linked to our study of materials and two of our school values, Concern for Others and Equality. It was fantastic to see the children performing and singing with such confidence.
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Year 3 By Alex Baines and Natalie Pitchley
Surviving SprinG... just The Spring term started with a surprise when children of Year 3 were uprooted into Băneasa Forest with one goal, ‘Survive!’. The children quickly realised that the biggest issue was creating shelters, as other issues such as food and water were covered by their packed lunches. Using the natural surroundings, they created fantastic dens which would have allowed them to survive in their new environment. As the term has progressed, we have discovered how plants, animals and humans survive in their environments. We investigated how plants need air, water and light to stay alive and how these needs differ slightly according to where they live. We were fascinated to learn that some plants in the desert have adapted to grow extremely long roots so that they can find water way down in the ground and short, sharp spines to keep predators away! Another of our investigations explored the adaptations polar bears have developed to be able to live in the harsh, cold conditions of the Arctic, while
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we also looked at what humans would need to survive and thrive in cities as we created our own 3D topographical maps of our ideal countries. Through our Design & Technology lessons, we discovered what specific foods people undergoing extreme challenges might need to eat. We then looked at different foods and combined a range of ingredients to create our own survival bar. We continued to work on our Maths skills throughout the Spring term, practising column addition and subtractions, learning various times tables, developing measurement skills, solving word problems, and understanding the properties of 2D and 3D shapes. All of this was to help us survive out in the eal world. Within English, we looked at persuasive writing and convincing others to share our point of view. We researched the topic ‘Should all zoos be closed?’ to inform ourselves of the pros and cons.
Then we set about writing a letter to an influential person to convince them of our side of the argument – we are still waiting to hear back from Queen Elizabeth II to see if we changed her mind! In Computing, we have used the program Scratch to improve our budding coding skills. The children have been creating dance parties, comic strips and simple games using their ever-increasing knowledge of how different scripts interact when placed together. Year 3 are looking forward to continuing our learning journey into the Summer term, with more fun and excitement to come, including Sports Day and our overnight trip to Sinaia!
WE CONTINUED TO WORK ON OUR MATHS SKILLS THROUGHOUT THE SPRING TERM.
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Year 4 By Nicky Pinson and Louisa Ramsden
WHAT A SHOWCASE! Year 4 have been busy since January with their Work Showcase being the highlight of the term. The children were proud to show their parents examples of all the work they had done over the last few months. Everything was on show, including clay modelling techniques, history activities, computing displays, maths challenges and examples of children’s writing. The finale delighted the audience with a dramatic portrayal of the Beowulf story and a brilliantly performed anti-bullying rap written by the children. In English, we have been inspired by the ancient Anglo-Saxon story of Beowulf. Although the children found the original text a little hard to understand, they were transfixed by the children’s version we read and frustrated by the cliff-hangers, which meant they had to wait until the next lesson to find out the hero’s fate. They immersed themselves in the text by taking on the characters’ roles and acting out parts of the story to the rest of their class. At the end of the topic, when writing
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our own narratives, the children really impressed their teachers with their vivid descriptions and use of powerful verbs to describe how their character felt through their actions. Our Science topic, Sound, has been fascinating to learn about. Children could not believe how amazing their ears and brain are to be able to hear, understand and interpret different sounds so quickly. Using the medium of video, children enjoyed making presentations to describe how sound travels, which were then played at the Showcase and in a Key Stage assembly. A trip to the Music Room consolidated their learning of how different instruments created different volumes and pitches, with Ms Clark demonstrating how sound was created in woodwind, string, brass and percussion instruments. The children impressed her by being able to use specific scientific vocabulary to describe what was happening. The introduction of Pro-Bots has made our Computing lessons
really exciting. With these amazing robots, children have learned how important it is to give precise instructions. Through investigations, they found out how to draw polygons using increasingly fewer but more complex instructions. Using this knowledge, they transferred their skills to using the Logo program. Here, they amazed themselves with the intricate patterns they were able to create with relatively few commands.
THE FINALE DELIGHTED THE AUDIENCE WITH A DRAMATIC PORTRAYAL OF THE BEOWULF STORY.
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Year 5 By Rebecca Doganay and Karen Cojocaru
UP TO THE MOON AND BACK The Spring term got off to a flying start for Year 5. They began 2018 by going into space – not once, but twice! Thanks to our friends at VR Voyagers, with their virtual reality experiences, the children were able to take a guided tour of our solar system and accompany Neil Armstrong on his successful moon landing in 1969, all without leaving the comfort of our classrooms. The children worked incredibly well on their Space unit using De Bono’s Hats during Humanities lessons, English discussion texts and work in Science which culminated in answering our big question: ‘Would it be a good idea for humans to live on Mars?’. The children also produced some ‘out-of-this-world’ computing work using the Lego Mindstorm robots. Here, they worked in teams to complete a simulated mission to Mars with a refuelling stop at the moon. During Friendship Week, the children in Year 5 collaborated with children in Nursery and Year 1 – together, the children
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made friendship bands and friendship signs, and they read to their younger friends. The highlight of the term for Year 5 was their Martisor production, Martisor – the Musical. The children not only performed their roles well, but also designed invites and tickets and managed to sing songs in both English and Romanian to show their appreciation of our host country’s diversity and the wonderful spring tradition that Martisor is. The show was so successful that even with a snow day the children still managed to perform their production three times! Thank you to all the parents who helped Miss Ani and Miss Catalina with making the wonderful props and to the fantastic script writers… whoever they are! If that was not enough for one term, the children also put on their Work Showcase and presented samples of work they have completed so far. This clearly showed the stratospheric progress the children have made since the beginning of the academic year.
THE CHILDREN WORKED INCREDIBLY WELL ON THEIR SPACE UNIT USING DE BONO’S HATS DURING HUMANITIES LESSONS.
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Year 6 By Cheryl Ann Baker
Architecture Through the Ages We kicked off the Spring term with an amazing guided tour around the heart of Bucharest’s Old Town. Stefan, our guide, told us many intriguing facts. Did you know that Vlad the Impaler was once a Bucharest resident? Or that, once upon a time, the Old Town was paved with wood? Do you know how many different styles of architecture you can find in the Old Town alone? The guided tour gave us a tantalising peep into the rich and varied history of Bucharest – it also brought up many more questions! How do you design a building? What exactly do architects need to think about? Once back in the classroom, we decided that we needed to ask an expert. Luckily, Mrs Malgorzata Piwowarczyk (a real-life architect!) was on hand to answer all of our questions. We learned a great deal about the processes that architects must undergo, the importance of considering the needs of the customer, and found out about some inspirational architects we hadn’t heard of before!
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We then decided that we would like to try being architects. We formed working parties and designed our very own buildings for a brand new BSB Village. We completed sketches and made models, combining skills gained in Maths, Art, Design & Technology and Computing. We then wrote persuasive letters to explain why our designs were the best possible choice. It was hard work, but a lot of fun! We have also been solving problems in other areas of the curriculum. In Maths, we have been working hard on our reasoning skills by conducting mathematical investigations. For our Science topic on Evolution and Inheritance, we found out all about how DNA is inherited from our parents. Every living thing contains DNA – even plants – and in the Science labs, we even learned how to extract DNA from a banana! It has been a busy and productive term. We can’t wait to see what the Summer term will bring!
WE FORMED WORKING PARTIES AND DESIGNED OUR VERY OWN BUILDINGS FOR A BRAND NEW BSB VILLAGE.
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Enquiring minds By Natalie Pitchley
Here at BSB, ‘enquiry’ comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. Pop into EYFS and you will see children continuously enquiring about the vast world around them. Zoom up a few years to Key Stage 2 and children will be honing and developing their enquiry skills across the curriculum. This academic year, we have introduced the children to De Bono’s Hats. These hats come in six colours (white, yellow, green, red, black and blue) and each represents a different thinking skill (facts, benefits, creativity, feelings and emotions, caution and process). Using these hats as a guide, we have been developing our enquiry skills by analysing different ways that we could approach our knowledge and understanding of Science, History and Geography. In Year 3, the children studied the topic of Survival, where they used the hats to ask and answer questions from different perspectives, helping them to see a bigger and more detailed picture. Examples of this were: What would we need to find in order to survive? How would we
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feel when stranded on a desert island? What dangers would we need to look out for? The children then used various sources to further their understanding of the topic and planned investigations to help answer some of their questions. In Key Stage 1, the teachers have been giving children different questions every two weeks, which they have then discussed using the different hats as a guide. An example of a question posed to the children was: Which sense couldn’t you live without? For this question, the children donned the white hat (facts) and had to research and name the five senses. Next came the black hat (caution) and the children discussed what would happen if they lost one of their senses. The children finally discussed the green hat (creativity), during which time they invented a new sense. Whilst working in collaboration with the Secondary Science teachers, the children in Year 6 developed an investigation where they extracted the DNA from different fruit. To do this, they had to come up with a plethora of questions and make numerous
decisions on how to carry out the experiment. The children were fascinated with the conclusions they found and, because of this, a whole range of new questions were asked. I wonder where our enquiring minds will lead us to next….
WE HAVE BEEN DEVELOPING OUR ENQUIRY SKILLS BY ANALYSING DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE COULD APPROACH OUR KNOWLEDGE
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WRITING
Excellence By Karen Cojocaru and Jenny Whiteman
Pupils in our Primary School have been demonstrating this term what they do best – excelling at being excellent! The children have worked hard this year and this term have had the opportunity to participate in a number of competitions, both in and outside of school, which have highlighted their commitment to their learning. The COBIS Poetry Competition was a superb vehicle for our budding poets to get creative, drafting a variety of poems on the theme of Through a Looking Glass. Pupils had free rein to interpret this theme in any way they saw fit. Initially, pupils were asked to submit their work for a school selection competition. From these entries, one poem from each Key Stage was chosen. We are very proud of Audrey, Janu and Jessica, whose excellent efforts have been submitted to compete against other COBIS schools in the final. We are looking forward to hearing the outcome soon. Another area in which our pupils have worked hard this year is that of handwriting. With the increased
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curriculum focus on a neat, fluid, joined style of writing, all children from Early Years to Year 6 have focused intensely on developing their cursive writing skills. This year, for the first time, and to celebrate all our students’ hard work, we decided to enter them into the SATIPS Handwriting Competition – a UK nationwide competition for independent schools. As part of their regular handwriting lessons, children were invited to copy a poem from a given selection in their neatest joined handwriting. It was astounding to see just how much progress they have made this year and there are certainly some strong contenders within the work that has been submitted. The writing is now in the hands of the competition organisers and we await the outcome in April with eager anticipation. We are also very proud of Adya, James, Philip, Sonia, Rakshit and Alexandru, who were chosen to enter the ESU Public Speaking Competition, which was held at IBSB on 27th January. All students wrote and delivered a speech about the quote “Unless someone
like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”. The varied topics included saving the environment, being grateful, helping bees and writing inspired stories. All the speeches were excellent, and we were incredibly proud of how all the children tried their best and spoke with conviction. All of our students received an honourable mention or were well placed and they enjoyed the day immensely.
ALL THE SPEECHES WERE EXCELLENT, AND WE WERE INCREDIBLY PROUD OF HOW ALL THE CHILDREN TRIED THEIR BEST.
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LIVING THE GIRLGUIDING
Promise By Rachel Eglinton
World Thinking Day is an annual celebration in the Girlguiding calendar. The focus this year was to make an impact – a positive change. In our meetings, we learnt that a footprint in snow, a painted handprint, or a stone dropped into water can make an impact. As a group, we have the power to make a positive change in the community. Thanks to Nicholas de Roumanie, a link with Hospice Casa Sperantei was made. On Saturday 10th March, Rainbows, Brownies and Guides visited the hospice to undertake some craft activities with the friends of the hospice. We decorated eggs and Easter shapes, and arranged flowers on jewellery and in oasis. As the morning unfolded, we began to consider how meaningful our impact on others was. For example, Brownie Lucy helped one girl to have a happy morning, simply by smiling and chatting to her; Brownie Quirine showed love by communicating with new friends; and Guide Anita hopes the donations we collect back at school for our handiwork will make lives better, by buying new equipment for the hospice. Bucharest girls contributed 343 RON towards the resources used, and the donations raised from selling the handiwork at school totalled 541 RON, which will be used to provide further day centre paediatric activities. When reflecting on the morning, we shared some thoughts of the positive change on ourselves. We were happy because we had had fun. Many girls felt the morning had been amazing. When making the Girlguiding Promise, each girl promises to do their best. They did!
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THE FOCUS THIS YEAR WAS TO MAKE AN IMPACT – A POSITIVE CHANGE.
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BSBUniversity By Dan Batson
new options from cakes to crochet This term we have provided another excellent range of exciting BSB University course opportunities to personalise pupils’ learning through skills development that sits outside of the National Curriculum for England. Each option fits within one of three University categories: Self-Development and Personal Challenge, Arts and Creative Development, and School Service and Community Enrichment. One exciting new course this term is Cake-o-vation, which has been led by one of the Takanaka team and has taught the children the challenging basics of cake decoration. We also introduced Ukulele for Beginners, which has been aimed at some of our younger musical students. Finally, in Corner-to-Corner Crochet, not only have children learnt to crochet effectively, but the new course has also benefitted an excellent cause, as the blankets made by the children were donated to a local hospital for infants.
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OPPORTUNITIES TO PERSONALISE PUPILS’ LEARNING THROUGH SKILLS DEVELOPMENT THAT SITS OUTSIDE OF THE NATIONAL CURRICULUM FOR ENGLAND. Page 38
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NECESSITY OF NOT GIVING UP WHEN FACING ADVERSITY, OF FINDING STRENGTH IN THE SELF, OF LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITY IN FAILURE, BUT ALSO OF LOOKING FOR HOW TO DRAW INSPIRATION FROM OTHERS AND TO INSPIRE OTHERS.
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Secondary School Review
It seems strange to think that as I write this article and look out at the grounds of BSB covered in snow, with icicles hanging from the gutters, just a week ago I was buying a Martisor. I was expecting a mild spring, trumpeted in by daffodils and snowdrops. But, I think it is fair to say that we were all a little surprised by the sudden cold weather which seemed to appear from nowhere, as though winter decided to tighten its icy grip on us for the last time this year. Or, at least, what I hope will be the last time! The usual flurry of path clearing and immediate actions needed to make our school safe were made by our wonderful maintenance team who mobilised at a moment’s notice to get the school ready to maintain ‘business as usual’ as much as possible. So, in a similar way to how we thought spring was just round the corner (but, in fact, winter was still here), change or adversity can creep up on us at any time. The idea that we should ‘keep calm and carry on’ should be a wellknown saying for many of us, not least because there now seems to be a mug displaying these words
on sale in every gift shop, but more that it is visible through the way in which we live together as a school community at BSB. This became clear to me when Matt Whyman, acclaimed author of books for teenagers and adults, visited BSB for Book Week earlier this month. Matt spoke in Secondary assembly about his own life: the necessity of not giving up when facing adversity, of finding strength in the self, of looking for opportunity in failure, but also of looking for how to draw inspiration from others and to inspire others. Easier said than done, unless you are able to support and be supported by your community. As well as our value of Concern for Others, the notions of mutual support and overcoming challenge feature in much of what happens at BSB. This term alone, we have looked out for our students’ safety through drugs awareness talks and Safer Internet Day. Our students showed concern for others and mutual support through their charity work for Friendship Week, Crazy Hair Day and the sales of Martisoare. Learning experiences were taken
beyond the walls of the classroom in the Inter-school Talent Show, in which we took the trophy for second place, House competitions, the COBIS World Debate in Dubai, the Model United Nations (MUN) trip to Amersfoort in the Netherlands, as well as with the ski trip to Andalo, in Italy, and the language and cultural study trip to Madrid. Within school, the opportunities for personal development have been abound with the preparations for the production of Peter Pan and then Book Week, followed by Science Week. It really has been a busy term. As our thoughts now turn to the rest of the year ahead, I do wish all of our students every success as they enter the examination period and I wish you all health and happiness for the coming season; perhaps the cold and snow will have made us appreciate the awakening of spring just a little bit more.
Jason Porter Head of Secondary
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GETTING CREATIVE for
Charity Update from the Charity Committee As part of Friendship Week, the students participated in Crazy Hair Day on the last Friday of half term. There were some fantastic and creative hairstyles from both students and staff. The money raised from the day has been split between two local charities, Light in Europe and Casa Ioana. Thank you for all of your creative hairstyling support!
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We are excited to be sending another group of students to the Fundatia Inocenti Olimpiada in Bistrita, in May. The 15 Secondary students will be organising and running fun activities for hundreds of disabled children and young adults from across Romania. As part of preparing for this trip, the students sold Martisor gifts and managed to sell over 300 in
just one day! We look forward to sharing more information with you about this trip and how you can help further. Thank you for your continued support.
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HOUSE Report This year has been very eventful with all four Houses winning different events. Danube took the lead in an outstanding underdog story to win the football, Mures came in strong to take the top spot in the chess and Olt showed their strength by winning the Year 10 to 13 basketball. Arges has held the number one spot all year but despite that, it will remain a close competition until the end with around 100 points in it. With everything to play for, keep collecting those House Points, attend the lunchtime competitions and get involved in Sports Day! Good luck to all Houses.
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By Thomas Smith
Overall Points - February Half Term
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1 2 3 4
Arges
560 POINTS Olt
450 POINTS Danube
425 POINTS Mures
415 POINTS Page 48
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Trips
Spanish, sun, snow and… selfies! By Rocío Martí and Tim Appleton At the end of February, 12 students from Year 10 and Year 11 set off for a week in Madrid. The Spanish lessons were intensive – four hours every morning! – but fun. Besides their language level and ability to get out of bed on time, the trip also tested our students’ orienteering skills: using Madrid’s huge Metro system to get between their host families’ apartments and the language school, and never getting lost. Well, hardly ever. The trip began with two days of bright sunshine; a walking tour of central Madrid, led by our local guide Miss Rocío, finished up at
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the Egyptian temple of Debod at sunset. It was ideal for selfies, one of the dominant activities of the week. But soon ‘la Bestia del Este’ (the Beast from the East) brought a rare snow shower to the Spanish capital, and the rest of the trip showed us that the rain in Spain falls mainly on BSB students. The wet weather restricted our outdoor activities and sometimes dampened our enthusiasm for walking the streets, but bravely we battled through. We saw street performers at the Puerta del Sol; we visited some superb food markets; we shopped. We saw famous works of art in an Andy Warhol exhibition;
we sampled chocolate con churros, tapas and tortilla española, not to mention the exotic delights of Starbucks and Burger King; and we shopped (again!). During our trip to historic Toledo, the torrents from the sky paused for one glorious hour and the sun came out to light up that beautiful city. Needless to say, selfies were taken. At the end of a long, tiring and thoroughly enjoyable week, most of us got out of our Escape Rooms – although, among the one team who didn’t, recriminations continued until the flight home.
@BSB | April 2018
Year 12’s stem cell study for Science Week
By Ioana, Year 12B
Every year at BSB, spring makes its debut with a special celebration of science: Science Week. Besides our regular science classes, a series of activities are organised in school aiming to engage and inspire students in the fields of science, engineering and technology. One of the topics we learnt about this term was stem cells, looking at what they are, their different types and especially their ability to become specialised into other types of cells. They can help repair tissues, organs and blood vessels and can be used to treat a host of diseases. After the theoretical approach, we stepped out of the classroom and took the great opportunity to visit the BIOGENIS laboratories in Bucharest, the only stem cell bank with its own transplant centre in the EU. We learnt all about cord blood banking, which is when they preserve the newborn stem cells found in the blood of the umbilical cord and the placenta. Our visit was a very practical one. After we were equipped and trained, the biochemists involved us in the stem cell harvest process, starting with the cord blood, which is a rich source of blood stem cells. We also learnt how these special cells are deposited at -190oC in special machinery. The stem cells harvested and preserved by BIOGENIS are utilised with great success by patients between two and 53 years old in order to cure different diseases in areas such as neurology, orthopaedics, haematology and ophthalmology. Beyond ethical and religious concern, the future of stem cells is a great chance for humanity to deeply understand the human body and to find further approaches to medicine. Furthermore, this experience was a great opportunity to see how applied biology works.
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HOUSE
Music By Sally Clark and Thomas Smith Inter-House Music was thoroughly entertaining and continues to improve with some high-quality performances from the participants. Each House has to present a mini-concert that lasts up to 15 minutes. The winners, Danube, were successful because of a mix of factors including the range of age groups involved, a variety of styles and a generally smooth presentation, which included a comedy duel between two saxophones, solo flute from Julia, piano from Jocelyn, and Year 12 students Adi and Anda with voice and guitar. Olt offered an original composition from Francois on the flute and some instant composition/improvisation from Lisa-Marie, making sure the House used the whole of their 15minute allowance‌ minus one second! Arges lost the crown ofNInter-House music this year. There was an attempt at comedy by Tasos on the recorder for Mures, but he was completely upstaged by other players in his House – Tristan, Daria and Celine. Special mention goes to Celine of Mures, 7B, for her expressive and accurate performance of Mozart on the flute, which scored the highest out of all the separate performances of the afternoon.
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Pupils’ Talents on Show in Peter Pan By Abigail Turkmore
PETER PAN
THE ACTING WAS OF A HIGH STANDARD, RESULTING IN POLISHED PERFORMANCE. Page 52
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Pupils have recently brought to life J.M. Barrie’s classic tale of Peter Pan. The last performance of the Secondary School production came to a successful end on Thursday 15th March. The production starred Maria as Peter Pan, who asked Tinkerbell (Diada) to sprinkle some fairy dust and take us on a journey to the magical place of Neverland inhabited by Indians, pirates, the lost boys, fairies and a ticking crocodile.
“SECOND STAR TO THE RIGHT AND STRAIGHT ON TILL MORNING.” The cast and crew put on three enchanting performances, which were the products of their hard work in rehearsals throughout the past five months. It was remarked by teachers, after the matinee performance to Year 5 and 6 Primary pupils, that some students were seen to collect the fairy dust from the stage after the show and put some in their pockets so they could take some of the magic home with them!
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“MY DAUGHTER HAS ENJOYED THE ENTIRE PROCESS.” “CASTING WAS EXTREMELY WELL DONE.” The Director, Mrs Turkmore, expressed her delight with the work of the cast and crew. She said: “From start to finish, it was a thoroughly entertaining show. Every element pulled together from the music and sound effects, played live by Lisa-Marie on the piano, to the stylised costumes, props and sets made in house as separate CCAs (by staff and pupils). Not, of course, forgetting the actors themselves whose characterisations helped create a fun, vibrant and humorous performance which was thoroughly enjoyed by all those involved and the audience members who came to watch this year’s show.”
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APPLAUSE AND
Awards for BSB at Talent Show
We are always very pleased to take part in the annual Inter-School Talent Show held at the Ion Manu Cultural Centre in Otopeni. Not least because BSB supports the local community event and the associated charity initiatives, but also because the show is a great chance for children from all schools to perform to a large and varied audience and demonstrate the results of the hours of work they have invested in their performances. Students also have a great opportunity to meet students from other schools and
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for the teachers to see each other again, make contacts or share ideas. This year was no exception. We were all amazed by the quality and sheer diversity of the performances, which ranged from emotionally harrowing drama to hard rock and from street dance to rap, all performed to a high standard. We sat waiting for the BSB performers to enter the stage and when they did, we were not disappointed. The dance by Catinca, Emilie and Julia in striking red and white dresses received
rapturous applause as they gave a graceful and skilled performance on stage. This was followed by the band. Aylin, Georgie, Adi, Anda did us proud with their command of instruments and vocal control and, again, received the applause they deserved. And not only was it applause, but the group went back on stage during the end-of-show award ceremony to receive the trophy for Best Runner-Up Band. All our students did themselves proud and we are already looking forward to next year’s Talent Show!
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COBIS WORLD
Debating COMPETITION 2018 By Elisabeth Citron
The prestigious COBIS Debating Competition took place from 1st to 4th February in Dubai this year, hosted by Jumeirah College. After two years away, BSB was proud to send a team of six students from Years 11, 12 and 13 to the event. The competition welcomed 20 teams from COBIS schools around the globe, making the experience a truly challenging and exciting one. Our team had spent weeks preparing the motions to be debated, giving up Saturdays and evenings to research and write their speeches. Once in Dubai, as well as spending time practising for the opening rounds, the students were also able to visit the Burj Khalifa and famous Dubai Mall. The welcome dinner at the Radisson hotel provided an excellent opportunity for teams to meet and make new friendships.
On the first day, the BSB team completed the prepared rounds, expounding the dangers of Artificial Intelligence and convincing the judges that ‘poor exam performance is not the result of poor teaching’. The impromptu rounds involved debates on selling armaments and on whether ‘obesity is the world’s most troublesome epidemic’. Our team performed outstandingly in all four rounds, winning all their debates against a range of competitive schools. The day ended with the Showcase, in which those nominated Best Speakers by the judges throughout the day perform in a light-hearted debate. We were very proud to hear our Head Girl, Octavia, nominated for this and the debate on whether ‘beauty is skin deep’ was indeed a fun experience.
Day two saw the BSB team win their fifth debate, taking them into the Cup Quarter Finals. Here, the opponents were the fierce Dubai English Speaking College A team, and BSB did not manage to persuade the judges of their argument on this occasion. As the Dubai team then went on to win the entire competition, our BSB debaters rightly felt that they had given their absolutely best performance. Overall, the COBIS Debating Competition was an amazing experience for all students involved and I could not have been more impressed by their hard work, team spirit, determination and sportsmanship throughout the event. We look forward to next year!
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Conference Captured on Camera
By Dan Batson
As part of the COBIS Marketing Conference, which was hosted by BSB on 15th and 16th March, a small group of students worked alongside a professional film company to create a short video for the delegates.
three-hour training session focusing on the basics of camera work, looking at the use of light, how best to capture sound, how to set up a high-quality interview and the many jobs of all of those involved.
On 14th March, the day before the conference began, two members of EYE Film, based in Norwich, UK, met with six British schoolchildren, selected from the Primary and Secondary school, to lead an exciting enrichment project. The children took part in a
Equipped with these new skills, a wide range of professional video equipment and eagerness to create a fantastic video, the team spent all of Thursday and Friday morning filming the conference, filming BSB children learning and playing around the school
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grounds, as well as setting up and conducting a number of short interviews with different delegates and our very own Headmaster, Philip Walters. Finally, using professional filmmaking software, the team worked quickly to produce a two-minute promotional video for the event which was premiered in front of all delegates to officially close the conference. It was an extremely successful project with an end product that the students and staff are very proud of.
@BSB | April 2018
A NEW EXPERIENCE AT THE MUN
Koppelmun By Mark Hooper
In February, eight of our Secondary students were invited to participate at Koppelmun in the Netherlands. Koppelmun is a Model United Nations (MUN) conference organised by the Johan van Oldenbarnevelt Gymnasium in the stunningly beautiful city of Amersfoort. Our students had a fantastic experience in which they not only learned new skills, including writing resolutions and honing their public-speaking skills, but also left having made new friends and developed a great admiration for Holland as a country. All BSB students performed extremely well, with Harriet receiving the Best Delegate Award, as well as being nominated as the delegate most likely to work for the United Nations (UN). For those of you not familiar with an MUN conference and to provide a taster of the programme, I have highlighted the many programme concepts below.
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Cocurricular ACTIVITIES @ BSB
From musical instruments to fashion design, and from innovation to gymnastics, BSB offers over 100 interesting and engaging co-curricular activities for our students, so that no passion or hobby is left behind.
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supporting the...
Community with Spring Bazaar
Our Spring Bazaar, in support of Our Lady of Mercy Association, took place on 22nd March at the BSB marquee, in front of the Bistro. The bazaar featured art and crafts, made by the senior beneficiaries of the Association with the support of volunteers at their creativity group, among other items. Several of the volunteers are parents from the BSB community. The bazaar raised a total of 5,382 RON, which Sister Rose Carmel McNamara described as “a dream figure!”. It was remarkable given the bad weather and heavy snow, as the following day all the schools were closed in Bucharest.
bazaar management, together with Sister Rose and existing volunteers.” Strella (mum of Celina, Year 7)
Among the volunteers were Ji Young (Elly), (mum of Yeiji, Year 13, and Yunji, Year 6) and Marina Ohaimhirgin.
“I was thankful to be part of this and to help the Our Lady of Mercy group.” Helena (mum of Jehee, Year 2, and Jemin, Year 8)
We would like to specially thank all who came to our Spring Bazaar and kindly purchased our bazaar items, despite the inconvenience created by the harsh weather. We would also like to share the message from Sister Rose for all who contributed to the bazaar: “May Easter be a time of blessing for each one of you and your families.”
“Some of this year’s new volunteers included myself. It all started as a weekly stitch group that was part of the International Women’s Association’s hobby groups. Many of us decided to help with the cause and ended up taking leading roles in the craft design and making, the raw material procurement and the
“I am grateful to be able to meet the senior ladies and spend time together, preparing the bazaar and learning from them at the same time as helping them. Sister Rose and the volunteers of the Association really make a difference to the lives of these families and have my respect and admiration.” Adriana (mum of George, Reception).
“Easter is meant to be a symbol of hope, renewal and new life. Helping Our Lady of Mercy is my way of contributing to giving the less-privileged families and seniors of Romania hope and a chance of a new and improved life.” Elsa (mum of Julius, Year 5, and Quirine, Year 4)
Our Lady of Mercy supports low-income families and pensioners with food and household supplies and organises activities for them, such as the creativity and other groups. The president of the Association is Sister Rose. If you would like to volunteer for any of their activities, please contact her as they are always in need of a helping hand: sisterrosecarmel@hotmail.com, www.ourladyofmercy.ro, web. facebook.com/afmromania.ro
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British School of Bucharest Early Years Foundation Stage/Primary/Secondary 42 Erou Iancu Nicolae Street, 077190, Voluntari, Ilfov County, Romania T. + 40 21 267 89 19, +40 728 133 432, +40 728 133 433 F. +40 21 267 89 69 E. office@britishschool.ro
www.britishschool.ro The School is operated by Crawford House Foundation. Registered 3/25.01.2016. Fiscal Code 24879960