BSB School Magazine April 2023

@BSB

EXCELLENCE committed to

April 2023

So You Think

You Can Cook

FAIR

We Will Rock You Production

ISTA Festival the arctic challenge

PLUS: LANGUAGE WEEK | MEET THE TEACHERS | HIGHEST MARK IN EUROPE AND IN ROMANIA

The British School of Bucharest has been rated consistently as ‘excellent’ in all areas by the UK International School Inspectorate (ISI) in 2018 and 2022.

This is the highest possible rating that can be achieved after being inspected by ISI.

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TESTIMONIALS Head Student

Every school has students who stand out for their outstanding academic and personal achievements. Among them are the Head Students - a team of dedicated individuals who lead by example and inspire their peers to excel. These students are not only high achievers academically but also demonstrate exceptional leadership, communication, and organisational skills. They represent the best of their school community and work tirelessly to make a positive impact on campus. In this issue of the magazine, we take a closer look at the Head Students team from BSB, their roles, responsibilities, and how they are making a difference in the lives of their fellow students.

Stephanie - Head Student

I’ve been at BSB for 14 years, so I quite literally grew up alongside the school and have looked up to many generations of senior students here. Being a Head Student this year, therefore, has meant a lot and has been a fulfilling role. I feel grateful for the opportunities BSB has given me, especially through the chance to be taught by such supportive teachers who encourage you to do your best and are there for you every step of the way. I’ve also enjoyed the range of extracurriculars and events offered, so it has been exciting to be involved in planning some of these activities.

Throughout my time here, I’ve enjoyed helping out with MAD (our charity committee), working with the school magazine and volunteering at EYFS. Recently, Ilinca and I, alongside Year 10 students Ana and Iarina, even had the opportunity to interview New York Times bestselling author Ruta Sepetys for book week! However, I think my fondest memories at BSB have to be music related, as I’ve been regularly involved with the music department at BSB since I was 9 - whether that be through COBIS music festivals, the school orchestra, or even performing at the Duke of Edinburgh Global Forum in Cluj. Ending the term by being part of the band for the school musical production was truly fantastic. Aside from performing, I enjoy encouraging our younger students to get involved in music through our String Club, where I help teach students the violin and cello.

As a Head Student team, this year, we have hosted events such as the team building for the Y12s and Y13s, organised the Halloween parties, re-launched the student mentoring program and represented the school at events such as the Remembrance Day Service. It’s definitely been a busy year but also an incredibly enjoyable one, and I am proud of what the school community has achieved. The end of the year has come unexpectedly quickly, and although that is very bittersweet, I know I will cherish the memories I have made here.

Mihai - Head Student

I have been at BSB for 16 years. This school has been my home, and I cannot imagine a more special place. Looking back, there are so many incredible memories that flood my mind. From lunchtime football matches with my friends to school trips full of adventure and discovery, these experiences have shaped who I am today. I am incredibly grateful to have participated in many engaging and fun sporting events and activities. However, what truly makes this school unique are the fantastic teachers and staff who have dedicated themselves to our education. They have not only imparted knowledge but also given us guidance and support, and they have always been there for us, even outside the classroom. I am also proud to have been a part of organising the TedX events here at our school. Bringing together such a diverse group of speakers and attendees was truly a highlight of my academic experience. It is a testament to the culture of openness and curiosity that we have fostered here. Being the Head Boy of a school is a tremendous honour and responsibility. The best part of this role has the opportunity to serve as a leader and a role model for the student body. Working with other students, faculty, and staff is incredibly fulfilling to create a positive and inclusive school culture where everyone feels supported and empowered to achieve their goals. The Head Boy position also offers many unique opportunities, such

as representing the school at events and engaging with community leaders, from various ambassadors to headteachers and other fellow students. Through this experience, I have developed invaluable leadership skills and learned to navigate complex challenges confidently and gracefully. It is truly a privilege to be the Head Boy and to be part of shaping the future of our school. As I stand here, I am full of zeal and optimism for what the future holds for us. We are entering a new chapter of our lives, and many possibilities are ahead. I know the lessons we have learned here, both inside and outside the classroom, will stay with us for a lifetime.

Ilinca - Deputy Head Student

This is my fourth year as a student at BSB, and I can say that it’s offered me the best high school experience I could ask for. I loved that there was always something to do, something to get involved in, because of what the teachers offered us but even more through student-led initiatives. I joined the BSB reporters team in Year 10 as an aspiring writer and was part of the process of creating our own student magazine, Mosaic. Three years later, I got the chance to lead the magazine team along with my classmate. With the

help of our Debate club, I evolved from a nervous speaker to representing our school in international debate competitions. I feel like being part of the Head Team this year has wrapped up my BSB experience beautifully, as I became the one opening up opportunities for the younger students to get involved. I am in charge of the Student Mentoring Programme, which develops communication among the students as well as improves their exam skills, and I was able to carry forward the organisation of the TEDx event that is coming up this school year. And overall, every involvement in event organisation, like the Halloween Party, or representing the school in events such as Remembrance Day fills me with a sense of pride for doing my best in this wonderful environment and becoming what I’d aspired to be when I first joined BSB.

Tudor - Deputy Head Student

I have been at BSB for 14 years, and I can truly say that I will miss the school and its community once I graduate. The relationships I have built with my teachers in BSB have shaped me into the person I am today and are the reason I chose to remain at this school for all these years. They have taught me how to maintain my values and principles whilst working hard

towards my future goals, they have taught me that success is not final and failure is not fatal, and most importantly, they have taught me to help others when they need it. Last year, I saw being part of the senior team as an opportunity to show care for others and play a role in supporting and growing the BSB community, which I know very well. Thus, I applied, nailed the interview, and here I am.

I like being part of the Senior Head Team because it gives me the opportunity to take initiative and show gratitude to the school community. In my role as Deputy Head Student, I am able to actively contribute to our student community, last year working with MAD and this year working with the Head Team to bring about new events, activities and educational opportunities for our fellow students.

Through my years at BSB, I have been gifted with great opportunities to perform at a high level, both academically and athletically, by competing in international debating competitions and football tournaments. I cherish these experiences as they have helped me find new passions and interests, and if I learned anything from my experiences, it is that you can always do more. I encourage the younger students not to wait for opportunities but to create them.

THE VALUE OF failure

It has been a marvellous, exciting and very busy term, and our students have so much to be proud of. Our halls have been full of lovely learning, laughter, music and scholarship. Our children have shown very brave faces throughout their many performances, work showcases, House competitions and intellectual investigations. I admire the maturity with which they approach their learning and reflect on how much their self-confidence and resilience has developed over the last two terms.

In a world where we, as parents and educators, cannot predict the kinds of problems our children will need to solve when they reach adulthood, cultivating the tools to help them persevere in the face of challenges and uncertainty must be a priority. Although it may not be preferred, we adults understand that valuable learning can often come from making mistakes. Experiencing failure, followed by reflecting on why this has occurred and how things might be done differently in the future, can provide valuable learning opportunities for children. This can help them develop resilience and problemsolving skills, as well as learn that success is not always immediate and that they may need to put in more effort to achieve their goals.

But how do we help children to embrace the value of failure and to become ‘good’ at bouncing back from difficult situations, coping with adversity, and maintaining their well-being when encountering unanticipated obstacles? Importantly, we at BSB know that providing such opportunities must always be balanced with support, nurturing and praise.

There are a variety of strategies that can be employed to cultivate resilience:

Encourage positive relationships: Positive relationships with family, friends, and other adults can help children feel supported and connected, improving their ability to cope with stress.

Promote a growth mindset: Encouraging children to embrace challenges and view

failure as an opportunity for growth can help them develop a growth mindset, which focuses on effort and progress rather than perfection, process over product.

Foster problem-solving skills: Helping children develop problem-solving skills can help them feel more capable and confident in their ability to handle difficult situations. When children face challenges and obstacles, they may need to come up with creative solutions to overcome them. This can help them develop critical thinking skills and the ability to be innovative in the solutions they devise. Give them space to draw their own conclusions, test their own hypotheses, and, if necessary, get it wrong again.

Model calculated risk-taking and acceptance of failure: Children look to adults and each other to gauge how society expects them to react in various situations. Modelling attempts at trying new things, showing enjoyment of activities at which you may not be exceptional or proficient, and demonstrating a positive attitude when things do not go the way you expected them to send powerful messages to children that such experiences are not only ok but are also encouraged.

Teach self-care strategies: Encouraging children to take care of themselves by getting enough sleep, exercising, and eating healthy food can help them build the physical and emotional resilience they need to cope with stress.

Practice mindfulness: Mindfulness exercises, such as deep breathing, can help

children learn to regulate their emotions, reduce stress, and improve their focus and concentration.

Provide increasing opportunities for independence: Allowing children to take on age-appropriate responsibilities and make their own decisions can help them develop a sense of independence and self-efficacy.

Help children set goals: Setting goals can help children develop a sense of purpose and direction, which can help them remain motivated and resilient in the face of challenges.

During this End of Term Break, I encourage everyone to try something new, to dare to lose, fall, or ‘mess up’ and to have a lot of fun doing it!

Congratulations to all of the children on another smashing, successful term. Have a wonderful holiday, and I look forward to seeing you soon.

Victoria Smith Head of Primary School

Pre-Nursery @BSB

INSIDE THE PRE-NURSERY CLASS: OWLETS

By EYFS Team

It is wonderful to see how much our PreNursery Owlets have grown and changed in their first two terms at BSB. The teaching team is incredibly proud to see such selfassured and happy children arriving and leaving school each day. The children are secure in their daily routines and confident to explore and lead their own learning. Their awareness of others is developing, as is their ability and desire to interact with others, which means relationships are starting to blossom and bonds are being built. Our days are never alike but always full of joy, wonder and laughter. Learning in EYFS is predominantly childinitiated, allowing us to address the individual needs of every unique child. PreNursery children love sharing stories and

rhymes, which often inspires the adult-led activities that take place to further learning or to provide the opportunity for new experiences. Stories also help us to achieve in all areas of our EYFS curriculum, and it’s never too early to instil a love for stories, reading and books.

As Makaton signs are used to support our daily interactions, communication, and language, we have been using Makaton to join in with the retelling of familiar stories. The children have particularly enjoyed ‘We’re Going On a Bear Hunt’, written by Michael Rosen and ‘Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See’, by Bill Martin Jr. They have shown great joy and pride when joining in with the repeated story

phrases. The signs supporting these texts have widely expanded our oral and signed vocabulary.

We have recently introduced ‘Helicopter Stories’ to all our EYFS pupils. This is a child-centred approach to storytelling and story acting based on the work of Vivian Gussin Paley. Using the taped outline of a stage, the children are invited to act out the story being read to them. We’ve seen some amazing butterflies flying, frogs jumping, and dinosaurs stomping. We hope the children will soon be able to share a short story of their own, for an adult to scribe this for them and bring it to life when they act it out. Every performance is finished with a huge round of applause and lots of smiles.

Nursery @BSB

INSIGHTS FROM THE NURSERY CLASS: HEDGEHOGS

By Catherine Holland

What a wonderful second term we have had in Hedgehogs class. The children continue to grow in confidence and maturity each day, happy to be at school with their friends and teachers. Walking from the gate to Ringwood is always an adventure, with lots to see and explore and a chance for those important first interactions of the day with the children asking excitedly, ‘What are we going to learn today?’.

The children are confident with our routines now, knowing where to hang their bag and coat, helping their friends who might be finding a zip or swapping shoes difficult, and always ready to lend a hand. Kindness is a huge part of who we are in Hedgehogs class, and we have this in abundance!

We say good morning and talk about our routine for the day. Then, it’s time to get busy! The children go off exploring the classroom, choosing their favourite activities, and joining their friends. We love to construct with Duplo, create with playdough, role-play in the home corner, read a book and draw lots of lovely pictures for our teachers and caregivers.

One of our favourite and well-used areas of the room is the sensory tray! We love to explore the different things in there, whether it be lentils or pasta, sand or water; there is always lots of excitement and chatter when something new appears there.

Some of our favourite parts of the week are music, art and the library, where we see some of the specialist staff from around BSB. The Hedgehogs enjoy seeing the different adults and have become much more confident to step out of their comfort zone and try new things during these times.

After our lunch, we often head out into the garden to play and explore. The Hedgehogs love to climb and have continued to gain confidence when playing on the castle. We also love to use the different parts of the garden in different ways. One of our favourite things to do is feed our teachers wood-chip soup! We try to make it more delicious by adding leaves, stones and other things, but we haven’t got it quite right yet!

A few highlights from the term have been learning about different 2D shapes and making shape cookies! They were a huge success, and it was lots of fun measuring out the ingredients and mixing them all together. Also, on our term 2 enrichment day, we had to rescue the monkeys! It was a very exciting day completing all the tasks to free the monkeys. We have also enjoyed learning about our emotions and using ‘The Colour Monster’ book to help us identify the different colours of our emotions.

It has been an extremely successful second term for the Hedgehogs. We are very proud of our achievements, and as we say in our class, ‘Well done, me!’ We are excited to see what our third term brings!

Reception @BSB A Journey into Reception Class

By Jenna Batson and Kate Dibble

We have had another fantastic term in Reception. The children have impressed us with their creativity and storytelling skills through our Helicopter Story sessions. It has been wonderful to see their growing confidence as more and more children volunteer to act out their stories. In addition, the children loved World Book day, where they could dress up and talk about one of their favourite books. We saw some great costumes, and the teachers had fun dressing as the characters from ‘My Mum and Dad make me laugh!’

Our STEAM enrichment day saw the children using their problem-solving and teamwork skills to engage with a range of different activities, helping to return the 5

monkeys to their beds. We experimented with the different ways we could melt ice, finding that a mixture of salt and warm water helped us to free the monkey the fastest. The children enjoyed completing repeating patterns to earn blocks to counterbalance the weight of a box and free another monkey, and of course, we all enjoyed a bit art work where we used our feet to make marks in time with the music.

We are very proud of the children’s progress in reading and writing and would like to thank the mums and dads for their continued support with this at home. We have seen lots of independent mark-making in and around the classroom. The children have particularly enjoyed experimenting

with the different marks they can make using paint and other art materials on our ‘process art canvasses’. We have been adding to these each week and steadily building up a collaborative final piece of artwork.

The children have enjoyed learning about the importance of keeping fit and healthy and have explored different ways to ensure that they look after their own health. We talked about the importance of having a good amount of sleep and sequenced events for our bedtime routines.

We look forward to another amazing term in Reception as we finalise our Early Years journey.

Year 1 @BSB Once Upon a Toy Story…

By Kelly Salmon and Aisling Kinsella

Once Upon a Time…

In the first part of the term, we focused on Traditional Tales in our topic, ‘Into the Woods’. The children loved listening to many different fairytales, and we decided to focus on one of their favourites, ‘The Three Little Pigs’. We loved creating houses for all the pigs, working in teams and using different materials.

The children became storytelling experts, showing they were super confident to retell the story to the teachers and their friends. Not only did they act out the story in groups, but they also wrote their own excellent versions of the story. The children identified the beginning, middle and end of a story. It is fantastic to see their sentence structure and storytelling vocabulary improving. The children used adjectives to describe the good and bad characters of the stories. They also seemed to enjoy describing the Big Bad Wolf, making some excellent “Wanted” posters as part of a Rainbow Challenge.

Friendship Week was a tremendous success towards the end of the first half term. The children were amazing at thinking about the qualities of a good friend and loved having some children from Years 4 and 5 come to share some stories and crafts with them.

Toy Story

We had an exciting start to our new topic, with the children being invited to bring a favourite toy from home so that we could understand what modern toys look, feel and move like. They loved sharing these with their friends and discussing what their toys were made of and how they moved.

As the term progressed, we were able to make comparisons during History and Science about the differences between old and new toys. We also had lots of fun on our STEAM day, where one of the activities required the children to make a boat with their House Team, thinking about which materials to use to make sure it was waterproof and would float.

During Maths, the children worked hard on partitioning numbers into 10s and 1s, using different methods for addition and subtraction and counting in 10s, 2s and 5s. We have been amazed at the children’s understanding and ability to reason and talk about their work this past term.

We also loved looking at artwork by Picasso in Art classes, making some collage selfportraits and some clay faces in the style of Picasso!

Eddie the Penguin Saves the World!

The students demonstrated how multitalented they are with our very amazing production of “Eddie the Penguin Saves the World”. They worked tirelessly to make sure that the show went smoothly. Not only did they have to memorise lines, but they also had to learn many songs and actions to accompany them! It was a great success, and they should be very proud of themselves for pulling together such a great feat.

Year 2 @BSB Hooray for History

By Ann-Marie Isaac, Lucy Harrison and Matthew Scragg

Great Fire of London Production

After a three-year hiatus, Year 2 was able to put on a production to showcase their acting and singing abilities. Since they were studying the Great Fire of London, it seemed only natural for this to be the topic of our show! Year 2 put all their efforts into preparing backdrops, memorising lines and songs, learning dances, and writing journal entries from the perspective of Samuel Pepys. It was a wonderful experience to see the culmination of their hard work and the joy on their faces as they sang and danced throughout the spectacle.

Despite being unable to shine on stage for several years, the children quickly slipped back into the spotlight. Playing roles ranging from a Magic Grandma to citizens of London to the baker who started it all, Thomas Fariner. Year 2 shone like stars throughout their show, saying their lines with passion and conviction.

One of the show’s many highlights was seeing the Fire Dance, which represented how the fire began as a few sparks and then quickly overtook the city. First, the dancers started crouching, then used arm movements to wave ribbons like flames leaping up in the sky. Then, as the Great

Fire of London died, the Fire Dancers slowed their movements and melted back into a crouching position on stage.

Trip to the Village Museum

On Friday, 24th March, the children of Year 2 embarked on a trip to the Village Museum. In true British fashion, the teachers monitored the weather days in advance. However, unlike in the UK, the weather on the day was perfect!

In the build-up to the trip, back in school, the children had learnt about the uses of different materials, homes in the past in Romania and the UK, how to complete observational drawings and honed their woodwork skills. The purpose of the trip was to explore a variety of buildings and compare them to homes today. Throughout the day, the children completed activities including sketching buildings and labelling what materials they are made from, finding and sketching objects inside the houses made of different materials and trying to spot the house featured on the 10 Lei note.

Another successful term in Year 2. Great job, everyone, and we look forward to the Summer term and the Year 2 Work Showcase and sleepover.

Year 3 @BSB Romans on the Rampage

By Anna Atanasiu, Philip Holland and Emily Marsh

In Year 3 we have headed far into the past where we have discovered the ancient history of the Roman Empire. Delving into Romanian, European and British history we have followed the rise and fall of the empire and some famous characters and significant events such as the battles with Queen Boudicca and the Volcanic eruption at Pompeii.

In English, the children followed the epic story of ‘Escape from Pompeii’ by Christina Balit, re-enacting scenes and bringing to life the bustling lost ancient city. They then planned out the story and re-wrote the beginning with fantastic adjectives and beautiful description, before moving onto planning and writing their own alternative ending, saving as many people as they can! Finally the children chose the topic with ‘Ancient Romans’ that interested them most and created their own detailed and interesting Non-Chronological reports to teach others about this fantastic period in history.

In Maths, we started with investigating length. We have learnt all about accurate measuring and are now confident in converting between different units of measurement. To polish our knowledge, we made sure no item in our classrooms was left unmeasured! It gave us a powerful boost for exploring fractions – our next unit.

In PSHCE, the children have deepened their understanding of the essential skills required for forming positive social interactions. We have been practising our newly acquired communication strategies by walking into different classrooms and initiating conversations with children we had never seen before.

During the first half of this term, Year 3 focussed on forces and magnets in Science. We learned about gravity, friction and various ways things are pushed and pulled. After the half-term holiday, our focus changed to studying plants. We have

taken part in many experiments aimed at developing our understanding of how plants grow, what is needed for plants to be healthy and how plants reproduce.

In History, our focus has been the Romans. We learned about how the Roman empire expanded to be one of the most dominant civilisations of its time, spanning from North Africa and the Middle East all the way to the UK. Using artefacts and source material, we enjoyed thinking like historians and archaeologists by trying to understand what life would have been like during Roman times.

Year 4 @BSB The Adventures of Year 4

By Laura Gildea, Nicholas Morgan and Adam Pegrum

This term, Year 4 travelled back in time to discover the secrets of one of the earliest civilisations - The Ancient Egyptians. They channelled their inner Indiana Jones to analyse evidence and were wowed by what they uncovered in Tutunkhamun’s treasury.

In English, they explored the greatest historical discovery of modern times, Tutunkhamun’s tomb, and pretended to be hard-hitting reporters to interview each other. The kids even tried their hands at publishing newspaper articles, and let’s just say some future Pulitzer winners may have been born.

Art class saw the kids transform into Egyptian pharaohs and experiment with Gustav Klimt’s style, to create impressionist patterns. They also learned cross-stitch

patterns to create their own textile headdresses.

Year 4 also became electrifying scientists and learned about how sound travels and electrical signals work. They even designed their own noise-cancelling headphones for the fictional Mr Napper. They discovered how to make circuits with different components, which resulted in them discovering how loud the buzzers can really get. Good thing we had the headphones ready!

In Maths, we have finished learning about multiplication and division and begun the complex topic of Fractions. Year 4 has been enjoying it immensely, and of course, they used their new-found knowledge to answer life’s most important questions,

like how many pizzas do you need to feed a classroom full of hungry kids?

Overall, it’s been a fantastic term, and the students have had a blast. One of the highlights was when the children invited their parents to school so they could share their learning during the annual Work Showcase.

We can’t wait to show them what’s in store for next term as we introduce them to the chaotic world of The Jungle.

Year 5 @BSB Discovering the Magic Year 5

By Karen Cojocaru, Ellis McConnell and Thomas Williams

The process of reflection is woven into everyday studies in Year 5, and these articles, written in conjunction with the students, provide a perfect opportunity to consider just how many opportunities we’ve been fortunate enough to experience and how much progress has been made.

In English, students engrossed themselves in both non-fiction and fiction pieces. Our nonfiction writing focused on non-chronological reports, where students researched and wrote about the traditional Romanian holiday of Martisor. This supported our fabulous production, which many of you were lucky enough to experience. Our class novel - Room 13 - provided an apposite backdrop as we delved into horror stories. We learned about the elements of suspense and used them to write engaging and thrilling stories of our own.

Scientific learning centred on forces and simple machines. We learned about the

different types of forces, such as gravity, friction and air resistance, and how they affect motion. We also explored the different types of simple machines, including levers, pulleys, and gears, and how they reduce the force required to achieve tasks.

In Mathematics, students have worked extensively and fastidiously on fractions and formal methods of multiplication and division. Year 5 has increased their competence with a range of skills, such as finding equivalent fractions, simplifying and converting fractions, and using the four operations to solve real-life problems that included fractions. Furthermore, we spent time sharpening and developing our formal multiplication and division methods with increasingly complex numbers.

In Geography, students studied the formation of rivers and coastal features. We learned about the different parts of rivers and coasts,

the unique features that distinguish them and the processes involved in creating these. This learning journey was brought to life by our trip to Comana, where we were able to observe and even touch (respectfully!) the same features we had discovered in the classroom.

Further excitement was generated in Design Technology. Children became engineers to create a moving toy with a cam mechanism. We learned about the different components of a cam mechanism and how the parts interact to create motion. We also learned about the importance of precision and attention to detail in the design and construction process.

As the end of the academic year looms on the horizon, Year 5 has one major destination to visit first. Ancient Greece promises to excite and exhilarate as much, if not more than, any other topic. Who is excited to see what surprises lie in store?

https://youtu.be/pupCYjiPFZw

Year 6 @BSB Shaping Young Minds: Insights from Year 6

By Rebecca Doganay and Jak Kain

This term, Year 6 travelled the world exploring the rainforests, landscapes and civilisations of South America, including learning about the culture of the Ancient Mayans.

Spurred on by our reading books ‘Secrets of a Sun King’ by Emma Carroll and ‘The Explorer’ by Katherine Rundell. We have written exciting stories and reports researching life in the rainforest and learning about the ancient cultures and customs of the Maya. Year 6 also became journalists, investigating the disappearance of the four children in our story, interviewing experts and relatives and finally writing and publishing their reports.

Art class saw Year 6 turn their hand to cooking, creating a variety of delicious dishes and recipes, including bean and beef (or just bean) burritos and a range of Latin-inspired dips (such as guacamole, salsa and black bean dip), which we paired with homemade tortillas. Culminating in an exciting lesson where we designed and presented a dish to the Takanaka chef (possibly be served at lunchtime in the near

future - watch this space!). The students really enjoyed the process and excitement of working in the kitchen, and everyone behaved impeccably when using the equipment or food. A lesson that recipes are not always correct came for 6K when many groups managed to burn their tortilla chips (which they were baking and turning into Nachos), filling the kitchen with smoke (and miraculously not setting the fire alarm off!). Later that week, emboldened by 6Ks efforts and determined to do it properly, 6D tried again, this time succeeding in setting the fire alarm off despite there being only a wisp of smoke in the air!

Year 6 also became biologists this term, examining the human body and learning how our heart pumps blood, delivering oxygen and nutrients to the organs and muscles of the body. Visits to the secondary science labs hit new heights this term. We dissected a heart, identifying the four chambers and major blood vessels and burnt food (using bunsen burners) to identify the calories in each type of food.

In Maths, we studied some challenging topics, such as fractions and percentages

and some new topics, such as ratios and algebra. The students tackled all the problems head-on and showed fantastic resilience in their problem-solving endeavours.

Trips to the Museum of Romanian History to learn about the ancient Dacian civilisation and a visit to the forest to build shelters and work with maps have punctuated the term and added excitement to our topics.

We look forward to next term, our final one at Primary School, where we will explore local land use and extreme environments on Earth and, of course, prepare for our Year 6 residential to Paris.

Celebrating the Joy of Reading: Highlights from Book Week at BSB

By Ana-Maria Marin

Creating a culture of reading in school can help children fall in love with reading, where children read books they choose themselves for their own pleasure. Providing time and opportunities for sustained, self-selected reading is important, as many children do not read for pleasure outside school time.

During the week beginning 6th March, we held our annual Book Week at BSB, and on Friday, 10th March, we celebrated World Book Day. Both inside and outside of the classroom, in Primary and Secondary, various activities brought the importance of reading to everyone’s attention. Students had the opportunity to meet and work with different authors, take up reading challenges, and listen to and write stories.

Author Ruta Sepetys, a Yoto Carnegie nominee for her book “I must betray you”, joined us for a very successful online event aimed at the larger BSB community. Ruta was interviewed by our own BSB students. Here is a testimonial from a parent of the school:

“Wow, what an incredible event! Thank you all so much! One could not imagine a more fascinating guest author at BSB today. The interviewers had such amazing chemistry

with the author; congratulations to you all!” Author, Steve Cole, visited us in person, and he was a real treat. Steve wrote over 200 books, including the Young Bond series, Cows in Action series, Astrosaurs and The Slime Squad. He was on campus on Thursday, the 9th and Friday 10th of March, working with year groups individually and presenting a unique take on climate change issues, thus supporting BSB’s aims to become a sustainable school.

“Steve is very funny and very cool. I loved to hear that his job is one that can be done lying in bed!” Ella, Year 6

During the week, children had the chance to pair up with students from other year groups and share their love of reading. Always a favourite activity!

Friday, 10th March, was dress-up day. Students and staff used their imagination and came dressed as their favourite characters from a book. Some children used their Book Week costumes to play around with the fictional character and interact in the role while advocating for their choice of character and recommending the book to colleagues.

Harry Potter Book Night

In 2015, BSB joined many schools and libraries around the world and organised its first-ever Harry Potter Night, bringing together the biggest Harry Potter fans from Primary and Secondary. This year the tradition continued, and during Book Week, we were happy to return the event to its usual glory after two online editions. We were overwhelmed by so many Muggles, Wizards and Witches requesting to take part, and the event proved a great success. The evening was one of magic and dynamism: right after passing through the wall at Platform 9¾ and a brief encounter with the Sorting Hat, the participants enjoyed some delicious snacks and were then whisked into a variety of activities, readings and games, sharing the wonder of J.K. Rowling’s unforgettable stories. For a couple of hours, the Primary Library became one of the Hogwarts halls, where Nimbus 2000s, potions and magic wands were at the ready. We hope to see many of you there next time.

WELCOME SPRING!

Mărțișor

By Karen Cojocaru

Mărțișor is a beautiful Romanian celebration that marks the arrival of spring. Every year, on 1st March, Romanians give each other Mărțișor, which are small tokens of good luck and health. The tradition goes back centuries and is still alive and well in Romania today. Recently, our school community had the pleasure of witnessing a magical performance about Mărțișor by our amazing Year 5 children. We were all astounded by the talent, creativity and enthusiasm of our young performers.

The children explained the significance of the red and white threads through the old stories upon which the tradition hangs; the red thread symbolises the vitality and warmth of spring, while the white thread represents the purity and innocence of winter. Together, they create a powerful symbol of rebirth and renewal. Each performance was unique and captivating in its own way, from the story of the old Baba Dochia to the fight between the young man and the dragon to retrieve the Sun. Our amazing performers also sang songs in the Romanian language to honour our host country. These songs celebrated the beauty of spring and honoured all mothers - also a tradition around this time of year.

@BSB

The most impressive aspect of the whole production was the level of creativity and originality that the children themselves put into it. They had clearly spent a lot of time and effort preparing for this event, and it showed in every part of their performance. A huge thanks must also be extended to parents and teachers for the colourful costumes, well-made, imaginative props, superb music and choreography.

What really stood out was the enthusiasm and joy the children had for celebrating Mărțișor. They were clearly proud of the heritage of the country we all call home, and they were excited to share it with others. They had a sense of pride and ownership over the tradition that was truly inspiring to see, and they gave us all a sense of hope and optimism for the future. They were not just learning about a cultural tradition; they were embodying it in a way that was creative, joyful, and meaningful. They were not just performing for an audience; they were sharing a part of themselves with others. In a world that can sometimes feel divided and disconnected, it was refreshing to see young people coming together to celebrate something positive, beautiful and unifying. Mărțișor may be a small tradition, but it has the

power to bring people together and to remind us all of the beauty and wonder of life.

I want to extend my praises to the Year 5 children for their wonderful Mărțișor production. It was a truly exceptional display of talent, creativity and enthusiasm. These young performers have shown us that cultural traditions are not just relics of the past but living expressions of our shared humanity. Without a doubt, they have inspired us all to celebrate the beauty of spring, the joy of community and the power of creativity.

So you think you can cook?

This year marked the 5th anniversary of the ‘So You Think You Can Cook’ Competition. As we move forward, we are pleased to see a lot more students from Secondary taking part, many of which had started their cooking journeys as Primary School participants. These are truly historical times!

Throughout the first two days of the ‘So You Think You Can Cook?’ 2023 competition, our young chefs from Primary and Secondary put on their aprons and set their culinary skills to work under the sharp eyes of the judges. They prepared their best ‘Signature Dishes’, plating them to impress, as well as to move on from the Preliminary Round to the Finals. The dishes were incredibly varied, from homemade pasta to prawn salads, Bobotie to porcini mushroom risotto, lamingtons to Thai green curry, and each work of art tantalised the senses and showcased the genuine skill and talents of our young students.

On the third and final day of the ‘So you think you can cook?’ competition, cooking skills, talents, and discipline were put to the test in the final rounds: Mexican food. Students had to prepare Mexican dips in 3 ways in round one, and Tacos (any style) for round two. The Secondary also students had one more dish to do- cupcakes with a Mexican flare. Timings were tight and the pressure was on. A wide range of herbs, spices and delicious

ingredients permeated the air in the Food Technology Studio, and the creative presentation of each dish made the judge’s decisions incredibly difficult. The progress of students who had participated in previous years was in abundance, and it was a delight to see our BSB values in evidence in each round. It was not uncommon to hear encouraging words being passed between the students, to see the sharing of tips and ingredients and in some cases, to see students wandering into the station of another to lend a helping hand or give an opinion on how to take the dish to the ‘next level’. Respect, Concern for Others, and Self-Control could be observed in every corner of the kitchen.

It was a wonderful event, and we would like to thank everyone involved, and in particular, our judges, Mr. Liviu Popescu, Mrs. Diana Bart, Mr. Jon Smith, and our fantastic aspiring chefs for an

amazing competition. We hope this culinary event inspires everyone as much as it inspires us, brings each participant joy and excitement, and allows us all to learn and practice these skills which are invaluable in our future lives. We can all be something great…when we find that thing that ignites our passion.

https://youtu.be/AXgOblde2q8

https://youtu.be/ONBP6yL-d7Q https://youtu.be/U5omYOUpegg

BSB Spring Girlguiding let’s make a difference!

By Ellis McConnell

First Bucharest Girlguiding Coordinator

An important date in the Girlguiding calendar came around this term, World Thinking Day. The theme of World Thinking Day this year was ‘Our World, Our Peaceful Future’.

Since 1926, World Thinking Day has been a day of international friendship. Every year on the 22nd of February, Girl Guides and Girl Scouts celebrate the Movement by connecting with each other and having fun together, learning about and taking action on the global issues that affect their local communities, and fundraising for the 10 million Girl Guides and Girl Scouts around the world.

The 22nd of February was chosen because it was the birthday of both Lord Baden-Powell, founder of the Boy Scout Movement, and his wife Olave, who was World Chief Guide. His sister, Agnes, had established the Girlguide Association in the UK in 1910.

This year, we explored how to create a more peaceful and secure future for girls everywhere. Building on an understanding

of the role climate change plays in disrupting global peace and security; we focused on what we can learn from the environment to create a balanced and peaceful world.

We learnt about elements of a peaceful community where there are homes for people to live in, habitats for wildlife and technology to make things the world needs to be happy. The children learnt that there needs to be a balance between these elements to protect and develop our communities and maintain natural harmony. They also explored the devastating effects of earthquakes, focusing on the earthquake in Syria and Turkey on the 6th February, 2023. We spoke about rebuilding the community, which will need to happen now, and how we can support them. We also learnt about the importance of balance in the natural world. The children got to make and design their own garden, which would bring balance to the community and environment around us. We also explored the environment within our local community by heading into the forest. This allowed the children to explore

how humans impact the land and also allowed them to understand how they can become more sustainable within their daily lives.

During this term, the children also got to make their Girlguiding promises. This promise is taken by Girlguiding members and the ten million people involved in guiding across the world. Although we may have different languages, cultures and beliefs, each member commits to doing their best to help the community and the wider world, helping those around them and developing their own personal beliefs. This promise is special to each girl and is at the heart of everything we do. Empowering the girls is the role of the Girlguiding leader, and I hope that they will turn into citizens that will fight to protect the environment around them.

“We are either going to have a future where women lead the way to make peace with the Earth, or we are not going to have a human future at all.” Vandana Shiva

Primary house news

By Paul Gildea

The Spring Term has seen the return of two very important parts of our House Programme - assemblies and challenges.

Our House Assemblies for Years 3-6 take place monthly and are led by our Heads of House: Mr Pegrum, Miss Marsh, Miss Harrison and Mr Smith. The children and staff of each House gather to focus on a particular theme or celebrate how great each House is! We are looking forward to our next House assemblies in the Summer Term.

Our Year 6 House Captains have been getting thoroughly involved this term. As well as being role models for others, they have been integral in organising a programme of activities to mark World Health Day. These included events to work on fitness and a healthy eating focus - well

done to the House Captains for setting a great example.

Our termly enrichment day took on a House flavour as we all divided into our Houses for ‘STEAM’ day. It was truly wonderful to see children collaborating to solve problems and think creatively, as well as earn some of those crucial House Points. On that note - the current rankings stand thus:

1st: Arges

2nd: Danube

3rd: Mures

4th: Olt

The House Cup is still up for grabs as we move into the Summer Term - will Arges hang on?

a message from the head of secondary

Inspiring Excellence and Growth

Being a dual national of the UK and Ireland, and therefore holding two passports can have some distinct advantages. At least, that is what I thought until I attempted to renew my UK passport. I was informed by an email from the Passport Office that there was a slight discrepancy in that one of my middle names, which appears in one of my passports, is omitted from the other and that the application could not proceed until I produced a ream of documentation from the Embassy of my other passport and submitted it all as paper copies, in the original and by post to the Passport Office in the UK. I was informed again from the abyss of a ‘no reply’ email address that I would have a 12-week deadline in which to race around and gather all the pieces of paper together, some of which would be coming from Dublin before the passport application drawbridge would be lifted, and the offending passport returned to me with no refund. Having calculated the arrival date of the bulky envelope at the Passport Office, I screeched up outside the post office to send off the documents only to discover that the envelope would arrive one day after the deadline had passed, with the warning hanging over me of restarting the whole process. Breathless and frantic, I called what I assumed would be the impenetrable Passport Office fortress, only to be pleasantly surprised to find I was talking to a friendly and helpful voice within minutes. After a lighthearted and reassuring conversation, I was told that a note was being put on the file and all

being well, my passport would be snatched in the nick of time from the post room at the Passport Office and sent back into circulation again. The 12 weeks have long since passed, and I am still hopeful that I will be able to renew my passport, but whether I succeed or not in this venture, I have a sense of calm knowing that I had a personal reassurance that someone had listened and had tried everything feasible for me on this occasion.

This personal and individual touch and interaction is something we value highly at BSB. We pride ourselves on how well we know each member of our school community, whether this is the students in our care and tutelage or the staff and, of course, our valued parents. As this experience proved to me, knowing that there is someone who will take time to listen and take action to seek the best outcomes is something to be highly prized and highly valued.

Our individual and personal approach is in action at the moment as our Year 9 and Year 11 students are making the IGCSE and A-level options choices as we prepare our students for their exams which start in just less than one month. We help students select work experience and internship placements. This term has been packed with many more chances for individual and community flourishing as well, such as the Secondary Production of We Will Rock You, the hosting at BSB of the International

Schools Theatre Association with schools from all over Europe and the UK, Book Week and the visit of Steve Cole, Harry Potter Book Night, Careers Week, the Y7-9 Science Fairs, the COBIS Games trip to Rome and the Arctic Challenge trip to test drive the Project Zephyr go-karts. There have also been debating competitions, sports fixtures and tournaments, musical concerts and recitals, university fairs, Languages Week and the LAMDA public speaking examinations for Sixth Form, with the majority of students achieving merits and distinctions.

As the final term draws nearer, I wish all our students the very best as they prepare to sit their examinations and achieve the best they can.

Taking time for the individual is an aspect of the culture of BSB which we value highly, whether this is helping a student with an IGCSE or A-level options choice, deciding on a university course or helping to repair a temporarily broken friendship. And we are here for our parents, too, whether this is an individual conversation to support a child’s progress, to seek advice or reassurance, or simply to offer a cheery greeting at the BSB gate each morning.

Jason Porter Head of Secondary School

The Arctic CHALLENGE:

Self-built Electric Vehicles on the Ultimate Test Drive

By Tudor Atanasiu, Head of Innovation Hub and Foamblock Founder

It was a fantastic experience for the students embarking on an ambitious journey to the stunning Arctic landscape of northern Sweden to take part in the Arctic Challenge. In this one-of-a-kind experience, students explored and test their three self-built electric vehicles by drifting on the frozen lake. When building their electric vehicles, they learned to consider a variety of factors, such as power consumption, battery life and how to cope with ice and snow. With the icy lake as a testing ground and the beautiful Arctic landscape all around, the students pushed the performance and aerodynamic limits of their vehicles to the maximum, learning more about these features in practice.

This was the second year when our students participated in the Arctic Challenge, testing three electric vehicles built from scratch by the students as part of Project Zephyr. Project Zephyr started six years ago and has involved more than 100 students in building ten fully functional electric cars. Around 65% of a car’s components can be reused for at least five years, and 90% of the vehicle can be recycled. Compared to last year, the top speed of the car built by the students has increased from 48 km/h to 62 km/h. Still, performance has also increased in terms of internal battery temperature, battery resistance, engine temperature and performance on the ice.

They embarked on an exploration and environmental education tour of the Arctic, including a full-day snowmobile to observe breathtakingly beautiful views. They spent the day husky sledging until it was time to visit the Arctic Museum and then proceeded to drive the electric vehicles. They received driving instruction on properly handling the challenging conditions and enjoyed the evenings with a fun activity - Northern Lights hunting, which included an introduction to the astronomical and scientific background of how the Northern Lights are created.

Coaching & professional learning - what’s next?

By Jason Porter

As Term 2 draws to a close, and we look ahead to Term 3 and perhaps beyond into the coming academic year, this is a good time to take stock and review where we are up to, assess our achievements and plan ongoing developments for professional development and learning.

We have been working on developing and building on our existing coaching culture at BSB over the past years. This term, we have built on the foundations laid out in professional training hosted by Dr David Porritt. This term has seen us weave coaching into two key areas. We have been using a cohort of trained coaches in

peer staff-to-staff coaching. We are now deploying coaching skills across the whole staff body to enable staff to coach students for personal and academic target setting and enabling academic performance. This is not exclusively limited to Form Tutors who carry out formative and developmental conversations with their tutees after a report has been issued but to all teachers in a classroom setting.

The second area where we have been developing coaching is in our Lesson Study programmes which have been rolled out and are supported by the staff professional reading groups. These have given staff a

chance to analyse and research pedagogy within their departments, using coaching techniques in giving lesson feedback or in subsequent and ensuing professional conversations about pedagogy and methodology.

As we move forwards into Term 3, we aim to consolidate these areas and continue to train our staff to develop their own personal and professional practice in these areas. There is much more to come, and we are watching with excited interest as the benefits and results unfold to support the continued learning and personal development of our students.

Secondary house news

By Scott Allsop

This term has seen the House competition become more intense, as we ended December with Olt and Danube tied for first place, while Arges and Mures were similarly tied for third and fourth. Term 1 had seen Danube dominate the competition, but Olt have found a renewed determination since the start of January and have managed to secure a narrow lead at the top of the table.

During the cold days of January, an impressive number of students took part in the lunchtime beanbag target competition, with Mures securing the first win. However, Olt’s consistent collection of individual and Golden House Points meant that they were able to take the lead in the monthly totals.

In February, the MFL Department organised a range of competitions linked to Languages and Mother Tongue Week, including a quiz in which Danube narrowly secured the lead ahead of Arges. This, combined with their monthly House Points totals, meant that Danube was able to keep

within just two points of Olt, who again finished the month at the top of the table.

March is always a particularly busy time for the House Competition as the annual Mastermind Quiz takes place. We were very grateful that Mrs Williams led the Pi Day art competition that saw teams of students create mosaics based on the digits of pi.

Meanwhile, the Mastermind competition began with Mr Sutton-Coulson taking his seat in the black chair for the traditional teacher round, in which he scored an impressive 17 points on the topic of Harlequins Rugby Club.

Inspired by this performance, eight brave student volunteers came forward to answer questions put to them by Mr Porter on specialist rounds ranging from Minecraft to Master and Commander and Harry Potter to Horse Riding. A further 32 students formed teams for each House, in which they faced a series of wide-ranging general knowledge

questions researched and written by Mr Walters.

The final scores were incredibly close, but Arges were crowned champions of House Mastermind 2023 and added a further 5 Cup Points to their total. Consequently, although Olt managed to maintain first place in House Competition overall, the gap has narrowed, and all four Houses are truly in the running to seize the House Cup with just one term remaining.

The summer term will see the Mental Health Week photo competition, the annual music quiz, and the return of the House Shout, where student leaders in Year 7 will work with their peers in Year 6 to create a short chant to celebrate their House. Plus, we are all looking forward to Sports Day, which will reward both athletic success and participation in the wide variety of events organised by the PE Department!

Glance back with thanks, look forward with Optimism.

By Mark Healy

I begin this article by questioning time again and why it seems to speed up with each passing day as we move towards the end of Term 2 here at this amazing school. To say we have managed to pack so much into such a tight timeline this term is an understatement: external exams for some of our senior students, a wonderful array of CCAs, including a heightened lens on academic CCAs for our exam students in Years 11-13, ski trips and COBIS games in Rome and of course culminating in the wonderful Secondary school production of “We Will Rock You”. Let’s never take for granted the vast depth of talent and sheer hard work from staff, students and parents that make all these events walk successfully into reality.

In late April, we began our series of external examinations for our IGCSE, AS and A2 students. Perhaps too far a stretch to suggest these are warmly welcomed by our students, but they are a valued and worldwide transactional currency for all our students when they look beyond school life at BSB. Although they can never define or measure individual worth, they are a signpost of hard work and effort. I know from speaking to our Year 11, 12s and 13s that the dedication and desire to succeed

is very much alive in their preparation. I am sure I echo our collective sentiments in wishing them all every success.

The planning for our Internal End of year Exams for Years 7-10 is well underway, and we will share the final details soon. Of course, exams in any school across the world precipitate a certain level of angst for many, so we look at evidence-informed approaches to effective study techniques and scaffold this knowledge into our students’ learning for them to best prepare. Mr Goode and I will also look at study techniques and well-being approaches to address growing levels of angst in our next parental workshop, and this is a vital piece of the jigsaw to support everyone. Research linked to deliberate practice and elitelevel performance certainly highlights that there is no shortcut to achieving success (Ericsson, 2016). This is a message we repeatedly convey to our students “there are no shortcuts; the only way to learn something is to learn something, and a constant goal of improvement is a core and necessary ingredient.”

That point of liminality and moving on also soon beckons for our Year 13 students, and looking at some of the University offers

that have been made; they will, I am sure, make us all feel proud that BSB will be their alma mater throughout life. In my time here as Director of Studies, they have been a privilege to work and collaborate alongside. They have set incredibly high examples of personal and academic achievement and will leave strong legacies of excellence and aspiration for others to follow.

Finally, we understand and accept the challenge of constantly wanting to improve in all we do as a school community. We have been very fortunate so far this year to work with some of the world’s leading thinkers in education: Kate Jones, Dr Jonathan Firth and David Didau, to name a few, but the true capital that really matters is the collective wisdom, knowledge and motivation to do the best for our students that exists within our staff community here at BSB. We thank everyone in our community for their support, and we look forward to a successful and enjoyable Term 3 here at the British School of Bucharest.

Have a safe and relaxing break, and see everyone in Summer Term.

Leading from the Middle: How our CPML training invests in staff to drive BSB forward

By Dan Batson

Good schools have effective senior leaders; great schools also have strong middle leadership.

The importance of school middle leadership cannot be overemphasized. Our middle leaders have the knowledge and skills to manage their departments or subject areas successfully. This includes managing staff and resources, coordinating curriculum delivery, monitoring student progress, and ensuring that school policies are adhered to. Furthermore, middle leaders are the people who lead change from within, raise standards, implement effective initiatives and interventions, and are often our future senior leaders. They are vital to the success of the school, and as a result, investing in their training and professional development is a priority at BSB.

The COBIS Programme for Middle Leaders is widely recognised as the course of choice for international teaching staff and support staff wishing to develop beyond their classrooms and offices and learn to be leaders within their departments or faculties. At BSB, Phil Walters, Jason Porter, Victoria Smith and Dan Batson are all trained and accredited CPML Facilitators, allowing the school to host the course annually for its own staff, as well as staff from other schools upon invitation. This year, the course includes eight leaders in training, with five teaching staff from Primary and Secondary, and three support staff from BSB Enterprises, Human Resources and Admissions.

The CPML course is approximately seven months long, beginning in October with three face-to-face days, where the group learn about and reflect on

different leadership styles, models and organisational change. They compare their own experiences and consider what makes great leaders effective. After the first training sessions, the course members are expected to go back to school and implement, lead and evaluate an agreed initiative within their own areas of influence. In March, the group reconvenes for two more days of training and project presentations. All CPML students also are expected to present to the senior leadership team and submit their final projects in May for assessment.

This year’s cohort at BSB has been excellent and they have already demonstrated that they have the capacity and capability to be more effective and reflective school middle leaders. The future is bright!

Crazy HAIR DAY

On Crazy Hair Day, students come to school with wacky and unconventional hairstyles that show their unique personalities. Some students chose to colour their hair in bright and bold shades, while others opted for wild and crazy hairdos like Mohawks, and spikes, or even add fun accessories like flowers, beads or glitter. Crazy Hair Day is an excellent way for students to express themselves and have fun with their classmates while promoting creativity and individuality. It’s a day when everyone can let loose and embrace their wild side!

We want to thank all those who donated to support the work of our partner charities.

Friendship WEEK

We had a fantastic time with our students taking part in a variety of activities during Friendship Week. The students brought so much enthusiasm and knowledge to the topic of transition from Primary to Secondary School. It was amazing to see these students take on the role of leaders and spread their wings to mentor the younger classes

https://youtu.be/AJdrkIy6fNA

Language WEEK

For Language Week we celebrated the diversity of languages and cultures in our community. We were all smiling thanks to a video of our students smiling while saying “cheese” in their language. It’s amazing to see how many different ways there are to express the same simple word and how each language brings its own flavour and joy. The theme of Language Week this year is ‘Happiness’ - remember that a smile is a universal language everyone can understand.

During the week the students had multiple activities from cooking, drawing, games and traditional dancing from different cultures.

https://youtu.be/KU_NrjGQoQ8

#BSB REPORTERS

World Science Day STUDENTS DEBATE

Written by Melika

Edited by Ilinca

On the 10th of November, the students of BSB gathered to engage in an hour-long debate regarding fascinating questions that have puzzled scientists for years. The STEM Leaders Team planned the event to celebrate and raise awareness for the annual World Science Day for Peace and Development, held respectively on this day.

Historical Context

At the 1999 World Conference on Science held in Budapest, it was decided that a focused event was required as a dedication towards the learning, research, and development of science. It was considered an opportunity to reassert the commitment to achieving the goals set by

the Deceleration on Science and Use of Scientific Knowledge and to maintain the recommendations of the Science Agenda: Framework for Action. UNESCO made the official proclamation for World Science Day for Peace and Development in 2001, and the first World Science Day was held on November 10th, 2002. Moreover, the event has aided the generation of many prevailing projects, programmes, and funding for science around the globe, such as the UNESCO 2022 theme of ‘Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development’. Recent themes include:

• 2019: Open science, leave no one behind.

• 2018: Science: a human right.

• 2017: Science for global understanding.

It has even helped promote cooperation between scientists impacted by conflict, such as the UNESCO-supported formation of the Israeli-Palestinian Science Organization (IPSO), further proving the positive impacts such programmes have had on communities worldwide.

Why/How do we celebrate it at BSB?

World Science Day highlights the influence of science and new emerging technologies on society. It also emphasises the importance of engaging the general public in discussions regarding topics that impact our daily lives and stresses the relevance of scientific discoveries as a way of creating

a sustainable future, encouraging a global community united for such a cause.

This year at BSB, we engaged in such conversations by doing a Science Fair for the KS3 in honour of science week, in which students do detailed research on any topics of their choosing and present their findings to a panel of judges in which the best project from each year group will be selected. This allows students to develop a further understanding of the world surrounding them and to communicate the importance of preserving the planet for generations.

The school also prepared a Science Day Debate in which students debated significant topics of conversation which are relevant to our world today, researched and prepared by the panel of judges, enthusiastic to hear what the debaters had to say. With many questions regarding the environment and theoretical questions such as ‘Are aliens already among us?’, the teams were given 3 minutes to prepare and present their point of argument. As the debate progressed, the audience grew silent, carefully watching the tension begin to rise between the two sides of the argument.

It was apparent that these debaters had prepared for this event through their diplomatic behaviour throughout the debate. They demonstrated scientific knowledge and performance by responding to the questions. A debater responded to

the question by claiming that ‘We have already come in contact with them and that there are current programmes such as Area 51 and proposed the idea that aliens have integrated into our societies by “microbiological” methods’ However, another debater from the opposition team disagreed with such statement claimed that ‘Although humans have attempted to make contact with foreign inhabitants, we have yet to have succeeded with contact from space’.

When interviewing the judges, the overall response was positive as they were impressed by the student’s impromptu responses and knowledge regarding these topics and thoroughly enjoyed the lively debate. One judge was particularly impressed by the engagement of the audience and the debaters. This experience allowed students at BSB to gain awareness regarding issues in our world and raised conversations regarding ways in which science could aid the wider community in achieving a more sustainable future.

Sources:

https://www.un.org/en/observances/ world-science-day

https://nationaldaycalendar.com/worldscience-day-for-peace-and-developmentnovember-10/

The Journey OF AN EXAM PAPER

By Alice Allsop

In the summer term, about 150 secondary students will take the same examinations at the same time as thousands of other students all over the globe. The exam boards that we work with ensure that all students receive an identical experience in taking examinations and in the marking of examinations. But how?

The journey of an exam paper from question design to marking

Exam question papers are written by a team of examiners at the exam board, overseen by the chief examiner for that subject specification.

Exam papers are dispatched from the exam board to the centre and must be signed for multiple times to confirm that the package has not been damaged in any way. This ensures that the exam content remains completely confidential.

Exam papers are stored securely at the centre and only opened minutes before the start time of an exam. At least two people (the Exams Officer and another trained staff member) will confirm that the correct exam papers are being opened to avoid any errors.

Students across the globe then take their exams in identical conditions; silence, no unauthorised items in the room, and desks a minimum of 1.25m apart, with the Exams Officer and trained invigilators present to ensure no malpractice takes place. Once students have finished the exam, their completed papers are collected and then securely sealed, ready for dispatch directly to the exam board. Completed exam scripts are held secure until they are collected and transferred by registered courier to the exam board.

The exam boards now scan and digitise every exam script they receive, and the scripts are anonymised so that an examiner can not know the candidate’s name or the school the exam comes from.

Examiners mark these digital scripts online according to the mark scheme for that exam and submit the scores digitally.

Being an Examiner by Alice Allsop, Geography Teacher

To apply to become an examiner, I had to mark a number of exam scripts and submit my marks and comments to the exam board. Once the exam board was satisfied that I could apply the mark

scheme consistently and fairly across several papers, I was invited to become an ‘assistant examiner’. I am required to attend a full-day training course before every exam session I am marking in, where I again have my marking checked by a senior examiner. This again ensures that I am consistent and fair in applying the mark scheme. When I am marking ‘live scripts’, my marking is regularly checked by my ‘team leader’ and then by the Chief Examiner to ensure that I continue to be consistent and fair in my marking. The marks I award each script are recorded digitally on a secure exam board platform.

Receiving your results

At BSB, we recognise that many students are not in the country when summer exam results are published in mid-August. We, therefore, use the exam board websites to allow our students to access their results online, from anywhere in the world, at any time after the results are released.

Despite the distance between students and BSB on Results Day, we still support our students as the Results Day Team is on hand to answer student queries by email or arrange phone calls. This is especially important for Year 13 students, and staff are quick to support them as they finalise and secure their university places.

We Will ROCK YOU

The power of live theatre should not be underestimated and never before were these words when we think back to one of the highlights of the BSB Secondary school year in March with the staging of our musical, We Will Rock You. Each year the Secondary School stages a production, either a play or a musical and it is open to all Secondary students to have the opportunity to audition to take a role. But this production was a little different in some ways.

The planning started way back in 2019 before the pandemic when we made our commitment to stage this ambitious musical inspired by the music of the British rock-pop group, Queen. We had to pause in our tracks when the pandemic hit and put on hold our plans for the production until the start of this academic year when Miss Horley took charge as Director. Auditions got off to a brisk start and soon the cast was assembled and rehearsals scheduled for after school during CCA time, break times, lunch times and Saturday morning. It was always going to be an ambitious project to stage a musical using the school band to provide the live music, not taking the ‘easy way out’ by recording or prerecording the music tracks from the band, Queen. And so, simultaneously, the band, under the direction and leadership of Ms

Sharp, our Head of Performing Arts, began their rehearsal schedules. As the term drew to a close, we wished Miss Horley well as she embarked on maternity leave and Mr Kennedy took over the role as Director, working closely with Ms Sharp as Musical Director to bring the rehearsals to a close ahead of the opening night….

And then the opening night came. As the audience entered the Fratelli studio, they were struck by the quality of the stage scenery, which for the most part was made within BSB’s walls by our students and teachers. The backdrop to the stage was scenery which could be changed by using a full-size LED screen, seen commonly in larger and professional theatrical settings. There were special effects, as well as the LED screen, with lighting and sound, all managed by a team of professionals at the venue and then the audience sat back, with refreshments to enjoy the show.

The quality of the show could be judged by the audience’s reaction; singing along with the music, some people laughing, some people crying, even at one moment row after row of mobile phones were taken out and held in the air, swinging to the rhythm

of a Queen song – our student actors on stage at that moment truly deserved to feel that ‘we are the champions’! It was truly evident how much effort, care but also enjoyment went into making the production this year so outstanding and so memorable. This was made possible by our Directors Ms Sharp, Miss Horley and Mr Kennedy, but also from the team of staff who helped at rehearsals with stage directions, choreographing, costume making, applying make-up, supervising backstage, as well wider support from the parents and older students.

Everyone in the BSB community should be rightly proud of the production, and be proud of how they worked together to bring the musical back to life after the pandemic as for the audience, the production confirmed for them that ‘old rockers never die!’

https://youtu.be/-uhlVhWyAo8

Ista Festival hosted by BSB

We are delighted to host the ISTA Festival on our Campus. We welcomed talented participants from the American International School of Bucharest, King Alfred School from the UK and KAUST School from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

This drama festival was an exciting showcase for a unique exploration of rural settlements in Romania, and specific ensembles and in between their activities, they also visited the Village Museum to explore the site. The inspiration for the performances is ‘The Garment of Plague’, a story about a mysterious sacrificial symbol designed to protect the Transylvanian people from a deadly beast.

Students have experienced the power of theatre and connection while learning, transforming and creating together.

Music @BSB

By Lynne Sharpe

The last few months have been busy, as always, for the Performing Arts Department at BSB. Our students were practising at the weekly Brass, Woodwind, Primary Choir, We Will Rock You band and Primary band CCA’s. We are so proud of our students as they embrace the opportunities given to them and strive to develop their musical skills.

The Brass, Woodwind and Primary Choir have been preparing to perform at the school gate, and they will be serenading the school community as they leave the site. The Primary band played to their peers in an assembly, and all term, our wonderful Primary piano students have been performing in assembly as students have been entering the hall.

Earlier this term, a wide range of students across the whole school took part in a tea time concert to a packed audience, which featured Janu on Cello, a piano duet with Harriet and Jaime, a bass solo from Edward and a bass and drum ensemble from Jasper and Ben, amongst numerous other performances.

Sports @BSB

By Chris Davies

It has been a great term for sporting CCAs, including Netball for KS3 with Ms Cranney, a heavy basketball list with Mr Achim, some fun frisbee with Mr Fernandes and some leisurely and, at times, competitive Table Tennis with Mr Davies. Not to mention the countless fun games that Mr Stelian hosts with our lower school students to keep them active, engaged and, most of all, having fun. Now that the sun is returning to Bucharest, the PE team are excited to host next term’s sporting CCAs so that they can all show off their favourite sunglasses and top up their tans.

Alongside our CCAs, this term has been very special for sports as we are currently leading our boys’ and girls’ secondary volleyball teams to the finals of a tournament organised amongst

local teams. The boys have shown some incredible heart, as many are first-time players in volleyball fixtures. The girls show off their experience within the squad and will continue their successful paths to the finals very soon.

Alongside these fantastic events, we have had one special event that has shone through; this year, 17 of our Year 7 & Year 8 students took a trip to Rome to represent BSB at the COBIS Secondary Games 2023. Over the course of the intense 3-day competition, students participated in swimming, athletics, and football. Overall, the whole team finished in the top half of the table, which is a fantastic effort from the participants, which we, as the PE Department, are very proud of. During the event, some key events stood out, ranging

from the boys swimming medley team making an outstanding comeback to win the overall event and the girl’s fantastic 6-2 win over one of the top competitors of the competition. However, what stood out for the attending teachers was how the BSB team carried themselves. On several occasions, BSB staff were complimented due to the politeness and respect that our students gave to other competitors and staff. These students showed an incredible effort in the competition, showcased some incredible talents, and upheld the sportsmanship values we at BSB hold so dear. To this end, we decided not to mention 1, 2 or 3 students that stood out but mention all their names as they should all be equally recognised and congratulated on their fantastic efforts. COBIS team 2023, very well done; you have made the PE Department and BSB proud.

Science FAIR

By Eva Cliffe

Once again, our KS3 students amazed us at this year’s Science Fair! As Mr Goode said, “the level of student engagement at the science fair is fantastic”, and Ms Wrighton felt that “it gives us hope for the future; they are going to save the planet!”

All the Science teachers are very proud of how articulate our students were in explaining the science behind their projects and the work that went into producing artefacts which ranged from a hydraulic missile launcher to an artificial pancreas, and investigations like: “what is the best method for making rock candy?” and “Does the 5-second rule exist?”.

The atmosphere at the Science Fairs was full of excitement, and we were delighted that we did not have to limit visitors this year. Primary and Secondary pupils, teachers, and, of course, parents joined us, and there was a wonderful atmosphere. It was particularly great to see the genuine interest of other pupils in the projects, and a Year 7 parent commented, “The science fair was a great way for the kids to showcase their independent work and what they learned through their experiments. The range and depth of the experiments on show were impressive. I enjoyed asking the students questions about what they had done, and they were all keen to share.”

The Science Fair is also a great opportunity for our Sixth Form STEM leaders to support the development of Science at BSB. They were involved in setting up the competition and visiting classes to chat with the pupils about their projects. Sofia (Y12) felt that “most of the students were clearly very excited and passionate about their projects,” and Darius (Y12) said that “the science fair was a really exciting experience. It was great to see all the amazing and creative projects that the students came up with.” Elena (Y12) reflected on their contribution to the overall event. She said, “from a more organisational point of view, I think it was a great success, and I deeply enjoyed it. I also was very pleasantly surprised by the ideas of the KS3 students, as well as the professionalism they showed in their projects. It was a wonderful experience, and Icannot wait for next year’s edition!”

The projects were judged by class teachers and STEM leaders, and this year we were also able to invite the Heads of Science Departments from other schools as guest judges: Mr Yuriy Zlatkov from King’s Oak assisted with judging Year 9, and Mr Aki from ISB supported us with Year 8. The standard of the entries this year was extremely impressive, and it was very difficult for the judges to decide. The judges looked at their Aim (its feasibility or validity), Process (e.g. research, trials, problem-solving and decision-making), Product (e.g. to what extent the aim was achieved), Creativity, and Self-Evaluation of their project.

Many projects deserved recognition, and all pupils should be very proud of their achievements, but in the end, we had to make a choice. Congratulations to the following winners and honourable mentions:

Year 9

Winners: Particle Accelerator (David, Joe, Leo, Ivo)

Honourable Mentions: 5-second rule (Todd, Marcus & Andrei), 5-second rule (Zoey, Jamilya, Idan), How do different substances affect teeth (Petra, Maria & Demi).

Year 8

Winners: Robotic Arm (Maya, Alara & Anya), Mini Canadarm (Sara)

Honourable Mentions: Brain-controlled Robot Arm (Qaiser, Mihai, Alex), Hydraulic Missile Launcher (Janu, Dani), Diabetes - development of an artificial pancreas (Thais, Shubangi & Helena), Circular economy (Tudor O)

Year 7

Winners: Kinetic Tiles (Eduard P, Monty, Serge and Mia)

Honourable Mentions: The cooker box (Makar, Daniel B and Arthur), Life on Mars (Augustine, Alex and Lazar), Wind turbine blades (Sormeh), Hydrogen peroxide (Emma and Mihai), Centipedes (Arinola, Roderick, Lucy, Ela, Timothee and Dominick).

The winners also presented their projects to the whole of Key Stage 3 in assembly, and they will receive the Popovici Science Fair trophies at the Awards Ceremony at the end of the year.

Some key aspects of the Science Fair are the opportunity for pupils to work in an area of their own interest independently from teachers and that pupils improve their communication and collaboration skills, sometimes working with people that they haven’t worked closely with before. We hope that pupils will recognise that they have all won through this experience and are developing transferable skills that will benefit them immensely in their futures.

https://youtu.be/r8kEb3jdaD4

university application news

By Philip Walters

January to March is always an exciting phase for Year 13 students. Many of them hear news at this time from the universities they have applied to, news which shapes their futures and certainly the next few years.

Most of our Year 13 students have completed their applications though a small number of universities in Italy, Germany, Spain and other countries have application windows later in the year. The Class of 2023 have undergone gruelling application procedures, including admissions essays, motivational letters, interviews, extra examinations, online assessments and submission of written work or art portfolios. We are extremely proud of all our Year 13s, and many have already received multiple offers from their chosen universities.

Our students are considering offers from many excellent institutions in a variety of countries.

• UK: Students apply to five choices in one application. Our students are choosing between offers from universities including:

• Bath, Bristol, Brunel, Cambridge, City, Durham, Edinburgh, Essex, Exeter, Glasgow, Goldsmiths, Kent, King’s College London, Imperial College London, Lancaster, Loughborough, London Met, Manchester, Nottingham, Queen Mary’s London, Royal Holloway London, Sheffield, SOAS, UCL, St Andrews, Sussex, Warwick, Westminster, York.

• Europe: Entrepreneurship Academy (Bucharest), Erasmus (Holland), ESADE (Barcelona), Geneva Business School (Switzerland), IE University (Madrid), La Salle Ramon Llull (Barcelona), Universidad Europea (Madrid), University of Applied Sciences (Berlin), University of Amsterdam (Holland).

• USA & Rest of World: Bentley, Farleigh Dickinson, Fordham, Rollins College, St. Johns, Syracuse (USA); Jozef Safarik (Slovakia); Mount Royal, Calgary (Canada).

Several students are currently waiting for the final decisions to come in from some of the most competitive universities

in the UK, including LSE, Imperial and UCL. Meanwhile, all of them are working hard towards ensuring they achieve the grades required to meet their first choice university.

It’s important to state that the vast majority of these offers are conditional upon final A-Level results, with places confirmed in August, when results will be received.

I am extremely grateful to the many alumni currently at university who have held online meetings with current BSB students, offering their thoughts, experience and advice on particular institutions. University visits and fairs are also an important part of the course selection process to discuss tips for university life and the application process. Having hosted the European Universities Consortium on campus this term, we look forward to welcoming a group of the highest-ranking universities from the UK to BSB on the first day of the summer term. This will include representatives from the Universities of Cambridge, Bath, Southampton, Leeds, Kent and Warwick. Everyone is welcome, as it is never too early to start considering possibilities!

debating @BSB

By Elisabeth Citron

The Spring Term has been a busy one for Debaters at BSB. We have two debating CCAs running simultaneously, one for students in KS3 and Year 10 and the other for Senior debaters in Years 11-13. Both CCAs have been well attended all year; the KS3 students have been learning the trade, playing games to encourage dialogue and public speaking and trying out their skills in informal club debates. For many students, preparation for competitions has also been a focus.

In February 2023, two teams of Senior Debaters from Years 11, 12 and 13 took part in the COBIS Virtual World Debating Competition. The preparation for this event was intense, with three prepared motions to get ready on diverse themes such as strategies to reduce carbon emissions, community service versus prison sentences and the role of AI in politics. Our two teams competed against international schools across Europe and the Middle

East. Each won 3 out of 4 debates over two days but, unfortunately, not progressing beyond the quarter-finals. Despite being an online event, the judges gave excellent, constructive feedback, and our senior students gained a huge amount of practice and experience from this competition. We congratulate them all wholeheartedly for their amazing efforts! We hope that next year will see a return to a face-to-face COBIS event to give our talented debaters the opportunity to perform in a more dynamic environment.

In the final week of March, it was the Middle Schoolers’ turn! A team of four KS3 students, Mariana, Janu, Zoey and Joe, bravely signed up for a competition at The Cambridge School of Bucharest. They spent time preparing both sides of the motion “Artificial intelligence is good for humanity” and were extremely proud to win this debate on the day. They also went on to win their second debate on a very interesting

topic: Should all students be required to do volunteer work in their community? In the final debate of the day versus a strong IBSB team, our team were not victorious but did themselves proudly, and overall, we won 3rd place in the competition of eight teams, with Zoey earning a best speaker mention. Most importantly, these KS3 debaters, some complete novices to this trade, left the competition buzzing with enthusiasm and feeling proud of what they had achieved. Thank you also to Mrs Read for her help in running the Debating CCA and for the onerous task of judging.

We would love to see more KS3 and Year 10 students join the Debating CCA next term to get the chance to discuss topical issues and enjoy the undeniable buzz of live debates. Congratulations to all our BSB debaters this term, and we look forward to our own Middle School Competition here at BSB in June.

CCAs @BSB

The CCA programme is essential to child’s education and personal development. Our courses attempt to cover as many areas of interest as possible, across all age groups, from classical sports activities and arts education to music classes, innovation classes, as well as mental well-being, life skills and the latest trends in technology.

The Power of Giving Back: A Review of MAD Impact

By Miriam Collinson

This term has seen both secondary and primary students get involved in planning fundraising activities for two of our local charities.

It has been great to see the students from the Secondary MAD CCA (Make a Difference) work alongside the Primary MAD CCA, with the older students guiding the younger pupils in planning activities.

The students planned assemblies to promote the work of Fundatia Inocenti for Martisor at the beginning of March to their peers. Fundatia Inocenti, who work with underprivileged children and with children who are sick in hospital, provided us with hand-made pin badges, bracelets and fridge magnets, which the students made available at break and lunchtime in exchange for a donation. As well as the ‘martisoare’, a group of MAD students baked cookies, which helped boost the overall donations.

‘’I, as a member of MAD, had to research cookie recipes that would be simple. We then stayed in after school on a Monday to bake them. From all your fabulous donations, we raised money for Fundatia Inocenti. I am amazed by how much planning goes into one small activity and how much we can do.’’ Leila, year 5.

On Saturday, 25th March, students from

MAD helped Light into Europe, who train and provide guide dogs for the blind in Romania, to run a fundraising walk in Baneasa forest. They were creative in their ideas of making the walk fun for young families participating by creating quizzes about guide dog training to ask the Light into Europe dog trainers present at the walk and planning blindfolded activities to create empathy with those who suffer from visual impairment. Our students from MAD were able to help Light into Europe and raise money for their work. Well done to all involved!

There was also excitement this term as one of the guide dogs, Daisy, had ten puppies and students were invited to suggest and then vote on suitable names for one of the puppies. The result of the vote will soon be available.

Apart from fundraising, BSB’s volunteering opportunities have happily been able to restart this term after a three-year break due to Covid.

For the last three months, a group of students from Years 9-12, led by Ms Buckley, have been volunteering their time and companionship to the residents at Don Orione every Thursday after school. Don Orione, one of the charities BSB supports,

is a centre that supports the needs of young people and adults with disabilities.

“This experience allows us to see people who are different from us with a better perspective and know that people are far more than their disabilities,” Luca, Year 12.

BSB students have shown incredible kindness, compassion and empathy and have learned the importance of human interaction.

“Their smiles make us smile, and our smiles make them smile,” Morgan, Year 10.

It is clear that the rewards and benefits are a two-way street. Gloria from Year 10 said, “we leave the centre every week with more joy and happiness in our hearts”.

Both the residents and our students have wonderful experiences, and this opportunity gives everyone involved a chance to meet new people.

“Every time I come out of this lovely environment, I feel elated because week after week, our bonds with these great people strengthen,” Lara, Year 9.

We look forward to the Summer Term and to more enthusiasm from our students in making a difference in the wider community.

Student ACHIEVEMENT Setting Sail and

We look into the story of our BSB student Yanis Pop, an aspiring sailor, on his incredible journey to becoming part of the National Team. From sailing at National Championships, we explore the life of a passionate and dedicated sailor. To reach the highest level in any sport takes great passion, commitment and dedication, and sailing is the same. Welcome to the world of sailing, a world of ever-changing conditions and excitement, a world of discovery and opportunity.

We understand that you are now part of the National Team. What did it take to become part of the National Team?

Since I can remember, I was raised vacationing around water, on catamarans and speed boats, but it was more about relaxing than competitive sailing. It is a passion that I share with my family, especially my father, who’s also licensed in sailing. Last June, I started sailing on a Laser 4.7; I soon took to it and was off around the country doing the extremely competitive circuit they had, being selected

Chasing an Olympic Dream

for the National squads soon after winning a medal in each national competition I’ve participated. My main achievements were at the National Championship of Romania, where I competed with three different classes of boats, coming 3rd and winning the bronze medal in all three. Afterwards, I had two more national regattas, where I came 1st, winning the gold medals. That’s what probably got me into the National squads.

What are your responsibilities on the boat?

I’m sailing an ILCA 4.7, a one-person dinghy, a boat known for its speed and agility, a popular choice among those transitioning to a higher level of competitive sailing. Sailing it, I have to be able to keep track of the course, make tactical decisions, trim sails, steer, watch for new breezes and other boats, and ensure that they are set up for the next leg. I must hold the entire course, the regularity of the wind shifts, the current tendencies, the positions of the other sailors, and my own plans in the front of my mind while pushing the boat as hard as possible. Changes in direction come down to the perfect synchronisation of sail trim, steering, and body weight.

There are fundamentally three aspects to sailboat racing: boat speed, handling, and tactics. The single-handed sailor must excel in each dimension.

How did you find this passion, and what skills did you develop?

My way into sailing was not traditional. I didn’t start at five years old. I got interested in competitive sailing at 14. I loved feeling the constant adrenaline in races and

pushing my limits. More than in other sports, every day is different in sailing, with varying weather patterns and water conditions. No two days races are ever the same; it’s a sport that is never repetitive, being both physically and mentally demanding.

Focusing on solutions in all conditions, saying ‘goodbye’ to your comfort zone, learning to interpret the wind and weather conditions, fixing minor repairs to your equipment, and making decisions under pressure are traits one develops when sailing a boat.

Overall, sailing an ILCA 4.7 can be a fun and challenging way to build fitness, confidence, and teamwork skills while exploring the joys of being out on the water.

When did you have the first yachting competition?

My first yachting competition was on July 2022 on Siutghiol lake in Constanta. And since that one, I had regattas almost every weekend until November, finishing the year with the Euromed Regatta in Malta in December.

How are you combining both academic life and yachting?

As the saying goes, ‘it takes a village…’. I can’t thank people enough for the support they have given me over the past few months. Because I’m training in countries with warmer weather (Spain, Malta), I missed a few classes. But with the help of my teachers and peers, I managed to catch up. It is challenging, but like in sports, I think the best quality needed to reach the top is dedication. You must be prepared to put everything into what you are aiming for. Natural talent can only remain competitive for so long; then, the work has got to be put in.

What are your further sailing ambitions?

I train towards achieving my dream: to be an Olympian. That’s my greatest ambition! Until then, for this year, I plan to be peaking and have a solid performance. I’ve pretty much made the Europeans in April, the National Romanian Championship in August and Youth Worlds Championship in December my primary focus this year. Coming 3rd last year at the National Championship made me go for the gold medal this year.

Pearson Learner Awards HIGHEST MARK

We were thrilled to announce to the community that our students achieved impressive results in the Outstanding Pearson Learner Awards. One of our students has achieved two of the Highest Mark in the Region (Europe) and the Country (Romania). Another six of our students obtained the Highest Marks in Romania in different subjects such as Mathematics, English, French, Spanish and Art with two of the students receiving two of the Highest Marks.

We have achieved 10 Outstanding Pearson Learner Awards in total. Congratulations to our exceptional learners for their outstanding achievements.

The Road from bsb

From BSB to Oxford: An Interview with Daniel Costache

This is a special interview with Daniel Costache, a shining example of academic excellence and a former British School of Bucharest student. Daniel attended BSB from Reception until Year 11, consistently demonstrating a strong work ethic and exceptional talent in a range of subjects.

In this interview, we talk about Daniel’s time at BSB, the impact the school had on his academic and personal development, and his plans for the future. We are proud to present this interview with Daniel and hope it inspires others to strive for similar achievements.

Interviewer: How many years did you study here, and when did you graduate from BSB?

Daniel: I spent most of my life studying at BSB, from reception to Year 11, after which I went to sixth form in the UK.

Interviewer: Do any particular memories stand out from your BSB years?

Daniel: I think my most memorable moment at BSB was when I first tested my PVC pipe frame as part of the Project Zephyr CCA, as it was my first time seeing something I designed and built actually work out in the real world. I credit this memory with a lot of the passion and interest I now have for engineering. I particularly cherish the memories and lifelong connections I have made with my friends and classmates, many of whom I still consider my closest friends.

Interviewer: What was your experience as a BSB student? What does this community mean to you?

Daniel: My experience as a BSB student was a very positive one. I found BSB to be an institution that does not stifle creativity and curiosity but rather encourages them, allowing its pupils to develop both academically and personally in a way in which they see fit. The wider community at BSB is rather unique.

The Road from bsb

Interviewer: How has BSB helped you to develop (academically and personally) for your future?

Daniel: Academically, BSB offered me the opportunity to broaden my horizons past the borders of Romania and to study in the UK. The extracurricular activities I participated in at BSB have their relevance even now, as the CAD/CAM, technical drawing and designing methods I developed in the Innovation Hub are helping me adapt to studying Engineering at University. On a personal note, I credit much of the confidence I have developed in expressing myself and my ideas to the classroom environment at BSB, as I think that a lot of lessons take the shape of an open forum on which students are free to discuss their ideas with the class and the teacher.

Interviewer: What skills did you develop being part of Project Zephyr?

Daniel: Project Zephyr helped me develop hard and soft skills, which are vital in the wider world. The project taught me hard skills such as working with CAD/CAM software, working in a workshop, and using various tools. In my position as team

leader, I learned how to work in a team and lead a team, two skills I will use time and again in my future endeavours. I think the most important skill I developed in Project Zephyr was the ability to teach myself.

Interviewer: When and how did you start to be part of the Project Zephyr Team?

Daniel: I started Project Zephyr in the second year of its existence.

Interviewer: What drove you to sign up for this course?

Daniel: As I always liked maths and physics in school. I was automatically drawn towards an engineering-type field, and Project Zephyr’s promise of electric cars had me sold.

Interviewer: I know you had multiple university offers. Why did you choose Oxford?

Daniel: I chose Oxford because I felt that the tutorial system was very well fitted towards my particular style of learning, and due to their general engineering course, which allows me to test out different branches of engineering for two

years before deciding on a path to follow. What attracted me most about Oxford is the research taking place as part of the Institute of Biomedical Engineering and how much interest is gathering around this department.

Interviewer: What about Bioengineering –how did you discover this field?

Daniel: I have always had an interest in medicine, which, when combined with my affinity towards engineering, caused me to search for a path which could satisfy both areas, resulting in my interest in BME.

Interviewer: What’s your story after BSB?

Daniel: After leaving BSB, I joined a boarding school in the UK where I studied Maths, Physics, and Chemistry at Higher Level and French, English, and Economics at Standard Level as part of the IB curriculum. During this time, I applied to the University of Oxford, ICL UCL and KCL. After a long process of admissions exams, interviews and my IB exams, I got accepted into and joined the University of Oxford, where I am studying Engineering Science at St. Hugh’s College.

#Meet THE TEACHERS

Kirby Cranney

Physical Education Teacher

Teaching leadership skills in Physical Education

What is one of your hidden talents?

I am a black belt in Karate.

How do you spend your summer breaks?

villains. Over the series of books though, it becomes clear that some of the characters are actually brave and ambitious – like Professor Snape.

If you could grow up in any decade, which would you choose?

I would love to grow up without social media and advanced technology. I think it has such a negative impact on the development of children. Bearing this in mind, I think I would choose the 80s.

What influenced your teaching style and your approach to teaching students how to learn about the world in general?

Kirby Cranney, the British School of Bucharest’s P.E. teacher. She completed her degree at Teeside University in 2019 with first-class honours in Sports Studies. After graduating, she joined the North East Partnership SCITT receiving her PGCE through Northumbria University.

Kirby began her pedagogy career in Kuwait, where she taught a diverse range of students for two years. Her main aim was to enable students to develop character, respect and sportsmanship through love and understanding of P.E.

I try to go on as many trips as possible. This summer, I plan to travel around the Greek Islands with my friends. I also love to spend time back home in the UK with my family and dog, Lottie.

If you won the lottery and decided to give up teaching, what would you do instead?

I would love to do some voluntary work in less developed countries. It would be such a pleasure to work with children who don’t get to play sports due to their backgrounds and the difficulty accessing equipment.

In which Hogwarts house would you be sorted?

Probably Slytherin! It gets a lot of hate as everyone thinks it is a house for the

I loved P.E. at school, and the teachers were my role models, inspiring me to the same career.

How do you use technology to make teaching more engaging?

It can sometimes be challenging to incorporate technology into P.E. lessons due to the quick pace and intensity. It is very useful to use iPads to video record some activities, such as gymnastics and trampolining. This allows students to rewatch their performance and give feedback, ensuring they identify what went well and what could be improved the next time.

Which other teacher’s class would you like to enrol in, even for a day? Why?

Any of the history teachers. I was obsessed with this subject at school, and if I didn’t teach P.E., I would have probably chosen to study History at university.

What teaching methods do you use besides lecturing? How do you like to communicate and build relationships with parents?

I love to contact parents with praise for their children. It is very easy for teachers to fall into the trap of only contacting home with negative behaviour, but I believe it is just as important for anything positive.

If you could take the students on a field trip anywhere in the world, where would you take them?

I would love to go to Barcelona with the students and take them to a match at the Nou Camp.

What would you share if you could pass on any wisdom to your students?

Do whatever makes you happy! Your parents, teachers and friends can all advise you about future aspirations, but only you can make your own decisions. You will make A LOT of mistakes, but how you learn from them will make you a stronger person.

How do you develop self-esteem in students?

Lots of praise! Whether they believe so or not, all students are good at something in P.E.

How do you connect your lessons to the ‘real world’?

There are major aspects within P.E. lessons that can be transferred to the outside world, such as leadership skills, sportsmanship, demonstrating good moral behaviour and how to act socially.

#Meet THE TEACHERS

Eibhlin Goppert

Art, Design & Food Technology Teacher

Combining Creativity with Education for the Future

Her experience teaching at both Primary and Secondary schools, including as Head of Art at the British International School Hanoi in Vietnam, makes Eibhlín such an invaluable asset. In her role, she achieved excellent results and created an engaging curriculum that challenged and provided increased interest in IGCSE and IB Visual Arts courses.

How do you spend your summer breaks?

I love to travel, so my Summer is usually spent exploring new countries as well as visiting my family in Ireland. When I lived in Vietnam, my ideal Summer break involved motorbiking the length and breadth of the country. Now that I am back in Europe, I am excited to attend music festivals, eat local food and experience new cultures.

If you won the lottery and decided to give up teaching, what would you do instead?

If I won the lottery, I would take a career break and travel the world on my motorbike.

In which Hogwarts house would you be sorted?

Eibhlín Göppert joins the British School of Bucharest as an Arts, Design & Food Technology teacher. Eibhlín comes to us with an impressive educational background. She received a first honours BA in Education and Psychology from Mary Immaculate College in Ireland and specialised in Art in Education and ABA in Psychology. She also attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston to receive the Nord Anglia training on launching STEAM challenges in schools.

Eibhlín aims to continue to work internationally and in Secondary Art Education, collaborating with professionals and students from around the world to provide meaningful learning opportunities that align with our ever-changing environment.

What is one of your hidden talents?

One of my hidden talents is Muay Thai! I started training in Vietnam 2 years ago, and since then, I have grown to love it. I still train here in Bucharest twice a week to ensure that I continue to develop new skills and practise my technique.

I would want to be in Gryffindor so that I could become best friends with Fred and George Weasley.

If you could grow up in any decade, which would you choose?

If I could grow up in any decade, I would want to grow up in the 1960s. Not only do I love the fashion from that time, but I also love the bands and artists that were popular back then. To grow up at a time when artists like The Rolling Stones and Ray Charles were releasing music would have been an absolute dream for me.

What influenced your teaching style and your approach to teaching students how to learn about the world in general?

Over the last 11 years, I have worked as a primary teacher, primary Art teacher and secondary Art teacher. I believe that this range of experience and working with students aged between 4 – 18 years of age has had the greatest impact on my teaching approach. I understand how an element of play, exploration and risk-taking is just as valuable in the early years as well as in Secondary school. I have met and worked with so many incredible teachers over this time that have also influenced my teaching style and made me the teacher I am today.

What are the most valuable lessons you’ve learned from your time here at BSB?

I have learned so much from the amazing teachers that I work with daily. Working in the Early Years has been a new challenge for me, but I have learned to be flexible in my teaching approach; gained an understanding of how to enable the children and let them lead the learning; and, above all, insert an element of play and fun in all tasks.

How do you use technology to make teaching more engaging?

Technology plays an integral role in my teaching as it helps to bring Art to life and to provide context for the artwork the students create. It helps me expose the students to artworks from around the world through online exhibitions and allows students to research the kinds of art they like to help them develop their own opinions and artist preferences. I also love using Photoshop and other digital Art and editing apps to develop, enhance and create artwork.

In which other teacher’s class would you like to enrol, even for a day? Why?

I would want to enrol in Mr Greenslade’s Design and Technology lesson because I want to use the exciting equipment in his room and develop my skills even further.

How do you like to communicate and build relationships with parents?

I use class dojo to communicate with parents, but I also love to meet parents at the many school events throughout the year.

If you could take the students on a field trip anywhere in the world, where would you take them?

I would take them to the Museum of Modern Art in New York or to Japan to visit Naoshima Island and the Teamlab exhibition in Tokyo.

What would you share if you could pass on any wisdom to your students?

To make mistakes and take risks. All the best learning comes through trial and error; the only real mistake would be not to have tried, failed and learned from it.

How do you develop self-esteem in students?

Praise, showcasing work, awarding effort, giving specific feedback and being open to making mistakes. I also encourage students to continually reflect on their own learning journey so that they can track what they have learned and how far they have come in their own learning journey. It is vital that students don’t measure themselves against anyone else and, instead, that they focus on their successes. I try to promote this in my lessons when they are evaluating their own work.

How do you connect your lessons to the ‘real world’?

I do this continually by integrating my lessons with what they learn in their other subjects. This helps make the knowledge more meaningful and easier to apply in a variety of contexts. I believe that creative thinkers are the future. With developments in technology and industry, 85% of jobs that will exist in 2030 haven’t been invented yet. This means that we need to educate our students to be problemsolvers, risk-takers and creative thinkers who can easily transfer skills across a range of contexts. By linking my subject to a range of disciplines and rooting their learning in a real-world context, I hope to support this.

FBSB NEWS

Career Development Workshop with Ximena Reyes

By Ecaterina Iordan, FBSB Coordinator

Career development is an essential aspect of every individual’s life. It is a process that involves identifying one’s interests, skills, and values and using that knowledge to make informed career decisions. However, the process can be overwhelming, especially for individuals who lack guidance and support. To address this challenge, Ximena Reyes, a seasoned career development expert, organised a career development workshop to help individuals navigate their career journeys.

Living as an expat can be both exciting and challenging. Adjusting to a new culture, language, and work environment can take time and effort. One of the most significant challenges that expats face is career development. Career development workshops can help expats enhance their skills, increase employability, and advance their careers. Ximena Reyes is an experienced career coach specialising in helping expats achieve their career goals.

The workshop occurred on Tuesday, January 31st, at the British School of Bucharest. The event brought together participants from different backgrounds and countries looking to make a career change. The workshop’s objective was to provide participants with the knowledge, tools, and strategies they need to advance their careers.

The workshop was focused on selfassessment, which involved helping participants understand their interests, skills and values. Ximena used a variety of tools and techniques, including selfreflection exercises, personality tests, and career assessments, to help participants gain insights into their strengths and weaknesses.

It also focused on career exploration, which involved identifying potential career paths that align with participants’ interests, skills and values. Ximena used various resources, including job boards, industry reports, and

labour market data, to help participants research and evaluate different career options.

The workshop was a success; the participants left feeling empowered and equipped with the tools and strategies they needed to advance their careers. Ximena Reyes proved to be an excellent facilitator, with her vast knowledge and experience in career development. The workshop was not only informative but also engaging and interactive, with participants actively participating in discussions, group activities, and Q&A sessions.

In conclusion, career development is a journey that requires guidance, support and resources. The career development workshop with Ximena Reyes provided participants with all these and more, making it a valuable and worthwhile experience for anyone looking to advance their career.

About @BSB

@BSB is the termly School magazine issued by the British School of Bucharest.

The British School of Bucharest (BSB) is a leading international school, providing a comprehensive international education based on the National Curriculum for England and offers EYFS, Primary and Secondary schooling, with IGCSEs to A-Levels.

BSB has offered, since the year 2000, a British education in Bucharest for children aged 2-18. It is a richly diverse learning community, with more than 650 students represented by over 50 nationalities. They benefit from an impressive pupil to teacher ratio and small class sizes, ensuring a personalised and highly supportive learning environment, offered by 100% English-speaking teachers.

BSB is the only British school in Romania rated as ‘excellent’ for both ‘the quality of pupils’ learning and achievements’ and the ‘quality of pupils’ personal development’, according to its 2018 UK Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) report.

Contact:

If you need any information about BSB, please do not hesitate to contact our Office Department:

Tel: (+40) (0)21 267 8919

(+40) (0)728 133 433

Fax: (+40) (0)21 267 8969

E-mail: office@britishschool.ro

British School of Bucharest

Crawford House Foundation

42 Erou Iancu Nicolae Street, Voluntari 077190, Romania

Registered: 17/2008

Fiscal Code: 24879960

Other useful e-mail addresses: Admissions: admissions@britishschool.ro

Data Protection Officer: dpo@britishschool.ro

Parking Address:

The School’s car park is situated on no 65, Erou Iancu Nicolae Street, next to the Strip Mall. Access to the car park is based on the car registration and access is restricted for the public. After leaving your car, it is a five-minute walk to BSB.

The British School of Bucharest invites you to become a partner in the @BSB School Magazine. For further details of this opportunity, please contact office@britishschool.ro.

As well as uniforms for BSB students, we have a great variety of seasonal gifts.

Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 8:00 – 10:00 and 14:00 – 16:30

42 Erou Iancu Nicolae Street, Voluntari, Ilfov

Online Shop: shop.britishschool.ro