BSB School Magazine July 2020

@BSB

Celebrating 20 years of preparing our students for a better future

July 2020

A Pandemic Overview

THANK YOU COVID-19!

The Process of the ‘New Normal’ There is no limit to what BSB does to make its graduates feel special PLUS BSB REPORTERS | MEET THE TEACHERS | THE ROAD FROM BSB

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A PANDEMIC

Overview I have been immensely impressed by so many of my colleagues who have helped others negotiate the IT challenges of the past few months. We were fortunate at BSB to be ahead in many respects, in terms of knowledge and use of several elements of technology, including the Google classroom suite. BSB also pioneered concerning the provision of IT hardware available to our children and staff. That said, the ongoing support and training sessions have enabled regular sharing of tricks and tips for delivering ever-improving online learning – this has been impressive. It is also worth noting, the support that we have had from our colleagues in the IT department, who have been some of the many heroes of this lockdown.

I wonder what your lockdown coping mechanisms may have been. They will certainly vary from person to person and family to family. I have found the necessity to do things, other than sitting in front of the computer screen has become increasingly important. Cooking lunch, walking down the street for a brief moment and, fortunately, due to my location, being able to take a walk or ride a bike in the beautiful Baneasa forest, has been vital. I have also revelled in the 20 minutes listening time in the morning, which I set aside for BBC Radio 4, with programmes such as: ‘From our own correspondent’. Part of this comes from wanting to hear reassuringly familiar voices. Listening to a favourite radio programme has enabled that and has enhanced the lockdown experience. I very much enjoy listening to Claire Balding’s ‘Ramblings’ programme, where her cheerful, thoughtful, kindness-laden words reverberate. Reassuring voices are even more appreciated than usual.

I am sure that the voices and opportunities to meet online with teachers have helped our students enormously to cope and to have a semblance of some form of normality. We sought to do this in something as close to a normal timetable. We were aiming to make these sessions both feasible and beneficial, in terms of screentime and pressure on households. I am also confident that our online programme, alongside continued educational provision and coverage of the curriculum, has allowed us to convey the genuine interest and care that we feel for our students.

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You may have found that the sheen came off the concept of lockdown relatively quickly. Perhaps you did not get past the first chapter of the impressive novel that you had picked up; learning that new language probably did not get beyond the present tense; the abs remain anything other than flat - I would urge you not to despair. The reality for many of us is that when working from home, we are working at home with our families or we are working from home with

concerns that are novel and far from welcome. What most families have achieved in these past few months is nothing short of heroic, and that includes our teachers who are trying to do the same thing. So, if it has misfired or was imperfect from time to time or if there were meltdowns or falloffs in productivity, I don’t think that we should be too hard on ourselves. We should not behave as though there were medals for how well we have navigated lockdown - it really isn’t a

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competition. What I can say though, is thank you to everyone, for adapting and moving forward positively. The next few months remain uncertain, but we will continue to do our best to work as effectively as possible together.

Philip Walters Headmaster

THANK YOU COVID-19!

On 11th March 2020, the lives of Romanian citizens and residents changed dramatically, as did (at various dates) the lives of people around the world.

As we entered into a nation-wide ‘lockdown’, and eventually, global lockdown as a result of the rapid spread of COVID-19, we became enshrouded in uncertainty and, perhaps, even anxiety and depression.

Governments, schools, corporations, small businesses and families were faced with an immediate obligation to respond to a situation that left, and continues to leave, a host of unanswered questions. There was little time to plan, adapt, modify, re-strategise, negotiate, or even to run and hide. But at BSB, our children needed us, both staff and parents, to be strong and confident, to be problem-solvers and supporters. And so we were, and somehow we have figured out how to make the best out of the last 3.5+ months of physical isolation and online schooling, alongside our many other responsibilities that have been equally affected.

While I have not forgotten that there were bumps in the road, upon reflection, I am incredibly impressed by, and proud, of what we as a school community have managed to accomplish. Though COVID-19 has thrown at us a multitude of unwelcomed challenges and threats to our emotional and physical wellbeing, I dare suggest that there has been a slew of developments that have resulted from this crisis that we may consider to be genuinely favourable… actually GOOD and POSITIVE. In addition to the obvious benefits of increasing our technical competency and research skills, there is a myriad of other skills and values that we have had the unique opportunity to cultivate and explore throughout this period:

RESILIENCE

Our children, parents and staff have had the opportunity to show that when the ‘going gets tough, BSB gets going’. We have experienced challenges with our internet connections, devices and the management of large group video conferences, as well as the psychological impact of distancing. We also had to live with the scarcity of resources (both human and material) that we are normally used to having at our disposal. Nonetheless, we have

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managed (through communication, genuine concern, partnership and participation, altruism and determination) to ensure that our children feel cared for and have continued to learn throughout this hardship. Sometimes we fell down, but we always got up again. We persevered and have created something together, of which we can be proud. What an excellent example we have set for our students!

INDEPENDENCE

Our parents have been an invaluable resource concerning supporting our students to keep moving their learning forward. However, consider how many things your child can now do by themselves that they could not do before. Even if it is only about muting their microphone, making connections through computer screens or sitting with attention for more extended periods, our children have made great strides in their independence and feelings of responsibility for their learning.

FLEXIBILITY, ADAPTABILITY AND COLLABORATION

Some children have adapted better to online learning than others. Yet, every child has managed to adapt to a style of teaching and learning, previously considered ‘unnatural’ at Primary School-age. The situation has required children, parents and staff to really dig down deep into their ability to change, reflect and re-think, and the good news is that we have done it! We have responded to the individual needs of students and families, and modified programmes and expectations so that

each child could experience success.

This would not have been possible without the strength of relationships between parents and teaching staff – thank you for this!

PERSPECTIVE

From the value and profound importance of the family unit to our relationship with the rest of the world, COVID–19 has had an enormous impact on our everyday perspective. Not only have we enjoyed a huge increase in ‘family time’, but we have learnt about the importance of having friends and colleagues around us. Of having contact with different people and the support that we naturally find in everyday interactions with our community. Likewise, the distance from our extended family, who reside in other countries, was hard-felt. This pandemic allows us to reflect on our appreciation of the freedoms which have had to be compromised.

Furthermore, we’ve had first-hand experience of how much our future relies on the mutual understanding and cooperation of people, across borders, beliefs and race. Now, more than ever, we are all part of one machine that either commits to working together to improve or working independently to break down. Our ‘international mindedness’ has proved a valuable tool throughout this process and will inevitably be something our children will carry forward into their adulthood and future decision-making.

APPRECIATION

I can say, with complete conviction, that I have never been so appreciative of my situation, my role, my

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community, my students and my colleagues, as I am today. I sincerely believe that I am not alone in this.

Our children have been brave, hardworking superstars, our parents - pillars of strength and support, our staff - examples of dedication and passion, and our whole community archetypes of true collaboration and commitment to a mutual goal. I believe we now understand each other’s situation better, more clearly and more compassionately, and will be stronger partners in the future as a result.

I am grateful for your contributions to making these last months a success, and I am glad to have taken this journey with each of you. Thank you for your support, input and commitment to our children. Although I hope our experience in September will be a bit more ‘conventional’, I now believe that together, we can get through anything.

Thank you to our community, and COVID-19, for all that you have taught us at BSB. To our returning families, have a wonderful, safe Summer holiday, and I look forward to seeing you all again in September. To those of you who will be moving on, we will miss you and wish you all the best as you transition into your next adventures.

Victoria Smith

Head of Primary School

Pre-Nursery

@BSB

IN PRE-NURSERY WE ARE STRONGER TOGETHER!

By Raina Myson, Claudia Gagea and Adriana Diaconescu My goodness, what a term we have experienced!

These unprecedented times have meant that we have all had to adapt to new ways of learning, which have been a challenge for everyone.

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Thankfully, Pre-Nursery was able to adapt to the online teaching program, and the children embraced the experience amazingly well. They not only handled the online live sessions perfectly but also completed their offline activities with the same energy and enthusiasm that we are proud to see in the classroom. For this, we thank the parents immensely, as they have supported us throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

One positive side-effect of COVID-19 is the comradery that has developed during the past four months, which we feel has brought the families and teaching staff of BSB closer together.

I have never before seen such energy and commitment in the lessons from parents, including the Wednesday workout sessions (you know who you are, Mums and Dads), and for this, I ‘take my hat off’ to you all. Our parents demonstrated that they are their children’s first teachers, and they helped lead the way in developing the core values expected from our students.

Together we have all achieved so much - we laughed, frowned and also shed tears over the very challenging times we spent together, and we hope you

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and your children have all enjoyed the vast array of activities we set.

As the Pre-Nursey team, we loved spending time with you and your children, and we wish this year’s Pre-Nursery children all the very best in their next learning adventure.

We want to thank all the parents for their dedication and support during this challenging time and wish you all a happy and healthy summer break.

Nursery@BSB DEAR NURSERY

By Jenna Batson Well, what a strange end to our time in Nursery. However, it has still been full of amazing adventures, love and laughter. Having moved to Online Learning for our final term of the year, the children very quickly showed us how they could adapt and change to the new style of learning. Miss Adi, Miss Ani and I have been very impressed with the children’s enthusiasm and willingness to give new things a go, including some new learning software called Classkick and Jamboard.

The children have been on adventures under the sea, out to space, onboard a pirate ship, partying with aliens, visiting zoos, creating fantasy islands and looking after pets. We continued to enjoy some of our favourite activities from class, such as, Arts and Crafts, Helicopter Stories, story mapping, singing, dancing, creating, Finger Gym, Maths and Phonics. However, one of the favourite activities has been cooking.

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Every week the children joined Miss Jenna to bake or make something special, from pinwheel biscuits and frozen traffic-light ice-lollies to Puff pastry stars and a chicken pie, for the whole family to enjoy for dinner.

Cooking is a great teaching tool to engage the children in learning and covers all our Early Years Curriculum Areas: • Measuring and weighing in Maths; • Following instructions in Communication and Language; • Exploring changes and differences in Science; • Sharing food with family and friends in Personal, Social and Emotional Development; • Writing instructions or following a recipe in Literacy; • Mixing, stirring, squashing, squeezing; all help to work those muscles to prepare our bodies for writing in Physical Development, as well as discussing healthy eating.

• They also explored foods from

around the world and how to use technology, such as a blender, in Understanding the World. • Exploring and creating different tastes by mixing different ingredients, as well as creative ways to make food look fun in Expressive Arts and Design.

As you can see, Nursery is full of amazing Chefs (and Sous Chefs, thank you Mums and Dads) and we have been amazed by the different meals and dishes they have made.

It has been a fantastic term, and there is so much more I could talk about, but I think we would take over the whole of this magazine if I were to keep going. So, to finish, I would like to say a BIG WELL DONE to all the children, parents and nannies out there. You have all done a fantastic job, and we are super, super proud of every one of you.

The Nursery Team can’t wait to see all your faces back in school next academic year, and for those going on new adventures, we wish you all the best. Have a fabulous summer #keepsafe #keepsmiling #keepexploring.

See you later, Alligator!

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Reception@BSB OUR RINGWOOD SUCCESS STORY!

By Jodie Lewis and Emma Sauer Both Reception classes have had a very successful year. It has been lovely to see the many ways in which the children have grown since September.

We made new friends, grew in independence, academic abilities, confidence and, more recently, in resilience.

Lots of progress has been made this year, well done and thank you to all of the Reception children for their hard work and efforts. A definite highlight of

this year has been seeing the children emerge into independent readers, and more recently, independent writers. Equally important is seeing and sharing the children’s love of stories and books. Our Ringwood Outdoor Learning Area was extremely popular with the children - they loved to take their learning outdoors and have the opportunity to climb, play, run, dig, build, investigate and explore.

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In the Summer term, there was a lot of new learning to be had by teachers, children and parents alike.

We endeavoured to keep the school day as ‘familiar’ as possible under those unique conditions and to keep our ‘special’ Term 3 days. We celebrated our annual Teddy Bear’s Picnic by making bear headbands, clothes for our teddy bears, preparing snacks and bunting, and finally having a virtual picnic together. We also had Sports week, where P.E. lessons comprised of games and competitions.

Each week we had a new theme, and some notable ones were ‘Aliens Love Underpants’, ‘Superheroes’ and ‘Winnie, the Witch’. The weeks’ activities across the learning areas were linked to these theme ideas. The children have done a fantastic job of adapting to the new online learning program.

They and the teachers have learnt an impressive variety of new technological skills.

Our favourite part of each week was our EYFS assembly, which was a celebration of the week’s successes.

During every assembly, Kind Clyde would take an ‘Act of Kindness’ from his tin and the whole of EYFS got to show how genuinely kind and considerate they are.

We really appreciate the parents’ help and support in accessing the Online Learning Program. We have seen some fantastic progress taking place and thank you, Grown-ups, in your roles as teachers at home.

We wish you the same success and more, as you move up to Year 1. Don’t forget to come and say hello, as we would love to see you and hear how well you are doing.

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Year 1@BSB

This Term Year 1 Were Out of This World!

By Kate Dibble and Emily Marsh During this online learning time, Year 1 have been incredibly busy and have completed some brilliant work! We are now all tech wizzes and are used to working both on and offline.

In Year 1 we finished our ‘Toys’ theme, we went on adventures with Traction Man, invented nonsense poems with Spike Milligan, went up the beanstalk with Jack, and now we’ve blasted off into outer space!

The children enjoyed listening to a variety of different types of poems and were particularly enthused by the world of Spike Milligan. They made some super attempts at writing their own poems and made use of onomatopoeia, alliteration and rhyme.

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Since entering space, we have been excited to learn all about the fantastic astronauts on the IIS space station circling above us, and how they sleep standing up and play with floating bubbles of water! We loved finding out about the space race and the first humans on the moon! We reorganised these critical events on a timeline and came up with our own theories of why it was so important - Science! Exploring! Inspiring! Our space art has been stunning; including glowing moons with an international array of flags and tiny astronauts, together with vibrant, chalky planets from our solar system. We also experimented with augmented reality, to get a closer look at our planets!

In Maths, we worked hard to learn about the denominations of different British coins, and the children are now confident when handling coins.

Baking has been a key feature of our weekly Maths Challenge. We have seen magnificent muffins, brilliant banana bread, and even beautiful biscuit towers! These have tested the many skills learnt during online maths lessons, and taught the children the importance of applying their knowledge in the real world.

We have been absolutely amazed by all the hard work and effort that the children have put into their learning. They have been enthusiastic, hardworking and have faced this challenge admirably! We thank you all for keeping us smiling each and every day!

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Year 2 @BSB

Everything Will Be Alright

By Adam Pegrum and Ann-Marie Isaac

The Summer term brought a unique challenge to Year 2. We found ourselves facing the challenge of taking our learning online. The children quickly adapted to the new style of learning, and the expectations asked of them while working within a virtual classroom. Daily use of a variety of online resources has seen the children develop their computing skills to become increasingly confident, independent, and more responsible in their learning.

The first day of term saw the children log in to their lesson to find Captain Isaac and Captain Pegrum looking like they had sailed across the Seven Seas.

It sparked a debate on the appearance of pirates and how we could use adjectives to describe them. Over the next month, the children researched and explored pirates. During English, we read several pirate stories that prepared us to plan and write our own story. The children further developed their use of expanded noun phrases, describing good and bad characters.

They focused on using conjunctions to create more complex sentences and carefully considered capturing

the reader’s interest. Our Humanities work focused on researching various pirates, which led to us producing a pirate fact file. The children enjoyed creating their treasure maps, which focused on different physical and human geographical features, compass points, and a key. In Art, we sketched pirate portraits, a ship in a bottle, and made a pirate-themed sliding card.

During the second half of the term, we moved our focus to Plants. The children identified the different parts of a flower and carried out some investigations to observe how seeds grow and what they need to thrive. The interest in flowers led us to find out about honey bees and their importance to plants. Life cycle, honey production, and general facts formed the basis of the children creating a non-fiction text considering the different features of such books.

All of the teachers are so proud of how well the children adapted to the challenges faced this term. We wish you all the best as you move to Year 3.

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Year 3 @BSB

From the Depths of the Sea to the Beginning of Time

By Rachel Eglinton and Mallory Barnes

Could you imagine a world without schools? A world without playgrounds?

A world without access to the great outdoors? Sadly those scenarios became a reality for our children this year. In September, nobody could have guessed what we would face. However, out of this came many opportunities.

We have seen our pupils gain confidence and skills never before imagined for their age group. We have seen families come together and relish in the time they spent with one another.

We have also seen children using their imaginations to escape their ‘lockdown’.

Through our Online Learning platform, we have taken Year 3 on adventures from the tops of volcanoes to the depths of the sea, and back to the beginning of time.

We have been learning about the Stone Age. An exciting part of this was investigating the mysterious site of Stonehenge in England. We were able to use technology to witness the

Summer Solstice via webcam. We also used technology to go on a quest to build Stonehenge. Here, we had an opportunity for some imaginative writing, from the perspective of a Stone Age child.

We got nice and dirty learning all about Worms and Soil. Pupils made their own wormery, we wrote instructions for making wormeries and we wrote stories from the perspective of our new pets; ‘A Day in the Life of a Worm’.

We have been learning all about Rocks and Fossils in Science. It amazed us to find out how long it takes fossils to

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form. We learnt all about the pioneering female scientist Mary Anning; she was one of the first Paleontologists and she shaped the field of learning from her humble home in the south of England. Learning about her life inspired us to write a diary entry from her perspective.

And of course the ultimate escape - Story Time. We have read some wonderful books, that have transported us to exciting destinations; from Kenya to the Stone Age and from Eating Fried Worms to The Magic Faraway Tree.

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Year 4 @BSB

Rainforest Explorers

By Geraldine Andrews and Susie Walsh

The Summer term has brought new learning to Year 4. We have adapted to teaching and learning online, with children engaged from around the world. Our main topic has been ‘Rainforests’. Children have learnt about the geography of the Rainforests as well as environmental issues such as deforestation.

Don’t cut down my tree!

In English, children heard the story of the Great Kapok tree. They explored the animals of the rainforest and found ways to persuade the hunter in the story not to cut down their tree.

Children wrote letters using persuasive language as if they were the animals themselves. Lots of research was carried out to ensure the facts were accurate. The second half of the topic concentrated on the Amazon rainforest and the effects of deforestation. Children were introduced to both sides of the argument to formulate a fair opinion about the subject.

Environmental Art

Fun with Maths

This term, we have learnt all about the artist, Andy Goldsworthy. Children found out about his life and his work.

Andy works exclusively with natural materials such as stones, feathers, petals and sticks. Children were encouraged to collect their own materials and create works of art in his style. They worked really hard, and we were impressed with the results!

Examples are on display in the Art Exhibition.

Year 4 have been working hard, learning all about fractions and decimals in Maths. They have also been challenging themselves to solve lots of different mathematical problems and investigations, and they are getting very good at explaining the methods they have used to find the correct answers.

Rainforest Wildlife In Science this term, the children have been finding out all about what rainforest animals like to have for lunch! They’ve used their research to create some fantastic food chains, as well as thinking about the possible effects on an ecosystem if part of that food chain were to disappear.

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Well-Being Online learning has given us plenty of opportunities to try to find a work-life balance. Children have been encouraged to move away from their screens and do some exercise. The P.E. staff have supported the children’s physical well-being through lots of practical ideas, and we have also looked after our mental health through various discussions.

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Year 5 @BSB

Together Apart, We Have Excelled!

By Karen Cojocaru, Laura Gildea and the children of Year 5

Well, Year 5, who would have known back in September that your year in Year 5 would become a historical one?

Yes, we have made history together!

The transition to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic did not dampen the spirits of our intrepid explorers of knowledge and you, as always, gave your best and sparkled like the stars you are.

Although your year did not turn out to be the one you expected, with a massive change in your routine and with missing out on the usual fun Year 5 experiences, like the Residential in Bran, you have shown so much more of your resilience, motivation and will to succeed. We teachers could not be more proud of you! It’s because of students like you that BSB is the outstanding school that it is!

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To round off the year, we asked you to share your outstanding memories of Year 5 with us, to share below. We know it has been unusual but, in years to come, you will read this and look back and smile.

Well done to all of you! You are going to be amazing in Year 6!

Alina

In Year 5, I learned a lot of new things, made new friends and did a lot of playing, talking, laughing, eating, competitions, assemblies, drawings and running.

The most interesting was all the trips.

My favourite trip was to Comana where we learned everything about the river, and we ate snacks together. My most favourite thing was listening to 80s music in Maths and giving it scores out of 10 to find the average score.

Antonia

My favourite things about Year 5 was playing, learning and exploring new things. My favourite trip was to Comana because we explored and learnt more and more about nature. I loved spending time with my best friends and preparing for the talent show together. I also loved the space exhibition that we attended.

The 80's cheese maths activity that we did in 5C was also so much fun. My favourite thing in English was writing fantasy stories because our imaginations could go wild. YEAR 5 WAS THE B.E.S.T!

Maya K

Every moment in Year 5 was my favourite! I loved Year 5 because of all the opportunities we had: so many different varieties of lessons, all of the competitions, clubs, universities, events and trips. Sadly, we didn't get to do any Residentials this year, but that is ok because all that mattered was that we were still together as one big family! In Year 5, the children and teachers are great, every one of them! They helped me and were kind to me. I am leaving this year, and I will miss all the happy moments, even the one where I got told off for, for running in the hall by Mr Smith!

Itamar

Mihnea

My favourite part of Y5 was when we had our cheesy music dance-offs after finishing all our work, and that was great fun. The Space topic was terrific. It was like we travelled to a different world when we went to the Space Exhibition. It was also extremely fun learning about all the astronauts, as well as when we debated who had the greatest and best achievements. Was it the U.S or the Soviet Union? We still can't decide.

Another fantastic thing that happened in Y5 was when most of us gathered around in a circle and made memes; it was hilarious and amazing, as we all had good memes that made us laugh. THE TEACHERS THIS YEAR WERE AWESOME!

Ioanna

My favourite part of Y5 was when we went to Comana because it was so much fun walking around the lovely environment and looking at the chickens by the restaurant where we ate lunch. I also liked the cheesy music dance-offs that we did after class, and it was also very, very funny when we played songs from the 80's and rated them from 0 to 10. I also loved spending time with my best friends. It was very unfortunate that we had to switch to online schooling, but thankfully we remained connected like one, big happy family!

Eduardo

One thing, Waaaaaaaafffle Clluuuuubbbbbbb!!!!!!!!!! I miss Waffle Club. I also liked the trip to Comana.

I loved the fresh air.

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My favourite part of Y5 was when we played, learnt and explored things. I also enjoyed eating lunch, snacking together and spending my time playing and learning about rivers. When we went to the Space Exhibition, it was extremely fun to learn about space. In 5C, we were the Chicken Family, and we laughed a lot together.

Stefan

I really enjoyed our social meets, the space topic and our cheesy music dance-offs. I also liked writing stories.

Our teachers were also great. The special topic day was also awesome.

Rayyan

My favourite part of Year 5 was our cheesy music dance-offs, special topic day and social meets, and overall having fun with my friends.

Anastasie

My favourite part of Year 5 was going to Comana because we had to explore and learn some new facts about rivers that we didn't know before.

Alessia

My favourite time in Year 5 was when the whole class played Infected. I also enjoyed the 80's music votes and danceoffs. I loved the whole of Y5!

Havin

My favourite Year 5 part was when we did the house competitions, when we started the online meetings and did maths fractions, and when we did P.E. online.

Jackson

I loved Year 5 and the trip to Comana because we were outdoors and could socialise, run around and have fun.

Noor

Aylin

My favourite part of Year 5 was learning and enjoying my time with my friends, doing cool new creative things with my class and, best of all, trips. They were just amazing, but what I also enjoyed was having lunch and snacks with my classmates and sometimes with teachers. So many gradual changes have happened since we first came to school, but look at us now! We are almost in Year 6!

Doesn't time fly so fast? Finally, assemblies and giving out the star of the week and merit certificates and universities were just mind-blowing!

Tudor

My favourite memory of Year 5 was when we first started online learning because when the teacher showed us how to join meetings, she made it very easy for us to join, and it was extremely fun. 5C also had a name. We were the 'Chicken Family', and we had a squeaky chicken mascot. I laughed every time I thought about our mascot.

Sofia A

I really liked it when we went on our trip to Comana because it was super fun. It was also enjoyable when we went to the space exhibition as we could see simulators, rockets, photos of astronauts and we had lots of snacks.

What I also liked was when we had our cheesy dance-offs and the cheesy song ratings. The assemblies and Universities were also super cool, as we had Maths, bullet journaling and other exciting activities.

Robert

I liked this year because of all the fun I've had. I remember the Thanksgiving feast was really enjoyable.

Sara

My favourite part of Year 5 was when we went to Comana, and I remember that one of my friends talked the whole time on the bus about Romania and the buildings, and it was super funny. We went to investigate some rivers and, even though it was freezing outside, we learned new things, and we had fun.

Alexandru

My favourite part about Year 5 was when we went on trips. We also had loads of fun in class. And I loved the science experiments. I enjoyed Year 5.

Grady

I enjoyed the Thanksgiving dinner because it felt good to learn something about America, and I liked it when my friends and I once made a circle, and we were making memes.

Mark B

My favourite part of the year was fun and friendships.

Abdul

One of the best things about Year 5 that I remember was when the whole year group gathered around at playtime to play Infected. It was an everyday thing that we did, and sometimes even secondary pupils joined in!

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My favourite memory of Year 5 is when we went to the Space Exhibition because Mrs Gildea, Mrs Cojocaru, Ms Ingrid and Ms Raluca made it so much fun to learn about. I remember when we had to stop going to 'normal' schooling and had to do online meets, but in my opinion, I felt the same. Year 5 has to be one of my favourite years.

Mark E

I loved the Thanksgiving feast. We spent ages organising it! The food looked so good, and it also tasted delicious. I loved the trip to the space exhibition and the trip to Comana.

They were both fantastic!

Jose Luis

I liked all the cheesy music we listened to in class before COVID-19 happened. It was amusing, and I really enjoyed doing that. I liked that you had a few more privileges in Year 5.

Balint

I liked everything, especially the funny moments. I also liked that the teachers always explained everything clearly.

William

I enjoyed this year because I learnt lots of new things, I made new friends, and I met new teachers. The teachers were extremely kind to us, and they taught us lots of new things.

When COVID-19 started, I was still happy, because I learnt even more stuff than I did in school. I liked doing online meetings because we can learn things at home. It is more fun than going to school because when we have a break, we can play in our garden and we can play board games.

Vicky

Janu

What I really liked about Year 5 is that the teachers are so kind and I have met so many people. Everybody was sad when COVID-19 arrived, but that didn't stop Online Learning, and my confidence has grown.

Anya

Mehrad

My favourite memory from Year 5 was when the year started, and I saw so many familiar faces; I was greeted by so many hugs. To be honest, I loved all of Year 5. That was my favourite memory. I also liked that I could learn so much this year.

Eric

I enjoyed this year because I made new friends and I learned new things, especially in Maths and Science. I also enjoyed online learning, as you can be more focused on your work. We also did some very fun experiments. BSB is the best school ever!

This year was my best year because I made way more friends and became more social than ever. The fact that COVID-19 hasn't stopped us from learning is great because we are all doing all we can to learn, and this is a significant achievement.

I enjoyed this year because I learned more than I thought I could learn (English), I played football with friends, I participated in fun activities and won, with Arges, at sports activities, and made new friends.

Matei

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I really liked it when we all came back from the summer vacation because we all got together and met our friends again! (I gave them a BIG hug!)

Qaiser

I enjoyed this year playing with my friends. They are funny. We made meme compilations and other things.

I also enjoyed it when we had social meets during online learning. The Thanksgiving dinner was fun, and everything, in general, was excellent.

Year 5 is the best school year ever.

Maya W

I honestly liked everything in Year 5, but one of the best things was definitely our trip to Comana. We learnt a bunch of stuff there that we didn't know about, and it was one of the fondest memories of Year 5 that I will never forget.

Year 6 @BSB An Open Letter to Year 6

Dear Year 6, We are writing to tell you that you are simply amazing and we want everyone to know how proud the whole Year 6 team is of you.

Over the last few months, you have had to deal with lots of changes and follow new rules, like having to wash your hands regularly, wearing masks if you go out and new online learning guidelines. You have listened well, followed instructions and taken changes and requests with a smile on your face.

Working from home has been a little quieter and a lot stranger. We have loved seeing your smiles light up Google Meet each morning, sharing your events from the previous day and what you want to do when the world goes back to 'normal'.

Although the school has been closed for some time, we have all worked hard, us teachers have prepared good quality lessons for you to complete each day and allowed you to complete extra project work if you so wished. We have received some wonderful pieces of work from you: some of you have sent us amazing videos, songs, kind messages and shared magic tricks. You have all worked incredibly hard.

Remember, you are actually living history.

In years to come, you will be telling your children and grandchildren about the events of 2020 the year schools closed, toilet rolls sold out, borders closed, being stuck at home, the list goes on! In years to come,

children just like you will be learning all about this, as you learnt about Maya Civilization, Polar Explorers and Extreme Earth.

We want you to know that we won't forget you or our time together in Year 6. It has definitely been a year to remember. Twentyfirst-century technology has allowed us all to keep in touch throughout the COVI D-19 restrictions, and it will be the same technology that we hope you will use to stay in touch with each other, especially if you are leaving BSB this year.

As teachers, we feel a bit cheated that we have not been able to end this year, your final year in primary, with you in the way we wanted to. We are sad that you did not get to go to PGL and we are sorry that you were unable to shine on stage during the end of Year 6 production.

Speaking on behalf of all the teachers at BSB, we want you to know how proud we are of you. You have represented the school so well and have been excellent role models.

You are inspirational, kind and caring. You have shown perseverance and resilience throughout this year but especially during the last few months. Be proud of all you have achieved.

Good luck in the next chapter of your education.

Continue to be fantastic students and do yourself proud, Mrs Doganay, Mr Helps, Miss Pinson, Miss Catalina, Mrs Kelly and Miss Veronica

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SHOWCASE 2020

By Karen Cojocaru

During Spring Term in the academic year 2018/2019, some of the Key Stage 2 children took part in a Primary University project to write a poem on a theme provided to us by the LitFilmFest company for the COBIS/ LitFilmFest Competition 2019. The children planned and drafted their own poem, after exploring different types of poetry, from which they created a script to use for a video they made. They then drew up a storyboard to map out the scenes for their video and also filmed, directed and edited the final product themselves. The finished product was shown at the COBIS Conference last year, and they were awarded a special mention and a certificate of achievement.

I was so proud of the high standard of work they produced. I was even

prouder when I received an email from LitFilmFest inviting us to an interview via Zoom, to talk about the Project as part of the LitFilmFest Showcase 2020, which was live-streamed on YouTube on 22nd June this year. Although it had been over a year since the project ended, the children who participated in the interview spoke with great fondness about the work they had done and made a superb impression.

It was a great privilege to be invited to be part of the showcase, which, according to LitfilmFest, was created to show off their ‘best teachers and classes’. The work the children did, and the impression they gave during the interview, showcased not only the best of their abilities but also the academic excellence we promote and value at BSB. They can be incredibly proud of themselves!

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I want to offer my sincere thanks to Simon and Tim at LitFilmFest, for their kind words of encouragement and for providing us with the privilege of taking part in this wonderful showcase.

The video of the children’s interview and work can be found here: https://litfilmfest.com/showcases/

0721 000 026 www.takanaka.ro

facebook.com/takanaka.catering instagram.com/takanaka_catering

The Process OF THE ‘NEW NORMAL’ I have noticed that a whole list of new terminology has appeared in our language over the past months. Words such as ‘self-isolating’, ‘state quarantine’ and ‘The R-number’ would hardly ever have been used together to form a word, and quite frankly, ‘flattening the curve’ was something which used to happen only at the gym. As well as our language, there have been other ways in which we have had to adapt. For example, the prevalence of hats, which have appeared to cover up Do-It-Yourself-Haircuts. Not to mention children, spouses, cats and other domestic animals making impromptu appearances in the background on video conferences, and the steady ring of disembodied metallic voices throughout the house denoting that various online lessons and meetings are in full swing. It would only take a few seconds to search on the internet for embarrassing mistakes and gaffes that occurred during the online period, which would not be allowed to find their way into an article as respectable as this one.

I write this in a light-hearted way, but I am not shying away from acknowledging the more profound effects the global pandemic has had on all of us and in many areas of our life. The circumstances in which we have found ourselves, have thrown us challenges and disruptions, and in some cases, hardship and life-changing distress, which we could not have imagined even six months ago.

And yet, when the curve does flatten, we still do not know what the true effects of the past months will really be.

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We can only guess that there may be another surge, followed by further measures to keep the population safe, or alongside all of this, we cannot imagine what the ‘new normal’ could be in times of uncertainty. The inability to predict the future does not sit well with humans in general. I am no exception and have never been strong at mathematical probability. Still, I turn to the philosophical words of Voltaire to offer some mild comfort: ‘uncertainty is an uncomfortable position. But certainty is an absurd one.’

At BSB, we know that uncertainty is now prevailing and unsettling, but contrary to Voltaire, we have sought to create the very certainty he states as absurd. For BSB, this means that the same pastoral care and attention that allows for the best educational provision possible continues. And that all students and parents must have a strong sense, that although the school is closed, we are still here. Their teacher is just on the other side of the screen, and that as a school, we can be relied upon.

I always knew it would be the case from the outset, but the past months have proven the flexibility, resourcefulness, resilience and team spirit of our staff and their ability to pull together to overcome difficulty, to be true. This has been uplifting.

We began online learning in March, and since then, our teamwork and resourcefulness have enabled us to make changes to adapt to the needs of our children and families. We have created certainty through keeping as many events running as possible, which have included videos being made by our Year 12 and 13 students, ranging from promoting events, performing music and creating a PE warm-up video for younger students.

We have continued to host House competitions, as well as arts events such as the Advanced Performers’ Recital, an end-of-year concert, an orchestral performance and BSB’s Got Talent for staff and students. Our staff have continued with their professional development, attending courses on Child Safeguarding, teaching and learning skills, learning support,

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among others. And all of this online.

There have been many other initiatives, and during our delving into online learning, we have discovered that the limit of what has been possible is only the limit of technology and of our own creativity itself.

The restrictions are being gradually relaxed at the moment. As well as correcting our butchered haircuts, we are beginning to make tentative plans for continuing education in September, for when we hope we may be back on our beautiful BSB campus.

Time will tell how the recovery and re-building from the pandemic will look, but one thing is certain: the spirit and the values of our BSB community lives on and if anything, the ‘ties that bind us’ are stronger than ever.

Jason Porter

Head of Secondary School

THERE IS NO LIMIT TO WHAT BSB DOES TO MAKE ITS GRADUATES FEEL SPECIAL

By Jason Porter

A change in circumstances can mean a change in approach. This was one of the philosophies we applied to the Graduation of our Year 13 students this year. It is fair to say that the current times had meant that we have all had to adapt to a new way of operating.

Hence, once we knew we were not hosting our Graduation Ceremony on the BSB campus, we applied a principle that if the students cannot come to their Graduation, we will bring the Graduation to them.

And so, over three days, we visited the homes of our Year 13 students, loading the minibus each day and setting off to

destinations ranging from Pipera to central Bucharest to Breaza and Snagov. The minibus was complete with the Class of 2020 banner, the robes, trophies, graduation hoodies, graduating certificates and anything else that we would typically have presented at the Graduation had it taken place on our campus.

Included in our arsenal was the BSB ‘Give it all you’ve got!’ cookie jar, with a message of best wishes for all graduating students. We were heart warmed by the welcome we received at each of our students’ homes, by both them and their families, and that we

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were able to make the Year 13 Graduation event as unique as it could be. Indeed, there were a few very moving moments!

All our graduating students have done so much to enrich the life of BSB, no matter for how long they have been part of our community. We salute them all and hope that we will see them soon, either as a visitor or at a BSB Alumni event. We wish all our Year 13 students who graduated this year all our best wishes for a successful and happy future ahead!

https://bit.ly/2W0UxN7

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University FEE CHANGES

By Jo Mattingley-Nunn, University Guidance Counsellor

With the changes to the school year and exams as a result of the pandemic, many students in the older year groups, and their families, have many questions and concerns on the impact on university applications.

The recent announcement from the UK government that EU citizens will pay international fees from 2021 onwards in England has only exacerbated these concerns. This summer will, therefore, need to be a time of reflection, and a time for research, for many students.

For those who are unable or unwilling to pay international fees in England (at the time of writing there has been no announcement regarding fees in Scotland and Northern Ireland, but they are likely to make the same announcement), more cost-effective options will need to be found. Some key considerations for some of the more popular destinations are found below:

Netherlands – has the biggest and

broadest offering of courses in English, and offers a high standard of education. Fees are 2060 Euros per year, often halved in the first year.

Drop-out rates can be high, and as such, students need to be selfmotivated to stay the course.

Students need to research the courses thoroughly to ensure they make the right choice.

Italy – has a growing number of

courses taught in English, particularly design and art courses, and requirements tend to be relatively low, requiring three passes only. Fees vary between institutions but tend to range between 3000 euros and 8000 euros per year. Students need to research the universities carefully, as some have a better reputation than others.

Ireland – the obvious choice for

an English-speaking country still in

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Europe. Irish universities are expecting huge growth in applications from the EU, and for a good reason; excellent universities, huge choice of courses, and very low fees. Students need to research entry requirements though, as they can be high.

Spain – has a small number of

courses taught in English, although students relatively fluent in Spanish can apply to state universities, where fees are very low. If wanting to pursue this route, students need to research the points conversion system from A Levels to the Spanish system.

Germany, Austria and Switzerland – have growing but

small numbers of courses taught in English, with very low or even free fees. Entry requirements tend to be extremely restrictive, so you will need to research the exact requirements for A levels for each course before pursuing these as an option.

The USA and American universities in Europe – although

tuition in the US is extremely expensive, these universities offer far more scholarship opportunities. They will give credit for A level subjects, meaning students have to take fewer classes to graduate. Students have over 5000 institutions to research, to find the course, location and cost that suits them best.

For those who are determined to study in the UK, research is needed into which institutions offer the best course at the best price. International fees are set by the universities themselves and vary widely. For example, engineering courses currently cost £28,610 per year at UCL, £23,800 at University of Birmingham, and £13,000 at Teeside University.

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At the time of writing this article, we are still waiting to hear what fees will apply to UK passport holders resident in the EU for English universities; what fees UK passport holders will pay in Europe, and what fees EU passport holders will pay in Scotland and Northern Ireland. As soon as announcements are made, we will let you know to help guide your research further.

TECHNOLOGY FOR LEARNING

By Kevin Erskine

People tend to be naturally fearful of change and resist it, and understandably so. Thankfully, this is not a position the BSB staff found themselves in when we moved to online learning in March. This is because our staff and students were already used to using a variety of online learning platforms which they had been working with, alongside classroom teaching. All students in Keys Stages 3 and 4 have a Chromebook or iPad, and so students were equally ready to use their school device in conjunction with their exercise book and textbook from the first day of online learning. In fact, it was not so much of a stop-start between classroom teaching and online learning, but rather more a continuation, with no cessation of lessons; even during the days when the BSB staff were making preparations to adapt their resources and to delivery on an online environment.

As we progressed through the first few days, we evaluated the experiences of

parents, teachers and students. We began to make changes to the style and delivery of the lessons, using a combination of Google Meets to offer the live elements of a lesson. We introduced additional software which enabled pre-recorded material to be possible. Using and manipulating links to online audio-visual material, and then discovering ways in which students could engage via quizzes or interactive exercises.

The further the online learning progressed, the more the BSB staff looked for ways to innovate and the more the team wanted to share their ideas. Soon, sessions were set up in such a way that the staff could showcase new software and techniques. Enabling students to work live and in the virtual presence of their teacher. The teachers also created supervised breakout groups, introduced collaborative work, and used software to ensure that concerts and events such as BSB’s Got Talent, still carried on. This is just to name but a few techniques and options which

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became available. The results of the parents/staff surveys were taken into consideration, as well as the experiences of the students and parents. All these comments and opinions were fed back into the process. This served to create curriculum progression through online materials blended with live access to the teacher for all students. Different types of software allowed the pastoral team to maintain links with students and families, to support their emotional well-being during that increasingly difficult time. The programmes helped keep students engaged in the community and in-tune with the values of BSB. BSB couriers delivered iPads and Chromebooks around the city to families who were having technical issues or malfunctions, to keep the learning going and relieve some of the burdens on our students and families.

As the community moved from competent to proficient users of new technologies and platforms, it was uplifting to see that the

BSB’s Got Talent:

https://bit.ly/2W0UxN7

cornerstones of our community and values were still very much alive. These values were replicated in the online virtual classroom, where the student-teacher relationships were as strong as ever. Hardware and software, together with creativity and innovation in technology, are all essential elements in making an online programme successful.

As we look to the future at BSB, our team will build on what we have seen as a professional development opportunity over the past four months. The next challenges, which we will surely embrace, will be how we can use what we have learnt over these past few months and bring this into the ‘on-campus’ classroom. The innovation, possibilities for education and creativity which awaits us, remains to be seen, but we as a team will be ready to adapt and evolve.

BSB Virtual Sports Week: https://bit.ly/326PAGu

Music@BSB

By Sally Clark

At the British School of Bucharest, we believe in turning challenges into opportunities. That’s why the Music Department team worked hard to find some positive ways to benefit from the situation in which we found ourselves, due to the pandemic situation. Moving a very practical subject online is very challenging, but we have managed to reshape our music curriculum to tackle this.

Although we didn’t bring a grand piano into the library or set the stage for the end of year concert, we provided opportunities for all our instrumentalists and singers to submit high-quality performances that were included in some online projects:

BSB Virtual Orchestra Students and teachers from the British School of Bucharest, confined at home during the COVID-19 school closure, found a way to continue making music together and keeping the school orchestra active.

As an experiment for their first ‘virtual orchestra’ project, volunteers from Year 6 to Year 12 recorded themselves individually at home, playing a speciallyarranged piece of music, and uploaded their recordings. These were then synchronised and mixed together using free digital audio software, to create the sound of a full orchestra as if playing together. The chosen piece for this experiment was “Das Orchester”,

by German composer, Willy Geisler (1886-1952), a popular children’s song about the instruments of the orchestra each having their own role to play.

https://bit.ly/2DmqSaN

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End of Year Concert The virtual End of Year Concert presented original music and arrangements generated by our students and teachers.

Francois and Paul (Year 11 students) had their GCSE compositions performed by professional string players. Thank you to Mr Grigore and Miss Laura, for interpreting the works for their World Premiere.

Several Year 9 students’ work was also included, showcasing the music they had composed using Soundtrap software; as well as some soundscapes from Years 7 and 8.

Members of the school orchestra and extra guests collaborated on the piece ‘Urban Exotic’, a community band piece devised in 2002 involving Mr Pywell

and Miss Clark. You can hear West African rhythms mixed with a hint of Bollywood and Reggae if you listen carefully.

A rock arrangement of ‘Hall of the Mountain King’ was arranged by Miss Laura, our rocking violin teacher and played by the A Level and GCSE students involved in the M-U-S-I-C project (Massive United Student Inspired Collaboration). The Boccherini Minuet completed the set for the virtual ensembles. A big thanks to the students who are now all more experienced at recording and microphone placement.

Our Primary students were involved in the end of term concert, with two songs which they learnt with Miss Aves. They each recorded their own lines, and Miss Aves cleverly collated the parts together to make the impression of a group singing together.

Advanced Performers’ Recital We want to thank all the participants and teachers who came together and got involved in the organisation of our very first Online Concert. You can watch some of the highlights of the performance here: https://bit.ly/31XLNLw As one of our inspiring instrumental teachers said: ‘Don’t lockdown your passion’. The students involved this term have indeed shown that they can keep producing high-quality music for their enjoyment and to share their talents with the rest of the community.

The music department is looking forward to us all being together again. We will be making sure that there are plenty of opportunities for students, parents and teachers to rebuild confidence and skills through making music; while observing the rules and guidelines for the ongoing situation.

Have a great summer and keep (or begin!) making music!

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We invite you to visit the BSB YouTube channel (youtube.com/ britishschoolofbucharest: https://bit. ly/2Z4Z3wb-Mag , like and share these great performances. We think we have managed to keep the music going for some students and look forward to playing together again when we can.

PRACTICAL MUSIC EXAMS THROUGH THE ‘MUSIC TEACHERS’ BOARD’ (MTB)

We know that many students opt to take graded music practical or theory exams with the international ABRSM or Trinity exam boards, but this requires students to travel to the UK or other countries as there is not an exam centre for these in Romania. We are delighted to present an alternative to you as BSB is now a centre for MTB exams (Music Teachers’ Board).

MTB enables students to take graded music exams via their teacher and sit the exam digitally.

Here are the advantages: • •

• •

•

Exams submitted online - no travelling to an exam centre.

No fixed exam dates - students can progress through exam levels at their own speed.

Exam fees are lower than ABRSM and Trinity.

Exams are specially adapted for video submission during school closures.

Qualified music examiners in the UK will mark exams.

Congratulations to Ben in Year 6, who has done his grade 3 flute, and to Francois in Year 11, who has done grade 5 flute and is awaiting results.

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To support music learning during the school closure period - and for the future - the British School of Bucharest has now subscribed to the comprehensive online resource package Music First. This suite of fully-interactive software applications gives students more ways to study at their own pace.

The applications include: •

•

•

Musition and Auralia - listening, aural skills and theory learning with in-built testing Practice First - interactive practice software to help with learning to play instruments Soundtrap - a virtual multi-track recording studio.

Careers @BSB

By Louise Thomas

With the disappointment of Work Experience for Year 11 and 12 not going ahead as planned due to lockdown and the school closure, we moved to online learning for careers. A programme of study was developed for Year 11 – 13 around ‘employability’. It was a progressive study of work aimed to take the students on a journey, similar to that of finding and applying for Post-16/18 work. This began with them investigating different, relevant industries and related internships, apprenticeships and graduate schemes. Next, was about identifying the students’ strengths, areas of development and their top skill sets, so they would have the information to ‘sell themselves’ by writing a cover letter and CV for their chosen job.

Honing interview skills was the next stage, with pupils having the chance to attend live mock interviews. The final week ended with skills in the workplace, such as networking and conduct.

Going forward, it is hoped that Work Experience week will happen again next year. There are also some additional plans in the pipeline. Firstly, developing the online careers work so that it can be rolled out to students face to face, through assemblies and

tutor time work. Secondly, we plan on creating the ‘Careers Hub’, in the Mac room in the Secondary library, as a place where students can go to gain information on internships, apprenticeships, post University work and ‘all things careers’. We are also planning on organising Enterprise Days for students in Key Stage 3, where the students can engage in group projects, to produce varying outcomes and overcome challenges.

Thank you for the support of the parents who offered work experience placements at their companies; we hope that we can take you up on the offer next year.

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BSB plans to continue providing the students with education related to work experience, careers and enterprise, and improve upon it year by year. BSB students will be prepared for the world of work and have a strong knowledge of options that are available to them post education.

Student ACHIEVEMENTS Despite the school being closed during the Coronavirus pandemic, the achievements of our students continue. Two notable awards presented this year are the COBIS and ECIS Awards. The COBIS Award is presented annually to recognise students’ achievements, as well as their contributions to their school, which includes leadership, charitable contributions and building community. This year the COBIS Award goes to three of our Year 12 students: Georgina, Andrei and Max and to one of our Year 6 student for their outstanding achievements in these areas.

The ECIS Award is presented to students of outstanding community contributions and exemplary citizenship, and the award goes to three very deserving students: Kira, Luca and Bonny.

Well done, all students on these fantastic achievements and everything you have done for the BSB and broader community.

COBIS AWARDS

Georgina

Max

Andrei

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Year 6 Student

ECIS AWARDS

Kira

Luca

Bonny

BSB CONGRATULATES Calin, Year 12

Our Year 12 student, Călin, has been doing work experience in a lab, testing for COVID-19, during his work experience internship.Secondary students are offered work experience in both Year 11 and Year 12, after external examinations have been completed, to enrich their educational experience and working knowledge. Well done, Călin, for your concern for others and for choosing to provide a helping hand.

Georgina, Year 12

During lockdown, one of our Year 12 geographers, Georgina, used the time to pursue one of her passions. She researched and submitted an entry into a competition for the Royal Geographical Society. If you want to read her published entry titled ‘The world beyond my window’, about the ‘urban heat island effect’ and its link to Bucharest’s missing snow during winter, you can find it here: https://arcg.is/0KL8Lu

Karina, Year 10

We want to congratulate Karina, one of our BSB students, for her team’s fantastic result! During the pandemic period, she participated in an international competition organised by The New York Academy of Science. Her team, ‘Covid Combatants!’ developed and designed a solution to combat COVID-19, and they were nominated as one of the two finalist teams, out of 1626 participating. Well done, Karina for getting involved in one of today’s most significant issues.

Darius, Year 12

What we can’t do alone, we can do together! This is the ‘Light into Europe’ charity organisation’s motto and one in which Darius, one of our Year 12 students, strongly believes in.He has been volunteering for the organisation and tutoring a seventeen-year-old student in English over the last few months. The results speak for themselves. Through hard work and dedication, they increased his IELTS level by a whole grade in just a few months. Well done, Darius!

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Creative ARTS REVIEW

By Mark Williams

Given the challenges of moving from a studio environment to the virtual domain, the students have impressed me immensely with their continued commitment and exciting, creative outcomes.

Despite limited resources and the absence of hands-on practical demonstrations, open-ended lessons were designed to allow students to be inquiry-oriented, as well as make use of materials they may have at home. The work was shared, and during each lesson, the students were able to discuss their peers’ development and ideas.

Year 7

Year 7 learned how to research with an emphasis on their own interests, thus providing the scope for a wide and varied range of personal development and interpretation. They broadened their awareness of art and design history through a series of research-based projects that enabled them to choose artists whose stylistic approach was appealing to them. The lessons guided the students through strategies for discovery; collecting, evaluating and responding to various artworks. These skills were used to facilitate a variety of works including typography, architecture and mask design.

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Year 8

Year 8 have been developing their ability in Computer-aided design, with a particular focus on Ergonomics and design trends such as Art Deco and Streamlining. Some outstanding examples from Katelyn, Azalfa, Emma and Sara.

Year 9

Year 9 began with some food-based practical projects, before moving into the practical development of Electronic circuits, building and testing their circuits. Some excellent work from Anya and Catrina.

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Year 10

10 worked with dedication, to develop their knowledge base in a wide variety of core subjects such as Electronics, Mechanics, Smart & Composite Materials and Energy.

YEAR 11

In Design Technology, Year 11 completed their design projects with some outstanding work from Daniel and Hetansh.

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key stage 5

Key Stage 5 students have been producing some astounding work, with notable strengths in photography and motion graphics.

YEAR 12

YEAR 13

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Mental Health

AWARENESS WEEK

By Andrew Koene

During the week, we made sure that mental health was everyone’s business. We offered a lot of different activities to allow everyone to take part in one form or another of being mentally healthy. We all have times when we feel down, stressed or frightened, but how we respond and cope with those feelings is what allows us to be mentally healthy. The mental health awareness week focused on gratitude, being active, learning new things, being mindful and giving to others. Throughout the week, awareness about mental health and how everyone should be aware of their feelings was suggested through activities.

Students, parents and the school community participated at home in several activities related to positive mental health.

This allowed them to learn about mental health and positive ways of coping with high-stress situations or negative feelings.

Thank you all who made mental health awareness week such a positive experience.

https://bit.ly/3e80UEI

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BSB HOUSE NEWS

By Thomas Smith

2019 saw the introduction of eight new House Captains. These captains were selected as they had previously shown excellent traits of leadership, organisation, commitment and enthusiasm; all of which are essential to be a great leader. It has been fantastic to see a considerable number of students attending House events in a closely fought battle, particularly in term 3 when they moved online. The competition has been exceptionally close all year, with the overall winner just sneaking to victory during the very last event. Throughout the year, different Houses have shown their strengths and won different events to gain points for their team. Danube, started term 1 with a bang, leading from the start, but by the end of term 1, Arges, Danube and Olt were all sharing 1st place, with Mures following just behind. The next term saw Arges and Danube in a closely fought battle for the top spot, resulting in Arges overtaking Danube to end up leading at the end of term 2. At the start of term 3, Danube was trailing by 20 points, but with a fantastic display of participation, they clawed their way back, resulting with both Arges and Danube on 620 points. To decide the overall winner, a combination of competitions won and participation points, meant that Danube was crowned champion of 2019-2020.

A combination of outstanding teamwork and participation from Danube, together with the captain’s great leadership, has led to Danube winning for the first time in 7 Years.

Congratulations to Danube on their superb ‘never say die’ attitude and overall victory.

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PANDEMIC OPPORTUNITIES

By Rachel Eglinton, 1st Bucharest Girlguiding Coordinator 1st Bucharest Girlguides have continued their weekly meetings online with their usual enthusiasm and excitement. A couple of special events have also been enjoyed at home this term.

Firstly, there was a Girlguiding festival.

The day began with exercise with WBNA Temi Fagbenle; then girls heard stories of real adventures by inspiring women, Anna McNuff & Sally Kettle.

Girls made slime, learnt how to draw cartoons, danced with pop star Channy and sang songs together. What an uplifting day in lockdown.

And to end the school year, we had an online sleepover. All girls in Girlguiding got the chance to choose what they wanted to do. Our Brownies had requested BGO leaders to join them. So, our Chief Commissioner, Diane, showed us some of her badges, as she answered questions from the Brownies. We began the sleepover by chanting a train rhyme sent by Pam. One of Pam’s roles is ensuring registered girls have a place in Girlguiding, wherever they live.

Girls then either made their dens or put up tents. Flags were designed, and

campfires were lit. Luckily, soft toys were not forgotten, as they had their own sleepover safari. The girls prepared food: fruit salad by Rainbows, fajitas by Brownies and pancakes cooked on a can by Guides.

And then we all sang Campfire songs together, online.

skills. Girls chose Yoga or Zumba, learnt to juggle, perform magic, or host interviews. They also enjoyed experimenting with kitchen ingredients. Some mixed a non-Newtonian fluid that was both a liquid and a solid, while others baked cookies or made a mug cake.

The girls explored the dark and a large grass snake. They also saw some caterpillars and a spider’s web.

Despite the cloudy skies of Bucharest, Brownies persevered with looking for constellations, by making their own pinprick ones. Some girls even got ready for bed by torchlight, as if they were camping outside.

So much has been achieved online, but we are looking forward to meeting faceto-face in the new school year.

In the morning, the girls made delicious milkshakes and eggy bread.

We received some personal messages from our European Commissioner, Barbara, as well as Jill, who publishes BGO news, and from Glen, who is the BGO archivist and the BGO Trefoil Guild leader. The girls got to experience, first-hand, the sense of togetherness and connectivity within the Girlguiding community.

Girlguiding encourages girls to challenge themselves and learn new

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CCAs

DURING LOCKDOWN

By Dana Chirica, Extra-curricular Coordinator

The Co-curricular activities (CCAs) play a considerable part in enriching the students’ lives outside the classroom.

Skills and values, which cannot be directly taught from textbooks per se, can be complemented via lived experiences.

Further, research has shown that children need some outdoor and leisure time outside of school to upkeep their mental and developmental wellness. There is a limit as to how much the brain can absorb for effective learning, and as such, CCAs can provide a pleasant reprieve from the daily grind.

At BSB, we offer a vast range of CCAs to allow students to experience an all-rounded set of skills. Climbing, cooking, fencing, debating or creating your own bird nest, as well as learning a new foreign language are some of the activities our students could choose to join in.

The last term of this academic school year has been an unusual one, as we all were forced to stay

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at home. This was a learning curve for all of us. I am very proud to say that our students worked tremendously well towards their skills and tried many CCAs online. Fencing and karate, alongside fitness and dancing, and Body Art were very popular and very well received by everyone; it was great to see some parents joining in too!

There are tons of surprises in store for the new academic school year - from a new procedure for registering students (random by preference) to expanding the number of CCAs on offer, close to 150. Some more details about all these will be revealed soon.

As school reopens, take some time to check out our vast range of CCAs; they are meant to enrich your learning experience, so do commit to it and enjoy your time mastering a new skill with like-minded friends in the new year.

I would like to wish everyone a well-deserved holiday and a summer that will create many beautiful memories.

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#MeetTHETEACHERS Ann-Marie Isaac

Key Stage 1 Coordinator and Primary Class Teacher

PROFILE: Why did you go into teaching?

I always wanted to be a teacher at a very young age. As a child, I used to role-play being the teacher to my younger brother and cousins. I had different coloured pens on my desk and made sums for them to complete.

I thought I was the best teacher! I am not sure what my brother or cousins thought of it, though.

Ann-Marie Isaac joined the British School of Bucharest in 2015. She combines her role as a Class Teacher with being the Key Stage 1 Coordinator for Primary. She studied teaching at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, Carmarthen, where she specialised in Music and Key Stage 1. Ann-Marie’s international school experience includes teaching children from Reception to Year 2 in Kuwait, where she taught for many years in different schools.

During my GCSE’s, I did a work placement at a school and thoroughly enjoyed my time there and learned that I still wanted to become a teacher.

After my A Levels, I applied to the University of Wales Trinity Saint David to do a Bachelor of Arts combined with Education B.A (Ed).

What made you want to join BSB? I had been working in the Middle East for many years and eventually decided that I wanted a new challenge, to be in a country that wasn’t hot all year round and closer to family. When I came across the TES advertisement, I decided to take a closer look at the school website. My first impressions were ‘WOW! What beautiful buildings!’

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After reading more about the school, I felt that I should apply for the position.

It was clear to me that the school set high standards and put the children’s’ interests and needs first, which is a very similar view to mine.

In how many countries have you lived?

I have lived in 3 different countries, Wales, Kuwait and Romania. Kuwait was my first international teaching post and a very different country to Romania. When I moved there, the only thing I knew about the country was that it was extremely hot and about the same size as Yorkshire in England.

After a few years of living there, I learned a great deal about the culture and traditions of the country, and it also led to many travel opportunities to Jordan, Oman and Dubai, to name just a few. I also became quite confident in understanding Arabic, although I am not competent enough to speak it!

I have lived internationally for 20 years this year. Leaving Wales as a newly qualified teacher at the age of 22 seems like only yesterday!

What do you believe is the most important thing to understand when trying to teach pupils in the Primary stages?

I think the most important thing is that the children adopt a love for learning and a passion for finding out more!

I love my job as a class teacher and Key Stage 1 coordinator. Children who come to Key Stage 1 from EYFS must have a smooth, worry-free transition.

That is why we similarly approach the children’s learning with a fun, engaging, outdoor, and practical curriculum. It is vitally important that the children understand that taking risks is an integral part of their learning and that they all learn from taking these risks. It is also essential to recognise that all the children are different and that they all learn in different ways and at different levels.

In your opinion, how does learning in a foreign language help a child’s personal development in Primary Years?

I am a big advocate of children learning a foreign language. Children

are so resilient and more open to learning new things than adults are.

Studies have shown that learning a second language boosts problemsolving and listening skills, and improves memory and concentration.

I grew up in a bilingual household, where I spoke Welsh to my mum’s side and English to my dad’s side of the family. I feel that it benefitted my brother and me in many ways, in and out of the classroom.

If you weren’t a full-time teacher, what would your dream job be?

If I weren’t a full-time teacher, my dream job would be, to be the owner of an animal shelter. When I lived in Kuwait, many cats roamed the streets, which led me to adopt two beautiful cats there. When I arrived in Romania, I noticed all of the street dogs, and every day I drive around I always wish I had a large house with a big garden to give all the dogs a home. So, I decided,

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after four years, that I had room for one street dog.

What are you enjoying most about Bucharest so far?

I love living in Romania. I have thoroughly enjoyed exploring the different parts of the country during the last five years, from visiting Peles Castle in Sinaia to taking a long road trip along the Transfăgărășan Road.

There are many other places that I want to visit, particularly the rock sculpture Decebelus. I enjoy having all four seasons in Romania, which is very different from Kuwait, and I particularly enjoy taking my adopted Romanian street dog, Alfie, for long walks to Băneasa forest during the Autumn and Spring seasons.

#MeetTHETEACHERS Lucy Harrison

Primary Teaching Assistant

PROFILE: Why did you go into teaching?

Lucy Harrison joined the British School of Bucharest in 2019 as a Teaching Assistant. She graduated from the Wilfrid Laurier University, Ontario, Canada and obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, specialising in Social Psychology and Community Psychology. Lucy has volunteered in schools and worked as an Activities Director.

She is passionate about providing quality education to students and promoting a life-long love for learning.

As a child, I would often play “teacher” by arranging my stuffed toys around a chalkboard in my family home and giving them lessons. Growing up, I enjoyed peer tutoring during secondary school and volunteered at elementary schools throughout my time at university. Helping others is something I’m passionate about, and one of the best moments of teaching is seeing the “click” moment when a child understands something that they have been struggling with. Previous teachers of mine have made a huge impact on my life, and I would hope that I can make the same impact on my students.

What made you want to join BSB? I visited Bucharest for the first time in 2017 and immediately fell in love with the city and the country of Romania. I knew that I had to come back! I started thinking about moving internationally in 2018 and obtained my certificate in teaching English as a foreign language.

I applied to several language schools, but when I found a job posting at BSB, it stood out. I was impressed by the

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wonderful sense of community, the amazing student achievement, and the incredible amount of resources.

In how many countries have you lived?

Romania is my first experience living internationally. Previous to this, I have only lived in my home country, Canada.

Which school, where you have taught, was most different to BSB? From a cultural and sociological point of view.

After graduating from university, I spent several months volunteering at my old elementary school. It is a tiny rural school, with about 55 children aged 4-13. Of course, the most significant difference between BSB and that school is the different national curriculums. Also, due to the small enrolment, children were placed in classes with up to 5 different year groups, which made it difficult for the teachers to plan lessons and provide one-on-one support to children who might be struggling. It was a shift to come to BSB, with small class sizes and a teaching assistant for every class. When I first came to BSB and saw the resources available to both the teachers and the students, my jaw literally dropped. At my small rural

school, we could have never dreamed of the number of resources that the community at BSB are so lucky to have at their fingertips.

What do you believe is the most important thing to understand when trying to teach pupils in the Primary stages?

For me, the most important thing is to understand that each child has their unique skill-set and talents and that as an educator, it’s our responsibility to meet them at their level. By encouraging growth and promoting confidence in students in all areas, this helps them take on subjects that they may find more challenging. More than anything, curiosity and not being afraid to make mistakes are the best traits to encourage in young pupils!

How does your specialisation in Social Psychology help you in your communication with children?

Studying psychology, especially social psychology, has provided me with a framework of theories that allow me to gain insight into the behaviours of children and why they might behave in a certain way. Social psychology is about understanding human interaction and the motives behind social behaviours. Using my understanding of psychology, I try to encourage growth in emotional awareness and communication with the children that I work with.

What inspired you to become a teacher?

Not so much a “what”, but more a “who”. Since a young age, my mum has always told me that I would make a great teacher. My mum also worked in education while I was growing up.

Looking back at her work, I believe this had a massive impact on my interest and respect for the profession. Despite

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several other career choices and then changes, I have ended up following her advice!

And finally: tell us something unexpected about yourself.

I am a singer/songwriter! I took piano lessons from ages 8-18 and started writing songs on the piano at age 8.

I won awards at local music festivals for my original compositions. I also taught myself to play the guitar at 14 and started writing songs on the guitar.

I performed my original songs at shows at my Secondary School and was even an opening act at a local concert.

#MeetTHETEACHERS Carl Helps

Primary School Teacher and Primary Maths Coordinator

PROFILE: Why did you go into teaching?

Carl Helps joined the British School of Bucharest in 2019, as a Primary School Teacher and our Primary Maths Coordinator. Carl attended Liverpool Hope University, where he obtained his BA (Hons) in Sports Studies and subsequently completed his Postgraduate Certificate in Education with Masters level at Keele University. Carl started his teaching career nine years ago.

He gained experience in the UK and joined us from his first International British school posting in Jordan, where he was a teacher for Year 5 and Year 6. He was also Upper Key Stage 2 Phase Lead, overseeing both these year groups’ planning, and the delivery of the curriculum using the UK National Curriculum framework.

Becoming a teacher was not my first career choice. From a young age, I wanted to be a police officer. I was (and still am) fascinated by criminology, and I wanted a job that felt like I was making a difference.

When I reached the age where I could apply, I discovered that my eyesight did not meet the requirements, and as a result, I had to choose a new career path. Thankfully, I had always volunteered and enjoyed working with children and therefore felt that the next best career in making a difference would be by becoming a teacher.

What made you want to join BSB? Having worked in an international school in the Middle East, I thoroughly enjoyed the adventure and excitement of living in a new country and wanted to do so again. However, I wanted to be a little closer to England, as I have a huge family, with which I love spending quality time with - especially my nieces and nephews – who are all growing up too quickly. Joining BSB meant that I had the perfect opportunity to work in an international

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school, but also be able to visit my family a little more. Of course, out of all the schools in Bucharest, BSB stood out. Not only because of the beautiful buildings but also because of its value of being a community-spirited school.

I have always worked in smaller schools, where you feel like part of a family, and this is extremely important to me as a teacher.

In how many countries have you lived?

I first worked in England, then in the Middle East where I worked in Jordan and now, of course, Romania.

Which school, where you have taught, was most different to BSB? From a cultural and sociological point of view.

My first teaching post in England was at a small school close to where I grew up, and as a result, I taught some children whose parents were my classmates. Apart from making me feel exceptionally old, I also felt quite privileged.

The school was situated in a developing area, and unfortunately, when I started at the school, it was not achieving as well as it could be. But with a lot of hard work, excellent

guidance, and outstanding determination, resilience and dedication shown by the children, parents and staff, the school improved immensely. Ultimately, it was recognised for not only its academic achievements but also for how much it contributed to the community. I definitely learnt a lot from my experiences there, which undoubtedly shaped me into the teacher I am today.

What do you believe is the most important thing to understand when trying to teach pupils in the Primary stages?

Learning is a journey. In Primary, you are bombarded with new information every single day, and it takes time for this to embed. Therefore, you revisit things again and again and again and sometimes, again. Eventually, it’s there, as a little golden nugget of knowledge, that you can use whenever you need it. Even as an adult, I find myself scratching my head when solving maths problems or checking over my spelling - they’re hard! My learning journey is ongoing, and this is the same for the children in Primary.

In your opinion, how does Maths help a child’s personal development in Primary Years?

In my opinion, Maths helps children understand and make sense of their world around them. By developing an understanding of Maths in Primary Years, prepares children for a bright

future. It introduces them to concepts, critical thinking and essential problems solving strategies, and that can be transferred into other areas of life. For me, when I find Maths tricky, I like to imagine a world without Maths and picture all the things that I wouldn’t or couldn’t understand or make sense of. What would the purpose of a rugby game be? How many brothers and sisters do I have?

How much did that object cost? How much medicine do I need when I’m ill?

All this reminds me of the importance of Maths and how we can’t live without it. This is what I try to help the children understand, as I know how invaluable Maths will be for the future of everyone I teach.

What inspired you to become a teacher?

When I couldn’t be a police officer, I reflected on what I had done in my life and who had helped and supported me. I thought about all the fantastic teachers that had guided and inspired me when I was in school. Those teachers that had gone the extra mile sat next to me and helped me understand difficult concepts, supported me and helped shape the person I am today. I have nothing but happy memories of my teachers. If you ask any of my family or friends (or my class at the beginning of the year), they will tell you how terrible I am at remembering names - not the best quality for a teacher! But I do remember those teachers’ names

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vividly, some of whom taught me 31 years ago.

If you weren’t a full-time teacher, what would your dream job be?

Knowing that I can’t be a police officer, I think my next dream job would have to be in the medical field. Of course, being a doctor would be exciting, but I like the idea of being a paramedic and dealing with many different people under different circumstances every day.

What are you enjoying most about Bucharest so far?

Bucharest is a beautiful city, especially the old town. It is full of history and character and has so many places to visit and explore - I am only at the beginning of my adventure, and I can’t wait to see more and more of it.

And finally: tell us something unexpected about yourself.

On the day that I was invited for an interview at BSB, I had to postpone, as I was on my way to the starting point to compete in 242km relay race, from the Dead Sea to the Red Sea. The race began at 4pm, meaning that my team and I ran throughout the night.

The roads were pitch black, and we were surrounded by nothing but sand.

Thankfully, I complete the race without too many injuries and did so with great success - as we finished in second place!

#MeetTHETEACHERS Jamie Walsh

Head of Science and Biology Teacher

PROFILE: Why did you go into teaching and why Biology?

Biology was always the subject I enjoyed most at school. It allowed me to make some sense of the natural world around me. Teaching has allowed me to remain closely connected with the subject and, I hope, encourage others along the same path. It has undoubtedly proved to be an enjoyable and rewarding career.

What made you want to join BSB?

Jamie Walsh joined the British School of Bucharest in 2019 as a Secondary Biology Teacher and Head of Science. He studied Marine Biology at the University of Liverpool and took Masters in both Marine Resource Management, at the Heriot-Watt University, and more recently, in Advanced Methods in Taxonomy and Biodiversity, at Imperial College, London. Since completing a PGCE at the University of Exeter, Jamie has taught in the UK and UAE.

A colleague in my last school previously taught at BSB. She always spoke very highly of the school and its students. After seven years in the UAE, I was ready to move, and when I saw the post at BSB advertised, I jumped at the chance to come and work here.

Romania, as a country, was also appealing: for its mountains, forests and the Danube Delta. The country is rightly renowned for its wilderness, which is of international importance but needs protecting. Many years ago, in the UK, I used to work in a wildlife park that specialised in native wildlife, or at least wildlife that existed there

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since the last ice age. Many of the larger species at the park had long since been hunted to extinction in the wild or died out due to habitat loss in the UK, but most of them are still found in the wild here in Romania.

The country has significant populations of wolf, bear and lynx, along with a population of wild horses in the Danube Delta, where bisons have also been reintroduced. While I know that human interaction with this megafauna can present problems, I hope everyone also realises that its presence points to a healthy and diverse natural environment. There is a responsibility that falls on us to protect these habitats and allow this wildlife to remain and flourish.

Which of the schools you taught in differs most from BSB? Both of my teaching posts in the UK were in boarding schools, very similar to where I went to school myself. We had a six-day week, and most students remained in school for several weeks at a time. There were lots of competitive sports against other schools. There was also a cadet force in both schools; linked to the three branches of the UK Armed Forces, which played a big part in the life of the school.

However, there are some similarities.

I would highlight the hardworking students (usually!), parents prepared to invest significantly in their children’s education and passionate teachers with whom it is always a pleasure to work.

How many countries have you lived in?

I grew up in an expat family; my father worked for an American engineering company, and we moved to a new project every two or three years. As a child, I lived in several countries in the Middle and the Far East, but my favourite country, by far, was Norway, where I lived as a teenager. Term-time was spent at boarding school in the UK, so Norway was all about holidays – sunny summers and snowy winters.

Tell us more about your passion for Marine Biology.

Like many, my interest in wildlife was probably initially inspired by the likes of Jacques Cousteau, David Attenborough and David Bellamy, on the television in the 1980’s. My

earliest memories are of living in northern Sumatra in Indonesia, where wildlife had a habit of moving into the house. I was also lucky enough to live in or visit many countries where the sea was warm and inviting. But once I got underwater off the coast of the UK, I soon realised that some of the best marine life in the world is found there. Just off its rocky coastline and on the many shipwrecks that litter the seabed.

one to employ, and last years solution won’t work this time. Students all have different aspirations, interests, needs and motivations. So, I might be teaching the same topic for the twentieth time, but I have to find a new way to approach it with the students now in front of me - time to get creative.

I have always been happiest next to, on or under the sea, but I must confess, that while the passion for marine biology, diving and all things salty remains, it is often superseded by concern and anger. There is clear evidence underwater, and in many coastal areas of the damage we are doing, including plastic pollution, overfishing and coral bleaching.

If I could make a little money travelling, photographing and writing about nature and wildlife, that would suit me down to the ground.

What inspires you to be creative?

For me, creativity is about being able to come up with a new approach and is an essential skill in teaching. Often the obvious solution is not the best

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If you weren’t a full-time teacher, what would your dream job be?

What are you enjoying most about Bucharest so far?

I am not a city person, but Bucharest is an interesting place to walk around and explore. There are also some great restaurants, bars and parks. The restrictions imposed in recent months have meant I have seen more of my apartment and a school laptop than anything else, so I am looking forward to getting out and about again once term and restrictions end.

Nonetheless, the restrictions have given local nature more of a chance to flourish, and it has been uplifting to see wildflowers growing through the pavements, encouraging insects and the birds that feed on them.

You are an Imperial College London graduate. What advice do you have for students planning to apply there?

Imperial College is a university with an impressive history and internationally renowned reputation, and that will make any CV look good.

Don’t go there for that reason. Go because they do a degree course you are excited about, taught by people you want to learn from, whose own research and interests align with yours.

Admissions tutors at Imperial will be mainly interested in your academic ability, but also that you have other interests and experiences that complement the course you

are applying for. They want to know that you are prepared to invest your own time into your learning and have a good idea about the course you wish to embark on. For example, if you are applying for medicine, they will want excellent grades. But you stand a much better chance of getting an offer if you have also, for example, started a Medical Science Club in school, read “This is Going to Hurt� by Adam Kay, studied an online course on Genetic Diseases, completed work experience at your local pharmacist and can talk knowledgeably about the benefits of healthcare that is free at the point of delivery.

What part of science, as a subject, are you most passionate about?

I have always been interested in natural history, but since my time at Imperial, genetics has also held my interest. It is the study of one code-containing molecule common to all life, that offers clues to evolutionary history, explanations of the way we are

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and possible answers to many current concerns about health and food production. We can sequence genomes, copy, alter and modify them, and we are beginning to understand how they are switched on and off.

It would be an exciting time to be involved in genetic and epigenetic research.

And finally: tell us something unexpected about yourself.

When I left university and was applying for jobs, I worked as a steward at several football grounds in London.

It was often tedious, occasionally unpleasant, but I did get to see a lot of Premier League football. This led to work in event security for the same company, which was much more enjoyable. For a while, I was at every big concert and sporting event in London and looked after some quite famous people.

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#MeetTHETEACHERS Kim McCallum

Secondary Modern Foreign Languages Teacher

PROFILE: Why did you go into teaching?

I came into teaching quite late in my working life, having previously crewed super-yachts in the Mediterranean and the Caribbean; a terrible job but someone must do it! After backpacking around South America for six months, I then spent ten years in London working as a financial advisor, until I found my true vocation in teaching.

During my travel and work experiences, I realised how important it is to have knowledge and understanding of a foreign language, as it opens so many doors to incredible opportunities, and I wanted to pass that on to the younger generation.

What made you want to join BSB?

Kim McCallum joined the British School of Bucharest in 2019 as a Secondary Modern Foreign Languages Teacher. Kim has taught in the UK at Repton School for 20 years. He had previously worked at Brentwood School, and within the financial services sector in London.

When I saw a video of the school, I was immediately impressed by the warm and caring approach of the staff and the enthusiastic and positive attitude of the pupils.

In how many countries have you lived?

I was born in London and spent most of my life living in the UK, but I spent my gap year working and playing rugby

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in France. Then a year in the United States, where I taught Spanish in an American high school in Oregon on a Fulbright Exchange Programme. My home is now in southern Spain, in Jerez de la Frontera, a city famous for flamenco, horses and sherry.

Which school, where you have taught, was most different to BSB? From a cultural and sociological point of view.

I would have to say Repton School, where I taught for 20 years. It was founded in 1557, and it is an independent boarding school set in 70 acres of grounds. Lessons are taught six days a week, starting at 8.50am and finishing at 9.00pm, as all the pupils had to complete two hours of supervised homework, from 7.00pm until 9.00pm. Besides the many sports on offer, all Year 9 pupils had to spend one year in the Combined Cadet Force (Army, Air Force or Navy), in which I was heavily involved and held the position of army Captain. After their compulsory year, many decided to stay on and later would follow a career in the Armed Forces. In contrast, others chose to complete the Duke of Edinburgh Awards, and I joined them on many walking expeditions in some of the most beautiful parts of the UK.

In my short time here at BSB, I took on the role of IA coordinator. It is a role I thoroughly enjoy, as I believe the Awards Scheme is such an important, valuable and rewarding activity for young people to be involved in. I had the pleasure of accompanying the Bronze Practice Expedition last autumn, and I was tremendously impressed by the sheer enthusiasm and dedication displayed by every pupil. I have to admit that it was probably the most enjoyable walking expedition I have been on in my 26 years’ experience. I wish all of the participants the best of luck in completing their awards, and I look forward to more adventures with them in the future.

What do you believe is the most important thing to understand when starting to learn a foreign language?

That if you persevere, many doors of opportunity will open for you in the future.

In your opinion, how can a child benefit from living in a bilingual environment at home?

Being married to a Spanish lady, my children were brought up in a bilingual home, and apart from now being fluent in both English and Spanish, this enabled them to learn other languages far more easily. Our daughter now speaks seven languages. This ability will open many job opportunities for them later on.

What inspires you to be creative, and how do you pass that creativity on to your students?

My passion and love of not only the language but also the rich culture and history of the people from these countries ensure that there are numerous opportunities for pupils to research and produce some fascinating projects on topics such as Spanish fiestas, food, tourism and traditions, to name a few. This, I believe, is an integral part of gaining a

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better knowledge and understanding of any foreign language.

If you weren’t a full-time teacher, what would your dream job be?

Captain of a super-yacht, sailing around the world and meeting new people.

What are you enjoying most about Bucharest so far?

Its fascinating history, beautiful parks, the open markets and the variety of the cuisine, but also the opportunity of exploring this stunningly beautiful country, which is the hidden gem of Europe.

And finally: tell us something unexpected about yourself.

When I was 18, I played in the quarter-finals of the French Rugby Championship while living in Lyon, where I worked in a scientific glass factory making test tubes.

#BSB REPORTERS BSB IN QUARANTINE Written and edited by the BSB Magazine team The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all of us in a multitude of ways, one of which is the colossal shift from traditional education to online learning. Schools in Romania have been shut down since 11th March and will not be reopening until, at least, September. As we slowly adjust to this new way of life, we’d like to share with you our experiences and thoughts regarding the current situation. We would also like to introduce BSB’s new reporters - Briony and Ilinca from Year 10, along with Daniel from Year 12.

Emilia

The weekend before the school’s closure, a few of us attended the LiberatED workshop in the centre of

Bucharest. After the session ended, the participants lingered around to carry out further discussions. No one was in a rush to leave that peaceful Saturday afternoon.

Now, such a situation is beyond what I can hope for. A group of strangers in a confined space for a prolonged period sounds like a recipe for disaster, to us today. That day, Bonny and I were a little anxious about the pile of work we had waiting for us back home. Looking back now, this was one of the best decisions we have ever made, because

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it gave us the opportunity to indulge in our last few days outside.

I feel like togetherness is the only way one can live in Bucharest. While this meant hanging out with our friends back then, it now presents itself in the form of social distancing. Keeping to ourselves when wandering into Mega Image is a symbol of this new togetherness. The more distance we keep between one another, the more control we have over the spread of this virus.

I wonder if in a post-COVID-19 world we would still be so bold to shake hands or embrace in public, just like that Saturday afternoon wandering the little streets of Bucharest, expressing our joy with laughter. Those moments of closeness, when the city’s tapestry of different cultures, languages and skin tones are moulded into a special kinship, are truly priceless. However, until then, we must grow accustomed to those feelings of claustrophobia and intangible social connections.

We all have the same wishes, but for once those wishes are no longer realistic. Let’s be grateful for being healthy and safe, and continue to support each other, for however long this tragedy continues.

Briony

Going into this new normality; routine is something most of us yearn for.

Completely isolated from our family and friends, having to quickly adjust to the new online lessons, and cutting our bangs in fits of madness... There will most definitely be challenges around every corner considering these circumstances and being quarantined for three straight months.

As a school, the online system was completely alien to us. Things seem to be improving as every google meet becomes more and more helpful. As the Easter holidays ended, and our timetable was updated, contacting teachers and peers became easy and

stress-free. Teachers became more attuned to the amount of work they needed to set, and we students became more accustomed to communicating on online platforms.

The continued communication between teachers and students, and the willingness to help and improve, in my opinion, is what has made this system work.

Unfortunately, many of us have had to endure the quarantine during our GCSE and A Level years, unlike many younger students that are simply missing friends and experiencing more laid-back schooling during the pandemic. Many of us have had opportunities postponed and exams being moved forward to later dates.

Even so, this is a time for compromise, a time for cooperation, and for all of us to come to a conclusion regarding what we can do to make the most of the current circumstances. Take up baking, sign up for online art classes or take a stroll in your local park. Don’t let studying consume you, and remind yourself to take a break.

Ilinca

It’s important to understand that these are hard times for all of us. This break from society took us completely by surprise. I was not prepared to give up on the familiarity of our previous life, to abandon all I had known at school.

Unable to see my friends daily, as I had done for the past few years. However,

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what I feared most was the potential inability to cope with having so much time on my hands, so much unoccupied space in my restless mind, and to be overtaken by this pressure I had placed upon myself.

And I wonder why that is so? I always used to complain about how there’s never enough time, but now we finally have the opportunity to do everything we couldn’t manage before… This quarantine is commonly viewed as a gift that you should make the best of; a chance to improve yourself on a professional, physical or personal level. That’s absolutely great, but really it’s easier said than done, because it requires so much willpower to decide not to watch movies in bed all day; when it’s the easier and more comfortable choice.

At first, it was hard for me to overcome this vicious cycle, in which I stressed myself out for not being productive enough, and by the end of each day, I grew unhappier with myself. It wasn’t until I came to a certain realisation that I succeeded in getting on a better track. Not everyone is meant to be doing daily workouts, and I certainly learnt that I for one, am not. Instead, I can take long walks around my neighbourhood or play table tennis in my backyard. And not everybody can enjoy themselves while reading books all afternoon, but it turns out I can, so that’s awesome. The point is, we all need to find the exact activities that make us happy.

Laura

I don’t think I was able to wrap my mind around how much the global pandemic quarantine was going to affect my day-to-day life from the start.

The transition did seem strange; even though the prospect of an entirely different school experience was quickly welcomed, the thrill of it dissipated just as fast.

My ‘you’re preparing for the one exam that will dictate the rest of your life’ mentality, had entered a state of complete paralysis – all of the AS examinations were cancelled; I now had to abandon all Year 12 material, only to welcome on board Year 13 content.

Personally, the transition was even more complex than that. Debating has been cancelled for this term and the quarantine makes it impossible to train for any team sports. Instead, I’ve had

to go through admission processes for online Model United Nations conferences and summer programs, despite the horrendous internet connectivity fluctuations.

I might not be able to discuss political affairs with my debating team, however, I have been able to focus my reading and research into dissertations and submit them to essay competitions all over the world. I might no longer be able to meet with my team of journalists; however, platforms such as Google Docs and Canvas allow team-building and collective writing.

Ironically, it all concluded with a moment of sudden realisation. Only when I found out that my sister’s piano competition was being held via a Zoom meeting, was I able to comprehend that not much had changed. We might be spending more time at home and less time changing surroundings,

however, we have all found ways in which to adapt.

We’ve managed to deal with the current crisis and at the same time continue pursuing our passions. At the end of the day, we’re all in this together – be it face to face, or screen to screen.

Final thoughts

We extend a warm hello to our readers, students, parents and teachers - even through such a challenging time.

Perhaps we’ve shared some thoughts that have made you feel less alone and anxious, if anything, a little less afraid to ask for help when needed.

Luckily, we are surrounded by a kind, empathetic community that has been together with us from the very beginning, and will continue to support us. We wish you well, and again, thank you for everything.

June 2020

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#BSB REPORTERS 10 THINGS I WISH I KNEW AT THE START OF YEAR 12 Written by Laura and edited by Daniel (Year 12 students) If you are like me - by which I mean a normal human being that is neither unnaturally neat nor organised - then this article is for you. This article marks the beginning of a new, monthly column on tips on how to best deal and approach different year groups or moments of your academic life.

When entering Sixth Form, I was far from confident about what I should expect for my last two years of Secondary education. I was certainly appreciative of the fact that I could

concentrate academically only on the subjects that I had a genuine interest in, as well as being part of the oldest cohort at BSB. However, I had no concrete indicators on which I could base my expectations. Therefore, I have compiled for you a list of ten things that will ease your transition into Sixth Form and will make the start of Year 12 smoother for you.

01 | ORGANISATION

This very much sounds like a Guardian one-word headliner, but rest assured this word is going to haunt you. I am going to be honest here; at the end of Year 11, I set myself the goal of being organised throughout the year.

DISCLAIMER! That was far from reality; more like a Utopian vision of Year 12.

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I started out with four lovely folders one for each AS subject - and another extra day folder in which I’d keep that day’s work and homework. If you are not like one of those people who is just naturally neat, listen up. Throw those folders out the window. Reality is that I still have all the file separators, stacks of perforated paper and folders in one of the bottom shelves of my desk. What I strongly recommend is to get a thick notebook for each of your subjects. That way, you have everything in order at all times. You don’t have loose pieces of paper flying out every time you open one of the folders, and you won’t do homework and forget it at home because you put it in the wrong one…

If you are like me - by which I mean a normal human being that is neither unnaturally neat nor organised - then this article is for you. This article marks the beginning of a new, monthly column on tips on how to best deal and approach different year groups or moments of your academic life.

When entering Sixth Form, I was far from confident about what I should expect for my last two years of Secondary education. I was certainly appreciative of the fact that I could concentrate academically only on the subjects that I had a genuine interest in, as well as being part of the oldest cohort at BSB. However, I had no concrete indicators on which I could base my expectations. Therefore, I have compiled for you a list of ten things that will ease your transition into Sixth Form and will make the start of Year 12 smoother for you.

01 | ORGANISATION

This very much sounds like a Guardian one-word headliner, but rest assured this word is going to haunt you. I am going to be honest here; at the end of Year 11, I set myself the goal of being organised throughout the year.

DISCLAIMER! That was far from reality; more like a Utopian vision of Year 12.

I started out with four lovely folders one for each AS subject - and another extra day folder in which I’d keep that day’s work and homework. If you are not like one of those people who is just naturally neat, listen up. Throw those

folders out the window. Reality is that I still have all the file separators, stacks of perforated paper and folders in one of the bottom shelves of my desk. What I strongly recommend is to get a thick notebook for each of your subjects. That way, you have everything in order at all times. You don’t have loose pieces of paper flying out every time you open one of the folders, and you won’t do homework and forget it at home because you put it in the wrong one…

02 | PLANNING

Planners: these things saved my academic self on countless occasions.

Again, if you’re like me (and you can remember the entire history syllabus before the exam but can’t remember what you had for breakfast), you will need to start writing everything down.

Whether as reminders on your phone (even though it will be difficult to check them as phones are not allowed anywhere outside the common room in 6th form) or on Google Calendar or even old-school style on a paper planner, planning will become indispensable. The amount of times I’ve forgotten student council meetings, homework, EPQ sessions and many more, is frankly ridiculous.

I’ve always relied on my planner. It’s the way to go and will make your life so much easier.

03 | REVISION-NOTES

I have not met anyone who didn’t cram for IGCSEs or AS Levels. Guilty as

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charged. Even though cramming might have gotten all those A*s at IGCSE level, it will not work in Sixth Form.

So, get your class notes together, get those Pearson - and Cambridge endorsed textbooks, Shmoop, Cliffnotes and other ‘high-ranked’ student tools you may need and start writing revision notes. If you are anything like myself and you take mainly humanities, this is a life-saver.

I started doing this after December, and it was nothing less than difficult. Do not do that. Instead, every fortnight, compile your notes and update a common document with all the new material you’ve been taught. It’s easy, and it’s going to save you loads of time in the long run, especially during the months right before the exams, when you are going to want to be able to complete as many past papers as possible. The meme about being 5 minutes late to AS classes and missing half the syllabus may be exaggerated, but not by much. Every week becomes crucial to achieve a good grade at AS Level.

04 | MFL SPEAKING EXAMS

Language speaking exams can be very stressful for many students. I know, I was one of them. To achieve top marks, create a Powerpoint or Google Slide presentation, and create different slides for each sub-topic that could come up during a conversation.

That way, when your speaking exams

come around, you have a perfect resource to fact-check all of your knowledge and ensure that during the actual exam you will quote the necessary data to get a top grade.

05 | EXTERNAL EXAMS

This might not be for everyone, BUT if you’re preparing for ANY external exams be it SATs, ACTs, TSAs, BMATs - anything that you may need for your university applications (generally anything that can be labelled as an external standardised test) - prepare and complete them during holidays or half-term breaks. Take it from someone that tried balancing school with SAT preparation and with professio al-level sports training, writing competitions and preparing for a model NATO conference, all at once.

While I might have survived and resurfaced reasonably well, I would NEVER go through that again. Sporting 3 hours of sleep and 5 cups of coffee is not going to help. I’ve learned a lot from that experience and realised that the holidays were a time to complete these types of supra-curricular requirements.

06 | PAST-PAPERS

If you didn’t use past papers to prepare for IGCSEs, frankly I don’t know how you revised. The thing is, teachers have to get through content first, and they need time to make sure that when they set past paper questions, the whole class will be ready and prepared to answer them

correctly. However, as unhelpful as it may seem, acing an exam is not just about knowing the content; it is about understanding the exam. What better way to do this, than practice, practice, and practice again on all available past papers that you have at your disposal? All teachers are there to help you, and they will be more than willing - if you ask kindly - to mark and give feedback on any extra past papers that you complete.

07 | FILING MATERIALS

After you’ve completed a past paper and marked it, do NOT throw it away.

File it. That way, you not only make sure you’re not going to redo the same papers over and over again (even though you are certainly bound to realise that at some point), but you can also refer back to them. Instead of revising these Bible-length syllabuses, you can easily focus on the sections you got wrong. You won’t be repeating humongous amounts of information, again and again, and you will not be wasting your time by concentrating on material that you already know.

08 | EXAM ESSAY STRUCTURE

I know for a fact, that in subjects such as History, English Literature, Psychology and Geography, to gain those top marks you need to know the paper, and more specifically the required structure of your answers.

Pay attention to those keywords that indicate what you’re supposed to answer. Know how to format and plan

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your answers, so that (come exam period), you won’t be regurgitating facts onto your paper but you will play the exam to the best of your ability and will know exactly HOW to answer.

09 | EMBRACING OPPORTUNITIES Yes, Year 12 comes with a lot more responsibility and work, but it also comes hand in hand with many more academic, extra-curricular and leadership opportunities. No matter where you will be applying to university, you need to build the strongest possible portfolio for yourself to facilitate your acceptance into such institutions. The Prefect Team, Student Council, Make A Difference Charity Organisation, House Captains, Sports Leaders, tutoring programme and CCAs. All of these are opportunities for you to fully immerse yourself into the school community and expand your extra- and supracurricular horizons. Take advantage of all the opportunities that BSB has to offer.

10 | STAY POSITIVE

Year 12 is indeed a leap, but to quote an older BSB reporter’s piece, it does NOT “hit you like a truck”. It will, at times, seem strenuous, but it is fun, and you are going to get used to the workload and the expectations faster that you might expect. Strive to pursue your passions and open up to potential new ones.

See you next year class of 2022; all safe and sound!

#BSB REPORTERS CHARITY @BSB Written by Bonny and Emilia, Edited by Daniel (Year 12 students) Something we found ourselves getting more and more involved in, ever since we joined BSB, is charity work. The school provides various opportunities to get involved in community service, whether it is by directly or indirectly helping others. After all, one of BSB’s primary values is a concern for others, and what better way to embody that than to give up one’s own valuable time?

Reasons for Getting Involved

There are many reasons to get involved in charity work. Anyone who is in a position to help others should do so. Life is full of the unexpected, and anyone could lose the privileges they

have at any point in time. Currently, we are all in a fortunate position where we have not been affected by such tragedy. As such, one could view it as a moral duty to provide aid to those less fortunate to us.

Furthermore, the gratifying sense of satisfaction that will undoubtedly follow is unparalleled by any other.

This satisfaction applies especially to direct community work, where one gets

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to observe the impacts of one’s actions first-hand.

For those of you who are interested in helping out the community (beyond BSB), here is a shortlist of the charity-related CCAs our school offers.

We have also included our personal experiences in these charities, as well as comments from their coordinators.

Don Orione

Every Monday, students get to visit Asociatia Don Orione, which is a residential and daycare centre for children with disabilities. During each session, we usually accompany a child, whether it is pushing them around in their wheelchairs, playing card games with them or even bouncing along to the beat of the blasting music from the television.

What I love most about this club, is that you get to know the children over time and form a bond with them.

“Attending Don Orione is the highlight of my week. Spending time with the children who genuinely love seeing new people, and knowing how much enjoyment they get from a simple activity, like walking in the grounds, is the most worthwhile thing.

The facility at Don Orione is good, and the staff are lovely, but they don’t have enough time to spend with each child every day having fun. Knowing that we can provide that time is a really good feeling. I know from personal experience how much a disabled child’s quality of life can be affected by just spending time with people, experiencing different sights, sounds and feelings, and getting out of their rooms. I’m very proud that we get to play a small part of that at Don Orione.”

Ms. Mattingley-Nunn, Coordinator of Don Orione club

Cooking for Charity

This past year, BSB started a new cooking CCA Called ‘Cooking for charity’. Personally, this CCA is the most exciting way to pass your time while doing good. At the beginning of each session, students receive the recipe that they will (hopefully) be following that day. Throughout the year, a variety of dishes covering a wide range of cuisines have been made, including chimichangas, spaghetti bolognese, hamburger casserole and fried rice. These sessions are where I learnt that lasagna sheets mustn’t be boiled, as any moisture in the sauce will cook them sufficiently. After the food is prepared, it is then packed up into aluminium containers, frozen, and sent off to the local charity Fundația Ușa Deschisă.

Despite everyone we manage to help and the many things we learn about cooking, the highlight of any given evening is when we get to divide any leftovers amongst ourselves.

“Fundația Ușa Deschisă (http://www. usadeschisa.ro/) is a local organisation that gives full assistance and protected shelter in emergencies to victims of human trafficking. Ușa Deschisă has a refuge home, where the survivors live in, right after being rescued. Once it is deemed safe, the charity supports them so that they can move into other properties. The meals that we cook go directly to these

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survivors of human trafficking, and they greatly appreciate them!”

Ms. Bousie, Coordinator of Cooking for Charity

Fundatia Inocenti

Fundatia Inocenti is an organisation that supports Romanian children and families in need; preventing child abandonment. They have offered specialised professional therapy and services to children and families in need since 1990, but are open to volunteers and students like us too!

Unlike the other CCAs, this club is by invitation only, so do remember to speak to Ms Staunton at the start of each term if you are interested in joining her.

“This CCA is special. Once a week, it allows us to move beyond the campus of BSB, to connect and spend time with young people who need a distraction from the reality of their hospital stay. You could be asked to cuddle a tiny baby, to encourage a toddler to take some wobbly steps or to create art and crafts with teenagers. You will be challenged to try to make an impression, to forge a bond with the young people you meet.

Sometimes you will speak the same language, sometimes you won’t, but there is always a way to communicate.

You will share the skills that you have, artistic talents, games, storytelling, or you can learn from the young people there, asking them about their interests and their skills.

The following week, you will get to do it all over again! The hospital is a place of sanctuary and change.

Positive change, from which patients leave when they get better. With this CCA you have the opportunity to bring some fun and frivolity to someone’s day.”

BSB MAD

promote charity events and activities within the school, including the numerous bake sales and yearly dance-offs. I find this time to be delightful, especially as those who sign up will usually join in groups, so they feel more comfortable sharing their ideas with other members in the club. The atmosphere here is, without a doubt, pleasant and welcoming.

If you’re considering joining, we recommend signing up with a group of friends!

BSB’s Make a Difference (MAD) is one of the most recently established clubs at this school, starting only last year.

It has proven to be one of the most active and vibrant CCAs, where students come together to plan and

“The students in BSB MAD bring their amazing ideas and organisation skills, but also learn the art of negotiation and events management, as we work through an event from initial ideas, to feasibility, to running it and then

Ms. Staunton, Coordinator of Fundatia Inocenti club

reviewing and evaluating the successes and ideas for improvement the following year.

The other aspect of BSB MAD I wanted to see when I started the CCA was more awareness amongst the community about the charities we support. It is wonderful to see students presenting to their peers about the charities, in assemblies and during form periods.

Some students join the club who are already confident public speakers, but for many others, BSB MAD gives them the opportunity to develop their own presentation skills!”

Ms. Allsop, Coordinator of BSB MAD

It’s finally the end of the year! The BSB Reporters asked a couple of our students and teachers to answer and reflect on a few questions about their year at BSB. How has yours been and what are you most looking forward to this summer?

https://bit.ly/3iNNPE0

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GRUIA’S HANDS-ON BATTLE WITH THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC Gruia graduated from BSB in 20142015. He shared with us his experiences in helping to fight the coronavirus, as a member of the NHS paramedic team, in the UK.

When I first graduated from BSB in 2015, and left for Norwich to study and qualify as a Paramedic, I had no idea I would be participating, body and soul, in a global event. As fate has it; during my second year as a practicing Paramedic, I was forced to plunge into battle against COVID-19.

My personal life, passions and all other activities ceased. Just like my days as a student at BSB, I am still immersed in a world where I must always be at the top of my game with 100% attention, care and patience in every situation I come across. Now, more than ever, it truly is the difference between life and death.

As a BSB student, studying for my A Levels and applying for Medicine, instilled in me the mindset of perseverance, hard work and dedication. Now, as then, with the help of my colleagues and more experienced leaders, I have learnt to overcome every obstacle, no matter how daunting or ambitious it might seem.

I remember the good old days fondly, and hope that I may return home soon and in good health, and visit the place I first grew up in: the British School of Bucharest.

Wondering what our BSB student alumni have been up to since they started on their #RoadFromBSB? You can check out a series of interviews with some of them; more are coming your way. https://www.britishschool.ro/bsb-community/alumni

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

Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30 – 10:30 and 14:30 – 16:30 42 Erou Iancu Nicolae Street, Voluntari, Ilfov You can purchase your desired items online soon!

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

The British School of Bucharest (BSB) is an established, well-resourced international private school located on a spacious campus in Pipera, to the north of Bucharest. The school provides a comprehensive international education based on the National Curriculum for England taught by fully qualified and experienced native English-speaking teachers, our school being the only one in Romania whose teachers are all native English speakers.

We welcome more than 600 students each year, aged 2-18, and teach them in modern classrooms with an impressive pupil to teacher ratio. This ensures a personalised and highly supportive learning environment which is part of a richly diverse learning community, with students representing approximately 50 nationalities.

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

Other useful e-mail addresses: Admissions: admissions@britishschool.ro Marketing: marketing@britishschool.ro Data Protection Officer: dpo@britishschool.ro

British School of Bucharest Crawford House Foundation 42 Erou Iancu Nicolae Street, Voluntari 077190, Romania Registered: 17/2008 Fiscal Code: 24879960

Parking Address: The School’s car park is situated on Erou Iancu Nicolae nr. 65, 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 marketing@britishschool.ro.

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British School of Bucharest Early Years Foundation Stage/Primary/Secondary 42 Erou Iancu Nicolae Street, 077190, Voluntari, Ilfov County, Romania T. +40 728 133 432, +40 728 133 433 E. office@britishschool.ro BritishSchoolBucharest

britishschoolro

british.school.bucharest

British School of Bucharest

www.britishschool.ro The School is operated by Crawford House Foundation. Registered 3/25.01.2016. Fiscal Code 24879960