April 2008, Issue 2
News
Blast !
The British School of Bucharest Magazine
Contents Page 2 Editors Note BSB Healthy Schools Review Page 3 Principal’s Report Page 4 Key Stage 1 Report Key Stage 2 Report Key Stage 3 & 4 Report Page 5 Teaching with Technology Primary School ICT Page 6 What does MFL mean? EAL Support at BSB Page 7 Key Stages 3 & 4 Humanities New teachers at BSB Page 8 BSB Sports Page Page 9 IGCSE Art Trip News live from the Music room Page 10 Find out who’s in the spotlight this issue in Student Spotlight Find out a bit more about the Primary School library Page 11 The BSB University Courses make their mark Term 2 Senior Clubs Review What’s been happening in the Primary School University Courses this term? Page 12 Find out how BSB students celebrated World Book Day Take a look inside the BSB Secondary School library Page 13 World Book Day continued Page 14 Primary Art Competition Results Eco Committee News Page 15 BSB students celebrate World Maths Day Where are they now?
Primary School Class Reviews: Page 16 Crèche Preschool Page 17 Reception, Year 1 Page 18 Year 2 Page 19 Year 3, Year 4 Page 20 Year 5, Year 6 Page 21 Charity Update Focus on Writers Page 22 Year 7 make the most of the new science room Key Stage 3 & 4 Trip to England Page 23 BSB Bulletin Board BSB Crossword Challenge
This Issue’s Features:
Issue 2
Primary School students enjoy annual BSB Easter Egg hunt The week of March 17th marked the annual BSB Easter Egg hunt, when each Junior School class had the opportunity to find as many Easter eggs as possible ...turn to page 18
New outdoor jungle gym
New Science facilities
With summer just around the corner, the new outdoor jungle gym is seen by BSB students as a very welcome addition to the BSB campus, Here Naif is enjoying a ride on the slide. To read more about what 3L have been up to this term ...turn to page 19
Year 7 students Sebastian Serban and Sotirios Moraitis are carrying out a chemical experiment in the new science room. To read more about the new science room facilities and the science curriculum, … turn to page 22
World Book Day World Book Day is always a great event at BSB and this year proved to be no exception, with students and teachers celebrating the day by dressing up as their favourite fictional character, enjoying a variety of class events, and by donating generously to the BSB library. For more on WBD, ...turn to pages 12 &13
Visit the BSB website at www.britishschool.ro
Editor’s Note The last few months have been an incredibly busy time for BSB, which is evident by the fact that this issue of Newsblast is four pages larger than the last issue. In truth, I think this issue could have been another four pages in length again, as there has been so much going on in both the Primary and Secondary schools that we had to work hard to fit everything in to just twenty-four pages. The great thing about all this business though is that this has turned out to be a very colourful issue. I would like to personally and on half of the entire school thank all the students and teachers who have contributed to this issue; it is clear that a lot of thought and time have gone into many of the articles. I would also like to thank the various people who have contributed photos to this issue- especially Iulia Cojacaru, Mugur Maatescu, and David Broadhurst, who are often seen wandering the halls and campus grounds, camera at hand.
world that waits beyond. We can see that this investment has filtered into other areas of curriculum with Mr Hall on page 8 talking about school investment in new equipment for the PE Department. In the many photos we can see our new school jungle gym now in place in front of the new Foundation Stage building and another jungle gym for the younger children behind. The result of all this input is a body of students who are happy and able to focus in class and learn.
The final point that this issue highlights is how hard the teachers and administrators in this school work to ensure that the school year is enjoyable and rewarding for the students, with various days being celebrated, such as World Book Day, pages 23 & 13, Eco Day, page 14, Maths Day, page 15, the extensive program of Primary School university courses running, After School clubs I think the single point that emanates from this issue is the everyday after school, page 11, and of course the schools fact that BSB is a hive of activity both in and outside the trips that go out, such as the IGCSE Art Trip, page 9, the classroom. Second point that stands out is the fact that Year 5 Museum Trip, page 20, the school ski trip heading this shift has been a very positive move for the students at to Austria over the April holidays and lastly the school trip BSB. On page 5, Mr Leese looks at how the school has to England in June, page 22. invested in technology to make learning more enjoyable I hope you enjoy this issue and look forward to Issue 3, and to better prepare our students for university and the due out in June.
Mr Kendall Peet
BSB students get healthy!
Head of EAL
In February the students all participated in a Fitness Day. In Foundation Stage the children enjoyed climbing, balancing and jumping their way around an obstacle course. KS1 enjoyed kung fu and stretching exercises.KS2 children also enjoyed the challenge of making their way around an obstacle course. KS3 and 4 students used a fitness circuit which included skipping, medicine ball twist, hockey shot and a shuttle run. The students all enjoyed the skipathon we had in March. Each class had a time to use the skipping ropes and to get warm and fit. Foundation Stage enjoyed exploring with the skipping ropes. They attempted to use the skipping ropes in different ways to skip. It was fun to join in and watch all their hard work. They keep asking to have another day of skipping. KS1 and 2 children enjoyed skipping as well. They also used their numeracy skills by counting each other skipping. They turned their tallies of each other skipping into graphs. It was lovely to see smiles and laughter as they joined in the activities to keep fit and healthy. April saw Wellbeing Week and once again students joined in a range of activities to make them aware of what it takes to be healthy physically and mentally. Later on in the year there will be a chance for students to go on a hike. By giving the students skills and a positive attitude to being healthy we help them learn important skills for life. “The best six doctors anywhere and no one can deny it Are sunshine, water, rest, and air Exercise and diet. These six will gladly you attend If only you are willing Your mind they'll ease Your will they'll mend And charge you not a shilling.” ~Nursery rhyme by Wayne Fields, What the River Knows, 1990
Ms Marina Cavanagh, Reception 2
Principal’s Report Dear Friends of BSB, I hope you are enjoying our second newsletter, it is great to see all the school activities recorded here; however even the magazine can not do justice to the wealth of learning that takes place here every day, and I remain very impressed with how engaged our students are here at BSB. Visiting the classrooms is definitely the best part of my day and I have been particularly proud of the teachers’ and childrens’ commitment to their learning. Students are taking more responsibility for their learning day, and there is a greater sense of independence as we see children working on projects together away from their teacher or undertaking research in the library. The School Council has been tackling relevant school issues through discussion and consultation, Year 6 have been investigating where they wish to place outdoor play equipment and compiling a
presentation to convey their views, and the eco committee have done a wonderful job this term of raising the profile of the need to save energy and be more Planet conscious. Our new Foundation Stage unit is organising itself into gardening groups to develop their allotment area, our Gifted and Talented group established themselves as trading companies for the recent entrepreneurs market, and would have given the Dragon’s Den a run for their money, while some of our secondary students have formed a lunch time band and are regularly meeting to practice their instruments, splendid music can often be heard drifting out across the grounds from the pool house. It is wonderful that so many of our students, with their teachers’ support are able to pursue an interest that is important to them personally, making their school days even more relevant and
pertinent; it is what lifelong learning is all about, and it is at the heart of everything we do at the British School of Bucharest. We wish everyone a very happy holiday; we are all very excited about our final term and hope that you will be part of the many activities taking place in May and June. Kind Regards Jo Puddy-Wells Contact: principal@britishschool.ro
The Front Desk If you need any in formation or help in regard to your child’s education and support at BSB, please do not hesitate to contact our office team during normal working hours.
Office hours: 8.00am-5.00pm, Monday-Friday. For help relating to school transport, student lunches, or sports and clubs, please contact: Tanya Biryukova Email: office@britishschool.ro Tel: 021 267 8919 Fax: 021 267 8969
For any other general enquires, please contact: Cristiana Patru or Cristina Koiso Email: office@britishschool.ro Mob: 0728 133 432/3 Tel: 021 267 8919 Fax: 021 267 8969
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Key Stage 2 Re-
Key Stage 1 Report The Keystage 1 team has been busy this term making sure all the pupils have settled in well to their new location and they are all able to move around the school safely, making full use of the resources and equipment available. Our Animal Love Parade which took place on February 14th was a great success. The kids had a fabulous time dressing up and we had all sorts of exotic creatures surrounding us. We also had the fun of carrying out a fitness morning with a difference as Mr Williams showed us a range of kung fu techniques and breathing exercises. Miss Loeper has helped us create our new Key Stage 1 newsletter which is available every fortnight to keep you up-to-date with events and news from our classrooms. I hope you have enjoyed reading it! In March we enjoyed participating in World Book day and this gave the staff the opportunity to get children interested in books and encourage reading within the classroom. Miss Douglas carried out an Art competition and we are eagerly awaiting the results of this very valuable activity. In April we celebrated Science Day, organised by Miss Banks. Pupils had the opportunity to carry out a wide range of investigations outside the classroom using the outdoor area.
It’s been a very busy month for KS2. Competitions have been plentiful; Handwriting Competition, Book Review Competition, Art Competition, and of course the Spelling Competition. Examples of all the work for the above can be found in the Parent’s Room for you to see. Thank you to the student council for their work picking finalists. KS2 have also been active on the Healthy Schools Day where all the children completed a circuit of keep fit activities to get the blood pumping! Many of the classes have held class assemblies which the parents have been invited to, may I take this opportunity to say well done, and to thank the parents for their continued support. Year 6 have done a great job of being guides for these days so a special mention to you too. I am very pleased to see a variety of learning taking place in KS2. Children are engaged and taking an active part in their education which is great to see. Please read more about the individual classes to see examples of this great work. Well done to the teachers and students for their continuing hard work. Here’s to a great summer term! Ms Sara Snocken
Head of Key Stage 2
In Key Stage 1 we value the opportunity for pupils to experience a wide range of activities. Not only have we tried to make learning more enjoyable, but we have also tried to make the playground an area of learning too. Miss Carmen has kindly taken on the job of maintaining the playground area by utilising all the space available. We have worked closely together to suggest new ways in which pupils can use the time outside for all to enjoy, including, a reading corner, art, role-play and a wider range of sports equipment. We Mrs Lyndsey Marcu now look forward to the summer weather and the opportunities to add more resources outside.
Head of Key Stage 1
Key Stage 3 & 4 Report
Winter is now behind us and the sunshine and blossom bring a welcome feeling of Spring to Crawford House. Students are taking every opportunity to be outdoors, either playing games or sitting and strolling around the grounds. In many ways, the Secondary School has become a hive of activity for staff and students alike. I would like to begin by first welcoming two new members of staff who joined the secondary team this term. Mr David Broadhurst, who has taken over the teaching of Science to all the secondary students, and Ms Davina Bye, who is the new librarian in the Crawford Building and who will also be teaching Art and EAL. David is originally from the UK and has worked in a number of international schools during his teaching career. Ms Davina Bye is also from the UK. We are also delighted to welcome Maria Lemne, a new Year 9 student who has joined us this month. The summer term will see Year 11 students sitting Cambridge IGCSE examinations which begin in April and run through until June 12. Our Year 10 students will be taking the IGCSE English as a Second Language and the Year 9 students will be sitting their SATs examinations in May. Years 7 and 8 will be taking end of year tests in May and Year 10 students will be awaiting the results of their internal examinations which took place at the beginning of April. A busy time for students. On 15 April the American International School is hosting the CIS British University Tour which takes place in many different countries around the world. Year 10 and 11 students will join other schools to listen to speakers talk about the academic entry qualifications for universities, academic life, student living and the extra-curricular activities enjoyed by many university students. British universities welcome many overseas students to study at their institutions and the event is aimed at helping students understand the process of gaining a place at their chosen institution. This event is an ideal opportunity for students to begin thinking about their educational and career pathways. With so much hard work and studying taking place, the students need to balance this with the extra-curricular activities offered to them. Mr John and Ms Renaudin are busy organising the Secondary School’s activities holiday due to take place at the end of the summer term. This year the holiday is based in the United Kingdom and will be a two centred event: students will take part in a number of outdoor pursuits at a centre on the South Coast of England and then will return to London for a few days of sightseeing and shopping. There are also a number of other activities taking place over the next term. Mr Hall is organising sporting activities for the students, Mr Mulvany is busy with the school production which will feature a number of secondary students who will provide the music for the event, and Mr Peet is organising a number of activities and outings for the Adventurers’ Club. BSB will also host its annual Sports Day on Saturday 7 June and I am looking forward to seeing the students compete for their house teams (Olt, Mures, Danube and Arges). The winning team last year was Olt and they currently hold the cup. I look forward to cheering on all the teams this year. The summer term is a busy one, with a mixture of hard work, examinations and hopefully a lot of fun and enjoyment too. I wish each and every student good luck with examinations in the coming weeks. I am confident every student will achieve the successes he/she Ms Jane Greenwood deserves for the hard work and effort put in over the year.
Head of Secondary School 4
Teaching with Technology Teaching has come a long way since the days of chalk boards, pen and paper. The catch phrase appearing in teaching circles more and more these days is ‘Technology’, whether it be in regard to the way that lessons are taught or they way that lessons are learnt. With the introduction of electronic whiteboards and computers into modern schools, the process of teaching and learning is now more dynamic that ever. With this in mind, BSB has made the shift from the old to new , with classrooms at BSB now full equipped with computers and interactive whiteboards (IWBs), which are being used across the whole curriculum by the teachers and children. In addition to the IWBs located in each classroom, there is also a newly equipped computer room in both Primary and Secondary schools, with fast up-date computers and LCD screens to reduce strain on the users eyes. So what is an IWB and how is it different from a normal whiteboard or blackboard? IWBs are different in everyway imaginable, they provide electronically all the familiar features of a traditional classroom blackboard or ordinary whiteboard, whilst enhancing lessons by integrating video, animation, graphics, text and audio, and of course the internet. With IWBs, students benefit from greater interaction with the knowledge and focused ask and therefore find the whole experience of learning more interesting and enjoyable– this is especially important today as studies indicate that Elena Mazzoleni using an IWB student attention levels in the classroom are falling. Thus IWBs provide teaches with an effective means to hold the students attention for longer periods of time in order to improve their learning experience. And the response to the use of IWBs in the classroom has been great.
Here’s what some of the students had to say about the new electronic whiteboards: You can save work easily and refer back to it later." Filippo, 5B
"The large screen means everyone can see easily.” Mariam, 5B
I like the new whiteboards because we can play lots of games on it and we can do lots of different lessons like fun Maths- Isabella Day, 1M "You can see everything better as it has a big screen" Eda Ozkan, 6S “I think the interactive whiteboards are better than the original boards. It's more fun for us (students) to learn in this manner and it is more entertaining. Nowadays we like to play learing games like Anagram in English. Not only is Anagram fun, we also learn quickly. So, overall, I prefer interactive whiteboards.” Leo Chaix de Lavarene, Year 8
Mr Jon Brian 5B and Ms Justine Tyler 5T teaching with technology "I like it because it is nice and bright" - Ipek ,1D “They are much faster than a regular board and much more efficient. I think we achieve a lot more in class.” Louisa Dascalescu, Year 8
Primary School ICT Room The ICT room, which also has an interactive whiteboard, is being used by all classes in a rich variety of ways in the Primary school. These classes range from using programs such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint to going on the internet for research and to strengthen learning. The computer was also recently used for ‘World Maths Day’, in which the children tested their mental maths skills against children from all over the world, so there is no question as to the usefulness of the new computer room. The kids love and really look forward to their time in the computer room each week. I think it is really important to give children the opportunity to use computers as much as possible as most jobs today require computer skills and the world around is becoming a world of technology. So as educators I think we have a responsibility to prepare children for the world that awaits them beyond the school gates.
Mr Sonny Leese, Primary ICT Coordinator 5
MFL = Modern Foreign Languages We are very excited to be finally settled on the second floor of the villa Crawford. The floor is shared between Art, French, German and EAL. From Year 5 up to Year 11 the children are coming to the classrooms and have access to different resources: textbooks, native books and magazines, interactive whiteboard. They are also now able to use all the target language that is displayed in the classroom and speak more often in a different language. Their work is also displayed in the corridors and rewarded by house points. As an international school we value languages and culture. We believe languages are stimulating the children’s interest, their future career and experience in life. That is why languages are introduced in Year 3 up to Year 11. In primary the children are introduced to simple vocabulary through games and Miss Dorothea Draser encouraging challenges for one lesson a week. In KS3, her Year 9 students to use the IWB the children are introduced to more linguistic tools twice a week to be finally prepared for IGCSE at KS4. We are indeed very proud to start the examination process with our students in Year 11 before the end of the term and we want to wish them all the best of luck for the exams!
A bientot! Alles Gute! Ms Karine Renaudin Head of MFL French teacher Miss Karine Renaudin helping Year 8 students Jasmina Schlang and Teresa Lainer
EAL=English as an Additional language As an international school, BSB has students enrolled from more than 30 countries around the world. As a result, many of the students attending the school speak English as a second (ESL) or an additional language (EAL) and as such often do not have the English language skills necessary to cope with the demands of the British National Curriculum. For this reason, an EAL department has been set up to ensure that students entering BSB are accurately assessed to determine whether they need additional English support, and where a need has been identified, be provided with sufficient support to enable them to better integrate into their mainstream classes. The EAL department currently has 4 staff: Left to right in the photo: Kendall Peet (HOD), Dalila The BSB EAL Team Danu, our newest arrival Davina Bye, and Kristin Swanson. Our staff offer classes to the whole school, focusing on oral skills at lower levels to help students integrate as quickly and easily as possible into classes as all lessons at BSB are given in English, with increased emphasis on reading and writing as students progress, and later writing and exam preparation skills, at the higher levels, to better help students cope with SAT, IGCSE, and further exams
Ms Dalila Danu with Year 1 Classes currently have a maximum number of 6 students to ensure that students receive intensive Elementary students support and where necessary 1-2-1 lessons are scheduled in situations where students need individualised help to enable them to integrate more quickly. Parents with students requiring EAL support are always informed and included in the process of formulating a support programme with regular feedback available on request.
Ms Kristin Swanson with the Year 7,8,9 Intermediate Level class 6
Key Stage 3 & 4 Humanities The Humanities department in Key Stage 3 and 4 comprises of History and Geography. In History students study International History, which means that they investigate the various periods throughout history, such as the Greeks and Romans, as well as more recent events in history, including The Great War and WWII. In Geography students look at the world and how it works, looking at the forces of nature and how these forces, such as earthquakes, tidal waves, and drought, etc., work to shape the world around us. Within the study of Humanities, students are encouraged to become independent thinkers and act independently in their learning and to this degree students are often asked to work on projects where there is room for students to expand on a general question or topic. In Year 7 pupils recently studied the Normans and Hannah, Seung and Carla worked completed a project in which they had to research together on their castle project’ and design their own Norman castle. Some students worked independently while others chose to work in groups. All of the student models were superb, including turrets, draw bridges, and other common features associated with Norman castles. Here are just a few examples the work completed by Year 7: Year 9 students completed a unit on life in World War I. As part of this topic they studied a Nicholas Evry with his Norman Castle section on trench life. They were asked to design a trench as part of the project. You can see Alexandra here, who did a great job on her trench. Other students in the class also made fantastic trenches.
Mr Ciaran McGowan Head of Humanities
Alexandra Prodan with her Year 9 trench
A new face in school
40 Years Experience
A short time ago, a new teacher joined our school. Her name is Davina Bye and she comes from England. When I interviewed her, she told me some details about herself and why she chose to come to Bucharest. Ms Davina was born in Bedford (England) where she had a boring childhood. There is just one thing that she can remember about her childhood; the art lessons which were also her favourite subject. When I asked her why it was her preferred subject she said, “In art lessons nobody can tell you what you have to learn”. Her favourite country is Mexico, because she likes the culture, the sunshine and the food. She doesn’t just like Mexican food; also Greek food is one of her favourites. Her favourite label is H&M.
As most of you know, our science teacher returned to England earlier in the year to have her baby. What many of you may not yet know is who the new science teacher is. Our new science teacher is Mr Broadhurst, who has been teaching for 40 years in different countries around the world. He teaches Chemistry, Physics and Biology. Mr Broadhurst originally comes from England, spent most of his youth there, but has since relocated to the North of New Zealand, where he has brought a piece of land and settled with his wife; he and his wife have two sons, however, they are now grown and have moved away from home.
Now she works for BSB as an EAL and art teacher. She is also working in the library and does the displays around the school. Ms Davina didn’t come to Bucharest because of BSB but because of the BB3, the Bucharest International Bienniale. There she coordinates the events, helps arrange everything, does the advertising and “a lot of emailing”. In general she thinks that Bucharest is different and she misses her friends but she likes Romania.
When I asked Mr Broadhurst about his hobbies and interests, he told me that he likes taking photos and would like to start a photographic studio when he returns to New Zealand. He also said that he likes to make furniture and is thinking of starting a small custom built furniture business, specialising in one-off pieces of furniture made specially for individual customers. The other passion he has is for travelling.
Ms Davina is the latest new teacher in our school, though sure not to be the newest for long with the year coming to an end and a new group of teachers sure to arrive in September.
On behalf of all the students at BSB, I would like to warmly welcome Mr Broadhurst to our school. We hope you enjoy your time here.
By Isabella Werner Year 10
By Tim Dielenschneider Year 10
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Sport Sport Sport Sport Sport Sport Having spent the first half of the term, and more, exploring the pupil’s Futsal and Uni-Hoc skills we have now moved on to handball and as the weather continues to improve, basketball. Following the Orthodox Easter the Senior School will turn their attention to Athletic Activities, Tennis, Volleyball, Orienteering and Water Polo. The Lower School will continue to develop their Cricket skills while focusing on Athletic Activities, Tennis and Water Polo. As you can see from the photo, the pupils from the Lower School and Foundation have e enjoyed making a splash at Atlantis Health Club. Under the guidance of the swimming instructors and BSB staff, the pupils have been developing their water confidence and stroke technique. With a little luck by the time of the next edition we will be able to boast the achievements of a list of successful certificate winners. The House Sports programme is now in full swing in both the Senior School and Lower School, a big thank you must go to Mr Hamacher for organising and running the latter. The pupils from the Lower School have been perfecting their dribbling, tackling and shooting through small-sided games of football while the Senior School have started with mixed Uni-Hoc. More sports will follow in the coming weeks, so there will be plenty of opportunities to score valuable points for your House. Within the Senior School House Sports, points are awarded for wins, draws and loses. In addition there are bonus and minus points to encourage participation, good sporting etiquette, team play and to discourage foul play and poor discipline. Below is a table to illustrate the current standings within the Senior School:
Position 1 2 3 4
Team Mures Arges Danube Olt
Pl 3 3 3 3
W(+10) 1 1 0 2
L(+2) 0 1 3 0
D(+5) 2 1 0 1
GF 4 5 2 8
GA 2 4 13 1
GD 2(+) 1(+) 11(-) 7(+)
BP(+) 10 10 14 10
MP(-) 5 5 10 27
Points 25 22 10 8
In addition to the House Sports competitions pupils from both the Lower School and Senior School have been involved in the Concept2 Indoor Rowing League. Unfortunately, having decided to invest in the machines so late in the year we had missed many of the rounds but we are very pleased with the progress of the crews and below is table to show where they would have been ranked within Great Britain if they had been entered earlier in the year. We are able to enter the final round of this year’s competition, which is a 8 or 16 minute team sprint, again this is shown below as an indication of where we would have finished in last years competition with our current times, our national ranking will be announced on www.concept2.co.uk/schools on April 21st. A fantastic effort from all the boys and girls in their very first attempts at competitive indoor rowing, something they should be very proud of. The picture shows both 6D and 6S competing in the 16 minute challenge. Extra-Curricular clubs have had a strong turn out and we hope that this continues for the rest of the year. The next batch of clubs are due to start after the Easter break. With this in mind, please be prompt with your replies as some of the sports clubs will have an allocated number of spaces. On this occasion the photograph show the KS3/4 football club preparing to play during a wash-out, this particular match was a classic and ended 7-7. Other match reports would be made available but with rumours of a match fixing investigation and some terrible referring decisions, the officials are remaining tight lipped! If parents are interested in using the rowing machines, they will be available to for one to one, or pairs coaching, with Mr.Hall, between 16:00 and 18:00 on Mondays and Wednesdays, following the Easter break. In addition, a ‘Friends of BSB’ Football Club will operate for adults between 18:00 and 20:00 on Mondays and / or Wednesdays. Both of these activities will incur a small charge and if you wish to have any further information or register your interest then please contact Mr.Hall, mike.hall@britishschool The potential Summer School is still in its planning stages and letters will go out prior to Easter detailing more specific information about what we will be offering, when, where and costs. All that now remains is to wish everyone a pleasant Easter holiday and to anticipate your continued participation, and support, following the holidays. (Donations in the form of Easter Eggs are most welcome!)
Mr Mike Hall Head of PE 8
Art Art Art Art Art Art Art Art Art Art IGCSE Art Class head to the Museum of Natural History for Inspiration On Thursday, February 28 this year, the Year 10 art class went on a field trip to the Museum of Natural History. It was a great learning experience for everyone. The day started with an early morning meeting in the school art room, where Mrs Lavery distributed materials and briefed us on what we would be doing at the museum. We then boarded the school bus and were lucky enough to somehow avoid the Bucharest traffic, arriving at the Natural History Museum, situated along Sos. Kiseleff, a few minutes walk from Piata Victorei, in less than 30 minutes. We were also very lucky because on arrving we discovered that we had the entire building to ourselves. Once inside the museum (Entry cost 3Lei for students, 6 lei for adults), we started making some small pen and ink drawings of objects that we liked and that related to our Maria hard at work on a present theme, Natural Forms. After a break, we went on pencil sketch with larger drawings using different materials and a little while later it was time to go– the day seemed to fly by. We all thought that we could have stayed longer, not just because we really enjoyed looking at all those interesting natural forms, but because we came back to school just in time for our last lesson. All in all, it was a great trip and I can really recommend the Natural History museum it is fascinating for all. The museum is open Tuesday to Friday, 10am-5pm. Isabella, taking great care to capture some of the fine detail.
BY Isabella Werner Year 10
Play on Maestro‌... Pupils in the Music Department of the British School children can be assured of a varied and exciting range of activities and opportunities. These are designed to make the most of whatever interests and talents children already possess. For the past few months the music department has enjoyed a high reputation for its pioneering work in classroom music making, which has resulted in a very practical approach to the subject this is firmly underpinned by the latest research in the musical development of young people. Music is a compulsory subject in the National Curriculum up to the end of year 9. Pupils develop their understanding of music through the 3 activities of composing, performing, and appraising. In this they are assisted by the provision of excellent facilities in the form of classroom instruments, percussion tuned and un-tuned, keyboards, computers, recording equipment and expert advice from the Head of the Department and teaching staff. Much of the work is designed specifically to cater for the wide range of musical abilities found in any school, with enough ability to stretch the most able as well as to help and support those who find the subject more difficult. In Years 10 and 11 pupils have the option of studying music to GCSE. For pupils who show additional interest we have music clubs teaching both orchestral and band instruments. All participating pupils will receive back-up theory of music training. The school provides further opportunities in learning and performing on the drums, piano, and guitar. The school also runs a Jazz, Samba, Rock and Blues bands and a choir for all ages. Concerts are an important feature of the school life. There are numerous school events involving Drama and our young musicians.
Mr Desmond Mulvany Head of Music 9
Student in the Spotlight! Kinan is in year 4K. His favourite subject in school is ICT. His favourite movie is Scobidoo and his hobbies are going to the mall, playing with his 2 smaller brothers and going rollerblading. His favourite sport is swimming and he does karate after school. He would be Julius Caesar if he could. He would like to be a vet and wants to go to Egypt where he is going for the April holidays. He comes from Lebanon and he likes Romania.
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Dorka is in year 6D and she originates from Romania. She thinks the school is fun. Her favourite subject is Literacy and her favourite sport is basketball. She wants to be a pharmacist and she would like to go on holiday to Malaysia. Her favourite movie is “Around the world in 80 days”. Her hobbies are sports, reading and piano. She has a 5 year old brother named David and her clubs are G and T and literacy. Clotilde is in Year 3L. She likes this school and her favourite subject is maths. She said her favourite sport is tennis. She comes from France but would like to live in Spain. She likes Romania and her hobbies are reading and writing. She has 2 younger sisters and she does G and T (business) and 1 keyboard skills as clubs. Nick is in Year 7. He thinks that holding the NATO summit in Romania was not a great idea because they only thought about George Bush and not the people using the roads every day. His favourite sports are tennis and cricket. His favourite subject is PE and he wants to be Johnny Wilkinson. He wants a sports job and he wants to live in South Africa. His favourite movie is “Hot Fuzz”. He comes from England and South Africa. Nick is going to England for the April holidays. His hobbies are sports and fly-fishing. He has one brother. His club is percussion. Filippo comes from Italy and he is in 5B. He said “Yeah” when I asked him if he liked the school, and also likes Romania. His favourite subject is PE and his favourite sport is skiing. He is going back to Italy for the April holidays and he would like to live there. His favourite movie is “I soliti ingioti”. His hobbies are watching TV and being with his friends. He has a smaller 1 sister and his clubs are football and Latin percussion. Saher is in Year 8. He likes this school. He likes football and his favourite subject is English. He wants to be his father and he wants to become an architect and live in Dubai. His favourite movie is “Step up 2”. He comes from Iraq. During the April holidays he is going to Syria. His hobby is playing with his friends. He has 3 brothers and 1 sister. He does football club . By Gonzo Pillet, Year 10Î
Primary school library news
Welcome to the Junior Library! I am inviting you not just to a space but to meet a living organism, continually evolving and ready to walk you beyond its walls, into the fascinating world of reading.
Students from Year 1 to Year 6 can learn here how to look for a book. When you find something that would answer your questions, you can sit down comfortably and read during a break or your library lesson. If there is a book you especially like, you can check it out and take it home with you. We can also help you find something in particular on our computerized database (if you know the title, the author or some key words for what you are looking for). The Identikit device (the clever little thing that reads your fingerprint and then instantly takes you to your account on the library computer) is very is very easy and fun to use, when taking out or returning a book. The books in the library have been divided non-fiction (and these further separated into topics like Environment, Geography, Animals, Sports & Hobbies, etc.) and fiction books to make it easier to find the book you want. The fiction books are separated into picture books and chapter books and are arranged on the alphabetically, according to the surname of the author. The shelves are labeled clearly, so finding the book you want should be easy as long as people puts books back on the shelf they came from. The library has new books arriving all the time, so you be sure to visit the library regularly. We also have a new series of bilingual books for those of you who need a little extra help in your reading. If you read a book that you liked a lot and think other students at BSB would benefit from or enjoy reading, you can add it to the Library Wish List– write the title and name of the author down– and I will do my best to see that the book is included in the next library order. Parents are also invited to recommend titles. Happy reading! Ms Ana-Maria Marin, Primary School Librarian 10
Senior Clubs an important aspect of life at BSB Term 2 has been a very busy time for students after school as the BSB Clubs have been running every night, Monday-Friday, 3pm-4pm. Club participation is a very important aspect of student life as BSB as we believe that it is important for students to be given the opportunity to experience new activities and to search out new hobbies and interests to complement and balance the rigours of academic study. These clubs allow students to improve academically– which is especially important for Key Stage 4 and 5 students– or to burn off energy in a positive way that has built up over the course of the day. Term Two has provided students with an interesting variety of clubs to choose from: Keyboard Skills, Maths, Young Adventurers , Aerobic, Fencing, Louisa Dascalescu, Year 8, Football, Chinese Fitness, Karate, Games, Art, receiving instruction in the School Choir, Dance, and Drama. At the start of art of fencing. each term, students are given out a letter detailing the clubs offered and are encouraged to sign up for two clubs. The Young Adventurers Club is a good example of the way in which BSB encourages students at BSB to try new things, with weekend trekking and fishing trips scheduled and run by The Football Club out in all weather teachers for the benefit of the students. The next three trips scheduled are: 1. Sinaia Trekking: Saturday May 10th 2. Peris Fishing and BBQ: Saturday May 31st 3. Sinaia/Busteni; Trekking: Saturday June 21st
The Outdoor Adventurers Club learning all about the great outdoors.
Check out Issue 3 of Newsblast for a full review of clubs running in Term 3.
Primary School University Courses What happens in the Safari Course? In our university course we are learning about Africa and the animals that live there. We are also learning a little more about the culture and the differences in how children grow up and what they do in their spare time. We enjoyed making our African masks and creating our own snakes as we looked at a range of wonderful snakes that can be found in Africa.
Key Stage 2 Cookery Class The last 8 weeks have been great. We are in the University Cooking class. We have been making things and cooking things. The cooking class is really fun. We like how responsible we are for everything. The dishes have been tasty, but they have also been interesting in flavour and techniques. Some of the dishes we have learnt have been a country quiche, scones, soup, and pizza. By Parris Sandlin and Harry Calthrop, 5B
Dance Class with Miss Loeper: We're doing the Brazilian dance and the Line dance. My favourite is the Brazilian dance. It's fun when you're doing dance. I like it. By Pelin Turkmen, 2B 11
Giraffes are tall mammals In the grassland, Reaching high for food, A giraffe can scare lions, Fast running, Fighting with their horns, Evening they go to sleep. By Hithu, 2B
World Book Day This year on the 6th of March, a special day was celebrated: World Book Day. In our school, Secondary students were asked by Mr. Murchison to bring books for the library. We have gathered 199 books from students who love reading! Most of the books came from Jacob in Year 8 who has managed to down our school record, and brought in 72 books; enough for us to start a German section in the library. Thanks a lot Jacob! There was also a competition where over 40 secondary school students entered to win a year supply of free Puffin books! When asked what he thinks the chances of a student from BSB winning were, Mr. Murchison answered; 'When a competition is this widespread; it is difficult to win. When things are difficult to attain, it makes success that much more sweet. In my opinion, every entry that was sent away to England is already a winner. Writing, whether acknowledged by a prize or not, should always be considered an achievement. That said it would be beyond marvellous if a British School of Bucharest student won the prestigious award.' On further investigation, I found out that in England every year, authors write books; which, when bought, give ÂŁ1 of the proceeds directly to the World Book Day foundation. By Mihnea Rusu, Year 8
Secondary School library news
The secondary library has come a long way from its humble beginnings, not only does the spilt from primary allow secondary students better access to books relevant to their study but we now have clear academic subject sections with a lot of new additions to the shelves. There are soon to be more additions, as we are presently compiling lists of new books, with help from students and subject tutors, which will extend our current collection, with a focus on aiding curricular research. One of the most positive aspects has been the massive student interest expressed in our new Secondary library, with pupils very keen to put forward suggestions as well as the numbers of students willing to be a helper. Below are some of the pupil suggestions that are being implemented: Magazine Rack One of the most recurrent requests (apart from more books!) was to have a magazine/newspaper section, the racks are now in place and we had our first newspaper arrive today, with others soon to follow. Book Reviews Board / Student Book Club The book reports are used to help other students choose a good book to read. This board will soon be filled with book reports from books students have read from our library and thought would be good for others to read. To contribute, please pick up a book review form, fill it in and when completed return it to the librarian. Also there is soon to be a student led book club, which will play a large role in this. Quiet working area This is the area just outside the library in the corridor. At the moment there are two desks there, and these are for you to do silent work‌.maybe your homework? We are looking into obtaining a TV and DVD player, complete with headphones and a DVD collection of relevant films and documentaries for this study area. More Seating We have a nice big carpet area and more seating in the librarywe will soon be getting some comfy seats/bean bags for your reading leisure. There is also a conservatory area which overlooks the school grounds for a relaxing reading experience. Modern issuing system Currently the issuing system works by a very low tech signing books in/out list! But the new scanning system should be in operation from next week, whereby students can use their personal barcode to scan in/out books. Also, a data base to search for books will be available. A group of willing volunteers are helping me log all the new books into the system; add barcodes to new books, etc. Once the system is up and running I will be able to appoint student librarians who can oversee running the library . Ms Davina Bye, Secondary School Librarian 12
WBD continued…. Reading Buddies
“Everyone had a very fun time reading. Year 6D joined with 4K for paired reading on World Book Day. After we read to each other we asked the kids some questions about the books.” Stergios Mallioglou – Y6 th
All kinds of strange characters turned out on Thursday, 6 March 2008, for the annual World Book Day. BSB children along with teachers dressed up as their favourite characters to celebrate the day. At the end of the day World Book Day was celebrated in an assembly held in the Library. Mrs Corda, and Nour Chehab, a secondary student, read to the children.
“I thought it was interesting. My reading buddy’s story was interesting.” Roberto Salameh – Y4
At the assembly, children paraded their costumes down the staircase and best costumes were chosen in each class. Winners are listed below. 1D - Kyriaki Mallioglou - My Little Pony 1M – Alexander Prelea - Mike Milligan 2B – Ioana Roibu – Match Girl 2L – Marcel Reitz – Fireman 2W – Engin Berbeloglu - Wizard 3B – Naif Al Zughaibi - Pencil 3L – Alina Warmerdam – Pippi Longstocking 4H – Bianca Lucini – Winnie the Pooh 4K – Maria Christina – Pippi Longstocking 5B – Filippo Musneci – Giant Turnip 5T – Alex Pitulea – Obi-wan Kenobi 6D – Dorka Szocs – Pocahontas 6S - Victor Florescu – Chewbacca
“I enjoyed reading with the Year Ones. I read a Year One book to him. I think he enjoyed it.’ Andreas Kougionas - Y5 “I like to read books in English because I am learning a lot.” Cedric Keller - Y1
As part of the World Book Day the children entered a competition for best book review and favourite character. Cameron McCready KS2 won Best Book Review and Bram Warmerdam KS1 won Favourite Character.
“It was cute reading with the Year 2. She read well and I enjoyed reading to her.’ Mena Abou El Nasr – Y3 “I felt happy and nervous at the same time because it was my first time reading with an older child. It was exciting.’ Bridget Calthrop – Y2 Even the teachers got in on the act. Who is this mysterious man? 13
Primary Art Competition Review This year’s art competition was very successful. About 60 students from Years 1-6 handed in an art creation related to the theme of Martisorul, the Romanian celebration of spring. Using paint, pastels, and even material, students created flowers, rainbows, landscapes, and portraits that depicted the idea of the year being structured as a series of contrasts, such as summer/winter, lightness/darkness, and warm/cold. The art was on display in the main foyer of the secondary building and the winners were announced at our Key Stage assemblies. The British School of Bucharest has an online gallery with Kids 101 Art, where you can also view the artwork. The link to this site is: http://www.kids101-art.co.uk/index.php?cat=13496
1st Place, Jennea Pillay 6S
2nd Place, Stergios Mallioglou 6D
3rd Place, Kenny Krahn 6S
BSB Eco Committee News Report on Eco Day
5B Get Lyrical
Every year the British School of Bucharest celebrates Eco Day . It is a day in which we remember the damage us humans have done to our planet and our responsibility to correct our mistakes. The British School of Bucharest, being an Eco school, has spent a lot of time making its students aware of the danger our planet is in.
Basil and Anthime
On Eco Day the school allowed students to wear green clothes instead of their regular uniforms for a donation of 5 RON. We are happy to announce that our school has managed to raise a great deal of money. This money will be carefully spent on buying eco-friendly items such as power saving light bulbs, planting trees and so on. We also presented an assembly by the school’s eco-committee on ways we can help save the environment. The assembly was mostly focused on the deforestation of the Amazonian rainforest and the sustainable ways we can help to save it. The day has set its mark on the school’s history and was a great success; we are and will always be proud of our schools contribution to saving the planet. By Matthew Florescu Year 8
Come on Recycle Do it now Do it before the time goes down down down down Why spend your cash When there’s a bus you can catch It ain’t no luck Don’t take no skill It’s just your power of will Everybody in the house say… Andreea and Mariam
On Eco Day each class was provided with a collection of plants and a pot to plant them in, to help promote children’s interest in the environment. Children have the responsibility of looking after the plants and recording how they change as they grow.
If you throw your rubbish on the street The street won’t be anymore neat And then you are going to regret That our world will be in a threat Angeliki and Loukas
Let’s make things better Let’s be more clever We can save the planet Yeah! Together! Leaving everything Clean forever 14
Freddie from Year 2 shares information about Rainforests at the KS2 Assembly on Eco- Day
On March 5th BSB celebrated ‘World Maths Day’ It was a huge success. Each child competed with other children from around the world. The children had to answer as many mental maths questions as they could within one minute. The children really enjoyed the challenge of competing against others. There were some outstanding results also. Sacha (4K) and Vlad (2B) answered the most questions overall in their Key Stage. Both these students answered over 4000 questions in the lead up to World Maths Day. In the class competition 4K and 5B both had very impressive totals and 6D made a late surge The children had their own to claim 3rd place, thanks mostly to Andreas. username and password As a school we answered over 90 000 questions and had over 180 students registered and and had to answer as many taking part. questions as possible in 60 seconds This event is only in its second year and collectively there were over 2 billion questions answered. With more than one million children competing from over 150 countries World Maths Day will certainly continue and next year BSB will aim to be even better.
Mr PatKenPriMaths dinator Sacha (4K) answered the most questions, Well Done!
rick nedy, mary Coor-
Hands up who loved World Maths Day!
Vlad (2B) answered over 4000 questions, another outstanding result
Where are they now? In June 2007 Tiffany Moorcroft left one BSB for another. Tiffany is now working as a Year 5 teacher at the British School of Brussels. The school has about 1300 students from Kindergarten to Year 13. As well as being a class teacher to her class of 24 she is also the KS2 Numeracy coordinator, on the sub-board for Curriculum and Learning, part of a working party for continuing professional development; and Head coach to the junior and senior cross-country teams. While she is enjoying having some different challenges to the ones she experienced in Bucharest, Tiffany writes that she really misses the family feel of her last BSB and the wonderful children and supportive parents. Tiffany has just completed the London Marathon in April!! Even though she vowed last year that she would never do it again. We wish her all the best, and look forward to a visit in the near future.
Many of our younger children will remember Ms Melody ( Head of BSB Foundation Stage 2004-07), who returned to Canada last summer to become a graduate student working on her Masters in Education in Educational Policy Studies at the University of Alberta. Her research is on the topic of teacher professional learning and she plans to complete her thesis in comparing programs in Canada and the UK. She is also teaching an undergraduate course on Managing the Learning Environment to students who are training to become teachers. This term, her thesis supervisor nominated her for a Graduate Student Teaching Award, with letters of support from students in the course. Melody was pleased to win an award at the Graduate Student Association Awards Night in March 2008. The award is given on the merit of exceptional results on teaching evaluations, remarkable effort to be innovative, remarkable effort to build constructive rapport with students, and exceptional dedication to teaching and students. Melody misses Bucharest very much, particularly the children and her colleagues from BSB.
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BSB Creche
Sasha, Tudor, Karl, Benjamin, Serban and Toannis dressed as their favourite storybook
The Creche classes at Gafencu and Pipera enjoyed all sorts of activities as part of their ‘Story time’ theme.
Benjamin and Sasha re-enacting the story: ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’
Ricky reading his favourite book.
characters for World Book Day.
Foundation Stage
The Foundation Stage at BSB Pipera has a new home and a very nice one it is too!! Every class has a bright new classroom that we have moved into this last term. Many thanks to everyone that worked so hard to make it happen. Miss Stewart said ‘I cannot believe the transformation from the last time that I saw it, it’s amazing, thanks so much!!’ Marcel was amazed and a little overwhelmed, ‘It’s all so new!’ Vlad from the Crèche was also delighted and exclaimed ‘It is beautiful, my classroom.’ Ali (RB) summed up everyone’s feelings ‘This is the best classroom in the world.’ We are also really lucky to have such a fantastic outside play area. We are blown away with the exciting learning opportunities that this new area offers us. It has a fantastic climbing area and construction area. Eva (RB) had a really good time outside ‘The climbing frame is amazing, especially the rope.’ We have had such a fun time with all the new wheeled vehicles, Talia (RC) said ‘I really like to scooter.’ With all this new activity on the roads it is just as well we have two new police cars or it could have all ended in trouble. Ola (RB) and Daniel M (RC) were on guard and could be seen zipping around in their new police cars, watch out everyone. All the new cars have been a great success, David from the Crèche states that ‘I would stay here for the cars.’ All in all the outside area is a hit. Alexis from Preschool was brave as she climbed to the very top of the tower. Sarah from RC was delighted to have such a big slide to slide down. She went very fast indeed. We are also lucky to have a general use room that the children will use for drama, music and library. The children are really looking forward to getting mucky in the messy room. There are lots of chances for us to get wet and dig in the sand, that’s just the teachers!!! Please feel free to come and have a look round and see how lucky we truly are!!!!!
Rachel Stewart, Head of Foundation
We all had a wonderful time on World Book Day
Pre-school Gafencu
Maria and Melina ‘fixing’ the teacher’s chair
Alice being ‘served’ by chefs Melina and Claudia
During our Community Helpers and Transportation unit students were very busy role-playing different occupations and constructing various buildings and vehicles.
David puts the finishing touches on this airplane
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Sai, Melina and Theodore were very proud of their tower that was taller than they were! 16
Alice building a castle with 3D shapes
Reception C
Reception C are enjoying their brand new classroom and are busy making it their own. This half term we have been studying Animals. The children have been studying their favourite animals. They have learnt about where the animals live, what they eat and look like. They have produced some excellent art work to display in the classroom. They had fun on Book Day and the Skipathon and are looking forward to more exciting upcoming events. Whale by Iladya, produced with a computer program
Reception B We have been learning all about animals this term. We have enjoyed drawing and sketching our favorite animals. We tried our best to look closely at the features of the animals as we sketched. As we have also been looking at non-fiction books this term the children have been making their own non-fiction books about animals. Ali has been enjoying our animal topic so much he actually turned in to an elephant one day! We are so happy to be in our new class and we hope you’ll visit us soon!
Year 1
1M We have been busy bees in our classroom, learning about a wide variety of topics! We have spent a lot of time learning about how to take care of our environment and practical ways in which we can re-use and recycle objects we use daily.
1D Over the month of March, 1D has been learning about Light and Dark. Students have discussed many sources that give us light outside, in our homes, and at school, and which of these sources use electricity. Through simple investigations, we have learned that it is difficult to see when there is no light and we rely on our other senses to help us. Through reading many non-fiction texts about topics related to Light, students have learned about a Table of Contents, Index, and Glossary. We also created our own books about Light and Dark, with Noah, Brendan, and Salaar making amazing non-fiction texts about the Sun and Stars, and Erin, Ipek, and Anastassia creating superb fictional stories about people and animals having adventures in the light and dark.
We made our own play within Literacy about the Wicked wasters, Ecowarriors and power rangers. No-one wanted to be a wicked waster but for the play, Enzo took a lead role in showing what happens when Year 1M fun with weighing we don’t care for our planet. Kira did a fantastic job as she was the narrator and each member of the class learnt their lines to produce a play for the rest of Key Stage 1 to watch. Alexandra got the chance to be a wonderful caterpillar as she munched on the leaves of Daria who was a beautiful flower! The class put on a spectacular performance and sang a wonderful song about looking after the Planet.
Also in March, students took part in many activities during Ecoweek. After watching a great play written and performed by 1M, we created a class “EcoTree”. On this tree, each “leaf” is a written idea of an eco-friendly action that will help save the environment. Some highlights are:
During World Book Day we also had the opportunity to read alongside Year 5. The pupils loved hearing stories from other pupils and getting the chance to show how well they can read.
“Take care of nature and don’t pollute!” – Alexandra “Take care of the flowers and the trees.” – Deniz “Plant a seed and give it water.” – Anna After learning all about how to take care of the environment, April’s theme is a focus around our Well-Being Week (April 7th to 11th) when we will learn about how to take care of ourselves and each other.
Class 1M reading with 5T
Mrs Lyndsey Marcu Head of Key Stage 1
Ms Sarah Douglas Class Teacher 17
Year 2W
Here is the project that Year 2 were working on. Included is the start of our display of The Great Fire of London of 1666. Also a three word poem inspired by the GF of L that David wrote on the computer and then modified to look old. Below are pictures from the university club ( street art ). Here the children are learning about the art of stencilling. They started with simple letters and went on to learn how to turn a photograph of their face into a stencil portrait.
Mr Mark Williams Class Teacher 2W Class Display depicting The Great Fire of London
Year 2B
Year 2L
Year 2L has been learning about many new topics. They worked incredibly hard on creating an assembly on the science topic of force. They made great visual aids in the form of posters defining force and giving examples of different types of force. They also displayed their terrific acting skills by carrying out a reader's theatre about friction.
In 2B we have been exploring the Great Fire of London 1666, for our new History Topic. The children have recreated a street scene of Pudding Lane where the fire started - complete with houses, streets
In History they began learning about the Great Fire of London. Once again students demonstrated artistic skill by creating flame like paintings. They learned about the major facts of the fire by writing the 5 w's of the event focusing on who, where and when the fire occurred. They've also created some terrific poems centred around this topic.
and fire! The children made their own houses out of card (very tricky but they did a great job)!! We also presented our findings and facts in a KS1 assembly to which our parents were invited. 2B have learnt songs about the fire, we have been singing 'London's burning' 'London Bridge is Falling Down' and 'Ring-a-ring a Rosies'.
Measurement has been a focus in mathematics. Students excelled at using scales to compare weights. They also created their own metre sticks to measure great distances such as the length across the gym. Multiplication and division are their next learning goals. Throughout it all they've enjoyed a wealth of other activities including enjoying an Easter egg hunt, going on a treasure hunt to find treasure left by our classroom leprechaun James O'Malley, competing in a Skip-AThon and gardening with our Eco-Day plants!
Ms Alison Loeper Class Teacher
As well as researching the Great Fire of London, 2B have been investigating Forces in Science. The children are making their own floating machines and have been conducting experiments with toy cars.
Ms Lindsey Banks Class Teacher
2L Force Assembly
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Year 3B
Year 3L
Over the last term 3B have been very busy. We have been involved in Skipathons, fitness afternoons, book days, assemblies, Easter egg hunting and many other activities. 3B have thoroughly enjoyed the new ‘jungle gym’ playground equipment which is used during break time. Here you can see Giampaolo on the Monkey swing and Greta on the swirly ladder.
This half term 3L have become Roald Dahl experts. By reading and listening to some of his work we have learnt how to improve our own writing and have also learnt all about his exciting life using books and research on the internet.
I would like to say a big ‘well done’ to 3B’s Skipathon winners Greta and Niklas and a congratulations to Naif as the World Book Day 3B costume winner.
We have just started a new topic in Science – Magnets and Springs. We have been developing our investigative skills testing the properties of magnets. In Maths we have continued to strengthen and further our ability to add and subtract both on paper and with a more hands on approach with large groups of objects. Our estimation skills are getting much better too – let’s hope there is a ‘guess how many marbles are in the jar’ game at the Summer Fair!
Mr Sonny Leese Class Teacher
3B’s assembly this term was based on Roald Dahl so the children acted out Roald Dahl’s version of Naif dressed up for WBD Little Red Riding Hood. Here you can see Red Riding Hood ( Ana ) picking flowers (Greta and Karina) for her Grandmother.
Ms Georgina Basford Class Teacher
Year 4H
It’s been a busy few months for 4H. Everyone enjoyed making our robots in science, especially because we had to fidget with wires, tape and batteries to make our circuits light up. WOW, they really looked great when we were finished. With the coming of the beautiful spring weather, we’ve been having Outdoor Numeracy classes. In these special lessons, we have been doing different kinds of races and been estimating and timing how fast we can run, hop, and skip. My favourite was the three-legged race. When we finish noting the times, we will turn our tally charts into Bar Graphs. A few weeks ago was Eco-Day. So in honour of the environment, we planted 4 plants. It will be our task to help our plants to grow strong and healthy. Thanks, we hope you all enjoy the rest of the year! 4H contributing to Eco Day Sarah Nolan 4H
Year 4K
Arnold’s Robot, by Tony 4K
It was a sunny day in school Arnold brought his robot for show and tell. Arnold was in class writing a science test. Meanwhile in the basement the bully Stingol was trying to steal Arnolds robot. When Stingol touched Arnolds bag he got an electric shock and that awoke the robot Piki. Piki sensed he was in danger so he ran away. “Help,” said Piki and ran as fast as he could. “Don’t run,” yelled Stingol. “No please don’t catch me,” said Piki “Aaaaaaaaaaaggggggggggrrrrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaa”. Stingol tripped. “Phef” mumbled Piki and hid in a corner. ‘Ding ding ding’ the bell rang and all the children ran outside for play. Arnold wanted to check if his robot was alright, he knew Stingol would steal it sometime. He opened his bag and his robot was gone. “Oh no,” thought Arnold. Again Stingol went to find him. “Hey dude,” said Stingol “YOU STOLE MY ROBOT” shouted Arnold “Yeah, I tried but it escaped” “Don’t lie,” Arnold said confidently. “No I didn’t, so clear off” shouted Stingol. “Ok ok I will look for him”. He looked and searched every where and finally he found him. He always kept it somewhere safe and his things were never stolen again. Roberto Salameh dressed up for WBD 19
Year 5 History of Bucharest Field Trip On Thursday March 20th , Year 5 went on a field trip to explore the historical centre of Bucharest. Here is a recount of the trip, put together by several members of Year 5.
A Clipboard and a Crown, By Year 5 It was a sunny day. I felt it was going to be a special day: we were going to visit the Museum of History! Walking ... walking … non stop! My arms were aching as well as my legs! When is lunch? I thought as we trudged along. “Onwards, Onwards!” cried Mr. Brian. Our first stop was the Bucharest Museum of History. We got off the bus and saw old stone columns rising up from slate steps to the roof, which was engraved with the names of the significant people from Romania’s past. We visited the Treasury Room and while there, I learnt something really interesting: that the earliest people in Romania were called Dacians, and they used jewellery for decoration. Helena Miravallis, Cammy McCready, Hyo – Kyung In the Lapidarium, there were friezes telling the story of Kim, Tatum Rouf, Parris Sandlin, Harry Calthrope Decebal, the Dacian King during the Roman invasion. He and Sophie Moore explore the cellar of Curtea Veche committed suicide after he was captured to avoid being made a Roman slave! After the Museum we walked up to Lipscani Street, which was originally called “The Main Lane”. It contains a lot of history and old things to preserve. We considered it important to preserve things from the past so that people can remember what Bucharest was like before. We walked along Smardan Street, which was originally called “The German Street”. Most of the old street names came from the people who lived there, or the type of work they did. We continued on to Curtea Veche, which is the old Palace grounds. There we stopped for lunch and then had a tour of the old cellar. This was very interesting, especially as we came across an ancient oven! At the end of the trip, I felt like my expectations had not only been met, but had been beaten! Idan Shamel records facts that he finds out about the Lipscani area during the history trip.
Year 6 Design and Technology.
Year 6D
At the end of their D.T. topic 'Shelters' Year 6 had a D.T. morning where they had a choice of different challenges. They could either enlarge one of their shelters by 50% or they could build a shelter which was big enough for one Year 6 students hard at work member of the group to go into and out of. Although this was a D.T. task many other skills from other curricular areas were also used. The photos help to show how the students got on.
6D have been working on newspaper reports over the last two weeks, and Mr Davidson and his wife provided us with the ideal front page news. A delighted Mr Davidson sent us an email and pictures to announce the birth of his baby daughter Caitlin Caitlin - Eyes wide open! Rachel Davidson. She came into the world at 16.35 on Sunday 24th of March. Mr Davidson has taken some time away from school to spend with his family, however we had a wonderful surprise when Mr Davidson brought Catlin in to meet us. She is very beautiful and has more hair than Mr Davidson. Year 6D send lots of congratulations to all the family.
Jennea's group sharing planning ideas
Mr Iain Davidson and Ms Sara Snocken Putting the canvas around the 'scaled up’ version of the tee-pee 20
BSB Charity Update Having had such a successful shoebox appeal, we have found ourselves busy trying to decide how best to spend the money raised during the Artisan Fair in December. We raised a total of 1650 lei and the money is being distributed throughout a range of different charities. Ateliare Protejate- This organisation helps young adults with mental disabilities. They currently have 25 “children”. They teach children how to make candles that they can then sell to help support themselves. We plan to deliver a food donation. Azil near Special Hospital 10- this is a home for elderly and disabled adults who have no family. They have a real need for toiletries which will be sent to them in April. Any money left will be given to St Stelians, a local charity which we have supported for many years. As part of our environmental push to re-use and recycle, the eco-committee helped raise money to buy large green bins where toys, games and clothing can be placed. Within the first week, the bins were filled to bursting and we would like to thank those families who have cleared out their wardrobes and cupboards! These items will be sorted and given to our local charities. Please continue to support this worthwhile initiative. We welcome all toys, games and clothing which are in good condition.
Mrs Lyndsey Marcu, Head of Charity Committee
Focus on Writers Welcome to the first edition of Focus on Writers. This is a column intended to be both informative, humerous, and rewarding for a hard working student. Hopefully, each edition of the BSB Newsblast will consist of a focus on a particular student that has been hardworking, impressive and inspirational in English class. The focus will highlight particular achievements of the selected students and will be coupled with a short biography of a Literary figure of that student’s choice. Please be advised that this is a light-hearted look at both a successful Secondary English Student and of a literary figure. Throughout History writers have been around and have traditionally either taken themselves too seriously or not seriously enough. There is a struggle between their persona and the men and women they actually become. Mathieu Florescu, Year 8, has chosen Herman Melville as his inspirational Literary Figure and when you read the short biography written by Mathieu you will see that Melville was perhaps one of those writers who took himself just a tad too seriously- in stark contrast to the lively, often humorous character that Mathieu is at times. Melville was the third of eight children of a wealthy middle class family. During his childhood he went to a few schools but was, for the most part, self-taught, as he and his family kept moving around the United States from place to place. Later he became a whaler in the US navy, visiting most of the worldit was his voyages aboard whaling ships that inspired him to write his famous book ‘Moby Dick’. In 1847 he married Elizabeth Shaw, with whom he had 4 children. Melville was inspired by Shakespeare and the Bible. His first 6 novels share the theme of sea travel. After the failure of his dark comic novel ‘The Confidence Man’ he moved back to New York where he spent many days in a customs house in the city harbour. Melville is now considered one of the greatest and most imaginative writers ever.
Like Melville, Mathieu comes from a large family, although today’s families are diminutive in comparison to the old colonial families. Other than that, there are not many more similarities between the two except, of course, that they are both American. You may have heard of Mathieu’s older brother Radu who is school alumni and his younger brother Victor in Year 6S. I suppose that Melville was a middle child as well but other than this it is difficult to draw similarities between the two writers. Unlike Melville, Mathieu is already a familiar face in the BSB Newsblast as he has contributed articles to both editions. Melville, on the other hand, has not contributed anything. This is due, in-part, to the fact that he is dead. Despite being the author of the famous Moby Dick Melville cannot say that he has written for Newsblast. While reading a local Bucharest publication recently I came across a fine article written by Mathieu’s father. I believe that a lot of Mathieu’s talent stems from home. He is an avid reader and devours books on his own time. Every morning when I come into class I see Mathieu with his nose in a book. Clearly he is encouraged to read. In class, this is apparent as his knowledge of current affairs is great and, I personally consider him a Year 8 WWI and WWII expert. Mathieu recently shared a poignant quote he stumbled upon while reading for himself: “The worst crimes are committed by few, dared by more, and tolerated by all.” We were discussing the vicious cycles involved in crime and war and the entire class were grateful of Mathieu’s contribution. There is however, one other thing that Mathieu has in common with Melville. They both had literary inspirations. Melville was inspired for Shakespeare. Well, Mathieu also looks up to a Literary hero: Herman Melville. Upon comparison of the two photos and witnessing Mathieu trying to be as steadfast and almost angrily conservative like Melville appears to be in the photo, I think I see a smirk and twinkling eyes. Is Mathieu serious and steadfast? No. Is he inspired by writing? Most certainly yes! How else could I have made him to pose as Herman Melville?
Mr Steven Murchison Head of English 21
Year 7 carry out experiments in the new science room . Year 7 this term have been investigating the reactions between acids and alkalis, acids and metals and the
effect of heat on reaction rates. They have also investigated acids and alkalis in the home environment. Students have to work co-operatively in groups each with a specific task to enable them to achieve an outcome. As practical work changes so do the assigned tasks. Students are encouraged to be involved in “Independent Learning” where they typically ask questions like, “what would happen if…?” and then to design experiments to test their hypotheses or to find answers to their questions. This approach to learning in science has been shown to produce students who participate in ‘life-long learning’ and who are inquisitive, inventive and self-motivated. This approach to learning is also central to the core philosophy of science teaching at the British School of Bucharest. Mr David Broadhurst, Secondary Science Teacher
Key Stage 3 & 4 Summer Trip This adventure is a superb opportunity for the children to have fun while learning new skills and experiencing new things. There are numerous exciting activities planned by PGL for the students to enjoy: fencing, swimming, rifle shooting, sea-rafting, snorkelling, archery, and excursions, to name just a few. This will be a great trip, however there are only 24 places available- first come first served.
The price for each child is 1200€ and includes: DFlight (non-stop return to London) D Return airport transfer from London to Shorefield County Park D2 days in London staying at The Elizabeth Hotel, complete with swimming pool, spa and sports centre D3 accompanying BSB teachers DAll food and activities at the camp and in London
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23rd to 29th June
2008
BSB Bulletin Board maps WANTED l brochures or street rm different towns Old postcards, trave eet maps collected fo str or res hu oc br l ve as these will postcards, tra graphy) coordinator, eo (G If you have any old u, arc M sey nd greatly bring them to Ly lessons and we would hy rap og or cities, then please ge in th wi . l resources to be used are travelling abroad become a very usefu is in mind when you th ep ke uld co u yo appreciate it if
Summmer Fete Volunteers Needed Would you like to help out at the annual BSB Summer Fete, planned for June 17th this year? If so, please contact Helen Calthrop by email at Ladies night out helenc@ssafara.net, or by Would you like to enjoy a ladies night out? If so, then why not phone: 0212679083 (hm) come along to the monthly BSB ladies nig 0728817791 (Mob) ht out. For information on dates and up-coming venues, please phone Claudia Kr Any help would be warmly ahn on 07405590237 (mob) or welcomed. 0214908084 (home)
or call Christiana at the BSB
office on 021 267 8919.
299,000₏ (negotiable) le Sa t ec Dir le– sa for la or patio with awning, New Vil oms, 2 bathrooms, outdo dro be 3 2, lage (1km from 7m 15 e, us ho Single level Sat Petresti, Gardenia Vil 4, Nr1 nia rde Ga ea Ale 2. can school). Contact landscaped garden 534m ll and British and Ameri Ma ssa ne Ba to ve dri ns the DN1 and only 10 mi e 00905343155591 @yahoo.co.uk, or phon nic oc ssd gra s: vie Da Nic 280201 ase contact Oana: 0721 For private viewings, ple
5B's
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Which country was officially formed in 1881? The name used to describe a Prince in ancient Romania Where can you find information on Romania's past? (3 words) What monument was donated to Bucharest by France? (3 words Who was "Dracula'? (2 words) What is happening in the Lipscani area these days? One of Bucharest's main streets is named after this important Moldavian King 11. Which street was the first commercial lane in Bucharest? 12. An old Inn in Bucharest , now under reconstruction (2 words) 14. What was the name of the region the Dacians lived in? 15. What happened in Bucharest in 1847?
History of Bucharest Crossword Puzzle
Down
1. What was the Museum of History used for before it was a Museum? 3. The ancient name of Constanta 10. Bucharest has suffered from many of these (2 words) 13. What is the oldest church in Bucharest? 16. What has been very important to Romanians throughout their history? 17. The name of the Roman Emperor at the time of the Romanian invasion? 18. Who was the Dacian King during the Roman invasion? 19. The name of the old Palace ruins (2 words) 20. What was Lipscani Street originally referred to as (3 words)
2. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
Across
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The latest addition to the BSB Campus.