BSB School Magazine - December 2009

The British School of Bucharest Magazine

Issue 2 - December 2009 Visit the BSB website at www.britishschool.ro

Gafencu students taking advantage of the unusually warm autumnal weather

Weather often plays a major role in the life of students, whether by way of a last minute change to a lesson plan, by the effect it has on schools trips, or simply by deciding how students enjoy their break times, and in autumn this is especially so, as you will discover in this issue of Newsblast.

Bronze Expedition Underway

Healthy Schools Week

3T students prepare for Christmas

The end of term one was a very busy time for Duke of Edinburgh participants as they planned, prepared for, and completed their Bronze overnight expedition. Under the watchful eyes of Mr Kevin Power and Ms Tiffany Moorcroft, Naomi, Polen, and Eda Year 8, and Louisa and Bethan, Year 10, braved the rainy weather.

One of the busiest weeks of the calendar this term was undoubtedly Healthy Schools Week, complete with assemblies, art competitions, bake sales, and a host of interesting classroom activities. One of the highlights of the week, enjoyed by both students and teachers alike, was the early morning callisthenics session led by our very own Mr (Bruce Lee) Williams.

The lead up to Christmas and New Year has been as busy a time as ever with students across the primary school involved in the mass production of cards and Christmas and New Year decorations. You can find out just what they have all been up to over this very busy time of the school year.

Visit the BSB website at www.britishschool.ro Contents · Editor’s Note 2 · Craze of the Week: Conkers 2 · Principal’s Report 3 · The Front Desk 3 · EYFS Gafencu Report 4 · EYFS Pipera Report 4 · Key Stage 1 Report 4 · Key Stage 2 Report 5 · Primary School Report 5 · Secondary School Report 5 · Where are they now?

6 · Student Spotlight 6 · New Teachers 7 · Primary House Competition 8 · Secondary House Competition Update, December 2009 9 · Vice House Captain Reports 9 · Mathematics Day celebrates the Number 10, 2009 10 · Play Live Maths Competition 10 · Junior Librarians 11 · A Warm welcome to the Primary School Library 11 · What’s happening in 6H? 11 · Eco Committee Report 12 · Irini (3W) wins BSB Spelling Bee 12 · What’s up in the Primary Student Council?

13 · Secondary Student Council Update 13 · Science Question of the Week 13 · Weekly Science Challenge 13 · BSB Annual Shoe Box Appeal, 2009 14 · Down Syndrome Association Bucharest Visits BSB 15 · International Links 15 · Year 9 Remembrance Day 16 · Year 8 History 16 · Year 9 Geography 17 · The Weather Outside is…

Delightful? (an Eco-English Lesson) 17 · Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Expedition 18 · YEAR 11/12 WORK EXPERIENCE 19 · The BSB Radio Show 20 · The New Listening Centres prove popular with Primary School Students 20 · Sleeping: we all do it, but how much do you really know about it?

20 · Music Recital Night Entertains All Present 21 · University Courses Review 28 · BSB University, Term 1 28 · DT continues to go from strength to strength 30 · Risotto: Critical Review 31 · Creche and Preschool put on Healthy Schools Bake Sale 32 · EYFS Parents Workshops 32 · Tuff Cams 32 · Healthy Schools Week 33 · Able, Gifted and Talented at the Early Years and Foundation Stage 34 · Winter Vegetables in the EYFS 34 · Class Pages 35-40 · Adult Art classes have again been very popular this year with parents 41 · Adult English Classes: 41 · Back to school 41 · PTA Update 42 · New Additions to the Resource Centre 42 · Child Protection Course 42 · The BSB Calendar 43 · Red House Book Club 43

Editor’s Note

I am particularly happy this year to have the second issue of Newsblast out before the Christmas and New Year break as we have not normally devoted a lot of space to the build up to Christmas, because there is nothing worse than reading about the preparations for Christmas and

New Year post Christmas and New Year - it’s a little like arriving at a party when it is almost over. For this reason Issue 2 this year has a slightly different, more festive feel to it than in the previous years, which is great as the school is hive of activity and excitement at this time of year and it is nice to be able to capture some of this feeling in this issue.

There has certainly been a lot going on both on and off campus in the past two months, with students celebrating Maths Day and Healthy Schools Week, and enjoying school trips away to Busteni, Herastrau Park, The National Museum of Art and Kretzulescu Palace, to name just a few. There have also been a host of guests to our school, including the Down Syndrome Association of Bucharest and John Aston, from AstonEco Management, along with others, helping to contribute to the education of our students. All this you can read about in this issue. You can also read about what has been going on in the classrooms and learn how 6H have been using power point

presentations in class, where Year 5 have been to, why Reception B are not afraid of the dark, and what our Year 8 and 9 students have been learning in History- all this, and a lot more.

I would like to finish by thanking those who have contributed to this issue, including all the teachers and students, but in particular, the ever industrious Ms Tiffany Moorcroft, Mr Brad Hamacher, Mr Iain Davidson and Ms Jen Kemp. Your help and effort is very much appreciated.

I would also like to join with the many other voices in this issue in thanking the PTA for the many positive changes you have been making to BSB with your generous contributions of both money and time. We very much appreciate all that you do for us.

I hope you all enjoy reading Issue 2 and if you have any suggestions for articles that you would like to see included in Issue 3, please email me directly.

Mr Kendall Peet kendall.peet@britishschool.ro

Craze of the Week: Conkers The first ‘Craze of the Week’ for BSB was a classic, dating back to 1848.

Mr Leese and 5L chose autumn as the perfect time to teach all the students a very exciting game called ‘Conkers’.

The name Conkers means ‘Hard’ and first began in the Isle of Wight, using Horse Chestnuts. To play the game you must first find your Battle Conker, which is why this game must be played in September or October because this is when the chestnuts fall from the tree. Once you have found the biggest, strongest chestnut, you must drill a hole through the middle with a small nail being very careful not to damage it. Then you put a string through it and tie a knot at the end so that it will never fall off.

Now you are ready for battle!

Heading out to the playground, you look for other students with Conkers, and challenge them to a Conker Fight. To play, you take turns hitting the other person’s Conker, trying to break it off its string. If you break the chestnut in half or knock it off the string you WIN, but beware, with every good hit your own Conker is at risk of breaking too. If you win one battle, you can name you Conker a ‘1er’, if you win 2 it is a ‘2er’ and so on.

David (4D) holds up his champion Conker, which had recently become a ‘2er’

Everyone at BSB really enjoyed our Conker Craze and can’t wait until next Fall…Conker season!

Alessandro, 5L

Gabi and David from 4D do battle in BSB’s first Craze of the Week, ‘Conkers!’

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Principal’s Report

Dear Parents & Friends of BSB, One of the greatest things about working in schools is that you get the euphoria and adrenalin rush of two starts to the year, the calendar year and the academic year. Academically we have had a wonderfully smooth start to the school year this term, and it has been amazing to contemplate about how much is going on at BSB in terms of opportunities for learning and development for students

and staff. This is certainly a result of just how hard the teachers are working and how enthusiastic our students are, inspiring new ideas and initiatives.

In just a few weeks many of our families and students will be welcoming in the New Year, a time for new resolutions, fresh attitudes and approaches. It is a time for reflection and also a time to look to the future.

Within the school community the processes of reflection and strategic planning are a vital part of our ongoing work, and this year we have a major cause for reflection as we reach our 10th anniversary. Several people are already at work on our BSB 10 celebrations, Mr. Ward even wove it in to our Maths Day to allow the children to start to think about this milestone. I hope that throughout the coming two terms you are all able to help us celebrate at one event or occasion: I consider it is very important for the school community to mark this year in style, and see it as a wonderful achievement. Plans are under way for a BSB10 Ball in March and the Summer Fair aims to be even bigger than in previous years, with the addition of a student talent show. Ms Taylor is also working

on a living museum focusing on the school’s development and I know she would welcome any information or photographs that may add to this.

In reflecting on all the school has achieved, I must recall all the staff and families past and present who have helped BSB develop. We keep in touch with many of our past pupils and staff members which is an honour, and it is of course always sad to say goodbye. This December we will be saying farewell to Mrs. Beate Houette who is leaving to join her husband in Scotland, and we thank her for all her work in school, both in the Secondary Maths department but also with all the extra-curricular events and clubs she has helped organise. We must also wish the best of luck to Ms Deanna Beggs who is leaving to have her baby in January, we are sure she will drop in to see us all very soon. Mrs. Jennifer Leay and Ms Claire Cowlishaw will be joining us from January to fill these teaching roles.

soon became involved with the ICT/ AV department as the needs of the school grew, indeed this department has become a lynchpin for many of the developments at the school, from everything to report formats to the introduction of the inter-active whiteboards. I can hardly imagine an area that has not been touched by his hard work and so we extend a huge thanks to Stefan and wish him all the best as he leaves to spend more time with his baby Magdalena, and establishing his family home outside of Bucharest. We hope he will stay in touch and we will see them all from time to time when they visit the city.

So as we all take a well-deserved break, and hopefully some time to reflect on the successes of 2009, I wish you all a wonderful holiday and the very best for 2010.

Jo Puddy-Wells principal@britishschool.ro

We must also say a very sad goodbye to Mr. Stefan Jipa who has been associated with the school for many years, first through his wife Andreea and then by joining our staff as our medical officer. Stefan

The Front Desk

Office staff

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, 8.00am-5.00pm, Monday-Friday.

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For general enquires or sports and clubs please contact:

For specific help relating to school transport and student lunches, please contact:

Sandra Cristea, Office Manager Diana Udor, Office &Student Services Assistant Adina Suciu, Office Assistant Email: office@britishschool.ro Tel: 021 267 8919 Fax: 021 267 8969

Diana Udor Email: services@britishschool.ro Mob: 0728 133 432/3 Tel: 021 267 8919 Fax: 021 267 8969

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Visit the BSB website at www.britishschool.ro

EYFS Gafencu Report

The autumn term at Gafencu has been a very exciting one. We had several new starts, for adults, for children, for curriculum initiatives, and not least Preschool moving into the garden classroom. As the term has gone on we have all noticed the children becoming more confident and relaxed, and developing a sense of belonging and ownership.

The Early Years Foundation Stage framework gives equal balance to the learning environment, being either indoors or outdoors, and we have developed the daily timetable so that all the children can decide where they want tobe.

Many of the Preschool children, having arrived at school by the front door, frequently walk directly

EYFS Pipera Report

As always life in EYFS continues to be busy, inspiring and often full of surprises. Personally I have really enjoyed getting to know all the children over the first term and am constantly amazed by the progress they are all making.

You can read in various sections of Newsblast about our bake sales, new cameras and other wonderful class activities. Thank you to all the parents who have been looking at the Blogs. Everytime we log on to

Key Stage 1 Report

It has been a very busy time in Key Stage1 this term. We had exciting trips to the Military Museum where children were able to view military equipment from different ages and explore interactive displays, and to the Botanical Gardens where children were able to discover and sketch plants in their local area.

After the success of these trips we are eagerly looking forward to more trips throughout the school year and would welcome any ideas from parents withregard to good places to visit as we would like to expand our list of venues.

Years 1 and 2 have all finished their

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through the Preschool classroom and out in to the garden, and only the most dreadful weather brings them all back in! The Reception children do have certain specific indoor teaching times, but they also have the option to be indoors or outdoors at all other times; an opportunity which some of them regularly take up. The Crèche children are now, having settled into their room with their adults, being encouraged to make their own decisions about where to be.

The Outdoor Environment provides the children with new interests and extends learning outside the traditional classroom boundaries.

We work in accordance with the Early Years Foundation Stage Guidelines, divided into 6 Areas of Learning, of which Personal Social Emotional development is the most important, and playing in the garden provides ideal opportunities for sharing toys and equipment, of

being mindful of younger children and for getting to know all the adults in Gafencu, which in itself will reduce the stress of being without the support of our parents; as a famous quote states, “for young children, there is no such thing as inappropriate weather, only inappropriate clothing.”

Our parents have been very supportive, and mindful of the seasonal weather changes, supplying us with appropriate clothing and lots of it; all of which is named. They are also demonstrating their patience and understanding in recognizing that the children are really benefiting from their outdoor experiences. We thank you for your continued support.

Ms Kath Homer, EYFS Coordinator, Gafencu

look at the Blogs with the children, or to update, them we are all impressed by the number of visitors we are getting. This definitely encourages us to keep them as updated as we can.

We are currently all working very hard on our festive production of ’O Christmas Tree’. By the time you read this you will probably have seen our performance and hopefully fully enjoyed it and appreciated all the hard work the children put in, along with all the staff. This time of year is always a wonderful time to work in a school, it is heartwarming seeing the children so excited when they spot their family in

the audience and the odd tear of proudness from the parents.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Ms Deanna (Reception B class teacher) as she temporarily leaves us to have a baby. We shall all really miss her and cannot wait for her to visit us in the New Year. I know her class will miss her but I am sure they will all be excited to meet thier new teacher Ms Claire, who I know will bring with her lots of enthusiasm and ideas to EYFS Pipera.

Happy holidays and all the best for 2010

first class assemblies with a great turnout from the parents. It was exciting to see the different things the children have learned and also to see their increased confidence in front of people. We look forward to more superb assemblies after Christmas. The children have also just finished their first University course session, which was enjoyed by all concerned. The children very much look forward to University time each week and cannot wait to get back to class to tell and show us what they have learned and done.

As you might imagine, the students are already anticipating the next University session in January.

As always there are many events each term. Maths Day was a huge success and the children enjoyed doing different activities. We

welcomed the visits by the parents who gave very positive feedback on the many activities. Healthy Schools Week showed us the many ways that we can be healthy. We looked at how healthy our snacks were and were visited by the dentist, which you can read more about this in this issue. The Year 6 children also put on an excellent assembly for Key Stage 1 on ways to be healthy.

Thank you to Year 6 children.

The Key Stage 1 team would especially like to thank the parents for their continued support and assistance. Please remember to check homework/communication books, and the Class Blogs for information and updates.

Ms Tiffany Moorcroft, EYFS Coordinator Pipera

Ms Justine Tyler, Key Stage 1 Coordinator

Visit the BSB website at www.britishschool.ro

Key Stage 2 Report

Our House Captains, Vice Captains and newly created playground leaders are all working hard to help ensure that our playground is a friendly and enjoyable area for all the pupils, whilst our school council and eco-committee members are continuing to both raise pupils issues and also our environmental awareness. The recently observed ‘Earth Hour’ being one example,

Primary School Report

As always, the run up to the winter holidays has been a busy and exciting time in Primary. The children have all been working hard on producing ‘Robin Hood’ and ‘Rosie the Reindeer’, and judging by the singing and acting talent shown by the children in rehearsals; I am certain these productions will be as entertaining as ever.

There have been many highlights to the year so far, including a celebration of the number ‘ten’ for this year’s Mathematics Day, which

Secondary School Report

The first term has been a hectic one with a wide range of activities having taken place. Year 11 students have been out on work experience placements, Key Stage 3 students have participated in Design Technology days and everybody is working towards the school production which will be held on Wednesday 9th December. In the assemblies we have welcomed outside speakers and were entertained by visitors from the Down Syndrome Association who are based in Bucharest. In September our MFL teachers hosted Language week offering varied and entertaining activities for the whole school to participate in. Our International Award students have trekked and camped out in Snagov and are now planning more excursions.

Students have entertained parents with a wonderful musical evening and have been able to impress everybody once again with their musical talents. Finally,

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which I know both pupils and teachers found an interesting experience when asked not to use any electricity for an hour. This term has also seen our special ‘Harvest Festival’ assembly, our popular Maths Day, the launch of our annual BSB Shoe Box Appeal and more recently our rehearsals for this year’s winter production, ‘Robin Hood’.

As always, the school continues to grow and we have several new pupils who have joined us recently including Anisia in 4D, Alessandro in 3T and Sebastiano and Benedetta in 4D and 6H respectively. We

have also had new members of staff joining us in Key Stage 2 – Ms Milena Gugiu the teaching assistant in Year 6U and Ms Daniela Tamas who is now working with 3T. A very warm welcome to all our new pupils, parents and staff members who have joined the BSB family recently.

Finally, I would just like to wish everyone a very happy holiday and say that I look forward to seeing you all again at the start of our new term in January.

was a huge success and greatly enjoyed- a big thank you to Mr Ward and all the teachers for putting this together.

The library now has a new layout to go with its new books and listening centre, which has been greeted with great enthusiasm by all the pupils.

They have also enjoyed our new classroom listening centres as well as the ‘podcasting’ recorder, which the BSB radio crew have all had fun learning how to use. BIG writing is well underway, which is evident in all the class displays, lessons and of course the writing work of the children; some of the poetry work, in particular, has been of a very high standard, and I have been very impressed with the progress made by many of the children in

this area. The community spirit this year is also at an all time high. The new playtime monitors, playpals, tech crew members and library monitors have all greatly added to the wonderful work done by the House Captains, Vice Captains and our student council. It has been wonderful to see so many children involved in making their school a better place, and so thanks to Mr Hamacher for being the instigator of so many new initiatives this year.

I would also like to wish everyone a wonderful holiday with their families and a very Happy New Year.

the new student learning garden has given our budding scientists the opportunity to work on water temperatures, oxygen levels and the opportunity to put into practice some of the knowledge they have learnt in class.

The Art department is opening its doors with an exhibition of student and parent work. Sketch books and the art work produced by our students provide wonderful work to be viewed. Parents will be able to see the ‘tall girl’ so named as the art work stands over 7 feet tall and forms part of the portfolio created by Andreea, Year 11, for her IGCSE work. All Year 11 students will exhibit their work, which is truly spectacular and demonstrates the talent and creativity I wish I possessed. The work entered by the students in the Healthy Schools competition will also be displayed and first prize was awarded to Jennea, Year 8. Key Stage 3 students took part in the Climate competition, with students able to see their work hanging in the halls of the UNESCO building when they were invited to the viewing.

Next term will begin with Year 11 mock examinations which begin 11th January. We will also be entering our first Key Stage 5 students for their AS

examinations next month. We wish all our students success in their examinations and teachers and parents alike will be encouraging them to revise over the Christmas vacation. Also during the coming term we will be hosting the secondary production of ‘Bugsy’ and Mr Kelly and Mr Mulvany will be holding auditions for students wanting to take part.

We sadly have to say goodbye to Mrs Houette who has been with the school since last Christmas.

She and her two sons, Charles and Louis, will be joining Mr Houette in Aberdeen. Mrs Houette has taught Mathematics to all the secondary students and she will be missed by students and teachers alike. We wish both her and her family well in their new life in Scotland. Mrs Leay will be joining the secondary team as the Mathematics teacher. She has been teaching for a number of years in the UK. She will join us in January, along with her husband and two children.

Finally, may I take this opportunity to wish you all a peaceful and relaxing holiday - I look forward to welcoming back our students in January.

Mr Iain Davidson, Key Stage 2 Coordinator

Ms Naima Hussain, Head of Primary

Ms Jane Greenwood, Head of Secondary School

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Where are they now?

Dear BSB,

Student Spotlight

When grow up what do you want to be?

I want to become a biologist.

Interview by Hitharth, 4D

I just wanted to say hello and send you a picture with Francesca. I will most likely be coming to the Artisan Fair in December to pick out a Christmas presents and look forward to catching up with a few familiar faces then. I look forward to seeing many of your there, but for those of you I miss, I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and all the best in the New Year.

Mrs Priscilla Varban, Creche G teacher in 2008

What is your favourite sport?

My favourite sport is cricket

Mahmoud, Year 12, is 17 years old and has been at BSB since he moved to Romania in 2005. He likes listening to music, particularly house and club music, and DJs at parties as a hobby. One of the things that Mahmoud does not like is when there are problems with his computer that are difficult to fix. This is his last year of school as he will be attending the American University of Beirut next year, where he is going to live. In regard to the future, Mahmoud says is looking forward to learning how to drive. He is also the House Captain of Olt.

Filippo, 7P, is 11 years old and is from Rome Italy and so obviously speaks Italian. He has one sister called Thea. Filippo is in his first year of Secondary and says it is a huge change from Primary. He has been at BSB for 8 years and says he thinks the school is “superb”; he also mentioned that the teachers are fun and that you learn a lot.

His best friends in the school are Robert, Johann, Antonio and Basil.

Filippo’s favourite hobby is skiing as he thinks it is fun and especially likes to win skiing competitions with shiny medals. He also likes lasagna and the movie Austin Powers. His favourite drink is Coca Cola. The best present he has ever received is a motorcycle, which was a gift from his uncle.

Interviewed by Bethan, Year 10

Interviewed by May, Year 10

Anisia, 4D What’s your name? Anisa Where do you come from? Romania How old are you? 8 Do you like your teacher? Yes. What is your favourite thing about BSB? University What do you not like about BSB? Nothing What is your favourite subject? PE What house team are you in? Olt Interview by Alina, 5M

Alvaro, Year 12, is 16 years old and has been living in Bucharest for 3 years and has been a student at the British School of Bucharest for 3 years also. Over the time span of 3 years he managed to teach himself how to speak Romanian, and also speaks 5 other languages (Spanish, Italian, English, Greek and German), 4 of which he speaks fluently.

Alvaro was born in Santander, Spain, and has 1 brother, Jaime, and two step sisters – Francesca and Michela. He has no pets. His hobbies include playing sports and going out with friends. Alvaro admitted to being a student who enjoys reading. His favourite food is pizza and pasta and he likes drinking Coca-Cola. If you would like to hear some of Alvaro’s great stories, make sure to speak with him during the break times.

Interviewed by Mihnea, Year 10

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Jesus, 6H What’s your name?

My name is Jesus How many years old are you?

I am 10 years old Which class are you in?

I am in 6H What is your favourite food?

My favourite food is ice-cream What do you like about BSB? I like the P.E

Hung, 5M What’s your name?

Hung (Nick name: Lia) Where do you come from?

Korea How old are you? 8 Do you like your teacher? Yes

What do like about Romania?

I like Bran Castle

What is your favourite thing about BSB? Club

Do you think living in Romania is better than the country you come from?

Yes, living in Romania is much better than living in Venezuela

What do you not like about BSB? Nothing

What is your favourite subject?

My favourite subject is Maths

What is your favourite subject? PE What house team are you in?

Danube Interview by Alina, 5M

Visit the BSB website at www.britishschool.ro

New Staff

Ms Sandra Cristea New Office Managerr

Mrs Sandra Cristea has recently joined our community at BSB as the new Office Manager at Pipera. When I asked Ms. Sandra where she worked previously, she told me she worked for Oracle, a software company, in the marketing department and was the administrator of all the logistics operations of the company. Ms Cristea also told me that working for BSB is very different from Oracle as BSB is a school, while Oracle is a software company and so there is a ‘different feel of activity’. If you see Ms Cristea around the BSB campus, please make sure to greet her and make her feel welcome!

Louisa, Year 10

Ms Christine Stowe Reception teacher at Gafencu

Here are some of the questions that the Reception children at Gafencu asked her.

Q. Can you swim?

Yes. Q. Can you eat by yourself?

Yes. Q. Where have you been on a map?

France, Romania, Holland, Russia, Scotland, Jordan and Jersey.

Q. How many have you? (How old?

(Laughing) 21

Ms Stowe comes to us from London, England. She has many years experience of childcare and loves her job. She jokes that she has come form Her Majesty’s Prison in London but the children agree that she is too nice for that to be true. Her hobbies include walking, swimming, and reading a cross section of books.

She likes Bucharest and has been enjoying her time here.

Ms Kellyanne Feeney

Reception G teacher Gafencu

Ms Feeney comes from Glasgow, Scotland. She has taught children and says that this is her first time teaching abroad. She likes Bucharest because of all the old buildings and history. Her hobbies are reading, spending time with her friends and family, and sleeping.

Mr James Ward 1W Class teacher

James Ward, born in the 60s in Buckinghamshire, spent his childhood years in South Africa. In his opinion growing up in the 70s was much better than nowadays because the television and mobile phones hadn’t reached South Africa then and he spent much of his free time partaking in outdoor activities and doing craft work. He told me that South Africa is a very beautiful place, if you are able to look beyond

Q. How old?25.

Q. Can you cook?

Unfortunately, no.

Q. What is your favourite flower?

A red gerbera.

Q. What is your favourite colour.

Orange.

Q. What is your favourite animal?

A tiger.

Q. What is your favourite ice-cream flavour?

Mint.

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Interviewed by Isabel, Year 11

Ms Jane Taylor 3T Class teacher

Q. How long have you been in Romania?

I’ve been here since August.

Q. Can you cook? Yes. Q. What is your favourite flower? sunflower.

Q. What is your favourite colour.

Blue.

Q. What is your favourite animal?

A dog.

Q. What is your favourite ice-cream flavour?

Vanilla.

These are the questions that her class, the Reception children at Gafencu, asked her.

Q. Can you swim?

No. Q. Can you eat by yourself?

Yes. Q. Where have you been on a map?

Scotland, England, Romania, Greece, Italy and Cyprus.

the politics and the poverty that some people have to deal with. His interests include squash, walking, scuba diving, reading, and cooking.

He doesn’t have a favourite interest because in his opinion your social activities depend very much on the country that you are living in.

Outside school he enjoys watching National Geographic and nature documentaries and prefer to watch a profound film rather than a Hollywood blockbuster. He has lived in Romania for 3 years and since being here he has visited the Danube Delta, the Black Sea, and the mountains. His impressions of Bucharest since arriving are that there are very nice historical areas and he is in awe of the grandeur of the old buildings. During his time as a teacher he has taught in several countries: Austria, Greece, Spain, and Thailand. He started teaching on the South coast of England.

He said that he prefers teaching internationally as the students are better behaved. Given 4 words to describe himself he picked out the words optimistic, humanitarian, jolly and altruistic.

Q. Where are you from?

I come from England.

Q. Where had you been teaching before BSB? I was teaching in Spain and the Middle East.

Ms Theresea Collins Year 1C teacher

Very friendly and beautiful city.

Q: What were your first impressions of BSB? It looked like a fantastic place to work with lots of motivated children.

Q: What are your hobbies?

A: Exploring and travelling, shopping, going to the theatre and concerts.

Q: What do you hope to accomplish while living in Romania and teaching at BSB? A: I hope to see the country and to enjoy my time teaching here

Q: Where were you teaching last year?

In Newcastle, England.

Q: What were your first impressions of Bucharest?

Q: If you could eat anything right now, what would it be?

A: Mushroom Stroganoff.

Interview by Sanya, 6H

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Visit the BSB website at www.britishschool.ro

Primary House Competition The House Team competition continues to be very exciting this half term with a change in the leader board – Arges are now in the lead with 1806 points with Olt hot on their heels with 1729 points. Danube and Mures are not too far away with 1605 and 1579 points respectively.

There have been lots of separate contests including dodgeball and football in the break time games and fun activities for the house teams in class assemblies such as 5M’s ‘Powers of Observation’.

OLT

MUREŞ

DANUBE

ARGEŞ

2000 1800 1600 1400 1200 1000 800 600 400 200 0 1

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Arges Vice Captain Report

Danube Vice Captain Report

Mures Vice Captain Report

Olt Vice Captain Report

Hi there! My name is Lucie and I am the Vice Captain of Arges. I am eleven years old and I have one sister. For this year me and my House Captain Jarod have set up some targets for Arges to reach. I hope that we all together are going to reach our goals for year 2009/10. I have one special target this year and that is for Jarod and I to lead Arges to win the House Team Competition.

This term we have been busy with our House Team games during break.

We have competed in all events and although we did not win, we have made a fighting effort. We also made Mosaic art with 10-sided shapes on Math’s Day as a huge group. Wow, it has been a lot of work, but I am looking forward to helping Arges win next term.

My name is Bianca. I’m ten years old and I’m Danube’s Vice Captain.

This half term Danube improved a lot with the house points and all the activities! I’m really proud of Danube…. And my captain is too!!!

We’re both looking forward to winning the Sports Day Cup!!! Go Danube!!

Hi my name is Elena, I’m 11 years old and this is my 5th year in the British School of Bucharest. For Mures, this year we started with Suparnan as our Vice-Captain. However, he had to move back to India, so I became the Vice Captain. Although I was sad to see Suparnan leave, I am happy to get a chance to be the Vice Captain and I assure the team that I will do my best. This term Mures has worked very hard as a house team. For example, on the Math’s Day as a team we made a mosaic with 10-sided shapes. We have also competed with some success in the football, dodgeball, and basketball matches. We did not win, but at least we tried our hardest, and the most important thing is that we had a lot of fun. I hope that for the next term we can achieve all our goals.

Hi, my name is Sanya and I am the Vice-Captain for Olt. I am 11 years old and I am from India. I have been at BSB for 2 years and I think that the BSB is a really friendly school.

This term Olt has done a really good job and has worked hard to achieve some victories! Olt has worked as a team and we always try our best. We have competed with some success in football, dodgeball and basketball and we are looking forward to all of our games in the future. We also competed in a Mosaic Art Competition, where we had to decorate a huge letter O (for Olt) with 10-sided shapes. Lastly, I am sad to say good-bye to Olt as I am moving back to India next week and must leave BSB. I would like to say best of luck to Olt. I have enjoyed my time here and will miss all my friends and fellow Olt team members. Go Olt!

Arges Vice Captain Lucie, 6H,

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Danube Vice Captain Bianca, 6U

Mures Vice Captain Elena, 6H

Olt Vice Captain Sanya, 6H

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Secondary House Competition Update, December 2009 The House Point competition has started to heat up and the students have been working well for their Houses. The competition has been running for 4 months and we have already past the 1000 House Point mark. Since the beginning of term, one particular House has won the Weekly Cup every week. They have amassed over 1200 House Points in such a short amount of time and they are…Mures! Lets see if the other Houses can reel them in.

New House Point System The Secondary school has introduced a new system to record the number of House Points each House has achieved throughout the week.

5 House points Students are given House Point tokens, either 1, 2 or 5, and then they must post the token in the relevant House Box ready to be counted the following week. Each token box is colour coded to match the colours of the Houses to make it easier for the students to post their tokens in the correct box and not in a rival box.

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Matei, 7P, putting in 5 points for Mures

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DANUBE

ARGEŞ

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Mures receiving the Weekly House Cup

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Vice House Captain Reports Arges I’m Eda from Year 8, and I’m the Vice Captain of our amazing team Arges.

I was a Vice Captain 2 years ago and I’m glad my team has chosen me to be their Vice Captain again this year.

This year Arges has been working quite hard but still can’t seem to top the House Point chart, but I believe that if we continue to work hard and try even harder, that we shall achieve our goal and move up to the next level. Although it’s been challenging for us up until now, I have no doubt that we will get the house trophy at the end of the year because I trust in our teamwork, cooperation and enthusiasm.

I would like to thank all the members of my team and also the House Captain, Louisa, for trying their best to earn points for our team this term.

Keep up the good work Arges!

Mures Hi, I’m Edoardo from Year 11 and this is my second year as Vice Captain of Mures. I would like to firstly thank everyone in Mures for choosing me as their Vice Captain.

I would also like to than everyone for the great job they are doing, because as you know we are currently in first place- a great start to the year. Denis and I have noticed a lot of effort from every member of the team, especially during the basketball tournament we had recently, so well done to everyone. If we keep this up until the end of the year we will win without a doubt. I would also like to thank Denis, our House Captain, and Alex because I see their determination and the massive amount of work they put in around the school to help Mures secure victory. They are an example to us all.

Eda, Year 8, Arges Vice House Captain

Edoaro, Year 11, Mures Vice House Captain

Olt Hello there I’m May from Year 10, and I am the Vice Captain this year of our house team Olt (thunderbolt) - thank you to everyone in Olt for choosing me. I am very happy to be your Vice Captain and I promise to try to make it a memorable year for Olt.

This year, our team has been doing very well so far as a lot of people have put a big effort into gaining as many house points as possible; an example of excellent teamwork and effort was the success we had at the basketball tournament. Although we are not currently first, I really think we can be if we continue to work hard. Continue to be the excellent students that we are and I am positive that with all your hard work and motivation, that we will win this year. Just you wait.

Mahmoud (our house captain) and I thank all of the members of Olt for participating as much as possible and getting as many points as you can; if this is not the case, we will find ways and ideas for you to earn points for our team. Keep up the good teamwork guys!

May, Year 10, Olt Vice House Captain

The British School of Bucharest Magazine

Danube Hi to everyone in Danube as well as to those who are not. First off, I would like to express my gratitude for voting me as your Vice Captain.

It was surprising because I didn’t plan to become a Vice Captain at the start of the year- it was a spur of the moment decision. Unfortunately we are currently losing, but luckily it is not such a significant gap because it’s only by 50 points, which can easily be made up in a short period of time. We aim to become a more united force of people and to acknowledge and reward any individual’s success in Danube. Alex and I also purpose to start monthly house meetings to discuss how to get more points and what each person individual target is at the moment. We are the underdogs in this competition, but I am positive that we can easily take the lead and eventually go on to win.

Finally, I would like to congratulate Mohamed (Yr 8) for completing two merit sheets and also to extend that my congratulations to Nikita and Danial for their effort and skills in Basketball.

Isabel, Year 11, Danube Vice House Captain

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Mathematics Day celebrates the Number 10, 2009

Thursday 19th November was a wonderful day when

“Although it’s my first year at BSB, I really enjoyed Maths Day because we went to other classes in the school. The one I liked most was tangrams with Miss French-Paris.” Astrid, 4H “I realized I can solve maths problems and I didn’t need someone else to do this for me. “ Kayla, 5M

certainly enjoyed the day and hopefully so did the parents who attended the assemblies in the afternoon.

Mr James Ward, Mathematics Coordinator

All in all, some very positive comments; the pupils

the whole Primary School celebrated Mathematics Day. This year was a very special year with a very significant theme – TEN. The reason for this is that this year marks the 10th anniversary of BSB, a wonderful achievement bearing in mind that the school started with just 4 pupils and has grown from strength to strength to become one of the top (if not the top) school in Romania!

The staff put in a lot of preparation to make sure that all pupils had a memorable experience from a range of activities. Our whole aim was to promote the fun in Mathematics and the diversity of applications that Mathematics offers. To make the day even more interesting we made sure that pupils had the opportunity to participate in an activity by a teacher who they would not normally encounter e.g. Year 1 pupils had activities with Year 6 teachers. Each class had the opportunity to take part in four different activities during the morning and an additional Key Stage activity in the afternoon.

Fingers for Counting

Mmm, Tanagrams

There’s a Maths problem!

More Maths Thinking

Maths in Spanish

Musical Maths

Thinking Numbers

Logic Problems

The extent and diversity of activities was immense, ranging from problem solving, ‚Crazy Clothes’ combinations, tanagrams and investigations. Here is a summary of a few of the activities: In the Music Department, the children made musical patterns with sounds, dividing the group in different ways to create different sound combinations. The children also had to use counting skills to maintain a rhythm on a percussion instrument.

Year 3 and 4’s activities were very much using their logic and analytical thinking skills e.g. to complete Sudoko puzzles. Students successfully attempted 4x4, 6x6 and even 9x9 grids! Other activities were to investigate how to decipher codes and solve logic problems using clues.

In PE there was a house competition. The children had to jump ten star jumps and note the time taken using a stop watch. They made bar graphs and discussed their results.

Overall, the pupils had an amazing day to remember, and learned that Mathematics is not just about learning tables and writing out sums, that it affects all areas of study and life. We asked the students what they thought of the day and here are just a few comments we received back: “I liked Maths Day because I love Numeracy; it’s also my favourite day of school.” Noah 3T “My favourite part of Maths Day was Mr Davidson’s because we had to get clues after every Tanagram we made, it was like a step by step treasure hunt” Aliss, 6H

Play Live Maths Competition As a build up to the 2009 Maths Day all the children in Key Stage 1 and 2 were involved in the ‘Play Live’ competition using Education City.

Similar to previous World Maths Day competitions, the children had to battle with their mental Maths

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against others around the world. Congratulations to the winners from each year group: Year 1 – Tudor Year 2 – Ilayda Year 3 – Bram Year 4 – Hithu Year 5 – Tudor Year 6 – Dilara

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Junior Librarians

library to sort out books, to put the codes on them, and many other things. You can spot the Junior Librarian group really easily, because they are wearing yellow colored badges. As a means to find out more about the Junior Librarians, I decided to interview Ms Ana Maria, the Primary School Librarian: What do you like the best about the books?

They teach me a lot of things.

What made you to become a librarian?

Fate and also Miss Wells.

Do you ever need help?

Yes, I do.

In November we started the new Junior Librarians group. The Junior Librarians are a group of Year 6 students who are helping Ms Ana Maria in the

How can you become one?

You need to like to work in the library and be ready to do anything that the librarian asks you to do.

Is it just for Year 6?

Yes, it is just Year 6.

What are the group of Junior Librarians doing?

They put books back on the shelves, help me with labels, inventories and also the library displays.

Do you feel better with some help?

Yes! Help is always needed.

Who are the junior librarians?

Ilinca O, Chira S and Raphaela Werner (all from 6U) Lucie, 6H

What are the Junior Librarians?

They are Year 6 students who are helping me in the library.

A Warm welcome to the Primary School Library

What used to be our “curl-up with a good book” corner has now changed into a brand new listening area, where, with the use of headphones, story tapes or CDs and a few very soft cushions, the escape into a world of fantasy and magic is sure to happen.

The Library went recently through an obvious makeover and I would like to thank all the students who helped me during the ‘reshape’, especially to my three wonderful library helpers: Raphaela, Ilinca, and Chira, 6U.

To get into a ‘winter-active’ mood, come and check out some of the books in the new “Extreme

Sports” or “Go Turbo” series. Or you can choose any of the books in the ‘Arts and Crafts” section, to help you stay busy during bad weather days, while designing beautiful presents for friends and family. And don’t forget, today a reader, tomorrow a leader!

Ms Ana Maria Marin, Primary School Librarian

More shelving units were needed and added, due to an abundance of new books. With these, we have also gained a few display options, which were quickly filled in and proved to be a definite eye-catcher.

Any new books rapidly become ‘old’ as more orders keep arriving, so make sure you constantly check the three tall wire racks, the first ‘homes’ of new arrivals in the Library.

Year 6 Visit Busteni This half term was action packed! During Literacy we’ve been studying fictional genres, such as: sci-fi, historical, mystery and fantasy. In the end we made power point presentations with genre information and displayed them during our Year 6

Maria and Dilara all bundled up in Busteni

The British School of Bucharest Magazine

assembly. Later in the half term we changed topics and swapped to Poetry! Yay! In Poetry we learned to use awesome alliteration, similes like lions in the wild, personification which makes our writing stand up and sing and lastly, wild oppositepersonification!

Next stop was Numeracy, but be cautious this paragraph has some very advanced work! First we practiced long division with decimal points (even in multiplication), how murderous! Afterwards, we learned all about FRACTIONS! Oh no, I mean, oh yeah! They were pretty hard at the beginning but we eventually got the hang of it. For example,

when you wanted to find 10% you just have to move one decimal point to the left and then round the last number on the right off… how easy can mathematics get?

During our History lessons we have been exploring ‘Britain since 1948’ and we were assigned to create a timeline that shows everything important event of our own families since 1948.

All in all, we have been busy like ants in a chocolate factory and are looking forward to all the exciting times ahead!

Aliss, 6H

Bianca, Aliss and Raphaela suprised by the early snow in October

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Eco Committee Report On the 11th November the eco-committee organised a whole school switched off event inspired by Earth Hour, which is usually held on the last Saturday of March.

In Ringwood, students and teachers got especially busy making this event a real success. First of all they went on a mission to ensure that each light had a small sign reminding people to switch off the lights when they leave a room. Some classes even had a poster competition to raise awareness of Earth Hour.

In 2P the children really gained an understanding of how much electricity is being used each and every day and were rather shocked when they realised that their listening station also used electricity.

In Newlands and Crawford house lights and computers were also switched off, with eco reps keeping a watchful eye on the proceedings. This was a really useful way for students and teachers to become aware of our reliance on electricity and

to remind ourselves that we should always not take such comforts for granted.

In Secondary, Charles (Year 7) introduced students and teachers during an Eco Assembly to an excellent website from New Zealand called Tree People, which is a social network site with a difference. It aims to raise awareness of environmental issues and encourage people to take small steps to make a change. By joining the website each person can choose a tree and by taking pledges and completing them, the tree grows. Already some students and teachers have joined and a BSB group has been created. We are happy to report that already Mr Murchison has pledged to switch off his TV one hour earlier and to read a book, meanwhile Panayiotis (Year 9) has sworn to close down his computer for fourteen days! Being part of the BSB group means that all our trees will grow together as we all take pledges and fulfil them. So please visit the website and join at www.treepeople.nz. There was also a guest speaker at the assembly, John Aston, from AstonEco Management, who spoke to everyone about some of the eco projects going on around Romania.

The eco-committee is not dreaming of a white but a green Christmas. Building on the success of

Guest speaker John Aston, from AstonEco Management, pointing out some of locations of the eco projects in Romania

the Eco Christmas tree decoration contest held last year, students will once again be given the opportunity to pick one of the trees at the back of the school and use all their creativity to decorate them in an environmentally friendly way. Judging on 4th December will be based in two categories: eco-friendliness and aesthetics. Good luck to all those involved- winners to be announced in the next issue of Newsblast.

Have a Merry and Green Christmas.

The Eco-Committee

Smruti, William and Luca with their Eco Poster

Mr Murchison presenting the Tree People website

Irini (3W) wins BSB Spelling Bee In October we had a Spelling competition for the primary students and we called it a Spelling Bee. It took place during our Wednesday Assembly and Ms.Hussain started with the harvest song and she also talked about how to help people by sharing food. Then Miss. Fisher introduced the rules for the competition and the games began! First, she called all the children who came first in their class for the Spelling Bee competition: Andrew (3T), Irini (3W), Clara (4D), Cristina (4H), Calista (5L), Daniel (5M), Bianca (6U), and Aliss (6H). The Spelling Bee proved to be very competitive, as all of the students did very well. In the end the top three winners were Irini in 1st, Clara 2nd and Daniel 3rd.

Overall, the Spelling Bee was very exciting and I hope to be a participant next year!

Hithu, 4D Winners of the Spelling Bee: Irini 1st, Clara 2nd and Daniel 3rd

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What’s up in the Primary Student Council?

In Primary Student Council we’ve been very busy planning for the up-coming ‘Craze of the Week’. The ‘Craze’ started this year with Conkers in October by 5L. However, after they had finished, we did not have a new Craze, so the Student Council decided to get involved. First, we decided to ask the students from KS2 if they would like to form a Craze of the Week Committee to be in charge or to allow each class an opportunity to choose their own. The vote came back and it was decided that every class would have their own time. Sacha from 6H was voted in as the ‘Craze of the Week’ organiser and it will be his job to draw up a schedule, which will begin in January!

This half term we have also been doing a lot of work to introduce a new group of students called Play

Pals! Play Pals will help our Playground Leaders to ensure that everyone is happy at playtime. They will be in charge of the play equipment and helping to teach students new games and ways to have fun. They will also head over to KS1’s playtime to help there as well! In order to get the best students for Play Pals, the Student Council decided to interview those students that were interested, just like applying for a job, so the Student Council

announced our idea during an assembly, made an interview schedule and interviewed over 40 students. In the end, the Student Council will discuss the answers provided from the interviews and choose the best Play Pals ever. We are all looking forward to see how the new Play Pals work out.

Maria and Aliss, 6H

Amy, Aliss and Anda from the primary Student Council interviewing Calista to be a Play Pal

Secondary Student Council Update The beginning of this term we started off by discussing some of key issues for the year: school lunches, and the possibility of having more variety, the Christmas Party, Secret Santa, and Healthy Schools Week. In Healthy Schools Week a stall was set up by the Year 9’s, in which they sold waffles and it was a great success, earning a little over 400 Ron. More recently we have been focusing on the various possibilities for the Christmas Party and in the end accepted the Year 9 proposal, which you can read about in the next issue. We also discussed a game done in every individual class called the “Secret Santa”: I’m sure everyone knows what the game is, what the rules are, and how it is played: basically everyone buys a present for one other person but no one knows who their present is actually from- cool. Finally there were some others things discussed in the Student Council meetings like the possibility of putting together a school yearbook in the future.

This is just a very brief summary of what was happening in Secondary School Student Council up until now. I would like to finish saying that if any of you have any problems or suggestions, please speak with your Class Representative so your idea

can be presented in a forth coming Student Council Meeting- you will be informed on whatever happens as a result.

Science Question of the Week

Weekly Science Challenge

Every Monday Ms Ullman presents KS2 with a ‘Science Question of the Week’ and students have until that Friday to submit their answer to Ms Ullman; the winners of each week’s question are presented on the following Monday. One of my favourite questions was ‘When and what was the first animal sent into orbit?’ The answer was a small, female, Russian dog named Laika, sent aboard Sputnik 2 on November 3, 1957. You can find the Science Questions of the Week on the primary science blog: http://sciencebsbblog.edublogs.org/.

Week of 2nd November 2009

Joana, 5L

The British School of Bucharest Magazine

Noor, Year 9 Student Council Representative Noor, Year 9 Student Council Representative

How do they get smells into scratch-n-sniff stickers?

The oily extracts of the smells are placed inside millions of microscopic bubbles of plastic, which are placed on the stickers. This process is called microencapsulation. When you scratch the sticker you burst some of the bubbles and release the odor. Since there are so many bubbles it is hard to scratch them all away. That’s why the stickers can still smell even twenty years after their first scratch.

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BSB Annual Shoe Box Appeal, 2009 The Shoe Box Appeal has had a tremendous response this year. Every year, BSB students have a chance to become someone’s Santa, by putting together a shoe box full of gifts for a needy child.

101 letters to Santa, written by children from poor families from Craiova and Lipova, arrived at BSB and so we decided to give Santa a helping hand by preparing shoe boxes for them. Our students put in the shoe boxes, whenever possible, what the children wished for: mostly sweets or fruit, toys, winter coats, shoes, stationary or books.

The letters were a pleasure to read. Some younger children, not knowing how to write, made a small collage of pictures of what they would like. For other children, the letter was written by an older sibling or even by a parent. Some of them were even able to write in English, but the majority of them were in Romanian. Therefore, before giving out the letters to our BSB Santas, they had to be translated by the Romanian Club for Native Speakers, who did a fantastic job translating the bulk of the letters.

Thanks to them and to Ms Ana Maria for the sensitivity with which they worded the letters in English.

At the same time, the letters often mirrored the hardships of life the children have to face at a very young age: unemployed parents, ailments in the family and poverty. Many of them did not have big expectations from Santa. All the letters were very endearing: a child telling Santa that although he had been good, he had been waiting for two years for him to come; or the boy asking for a book, because he has started learning to read but he did not have any books; or the girl asking Santa for a baby doll with a dummy, but only if Santa happens to have a spare one.

We will take the Shoe Boxes to Craiova on 18th December, when the children will celebrate their Christmas production at the Social Centre run by Asociatia Vasiliada, an NGO supported by the

Toddler from the Children´s Hospital receiving a gift from Santa last Christmas

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Romanian Orthodox Church. The other part of the Shoe Box Appeal will be dedicated to the toddlers from Children’s Hospital, supported by Fundatia Inocenti. Judging by the response received from our students, we will be able to make a lot more than the 30 toddler shoe boxes we were hoping for.

These shoe boxes will be picked up by Valentina Maghirescu of Fundatia Inocenti.

If you would like to find out more about the children or about the organisations supported by the BSB Charity Committee, please do not hesitate to approach us any time.

Special thanks to Andreea, Year 8, who proved a very efficient and dedicated assistant to Santa. She did a marvellous job keeping a record of the shoe box letters and made sure that the whole process ran smoothly. She invested many break times into this work, and also translated some 20 letters into English. She has been appointed the first official student representative in the BSB Charity Committee. Thanks also to Ms Ana Maria and the Romanian Club! Thanks also to the BSB Office for their help! And last but not least, thanks to all the generous shoe box makers of BSB! Ms Dorothea Draser, BSB Charity Committee

The Romanian Club Translating the Letters Cristina, Arina, Raluca, Clara (all from 4H), Aliss (6H), Ilinca, Ilinca and Yasemin (all from 6U) felt like Santa’s Elves when, during the Romanian Club for Native Speakers, they translated the letters Santa will receive from the children in Lipova. Ms Draser asked for a little bit of help, as some of the Santas who do not speak Romanian would not understand what these less fortunate children would like for Christmas. The translation process proved to be a very emotional experience. We were very surprised to read that some children see themselves very lucky if they can have a few oranges and bananas as a Christmas present.

Andreea Negoita, Year 8, keeping track of all the letters to Santa

Hi I’m Andreea from Year 8. For the past few weeks I’ve been managing the letters and the reply slips.

I’ve been matching the letters with reply slips from the school! Now we’re nearly finished and we’re surprised by the huge amount of students and parents that want to help not just us but also the children that we’re donating the shoe boxes to.

Thank you very much. I’m very happy to announce that the shoe boxes have started to come in and I’m looking forward to sending the boxes to the children.

Ms Ana Maria Marin, Primary School Librarian and Romanian teacher

Ilinca, Aliss and Yasemin translating the letters in Romanian Club

Andreea, Year 8

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Down Syndrome Association Bucharest Visits BSB On the 12th of October the Secondary School had the privilege of receiving a visit from the Down Syndrome Association of Bucharest. The guests included nine young people with Downs Syndrome and some of their mothers, who are active members in the association. Their visit came as a follow up to Jeans for Genes Day, during which BSB raised ÂŁ844 in support of children with genetic disorders.

Students also covered the topic of genetic disorders from a scientific point of view in Science lessons on the day and reflected on how to treat people who are different in PHCSE lessons.

Mrs Ruxandra Papiniu spoke in the Secondary Assembly on behalf of the Down Syndrome Association and told us that the young people involved in the programmes of the association are very sociable and keen on spending time together, participating in handicraft workshops, going out on trips, doing sports and dance lessons. Their dance teacher, Ms Jeni Iordache, came as well and the guests performed three types of dances. It was wonderful to see them dance, as it is an activity they enjoy a lot and do very well.

At the end of their visit, BSB students presented them BSB teddy bears and t-shirts and a small donation of 500 RON, raised by the Secondary School in a previous Bake Sales. In return BSB students we presented with gifts made the Down Syndrome Association- you will have a chance to purchase similar handmade items as well during the Artisan Fair on the 11th December, when we will see our new friends again.

Ms Dorothea Draser, BSB Charity Committee

Serban, repeat medal winner in Special Olympics, speaking to the Secondary Assembly about his current job with the Special Olympics

Our visitors were pleased to receive a BSB teddy bear and T-shirt from secondary students

The guests from the DSAB performed three dances in assembly (an English Waltz, a samba, and a modern dance)

International Links As the world become a smaller place with the improvements in communication technology BSB wants to take advantage of the opportunities available. One way we have been starting to do this is by creating international links with other schools around the world. At present we are working on creating partnerships with a school in Leicester, England and one in Saskatchewan, Canada. Not only are these links good fun but they also give children the opportunity to interact with and learn from other cultures. This would all be much slower without technology so the children at BSB also get to work on their ICT skills such as e-mail, video calling and blogging.

Mr Sonny Leese, International Links Coordinator

The British School of Bucharest Magazine

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Visit the BSB website at www.britishschool.ro

Year 9 Remembrance Day Why did WW I start?

The First World War, also known as The Great War, was a massive event that ended the lives of many people. It all started in Sarajevo. War was declared on the 28th June 1914, but the very beginning was a month earlier on 28th June 1914, in Serbia, when the Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated by a Serbian nationalist, Garvilo Princip. Serbia was part of the Austrian Hungarian Empire and many Serbs did not want this and so Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. They were supported by their friends, Germany. War had broken out with Italy, America, England, Belgium and France on one side and Germany and Austria-Hungary on the other. Vanessa, Year 9 Remembering the First World War At 11am on the 11th November 1918, the First World War ended. Germany had been defeated, but people from all over the world had suffered terribly. About 16 million people died and nearly 21 million people were injured. It is important that we remember the sacrifice that people made on both sides from 1914-1918. Marina, Year 9 Women The First World War was a time of great change, especially for women. For many though, it was only a temporary change as they returned to their pre-war lives after the war ended. Women in the First World War were like ‘a captive bird whose cage was left open’. They lived traditional lives before the war based on background or class. The war changed opinions about women. During the war they wore different clothes, did different jobs and took on new responsibilities. After the war when men came home, many women went back to their normal lives, but the seeds of change had been planted. Noor, Year 9 Remembrance Day Remembrance Day is on the 11th November. It is

Year 8 History In the last issue of Newsblast I offered you a brief view into what happens in the History Department of BSB, and in particular focused on what Year 7 had been working on and would be working on in the year ahead. In this issue of Newblast, I will take you on a foray into the world of a Year 8 Historian- a time of excitement and magic; forget Harry Potter, this is the place to be!

Noor and Vanessa wearing poppies, holding their model of the trenches

most commonly celebrated in Australia, Barbados, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and the UK, where people will often observe a two minute silence at 11am on the 11th November because this is when the armistice was signed and the First World War ended. Services also include laying wreaths at memorials or playing the national anthem. It is a reminder of the great sacrifice that people made during the Great War. Shani, Year 9 Poppies Poppies are flowers that grow in most European countries. They grow in many colours, such as white, pink, orange, red and blue. In many Commonwealth countries, people will wear poppies as a way to commemorate the sacrifice that many sorry wives. The class designed their own Tudor portrait gallery producing some very interesting interpretations of the Tudors. Hyo Min produced a great portrait of Kathryn Howard - available for auction.

Students have recently completed a study of the beliefs in the Middle Ages. We looked at witchcraft

soldiers made during the war. In a very important battle, the Battle of the Somme, poppies were growing in the fields where there were over a million casualties. Panayiotis, Year 9 Life in the trenches Trenches were the large narrow ditches in the ground where soldiers lived in the First World War. On the other side were the enemy’s trenches. There was a large space of ground in the middle called ‘no man’s land’. Conditions were very bad in the trenches. There were lots of lice and rats in the trenches, as well as very bad hygiene problems.

Soldiers were often cold and dirty and faced the very real possibility of death. Noa, Year 9

and some of the class appeared to be under my spell during those lessons! Finally, we focused on law and order and torture, with Eda commenting that she considers it torture that Year 8 only have 2 history lessons a week! I think that’s what she said anyway.

Mr Ciaran McGowan, Head of Humanities

The students started the year with a study of life in the Middle Ages. They focused on London and all the attractions as well as all the problems, such as sheep in the streets, fights outside the theatre, pickpockets, as well as some of the more gruesome forms of entertainment.

We also studied the lives’ of women in the Middle Ages and found out that many women had much more freedom than we think. We studied women who hit their husbands with a shoe or tied them to poles and carried them around towns to embarrass them. Some girls wanted to do a role play about this, but I respectfully declined because I didn’t have any spare shoes or poles!

We then focused our attention on the Tudors and started with Henry the VIII and his six knives,

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Students with their model of the trenches BSB Historians

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Year 9 Geography The Year 8 Geography article was so popular from the last issue that I received many requests for a follow-up article. And, never a department to disappoint, we have done exactly that. Back but bigger and better. The wait is over!

Our most recent topic has been global fashion: appropriate for a fashionable class with a very fashionable teacher (I have never been arrested by the fashion police!). We have looked at how our clothes are frequently made in many countries. Did you know that a pair of jeans is produced in up to at

least 13 different countries? WELL YOU DO NOW! We have also looked at how some companies exploit people in other countries and looked at conditions in sweatshops.

Mr Ciaran McGowan, Head of Humanities

Year 9 Geography started the year working on maps, maps and more maps. Especially big ones like the one outside my classroom. After that we had a holiday! Well, not a real one (well, not all of them anyway) but we studied tourism and the effects of tourism around the world. As students went on a mental holiday, our minds traveled from place to place to discover if tourism was good or bad for various countries. We also looked at ways in which we can make tourism more sustainable and less destructive; it’s usually the other way around!

The class was now so angry with the impact that humans were having on our environment that we next decided to study how humans affected other places, such as the Rhine and Antarctica. We looked at the Rhine and its pollution and saw how many fish were being killed by pollution, causing one member of the class to get so angry that they shouted ‘murderers’ at the polluters (well, actually it was a picture of the polluter in the textbook, but I think you get my point!). In fact, another member of the class was so outraged they said they now only eat fish 4 times a week (a sacrifice worth making).

We also looked at Antarctica and the problems that people cause up there. The class saw how penguins were especially affected by our actions. Requests to interview a penguin were denied since penguins are shy and don’t speak very good English anyway.

The Weather Outside is…

Delightful? (an Eco-English Lesson) Recently, (November 11th) in English class we had a very special lesson; well, extra special because every English lesson is special! There have been a lot of special events going on: Earth Hour, Jeans for Genes, and Healthy Schools Week, and much more. What is formidable about English class is that Mr Murchison likes to include these events in our lessons. This makes our lessons so much more relevant and interesting. For example, when we had Earth Hour on November 11th we went outside and on the warm steps that were steeped in sunshine, had our lesson with birds chirping in the periphery and with clouds verily listening above us.

Besides getting some fresh air, whilst discussing little things we can do that help the environment, and enjoying the outdoor landscaping, we played human anagram where WE (the students) were the letters and, of course, the other students had to swap us around to solve the word! Once this was done we read from Romeo and Juliet, and the best part was that we read the fight scene (I,i) and Mr Murchison became so engrossed in his part that we had to stop him from almost devouring Filippo with his imaginary sword; yes Mrs Musneci, this is the truth. As the lesson went on, and at exactly eleven minutes past eleven, (the 11th minute of the 11th

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Year 9 Geography in session

hour of the 11th month) we had a moment of silence for all those mighty warriors who died in war: may Mod rest their souls.

Overall, I’d say we had a memorable lesson without using electricity, in which we paid respect to fallen soldiers, respected Mother Earth and gobbled up some vitamin D in sunlight form. Let’s hope the great weather keeps up!

“Currently we are studying one of Shakespeare’s most inspiring works, Romeo and Juliet. Before this we were studying Roald Dahl’s autobiography

one his early life, which was a hilarious book, however to assess our understanding, we each made Norway brochures to be used as a travel guide by people traveling to Norway based on Roald Dahl’s experiences there. Now we have a beautiful display of Norway brochures written by people who don’t even know what it is like nowadays because it was based on life in the late 20s; except Megan of course, because she is Norwegian. I hope every class had such an outstanding and unique start of the year in English just as we did.”

Basil, Year 7

Year 7P during an outdoor ‘solar powered’ lesson to mark Earth-hour

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Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Expedition On Friday evening we (Naomi, Polen, and Eda Year 8, and Louisa and Bethan, Year 10, along with Ms Moorcroft and Mr Power) set off on our expedition in the best of spirits as we had all indulged in the delights on offer at yet another great BSB Bake Sale.

After almost locking the Pita bread in the science lab (Polen was obsessed with Pita bread during the entire trip), we drove to the starting point of our long walk, disembarked, and thereafter walked through the twilight, with the light gradually fading, and rain falling heavier with every step we took until we finally arrived in complete darkness at the campsite, which was nothing more nor nothing less than a piece of earth surrounded entirely by trees.

We were forced to set up our tents by the mere light of our head torches and set down for the night, which passed with random fits of giggles until sleep finally took hold.

Bright an early Saturday morning our somewhat peaceful sleep was suddenly disrupted by the load break of song, courtesy of Mr Power, at eight in the morning (way too early for us!). After rising from slumber we downed our breakfast, consisting of bread, cheese and biscuits, packed up the tents, and set out in good spirits- it should be mentioned that it is a lot easier hiking in the daytime because we could see where to put our feet. We hiked along a trail marked on our map, through tall trees and a forest floor covered with red and gold leaves. It was really lovely walking, until we turned off the main path and started walking through the trees with the branches hanging down; we all soon realised that the best way to avoid being hit by branches flying back was to walk a fair way behind the person in front of you!

Upon reaching the dam, we stopped for lunch and finally we got to enjoy Polen’s pita bread! They were lovely after a long walk, and once we were all full and refreshed after pita bread and chocolate, we started off again on the next leg of our hike, which

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Polen, Naomi, Bethan and Louisa taking a chocolate break

passed without incident, aside from Polen falling over, and Naomi almost falling over, until we came to a patch of road that was muddy. Not just muddy, but extremely muddy, and as our boots became laden with mud, we all worked hard to stay on our feet as they became heavier and heavier. Thankfully a solution soon came to us as there was a railway track running parallel to the road we were walking on, and so after making sure that the railway track was unused, and there was no risk of trains coming along, we started up along that, finding it much easier than the muddy road. As we walked along we came across the lower jaw a boar’s skull, well Mr Power found it, the rest had already walked right over it! Finally, and with frequent stops to eat the little food we had left we came to the end of our hike. We dumped our bags into the awaiting cars, and relaxed in the seats just as it started to rain, and we were safely inside the cars. We had finished our hike and began our journey back towards school.

A few of the standout moments “Whoops… I just ate my apple sticker!” - Naomi, when she had realised that there was no sticker on her apple anymore.

“Oh my gosh, it has two wrappers!” – Louisa, when she almost swallowed the second plastic wrapper of the Juicy Fruit.

“OW!” [hysterical laughing] after Polen slipped and fell on her backside in the mud.

“Oh well, I guess we’ll have some in the morning” we all sighed, as a result of Ms Moorcroft accidentally knocking over the entire litre of bedtime hot chocolate. :( Naomi, Year 8 and Bethan year 10

Bethan packed and ready for the hike to the dam

Louisa and Polen setting up camp for the night

“You’re serious I have to get out of the tent! It’s not 10 yet!”

Naomi and Bethan comparing lunch at the dam

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YEAR 11/12 WORK EXPERIENCE Work Experience is a vital part of the careers programme we are building at BSB; it is an opportunity for our pupils to experience a programme of work which simulates ‘the real world of work’. Students from Year 11 and 12 have just recently completed their work experience and it was my pleasure to go to see them and interview them about their thoughts and feelings.

favourite instrument at the minute, the guitar! I was so impressed! Andreea and Alexandra had been working in the accounts department and comparing prices of rival companies, also arranging displays of the instruments with guidance from the staff.

Alexandra said that the best part for her so far had been working on the website. Both Alexandra and Andreea have been learning about how to add discounts to online products. The best part for me though was actually making a purchase, I had been dying to buy a guitar for a long time in Bucharest and I actually made my purchase at the shop! I asked Alex to talk me through the process and he

follow and concentrate for the whole time! I met with his colleagues from the corporate banking department who are very impressed with Edoardo, telling me he was a very responsible young man; he asked very intelligent and relevant questions and listened carefully to instructions. He has also been involved in minute taking of department meetings, conversing in Italian and English with international clients, working within the IT department, and analysing proposals from international clients. I spoke with Edoardo at length about his favourite moments so far: he replied, “working in the marketing section, I helped set up an event and I

Alex, Senia, Alexandra and Andrea on the job at the Senia Music Store

Edoardo learning all about the banking sector

Mrs Menadi showing Andreea and Alex one of the many music rooms

The Senia Music Store

My first stop was SENIA COMPANY, a leading supplier of musical instruments and professional sound equipment across Europe. There I met Alex, Senia, Andreea, and Alexandra who all looked very professional and grown up in their working roles. I interviewed them at first and get to know a little about what they had been doing during the first few days. Senia replied “To be honest cleaning! The pianos here need cleaning so much!” Alex agreed but also mentioned that the best part for him so far had been working with his colleagues and getting a chance to play on the various instruments. He added “You are not allowed to play on them when you are serving customers obviously, but its been amazing to play drums in the sound proof room, piano in the piano department, and, unquestionably, Alex’s

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guided me over to the novice/beginner section were SENIA COMPANY were selling starter packs, which Alex advised me to get it saying that they came with a lot of free accessories. The deal was done! Senia also asked if I would like a stand to put in on, and I replied “incredible sales technique Senia!” Overall a lovely afternoon, it is wonderful to see our pupils out and about trying new things, making memories and meeting people.

Next stop…..INTESA SANPAOLO BANK where a tired Edoardo walked towards me looking very smart in a suit. He had just been excused to come and say hello from a very important board meeting of international clients, which had been going on for an hour and half. He said the topics were very interesting, but that it was very hard to

worked with the website design department looking at ways in which the bank is marketed”. I asked “Has this experience helped you in anyway?”, to which he responded very positively and talked about how he has a lot more knowledge about what his Father does and the international banking industry as a whole.

In the next issue of Newsblast we will catch up with Albert, who went to work in the The Ministry of Communication, Alvaro who experienced working in the Human Resources Department of Sony Ericsson, and Alexandru who is currently working for Nordsee Company in Baneasa.

Ms Jen Kemp Work Placement Coordinator

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The BSB Radio Show The British School of Bucharest enjoys having an exciting, challenging and enriching curriculum that all students can benefit from and participate in. This term we are pleased to continue that tradition and to continue BSB Radio. All students in Primary will have an opportunity to participate in making a radio show. So far four classes have had a chance to be heard “on the air” and they loved it! Here’s what they had to say: Did you enjoy doing BSB Radio?

“Yes, it was fun as you work with your friends and have a good laugh, but arrange the BSB radio at the same time!” Isobel, 6U “I was impressed and enjoyed working on BSB Radio because I had the opportunity to talk to the whole of KS2.” Fivos, 6U

What would you like to do the next time you are invited back to do BSB Radio?

“I would like to record for longer.” Yasemin, 6U “The play and the weather. I can’t wait to go back to do BSB Radio again!” Mena, 5L

Year 6U students Yasemin, Bianca, Isobel, Fivos, Calin and Adam

“A ten minute play. We didn’t have time to do it the first time!” Bianca, 6U “I would like to interview a teacher or student, and to perform a play.” Isobel, 6U You can find BSB Radio at http://bsbradio.edublogs.org/ Year 3W students Salman, Luca, Vesalina, Daria, Enzo and Irini

Happy Listening!!!

The new Listening Centres prove popular with Primary School Students On Fridays we listen to a CD in our new listening centres. The story is called A Bear called Paddington. We are in groups and my group includes David, Sasa, and Ioana. First we put the headphones on and then we listen. It’s a lot of fun having the listening area. The story is read

by Stephen Fry. In the story there are 4 chapters.

A lot of people in my class have been listening

Sleeping: we all do it, but how much do you really know about it?

to the story and we all like the story a lot. Some chapters take like 19.23 minutes. Everyone in class gets a turn using the listening centre, with

students rotating between the listening centre and handwriting and reading activities.

On 16th of November, Year 7H presented an assembly on sleeping. During the assembly students discovered that different animals need different amounts of sleep, what happens when we don’t get enough sleep, what Professor Idzikowski discovered, being that various sleeping positions reflect our personality, the world record for the least amount of sleep (11 days) and that, as we all know

too well, teenagers don’t get enough sleep due mainly to the fact that we fall asleep with electrical gadgets still on. We hope that Key Stages 3 and 4 enjoyed our assembly and we would like to thank you all those present for participating and not falling asleep!

7H students presenting the power point on sleeping

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Y4 students enjoying listening together

Y5 using the listening centres

Klara, 4D

Ana and Csenge, 7H

Discussing the common sleeping positions adopted

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Alex, Year 11, playing the 12 bar blues

Daniel playing the Radetsky March on piano

Daniel, 6U, playing Titanic on the flute

Eda, Year 8, playing Nostalgy

Francois, Gaya, Alina and Kayla sing Mamma Mia, accompanied by Hung Jung on piano

Kayla, 5M playing guitar

Music Recital Night Entertains All Present On October 22nd, BSB held its first school music recital of the year and it was a great success.

The recital started with Mr Mulvany’s excellent drumming skills, before he handed the drums sticks over to Denis, Year 11, who, accompanied

by Edoardo, and Alex, Year 11, on guitar played a rendition of the ‘12 Bar Blues’. The night continued on with several of the younger primary school students playing piano recitals, followed on by several guitar solos, including both classical and rock. The audience also seemed highly entertained and Mr Kelly did a superb job hosting the event. As the evening progressed the older students played their pieces and Hyo Min, Year 8, and Eda, Year 9, in particular both played a wonderful piano recital.

The evening was finally wrapped up with some poetry and a live singing performance.

We would like to say a special thank you to Mr Mulvany and Mr Kelly for organising the event and to Andreea, Year 11, for her really good posters which advertised the recital. And last but not least, we want to thank everyone who played and those who came along to listen. You all contributed to make the recital the outstanding success that it was- the photos speak for themselves.

May and Louisa, Year 10

Matei, 7P on drums

Mr Mulvany opens up the recital with a short percussion piece

Mr Mulvany turning the pages for Alessandro, 5L, playing Moon River

Raphaela playing Prelude in G

Rhys, 7H singing Every Breath you Take

The audience enjoying our recital

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Secondary School ICT News AiDA fliers As reported in a previous edition of Newsblast, last years Year 9 took part in a new Edexcel examination called AiDA or the Award in Digital Applications. The students produced a number of digital applications which were sent to the UK to be marked.

With great pleasure I would like to report that all students entered passed with flying colours, while three students achieved the highest possible mark from the exam. A few weeks ago the students received their certificates as you can see from the picture.

We have Tudor, May, Louisa, Bethan and Mihnea. Well done!

Easy AS ICT and Business Some aspects of ICT can be defined as being easy, such as switching them on or using the mouse. Now Year 12 students are finding out that there is much more to ICT than simply computers and mice. For the first time in BSB history, the Secondary school is delivering AS courses in Applied ICT and Business Studies due to the fantastic results the students achieved last summer.

The first unit of work completed in the AS Applied ICT was based on the Information Age while the Business Studies unit focused on Developing New Business Ideas. The work that has been completed by the students will be submitted in January and followed by an examination. Best of luck to Alvaro and Mahmoud!

Top five educational games for kids As a way to help the students from BSB, I have decided to write an article listing five top educational websites for kids. These wonderful educational websites for kids will help you to learn in Numeracy, Literacy and Science and they might also help with your homework.

These are some useful educational websites: www.educationcity.com Education City is a very comprehensive website with games at all levels in math, science, literacy French, German and Spanish. The games are interactive and are for children of all ages. The only problem is that you need to be a member, so you will need to ask your parents for permission.

Mahmoud, Year 12, diplaying his ICT course books

Year 10 students, Tudor, Mihnea, Louisa, May and Bethan holding their certificates

www.woodlands-junior.kent.scho.uk This website is for teachers, parents and especially students. It has a comprehensive math zone, literacy zone, science zone and the best of all it has homework help! It is also free for any user. www.knowledgeadventure.com This is a great website for children aged 3-6 its good for maths, word games, reading games, spelling games, science games and so on. It helps your child learn fast while having fun. www.thekidzpage.com This is a game website for nearly all aged children. For very young children there are some pictures you can colour in and for older kids there are some strategy games. www.puzzel-games.uk.pogo.com This website is full of maths puzzles for kids of all ages. It has a great selection of Sudoku games, which can be very helpful for improving your maths skills. There are also some matching games with animals for younger children.

Alina 5M

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Alina from 5M, one of BSB’s junior journalists

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Today’s Best Authors

Jacqueline Wilson: born in Bath in 1945, but spent most of her childhood in Kingston-on-Thames. She always wanted to be a writer and wrote her first ‘novel’ when she was nine. Jacqueline is one of the nation’s favourite authors, and her books are loved and cherished by young readers not only in the UK but all over the world. Try these cool Jacqueline Wilson books to read! Here is a list her best books: Cliffhanger, Glubbslyme, My Sister Jodie, Cookie, The Story of Tracy Beaker, The Dare Game, Starring Tracy Beaker, Tracy Beaker’s Thumbing Heart, Bad Girl, Vicky Angel, Candyfloss, Clean Break, Mummy Cat, Best Friend, Secrets. If you want to know more join the Jacqueline Wilson fan club: http://www.jacquelinewilson.co.uk/

Big Writing in 6U!

Dilara, 6H

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Number of children

Reading is one of my favourite things to do during my free time. So, I decided to tell you some information about my favourite authors and some of their famous books. In addition, I wanted to find out who— of my three favourite authors – was the most liked by the students of BSB. To do this I went out and asked children around the school which one of the three authors they like. Afterwards, I made a graph showing all the information. I hope you like it!!! My three favourite authors are: Jacqueline Wilson, Louis Sachar and Roald Dahl. Below is some interesting information about them.

BSB KS2's Favourite Authors 50

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Louise Sachar

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Roald Dahl

Jacqueline Wilson

Authors

Louis Sachar: born in East Meadow, New York on March 20, 1954 and lived there until third grade.

Louise Sachar is also known for his famous book “Holes”. Wouldn’t you like to read more Louis Sachar books? Here are some good and exciting books to read: Pig City, There is a Boy in the Girls Toilet, The Boy who lost his Face, Dogs don’t tell jokes, Someday Angeline.

Roald Dahl: born on September 13, 1916 in Llandaff.

Roald Dahl is one of the most famous authors these days. He wrote a lot of stories that got turned into films. He is a very good story writer. If you would like to read some of his books here are some: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, Witches, James and the Giant Peach, The BFG, The Twits, Danny the Champion of the World, The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me, Fantastic Mr Fox, The Magic Finger.

Dilara from 6H, one of BSB’s junior journalists

Thomas, 6U

One of the most popular lessons in 6U is the Big Writing lesson. Once a week we sit down to create a piece of writing, which usually relates to something we are learning in class or a piece of writing of our choice. We normally do some pre-writing and then write our stories. The reason we do Big Writing is to show what we are interested in and to help us to revise our four main areas of focus, which are using interesting vocabulary, using different connectors, writing openers that grab a reader’s attention, and making sure our punctuation is accurate.

Firstly, we have a mini-lesson on what is expected in our writing piece based on what style of writing we are studying. Then Ms Ullman turns on some music, not rock, but calm gentle music, which helps us to relax while we’re writing.

Here is a sample of Big Writing from a story written in 6U, Midnight Murder…

The Joker reached an inn called ‘Cushion Face’. He beckoned the gentleman. They didn’t say ‘hello’.

Greetings were a waste of words. They walked into a dimly lit room. There was a desk, a red sofa, and a small table. On the table was a vase with dead flowers inside. The gentleman broke off a white petal. “Once up the stairs, first room on the left.” he said. His cold voice echoed around the room like some invisible people were cheering them on. The Joker followed the instructions and walked up the stairs to room 6 and took out a key. There was a click. The door opened.

The writing is descriptive and you can easily picture the scene. You can feel that what is happening is bad and might have horrible consequences. That’s Big Writing. We use it to express ourselves. You can too.

Thomas, 6U, enjoying a Big Writing activity

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Term 2.1 Winter Clubs, 11/01/10-22/02/10 (Karate starts 04/01/11) 1. Puppet Making Club In Arts and Crafts (Reception/Year 1) we have been making hand puppets and have decorated small boxes so that we can have puppet shows. So far we have a cat, dog and a horse. David P (1C) had some brilliant ideas about what to use for the puppets features- we had mini pom-poms for eyes and a bendy pipe-cleaners for the mouth. Victor (1W) decided that he must have curtains for his theatre, and made lovely blue ones.

Reception/Key Stage 1

Key Stage 2

Key Stages 3-5

Monday Spanish

Turkish Club

DOE/ International Award

Ballet

Sewing

Football

Beginners Karate

German- Native Speakers

German - Native Speakers

Art & Crafts –Modelling

Ballet

Plastic Models & Animation

Fencing – Beginners

Fencing - Beginners

Karate Beginners

Karate Beginners

Ms Kayleigh Evans, Club Organiser

Make your Own Books Authors and their books Tuesday Football Club

Parachute games

Advanced Karate

Romanian-Native Speakers

Advanced Karate

Singing & Production Skills

Computer Club

Badminton

Badminton

Football Club

Romanian- Native Speakers Etymology Club Fitness Club Wednesday

David P making his Robot to use in the Puppet Theatre

Arts and Craft

Art and Craft – Spy Special.

Norwegian Club

Norwegian Club

Backgammon

Kung Fu

Beginners Karate

Norwegian Club

Karaoke

Dance - beginners

French for Native Speakers

French- Native Speakers

Arts and Craft

Fencing – Advanced

Norwegian Club

Dance – beginners Scrabble Club Kung Fu Computer Club Homework Club

Lennie and John helping each other with cutting the tape for their Puppet Theatres

2. Arts and Craft Club The Arts and Crafts club has been very busy this half-term making Christmas tree decorations for the Artisan fair. The children pressed different shape cutters into self-drying clay and worked extremely hard to paint them trying to make each one unique – the results are fantastic! The Arts and Crafts club hopes all the decorations will go to a very special home at Christmas. All the money raised from the sales of the decorations will go to help families in need.

Thursday Dance – beginners

Card Games

Advanced Spanish

Drama Fun

Karaoke

Art Club

Romanian- Native Speakers

Gymnastics

Gymnastics

Advanced Karate

Advanced Karate

Debating Club

All about Horses

Basketball

Chess Club

Singing & Production Skills

Basketball

All about Horses Friday

Ms Deanna Beggs, Arts and Crafts Club Organiser

Dance – advanced

Turkish Club

Turkish Club

Dance - advanced

Dance - advanced

Private Fencing Club

Private Fencing Club

because you need a good aim and good reactions.

It can also help you in football, hockey, tennis and many more. Overall dodge ball club is a lot of fun which helps you in other sports as well.

Daniel Yr 8

Arts and Craft clubfor their Puppet Theatres

3. Dodgeball Dodge ball is a fun and challenging game in which you have to hit your opponent with a ball and, at the same time, dodge your opponent’s attacks. In dodge ball you have 2 skills : aim and good reaction speed to dodge your opponents attacks. Dodge ball can help you in many sports such as cricket

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DodgeBall Club in action

DodgeBall club

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4. Advanced Spanish Club ¡Hola a todos!

En el club de español nosotras (Eda y Andreea) estamos preparando la predicción del tiempo.

We have Drawn the map of Spain and divided the different counties. When we finish the weather symbols, we will record an official weather forecast for BSB Television.

7. Le club de Francais, (The French Club for Native Speakers) Bonjour à tous !

Here is a quiz devised by Basil, 7P, on the topic of French-speaking countries, and two jokes by Clothilde, 5M. Quiz sur les pays francophones

Eda and Andreea, Year 8 Karaoke Club May Yr 10 and Olivia Yr7

6. ICT Club The ICT Club takes place in Mr Pantella’s ICT Room.

In ICT club we learn from Mr Pantella how to do extra things on the programs we use in lesson time. We are allowed to play online games, watch programs on YouTube, listen to music and other amazing things online. We always have fun even though there are not many people in the club. Mr Pantella and the other students are very kind and help each other when it is needed. Overall, we always have a good time.

Advanced Spanish Club

Panayiotis, Year 9

The map for the weather forecast for Advanced Spanish

Sandra and Rhea checking email and MSN

1. Quelle est la deuxième plus grande ville de France ?

2. Quelles sont les trois langues officielles de la Belgique ?

3. Quelle est la capitale du Maroc ?

4. Quelle est la capitale de la Suisse ?

5. Quelles sont les trois couleurs du drapeau de la Côte D’Ivoire ?

6. Quels sont les pays frontaliers de la France ?

Blagues - Maman, Papa! Je vous ai rapporté une surprise de l’école...

- Une bonne note ?

- non !

- Un poem ?

- Mais non - Alor quoi, Jean - Des poux !

- Toto est à table avec sa mère et son père. Alors, il dit à sa mère : - Maman ! il....

- Chut Toto, on ne parle pas à table.

- A la fin du repas, la maman de Toto lui dit: - Voilà, maintenant, tu peux parler.

- Trop tard, je voulais te dire qu’il y avait un asticot dans ta salade...

5. Secondary Karaoke Club The vocal talents of Olivia Yr7, Tatum Yr7 and May Yr10 grace the Secondary Karaoke Club. We base ourselves in the ICT room, hook up an microphone and start-up youtube and the girls can sing along to professional backing tracks of their favourite artists.

Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift and The Kings of Leon are the tracks with the most hits this term.

Ms Jen Kemp

Panayiotis on the E-Tree site

BSB student wins 2nd place in the United Nations Climate Art Competition

SeoYoung presenting her artwork

The British School of Bucharest Magazine

Basil Chemais Year 7 - Quiz master

Hello! My name is SeoYoung. I won 2nd place in the United Nations Climate Art Competition. There was a presentation at Kretzulescu Palace and I was allowed to take two friends with me, Angela and Rebecca from 5M. We met Ms Hussain in her office and then together went to Kretzulescu Palace on the bus on the 23rd of October. The weather was clear but cold. When we arrived, we saw everything organised and set up nicely.

It was nice to receive a prize. I got an Samsung MP3 player, 3 dictionaries (which were different) and 2 Romanian books. I also got an English book and a certificate to learn English at the British Council.

The big people got an Iphone. A nice man shook everyone’s hand after the ceremony.

SeoYoung, Angela and Rebecca, 5m in front of Kretzulescu Palace

SeoYoung, together with the 1st and 3rd place winners

SeoYoung, 5M

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National Museum of Art visit On Wednesday 4th November, Key Stage 3 had the chance to visit the National Museum of Art. We went on a guided tour of the museum and during this time we got to know more about Modern art. I like abstract art as it gives the viewer a chance to think and interpret its meaning in a personal and individual way.

After the tour, we were given a questionnaire to complete based on the paintings exhibited.

I really enjoyed this trip and hope to visit the museum again sometime soon!

Ana, Year 8

ART News

Thank you Ms Greaney for entering us into this competition! We are glad to have contributed to such a noble cause; and hopefully we got our message across strong and clear! After all, as Michael Jackson would say: “We are the world, we are the children, we are the ones who make a brighter day, so let’s start giving.”

Healthy Foods/Arcimboldo Competition Finally the week that we had all been waiting for had arrived! It was Health Schools Week and everyone was looking forward to our traditional activities like tug of war, morning exercises, emotional well being workshops and of course our Healthy Schools Art Competition.

Everyone had been extremely enthusiastic about the competition.

Throughout Key Stages, groups of pupils were talking to each other about what they would draw, paint or make, which generated new ideas for all of us. For a whole week everyone was extremely busy trying to complete our final piece!

The artist that we looked to for inspiration was Giuseppe Arcimboldo.

Who is he, you may ask? Well let me tell you; he was an Italian artist that lived in the 16th century and was famous for making portraits out of fruits, plants, vegetables and even books. One of his most famous paintings was ‘The Greengrocer’. It is a painting of a man’s face but when you turn it upside down, it is a bowl of fruits and vegetables.

Everyone was obsessed by Arcimboldo’s work and very inspired by it too. It took us 2 weeks of Art lessons to complete our work.

It was now up to the judges Ms Greenwood, Ms Kemp and Ms Greaney to decide on the winner. Everyone was waiting silently in the Assembly hall desperately wanting Ms Greaney to announce the winners. In joint 3rd place was Csenge (year 7) and Tatum (year 7), in joint 2nd place was Ana (year 8) and Eda (year 8) and finally the winner was (drum rolls) Jennea (year 8) and everyone applauded. They say of course that ‘It’s not about winning or losing, it’s the taking part that counts’ Of course it is all about enjoying the event too. Congrats to everyone!

Eda, Year 8

The five finalists

Jennéa, Year 8

Jennea’s winning artwork

On November 4th, Key Stage 3 had the opportunity to visit the National Museum of Art and Kretzelescu Palace to view the work of well-established and aspiring artists. We went on a guided tour of the museum and during this time we got to know more about Modern Art. It was a very eventful and exciting day and I would like to thank Peter Wells, Mrs Wells and Ms Greenwood for making it possible. I would also like to thank Ms Draser, Ms Kemp, Mr Clowes and Mr Pantella for their wonderful contribution and support on the day. Here is a little insight into the events that occurred.

Ms Greaney and Ana, Year 9 UNESCO Kretzelescu Palace

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Muhammed proudly presents his name on the exhibition list

Green is NOT just a Colour Things in the Art room have just gotten greener- and I don’t mean a mix of blue and yellow! This year, BSB was fortunate enough to participate in an Art Competition regarding the ever-present climate and environment issues. This project was labelled “My world, Our climate”, and we were required to create an artwork that represented our views of the earth and its current state.

As soon as this opportunity was mentioned in one of our art lessons, ideas instantly began “blossoming” throughout! We commenced our masterpieces using a range of materials to portray our ideas. After the use of paints, water colours, and coloured pencils, the classroom proudly displayed a number of intricate artworks that created awareness of climate change.

Our entries were then sent away, and we eagerly awaited the outcomes, and the chance to see them on display.

Our artwork was exhibited in the Kretzelescu Palace and is currently being displayed in Copenhagen. “It has been a great experience” comments Noor, “Key Stage 3 visited the exhibition and viewed work not only by the British School of Bucharest pupils but also artwork by students from all over Romania”

Jennea, Year 8, the overall winner

Year 7 and 9 reflect on the artwork displayed

Key Stage 3 Art School Visit

Yr 7&9 presenting the Healthy Schools

Christmas School Productions Update Christmas School Productions have caused quite a stir in the Art Department and Key Stages 1 and 2 have been busy preparing for the event. Based on Mr Kelly and Mrs Dearmans script interpretations, Year 6 and the Stage Design Club have been busy painting forest and palace flats for the ‘Hoodwinked’ production and santa’s props for ‘Rosie the Reindeer play. It has been a very enjoyable experience for all involved and we look forward to seeing the productions.

Visit the BSB website at www.britishschool.ro

New PE Facilities Before I get to the Inter House competitions the new PE facilities need a mention. To anyone walking down the athletics track they cannot help but be amazed by the new covering over the football pitch. I heard a number of names for our new cover ranging from the obvious balloon, tent, bubble and dome to the more creative igloo and Moby Dick. It is a fantastic facility for PE, the pupils have really enjoyed the lessons that take place inside with no more cold fingers first thing in the morning or having to collect the balls that have been hit over the fence. In addition to this, the PE Hall downstairs in the Crawford building has had a new make over. There are lots of new colourful wall and floor markings that are being used for a variety of new games in Early Years and KS1

GIRLS G1

G2

G3

TOTAL

OLT

3

3

2

8

MURES

1

1

1

3

DANUBE

1

1

3

5

ARGES

3

3

2

8

BOYS G1

G2

G3

TOTAL

OLT

3

1

3

7

MURES

1

1

1

3

DANUBE

1

3

3

7

ARGES

3

3

1

7

competition had the honour of being the first one in the new dome. As you would expect the senior boy’s competition would be an intensely fought affair and a lot of grim determination was the order of the day. After the round robin of games we were left with yet another draw in this year’s Inter House competitions. In the end though there can only be one and Mures just took it from Arges again on points scored. The girls were on next and they also demonstrated their skills on the court.

Again it was pleasing to see our pupils motivated to do the best for their house, this time the congratulations go to Olt as the girls champions.

Great effort everyone and see you in the Spring for round 2

Years 5 and 6 Inter House Competition This time we were treated to perfect weather for the Years 5 and 6 Rugby End ball competition and the children did not disappoint us with their skills.

Both competitions were keenly contested with each team going all out to win the cup for their house. In the girl’s competition Mures came out on top, whilst the boy’s treated us to a fantastic display of open running action. In the end, Olt were the comfortable winners. A big well done from the PE Department to all of our Primary pupils for a great effort and congratulations once again to the winners.

Mr O’Brien taking a PE class inside the dome with 5M

Years 3 and 4 Inter House Competition Unfortunately the rain came on the wrong day and so we had to move into the PE Hall for the two Rugby End ball competitions. The children played remarkably well to run, pass and shoot with the ball. In the Years 3 and 4 girl’s competition we had a draw for first place between Olt and Arges, however, Olt were declared winners due to their superior number of goals score in the competition.

The fast paced boy’s competition also went down to the wire with three teams tied for first place at the end. Again, the highest number of goals scored determined the winner, and this time the honours went to Danube.

Arges girls playing Mures in the Secondary School House Competition Olt Winners of the Boys Year 5 & 6 Rugby End Ball

GIRLS G1

G2

G3

TOTAL

OLT

1

1

1

3

MURES

3

3

3

9

DANUBE

1

3

1

5

ARGES

3

1

3

7

BOYS G1

G2

G3

TOTAL

OLT

3

3

3

9

MURES

1

3

2

6

DANUBE

1

1

2

4

ARGES

3

1

1

5

Secondary Basketball Competitions

The Year 3 & 4 House competition underway

The British School of Bucharest Magazine

This one had to be rescheduled because of the bad weather; however, it did mean that this

Olt Girls holding the winner’s trophy All competitions are based on a round robin of games, i.e. each team plays every other team. Points are awarded in the following fashion – 3 points for a win; 2 points for a draw; 1 point for losing. After 3 games the points are added up and a winner is declared, in the event of a draw the numbers of goals scored are added together and the teams with the highest number are the winners.

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Visit the BSB website at www.britishschool.ro

University Courses Review As I write this article for NewsBlast and therefore re-examine the courses on offer to our pupils, it is pleasing to be able to report on the wide and varied learning opportunities that our University Programme continues

to offer. Our pupils are learning skills through a wide spectrum of courses ranging from yoga to bicycle maintenance, beginners sewing to observational art, and animal rescue to how to make a movie- to name but a few. The continued enthusiasm shown by our pupils for the university courses, along with being able to see the ‘life skills’ being taught are extremely rewarding indeed.

As always, I am indebted to the support from parents and special

BSB University, Term 1 Making Clothes for Toys In Making Clothes for Toys, the children learned how to design, cut and sew following their own ideas of outfits for a favourite toy brought from home. Here are what some of the pupils said when asked about the course.

“I enjoyed my university a lot because I like making things myself.” Aniela, 3W, “I am happy that my toy has a few outfits to change into from now on.” Viktorija 3T, “This course was fun and it taught me how to sew, which I did not know before.” Pelin 4D

thanks must go to Mrs Russell for her time and effort with her very popular and successful ‘How to Run a Mini Business’ course and also Mrs Spackman who volunteered her help with one of our Cookery courses. I am always looking for parents who are willing to share their skills and if you feel this is something that you would like to do, then please get in contact with me. Another way that you could become involved with the University Course Program is to be a ‘special

The next stage was to start filming and we all learnt quite a lot at this point about the need for extra takes. There were many outside influences we hadn’t thought of initially, such as people walking into our shots, the need for better voice projection and many other interesting obstacles to acquiring that perfect film shot.

Finally, we took the film back to the classroom and started to slide it into a movie making programme.

This was very much a whole group activity and a good chance for the children to reflect on their performances. We decided together which were the best clips and worked together to edit and put it into a cohesive whole to make the final product- a movie!

While we are not sure that ‘The Sunset’ will be appearing in a movie theatre near you, it will be available on the BSB TV website soon. We hope you will enjoy it!

Ms Tiffanie French Paris and Ms Kristen Swanson

guest’ who visits the courses during the final week and finds out what skills the pupils have been learning.

Two parents who did this were Mrs Gogos and Mrs Warmderam, and my thanks to them for their time and support.

Mr Iain Davidson University Coordinator

Arctic Animals and Culture Francesco, Smruti, Claudia, Eva, Chloe, Pavel and Boris have been learning about the animals and culture of the Arctic region in the Arctic Animals University Course. We have been learning about polar bears, seals, arctic owls, arctic foxes and much more! We have been making masks of arctic animals and we have enjoyed designing and making our own arctic homes and thinking about what types of people or animals might live there.

We have made homes for polar bears, seals, foxes and Inuit people. Boris even came up with the ingenious idea of building a house from sugar cubes to make it look like an authentic igloo! We have learnt some songs about the Arctic and also learnt some words from the Sami language of Northern Scandinavia.

Buorre beaivi!

Ms Theresa Collins

Beginner’s Sewing and Cross Stitch

Ioana, Pelin, Irini, Arina, Anastassia, Vaselina, Viktorjia, Anisia, Aniela, Nina, Ipek & Daria

We have been very busy in our University Beginner’s Sewing and Cross Stitching Course. We learned how to do different stitches and how to sew buttons on. We made a money purse that we can open and close with a button. We then learned how to make a cross stitch on material. It looks like an X. We are cross stitching our initials. We have enjoyed this course. David, Anouk, Cristina, Svenja, Haruna, Maia and Isabella.

I MOVIE University Course Pavel and Francesco working hard on their Arctic animals course

Children in Years 1 and Year 2 who signed up for the ’I Movie’ course have experienced a number of different roles in their quest to produce an adventure movie. The first job was to decide what the movie was to be about. Ms Swanson and Ms French-Paris presented the children with three initial pictures to stimulate ideas and it didn’t take long for the children to form quite definite opinions on what they would like to do. We settled on the adventures of three turtles and their friends who went on a journey to answer the question ‘Where does the sun sleep at night?’ The children drew storyboards and we voted on the one we all liked the most. From there we drew up a list of characters which included favourites like fairies and mermaids.

Then of course we held auditions to determine who played which part and unlike Hollywood there were no tantrums and everyone seemed happy with their allocated part.

Next we then had to write the script and once again the children had quite definite ideas about what they wanted to say! Rehearsals followed and the children proved that despite their young age they could act and remember quite lengthy chunks of speech.

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Logical Thinking Skills University In the Logical Thinking Skills University Course we have done Sudoku, brainteasers and dingbats.

Dingbats are something like maybe a picture of candy and the word floss. It would make the word ‘candyfloss’. See if you can work out this brainteaser! A boy called Jack was standing on one side of a river bank and his dog Scruffy was standing on the other side of the river bank. Jack called to his dog, ‘Scruffy come here!’ and Scruffy came across the river. The amazing thing is Scruffy did not get wet! How did Scruffy do it? If you come to logical thinking skills you might find out the answer!

Calista, 5L Haruna, Ms Andreea, Cristina, Anouk, David and Maia helping Ms Tyler with her sewing

Visit the BSB website at www.britishschool.ro

Help the Horses During Animal Rescue University we went to a horse rescue centre to learn about horses that have been rescued in Romania. Some of the horses were found in a horrible state on the street - alone, famished and dehydrated. Some were found abandoned by people who were too poor to feed or care for them.

Others were rescued from situations where they were being abused. Luckily, kind people have taken the horses in and are now caring for them. They are working on bringing the horses back to health by feeding them and giving them right medication.

The centre currently has around 30 horses and four foals. Fortunately, all of the foals are in good health.

Here are some hints on how to take care of rescues horses: How to feed the horses treats – Feed them by keeping your hands flat. Give them carrots or apples as treats – no sweets!!!

How to brush the horses – First you take a curry brush to pull the dust up. Then you take a coarse brush to get the dust off and finally you take the soft brush to make the horse shine.

How to keep the horse fit – Take the rescued horse on walks and when they are ready you can ride them and do other training exercises.

Remember to always be cautious around rescued horses. Many of the horses are still very scared from what has happened to them and they can sometimes act unpredictably.

The Animal Rescue University Team – Bram, Alexandra, Ester, Matthieu, Lena, Miruna, Luca, Diana, Gabrielle, Astrid, Hannah D and Hannah S.

How to Run a Mini Business University Course

Designing and Making Board Games

We had a great time running our tuck shop! Firstly, we had this tuck shop for our university course, running a small business. It was on Friday 20th of November from 2:30 to 3:15, outside the parent’s room. In the first two weeks we had to write to Ms Hussain and Ms Wells to tell them about the tuck shop. We also handed out some questionnaires.

The next few weeks we focused on what to sell, how many and for how much. Also we were making some posters for advertising. On the tuck shop day we were very excited; unfortunately Ilinca T was not here. We had lots of sweets, juices, popcorn and lollipops to sell. The next week we found out that we had 118 lei profit- this means we (Aaron, George, Antoine, Thomas, Yasemin, Ilinca T and Ilinca O) each made 14.75 lei!

Ilinca, Year 6

The Designing and Making Board Games University Course for grades 3 and 4 was designed to give students an insight into what it really takes to make a board game. Students learned about some of the basic concepts behind board games (i.e. luck or skills based, age ranges and number of players).

They also learned how to create their own board game and how to advertise their board games so that other children will want to buy it. Here’s what some of the students had to say about Designing and Making Board Games: “We were split into groups to make board games. I liked it a lot. My favourite part was when we made the commercials. My partners were Andreas and Martin. Our game was called “The Trap House.”

Rodney 4D “We made cool board games. We got to test them. I really, really liked it!”

Martin, 3T “We made and played “Battleship Trap”. I liked it very much.”

Victor, 3T

Aaron, Ilinca, Yasemin, Chira, Antoine, Jorge and Thomas all set for their customers

BSB Circuit Training Some of the student at BSB had a great time on the circuit training university course. Not only did they have fun, but they learned how to keep fit, the importance of keeping fit, and how to design and make their own circuit arena. Each week the students were set goals and each week

they surprised me with their enthusiasm and determination to improve their own personal fitness levels, as well as their knowledge of which exercises work each set of muscles. They all worked tremendously hard and so well done to all those that took part.

Mr Clayton Burt

Hannah, Ester, Alexandra, Mathieu and Bram looking after the horses

Programmable Robots In the Programmable Robots University Course we learned how to make patterns using a repeat function. We also got to make an obstacle course and let the other people try to write the correct program to find their way round the course. If we did all of this we got to put stickers on the Probots! We had some little robots that could be programmed to make your patterns and even draw them on paper for you! These robots are called Probots. The Probots can be programmed to do something if they hear a sound; for example, their lights are switched on or off or if they feel something with their front or back sensors.

Bianca and Gaya working hard

Stefanos, 5L

The British School of Bucharest Magazine

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Visit the BSB website at www.britishschool.ro

DT continues to go from strength to strength Design Technology Days, 12th/13th November, were a cross-curricular project between Art and Design Technology. Design Technology is divided into 3 areas Food Technology, Textiles and Resistant Materials and as the department grows it will expand its horizons and start to investigate areas other then food. To get our students in the mood for textiles Ms Greaney and I planned the two days together.

feelings, but in this case it was a combination of thoughts and feelings and print outs or found objects of famous landmarks, key events in history, traditions, customs, national costumes or styles of dress, key words and famous drinks or food of the country the students were given. Students were also given templates to begin their designs, remembering all the while the key aspects of the Secondary SEAL programme of managing their feelings if things were not going too well, motivating themselves to keep to the deadlines and forming positive relationships with students from across the Key Stage.

Both myself and Ms Greaney were very very impressed with the outcomes of the designs and the transformation from the designs to the final piece. We witnessed real teamwork, students encouraging others to share ideas and students reviewing their work positively and critically to reach their planned outcomes!

Ana Yr 8 working on Scotland’s mood board

Eda and Hyo Min Yr 8 working on their designs

Miriam Yr 8 working hard on the mood board for Germany

Eda Yr 8 adding the final touchesto her South American hat

Fillipo Yr 7 and Idan Yr 7 sharing space and equipment

Manuela Yr 7 representing New Zealand

Csenge Yr 7 modelling the French final design

Idan modelling the Austrian design made by Naomi Yr 8, Nikita Yr 8

Johan glueing and sticking research for England

Students were grouped by myself and Ms Greaney and given a country to research to create a mood board. “What is a mood board?” I hear you cry!

Well a mood board is a collection of thoughts and

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We are looking forward to the fashion show that Key Stage 3 will present shortly. We also know that Key Stage 4 and parents are very keen to see what the Key Stage 3 students produced on DT Days! You won’t have to wait much longer!

Visit the BSB website at www.britishschool.ro

Risotto: Critical Review During lesson time Year 9 have been experimenting with risottos and Year 8 have moved on to Asian cuisine by designing and making their own stir-frys and Year 7’s have been making cheese and courgette muffins all with outstanding results. Year 9 asked Mrs Wells to review their dishes for them as an extended source of evaluation and here is what she said!

Rhea Yr 7 modelling for Spain

Yr 8 boys talking about lean meat

Year 7 Cheese and Courgette Muffins

Rhys Yr 7 wearing the Scottish Costume made by Ana Yr8, Mariam Yr 8, Rhys Yr 7 and Fillipo Yr 7

The final dish a Shrimp stir fry with rice “Both dishes were quite creamy and the rice was well cooked, not slimy and beyond al dente.

The fresh flat leaf parsley was a mature touch and certainly added to the taste. Bowl number one seemed to have slightly more stock taste so I preferred bowl number two which seemed to have a nutty taste from the combination of mushrooms. Super cooking”

Mrs Puddy-Wells Ms Jen Kemp Design Technology Coordinator Megan Yr 7 modelling the final design from Italy

So what do you think Cesar about our product? asks Rhys in Year 7

Nikita Yr 8 measuring and cutting material for the Austrian hat

Evaluating our work in DT! CHEERS!

Team New Zealand Daniel Yr 8, Manuela Yr 7 and Alex Yr 7

Preparing vegetables with Yr 8 for their stir fry

The British School of Bucharest Magazine

Which risotto dish did Mrs Jo Puddy-Wells pick?

Bowl 1

Or Bowl 2

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Visit the BSB website at www.britishschool.ro

Creche and Preschool put on Healthy Schools Bake Sale The Creche and Preschool bake sale fell on the last day of half-term, which just happened to be during Healthy Schools Week -what a challenge we had! The mums knew early on that they would have to be creative to make this bake sale a success and everyone rose to the challenge. The children produced colourful and eye-catching posters in class and together with the help of their mums they produced a great recipe booklet full of healthy family favourites. On the day we had a wonderfully colourful and creative table with healthy specialities from all nations! Delicious home- made breads and funny face sandwiches, ever-popular jelly-pots, fruity muffins, toffee apples, organic cherry cakes, fruit-filled Jack’o Lanterns and very healthy chocolate pancakes!

On the day we had great weather, wonderfully eager mums and kids as well as the inspiration of Halloween! Our customers loved it and we had a very successful sale, raising over 1000 lei!

Preschool have been able to buy an aquarium and fish for their classroom and crèche have bought great new role play equipment. Well done everyone – this proves Healthy is Great!

Yummy Healthy treats at the Healthy Schools Bake Sale

Jelly delights at the Bake Sale!

A halloween twist at the Healthy Bake Sale

Creche Healthy Schools Bake Sale

Mrs Janie Bland Parent Teachers Association

EYFS Parents Workshops EYFS recently had their second parents’ workshop.

Miss Deanna prepared and delivered a very informative and interesting workshop on ‘Letters and Sounds’ to both the EYFS Pipera and Gafencu parents. The parents asked lots of interesting questions which really helped make the workshops more effective.

Watch out for more workshops in the New Year.

Thank you to Ms Deanna Beggs for all her hard work with these workshops. I would also like to take this opportunity to wish Ms Beggs ‘Good Luck’ as she temporarily leaves us to have her baby. We really hope she comes and visits us soon. All the EYFS team and her class will miss her a lot.

Ms Tiffany Moorcroft, EYFS Coordinator, Pipera

Ms Deanna Beggs leading the workshop

Tuff Cams Recently the PTA very kindly bought EYFS a number of Tuff Cams, which are cameras specifically designed for use by children and I can honestly say that the children are very excited about being able to use these new cameras. Firstly we showed the children how to use them, then children took it in turns (with support) to have the camera and take pictures around the classroom. When the children are used to the cameras they can then use them to photograph each other doing the activities they enjoy. These pictures can then be shown to the children on the interactive whiteboard where they can also edit them. The cameras introduce children to technology as well as providing a novel way in which children can express ideas, thoughts, and feelings.

EYFS would like to say a ‘BIG’ thank you to the PTA! Tuff Cam

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We took a picture of our fish

Visit the BSB website at www.britishschool.ro

Healthy Schools Week

Emotional Wellbeing Clinics – Year 7 and 8

MFL Year 7 students with their Healthy Schools Wall Display Emotional Well-being Workshop with Tatum and Olivia Yr7

Year 9 students lead the Healthy schools Assembly

The Healthy Schools Committee put on a show for all Key Stages for the first Healthy Schools Week of the year.

As we all know the Healthy Schools initiative is divided into 4 strands, healthy eating, physical activity, PHCSE and emotional well being.

The Healthy Schools Committee had everything and more during the week from dentist visits to Healthy Bake Sales. The next Healthy Schools Week is Monday 17th April – 23rd April

2010. URGENTLY REQUIRED HEALTHY SCHOOLS REPS! See Ms Kemp, Ms Jones, Mr Williams, Mr Burt, Ms Swanson and Ms Deanna for more details on how YOU can become actively involved in promoting, marketing and managing Healthy Schools Weeks in the future!

Ms Jen Kemp Healthy Schools Coordinator Secondary

Emotional Well-being Workshop with Hristos and Idan Yr7

Year 7 and 8 students went over to the Foundation Stage to give Emotional Well-being Workshops and get to know the younger students.

The feedback from the pupils was all positive. Fillipo Yr 7 said “I don’t

think they trusted us at the beginning but when we began to play with their toys they didn’t want us to leave!”

Ms Jen Kemp PHCSE Coordinator Secondary

Emotional Wellbeing and Physical Activity - The Morning Energiser!

The Healthy School’s week Energiser consisted of a week of ‘wake-up’ morning exercises for individual classes and culminated in a whole-school event on the Friday.

Mr Williams lead a different Key Stage from 8:45 to 9:25 each day, demonstrating a range of stretching, dynamic and resting exercises with a Kung Fu flavour. The children worked their way through the program and then went on to start their lessons feeling invigorated and ready to learn. There were several excellent performances noted by Mr Williams

and he was particularly happy to see the teachers joining in on the final day in which more than 250 students performed a training program simultaneously.

Mr Williams was also impressed with the way the children were able to hold themselves perfectly still and empty their minds. He explained to us that ‘in stillness is movement’ we hope you know what he means!

The British School of Bucharest Magazine

Mr Mark Williams Healthy Schools Coordinator Primary

Early morning Callanetics with Mr Williams

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Visit the BSB website at www.britishschool.ro

Able, Gifted and Talented at the Early Years and Foundation Stage Gafencu It has long been a mission of BSB to provide all students with a positive, stimulating, secure and caring environment which encourages the fulfillment of individual potential and growth of self esteem in all areas: academic, social and personal. The EYFS is a vital phase in the academic careers of our students. It is just as imperative that we offer a wide variety of learning opportunities, social and emotional support at this stage as we do with the rest of the Key Stages. An essential part of bringing this vision to life is to identify A, G&T students in the EYFS and provide them with the appropriate support.

Ben K. is a Preschool student at Gafencu. He was showing me his “Pollock” style rendering of the leaves. He loves to paint!

The key to identifying young A, G&T pupils at this stage begins with staff awareness. Knowing what to look for when identifying the exceptional child is just as important as providing them with the necessary support. Confident and knowledgeable teaching staff is a priority at BSB which is why we are always offering professional development in a variety of areas such as AG&T. I went to Gafencu to discuss identification of AG&T students in the EYFS with staff.

The A, G&T programme is a whole school effort which assesses, identifies and supports gifted students at all levels, even at the earliest stages such as Early Years and Foundation.

The EYFS programme at BSB is a prime example of the nurturing, caring and stimulating environment that all students need to succeed academically, emotionally and socially. EYFS focuses on creating an exciting atmosphere which encourages students to be creative, self-exploratory and to be able to communicate on a level that their peers can relate to. The programme offers just the right balance of structure, flexibility and independence that promotes the gifts and talents of all young learners.

Ms Nicole Fisher, Able, Gifted and Talented Coordinator

Tudor S. is a Reception student at Gafencu.

He was showing me the mechanics of his creation.

Winter Vegetables in the EYFS

Lennie, David and Miki put the vegeatbles on the steamer

Jae Hyun Lee from creche enjoys some steamed vegetables

During Healthy Schools week the children were introduced to some delicious winter vegetables such as squash, cabbage, pumpkin and beetroot. Each class had the opportunity to cut up the vegetables, put them in a steamer and

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then taste them. Much to our surprise and pleasure the children absolutely devoured the vegetables.

In Reception B the most popular vegetable was by far the squash because as David said it was ‘very yummy and sweet’. In Preschool M and in Reception E the children loved the cabbage and in crèche the favourites were cabbage and pumpkin.

The children in Preschool M also enjoyed learning the names of the vegetables in different languages.

The entire process from washing and cutting to tasting the vegetables was a great learning experience as it gave the children an opportunity to use real tools and to learn how to use them safely.

It was also an opportunity to be brave and try some vegetables they may never have tried before and talk about the different tastes and which vegetables they preferred.

On the whole Healthy Schools Week was a great success in the EYFS Pipera and we look forwards to the next one.

Ms Deanna Beggs Healthy Schools EYFS Coordinator

Visit the BSB website at www.britishschool.ro

Class Pages

Creche Pipera: Ladybirds and Spiders

Crèche Gafencu

There have been a number of stories that have been popular in crèche recently. Two in particular are “The very lazy Ladybird” and “The very busy spider” from these stories, different learning journeys and some fantastic art work has taken place. The children have made ladybirds out of egg boxes which now hang proudly in the classroom and they have made some very real looking spider webs out of spaghetti, glue and glitter.

Communication has come on in leaps and bounds over the last few weeks, and the children are all starting to use newly learnt English words in class and to our delight, everyone now has a firm grasp of ‘Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star’, which can often be heard ringing out of the windows here at Gafencu!

Marguerite, Maria, Nicolas and Philip planting seeds

Elliot, Maria, Nicolas and Philip painting Christmas pictures

This is just one of the festive songs we have been learning in the run-up to Christmas, and we have all been practising hard for the upcoming show, whilst letting our creative sides loose on some homemade decorations. We have also been having a lot of fun playing with our toys and planting seeds, and we are very excited about seeing them grow in the near future. We would like to finish by wishing everybody a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, and we look forward to seeing you all next term.

Our spider web pictures

Ms Chris Stowe, Crèche teacher

Going on a bug hunt

Preschool students enjoying PE

Preschool Gafencu We have now completed our first term in Gafencu Preschool and over the term we have observed that the children seem to have chosen specific areas to repeatedly play in. We are extremely lucky to have direct access to the garden area, which has become the main work place of several of the children. The boys have particularly enjoyed working together to fill the climbing frame with large and small objects and have repeated this activity several times.

Some of the girls have enjoyed playing outside too, in particular spending a great part of their time this autumn playing with water, either washing the dolls or pouring, emptying and filling containers. They were especially thrilled when it rained as they were stunned when they were encouraged to add paint to the puddles!

Interestingly we have observed that the other children have also become identified with particular activity areas; some children are totally into painting, either by themselves or working with another student on the same piece of paper.

But the one area that is of common importance to all the children is the snack area. The snack table is opened at 8 30 am and closed at 11am and so children decide when they wish to eat their snack. For some it is as soon as they arrive at school, they sit with their friends and after examining and discussing the contents of each other’s snack boxes, they eat and then return the snack boxes to their bags and go off to play. Sometimes children arrive at school, play then decide to have snack; other children eat a small amount revisiting the table several times during the morning. When the weather allows, the children have eaten snacks outside- this is a good opportunity for Reception and Preschool to meet informally. At one point this term the children instituted an afternoon snack time, so in response to this we left a table available.

But without fail the one time that the whole group voluntary takes snack together is at the end of the PE lesson. There is not a lot of discussion or contemplating of the contents in each other’s snack box; they just sit and eat, looking very relaxed, self confident and self assured at a lesson well done!

We made ladybirds

Going to look for ladybirds and spiders was a particular successful learning journey. The children all made their own binoculars and set off around the school to have a look. We came across some very interesting finds including a snail and some roses, unfortunately we didn’t find any ladybirds or spiders, but some children thought they caught sight of a lion and a zebra! It was very exciting!

Ms Claire O’Brien, Class teacher

Ms Kath Homer, Class teacher

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Pre school M

It continues to be an exciting and busy time in Preschool M. We are particularly enjoying role play at the moment. Role play is very important for children of preschool age as it really helps with language for communication and thinking as well as developing their imagination. It also helps support the personal and social development of the children.

Firstly, we had a pet shop and veterinary surgery in our classroom. We learnt all about different animals you can have as pets, which tied in really well with the hibernation of our tortoise and the arrival of our fish tank and fish (purchased with bake sale funds).

The children really enjoyed acting as both the vet and the pet owner. Pets were diagnosed, treated, and then put in the recovery area.

We now have a fairyland castle and have had the opportunity to be kings and queens, princes and princesses, and even dragons and trolls. This role play area has linked with many rhymes and stories.

The children have also been making up stories of their own which is an important developmental step. We love role play so much we used some of our bake sale money to purchase additional items to help us play. Thank you again to everyone who supported our bake sale.

Reception B: We are not afraid of the dark!

This term began by thinking about the dark. In partners the children talked about their experiences of the dark and tried to think of words related to the dark. Some of their ideas were: sleep by myself, trees moving, caves, bats, black, starts with /d/, night and scary.

These conversations led to some investigations of the dark, such as “how to make paint darker”, and making light and dark artwork. But the children’s interests soon shifted after we read the story Can’t You Sleep Little Bear?, by Martin Waddell, and made a very dark bear cave in our classroom. The children have enjoyed going in the cave and telling the story and also making up their own dark stories.

Continuing with the bear theme, we read We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, which helped us learn about story settings. We used puppets to tell the story and we also had our first visit to the ICT Suite where we created some of the settings from the story, such as long wavy grass.

Modelling. We became experts at 2D and 3D shapes when making our junk models and are now able to recognise different shapes when walking around school. Oskar H even found 12 cuboids in our playground.

Remi, Omar and Anya are painting our Rocket with lots of bright colours so that it can be seen in space

Once we had made all these Space Crafts we had one problem……..we had no where to blast off to!!!!

So we needed to make some planets. We made some Paper-Mache Planets, which was really good fun as we liked to get our hands in the glue.

Thank you also to Kate, the current admin manager of the Monster Munchkins toddler group, who is leaving the group this month.

The Preschool M Team

This term has gone by so quickly and the children have learnt so much in a short time. I look forward to visiting the children in the New Year and to seeing their development.

Ms Deanna Beggs, Class teacher

It’s dark outside It’s dark outside.

It’s dark inside.

It’s dark behind the door.

Ayesha, Tibor, Sunayana and Mariam busy at the vets

It’s dark outside.

It’s dark inside.

It’s dark under the bed.

It’s dark outside.

It’s dark inside.

It’s dark in the drawer.

It’s dark outside.

It’s dark inside.

It’s dark in my room.

Moritz and Arina making planets using gloopy papier-mache

We looked at the spacesuits that astronauts wear and decided that we needed to make one. We decided that we didn’t want to use paper and that we needed to be brightly coloured, “so that our Mummies can see us,” from Earth. Astronaut Arish and Efe had great fun in our Space Centre finding out what they could see from the Moon.

We really enjoy reading books about aliens and making our own pictures of what we think aliens look like. We even wondered what Aliens might eat, so we used our imaginations to come up with some delicious ‘alien food.’

It’s dark outside.

It’s dark inside.

It’s dark everywhere at night!

Based on ‘It’s dark outside’ by Nancy Chambers

By Reception B

Reception E: Space Adventure Samuel, Esperanza and Ayesha busy fixing together a bed for the vets

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In Reception E this term we have been very interested in all things relating to Space. It all started with Remi making a Rocket out of wooden blocks, and deciding to go to Jupiter. We then made Spaceships and Flying Saucers with our Junk

Oskar H and Arish discussing the textures of our ‘alien food Ms Kayleigh, Class teacher

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Reception, Gafencu: Here’s what we do at Harvest Time The Reception class at Gafencu has become messier since the start of term… flour, ice, glitter and jelly have played a large role in our daily lives, providing lots of opportunities for the children to use their senses to explore the world around them. They have had interesting discussions about ice, extending their vocabulary and talking about freezing, melting, warm and cold. They have been using onomatopoeic words such as squishy, yucky, gooey and slippery to describe the jelly and flour and have used these multi-sensory materials to practise their letters. Tudor S, Joost and Benji really enjoyed roleplay using these messy substances and thought their teacher had gone mad allowing them to make such mess.

can form most of the letters learned so far, identify and recognize initial sounds in words and they know some tricky high frequency words also. Calin even managed to read a caption all by himself.

Phew. When it is time to relax from Ms Kellyanne and her Letters and Sounds, Alex M and Giulia love nothing more than relaxing with a book. Sitting proud at the writing table beside them is usually Martina, making maps, cards and pretty designs to take home. Ambra has made so many beautiful pictures for the wall the class room resembles an art gallery.

With the Christmas production coming up it’s a good thing that we have Cameron and his opera voice to belt out the songs and Tudor M to show us the actions. Merry Christmas everybody.

1T Update The children in 1T have been busy at work this term learning about Forces in Science by exploring Pushes and Pulls. One of the aspects we discussed was stopping moving objects. We looked at objects that we can’t stop which opened up a discussion and an activity outside about road safety - safe ways to cross a street. Later we looked at things we can stop, such as balls and toy cars. We developed an experiment to find which objects were able to stop the moving balls and toys. We realized that how hard you kicked the ball or pushed the car changed the outcome, which means we had to think about how to make it a fair test.

Ms Kellyanne Feeney, Class teacher

1C Report This month has been a busy month for 1C. We have been working together to create our magical role play area, ‘The Land of Boogwala’ in our art lessons and now have a wonderful area in which to read and play. There is now a fox, a rabbit, a dog and even a bear hiding in the undergrowth in the corner of 1C’s classroom!

Kristian stopping the moving bicycles to let Mete, Letitia, Alexia, Gregory and Catinca cross

Alex M, Sasha, Alex C, Calin and Tudor M enjoying quiet time

Outside has been just as interesting. The children have been enjoying the beautiful sunny autumn weather and have been lucky enough to learn all about autumn by being outside and going on environmental walks and appreciating nature.

Sanziana, Irina and Niya showed just how much they had learned about symmetry and patterns in their numeracy by creating lovely leafy symmetrical patterns and designs with Ms Nicoleta. Sasha and Alex C took the opportunity to use the sand pit as an experimental area to make slopes and mini-mountains, talking about 3D shapes, speed, distance and height. Sasha even tried to roll himself down the slide and felt what it was like to be a ball.

Measuring density

We have been learning about shapes and density in Numeracy and have especially enjoyed pouring water into different containers to investigate how much water different-sized containers can hold. We have been looking at repetitive language in Literacy and have worked together to create our own class version of ‘The House that Jack Built’. In Science we have been learning about different forces and investigating the various ways in which objects and people can move.

Mallika, Sara and Honzik looking out for moving bicycles

In Literacy, we have been reading stories with repeated patterns, such as The House That Jack Built and Handa’s Surprise. We had a lot of fun with them and enjoyed reciting the repeated phrases.

We made our own books based on The House That Jack Built using our own characters, which we will keep in our class library Ms Justine Tyler, Class teacher

What’s new in 1W We have had a very busy yet interesting half term since our last article. Our main focus of learning has been Healthy Eating where we have learned about what is good to eat and what is junk food.

Practising for our assembly

Reception Gafencu practising their Christmas Production songs

Inside the classroom, there has been a lot of hard work with all of the children making wonderful progress with their Letters and Sounds. The children

The British School of Bucharest Magazine

Our class assembly was held on Thursday 26th November and 1C worked very hard to put together their production of ‘The Velveteen Rabbit’. This story helped us to understand our History topic, which is looking at how toys have evolved through time. Ms Collins was very impressed at how the children managed to learn their lines so well!

Ms Theresa Collins, Class teacher and Ms Valentina, Class TA

1W students learning about ‘Healthy Eating’

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In Mathematics, we set up our very own fruit stall to use our knowledge of addition and subtraction to find out the prices of many fruit and vegetables and what coins we would use to buy them and how much change we would get. We also painted our favourite fruit and vegetable in Art and then designed a fruit salad. However, before we made our fruit salad we had to learn about hygiene when dealing with food, such as washing our hands, tying back our hair and clean surfaces. The best bit was eating our fruit salad afterwards.

We have been learning all about Non Fiction work in Literacy, with a particular focus on Recipes and Cooking. One day we even got to go and do some cooking. We made ‘Courgettes with Cheese and Tomatoes’ - Cristina’s ‘Chocolate Ice Cream’ recipe, which she invented at home, was our favourite.

We wrote our own recipes for a monster dinner, and even followed a much tastier recipe for Baked Courgettes. We really enjoyed eating the delicious, healthy snack we made. We have also been lighting things up in science class using electricity, creating our own working circuits and switches.

In Geography we have been using the Internet to explore Mexican culture, learning about all the foods, clothing, music and beliefs that make each place unique.

Ms Kristen Swanson, Class teacher

Year 3T Firstly, I would like to say welcome to Alessandro from Italy, who joined us this term. We all welcomed him with open arms, as we always do with new class friends, and he has already settled nicely into the class and made friends with the other students.

Nicholas cooking 1W students enjoying ‘Fingerbob Theatre’

We have also really enjoyed learning about the toys of today and the past and discovered that older toys were built with better materials, such as wood, and so they lasted longer. Some toys do not date such as hoops, skipping and puppets. The best part was making Fingerbobs (finger puppets) of mice.

Mr James Ward, Class teacher

The latest from 2P We like variety in Year 2P and so have endeavoured to try all sorts of new things and learn new skills in the classroom this half term. For example, we have been learning how to sew, to do a running stitch, and make puppets. We have been learning about Mexico, which we think is a very interesting place with great food. We have also been studying Electricity and tried very hard to make circuits with light bulbs and buzzers, which was a lot of fun. We also now know how to be safe around electricity; for example, you must never put anything into a plug socket except a plug and certainly never your fingers!

Alessandro, with his wire figure Mert cooking

We were sorry to say goodbye to our dear friend Sukeerthi, who has returned to live in India, she will be missed.

We are very happy however for Ola, who has a new baby brother, and for Marillia, who has new baby sister- congratulations to them and their families.

It is amazing to us all that it is nearly Christmas and we can’t wait for the production day to get here! Of course, there are many other interesting things lined up for the rest of the term - Christmas tree decorating, parties, and the Artisan Fair. We all think these activities make for a fun end of term!

Ms Tiffanie French-Paris, Class teacher

Hello from 2S

3T designing their Photo Frames

This term in 2S we have been having fun in the kitchen! As part of our Literacy program we have been learning all about recipes.

Our Postcards

Boris sewing

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2S students ready to get cooking!

We were all very busy studying many areas this term. In Design and Technology, we completed our topic of planning and designing our own picture frames. The outcome was tremendous, in that

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we all showed that we had learned a real mix of techniques of design and chosen appropriately according to our own personal ‘ideal’ frame for a family member. In ICT we all designed a highly original Halloween card, using the 2 simple program. ICT is always fun!

it’s a type of game which helped us to learn about punctuation in a fun way. You can ask your teacher how to play the game if you want too.

Klara and Hannah reading to Paris

We also went to read a book to Reception B, which we really enjoyed because we got to know the students in the class better and enjoyed playing with them. In Science we have made Skeletons that move because we are learning about the Human Body.

Ipek working on her Halloween Card Design

Ioana, 4D

Rex Ray Display

The 4H Factor!

It has been clear from the outset of the academic year that tremendous talent resides in every child in 4H. In class 4H are always full with creative ideas and are achieving great things in all areas of the curriculum. However, it was apparent that a deeper creativity lurked, waiting to reveal itself given any such opportunity.

Picture Frames

In Geography we studied ‘Weather and Climate’ and as a final process we wrote postcards ‘supposedly’ from different climatic zones describing amongst other things the weather conditions and how people live in those areas. These postcards became the focus of a display in the classroom. We are now looking at ‘Poetry’ in Literacy, learning about the many different types of poetry and acting out poems in the classroom. Whilst in Science during our topic of ‘Teeth and Healthy Eating’ we are looking forward to a trip out to a restaurant in the city to assess whether it has a healthy menu or not. Related to this topic, in early December, we performed ‘Wibble Wobble’ by Miriam Moss, at our class assembly, and hope that all the Mums and Dads enjoyed it.

Alex displaying his work of art

Presenter Astrid challenges Cristina and Clara in the History Round

Ms Taylor, Year 3, Class teacher

3W worked on the BSB Winter Display Ms Hussain asked Year 3 if they would create a Winter Display on the route through to the assembly hall. Last year’s display’s colour scheme incorporated blues, silvers and greys. This year Mr Williams the art coordinator decided to go for a more colourful theme to cheer us up on those cold, overcast days. Year 3 had been studying patterns in Art and looking at the artist Rex Ray, so it was no problem at all to come up with an alluring design for the board. 3W used their mathematics symmetry skills and knowledge of repeating patterns to create Christmas tree twigs and snow drop shapes.

The British School of Bucharest Magazine

Veselina, Ester and Kristopher busy creating

We then collaged all our pieces together to make one final image. We took a picture of our work and we sent it to Rex Ray. We hope he likes it!

3W

4D Class Work.

In Literacy we had a special writing time where we closed the curtains and the tables were moved.

We were writing that we were a boy in war time.

We had to write how we were feeling as if we were evacuated from our homes. 4D also worked on kung-fu punctuation, which was lots fun because

With this in mind 4H decided to showcase their acting, singing, dancing and even magic skills in a fabulous, all guns blazing talent show for their recent class assembly. The children were paired up and given time to rehearse their entertaining abilities to produce a 45 second masterpiece to captivate both the interest and the votes of their audience. They were competing against other pairs in the class to become the ultimate talent champions of 4H. Each child performed spectacularly, but David and Matei’s rendition of ‘Soup Soup’ with their own inspired funky dance moves cannot escape mention as they had the audience in stitches. Children who were voted through to the next round by parents and school peers then participated in an intellectual challenge testing their knowledge and learning from the term so far to the absolute limit! Points were awarded for effort and success and the two teams with the highest scores then met head to head in the final.

Cristina and Clara faced Samaa and Raluca in a game that pushed the boundaries of human fine motor skills and teamwork beyond compare. It was a tense moment in the history of 4H. After blood, sweat and tears, Cristina and Clara ruled victorious and claimed the much sought after 4H factor trophy.

Congratulations to all in 4H! Mr Stuart Harrison, Class teacher

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Year 5 trip to Castel Film Studios It was awesome! On Thursday, November, 5th Year 5 went to Castel Film Studios. When the teachers were sure that we were ready to go, we took the bus from school and after half an hour we finally arrived to Castel Film Studios. When we arrived in the parking lot there were some taxis and some police cars that were used in some different movies.

the world, including: Milan set in the 1800’s, which was made for a movie called ‘Barbarossa’. There is also a London Street and a small western town in America, which even includes a real horse and some chickens! Then, we saw the costumes for the movie that will be shot on Monday, called ‘Born to Raise Hell’, starring Steven Seagal. Lastly, we saw an apartment all made out of plastic. It was really strange to walk on a fake floor made out of plastic!

This is the best school trip I have been on so far!

Alessandro, 5L

Year 5 Trip to Herestrau Park On the 14th of October 2009 the Year 5 students of BSB went to Herestrau Park. We arrived at school like a normal school day, except everybody came in their P.E. kits and with a rucksack. The Year 5 students went to their classrooms where we were told what was going to happen for the day and some of the rules for going on trips by our class teachers Mr Madsen and Mr Leese.

awesome alliteration, similes like lions in the wild, personification which makes our writing stand up and sing and lastly, wild opposite- personification!

Next stop was Numeracy, but be cautious this paragraph has some very advanced work! First we practiced long division with decimal points (even in multiplication), how murderous! Afterwards, we learned all about FRACTIONS! Oh no, I mean, oh yeah! They were pretty hard at the beginning but we eventually got the hang of it. For example, when you wanted to find 10% you just have to move one decimal point to the left and then round the last number on the right off… how easy can mathematics get?

During our History lessons we have been exploring ‘Britain since 1948’ and we were assigned to create a timeline that shows everything important event of our own families since 1948.

Angela and Seoyoung on the Baker Street set

Aaron and Jesus displaying their ’Art in Motion’

All in all, we have been busy like ants in a chocolate factory and are looking forward to all the exciting times ahead!

Watching the swans and fish

Aliss, 6H

6U Hard at Work We’ve been working a lot this year in Year 6 on Literacy, Math, Science, History and Geography, but having fun too. We have also had some individual projects such as our mountain brochures and our history timelines.

Inside the sound proof studio.

Maybe we should move our classroom here!

Year 5 exercising to measure changes in heart rate

The weather was sunny but cold. We walked around about ¾ of the lake, starting at the Hard Rock Café and ending at the Nesquick playground and saw some squirrels and swans on the way. We took a break at gigantic head statues, where there was a flagpole with the European Union flag. This is where we did some observational drawing. We stopped for lunch at the Nesquick playground, but before we ate we took some measurements of our pulse rate and how it changes after exercise. When we finished lunch and playing we went back to the buses and made the long trip back to school.

Year 5 students enjoying the Castel Film Studios tour

Castel Film Studios is like a microscopic, little town.

It has wide streets with big buildings on one side and trees on the other side. Inside the big buildings there are some rooms for different uses. In one of those big rooms there are some people who built the sets for all type of movies. In another room there is a giant pool where they shoot scenes for underwater movies. We had a guide and he told us that the pool is his favorite part of Castel Film Studios. Outside there are many fake replicas of

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Antoine, 5M

What’s happening in 6H? This half term was action packed! During Literacy we’ve been studying fictional genres, such as: sci-fi, historical, mystery and fantasy. In the end we made power point presentations with genre information and displayed them during our Year 6 assembly.

Later in the half term we changed topics and swapped to Poetry! Yay! In Poetry we learned to use

6U students

In Literacy we were learning about genres in which we had to write our own story and now we’re learning about poetry. In mathematics we have been learning about perimeter and area and long division with decimals. In Science, our recent focus has been on dichotomous keys. In History, we’re learning about changes in Britain since 1948, while in Geography our topic was learning about mountains. We have had a lot of fun and we hope we’ll continue to have fun all year long.

Ilinca O. and Bianca, 6U

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Adult Art classes have again been very popular this year with parents

Madeline inspired by Chagall

The Adult Art Class has been a fun and inspiring experience for me. It has given me the opportunity to get to know parents on a more personal level and I have also discovered how many gifted and inspiring artists there are in the Pipera area! Well done ladies! It has been a pleasure to be a part of this creative experience. This term we have used portraiture as our starting point. Parents have worked with a range of media, such as watercolour, acrylic and oil. The dynamic combination of styles and creative flair within the group has resulted in an exciting range of artwork.

I asked a few of the parents if they could write a few words about the classes and this is what they had to say: “I can highly recommend the art class for anybody, even if you haven’t sketched since primary. Martina presents it in a way that gives you the opportunity to discover which technique suits you”. Madeline “The Art class is a great opportunity to develop hidden artistic talent. Even if you haven’t painted before, you will be surprised by what you can achieve with a little help from Martina! It is also fun and a good escape from day to day tasks.” Monica

Monica experiments with watercolour

Aida completing her masterpiece

“The adult art class has helped me explore different art techniques and discover my abilities and talents. It has also offered me the opportunity to integrate with the school community and socialize with the mums while escaping from motherhood for awhile.” Annie I hope some of you got the chance to see the Art exhibition on December 14th where parents and pupils got the opportunity to display their work.

Annie looking at her canvas from another angle

Adult English Classes: Back to school First of all I would like to say thank you to BSB for providing the EAL classes to parents and also thank you to the teachers. I started EAL lessons at BSB last September and at first it was very hard for me to find the time for this, but I managed to do so and am happy that I have as I feel the course has helped me to improve my English.

At the beginning I was afraid to speak in class because I was worried about making mistakes every time I speak. This course has really helped me to become more confident speaking in English as I have improved both my vocabulary and grammar. We speak a lot in class and so I am no longer afraid to speak in English and feel my English is improving all the time.

Vusale has just completed intermediate level and will start upper intermediate after Christmas

Ms Martina Greaney, Art teacher I’m the mother of 3 Italian children and we have now been living in Bucharest for 1 year and a half.

I knew some English before coming, but I didn’t understand the spoken language very easily. Even a basic conversation with people from different parts of the world was a nightmare. Thankfully the school provides English classes for parents, which I thought was perfect for me, so one year ago I returned to school in order to improve my English.

Thanks to these lessons I have met new friends and now speak more fluently and can understand quite well. I’m in a very small class (usually we are 4) and my teacher, Mr Peet, tries hard to ensure that we enjoy the lesson, showing videos from YouTube or talking about nice places in Romania where he has been during the weekends.

Janie does her magic with the palette knife

As a French mum with four children who has chosen to put them in a British school, I quickly realised that I needed to improve my English if I wanted to help them with their homework and also to have a social life in the schoolyard with the other mums. Fortunately, the school offered lessons at school during school time, avoiding the need to travel far away, which is great. I think it’s useful remembering grammar forgotten or learning new grammar, and it’s also pleasant studying texts and talking in class; I just regret the lessons shortness because the atmosphere is so relaxed that it’s a real pleasure to participate.

Odile, Currently attends the Upper intermediate class with Mr Ellis

I like these classes and I think they are very useful to improve comprehension, grammar and vocabulary, even though I think we would benefit form studying more, maybe two hours per week would be better!

Laura has just completed intermediate level and will start upper intermediate after Christmas

Odile Vusale Demir

The British School of Bucharest Magazine

Adult EAL Classes

If you are interested in joining either the Adult EAL or Art Classes after the Christmas break, please contact the office. Classes will start the second week back.

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PTA Update Winter is not the traditional time for beautiful flowers in Bucharest, but we have now had two wonderful sessions with a renowned Dutch master Florist, Irene van der Geest. She is now based in Bucharest, where she offers training courses to florists and it is possible to order regularly from her stunning bouquets which are flown in from Holland to guarantee their freshness .She specialises in a more modern style of flowers which are very pretty. Have a look at her website, www.florariaolandeza.ro The sessions took place in the parents’ room, which was quickly transformed into a friendly workshop.

We were a bit nervous as most of us had never done anything like this before, but Irene quickly put us at ease. All the materials were prepared by her in advance, and shared out between us. In the first session we made a ‘cake’ of flowers; a little wooden fence containing a lovely arrangement of roses, freesias, alstromerias and tiny chrysanthemums.

Irene showed us step by step how to insert the flowers to give a professional finish, and gave us some very useful tips about the care of flowers on the way.

For the second session we made an advent candle, which is a circle of green fir leaves onto which candles and Christmas decorations are wired. The idea is that one candle is lit on each of the four Sundays before Christmas, and this session really put us in the mood for the holidays! There will be more workshops in the New Year, so why not have a go?

Food is never far from our minds (or lips!) and MarieHélène Reynolds gave us an outstanding session at our monthly cookery demonstration. Like Irene, she was inspirational, and removed our fear of French ‘cuisine’. She chose three dishes which we could all make, with ingredients easily available in Bucharest, and which were delicious. At the end of a very happy and busy morning we ate a mousse of two salmons (or ‘deux saumons’ for those at an advanced level of French!), pork with a honey and apple glaze, and a pineapple cake. With wine!

New Year activities planned We are planning some exciting and interesting trips for the next few months to brighten up those dark and cold months. Here are some of our ideas: Make your own mosaic at Second Chance village Visit a Belgian Chocolate factory (in Romania, not Belgium!)

Visit the Chinese market in Bucharest A trip to a glass factory in Ploiesti Our monthly ladies lunch/ dinner.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Mrs Diane Worth, PTA Member

Some of the flower arrangements made during the course

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BSB’s PTA with their works of art

New Additions to the Resource Centre Recently there have been quite a few new additions to the Secondary Resource Centre. The first and the most notable addition is, of course, Ms Diana. She now runs the Resource Centre which, itself, is sporting a new name as it used to be called the Secondary Library. As Diana is here to help us out, we’d like to extend her a warm welcome and to say that we have noticed some fantastic improvements since she has arrived!

Diana will be working with the Library Monitors and overseeing many projects in Crawford House.

The other new additions come in the material sense. More specifically, they are DVD’s.

However, these are not just any DVD’s, they are educational ones that can extend learning and are relevant for use in class too! Moreover, they were donated by the PTA, including the following fantastic titles: The Complete BBC Shakespeare Collection, which includes all 37 productions from

Child Protection Course Recently I attended an Advanced Child Protection Course in Londo,n run by an organisation called Kidscape http://www.kidscape.org.uk The aims of the course were to: Develop an advanced understanding of Child Protection issues. Have a further opportunity to explore attitudes and values with regard to safeguarding children. Refresh & enhance knowledge of signs and symptoms of abuse Understand that although it is plausible for child care practitioners to predict the likelihood of certain children being abused, more robust evidence is needed. Understand that some children are resilient to abuse i.e. they see this as ‘normal’ behaviour. To give the knowledge & skills needed to perform the function of ‘Designated Person’ or ‘Child Protection Officer’ in our setting Receive information about Child Protection processes, including Child Protection conferences

the BBC television’s Shakespeare series; The Complete BBC Charles Dickens Collection; David Attenborough’s BBC Life Series; The History of Britain, and The Rise and Fall of Rome.

In short, we’d like to thank Diana for joining our fabulous team in the Resource Centre and to thank the PTA for the educational resources provided to us. Please know that we appreciate them and that they make learning more accessible and fun— thank you very much!

Year 9 students Shani, Robert, Panayiotis and Noa displaying the new English DVD’s graciously donated by the PTA

Identify good practice in working with children and families, and reflect on our setting’s policies and procedures As the school’s designated Child Protection Officer, I will now ensure our policy is up to date, that we have links and support from child protection agencies in Bucharest, while supporting our school community.

Ms Tiffany Moorcroft, CPO, Pipera

Ms Tiffany Moorcroft, CPO, Pipera

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The BSB Calendar January Monday 4th Friday 8th Monday 11th Mon 11th-Wed 20th Thursday 14th Friday 15th Friday 22nd Friday 29th End of January

Term 2 Starts Year 4 Bake Sale Launch of Primary Poetry Competition Year 11 IGCSE Mock Exams EYFS Pipera Parents EAL workshop Year 10/11 Bake Sale Student Council Bake Sale Year 8/9 Bake Sale Primary Reports

February Wednesday 3rd Thursday 4th Friday 5th

Thursday 11th Thursday 11th Mon 15th-Friday 19th Wednesday 24th Mon 22nd- Fri 26th Friday 26th

Parents’ Key Stage 5 Options Evening Primary/Secondary Music Event Year 6 Bake Sale Primary Poetry Competition ends AG&T Day Secondary Parent’s Evening Midterm Break Year 9 Options Evening Year 8/9 Work Experience Week Year 2 Bake Sale

March Mon 1st -Fri, 5th

Thursday 4th

Mon 8th-Friday 12th Saturday 13th Wednesday 17th Wed/Thurs 17th/18th Thursday 25th Monday 29th Tuesday 30th Wednesday 31st

World Book Week Eco Day Bake Sale World Book Day (EYFS students wear costumes to school) BSB Haut-Lac Ski Trip BSB Ball Green Day (students wear green to school) Primary Parent’s Evening (some clubs cancelled) Bucharest International Schools Debating Competition Launch of Primary ICT Competition Secondary Production: Bugsy EYFS & KS1 Easter Celebration Easter Bonnet Parade Earth Day

April Thursday 1st Monday 19th

Monday 26th Mon 19th-Fri 23rd Thursday 29th

Term 2 ends Term 3 starts Healthy Schools Week Close of Primary ICT competition Year 10 Mock Exams Primary Science Day

May Friday 7th Monday 10th

Thursday 20th Friday 21st Monday 24th Thursday 27th Friday 28th Mon 31st-Wed 3rd June Mon 31st-Thurs 4th June

Gifted and Talented Bake Sale INSET- School closed Year 10 Parent’s Evening Student Council Bake Sale National Holiday (school closed) Parents Transition Night Reception to Y1 Sports Day Year 3/Year 4 Trips Year 6 Liddington Trip

June Mon- Fri, 7th-11th

Tuesday 8th

Wednesday 16th Thursday 17th Mon 21st-Fri 25th Wednesday 23rd Thursday 24th Monday 28th Thursday 24th Friday 25th End of June Wednesday 30th

Year 5 Trip Gafencu Reception children transition day to Pipera Key Stage 3 Parent’s Evening KS1 Production Year 7 Trip to Madrid Theatre Day KS2 KS2 Theatre Day and Production Secondary School BBQ KS2 Production Barnaby Bear’s Picnic Primary Reports out Leavers/ Awards Assembly school finishes at 12.00

Please note that some of these dates could change.

Red House Book Club

5L collecting their book orders

year, the Library’s “New Books” book shelves are always full.

The first two Book Club orders this year proved once more that our students have a love of books and reading. This, as you may well know by now, also means a generous increase in library stock. With a total of £880 from the autumn order and over £470 from the Christmas one worth of free books so far this

The British School of Bucharest Magazine

The children helped me chose the free books for the Library and those of them who have ordered books came and sorted out their orders themselves. By far, the most popular new acquisition proved to be Michael Morpurgo’s latest novel, “Running Wild”, which is marked as “reserved” for several coming weeks, as a long list of students are waiting to read it.

Some of them come in series and so I can’t wait for the new ones to be out. My favourite right now is the Goosebumps series” Alina, 5M “The book Running Wild kept me in suspense and made me want to read all of it, quickly, so I can find out what happened next. It was a very good story, but so, so sad.”

Daniel, 6U

“The Red House book orders are great because the books on the list cannot be found in the bookshops in Romania.

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The BSB Dome

The latest addition to the BSB Campus 42, Erou Iancu Nicolae Street, 077190 Voluntari, Ilfov County, Romania T. +40 21 267 89 19 F. +40 21 267 89 69 E. office@britishschool.ro www.britishschool.ro