Issue 2 - December 2011
BSB Reception Office is now by the main entrance, more convenient for parents and visitors Administration Road - Ploies ti Bucharest
Otopeni Airport
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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Principal letter Dear Parents & Friends of BSB Welcome to our final edition of Newsblast for 2011. It has been the perfect end of term, which truly reflects a phenomenal year. The school has physically grown in the last twelve months with the addition of new facilities and resources; it has also developed extended curriculum provision, offered more opportunities for involvement with our community, and established a growing group of adult classes to allow everyone to experience learning at BSB. The PTA are more involved with the school and are organising a huge range of activities for children and adults, which is a great addition to our school programme; and of course we are now embracing students from 12 months to 18 years. It is an exciting time to be at BSB.
Academically it has been a superb year; we have record numbers of children that are excelling in their assessments and examinations, while collectively finding time to explore life outside of the classroom. Our students’ ability to empathise with others has been impressive. Already there are unique ideas to fund-raise and allow our VIth formers to get involved with Habitat for Humanity again this year. The language students DVD, I love u was superb and helped raise money for their chosen charity. It is wonderful to learn about our students, who have the benefit of so many advantages, happily spending their time, and devoting their efforts to support others, often without being led by an adult.
Let me take this opportunity to thank all of our wonderful staff who show unwavering commitment to their school and to thank you for your continuing support of BSB.
I believe BSB fosters these healthy attitudes in our students, encouraging them to see beyond the classroom door and appreciate their place in the world. There are many chances at school for every child to stand up and take responsibility, and display their personalities. The positive developments of the House system at school and the extended expectations placed upon the roles of House and Vice Captains, as well as the Head Girl and Boy, are all avenues for children to explore responsibility in the safety of the school environment and with their teachers’ support. All these possibilities to lead, inspire, negotiate, encourage and work as a team will be mirrored in all their lives once they walk through the school gate for the last time.
2012 will see our first Year 13 students go off to university and another stage of their lives will begin, our plan to open our own catering section and cook healthy meals for our students on site will be realised and we will open an extended secondary library and research area in our Crawford foyer. As I consider all of these exciting advances I am looking forward to the new year and all that it will bring for BSB, its students and families.
Let me take this opportunity to thank all of our wonderful staff who show unwavering commitment to their school and to thank you for your continuing support of BSB.
Warm regards for the season, Jo Puddy-Wells, Principal principal@britishschool.ro
Issue 2 2011 3
Alumni. Where are they now? Hi, everyone! I am having a lot of fun being part of the HUGE group of IA students I have started helping out in the Primary library as my service and I love it I’ve also started doing Drama club and am currently directing and scripting our show! I’ve joined the debating team, but I’m really missing our awesome BSB debating club! Our coach is really good - she used to coach the Oxford team, but it just isn’t the same - a lot of people are starting debating for the first time, and don’t seem dedicated at all! In the meantime, I have submitted a peace essay to the United Nations to commemorate World Peace Day! I really miss all of you - ISG just doesn’t compare to BSB’s warm, friendly, comfy atmophere! There’s so many people in my grade, that I still don’t know everyone’s name, and it’s been 6 weeks (though I can’t believe it’s been that little!). I look forward to hearing what everyone’s going to be up to! As always, BSB updates are much appreciated, thanks for keeping me up to date, guys! Missing you all loads and loads, Ana
Hey BSB!! It seems like ages since I’ve written something for the newsblast, and it seems really strange to be writing something for you from UK. Rhys and I have mostly settled now; it was a really strange experience going from BSB to such a big school, but I think we’ve managed to find our feet and get back into school life. Here at St John’s, Marlborough, we have 1800 students at the school, which let me tell you it is very different from BSB! The strangest things about moving for me, is the fact that I am now living in the countryside. It seemed really strange to find that the countryside is actually really beautiful, and the rivers and the footpaths that are all around the place make it really wonderful here. I read the last news blast and I would like to say congratulations to all the house/vice captains, and the student council members. Well done for taking up the positions. I would also like to say a huge good luck to Olt for the house competition this year, because although I am no longer at BSB, I am still very firmly in Olt!! GO OLT!! Thank you so much for allowing me to write this article for the newsblast, and I would like to say that I miss all of you at BSB, and I will definitely be back to visit, so keep a look out for me!! Love Beth xx (Rhys says hello too!!)
4 Newsblast
Shortly after coming back to UK, Rhys and Bethan went to Dobby’s grave in West Wales, (for all the Harry Potter fans in BSB!)
In Your Neighbourhood - Mr Khamis Ali
Say hello Mr Kamis Ali. He has been working at BSB for 2 months now and he is the ‘Food and Beverage Manager’ for the school. He likes Romania and says that he believes that it has a lot to offer. He likes BSB and says that it is bigger that his previous school which only had 200 students. Khamis likes to play football at every opportunity and also likes to do a little cooking as well. He is also a seasoned traveler and has been to many places such as England, Libya, USA, France, Dubai, Zanzibar and Ireland. Khamis says that everyone should try to make it to
Zanzibar at some point because it is great for diving and the minimum temperature is 20 degrees. Khamis is a huge music fan and particularly likes R&B, as well as Rap and Soul. He is also a movie enthusiast and particularly likes action movies. Khamis is a fan of the crime series, CSI and he also likes X Factor. His ambition is to own a restaurant in Zanzibar since food is one of his many passions in life. Lola and Naomi, Year 10
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PTA This has been a busy term for the PTA and a real team effort. I firstly must say a big thank-you to all the parents who have kindly volunteered their time to support with the activities. The events started with Halloween, which Julia co-ordinated with the support of parents, to have a trick or treat lucky dip for KS2, EYFS and KS1 children. Kerstin arranged a cupcake workshop where Julia our very own Domestic Goddess, shared her baking tips and answered our numerous questions. We were all delighted with our beautiful creations and now we can only hope to try and replicate them at home. Daniela has been busy keeping our calendars full with very enjoyable social events. These have included; Ladies dinners at various restaurants in the city; Praline workshops and trips such as the outing to the glass factory Romblast near Ploesti. As Linda said they were able to rummage through the warehouse looking for bargains and everyone came back with boxes filled with beautiful, if a little dusty, glass baubles.
Parents enjoying the delights of good food in good company.
The variety of glass baubles on display at Romblast glass factory.
November continued on a pace with Kerstin arranging a traditional German bakery in anticipation of the Artisan Fair. We all had the chance to learn how to make seasonal delicacies and hopefully you were able to purchase some at the fair. And now, we are in December, we have class parties to arrange with the support of the parent reps. The Artisan Fair on the 9th December where all proceeds go to Charity and then finally our own plans for the holidays. So I wish you all a very happy and enjoyable holiday and that you and your families have the chance to spend time together and celebrate. We look forward to seeing you all again in January and the dates for the PTA social coffee mornings are here for you to already start filling your 2012 calendar. Mrs Sarah Waterfield, PTA President
PTA Dates for your Calendar: Social coffee mornings:
Summer Fair:
6 January 2012
9 June 2012
2 March 2012 4 May 2012
6 Newsblast
The baking cookery demonstration run by cupcake goddess Julia Armstrong.
Assisting children with their trick or treat Lucky Dip.
Issue 2 2011 7
Quiz Night
Presenting Julia Armstrong, on behalf of the Royal British Legion, with the proceeds from the Quiz Night. We had our first Quiz Night at school on a rather chilly night in November. All proceeds from the evening went to the Royal British Legion. We were delighted to raise in excess of 400 euros. The night proved a great success and we hope will become an annual event. The evening was attended by parents, teachers, visitors to Bucharest and friends of BSB. Our quiz - master was non other than Mrs Puddy-Wells whose questions took us around the world and required us to exercise our brains. As with any quiz night we racked our brains trying to remember the answers and desperately listened to the other tables for insights. I came away learning more than I knew before I arrived and also questioning just how much I had forgotten!
8 Newsblast
We were very fortunate to have had prizes kindly donated by Hilton, Caru’ cu Bere, Buon Giorno, Wine bouquet and Serve. We also enjoyed the support of Cramele Halewood for our refreshments throughout the event. The catering was provided by the school’s Chef, Khamis Ali, who together with his team of chefs, provided traditional pie and mash with ‘Bisto’ gravy and a delicious albeit calorific dessert of chocolate pudding. The event was a real team effort with committee members, parents, staff and children all contributing. We would like to say a big thank-you to everyone. Mrs Sarah Waterfield, PTA President
The opportunity to perform for an audience is welcomed by all our musicians
Autumn Music Recital Students, parents and friends were treated to an exciting programme at the first music recital of the year in October. It was impressive to see how much work the students from both the upper and lower school had been able to do outside of school hours in order to prepare their performances. We are very grateful to their instrumental teachers for all their help with this. It was delightful to see the rapid progress made by individuals who had played in previous recitals as well as encouraging to see other children performing for the first time. The evening was made more varied by the inclusion of woodwind players, a drummer, a guitarist and a keyboard duo alongside the singers and pianists. The children who sang and played the piano at the same time made this accomplishment look deceptively easy. These recitals are very valuable for the children as they learn how to play in front of an audience and articulate clearly what they will be playing. They also learn how to receive the well-deserved applause. Above all they must make sure that their playing is at its best. As has happen previously, the children make an enormous amount of progress in the week before the performance and rose to the occasion by giving their best performance at the recital itself. Mr Steve Green and Miss Jenny Finch , Music Teachers
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University Courses Term 1
BSB TV university course gives children the opportunity to bring their creative ideas to life on screen and use up-to-date Apple Mac software to edit and refine their work.
BSB Radio university allows the children to work together as part of a team to produce weekly shows
Sign language university for Year One and Year Two allows children to consider alternative ways of expressing themselves as well as helping them to appreciate how people with an aural language impairment can communicate.
10 Newsblast
Children are working from building up their own designs using paper tiles to creating real-life tile mosaics to place around our school grounds.
Playing different musical instruments can enhance a child’s education and skills base; university courses such as Alto Recorders give children the chance to try something new.
During Horse Rescue university, children learn a lot of theory about the anatomy and care of horses as well as issues around animal neglect and mishandling, in order to deepen their understanding when they culminate the course in visits to the local horse rescue sanctuary.
Learning how to build an argument and debate a point whilst keeping a cool head is one of the life-skills taught in Debating university.
Issue 2 2011 11
BSB Clubs
Handball is a very popular sport both worldwide and in Romania and we are pleased to welcome a new teacher, Mr Cristian Stamate, to the school to teach this sport to the younger children.
Learning hand-eye coordination and ball control skills gives a vital underpinning skill to a lot of more advanced sports.
Fundraising club is a chance for older students to make a real contribution to their society whilst developing team-work and organisational skills. 12 Newsblast
Chess club provides intellectual and strategic challenges and allows children to build up logical and tactical skills.
KS3 students work through design technology processes to build unique chairs.
In straw craft club children learn to carefully manipulate materials to form 3D structures.
Here the KS1 children are working on their mask designs to perfect them before starting to construct.
Students are encouraged to work with a wide variety of materials in the secondary art room; here the focus is on silk painting.
Issue 2 2011 13
The complexity of the Romanian alphabet ofers a new challenge
Romanian Classes for Parents Buna ziua. Romanian classes are being offered again to parents or members of the community. The students who have started the course in September are now able to greet and introduce themselves in Romanian, use the
numbers up to 100, give directions of where they want to go, ask and answer simple questions. The classes will continue throughout the school year. Mrs Ana-Maria Marin, Romanian Teacher
Adult classes at BSB Bucharest cityscape by Mrs Warmerdam
Adult Art Classes Mrs Warmerdam and Mrs Reynolds attempting large scale work.
Congratulations to our adult learners who are producing some amazing work The artist Salvador Dali once said :‘Do not fear mistakes – there are none.’ With this in mind the adult art classes have begun at BSB. The intention is to prove that each of us is creative in some way, in some area, and it is never too late to create. Every Thursday morning the new Design Technology room is transformed into an art studio. The classes are less about giving ‘how to do’ instructions but focuses on a more about ‘you can do’ approach. The spotlight has been upon taking risks and overcoming the obstacle of the white paper. Hands, faces and the odd item of clothing are sometimes covered in charcoal and paint by the end of a session. This is not a reflection upon carelessness but on sheer hard work. Picasso said ‘Every child is an artist, the problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.’ Adult art classes at BSB show that a language, like visual arts, can be revisited at any point in our lives. Mr Derek Walker, Design and Technology Teacher
Bucharest cityscape by Mrs Reynolds
Urban Expression by Mrs Tiru.
Pastiche of city by Mrs Reynolds. Issue 2 2011 15
Coming together as students offers real support for one another
Adult English Classes We are pleased to announce that we now have classes open at all levels for the first time, from Elementary up to Advanced level plus an upper intermediate Business English class. We are now able to offer one to one lessons, either in addition to group classes or as a self contained course. One to one classes allow the student to have a course that is even more closely tailored to their needs than in a group class. Furthermore, conversation classes will be added to the adult EAL programme from next term, for students enrolled in any group or one to one classes. These offer you the chance to practice the structures learned in class in a relaxed conversational setting, discussing points of common interest, stories in the news or even the latest books or films. For further information please consult http://www.britishschool.ro/community-links/adult-learning.html or write to camelia.ciuta@britishschool.ro Mr Bill Ellis, EAL Adult Programme Co-ordinator
Learning a new language is a worthwhile activity
16 Newsblast
Healthy Schools Week.
Year 6 learning the importance of relaxing body muscles, and their brains, after vigorous exercise.
The main focus for the first healthy schools week of the year was ‘Healthy Minds’. Throughout the week Secondary students tackled activities that tested and exercised different areas of the brain. Logic, visual, audio and kinesthetic illusions, tests and exercises were enjoyed and tackled. Mr Monaghan held an assembly that focused on memory retention and factors that contribute to maintaining and improving a healthy mind. Primary students created a healthy mind tree display that was put up in the library. Students were encouraged to write on leaves saying what makes a happy and healthy mind. In Ringwood, students created an A-Z alphabet of healthy things and the Year 1 classes visited the nearby clinic for a health check up. Four Able, Gifted & Talented students were challenged to create a memory competition that tested children from all age ranges within the school. Music teachers spent some time focusing on how different genres of music affect ones mood and the PE department introduced progressive muscular relaxation exercises into their lessons. The week proved to be a success as children became aware of the importance of not just keeping physically fit, but mentally fit as well.
Our Healthy Minds Tree reminds us to keep our brains active!
Mr David Hughes Chairman of Healthy Schools Committee
An assembly focusing on what it takes to exercise our brains
Issue 2 2011 17
BSB SPORTS TEAMS 18 Newsblast
Our ladies sports team
Ready for the challenge
Years 3 & 4 Boys Football Team
Years 5 & 6 Boys Football Team
Issue 2 2011 19
Years 5, 6 & 7 Girls Football Team
Years 9 & 10 Boys Football Team
20 Newsblast
KS1 Football Team
Years 7 & 8 Boys Football Team
KS3 Girls Basketball Team
Issue 2 2011 21
Guy Fawkes On Friday 4th of November BSB entered a competition which was building a Guy Fawkes for bonfire night. Children from Years 6-9 student built the Guy Fawkes and stuffed him with straw. First of all we began stuffing him by placing lots of straw into some large trousers and we put the trousers on him (which was easier said than done). Then we put his shirt on but we had to sew the bottom of his short to the top of his trousers. After we had done that we sellotaped the cuffs at the end of the shirt so no straw could get out. Then we had to insert the straw into his shirt. For his head Mr. Walker along with some students made a realistic-looking head out of papier mache. The Guy was ready! On the night of the bonfire our school won the competition. Therefore the Guy was burned on the bonfire. It was the second time in a row we had beaten the other schools! Calista 7M
Buliding the guy together
Finishing touches to the Guy
22 Newsblast
The whole Guy Fawkes team
Thank you from Light in to Europe We would like to thank you for your continuous and brilliant help for our Bonfire Night Party! The party was a huge success, everyone had a really good time, but that would not have been possible without your help. The funds raised will be used entirely in developing our services for the sight and the hearing impaired, so you are truly making a difference in our children and young people’s lives. Thank you on behalf of Light into Europe Team and our beneficiaries.
Issue 2 2011 23
London 2012 watch out... here we come
“The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.” John Bingham
Bucharest Marathon 2011 October saw the annual Bucharest City Marathon take place. This year BSB had many members of staff taking part. On that wet morning all the runners from BSB, who had all been in training for weeks and even months prior to the event had the courage to start and take on the challenge ahead. Mr Reed took on the full 42 Km Marathon, Miss Stevens, Miss Moorcroft, Mr McRae and Mr O’Brien ran the half marathon, while the other members of staff made relay teams. These runners Mrs O’Brien, Miss Jones, Mr Brown, Mr Mugur, Mr Monaghan, Mr Madsen, Mrs Walker, Miss Maxim, Mr Johnstone and Mr Ali. Everyone who ran pushed themselves to the limit benefiting from the team spirit and having so many colleagues and friends there to share the experience.
Considering the challange ahead The course itself offered a different view of the city as the bustling car congested centre was replaced by a deluge of runners jostling for position all the way down Bulevardul Unirii. After this the participants took a turn at the Dambovita river, followed the river for a section before turning to race for the finish line. This great day took a lot of organising, the staff taking part would like to thank Miss Moorcroft who was responsible for everything from registering everybody to organizing the BSB team t-shirts John Bingham famously wrote “The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.” Mr Reed, Mr McRae and Mrs O’Brien
It was all worthwhile in the end 24 Newsblast
Country Spotlight: Pakistan November 2011 Ayesha Year 1V
Faaiz RECS
Where in Pakistan are you from? Lahore How long have you lived in Bucharest? Almost 3 and half years Describe Pakistan to somebody who has never been there. Pakistan has very beautiful flowers and the parties held there are fun How does living in Romania differ from living in Pakistan? We have no proper mosques built here in Bucharest
Where in Pakistan are you from? Lahore How long have you lived in Bucharest? Since I was born Describe Pakistan to somebody who has never been there. Pakistan is a beautiful country. You are most welcome to visit Pakistan How does living in Romania differ from living in Pakistan? I consider Romania as my home and I like visiting my grandparents in Pakistan
Enayah PRC Where in Pakistan are you from? Lahore How long have you lived in Bucharest? Almost three and half years Describe Pakistan to somebody who has never been there. The food there is very tasty and the location is beautiful How does living in Romania differ from living in Pakistan? I don’t have my grand-parents here with me as they live in Pakistan.
Rida Year 12 Where in Pakistan are you from? Lahore How long have you lived in Bucharest? 7 years Describe Pakistan to somebody who has never been there. It’s really hot in Pakistan How does living in Romania differ from living in Pakistan? It’s a lot different How does BSB compare to your previous school? It’s much better. It’s more disciplined
Salaar Year 5F Where in Pakistan are you from? Lahore How long have you lived in Bucharest? Almost six and half years Describe Pakistan to somebody who has never been there. Pakistan is a country filled with friendly people and the food there is delicious, especially Chicken Tikka as it is my personal favourite. It also is the best place if you want to go shopping. How does living in Romania differ from living in Pakistan? I like living in Romania as it’s very beautiful and not very hot.On top of that I have a lot of friends here compared to Pakistan How does BSB compare to your previous school? I went to kindergarten where there wasn’t much learning What do you like about your new school? I like BSB more because there are lots of house competitions and special days e.g. Science Day, Maths Day etc.
Haris Year 7W Where in Pakistan are you from? Lahore How long have you lived in Bucharest? 7 years Describe Pakistan to somebody who has never been there. Pakistan is a historical place, it has a lot of greenery. It has 5 rivers and beautiful mountains How does living in Romania differ from living in Pakistan? In Pakistan, I see a lot more nice quality houses and the people around are very respectful and nice. Pakistan has very good shopping whereas Romania has way more houses. How does BSB compare to your previous school? BSB is a lot more organised; the kids here are very respectful and kind. Also, we have swimming lessons which were not provided in my previous school
Issue 2 2011 25
Mishaal PRC
Ramla Year 12
Where in Pakistan are you from? Karachi How long have you lived in Bucharest? 4 years Describe Pakistan to somebody who has never been there. Pakistan is a lovely place to stay How does living in Romania differ from living in Pakistan? I love my family and miss them a lot who live in Pakistan. I also love Biryani which is a special kind of Pakistani food
Where in Pakistan are you from? Islamabad How long have you lived in Bucharest? Almost 1 year Describe Pakistan to somebody who has never been there. Pakistan is an ethnically and linguistically diversified country. It’s a different place to visit. Infrastructure and development is good. Natural beauty of northern areas is really amazing and eye-catching for tourists. Some places are evergreen with pleasant eco -friendly environment throughout the year, and the traditional food is very delicious. How does living in Romania differ from living in Pakistan? Pakistan is hotter than Romania in winters. Snowfall is only present in the cooler regions. The variation of people, environment, culture, traditions, and language are things which make it a lot different than Romania. How does BSB compare to your previous school? We used to get off early but had all curricular cover in the first half of the year What do you like about your school? It’s a small school with a friendly and cosy environment. It made me feel welcoming on my arrival to Bucharest and this really helped me to settle in pretty soon
Arish Year 2J How long have you lived in Bucharest? 4 years Describe Pakistan to somebody who has never been there. Pakistan is a very beautiful country with lots of greenery How does living in Romania differ from living in Pakistan? I miss the Pakistani food for example Haleem and Nihari How does BSB compare to your previous school? BSB is a fun school because I love playing games on the computer and in BSB I get a chance to do that
Salman Year 5M Where in Pakistan are you from? Lahore How long have you lived in Bucharest? 8 years Describe Pakistan to somebody who has never been there. Well Pakistan has lots of big houses e.g. my house and also it is quite warm there, (good for tanning) How does living in Romania differ from living in Pakistan? Weirdly enough in Romania I feel more comfortable but Pakistan is still my home How does BSB compare to your previous school? Well my previous school was only for Kindergarteners so basically we didn’t really learn
26 Newsblast
Huzaifa Year 9W Where in Pakistan are you from? Islamabad How long have you lived in Bucharest? Almost 1 year Describe Pakistan to somebody who has never been there. There are fewer dogs and most of the people know English. The climate of Pakistan is hot. How does living in Romania differ from living in Pakistan? Romania has a lot of natural beauty and historical places. I just saw snow falling once before coming to Romania. So it was a new experience having a lot of snow. How does BSB compare to your previous school? My previous school was really big. BSB is good for socialising and it is a British International school. What do you like about your school? The people are friendly and there are many curricular activities
Noor Year 11
Sara Year 5F
Where in Pakistan are you from? Multan How long have you lived in Bucharest? Almost 4 years Describe Pakistan to somebody who has never been there. It’s a gorgeous country with picturesque sceneries. Although Pakistan has this image of a very nonsocialising, dangerous city, I would like to say it’s untrue as Pakistan is a very welcoming country and the people there are quite sincere. There are a few cons but I think those cons exist in every country, It’s just that they are not exposed as much as Pakistan’s cons are exposed to the media. Additionally the cultures and traditions there are very inspirational and encouraging. Pakistan has all four seasons and all sorts of land formations are present there from Glaciers to Mountains. Furthermore the country has a very sad yet inspirational story behind its independence. Moreover it consists of amazing historical places. Last but not the least the food is scrumptious and mouthwatering for example the traditional sweet Gulab Jamun How does living in Romania differ from living in Pakistan? People in Pakistan show their unfathomable gratitude towards everything from nature to their well being by contributing in various different activities. They are kind, faithful and hospitable. Majority of the population is able to communicate in English. Mangoes are hard to find here, whereas in Pakistan these fruits are one of the most common and sweetest fruit available in the market. Not only that but also the traditions and culture differ How does BSB compare to your previous school? I’ve been in BSB for quite a few years now, and personally I think it’s the best school I’ve been to. The teachers are extremely friendly and talented. The school is filled with versatile students, remarkable staff and striking buildings.
Where in Pakistan are you from? Although I was born in Sharjah, U.A.E, I am from Multan, Pakistan How long have you lived in Bucharest? Almost 4 years Describe Pakistan to somebody who has never been there. In Pakistan we have big houses, people are very friendly, the food is delicious and it’s also quite warm there. We all more or less love mangoes in Pakistan How does living in Romania differ from living in Pakistan? In Romania it is beautiful, I have more friends here and the weather is cool in comparison. How does BSB compare to your previous school? My old school was pretty large although I was a kindergartener there What do you like about your school? I like the fact that we have new MFL classrooms, new lunch room and a new music room. I like the special days held e.g. Maths Day, Crazy Hair Day.
Emaan Year 4B Where in Pakistan are you from? Multan How long have you lived in Bucharest? Almost 4 years Describe Pakistan to somebody who has never been there. In Pakistan there are enormous houses and the weather is hot. There is a shop close to my house where we buy icecreams and chocolates. The gardens are huge and the food is really yummy. The shops are quite big and the schools are quite vast as well How does living in Romania differ from living in Pakistan? The language is Urdu and also we don’t eat pork in Pakistan. The food is quite different compared to the food in Romania How does BSB compare to your previous school? In my previous school we had P.E indoors and the teachers there had funny names What do you like about your school? I like the new drama room stage
Mohammed Year 9 Where in Pakistan are you from? Multan How long have you lived in Bucharest? 3 years Describe Pakistan to somebody who has never been. It is like Romania - but you see more donkey drawn carts and there aren’t taxi’s but rickshaw’s, like an open taxi, a motor cycle stuck to the front. How does living in Romania differ from living in Pakistan? Romania is a bit cleaner How does BSB compare to your previous school? I went to school in UAE, in BSB it’s smaller and you know more people, it’s like a family
Issue 2 2011 27
Geography Learning Pathway At the British School of Bucharest we value the importance of progression throughout the key stages in all areas of learning. Outlined below is the learning pathway a BSB pupil will progress through, starting in EYFS and continuing up until KS5, for Geography. The key objectives in the Geography
curriculum are covered through a variety of interesting and motivating activities both within the classroom environment and the wider world. Here are some examples of how, here at BSB, we achieve this.
EYFS In EYFS Geography is part of the Knowledge and Understanding of the world (KUW) area of learning and development. Children are introduced to Geography through their local classroom and outside environment. As part of the EYFS curriculum children are encouraged to lead their own learning for example marking out a road system with signs to drive the bicyles around or building a town out of building blocks. The children are introduced to different cultures through discussion of different festivals and celebrations. The children in EYFS begin to acknowelge a world beyond their own.
Children in EYFS commenting upon and asking questions about where they live and the natural world
Giving children the opportunity to show an interest in the world in which they live through different sensory experiences 28 Newsblast
KS1 Initially, Geography within the KS1 curriculum introduces children to looking, indepth, at their own locality. They begin to discuss what factors effect the areas they live in and make observations as to how these can be improved or sustained. Our local environment of Pipera offers great opportunites to see how an area has developed and how it continues to change. They are introduced to a wider range of geographical vocabulary and resources, something which they continue to accumulate along with their learning. Later in KS1 they use the knowledge gained from studying a local environment to compare a distant locality. At BSB children learn about Mexico and are encouraged to begin asking questions about life in a different country.
KS1 children learning about directions and continents through a fun World Twister game
Students in KS1 sharing the knowledge they have acquired about a different locality as part of their assembly production Issue 2 2011 29
KS2 During KS2 the children continue to build upon the skills they aquired in KS1 and begin to broaden their geograhical understanding. Children begin to differentiate between physical and human geography. At BSB children in KS2 have the oportunity to enrich their learning through extra curricular geography clubs which focus on specific geographical skills such as mapping skills and orienteering. Children become more able at using Geographical resources such as compasses, maps and globes. They continue to ask geographical questions using specific geographical vocabulary. They are given many opportunities within school and on various school trips to consolidate this learning.
KS2 children are given the opportunity to produce maps from their own imagination as part of a ‘Mapping skills’ university course
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KS3 Pupils learn about a wide range of local to global issues from the management of waste to the impact of globalisation. Pupils also learn about a range of different places, involving issues regarding energy use, housing, dealing with poverty and coping with extreme events. They also explore different parts of our physical world and how people interact with them.
Cleaning an oil slick experiment preparation
Observing how the oil behaves on water Issue 2 2011 31
KS4 Pupils are expected to demonstrate a greater understanding of the impacts which both physical and human geography and the processes which affect their development. They develop an understanding of relative location on a local, regional and global scale, and an awareness of the characteristics and distribution of a selection of contrasting physical and human environments. They explore some of the processes affecting the development of such environments, how people interact with each other and with their surroundings together with the opportunities and constraints presented them.
Outdoor lessons: Bran field trip
KS5 At KS5 pupils will develop and apply their understanding of geographical concepts and processes to understand and interpret our changing world. They develop their awareness of the complexity of interactions within and between societies, economies, cultures and environments at scales from local to global. They will recognise the challenges of sustainability and the implications for their own and others’ lives and improve as critical and reflective learners, aware of the importance of attitudes and values, including their own. They are encouraged to become adept in the use and application of skills and new technologies through their geographical studies both in and outside the classroom and be inspired by the world around them, gaining enjoyment and satisfaction from their geographical studies and understand their relevance.
Building a landscape on a stream table
Investigating river flow patterns using a stream table 32 Newsblast
Lower School Review The run up to the winter holidays is always one of the busiest and most exciting in a school. All the children have been busily preparing for their productions, including rehearsing, making their props and humming the songs as they work.
We have already had many highlights this academic year and you can find details of them throughout the magazine. One was our Lower School Maths Day that focused on ‘Real life problems’. Seeing the importance and relevance of Maths in everyday life really motivates children to learn. A big thank you goes to Miss Milligan and all the teachers for the success of this annual event. EYFS had a well attended and exciting Open Hour. I know the parents loved seeing the children in their classes showing what they can do.
Our House and Vice-House Captains have led their first assemblies, this is a huge responsibility and one the children took very seriously. The student council have also been busy as part of our Play Pals initiative, they have been visiting EYFS and KS1 to teach them various playtime games and encouraging the children to join in.
Ms Tiffany Moorcroft, Head of Lower School
“I would like to wish everyone a very happy holiday and I look forward seeing you all again at the start of the new term.”
Issue 2 2011 33
Autumn Time for Crèche and Crib Crèche and Crib have certainly welcomed the coming of Autumn. They have been learning about what happens during this season, thereby enhancing their knowledge of the environment. They have also been looking at the colours and shapes of the leaves as well as the different types of trees. The conditions at this time of year have enabled Crèche to go on a leaf walk, do leaf printing and even make a leaf forest, Crib have made leaf trees and the lovely weather has allowed us to have fun playing outside with the falling leaves. The Autumn colours have inspired our creativity, and the children have been busy making some lovely artwork, attending PE and music lessons and enjoying inside and outside play. The sand, slides, seesaws and cars are particular favourites. The children are having fun and also learning to socialise, take turns and share toys which is a very important part of growing up.
There was excitement at the school when it was discovered that the rabbits had had babies and we took the children along to see them. They looked liked small bundles of fur. The children will be able to see them growing up. Learning how to look after animals properly can bring out their caring side. We are looking forward to the rest of the term’s activities, especially as Christmas nears and the children will be hoping that Father Christmas pays them a visit.
We wish you all a Happy Christmas and New Year Crib and Crèche Class Teachers
Crèche showing pride in their achievements after finding leaves on their hunt
Crib boys building friendships and exploring their environment in ways they have chosen for themselves.
34 Newsblast
We weather the weather, whatever the weather!
Showing interest in the world around them and commenting on pattern and change, the children recognised that leaves change colour and fall during Autumn
The children in Preschool have turned their previous learning about colours to a theme of weather this half term. Exploring Autumn through to Winter, watching as the leaves on the trees change colour, fall and leave bare branches ready for the arrival of the winter weather. They have noticed the changes in temperature, the frost in the morning, the darkness of the sky and the chill of the wind, but their interest was drawn to the colourful surroundings the Autumn season brings. The children have been very busy leaf printing, blow painting, leaf rubbing and colour hunting and have made wonderful displays of autumnal colours, words and features such as pumpkins, harvesters and scarecrows. They have also developed knowledge about autumn animals, and those who search for and store food during the autumn preparing for the winter. As the weather has changed we have begun to think about the changes as we go into Winter and we will continue our learning about weather following the holidays. We have of course, also been busy preparing for our festive production and we hope everyone who managed to join us enjoyed sharing in the festivities. We wish you all a wonderful holiday and look forward to seeing you in the New Year.
Exploring and differentiating between colours, the children used their hands to make flame shapes in the paint for their bonfires before flicking on some paint for added effect
Ms Claire Cowlishaw, Preschool Teacher
Issue 2 2011 35
Reception’s Autumn Awesomeness The change in weather has taken Reception on a new learning journey. In our classes we have been exploring the outdoors and the ways in which the weather has changed over the past couple of months. We have been investigating the outdoors by going on “Autumn Hunts”. We have been describing the different autumn shades we have seen, and talked about why the leaves are falling from the trees. This is enhancing our development in all the six areas of learning with a special focus on Knowledge and Understanding of the World as we are concentrating on the weather changes and changes in our environment, and ask questions about why things happen. This is also linked to our Communication, Language and Literacy as we are beginning to use talk. We have been talking about our own experience as we were recognising these changes from previous years and remembering our winter experiences. We have also been paying attention to how these events lead into one another, whilst discussing seasons. In Numeracy we have been discussing the different leaves and twigs that we have found on the ground and using mathematical vocabulary to describe these, grouping them and ordering them by size and colour. As well as all this learning we have been having fun, fun, fun expressing our creative sides. We have been making Autumn and Winter pictures with paints and collage materials; collecting leaves and making leaf patterns, rubbings, and paintings; and singing Winter and Autumn songs accompanied by various movements and dances.
Exploring patterns and shapes using leaves
Reception Class Teachers
Exploring patterns and shapes using leaves
Using various autumn colours to create leaves ready to place on the Autumn tree.
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Take a peek at what Year 1 have been up to As always the half term leading up to the winter break is always one of the busiest. Year 1 classes have all finished their first class assembly with a great turnout from the parents. It was exciting to see the different things the children have learned and also their increased confidence in front of people. We look forward to more superb assemblies. The children have also just finished their first University course session, which was enjoyed by all concerned and we are all thinking about our next course. Maths Day was a huge success. We welcomed the visits by the parents who gave very positive feedback on the many activities. Year 1 children have worked very hard on producing “The Nutcracker� we hope everyone enjoyed our performance. Finally, we would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a wonderful holiday with family and friends and a happy new year. We look forward to seeing all of our students again at the start of our new term in January. Year 1 Class Teachers
Comparing the lengths of different worms!
Learning number bonds to 10 and working with our partners
The children were given the challenge to find shapes in the outside world
Everyone participated at creating different objects for our castle Issue 2 2011 37
Life in Year 2 Year 2 have enjoyed a variety of Literacy topics this term, such as ‘Instructions’ for our nonfiction topic and looking for ‘Patterns on the Page’ for Poetry. In Numeracy we have learned about a wide range of topics including 3D shape, multiplication, measurement and data handling. We also practice our important basic mathematical skills such as mental calculation regularly. As it is that time of year, we also learned about Remembrance Day for our History topic. We discussed why it is important that we remember the past and we talked about use of symbols as commemoration.
Creating an observational drawing of the Cenotaph.
Our theme in Art this term has been “Picture this!” We have been learning how to use a viewfinder to help frame a picture that we want to draw. Also we have used part of a picture in a magazine and used our incredible imagination to finish the picture to complete our own personal masterpiece. It has been very exciting in Art this term. In Design Technology this term, we have been extremely busy making fabulous Dinosaurs and Hand Puppets. We are so proud of our fantastic sewing skills and we used our creative flair to decorate our puppets: beautiful. In ICT we have been practicing important computer skills such as word processing and creating pictures on the computers. These skills are very useful for other curricular areas as well. Year 2 Class Teachers
Proudly showing the finished hand puppets
38 Newsblast
Using descriptive language to make animal shape poems
Year 3: Building on a great start... The girls and boys in Year 3 have made an encouraging start since their October break and have displayed a keen and enthusiastic attitude, building on the successes of the opening half term. In Numeracy children have covered addition, subtraction, multiplication, place value, division and time. In Literacy we have been continuing to develop writing skills in a variety of genres. The children have been focusing on poetry and enhancing their poetic language using a variety of techniques such as alliteration and rhyme. What it was like for children during the Second World War, is a challenging but interesting topic for the children and they have set about it in a focused and hardworking manner. All classes have been learning background information surrounding key events, leaders and dates. This knowledge has been used to analyse the effects of the Blitz and how children would have felt being evacuated from major cities. This has proved to be a thought provoking and popular subject for the children to approach.
By examining a replica gas mask 3C are beginning to consider what it might have been like to be a child during World War 2
Year 3 Class Teachers
Working together to ask questions about the evacuation of children that took part during the Second World War.
Pupils empathise with children from WW2 by acting out scenes from the war in Drama
Issue 2 2011 39
Story Writing in Year 4 In Year 4 we have been writing fictional stories about dragons. We began by reading extracts about dragons. Next we created collaged images of settings and dragons to inspire our writing. We used story boards with moving parts to plan our tales. We focused on improving the detail in our writing by using attention-grabbing verbs, adverbs and adjectives. We considered how our characters would feel or react to the events in our stories, and we used similes to try to create atmosphere and drama. 4B concluded their learning by using a word processing package to edit and improve their stories. They then put them up on a beautiful display. Meanwhile, 4W took part in a special ‘Escape from Dragon Land’ activity. They had to imagine they had been whisked away to another land. There was only one way to escape this treacherous place and that was to produce powerful sentences, with incredible words, that painted pictures in the mind! 4W were quite successful as they all made it home that day! Following this 4W then produced a play and performed it in front of their parents and the whole of Key Stage 2. We’re all feeling much more confident about our story writing in Year 4 at the moment. We’re now looking forward to the next opportunity to improve our writing skills, as well as extend our imaginations again! Year 4 Class Teachers
Moving onto the next setting
Producing powerful sentences for a Dragon Land adventure
40 Newsblast
Getting into character to help inspire ideas
Students from 5F prepare to launch their flyers in an investigation into air resistance.
Experiments, Baking, and Ancient Greece in Year 5 The last few weeks have been a very busy time for students in Year 5. We have been studying how and why people make bread. We have used all sorts of resources including recipe books and the internet to learn more about the processes involved and how companies make bread commercially. Then we had a go at making some for ourselves! Some of us have also been working hard to complete projects about healthy eating for our twin classes. We created board games, pop-up books and treasure hunts to try and teach our twins about the importance of healthy eating. Now, in Science we are studying gases. We have been thinking about what gases are and why they are so important to our modern way of life. Some students have also been experimenting with objects which travel through the air. Our History project is the Ancient Greeks. We will learn about their way of life, their technology and their mythology. Our Art project will also link in with the idea of the Ancient Greeks. We will be designing and making our own Greek pottery to as we investigate containers.
It has been a great term!
Evaluating the end result is an important part of the process Year 5 Class Teachers Issue 2 2011 41
Read all about it, then visit it! In the last few weeks, Year 6 have been working hard within their literacy lessons on journalistic writing. They have been busy interviewing and investigating to get the latest ‘scoops’ on the people and events at the school. 6R interviewed each other, collecting some fascinating and previously unknown facts, which they subsequently turned into very interesting biographies. 6B decided to look at some of the varied and breaking news stories currently hitting the headlines, in preparation for writing their own news articles. Both classes have looked at the familiar features of the style and produced some wonderful work. Working on the three states of matter, children in Year 6 have been studying how different materials can be mixed and then subsequently separated, using different techniques according to their properties and how some of the changes we can inflict on a substance are reversible, whereas some are irreversible. Children were set the challenge, in the first part of the year, to produce a brochure, relating to our mountain project. The subsequent pieces of work demonstrated some excellent research and presentation skills. With the aim of enticing visitors to venture onto their mountain of choice, the children have really tried to highlight the interesting features and varied activities available within these environments. See you there?
Planning an experiment to find out what plants need in order to grow
Year 6 Class Teachers
The plants need to be measured daily in order to be compared
Understanding how to separate an insoluble solid from a liquid
42 Newsblast
www.imupro300.ro
ImuPro300 Healthy eating can make you ill Overweight, stomach and bowel problems, migraine, concentration problems due to delayed food allergies? Ask your therapist about ImuPro300. They will provide non-binding advice as to whether ImuPro300 could provide you with a form of treatment that promises success.
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• Identication of causes instead of treating symptoms for several years • Rapid result and individual documents after approx. 10 days • Detailed evaluation of approx. 270 foods, colourings and preservatives • Analysis with utmost laboratory quality • Patient handbook with background information • Individual diagnostic findings file • Individual recipe book with approx. 100 specific recipes • Professional telephone-based nutritional counselling
When should you consider using ImuPro300?
• Flatulence, constipation, diarrhoea, irritable bowel syndrome • Large fl uctuations in weight from day to day, overweight, obesity • Headaches, migraine • AD(H)D • Infl ammatory skin diseases (neurodermatitis, psoriasis) • Joint pains • Frequent tiredness after meals • Intolerance to certain foods • Fasting leads to the receding of the complaints
Are you familiar with these complaints?
What can you do?
Continual stomach and bowel problems (flatulence, constipation, irritable bowel) or headaches and skin problems over many years (itchiness, neurodermatitis, psoriasis), chronic tiredness and obesity?
With sophisticated individual analyses, the ImuPro300 blood test identifi es IgG antibodies against 270 different foods and determines as to whether they are present in high or low amounts.
The cause of many of these chronic complaints has not yet been clarifi ed. The treatments largely revolve around the treatment of the symptoms. Unfortunately, the causes have not been tackled. Treatment lasting several years can be necessary - and some forms of therapy invariably involve unpleasant side e ects. Or the cause may remain unclear in spite of a range of examinations and the complaints continue. Important for you to know: Chronic discomforts can be triggered by delayed food allergies.
You are then provided an individual dietary recommendation on the basis of your personal test results: You find out the foods you should avoid eating for a certain time and you also get a personal recipe book with suggestions for tasty meals that you can enjoy as an alternative. Ask your therapist about ImuPro300. They will provide non-binding advice as to whether ImuPro300 could provide you with a form of treatment that promises success.
The decisive question is: What is the cause of the discomforts and what triggers them? Only when this question has been answered is it possible to successfully ght the complaints. Today we know that many chronic pains can be caused by in ammation reactions. Food products can also cause these inflammations - when certain antibodies are created. These antibodies can be uncovered with blood tests. This means you gain a picture of which foods can cause what complaints. Many people are thought to su er from a so-called delayed food allergy without knowing it. The complaints are often wideranging and only occur several hours or even days after the consumption of the relevant food product. For this reason it can be helpful to look for these foods with a blood test and to make them, visible‘ in this way.
www.imupro300.ro
Additional information is available from: S.C. Imupro Distribution S.R.L ImuPro Distributor - Romania & Moldova T. +40 735 303 001, F. +40 21 267 89 69 E. office@imupro300.ro www.imupro300.ro
Issue 2 2011 43
Children were keen to show their parents their creative side
EYFS Open Hour Thursday 13th October was a great day for EYFS as we had a visit from some very important guests...our parents. The open hour gave parents the opportunity to come and see what their children were learning within their classrooms.
Reception S and Reception E did some funky phonics learning during their letters and sounds session. Reception S had fun learning the letter ‘l’, played sound bingo and practiced forming the letter correctly in the sand. Reception E completed a cut and stick activity focussing on the letter ‘x’.
Crib and Crèche went ‘bananas’ by making smoothies. The children sliced and blended the bananas before enjoying the best bit of all, drinking it. Preschool were involved in an activity using all of their senses and made apricot and raisin flapjacks. They used their hands and got very messy and sticky mixing all the ingredients together and talked about how it felt and how it smelt. They had to use their listening skills to follow instructions carefully and they got to taste the end result after it was baked. They also did some art and craft work and the parents joined in with all the activities, enjoying listening to the children singing along to music as they worked.
Reception P ‘drove’ their parents around the bend by counting cars to the value of 10 and placing them in the correct order on a road. The children enjoyed welcoming their parents to their classes and we hope to see many more of you at our future Open Hours. Look out for the dates throughout the year.
44 Newsblast
Reception Class Teachers
Developing listening skills is a real life skill
Showing how to make a pattern using the peg boards helps us to develop a sense of logic
Issue 2 2011 45
Knowledge and Understanding of the World - Preschool children exploring with all their senses, showing curiosity and interest in the features of living things.
The Great Outdoors The outdoor environment is a huge part of the EYFS curriculum and staff and children work together continually to update our outdoor learning areas, making fun and interesting environments where the children can access all six areas of learning and extend their knowledge, learning and development beyond the classroom. Ms Claire Cowlishaw, EYFS Coordinator
Reception children demonstrating knowledge of initial sounds and letters which represent sounds during an outdoors phonics session.
Reception children developing social skills working together as a group and exploring movement and space through constructing with large materials in open spaces.
46 Newsblast
Knowledge and Understanding of the World – Reception children developing an understanding of cause/effect relations by testing their own boats during a floating and sinking experiment.
Firework Creativity morning in EYFS On Friday the 4th of November, all of EYFS children got together for a morning of firework related activities. This included junk model rockets, fireworks in the dark sky scene painting which the children created by flicking bright paint onto dark paper – a messy but very fun activity, creative paper sparklers, chalk and glitter collages and some very tasty “chocolate sparklers” which all the children enjoyed making and eating when they had finished. All of the children enjoyed taking part in the various activities and were able to independently choose when and what they wanted to make and do. By combining all of the EYFS classes together, this provided the perfect opportunity for all the children to interact with each other as well as the other members of staff and to make many new friends. Mrs Claire O’Brien, Crèche Teacher
Indoor….outdoor…the learning continues
Education encourages us to reach for the skies
Collaborative learning is a lifelong skill
Working through processes starts at an early age! Issue 2 2011 47
BSB Spelling Bee 2011
Irini is awarded the cup for being BSB Spelling Champion 2011 by Ms Bestel as the other finalist with their certificates look on.
In the first term of the new school year there was a buzz all around the Newlands Building. It was the buzz of many busy bees practising their spelling to get ready for the annual British School of Bucharest spelling competition. The busy bees were all the pupils of the school who wanted to take part in the annual Spelling Bee. Every teacher held heats within their own classroom to find out who would be the class representative to go forward to the finals. Each teacher reported a very high standard of spelling and a fantastically supportive but competitive spirit. On Thursday 20th October during assembly all of the finalists came out to the front and began to spell the words they were asked by Miss Broadbent and Ms Bestel.
48 Newsblast
Spelling is an essential skill and great importance is given to this at BSB
From Year Three there was the adventurous Andrei (3A), Gregory (3M) and Smruti (3C). From Year Four came the spirited Pol (4B) and Emi (4W). Year Five intrepid finalists were Salaar (5F)and Irini (5M) Finally Year Six put forward the talented Alexy (6B) and Vlad (6R).�The competition began with some familiar but slightly tricky words and the first few rounds were quickly passed. However the increasing difficulty of the words tripped up one or two of our brave competitors. The crowd were enthralled and some of them were so fascinated by the contest before them they could hardly resist mouthing out the letters of each word! It came down to the final three of Irini, her brother Gregory and Alexy but in the end Irini won the cup. Congratulations to Irini!
Combining clear and blurry mark making produces some beautiful effects.
Primary Art Competition All the children in the primary school had the opportunity to take part in this term’s art competition. The title of the competition was ‘Mark Making’. The children were asked to explore the potential of making marks through careful observation. The ability to produce high quality mark making is at the root of visual literacy. It is not enough to glance and draw what you think is there. Learning to draw is really a matter of learning to see correctly and this takes a lot of time and patience. For the art competition the children produced drawings in which the viewer could see the process of a period of focused observation. It was not the end product that was of significance, but rather the quality of the study. In time this accurate recording develops the eye, the brain and the hand to work together, increasing awareness of the environment in which we live. The ability to see patterns and details becomes progressively more important as children develop their drawings and try to achieve a particular result.
Ethan’s composition explored the illustrative possibilities of mark making.
‘As we increase the range of what we see, we increase the richness of what we imagine’ John Ruskin. The artwork has been displayed for everyone to see in the foyer of Crawford house. Congratulations go to Sophie in 6B and Sara in 5F for their winning entries in KS2. Further congratulations go to the winners, Benedict and Lachrista in KS1.
Close observations produced a piece of work that contained dynamic elements of contrast and movement.
Mr Mark Williams, Primary Art Coordinator
Using mark making to experiment with printing and to produce pleasing looking patterns. Issue 2 2011 49
Children climbing the walls in Newlands.
The new Key Stage 2 gymnasium has had a recent advance in provision with the erection of a new indoor climbing frame. The new climbing frame has already been well received by students during gymnastics lessons. All three sections can be used simultaneously for a great variety of movement and exercise, for example hanging, balancing and turning upside-down. Spectrum Y-Hinged Frames are, arguably, the best option for modern junior gymnasia.
It is very important that the children know the rules for using the equipment
David Hughes, PE Teacher
There are many ways to move through the bars
Children can work together to make sequences
Look at how sensibly we use the equipment
50 Newsblast
The children can explore different pathways
Harvest Week
KS1 children made food contributions gathering a wide selection of goods
During October, the week before the half term break, the whole school celebrated Harvest Week. In EYFS children learned about how foods are harvested and got creative with dried foods making collages and art work. They worked together to make salt dough and create decorative shapes, along with paper basket weaving, and sharing stories based around the Harvest theme. The children in KS1 and KS2 also donated items of food for the annual Harvest festival and learned that Harvest is celebrated to give thanks for the crops which have been safely gathered in. During the KS1 assembly children talked about what they are thankful for and some of their answers were quite inspiring: “I am grateful for my family and my friends” “I am grateful for having the nicest teacher”, “I am grateful for everything I have”. KS2 children also marked the event with an assembly and thought hard about how lucky they are, additionally and thought of the distance that food travels before it ends up on our plates. All items of food that were collected were donated to St Stelian’s who were very grateful for the items received. More information can be found at www. sfstelian.ro. Many thanks for all your contributions and support with this event.
Gathering together to celebrate Harvest Week encourages the students to show empathy for those with less than themselves
Lower School Key Stage Coordinators
Exploring different ingredients, the children worked together to make dough and create decorations
The pupils helped to create our harvest table and present the gifts nicely Issue 2 2011 51
Celebrations Following the half term break, children arrived at school to decorated communal areas and classrooms in celebration of Halloween. Children showed no fear creating witches, pumpkins, ghosts, skeletons and other ghastly themed art and craft activities. They learned how pumpkins are grown and then used at Halloween, and discussed parties and events they had been to over the weekend to celebrate. KS1 celebrated Halloween by decorating and carving pumpkins, and learning what is now their favourite song ‘The skeleton dance’; whilst also making spooky scary Halloween crafts including bats, black cats and skeletons. KS2 enjoyed equally the Halloween celebrations participating in a variety of ghoulish activities. The children were very creative and wrote spooky poems from witches’ brews to batty poems and were all quite spooked by the end of the day. In the kitchen they also made ghost toast which proved a very tasty treat for all. Some classes did apple snapping which looked like lots of fun.
EYFS children painted petrifying pumpkins The festivities continued across the school at lunchtime as the children were treated to a lucky dip in the Halloween grottos that had transformed the dining rooms. Our whole school thanks goes out to the PTA for organising this and to our creative teaching assistants for decorating the dining rooms so spectacularly. Lower School Key Stage Coordinators
Waiting patiently for their ghost toast
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Twinning classes 1V and 3M celebrated Halloween together with a ‘Who can find the most pumpkin seeds’? contest encouraging Year 1 counting skills
KS1 found scooping out pumpkins a lovely sensory experience
Issue 2 2011 53
Maths made real “The essence of mathematics is not to make simple things complicated, but to make complicated things simple.� Stan Gudder, Professor of Mathematics
KS2 took part in a Real Life Maths Quiz practising concepts from multiplication to calculating areas. Well done to Olt for coming out on top
On Thursday 17th November we celebrated Maths Day in the Lower School. The theme of the day was Real Life Maths and students were given many exciting learning opportunities to explore and develop their mathematical skills for use beyond the classroom. From measuring ingredients to budgeting for a dream bedroom, and from planning a party to organising a trip around
the world, the students investigated many real life situations to help them recognise the importance of, and develop, their understanding of maths. Ms Tracy Milligan, Primary Maths Coordinator
Learning to work within a budget is an important life skill. These students plan their dream bedroom 54 Newsblast
“I liked the activity with Mr Feltham as we had to create cool floor patterns. We had big paper and small paper that had different costs and we needed to calculate the area and total price of each.” Ilias, 6B
“I enjoyed the whole day but my favourite activity was planning our dream room. We had a budget and had to choose furniture from the IKEA catalogue. There was a squared piece of paper with the measurements of the room and it all had to fit inside.” Anda, 6B
Issue 2 2011 55
Toddlers having fun
Toddler Group Update The Toddler Group has been engaged in lots of different craft activities to try and develop their motor skills. During these activities imagination, communication and sharing are also modeled and developed. The group have a different craft activity each week, which usually involves sticking, painting or cutting, and there is also play dough and drawing equipment available each week. During each session we all sit in a circle to share a snack together, encouraging good manners and healthy eating. Often the children go outside to take advantage of the crèche playground, and finish the morning with some action songs and a story. Mrs Stepanka Facerova
If you have any questions or would like to book your place please contact us at: bsbtoddlers@britishschool.ro
56 Newsblast
The children having their snack together
SECONDARY REVIEW What do you want to be when you grow up? Today, if someone asked you, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” you probably answered, “a fireman” or “a policeman” or “a nurse” or “a teacher.” At this moment in time you may only know generally the names of some professions. You might not answer “An account manager” or a “lead buyer for a major business” or an “editor and publisher of a magazine” or “stock specialist” or “computer engineer” or “financial analyst” or a “sports therapist” or “small businessman” or even “principal of a school.” There are lots of jobs out there that you have may never heard of. What is interesting is that you have certain skills-things that you are best at-that you can exploit in a good job if you know that the job is out there. How do you find out about all of these jobs? One thing you can do is search for information on the web. Another thing you can do is start asking adults in the community through careers talks, work experience or volunteering. • What do you do? • Why do you do it? • Do you like it? •How did you get your job? • What are all the jobs you have held in your career? • What was your first job? • How much training do you need? • Where would I start if I wanted to have a job like yours?
“The world is your oyster… start thinking about your career and doing something positive to take you a step closer to your dream today. Stand up and be noticed.”
You may find some adults who do not like their jobs. In general, focusing on adults who do love their jobs, who are excited and passionate is the best piece of advice I can give you. This is what we have been doing of late in secondary inviting guests to talk to our students about exactly this. The turnout has been fantastic and the advice very useful. I particularly liked the advice one of our guests gave about sitting down with a blank piece of paper and starting your CV from scratch - gradually adding more and more information to it as you get older. You can also look around you at the jobs you see on the surface and then look behind the scenes. • Behind every successful rock band there are producers, record companies, light and sound technicians, advertising companies, artists, agents, songwriters and financial experts • Behind every TV show there are producers, directors, cameramen, technicians, writers, managers, financial experts and production engineers • Behind every pro-athlete there are managers, coaches, financial experts, therapists, trainers. • Behind every house built there is a foreman, a contractor, sub-contractors, heavy equipment operator, truckers, framers, roofers, plumbers, electricians and painters • Behind every computer program and web site there are programmers, database specialists, network administrators, system operators, graphic artists, technical writers, advertising executives. The world is your oyster… start thinking about your career and doing something positive to take you a step closer to your dream today. Stand up and be noticed. Miss Jen Kemp, Head of Secondary
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Mr Feldholm from World Class discussing 1990s WAP technology - a history lesson for our students!
BSB Lunchtime Careers Presentations Over October and November, the secondary school has been running a series of careers presentations sponsored by the French Bakery. Staff and students would like to thank all those parents and friends of the school who have given up their time to speak to our students. There have been a variety of focuses from Hospitality and Tourism to International Strategic Management Consultancy, from Medical professions to UNESCO. The students of Years 9 to 13 have turned out in force every week, have conducted themselves faultlessly and have benefited enormously from listening to the career paths and experiences of people who were just like them one day. We hope that our students value these events and are looking forward to the next round in February and March. Mrs Patricia Lovelock, Post-16 Coordinator
Ms Griffin explaining her path to General Manager of the Hilton Athenee Palace, Bucharest.
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Mr Vereanu making a point
Interview Technique A Guide
Ryan showing his skills in a mock interview with Ms Hussain
The power of the interview, first impressions and making a lasting impression! • Take • Be
pride in your appearance
confident
• Maintain • Show
• Prepare
• Be
• Be
• Have
punctual
eye contact
initiative
flexible and show adaptability
knowledge and opinions on current affairs
Quote from Sorina Fredholm-Guest interviewer (General Manager- The Red Carpet) “It was a very interesting experience for me. I knew about the high level of education at the British School, but these students, soon to become adults surprised me with their motivation, self confidence and preparation for the interview and in turn for life itself. I am proud to be a small part of their successful future” Miss Jen Kemp, Head of Secondary Issue 2 2011 59
Four leaders set to change the world
Year 13 trip to Geneva During half term break, the Year 13 students had the opportunity of visiting the United Nations Headquarters in Geneva. Throughout the week, we attended a number of conferences in which we learned what the UN actually does, as opposed to only what we have heard in the news. There are various branches to the UN, for example the job of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is to coordinate departments such as UNICEF or the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) whenever a disaster happens. Some other presentations were from the Red Cross, United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
For me it was a very new experience. We were a total of 27 students from all over Europe. There was also free time, after we finished our ‘work day’ at around 5:30 in the evening we went out through the city, and had the opportunity to visit the Natural History museum and the Watch museum. There was a lot to learn but at the same time we also had fun. Our group was the first to try this experience, and we didn’t know what to expect. Personally, it actually exceeded my expectations overall and I was glad to have been given this opportunity. Alexandra - Head girl Year 13
BSB Ambassadors at the U.N
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Even world leaders need some down time
Enjoying the sights of Geneva
The opportunity to visit UN Headquarters was a once in a lifetime opportunity
Internet Safety Workshop As children grow up, teachers, parents and carers have to teach them a variety of things to ensure that they are equipped to face the challenges of the modern world. We have to teach them how to cross the road safely, how to deal with strangers and how to engage with other children and adults appropriately in a variety of different settings, including the home, school and in the world at large. When our children go out to play we want to know where they are going. We satisfy ourselves that they know how to get there without any mishaps or being exposed to any real dangers en route, that they will be safe when they get there and that they will be with responsible people throughout. Typically, when our children come home we ask them if everything was OK. We take a very close interest.
At the eSafety workshop
Using the internet safely requires similar skills, which is why it is important that teachers, parents and carers find out more about the internet for themselves. It was with this in mind that BSB hosted our first Internet Safety Workshop where Mr Monaghan (ICT and Business) raised awareness of the benefits and potential dangers of the Internet and technology as a whole. The session included Internet Safety Tips and some good discussion from the attendees. Mrs Walker (ICT Faculty Coordinator) provided an overview of how we addressed Internet Safety within the secondary school curriculum. For further information please see the eSafety page at: http://moodle.britishschool.ro Mr Mark Monaghan, ICT and Business Studies Teacher
Moodle Front Page
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We had to create a poster with what we think the role of the “délégué” is – Alexandra
Basil and Alexandra introduced how the BSB Student Council works
A day with the French school Following the invitation of the Lycée Français, Basil (Year 9) and Alexandra (Year 13) joined the training day of the Conseil de la Vie Lycéenne (the equivalent of BSB’s Student Council) in Corbeanca. In the morning, the focus was to explore the meaning of being a Class and a Student Representative in the French school system through different workshops and discussions. During the afternoon, they attended a presentation led by Marina Otelea, physician, and Miruna Mataonu, high jump champion, on the importance of sports and healthy eating in order to succeed. It was the occasion for Alexandra and Basil to practice their French and to familiarise themselves with the decision making process in the Lycée Français. They were also able to compare the Student Council at the BSB with its French equivalent. We look now forward to the visit of French students.
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My Solar System of Relationships As the first half term of this academic year progressed, it became clear that the Year 7s had personality in abundance. They are funny, clever, thoughtful, empathetic, confident, considerate –the list goes on. But it was only when they produced their final piece to round off the work we had been doing in PSHCE that I truly realised how creative and conscientious they are as well. We had been exploring self-reflection, issues to do with group identity and our relationships with others. At the end of term I asked them to produce an artistic piece of work representing their relationships with family and friends as planets in the solar system. I was completely unprepared for the response I would receive. One week later, over the course of two or three days, students trouped into my classroom and deposited the most varied, creative and interesting pieces of work I have yet seen as a teacher. They filled a whole corner of my room and were just begging to be displayed – and display them we did. The pictures you see here are just some of the amazing efforts received, but huge congratulations should go to every single student in Year 7 for putting so much time, thought and enthusiasm into their work. Long may it continue! Mr Daniel Brown, Teacher of English, History and PSHCE
Rebecca, showing us her thoughtful and considered creation
Angela, proud of her creation
Year 7 is looking at their display 64 Newsblast
Francois showing us his amazing 3D solar system
Table Tennis Tournament Six boys visited the International School of Bucharest, on Thursday November 17, to represent The British School of Bucharest at a table tennis tournament. Adam, Fivos, Jesus, Patrick, Jorge and Chi Bin took on pupils from other schools within Bucharest, and Fivos successfully got in to the semi-finals. The tournament proved to be a big success and the BSB students enjoyed making connections with students from other schools. Mr David Hughes, PE Teacher
Fivos in Action
The boys receiving their participation certificates
Teachers and students from all of the schools participating
Patrick and Jorge in action
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Science Day 2011 Secondary Science Day proved to be a successful event. Key Stage 3 students had the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of exciting activities, with a particular focus on Physics. These activities ranged from water rockets to making lava lamps and hovercrafts. Students were also treated to demonstrations by members of the able, gifted and talented Science group. Students displayed an excellent interest in learning about Science throughout the day and had nothing but positive feedback for the event. Science Day accomplished its mission of raising the profile of Science and in particular Physics throughout Key Stage 3. I am sure this event will only grow and expand to become even better next year. Mr Paul Farrell, Physics Teacher
Didehan, demonstrating the hydrogen bonding in water, as part of Science Day
Science Day starts with a bang
Students become the teachers as Mihnea demonstrates a flow of charge in a vacuum to KS3 students.
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Dilara and Yasemin experimenting with ‘elephant’s toothpaste’.
Finn, Year 8, demonstrating flour fire balls; experiments sure to capture everyone’s imagination.
Can you get your parachute to land in the centre of the target?
KS3 students investigating friction, by making CD hovercrafts Issue 2 2011 67
Art teachers visit BSB Peer observations in other schools helps develop good practice across our teaching profession
November saw Art teachers, Angela and Ioana, from the American International School of Bucharest came to visit BSB. They spent the day in a variety of classes from Crèche to Secondary in order to observe how Art is taught and the variety of learning opportunities for Art at BSB. The ladies commented that they had really enjoyed their day and found it very informative; they particularly noted the excellent behaviour of all our students.
Observing and discussing a Year 7 class
‘We both really appreciated the warm and home-like feeling of BSB, with its creative use of space - both inside and outside the classrooms. We felt very welcomed by the teachers, students and staff when we visited and we are already more diligently incorporating the great difference between ‘looking and seeing’ into our art vocabulary- followings Mr. Mark Williams’ Henri Matisse quote. Thank you’, visiting teachers Ms Tiffany Moorcroft, Head of Lower School
How to become an examiner for Spanish proficiency level - DELE C2 (Diploma for Spanish as a Second Language) What makes a proficient speaker of Spanish as a second language? Is it the fluency in speaking? The range of vocabulary used? The familiarity with cultures from Spanish speaking countries? In October I had the opportunity to attend a course at the Cervantes Institute which prepared me to become an examiner for the proficiency level in Spanish as a foreign language. It was very interesting to analyse the aspects of the language that make the difference between advanced and proficient level.
These are the details that I will be including in my lessons from now on, above all for my A level students. I am very grateful for the opportunities that BSB gives teachers to continue developing their professional career. I am looking forward to implementing the newly acquired knowledge in my everyday lessons.
Ms Rocío Martii, Spanish Teacher
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BSB Supports Trainee Teacher We are delighted to welcome Mrs Charlotte Smith to BSB. Mrs Smith is going to be assisting in a variety of classes in the Primary school in preparation for starting her Post Graduate Certificate in Education in September. She
has worked in a variety of schools in the UK and is thrilled to now have the opportunity to work with the wonderful children at BSB. Ms Tiffany Moorcroft, Head of Lower School
Learning to teach best job in the world
The FIRST Tech Robotics Challenge It is my pleasure to announce to you that this year BSB will be taking part in the CEESA FIRST Tech Challenge. This is a really exciting opportunity for two of our immensely gifted and creative older students – Tudor Atanasiu and Mihnea Rusu – to test their mettle against equally bright and innovative students from around Europe. The purpose of the challenge is to build and program a robot that is capable of completing a series of tasks. There is a common set of parts, software and instructions that each team will use to create their robot, but the design and set of abilities that the robot will assume is entirely up to the students. The team coach for this ongoing event is Paul Farrell, our esteemed and outrageously enthusiastic physics teacher. He will oversee the students in an advisory capacity, meaning that he will monitor the building process and help the students to program the software for the robot, but the creativity, flair and good old-fashioned know-how will come from the boys themselves. The Eastern European championships will be contested by teams from Bucharest, Warsaw, Zagreb, Sofia, Belgrade and Prague, with the winners jetting off to St Louis in the USA in April for the World Championships. To find out exactly what it is the robots will have to do, go to the following website and follow the link for the FIRST Tech Challenge. I think I speak for all of us when I say good luck Tudor and Mihnea! http://www.usfirst.org/ Mr Daniel Brown, AG&T Coordinator
Two of our immensely gifted and creative students testing their project the CEESA First Tech Challenge
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ECIS Conference One of the excellent speakers at ECIS was Astronaut, Steve Smith
This year the European Council of International Schools held it’s conference in Lisbon and over 1500 delegates attended from a whole host of schools. It was wonderful to be part of this year’s event which included workshops, lectures and keynote speakers covering a huge variety of subjects. This year’s key speakers included Astronaut Steve Smith, Statistician and co-founder of Gapminder Hans Rosling, and explorer Liv Arnesen. All the speakers were superb and really made us think about world issues affecting education today. The international dimension of the conference is always a
Miss Hussain with lecturer on professional learning communities, Margaret Maclean
key draw for delegates as it allows us to share ideas and connect with our colleagues from many different nationalities and backgrounds. As always, improving student learning was at the core of the conference and I am happy to have experienced a wide range of activities and events that I can bring back to BSB to share with colleagues and pupils here at school. Ms. Naima Hussain, Deputy Principal
BSB New Kitchen Coming Up after the Christmas Holidays We are very proud to announce that in the new year we will have our own kitchen, able to provide school lunches cooked on site by our very talented chef, Mr Khamis Ali and his team who will be striving to provide the best service for our children and staff.
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Mr Khamis Ali preparing for the big opening
Save this date in your diary! 2nd - 27th July BSB Summer School 2012 www.britishschool.ro for more details
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